December 2007 "The one where babies walk the walk... and talk the talk"

[Arcadie]

I'm sorry - I couldn't last out. Welcome to the new thread.

skid you slattern

Don't be too impressed with the length of my list, I don't do that much everyday but was in a serious don't-know-where-to-start-my-house-is-disgusting place this morning

As for hoovering, downstairs most days if I can be bothered, upstairs when it looks bad. Toilet a quick wipe most days (dh is fairly bad at aiming...). Skirting boards, erm....when I moved in to get rid of all the dog hair and since then never (apart from the one behind the bin-I do that whenever I mop the floors because it always seems to get covered in stuff)

Clara ds is ok if I put him in the buggy to go out but if we are already out and he has been walking for a bit he never wants to go back in and we have the back arching and screaming. I kind of plonk him in and hold him in with my knee so I can get the straps done up-it usually takes a few attempts and god knows what I must look like!

Skid no idea on the bf, I haven't got a clue how to go about getting rid of the last two. I tried giving him a cup before bed like dd has but he just played with it and asked for boob. And I still do the morning one because it means I can just go and get him and bring him in bed with me instead of having to get up at 4.30. Although I try not to feed him til 6 or 6.30 in an attempt to stop him waking so early and he is a real pita crying and asking for boob, climbing all over me etc. Over Easter I'm thinking of just going in to him and lying him down in his cot instead of bringing him in...we tried before but there was A LOT of crying and I was worried about it waking dd...

Skid have found a couple of old threads for you
how often do you clean?

and again...

number 3

I always feel like my house is disgusting reading those though!

Ahh, DH has solved part of my cleaning problem. He has bought one of these . It arrived yesterday and has vacuumed the whole flat. One job ticked off my endless list of Saturday morning jobs.

The wee boy is getting better from his sicky bug thankfully. It was horrible watching him sitting on the sofa all sorrowful and shakey.

Skid, I didn't want to give up bf for ages - I gave up in February in the end. It is difficult when you don't really have a reason to give up and you quite like doing it. You have to be mentally ready for it
and stick to your guns.

Clara - we have tantrums for many things. I think we've had one or two buggy moments but thankfully they're not all the time.

clara I think this is definitely the age of the tantrum! I don't mind the buggy thing so much but am really hoping she doesn't start doing same with the car seat.

Am at home today as DD1's school is having a teacher only day. And then its 2 weeks school hols. I'm not entirely sure I think having it at the beginning of school hols is a great idea, yet another day to manage! I suppose the idea is that some people will go away for the long weekend.

And you teachers out there what exactly do you do on these days?

Another flying post from me

Tantrums - yes full on ones here!

Carseat/pushchair - yep the whole body twist thing!

And don't talk to me about nappy changes they are just an utter nightmare atm!!

not getting tantrums here - maybe am too soft on him...
no problem with car seats, buggy's or nappy changes just loads of crying in his new cot bed and 'play' fighting, pushing, nicking stuff off ds1

Considering this is my first week of having to work more hours for no extra money to keep my job, its not going too badly, trying not to focus on the fact I leave before the boys ae out of bed and now only get 2hrs a day with them and on the lovely nursery party yesterday and the fact ds1 sang (from his bed) 'monkeys on the bed' and head shoulders knees and toes' to ds2 last night so he would stop crying and woke up singing this morning, makes me to feel he's happy at the moment that he wakes singing, I've always worried about them waking crying (exact stage we are at with ds2) but lovely to know it does change - I thank the noddy bed!

Have signed up to flylady - must get my house in order and stop dreaming about having a cleaner... tempted to make a control journal like she says but maybe thats just so I can do that and not actually clean I end up doing the lists and not actually the work

Insy I recommend the slatterns thread, it worked for me yesterday!

Buzzy neither of mine have tantrummed about getting into the car but I think it is because they hardly ever go in it so see it as a treat! I remember a friend of mine saying how she picked her ds up from nursery and was trying to get him into his carseat for over an hour and a half before they managed it-she called her dh in tears because he was just screaming the place down and she couldn't get him in but it still took 20 mins or so even after he was there. Hope I never have that!

BT DS has been a nappy changing nightmare since he was about 6 months, fine if its just wet but the amount of times we've both ended up covered in poo. I try to do it in stages so take off and wipe then let him run around for a bit before wrestling with him to get another on-don't always have time for that though.

Wizz of your roomba, is it good? Does it get all the crap up?

Skid I dreamt you came on tody and said ds hadn't asked for milk this morning, hope it's true! Mind you, I applied fake tan yesterday and this morning ds wasn't interested in bf, he latched on but didn't stay on or actually drink. Not that I applied the tan to my nipples but maybe the pong of it put him off!

