Nov 2008: Spain, France, Leeds or Brum, wherever we are we're still mums

[juanitad]

Hope this works! I'm a techno-idiot!!

Phew, think this has worked ok. ChocOrange, I used your title, hope that's ok, I am rubbish at coming up with titles!!

Another gorgeous day here, have managed some time in the garden and also had lunch out with a friend while DH looked after P. Really felt like my batteries were re-charged!

Hope the thread has been quiet because everyone has been doing lovely summery things outside!

Wahey! Well done juanitad not such a techno idiot then

Just checking in on you all, I have so much to do.
The good weather is obviously keeping us all busy.
I know I now have a pile of boring ironing to do cos I thought how wonderful it was to get my washing out regretting that somewhat now!

Thanks Juanitad - just bookmarking

Evening all

Not much to say here - M is almost sitting up on his own, I mean he can but I don't trust him not to keel over yet .

This weather is fab - I love the sun and have topped up my tan which was much needed! Although whilst DH and FIL are sitting in the garden right now I have been forced inside with hay fever - this is the worst time of day for it - and because of breastfeeding I can't take any drugs. I am sneezing for England and its very annoying.

Ceebee I saw your post - we had this trouble a couple of weeks ago with M screaming at every nap time (having previously gone down fine) - I finally figured out that he just wasn't tired enough as he was able to stay awake longer, so instead of putting him down after 2 hours 10 mins (very precise I know ) I started doing it after 2 and a half hours - it worked from the first day. Have you tried this?

Choc lol at the 2 hours 10 minutes I had thought that he might not be tired enough but whilst screaming in his cot, he is rubbing his eyes and if he will actually suck his dummy (rather than screaming round it!), his eyes start to roll/shut so all the signs are there that he is tired - but seems to be unable to settle himself.

DS1 is at nursery tomorrow so will be able to focus on Sam (probably not helped the situation that when DS1 is at home, Sam gets left to his own devices a lot ) and try and make sure he is properly tired/wound down etc.

Do you have a nap routine Ceebee - we do and it seems to work really well, nappy change, story, in his cot while I potter about then lights out and lightshow on (and static radio!). Its lovely as we have a nice story and cuddle together.

Choc not really as it would be impossible to do on the 3 days DS1 is at home - it is literally chuck Sam in the cot, put his dummy in, give him his blankie and put on his cot music toy that he has (plays soothing music for 12 minutes) and shut the door . Not much I know but has worked fine for the last 6 months!! It is also not always at set times as it depends on what time Sam wakes up - I work on a 2-hourlyish rule from the time he wakes up each time iyswim.

perhaps just extend the 2 hourly rule and see how that goes - after M was 2 hourly that's when I increased it to 2 hours 10 mins. I have no idea how you ladies with more than one cope!!

oooh thank you so much juanitad for starting the new thread. I was too much of a chicken to try, I kept looking at the page this afternoon thinking "please someone do it!"

I think that our nap routines would be all so different if we compared them. I just try to stick to the same sort of thing, and yes it is a bit more on the chuck M in the cot and put a dummy in. But in a bit of a obsessive way, I do all the little things in a particular order: zip up sleeping bag, turn on monitor, socks on hands (no, I know it's not cold, it's to stop him scratching himself which if left he does as he falls asleep!), curtains shut, and finally, dummy in!!!
On a good note, he does seem to be so much better than last week. He is a lot more like his happy self, and his poo life is nearly back to normal. Having said that, a friend of mine was totally grossed out in the park this afternoon when he did a very "slack bowel" poo all over the portable changing mat. Lovely.

evening all....just a quickie from me. I've been out all day (I walked four and half miles, including up a fooking great hill, today as the car is a bit poorly), got home had lunch and then out for DS1 then in the garden for a bit, tea and bedtime and then DH and I have been back in the garden until we started to get eaten alive by midgies. I only managed to catch up on scrabble and my emails earlier....but boy has it been quiet around here

Fudge, I'm glad M seesm a bit more chipper this week

ChocO....saw you post about hayfever and had a quick look on my resources for you and found this from the NHS and then this on cetirizine and on loratidine. So if things get really bad, then you are probably OK to take something as a one off or a low dose.

ceebee, not sure what to suggest on the naps. Bumble seems to sleep OK during the day, but there is a window of opportunity for getting him to settle himself. If I don't recognise the signs and we go past that window then I have to BF him to sleep. He also likes his routine and needs to be in his sleeping bag.

