Fab Feb 2009: too sleep deprived to think of a new thread title

[dinkystinky]

'nuff said

PS ...hope tonight is a better night !

Where is everyone??????
Ds1 seems better. No temp last night and no temp this morning, so fingers crossed that's it.
I had good night last night, I slept through both of them waking so dp had to do it all, he said this morning that if it wasn't one, it was the other and he thinks he only had about 3 hours sleep, I said yeah, it's been like that for nearly 2 weeks, hard isn't it? He'll spend all morning in bed recovering now.
I think Luke might be getting close to outgrowing the colic. The past few days, I've actually been able tocomfort him and have him stop crying! He'll be 10 weeks tomorrow, it's gone scarily fast.
We're picking up my dad today, he's staying here tonight so he can look after Luke tomorrow, I have to clean ds1's room today, but that's it, I managed to do everything else yesterday whilst they were napping. I should also pack the boys things for the weekend as have no idea what time we'll be home from the farm tomorrow.
Hope everyone's ok. I miss you guys
STW I hope you had a better night with Sam

No sleep again here so not caught up - again.

However, STW your query caught my eye. Am lactose intolerant, but it only got bad enough a few years ago when was under a lot of stress to actually be identified.

After discussions with my mum, she is convinced that's why I was a sicky baby and had trouble when went onto bottles as a baby, etc. but wasn't known about then. Symptoms were not so bad though for her to have called a doctor.

So, just wanted to say that lactose intolerance is possible, doesn't have to be expelling every feed as I know others who have same problem with children.

Ok, have to go. Hope to catch up with you all soon. Have postnatal check up later, so have to go jump in the shower. Am sure will be told Luc is too light and not be given an answer for why the kid only needs 8 hrs sleep in a day.....

lbb, temp varies according to where you take it.... up the bum is 37.5, in the mouth is 37 and underarm is 36.5 as a rough guide my old gp hated the in ear ones as he said they were very prone to getting it wrong as any bit of earwax or gunk in the ear affects the reading.

i'd play it by ear with regards the outings, if his mood is fine, bring him... fresh air is bound to do him good! glad he's on the mend now

STW, it doesn't sound like my experiance of allergies or intolerances, they generally affect babies' digestion, ie lots of puking and runny poo. it sounds like he just has a cold, they seem to linger with los, it took aaron a few weeks to shake his and he was miserable the whole time.

gotta head out now with hyper kids to the bank..... fabulous

Hi - just stopping in quickly to say STW it could be an intolerance, as the symptoms can be very mild and varied (obviously allergies are more dramatic). With M, she had very loose nappies which we thought was normal, but now she's on hypoallergenic stuff we have realised was constant diarrhea. She was sometimes violently sick after a bottle and sometimes just posseted, and did the squirmy, wriggly uncomfortable thing about an hour after her feed for about an hour. You could try Sam on Nanny - a goats milk formula - I'd see what GP/HV think, GP might suggest prescribing something like M is on - Nutramigen. I think goats milk is easier to digest - if you think about how big a calf is and how big their digestive system will be and compare that to Sam, he will obviously be working really hard to digest the proteins, small animal = easier to digest the milk. M is a changed baby, but is still colicky, so it's not a cure all, but if Sam does have an intolerance, it's important to know about it and act accordingly.

Sorry for waffling - it's hard to be succinct on two hours sleep! M was fine but I just woke at half two and just couldn't sleep...

Beantin Sorry you still aren't getting much sleep. FWIW, ds1 was like that, he hardly ever slept through the day in the early weeks. By the time he was about 4 months, I was so fed up with it, that's when I rocked him to sleep after every bottle and held him for hours on end so he could sleep. That is when I found my love for Jeremy Kyle
PT Thanks. He was fine all night and has been fine today. I have an in ear thermometer and the readings come out different for each ear, but at least I can get a rough idea of what it's at iyswim.
STW Can you take Sam into the bathroom whilst you shower or run a bath? The steam may help him out a bit. I've done it a few times (like this morning) when I feel he's a bit bunged up. Ds1 doesn't like that I close the door, but as long as I've removed anything in the flat from his reach that might be a porb for him like glasses and things, he's safe enough to be unheard for 10/15 mins.