Clairey - I might try doing that... tbh as soon as get the nappy off him and clean him up, he takes advantage of the moment I get his clean nappy ready to do a runner anyway!!

Insy - how long until ML?

BT - do you have a changing table or anywhere high up to change him? I can't even begin to contemplate changing DS's nappy on the floor but he's not TOO bad if he can't escape. So much harder with cloth nappies as well (muust admit I have been secretly fantasizing about using disposables )

clairey - thanks for all the links - my God that makes me feel so much worse! Cleaning your toilet 'several times a day' EH??? That cannot be necessary. I do so much less than anyone on those threads and my DH still thinks I'm some sort of clean freak! Don't really get that slatterns thread - do you just keep updating your list through the day or do you only post once you've done loads? Think I would be better off jsut making my on list.

Fraid your dream didn;t come true but have only fed DS once in two days (this morning) so am doing quite well. It is fine when DH is around but when it's just me and the 2 DC it is hard not to feed him just to get some peace! Haven't tried the fake tan method yet though!

wizz - I've never heard one those vaccum things - do they really work?

clara - your post made me laugh because it showed me what a lax/ridiculous mother I am:

Skid - just think of it in the same was as all those things that you probably DON'T give in on. Eg if he was moaning for a piece of chocolate would you give it to him?
Yes, probably

Or for your mobile which you have taken off him after he "accidentally" dialed 999?
Would probably lock it and give it back

Or if he wanted to pull your dd's hair, and moaned because you put him out of arms reach, would you give in?
OK I might actually not let him pull DD's hair... but you can see what he's up against, can't you? (i.e. nothing!!)

btw, still debating about having another baby (sorry to keep going on about it clairey!) - any comments most appreciated here

drskid I also fantasise about using disposables luckely we got all in ones washables so I can hang on in there but if we go away and use disposables for more than a day I really struggle to make the switch back - dh just whispers 'landfill' till I give in again!

clairey I am also confused by the slatterns thread, so many lists! flylady's plan going ok, mopped the kitchen floor today!! and got dh do 'cleaning major appliances' last night

bt 5 wks till ML!!! can't wait my job is rubbish at the moment as getting nothing interesting to do and bored out of my mind (not a good place to be when having to be in longer)

So far DD has managed to:
Scribble on the carpet with felt pen
Pull a tablemat off the table and with it a mug, which broke
Drawn a line in biro on the sofa
Pulled down a bedside table lamp, breaking the bulb

Is she particularly destructive? Tell me I'm not alone!

Buzzy - no you are not alone - ds likes pulling videos/dcds off shelves. He has drawn on himself in biro as well!

Skid - I use a changing table when we are upstairs which is a little easier. We are down at my mum's so he is in sposies at the moment, but tbh it isn't that much easier!

I'm an unrepentent slattern, haven't looked at those threads - but OMG do people really clean their toilers several times a day???
I do mine probably once a month week!! I do use a loo block though in all the cisterns!

BT - I was just thinking about those slattern threads and thinking ther must be a bit of a self-selection bias going on - as in the kind of people who post on those threads are the kind of people who are particularly interested in housework - and therefore not a representative sample of the population as a whole. I hope so anyway or else I am beyond a slattern - the one I found most shocking was that lots of people seem to wash their towels after EVERY use!!! Now that is just barking

buzzy - completely completely normal. Milo has pen all over his face on a regular basis and I have had to start putting kitchen chairs on the table because otherwise he climbs on them, knocks them over and jumps on the back of them!

insy - glad I'm not alone in my disposable fantasies. I think one of the main reasons is that DS's bum just looks ridiculous in them and his trousers are always skin tight over them. DH says his bum looks my my mum's bum in them . I know, I know so shallow

How many weeks will you be when you start ML - will you have a few weeks to relax and prepare?

Hmm ds suits his cloth nappies more than dd did-his bum doesn't look nearly as massive as hers used to and his clothes fit ok. I thought it was because he was bigger all over so it was more in proportion but maybe not... I did think about disposables when he was younger but that was mainly cos he used to soak through cloth in about 5 minutes but now I only have to change him about 3 times a day (unless he is having a pooey day!) so it's no different really. And I am really sad and love seeing them all hanging on the washing line

Skid I think you should go for it wrt a third, if only because I can't so need to live my life through you . DH said last night (without me even bringing it up) that the only way I'll have another is if I am devious and trick him or if I leave him and have it with someone else

Buzzy that sounds normal to me! DD was never particularly destructive but ds seems to break something everyday.

On the slatterns list you post your list in the morning and then copy and paste it adding done to anything you've done whenever you feel like it during the day. I do find having a list to cross things off makes me focus more (and it means you can delay actually doing stuff while you write the list!)

Well that's a relief. Forgot to even mention her drawing on herself!