It's DD we are having problems with; it was after 9.30 before she settled tonight. She just keeps getting out of bed and taking her clothes and nappy off. She will be absolutely knackered and consequently very grumpy tomorrow, and if I let her have a decent nap the cycle continues. Not sure how to solve this issue, other than putting her back in the cot which will NOT be popular.

erm...that wasn't exactly quick though was it?

hello! well done on the new thread, Juanitad! I somehow feel I don't have the 'authority' to do a thread..I'm a bit odd, never mind- as you were..

Ceebee sorry the nap ting is going pear shaped. It suggests a shift in sleep pattern to me. Mimi has two solid naps a day now- morning and afternoon. She either sleeps after her morning BF or after her breakfast,then after lunch or sometimes a bit later she gets tired and has a big sleep.

She's really out of sorts at the moment. She's had a few really proper wailing sessions today, really upset. Have given her some calpol tonight.

FOF glad M is on the mend!

Good morning all and thanks juanita for the new thread.

choc my dd1 has cetirizine for her hayfever (she also has asthma and eczyme) and it is wonderful stuff. Go to gp and get it on script.

O is driving me mad. he has never really gone in the cot for naps, just caught 30 mins here and there through the day and bedtime has got terrible. i give him his bottle and he is flat out then as soon as i put him dow he screams, pick him up he goes limp and sound asleep put him down he screams, and this can go on all night.

Last night he did this for 2 hrs then slept for 3 hrs had a bottle then i was up every hors cuddling, putting down, screaming, picking up. I am shattered and he has finally dropped off.

How can i get him to have better day sleeps and go to bed awake???? help

Morning All. Back from holiday. Very brown. Lovely time. Just trying to catch up, will post later - not as much chat as I had expected - you have all been quiet !

Obs welcome back Can't wait to hear all about the holiday! Am very of your tan - I SO miss my holidays abroad!!!

tegan sorry you are having a crap time with napping aswell - have you tried taking O out in the pushchair for a walk so he sleeps and then leaving him in it once you get home so he can have a proper long nap - might make it easier at night (listen to me - hardly the expert am I considering the problems I am having!) I might try that myself today if Sam starts playing up again.

FOF glad M is better and the poo sounds delightful - wouldn't life be so much easier if they could just tell us what was wrong

Both boys were awake just before 6 this moring so we ended up with all 4 of us in our bed!! Not that anyone went back to sleep - certainly not with DS1 wriggling around. I put Sam back in his cot about 45 minutes later as he was looking tired and he went back to sleep without a murmu and I had to wake him ay 7.30 to give him his bottle before we took DS1 to nursery - so am going to leave it until at least 9.30 before I try and put him back down.

Daisy completely sympathise with your problems with DD - as you know from my other thread, I am having similar problems with DS1 (although not to the same extent as yours). I think, if that was me, I would put the cot back up and tell her that she will sleep in there unless she can stay in bed.

Can I just check - has everyone else moved onto Stage 2 baby food (I know it says from 7 months on it) - have just given Sam a mashed weetabix with mashed banana and he was absolutely fine with the lumps so thinking maybe I should stop given him pureed stuff.

Anyway, am waffling now

Hi ladies. Just checking in will try to catch up on posts later. Things beyond bad here with DS. His bad behaviour at bed time has come back (remember when A 1st came along?) but now happening in the day too. Not just the usual nearly 3yr old whining and answering back constantly really bad. Things have got so bad I have started being bitter and nasty with DS. My mum even commented on it. The other day during a good moment with DS I told him "i love him" he said "no you dont love me mummy" queue lots of tears from me then DS said "sorry" when he saw me cry. The really annoying and frustrating thing is that for the most part out with other people (GPs, friends, nursery, and so on) DS is great he just seems to change when we get home. He is always a nightmare when coming back from GP overnight ESPECIALLY MIL & FIL. Of course me and DH are "ok" whatever that means but hardly a couple, just two people looking after kids. Mostly my fault I have to say.
On another vent MIL & FIL have DS once a fortnight and they break ALL the rules and it pisses me off. He always sleeps in their bed a bit (because they wont tell other GC to get off the Wii that's in the bedroom) then shares a bed with my nephew (other GC that shouldnt even be stopping when DS is and there is another bed they just cant be arsed to make it). They give him ANYTHING (sweets mostly) and let him do ANYTHING. They even gave him his bath in the grotty kitchen sink!! WTF!

Things are that bad I told my mum "i feel like a crumbled rock is where my heart used to be". I hate things with DS and no longer know what to do tried everything. I am so hurt constantly I am becoming a nasty and bitter person and to my child of all people. I hate myself even more than the body image crap and stuff with DH.

