Dec 08 mums - from rolling to sitting and everything inbetwean

[waitinggirl]

there i've done it - hope that is ok.

WG it doesn't take much to make me giggle. Though I'm a little dissapointed with this latest season of 'flight of the concords'.

Trace, Spot sorry to hear about your HVs. You would think some of the qualifications necessary to be a good HV was sensitivity and tact. Clearly yours were having a fag break or something during those lessons

JJ I could meet up that week or the next, thur or friday would be good for me, as I will have 2 DSs then. I didnt realise there was an entrance at the station end of the garden, it would be no trouble for me to get there at all, and DS1 would be really excited going on trains and buses. Could bring a picnic but I seem to remember there is a teashop there as well that does cream teas...I havent been for ages but seem to remember it is lovely.

Hello to everyone else. I'm too tired to think, DS2 has found the heat here hard to deal with and wakes a lot, often at 5am and thinks its morning, despite the blackout. And then we had a fantastic weekend but very tiring - took DS's to the seaside together, and did a lot of walking, visited a castle and Sunny Hunstanton if anyone knows it. Bit of a scary place actually, in some respects. Full of loud and sunburnt people swearing And the chips were really bad. Fingers crossed tonight is the night for a nice long sleep....

Yesterday we were discussing having a DC3. Would love too but not sure I could handle the sleeplessness again/other small children combo.....

vg - i also watched a couple of concord shows and smiled but nothing else.

pmk - will fb you.

hello
love the sunshine. makes me all holiday sleepy. or could that be the running around after two children

spot with my charitable hat on it could have been a mistake but if it wasn't it is so far beyond out of order. you were getting T checked out for allergies so whatever I would assume that the medics involved wouldn't know what they were on about in any case. You should definitely complain/find out what they meant.

Hi Trace nice that you're back. Your HV sounds like a right pain. Always baffles me - people that try to make themselves more important on the back of something that happened/is happening to someone else. Odd.

JB you have considerably more sang froid than me. I had to change dress half way through SIL's wedding thanks to DD throwing up all over me and had a complete sulk about it.

pmk would second the changing baby first - I'd also take his towel to the side of the pool with you so you can wrap him up straightaway. They get cold quite quickly when you get out. But are then super hungry and super tired. Which is handy.

Also having mini pg scare. Technically I don't think it could be possible, and could just be that we've decided no more so am being a bit sentimental now DD is getting so big. She's taken to laughing and slapping the table. Which is very convivial.

wg I'm afraid I'm another trip trap fan. You can get them for £109 including next day courier. Will try and find the link. We've just got another one for DD. So much easier to sit them with you at the table, and will mean you don't ever have to buy another child's chair. I found lazy weaning easier as well because they're more interested in sharing your food. Expensive though - but you have to bear in mind that this thing will be a constant presence in your life for next few years. Having said that we've also got the ikea antilop one - which is only £11 and does the job quite nicely (DD now sits in this outside in the garden and happily throws things off the tray).

Aaargh had more to say but have to dash - just seen a bastard moth in our bedroom and have been waging war of attrition with them. Night all.

Oh yeah WG we have the cheaper babydan version of the tripp trapp is great and because you can keep lowering it as they get bigger it lasts ages as it becomes more of a big boy (girl in your case) chair. I also like the fact that they can sit with you at the table although would suggest you get a good protective table cloth for your table as it will get a beating. We lost a perfectly good ikea kitchen table to an overzealous spoon banger.

We have kinda sorta started giving DS2 bits and pieces to put in his mouth just when he's lying about or sitting with us. I've bought some strawberries and peaches for him to nibble on and some little baby rice cakes. So far he has demolished a piece of orange some pizza express side bready things from a salad, a piece of banana and several rice cakes, I think for him it's still more about exploring things with his mouth that also happen to be edible but he is happy to take them which is what I wanted. I do enjoy it more than purees as he gets to reach for what he wants rather than me putting it into his mouth. But for those who asked about a combination of spoon feeding and BLW I can't see why it would be a problem, a friend has been doing that but found her DD prefers the BLW but hasn't harmed her 'weaning' you may find they choose the spoon feeding over BLW. I think it's just going with what works for you both. WG I still haven't actually read the BLW book but there is a bit on it about BLW and breastfeeding, I assume they slowly drop their feeds. But i'm like you I will start giving him solid food but plan on BF being his main source of nutrition for ages.