Personally I quite like the big bum look - makes her look like a "real" baby I think!!

My motivation for sticking with washables is that I'm determined to toilet train her sooner rather than later and I'm hoping [am I deluded?!] that washables will present an easier route...

Occasionally if I get the timing right (usually first thing in the morning after brekkie) I can get her to do her first "motion" in the toilet (sorry if TMI!)

Insy how much must you be looking forward to ML, hope you get some time to yourself.

How silly am I - visited friends an hour north today, came home to find I'd left my handbag behind

Happy Easter everyone!

Also a total slattern here, and with a dog too it gets really grim sometimes

Also a destructive dd! Well not destructive in a bad sense - she definitely enjoys "exploring her environment" lol!

Sleeping just now though, and as I was struck down by the dreaded d&v bug this week, I am off to join her!

Hope you are all munching lots of choccie eggs in the sun!

Erm Buzzy, I don't want to disillusion you but although dd did know when she was wet sooner than most of her agemates she just didn't care at all if she wet her pants which I am sure is down to being used to feeling wet in cloth nappies. She wanted out of nappies early but it has taken a year t train her! (I don't think she is particularly representative of most babies in cloth though...just a tricky little madam!)

Clairey I know in my heart you're probably right but I live in hope...partly because I had the freedom of no nappies for almost 3 years with DD1 before DD2 came along and yearn to have those days back again! I'll let you know in a year's time
Made the mistake of buying her some gumboots today as winter's approaching here. Had no intention of letting her wear them for a few months (they were on sale and very cute) but she had other ideas and refused to take them off - queue major tantrum when she wanted to walk around the shop but kept falling over and got mega fruatrated but wouldn't let me carry her!

clairey haven't got to grips with slatterns thread but I do write 'to do' lists but I do put on jobs that I have already done just so I can cross them off

buzzy ds1 out of cloth nappies and in pants at 20 months did have a lot more accidents till 'properly' trained, We do the timed toilet thing from 10 months so just carried it on with ds came out of nappies, but in the short term that did mean I was trained not him

I also love the big bum of cloth nappies, although clothes to fit can be a pain, dungarees a dead certainty but lovely trousers bought as presents from GAP still have tags on

drskid I'll be 35 wks when leave, earliest I've ever left work, got one week of boys being in nursery to get house sorted (including finding all the baby stuff in the loft and doing mounts of washing, hoping for sunny weather!)

Hope you've all had good weekends, ours could have gone better, no sleep and ended up with Toby at hospital today, he's had a high temp since friday and been very floppy and crying since early hours of this morning, anyway, long story short, was discharged with antibiotics after day of observation, very relieved but think I missed best day of weather we've had all weekend! off to bed on his floor again tonight - probably just very paraniod! night!

Insy what is "time toilet" I'm curious? I'm guessing its more around bowel motions?

How about the Gap clothes. Luckily DD2 is a bit on a skinny minny so I have the opposite problem if I put her in disposables they fall off her! She's tall too so can't get away with wearing small clothes although we are still wearing quite a lot of those stretchy pants "capri" style as they are Size 0 !

I have been using one of those hip-seat things quite a lot for little trips into shops but can see I'm going to have to strap her into a buggy from now on as she's constantly wriggling to try and get down now whenever she sees something appealing. I guess we'll still get the tantrum/crying but at least it'll be contained!

Very quiet on here - I guess everyone's away for Easter. Hope you all had a nice one

TBH Buzzy I think it is probably more a reflection of my lazy parenting-perhaps if I had changed her nappy more frequently then walking around with soaking wet clothes would have bothered her a bit more

Insy sorry about your weekend, hope Toby is ok and the ABs kick in soon.

INsy - poor Toby, hope he is better today.

Ds has been somewhat unsettled, been sleeping with us when we were away for part of the night, we got back from my mum's easter Sunday and both that night and last night he has slept with us. Poor thing, his molars have really been hurting him . He is very definite in what he wants, screams when I try to put him in the cot, points at the chair for milkies, then points to the door to go out, so put him down on our bed and goes straight to sleep! He is very cute and cuddly when asleep though so I don't mind too much!
I must be bonkers I've signed up for another training course for the call centre work, this one is 4 weeks, 4 hours every morning then I'll need to work all evenings and weekends to make up my hours! But I'll have a bigger and better selection of hours once I complete it so it will be worth it.
But it doesn't leave me much time for Mumsnet!!
Sonia

BT teething is awful. DS has been chomping on his hand for weeks and I was getting a bit unsympathetic to his grizzling because there was still no sign of the tooth I was expecting to come next but then at the weekend I saw he has cut 2 molars and has another clearly visible under the gum Don't know what has happened to the last front tooth though...