I don't know if this is because I know Luke will be my last baby, or because he's alot smaller than ds1 was, but I hate seeing him in 'proper' outfits. I much prefer to see him in babygrow's and little rumper-suits, odd because I hated having ds1 in these, he was in proper outfits the minute we got back from the hospital. Weird aren't I?

lbb, it must be a last baby syndrome because i'm exactly the same with aaron

Quickly checking in - had a lovely day yesterday at the Horniman museum in the morning (DS1 loved it - and even Danny seemed mildly interested...) and then playground in the sun yesterday afternoon but was too shattered to even log on last night...

STW - am so sorry to hear that you're still having a really tough time of it sleepwise with Sam and sibling wise with O. If you can get O into nursery an extra day a week do, and try to sleep during the daytime (or at least power nap every so often) while Sam does. Life will seem a bit brighter with a bit of sleep on your side. And its no wonder you got frustrated with Sam - when you've done everything you can to make your little one comfortable and help them sleep and they're stil crying, you'd have to be some kind of saint not to get frustrated at all...

LBB - glad to hear that DS1 sounds like he's on the mend. I'd play it by ear re the trips - if he's good on the day he'll enjoy them and hopefully sleep well after them.

Herbgarden - sorry DD is ill. Hope she gets better soon.

MS - step away from those scales. I've still got a stone to lose too - which is why the health kick started today. So far have managed to avoid the chocolate - but its been hard...

dinky... have avoided chocolate but have had some digestive biccies.... in my defense they were breakfast though

am being very saintly an munching on banana chips now though [refuses to look at nutritional information to find out how many calories are in them]

think sit ups may the only way to go for me though, tis mostly my tummy that looks revolting who ever it was that asked about seperated tummy muscles.... mine didn't seperate but when i was preg with ds1 i ripped a tummy muscles lifting dd and my tummy's never been right since, when i do something that requires ab strength i can actually feel the complete and utter lack of any muscles power whatsoever and my back and arms end up compensating... horrible

Pinktulips - What a silly woman...I'd go get DS1 to sit on that woman's lap after he's had an accident if I were you!

Beantin - DS1 was never much of a sleeper during the day as a little baby. I was so envious of my friends whose babies slept well - though to look at DS1 now who is a brilliant sleeper now you'd never think it. It will get better, honest. Hope your check up goes well.

STW - I had a 2 cm diastis after DS1 and the hospital physio gave me some exercises. Try sucking in your lower tummy to the count of 10 10 times 3 times a day - this will teach your muscles to pull themselves back together. Also try doing the plank (modified on hands and knees) which will help. Once your ab muscles are starting to work, Pilates is brilliant for strengthening your core - you could see if your library has any postnatal pilates dvds you could borrow to see if you like the ab exercises. It did take around 6 months though for my tummy to go back to normal....

Morning...
I've just braved Ikea in Wembley this morning - I figured that as the schools are out and lots of people were taking extended hols that the traffic would be light. DS is at nursery and DD seemed a lot better so popped her in the car, she slept en route (it's about 50 mins from me), fed her whilst I had a coffee when we got there, put her in the sling and she then snoozed her way round too bless 'er. I needed a couple of little drawer cabinets to go in her wardrobe as it's all a bit chaotic in her room and I'm finally feeling in the mood to organise but as usual I bought more stuff than needed and got a selection of white photo frames to put some nice photos of the kids in for the walls...another little task to keep me out of trouble .

DS was really clingy this morning and has been a bit like that the last couple of weeks. He did wake up early so was tired but I wonder whether the potty training has made him a bit oversensitive - any of the rest of you on OPT (PT and Dinky?) notice this??? or do I just have an ultrasensitive little boy??...