Wow I have so much more energy at the moment. I remember this around this time with DS1, I suddenly was able to do more exercise and generally felt stronger from around 5.5months after DS1s birth. I wonder if it everything kinda going back to normal levels now like blood and hormones and whatever else. Who knows.

Lal I have been getting a bit sad about not having anymore to the point that I am getting sad about packing away all DS2's 3-6 month clothes to give away. I thought I was pg a few weeks back and even bought a test kit and even though it would have difficult I was a little when it was negative.

Morning WG I have the Handysitt which means they can sit at the table with you and is very portable. Also last for years, though DS1 started refusing to sit in it quite a few months ago now....

DS2s first one hour mini session at nursery today

VG lal - thx for that. if we go for it, should get the baby set and cushions as well? what about the harness?

Morning,

I now have to go to the GP surgery to see HV. I don't mind too much because DS1 has decided to pull all his toys out!!

I can not find my hairbrush anywhere!!

I hope everyone is ok. Apparently today is the last day of nice weather so I am going out on my bike this evening to make the most of it!!

Oh really I'd better get out for a ride too then. DH is home so I should go this morning while DS1 is at nursery and DS2 is asleep whenever that ends up being.

Good morning

DD2 just rolled! Front to back (anything to avoid tummy time). The shock on her face was a picture, for the incredible-non-moving-baby a 180 degree flip was quite a surprise. Maybe its the solids. We started yesterday and Trace I do know what you mean about it all being a bit confusing: how much do you give them? how quickly should you introduce new tastes? when do you move from one meal to two etc etc etc. I think Indith's advice was brilliant. It is what I did with DD1 but that time I had lots of friends weaning their babies at the same time and I felt more supported, this time I just have a hazy memory and no time to read-up on things.

I am going for a BLW/puree mix, although as someone pointed out there is probably no such thing because as soon as I spoon feed her its not babyled, anyway it works for us. So yesterday she had some mashed up sweet potato which she loved and then she fed herself a couple of mini rice cakes (perfect as they dissolve as the baby sucks). This morning she has some pureed apple and sucked on a bit of banana. I love this stage so much.

WG I am a real fan of the Trip Trap. We had one for DD1 and she still uses it as a chair and now we have another for DD2. It gives her the support she needs while she still can't sit unaided and yet will be a chair for years. I have friends whose five year old still sits on hers. If you do go for it don't bother with the harness, the baby seat and cushions hold them pretty well in place.

Jolly I chuckled at your poo-tastrophy. Nothing like a baby to remove all trace of style and decorum from a day. Glad you enjoyed Germany.

Spot there is no doubt that your allergist was rather tactless. I would have been unsettled by that letter too. However, taking a charitable view he may just have been hoping to flag to the GP that T's allergies are very stressful for you and that you need support. Why are so many medical professionals so bad a communication? I remember doing a module on Health Psychology during my degree that showed that if doctors learned to communicate well and spent proper time talking to their patients and giving them the information they needed then health outcomes were dramatically improved. In one study recovery from bypass surgery was seen to be so much quicker just because the doctors learnt some communication skills and tact...

Effie brilliant news on the potty progress. DD1 has been trained for a couple of months now but chose to have her fist pee accident at the top of a slide yesterday . Gosh that too a lot of wipes to clear. I saw your new photos on FB - soooo cute. How is country life treating you?

Katie lovely to see you, albeit briefly. You sound very busy - you could almost rival LadyT!

LadyT do you know what? I have discovered that you have been texting DH! I was borrowing his phone the day we met at Westfield (mine was broken). Anyway, after I saw you mention texting me about D&E I was quite confused as to why I had not received it and mentioned to DH that I thought O2 are crap, that is the point when he chose to tell me that he had received a text for me a few days ago and may have had one from you several weeks ago too. Thanks DH, don't fret about telling me when it actually happens . Did you mention to D&E that we know each other? I have not seen them in yonks so have not said anything. I told C that we met through a "baby group". I hope you all had a lovely day.

