Hi Sybil, hi Sponge!!
Well Esther is crying again since I put her down for bed. I can't work it out. She goes to sleep great for her lunch nap (in fact she has fallen asleep in her high chair at lunchtime last two days), and I have to wake her after 2hrs. But then when I put her down at 7pm she cries and cries and cries. So I thought maybe it is cos she has had too much sleep in the day, so I cut down the nap to 1.5hrs today. She seems better tonight (just whingy instead of full-on screaming) so I think it will be better tonight. Last night she basically cried on and off (falling asleep then waking 10mins later) for three hours. Then I changed her into a disposable and she went to sleep. That was after giving her ibuprofen and calpol cos I thought maybe it was her teeth, but now think it was her nappy rash as the disposable seemed to do the trick. I got some timodine on prescription today and I am going to keep her in sposies till the rash clears. The skin is all broken, and is bleeding sometimes. It cleared up almost completely when we were on holiday (when she was in sposies), I have tried to keep her as clean and dry as poss in her cloth nappies ( and using metanium) but it is just not doing the trick. Hopefully in a week or two it will be cleared up. Then I will try putting her back in cloth and seeing how we go.
T's bum is bad too but not in the same way - he has blisters all round his legs, which I thought was cos his wraps were too small so I moved him into large wraps but it doesn't seem to be getting much better, then I thought maybe it is the nappies rubbing on the legs (cos I am using lots of different types now, not just Motherease and terries, I am using NappyNation, which I think might be the culprits cos they are so bulky and quite a tight fit). Anyway now the blisters seem to have spread to under and on his testicles so I wonder if it is something else? Anyone any ideas? I think I will post the question in nappies or health (or both). One of the blisters burst overnight and he was awake twice screaming. I gave him ibuprofen and then calpol cos I thought it must be his teeth, well he went back to sleep both times so who knows. It is so hard at the mo to tell what is wrong with them! I wonder also whether it is the way I am washing the nappies cos maybe I put too much washing powder in... that would irritate them wouldn't it? And maybe too many nappies in the machine at once so they might not be getting clear of all the nasties...? Well, I am going to start washing every three days not four (these new nappies are much bulkier than terries so the machine is fuller) and hope that helps too.
Going - camping with a one year old, it's quite hard work! We tried to give them a long-ish nap in the day in the pram and then let them stay up with us till it goes dark then take them for a walk in the pram to get them off to sleep - then transfer into the cots. It would be better if they would sleep with us or even let us rock them to sleep but they won't. E has slept in the pram the last two trips cos she wouldn't settle the first time and DH forgot her cot the second. We try to put all the stove/fridge/shelves etc on one side of the tent and then put chairs/cots in front of them so the rest of the floor space can be used for them to crawl around. It is easier if the weather is good and they can play outside in the day. We also took blankets to drape over the cot/pram to keep it dark. We took a microwave which I found really useful for their meals, and we took their IKEA highchairs. They slept in vests+babygros+fluffy sleepsuits and then a 2.5tog sleeping bag too. Pack some Medised for emergencies!!
Essie, your in-laws are very strange!! How long are they coming up for? Very wierd when he is going to be in nursery on his birthday anyway!
I am meeting a CM tomorrow - really hoping I like her cos CM fees are £14 A DAY less than nursery! Cost is not the most important consideration obviously but when I went to look at our two local nurseries last week I was not all that impressed. The first one was dirty, the rooms were quite small and the owner wasn't very friendly. I actually felt sorry for the children there! The second one was much better - bigger, brighter, just refurbished and all the staff seemed lovely. I would be happy for them to go there but it is £70 a day (for the two), so £140 a week. I will only make about £200 a week after tax/NI so it doesn't leave much. CM is £56 a day so over £100 a month cheaper. It will mean I will get to keep about a third more of my wages than if I used the nursery. I have another CM to meet next week so hopefully I will like one of the two. They sound lovely on the phone. I am quite looking forward to going back to work now, and I think I'll probably stay long-term. I think once you are happy with your childcare arrangements everything else fits into place. I am even thinking when they are three they can go to nursery school in the mornings and the CM can pick them up - do they do that? - then CM costs even less! Will have another baby next year anyway.
Talking of which, I got my first period since the babies were born last week! All on my own, with no need for any help from Clomid . I needed C to help me ovulate for the twins cos I just was not having periods at all after a m/c so it is great to actually have a period, just hope I can get some sort of regular cycle now. I am trying to take my temps in the morning but it is hard when I am jumping up to get a crying baby!
Amber I am so so sorry for your sister . My thoughts and prayers are with her and your family.
Great news about Oli, Josey - she is such a star! I can imagine how wonderful it was to see her try to use her spoon! I get chuffed when my two do it so I can only imagine how it feels to see Oli manage it.
Esther has gone to sleep