Anyway, have a few jobs to do - DD has just nodded off again in her buggy outside (I'm outside too - it's quite warm here again today )

PS Well done Dinky on the choc front - I just ate the other half of the cadburys mini egg easter egg - I am hopeless. I know the only way is to get rid of the choc/sweet shelf in our kitchen - it's my secret weakness although not much of a secret as I have the belly to show for it

Herb - we have 2 entire shelves of easter eggs in our kitchen at present. It's taking a herculean effort on my part to steer clear of them! Shame you didnt post earlier about heading over to Wembley IKEA - its about a 25 minute drive from our place on a good day...

herbie.... ds1 is always a bit on the oversensitive side. he's scared of big things, loud things, clouds, wind, etc.... unfortunately he's not scared of me and is being a little bollocks the last week. i've put it down more to dd being off playschool and terrorising him all day though, noormally he gets a nice quiet morning before she gets home but when they're both here things go a bit mad.

he threw a glass on the drive a few minutes ago... smashed it to bits. he's damn near murdered the big kitten a few times. he drew all over the couch and floor yesterday with a marker from his kinder egg which it turns out is permanent (very tempter to complain to kinder about that one, who the fuck gives kids permanent markers!), he ignores everything i say. but he hasn't wet himself yet he pooed in his pull up while we were out but at leas he's not holding it now.

very of ikea.... desperately in need of furniture but everything cost and arm and a leg here

sorry about the typing in my last few posts btw, was feeding aaron and i'm fairly drastic at one handed typing

That would have been lovely Dinky.....another time as I'm really not that far from anywhere - I live between Reading and Henley so can make it to a lot of places within an hour and I like to get out and about.

PT....I think you said your DS was a July boy too didn't you - DS is July 8th....mmm and little boys. He too has always been fearful of loud noises/sudden noises/men/animals and recently he's scared of the wind (I remember being scared of the wind too as a child)..Oh dear re the permanent marker but agree with you that kinder - an egg aimed at kids - could easily put a non-perm marker in their eggs. Which clever marketing exec thought that one up eh?? (probably a very highly paid one). I managed to buy two small chests (£30 each) and some lovely frames a few bowls (want DS to have china ones as it cools the food quicker but not our nice ones as he has a habit of wanting to carry the bowl across the floor ) for about £120. Not a good month for that sort of spending but I don't go that often so needed to make the most of it. I'm just about to download my chosen photos for printing to go in the frames ! Exciting.

Herb - DS1 is a big clingy at the moment, but has been since Danny arrived to be honest. I think he quite likes the extra attention - and chocolates (he's the one who will have to work through the aforementioned 2 shelves of easter eggs via Operation Potty Training ) - he gets with the potty training. And he's a fairly sensitive soul too - always the first one to say sorry, cries if he's popped a balloon which has made Danny cry, etc.

Pink - DS1 has yet to do a poo on the potty (other than ones on the loo when he's been rushed out of the bath while doing the I want a poo dance). His last 5 poos in a row he's done while having his nap/sleeping at night - so now I tend to check on him before I go to bed and if he's done a poo change his nappy in the middle of the night. We're trying not to make a big deal of it - but have promised him a lollipop the first time he does a poo on the potty or toilet (fortunately we have one of those lurking at the back of the easter egg shelves) to incentivise him. I know so many people whose little boys had trouble with pooing on the loo (including one whose little boy just used to poo around the house in random places and then take photos of it on her iphone which was the only way she'd be able to find out where it was) and they seem to have eventually got to grips with pooing on the loo so am taking the long term view...

dinky... wierdly i've heard alot of boys have issues with pooing. ds1 says doing it on the toilet is 'dirty and scary' (he may be talking about my bathroom cleanlines there )

i've promised him a extra special chocolate treat if he poos in the loo but no luck so far, i'll be happy for now if i can just get him to stop holding it!

DS seems fascinated by the poo when it comes out of his bottom enough to want to do it on the potty.....(thankfully) - cue much studying post poo - but he definitely didn't poo as much last week and I was worried he was holding it in. He seemed to relax about it towards the end of the week and seemed back to normal. It is really common though I'm told for them to not want to poo on the potty/toilet for alsorts of reasons....I suppose it comes in the end . DS was months before he did his first.