Welcome back Zoe. Glad that DD was an angel on the flights.

NJAN we too discussed a possible DC3 last week. I am sooooo with you on the tiredness front. DO I really want to go through this sleep deprivation again? The thing is, if we do, then I think maybe we should just get all these tired years over in one go. If I stick to our original plan and wait five years then I bet I will be loathe to break the relative calm of a house with older DCs (Arti listens for mocking laughter from those with older DCs who may not recognise this description). What way are you leaning? To stop at two or not to?

Lal oooooohhhhhhh to your pg scare (and Veggie you kept very quiet about yours!). Do you have symptoms? I hope it works out for you. When are you returning to work (assuming you are not up the duff). I am going back mid-July now (but remember I get the recess off so its only a two week foray into the office before I retreat back here 'til Sept. I am getting a bit scared. Sadly my negotiations seem to be getting me nowhere fast so I think I will be doing a five day week compressed into four days.

Right, I better go and take advantage of DD2's nap time before we head off to her swimming lesson. I am viewing another house later. God I want to move (LadyT any news from the Inland Rev on whether you are going to be able to buy a new place?).

Morning all!

Just back from a lovely holiday - San Francisco, Napa Valley and Canada. DS was a legend on all of the flights, and also a social butterfly, smiling and laughing at every stranger that caught his eye. We tried to be very relaxed and bring him out in the evenings, which seemed to work very well. He dozed in the sling even while I partied hard at a wedding. Thought that we had definitely cracked a new approach to parenting - easy, breezy, party-like-you-used-to-just-now-with-a-baby-attached-to-the-front-of-you.

Unfortunately a week into the trip he started to wake up 5-6 times in the night, sometimes staying up for 1.5 hours and shouting down the teensy tiny cabin in the woods where we were staying with my family.

Figured it was a growth spurt and perservered with the relaxed partying approach when we got back on the weekend. Took him out Saturday night to a house party. No problems, had a great time, and he slept from 23:30 - 6:00 once we got home. Ideal.

But now the party is officially over. Last two nights NIGHTMARE. Reverting to newborn styles. Won't settle in the evening, up and down stairs trying to get him down, awake every 2 hours and up for an hour each time, all day can't figure out if he's hungry, or bored, or tired (though he's still really smiley lots of the time so that keeps us going). Feel like we have completely derailed.

Doesn't help that my closest mum friend in RL (babies born on the same day) has just got her DS sleeping 7-7 with a dream feed. Uncontrollably jealous!!

I am contemplating an all out dummy weaning/hammock weaning/Baby Whisperer routine attack plan to try to seek order.

Urgh....sorry for boring ME ME ME post. But I thought we were doing so well with the laissez faire approach and it seems to be going tits up.

Weaning...we have started a sort of mix of BLW/purees approach. DS is 6 months in 2 weeks. Didn't know it, but I am following the Indith school of weaning. Chuck food and boob at him at random intervals through the day.

Highchair...we got sucked into the Tripp Trapp and it is great. Got it on eBay. He can sit up in it really well (with cushions and baby set...agree harness not necessary) whereas he slumps in many other chairs still. Only thing I don't like is that we don't have a table in our kitchen, so I might get one of the cheapy Ikea ones so that he can have a tray when I am in kitchen, but be at table in Tripp Trapp when we're all eating.

Rolling?not so much. A few one-offs from front to back, but that?s it. He does rotate in a circle now on his back, but I?d say he is too busy perfecting his vocal skills to worry about physical milestones (earplugs anyone?!).

Hurrah for sunny London! Makes it much easier to get past the post-holiday blahs.

Lady, PMK - If you're talking cheerfulness in London on Thurs or Fri, I'm in. My Baby Whisperer assault plan clearly states that you must stay close to home for a week or two to try to lay down a good routine, but that mustn't mean missing out on drinks in the afternoon in the middle of summer? Surely not!

Whispering: dd has been asleep in her cot for two hours and fifteen mins! Can't believe I am going to have to wake her.

LadyT, I have DD1 on Fridays but am free on Thursday if you have any time then. It would be lively to see you.