Sorry went on and on and onnnnnnnnnn.

Vbab you sound so down I am having problems with DS1 aswell - naughtiness, hitting, whinging etc. I am sure it is just their age and I just take it day by day and keep telling myself 'it is just a phase - it will pass' Seriously I am only keeping sane because DS1 is at nursery 4 days a week - and I hate myself for thinking like that I should want to be with him all the time shouldn't I and not thinking 'phew' every time Tuesday morning comes around. So you are not alone in feeling like you do.

As for the GP's, personally I wouldn't stress about it - my view is that what gp's are for - spoiling the gc's, having different rules etc - makes it more of a treat iyswim. DS1 goes to MIL's for a few hours every weekend and she pumps him so full of juice and chocolate I am surprised he doesn't burst!!

vbab, so sorry to hear you are feeling like this. I am so in awe of all you ladies with more than one LO, it must be so tough!! I have no advice to give, having no experience of this kind of thing, but it sounds like you are really really down at the moment, especially given what you said to your mum. Would it be worth going to docs to explain how down you are feeling? Maybe there is something they can do to help?

ceebee bumble is eating big lumpy stuff...he has BBQ'd sausages and potato salad on sunday and was eating dried apricots this morning. We had chilli for tea last night and he had some with lots pof roce and was gumming at the chopped up steak that was in it as well.....if it's food, he'll eat it!

vbab, sorry for your DS issues. Wish I had the answers for you though. No help, but one of my June 07 PN buddies has a mantra...."They need love most when they deserve it least" Just try and stay calm and consistent I suppose and it'll pass..... Dh and I are also effectively co-parenting and nothing else at the minute. We are both cool with it though, kids won't be this much hard work for ever and we snuggle up together when we have the energy (not often)

Welcome back Obs....looking forward to seeing some nice pics on FB ....now get thee over to scrabble before our game implodes!

tegan, is this a recent thing with O? Could he have an ear infection or sore ears from teething? Mine have always hated lying down when their ears are sore.

right, lunchtime, then washing out and then finish the car when the DC are asleep...it's going to the garage tomorrow and I was ashamed at the state of it! It's on the baking hot drive though so no fun to clean out!

Later xx

daisy i think it is more the fact that he will sleep in my srms but not when put down. I have spoilt him and now i am paying for it.

He had a good hour sleep this morning and that was with being inand out of buggy and car and the little bugger never stirred once.

Found you all!!
Just bookmarking as at work but miss you guys loads - have you forgotten me now??

J is good and loving nursery and I went to court on friday to sort out maintenance. Long, stressful day but over now.

Will post more when I've caught up

xx

autumn so good to here from you. I am glad you have sorted things out now, look forward to catching up later

Hi, not been here for a bit but just read everything.
Sorry for everyone having a tough time of it
We are still having bad nights, last night I think we saw every hour E just wouldn't settle lying down, have just read your post to tegan daisy about sore ears? How would I know if it was his ears? Definately something bothering him last night as he was crying a sore cry. Was at the end of my tether and DH didn't get home from work until midnight ( having left for work at 7.30am!)

Anyway will try and keep up, DS at MIL's today soooo nice to get a little rest after an awful night.

Autumn lovely to hear from you and glad you got the maintenance sorted out And of course we haven't forgotten about you

Choc what a crap night - now get yourself out into the garden for a snooze

Daisy are you completely BLW Bumble? I am doing a mix of purees and finger foods so Sam is used to lumpy stuff, like ricecakes, breadsticks, toast etc. I was just wondering if I should stop pureeing everything else to a pulp He definitely prefers to feed himself - he had breadsticks dipped in philadelphia cheese at lunch and LOVED it!!

Things seem to have settled down here today napwise Sam fell asleep on his bouncy chair this morning at 9.45 (which he does every morning when DS1 is at nursery) and I moved him into his cot and he slept until 11.30. He started showing signs of tiredness about 1.30 so I put him in his cot and he settled straight away and is still asleep Have been sunbathing in the garden (and before anyone reports me, Sam's bedroom window is wide open and overlooks the garden so I can hear every sound ) and now I am going to watch the tennis Am wondering if it is something to do with DS1 being around that is causing Sam to be unable to settle

ceebee O always struggles to have naps when his sister's are around, i think he is affraid of missing anything.

blw abit of a novice at all this stuff. O has purees for dinner and tea and a rusk or baby cereal for breakfast and supper but i don't give him any finger foods, and i know he would gag for england at the slightest sign of a lump.