I've just called nursery and they said DS has been fine all day even though he was a nightmare when DH left him this morning - typical eh?!

hope you all had a good easter. dd has a chocolate mountain that dp and i thought we should try and liberate and make the 'people's chocolate' but to be honest she doesn't actually wolf it down and seems happy for it to be stored away so i think we'll use it as incentives for her rather than another excuse for me to keep on eating.

sorry to hear about sick and colicky children, hope it gets better soon...and it will.

i was given an avent bottle feeding solution gift set when i left work. i'm breastfeeding at the moment so have only just got it out (as i'm about to venture into the world of expressing). there is SO much stuff in there, i've no idea what i'm meant to do with most of it!

i want to try and put ivor into a bit more of a routine (without going ott) as he's now 7 weeks old but it's so hard with an older sister (a) wanting attention and (b) needing to be taken and picked up from nursery (a 40 min round trip at best). do those of you with more than 1 bother with a routine or just wing it?

wing it

i get bored with routine, wouldn't inflict one on my kids.

Oooh a routine question - I'm in !! Kidding apart, I loosely inflict one on DD but only when we're at home (which is a bit more often than when it was just me and DS and then we were never in). Otherwise we'd probably get cabin fever and end up all killing each other. I do though like to a) get both kids in bed by 7pm (DD can't last much longer than 6.30pm and DS has always been a 7pmer) so that I can have my evening to myself.
b) Make sure that DD does at least stay awake part of the day so that she doesn't think that night time is for partying .
c) - try and put her down at lunchtime for a couple of hours so that DS gets some of my time on his own and can watch cbeebies without her squawking and him putting his hands over his ears yelling "I can't hear my telly MUMMY!!!"....

TBH do you not find that you sort of get into a "routine" without realising it?? DD/DS are usually awake around 6.30 anyway. DS no longer naps. DD can't last much longer than an hour and a half after being awake and then needs to sleep and needs feeding every 3 hours or so. Although not what some would do, I wake her to feed her so actually that's sort of what sets our "routine"....I'm ff.

I'm lucky though as I don't have to take DS to nursery on the days he goes and on one day my dad picks him up en route back from town - Saying that on the days when DS is at home we have things which we do so DD has to fit in with that otherwise we'd all go stir crazy....

herbie, my kids vary from 7am to 10am for waking.

every now and again ds1 stil naps for up to 2 hours but more often not.

aaron sometimes sleeps all day, other days like today he hasn't slept since 11am and is happy and content.

some night he dozes off right after the other 2 go to bed, other nights he wants to stay awake randomly feeding til 10 or later

trying to shoehorn these 3 into a routine would end up with all 4 of us on tranquilizers

Katieblirdsnest - I'm somewhere between Herb and Pink on routines. I basically just follow Danny's cues - he feeds roughly every 3 hours or so during the day (though in the afternoon/evening he wants a feed around 5 and again before he goes down sometime between 6.30 and 7.30ish), has some playtime and is awake for between an hour and an hour and a half then falls asleep (I either put him to bed when we're home or let him fall asleep on me or in pram while we're out and about) for about an hour or so. He's awake for between 1 and a half and 2 hours before going to bed at night times. Unlike Pink's little man, he goes into meltdown if he is awake for longer than 2 hours before going for a sleep - some babies are more chilled on stuff like that than others. He has a routine in that it is eat, play, sleep and bath, eat, sleep at bedtime but that's about it.

Re expressing - as Danny is now 9 weeks today I'm going to give expressing a go this week and letting our nanny try to give him a bottle while am out and about with his brother but am not holding my breath (his big brother took the bottle from 7 weeks but then rejected it from around 3 months - finally reintroduced him to it at 6 months before I went back to work when I gave up daytime bfs but had 3 months of angst between the 3 month and 6 month period that in hindsight I could have easily avoided.. still you live and learn). Think all you need is the pump and the bottle really...

this time round i've discovered even the pump is surplus to requirements... i'm hand expressing about a 100mls at a time and freezing. doing small bits at a time stops me getting all sore and engorged, i fgiure if i build up a decent stash then it's there for when i need it (night out, an emergancy meaning i have to go to hopsital or either of the older kids does, that sort of thing)

i never got on well with the pump when dd was little and harldy even bothered with ds1 as a result but hand expresing doesn't cause any of the issues i had with the pump (soreness, engorgment, fiddly cleaning of pump)