I am glad everyone is talking about solids as I have been trying it for about ten days now. She just has some sort of puree or baby banana porridge once a day plus all her usual bottles, and sometimes she has a chunk of apple or cucumber or something to chew on (or just sort of suck on and maul) as a token nod to BLW. It is only the last couple of days she has been getting into it, and last night she wanted to hold the spoon after we had loaded it and put it in her own mouth, which is fine. I have been looking at the Jo Frost book (which I don't particularly like but DP swears by) and it says bf and formula feeders alike should taper off from four feeds a day to two feeds a day between six and nine months, PLUS three separate solids feeds. I think that sounds ridiculously prescriptive so I will just do as Indith says and busk it, and hope for the best...

Arti, I am relieved about the phone as I was slightly worrying that I had said or done something wrong!

Now this paragraph is going to be boring to most of you so feel free to skip. Arti, I mentioned to D and E that I knew you, en passant, because they already knew from C. I just said it was a baby group and of course, anyone without children is not interested to probe further once you say that! (But WG, these particular mutual friends of mine and Arti's also mentioned YOU indirectly, as his writing partner had a baby a few months ago and he said that he was spending a lot of time with your DH 'and his wife'! Unfortunately I squealed with recognition, and my friend asked if I knew you and I said oh, it's just this baby group. Don't worry, no one's going to know it's from here. I don't want people reading my stuff on here either, it's lovely to be able to feel free to say anything.

Oh, and thanks Arti, but no word from the Revenue yet. I can't believe it's four years and still not properly sorted. Just as well that house fell through as I would be in a lot of bother by now. What's happening with yours? We might leave it until after the summer now as I read that prices always go up a bit again at this time of year, although that might be rubbish!

And yay on your and Trace's DD2s rolling. Still no rolling here! Over six months now and no rolling or teeth...and tbh I think she is quite far from both. Oh well. She is a dear little thing.

Funny what you say about feeling stronger, Veggie. I feel like I have a little more energy too, although if I was slimmer I would feel even more energetic. And yes, you did keep quiet about the pregnancy scare! DP is already on about No. 2 but at this rate it will take me another year to get back to my normal size and I need to prove to myself I can do it. I am so desperate, my walk turned into a run yesterday.

Lal, I used to have moths in my old house. It was like The Silence of the Lambs some days. I sympathise.

Good luck with the HV, Kayz.

Must go as DP has taken DD to the garden centre so I can work!

OOh and forgot to say - welcome back ZJ! Glad to hear Portugal was lovely. Read anything especially good?

And MoM too! The hol sounds idyllic, but so sorry you are having the sleepygeebies now. I think I will be travelling in on Thursday morning Arti, so yes: why not Thursday afternoon or lunchtime. I am thinking of the Orangery in Kensington Gardens if the weather is nice (in the NW corner of Hyde Pk). Originally I was thinking of either Selfridges or the Saint-Georges Hotel bar called the Heights with the comfy sofas, but if there are more than a couple of us I think the Orangery would be nice. All welcome!

Oh and finally, WG, I am going to try to come to your DH's recording on Sunday - will have to leave cricket early but they can do without me. Will confirm later if that's ok. Right - work!

hello Another scorcher here...too hot for me though - I just burnt my right arm by driving with the window open - doh!
I also thought I'd try a bit of finger food so gave Phoebe a finger of cooked carrot - she managed to gnaw a little lump off and I freaked out, convinced that she would choke, rammed my fingers in my mouth, pulled it out again and confiscated the rest of the carrot I think I might need to get over that!
I really very must clean my house but I don't want to
P is alseep so I better had make myself useful though otherwise I'll kick myself...

Gosh wise words coming from me? Really? I didn't know that was possible

Flitting in again while sorting out the term plan for Rainbows while dd is asleep. Please forgive the total lack of personals. Once I sort out how to obtain an extra hour a day I'll catch up I promise.

Someone asked about the house, not in Wales but around here in a nice little village, just down the road form another MNer It is very pretty, has 3 massive double bedrooms and solid fuel central heating so I finally get to have a fire again. Now I need to persuade dh to get me a cat to sleep in front of it.

Dd rolls front to back but not back to front, is starting to sit, wobbles for a couple of seconds then topples but not too bad with cushions. Not weaning yet, she turns 26 weeks on the 23rd, she is piling on the pounds and has the fattest thighs in the world so no in any rush. Shall probably chuck something at her when she can sit a bit better.

I have the worst high chair in the world, was ages before ds was comfortable in it. Am contemplating an insert but TBH I think the Ikea antilope which is fab is cheaper than buying an insert so may drag dh to Ikea.

Balls the girl has woken up.

HV wasn't too bad. She just said that we need to really push on with weaning him. Which we will do as we were planning on doing it anyway.

Ok dd on knee and just spotted the bit from the Jo Frost book. LadyT I don't know if I should laugh or cry....taper down from 4 feeds? 4 feeds? Has she met most normal babies? Especially bf ones (as I know there is a bit more of x amount x times a day with ff though I thought the advice was for demand feeding with ff too). Dd feeds a lot more than that and she feeds about half as much as ds did!

Can I ask you ff lot a question? What do you do on hot days? Do you give water? Dd having a full day away from me soon and will be largely on formula for it.

Indith I give DS2 cooled boiled water and occasionally very very weak juice.

ladyt - the world is small...

Indith, I know. I don't know why I looked in it this morning as there has not, in my view, been one single nugget of decent advice in it, plus it has a slightly unpleasant tone.

As to hot days, I try to give DD cooled boiled water (as recommended) but she is never keen to have it. However, I noticed yesterday that she wanted a lot more formula even though she turned her nose up at water. So I think she was quenching her thirst with that. I am sure Jo Frost wouldn't approve

WG, it certainly is! Especially where London based comedy writers are concerned.

LadyT I've been giving DD2 bits and pieces of puree for ages now. (Don't tell my HV! ). Sometimes she's hungry, sometimes she isn't. This morning I thought she wasn't but then she started looking daggers at me and chirruping (for want of a better word) as I ate my breakfast, so I gave her some food too .

Glad (?) others are having pg scares too lal and veg. I had a semi-bleed last month and then lots of ovulation signs just after we'd DTD for the first time in ages and had a very adolescent problem with a condom . If my cycles were back to normal I'd be due on today/tomorrow, but no signs of AF...

(I am SO broody that I wouldn't mind a +ve - can you believe it? but it would be a total problem moneywise with DH going part-time in Sept, not to mention the havoc it would cause with these jobs I'm going for. One interview done this morning. Phew.)

trace I am with you on the need to clean but the reluctance thereto. Aargh. Am trying to find a cheap cleaning company for when I am back full-time and DH is at home because he will. not. clean. (don't ask ). Will just have to give up food or something minor.

Hope everyone's enjoying the weather (sunburn aside). I'm a sit-in-the-shade-but-enjoy-the-cheeriness-of-the-view sort of person with hot weather. Do NOT like going on the Tube in it, which I had to do this am! Ugh.

Lal!!! Great to hear from you again!!! at all of you witht he pg scares! VG yes you did keep that quiet! I'm going to try again before the end of the year! or from about October onwards however if it happened soon it wouldn't be a complete disaster in my grand plan! C'mon Lady - get pg again too - be cheer-less? is that a word? with me too!! Anyone else given it more thought? Notice how I'm trying to rope everyone else in so we can be a "due 2010" thread together!
Mom glad you had a nice trip - I can totally relate to the discombobulated baby post long haul trip!!
I used to live in San Francisco - lovely city, and dh's Aunt lives in Walnut Creek, so may be doing another US trip before the end of the year, to include SF (Napa of course) and san Diego again, if this lovely exchange rate keeps up!!

Lady,Arti,Mom Yes can do Thusday afternoon no probs - your venue suggestions sound delightful! let us know - how many are in?it's going to get a bit cooler towards he end of the week but hopefully won't rain...

WG Will FB you, i think we have a b'day commitment unfortunately

We went swimming today at the Gym - Arti the gym was brilliant and totally set up for kids with changing etc - even had a mini cot and several change standf things and also nappy bins / and not a sole in the pool except my friend and I - lovely. B was kn ackered - not to mention me as I walked to the gym! Then had a lovely Alfresco lunch and a cheeky bit of cheerfulness!

Anyway, must get ds sorted for dinner and bed - he's shattered from all his swimming!