F(l)ab Feb 2009: Primark pants and teething rants

[dinkystinky]

A brand new sparkling thread to mark the four month mark for our bubs

herby, must be the age. ds1 is 3 next month too and if he doesn't stop whining at me soon i think i'm going to seriously loose it... everything is a whinge and a whine and a wail.... it's so draining

Calico That Ikea trip sounds awful. Sometimes I wonder how people cope leaving the house with more than one (and sometimes with just the one....)
mos I hate ironing. I limit the time I do it. The aim is every other day for no longer than 30mins. I set my kitchen timer for it! Is easier if there's complete crap on the telly which is most nights, because it fills the boredom before I drag myself to bed.
Turing the washing machine is the first thing I do every morning, (after making beds and opening windows. I load it before I go to bed and just press the button in the morning)
bumps Not nice. Sorry they both ill. Both mine have a little cold atm.
herb I'm sure your ds will be fine and his current clingyness won't have any affect on his later life. My friends dd is the same, she screams whenever he leaves the room. She starts nursery next year, God knows how they'll crack that one.
Is there anything that ds can do to help make him feel special and important? My ds1 helps with the sweeping and cleaning now, which I think he enjoys. I also ask him to look after Luke if I pop out of the room for a minute and so on. I try to put it across that Luke needs ds1 iyswim.
PT oh dear. Ds1 has had a morning like that. We had a friend over, her dd is Jacob's little girlfriend! They were both moaning and whinging and ds1 trying to show off climbing up on all the tables.

OMG Both ds's are fast asleep!!!! What shall I do?? The washing up is calling me, but think I'll be bad and just sit on here eating mars bars until they wake up. Sound good?
Ds1 is fine today, bite mark is still really red though.

phew. he's asleep

[supplicates herself at the alter of the god of neurofen]

feckin teeth. looks like he's following in dd's footsteps, the canines stalled only partly out and the gums are growing back over them just like with her so chances are he'll teeth til 12 months just like her with no trace of any teeth emerging

Afternoon all. Littlesez - lovely to see you back again. Sorry Isabella is suffering withthe dreaded teething (there's lots of it going around ) but it does get easier for them to deal with. The top thing that Danny likes which stops his screaming is me running a clean finger around his gums while he chomps down on it - he hates calpol (spits it straight out - has been known for me to take 10 minutes to get 2.5mls into him), not a fan of teething gels or rings (except to bang them in his eye) and screams blue murder if I even try to give him a teething powder sachet. Am also resorting to giving him chamomilla oil massages which helps with calming fretful babies down.

Pink - Danny is being Mr Crankypants today too - he's got ANOTHER bloody cold (have lost count how many he's had now) and between his nose and his drool he's
constantly soaked poor little man. That said, at least with his cold he slept better last night - 2 wakes for feeds then up between 4 and 5 because he'd soaked his nappy, babygro and grobag (took me till 5 to realise what the issue was ) and then up for the day at just before 6. Still planning on moving him to his own room this weekend though...

LBB - god that sounds like an absolute saga! Good on you for staying off the fags after a day like that - hope you get to have a very large glass of wine and a bath tonight to recover. And poor DS1 - hope his arm gets better soon.

MoS - sorry DD2 and DS2 were acting up last night. Fingers crossed tonight will be easier for you. I have to admit, since having Danny, I seem to be constantly doing laundry - we're on our third load of the day right now (I tend to try to get as many loads through as possible on semi-sunny days so I can at least dry some of it outside). I dont bother ironing anything that belongs to me or the DC and DH's shirts are ironed by our wonderful nanny. If DH wants anything else ironed, he has to do it himself. Good luck on the Phil & Ted's bidding.

Lardy - sorry DS is ill. You are having such a rough trot of it. The breastmilk is helping, though it may not seem like it - with the weather being as changeable as it is at the moment there are tonnes of viruses doing the rounds so you are helping O fend stuff off.

Calico - aargh re your IKEA trip - I'd be hitting the gin after that day. I havent dared take DS1 and Danny to IKEA - we have only dared do late evening runs when the kids are asleep and our nanny is happy to babysit - though am rather tempted to take DS1 now he's turned 3 and can use the creche there. Its absolutely ridiculous you have to take stuff to the delivery bay yourself with 2 small kids - could none of the staff help you?! There always seem to be loads of staff just milling around just past the checkout area for no reason.

Herbgarden - (in a I'm glad it was you not me kind of way) at the poo episode! Re DS - as Pink says, its a developmental thing as DS1 was quite clinging just before turning 3 and still goes through clingy episodes. They're growing up and going through lots of things which they find hard to cope with - so they cling, whinge, wail, press buttons and push boundaries. Repeat after me - its just a phase, this too will pass.

MsLucy - hope the teaching (and hungry baby formula intro for Stan) goes well. Shame you'll miss the meet up. Am definitely up for an August meet up too (will be trying to cram in as much fun stuff as possible before go back to work in mid-September). Enjoy pushy mothers tomorrow - I'm taking DS1 and Danny to the Taste of London festival in Regents Park (DH has the day off and is coming too) so am keeping my fingers crossed for no rain.

Quite clinging??? I meant quite clingy...

dinky Luke's the same as Danny with the calpol . He's not too keen on the chilled teething rings, but can get along with a standard one although I think he gets too excited and hurts himself!

He is proper snotting now! Going to pop a pillow under his mattress me thinks.

Question - When you put baby to bed, how long do you all leave them to cry before you go into to help settle/soothe/reassure? The past few nights, I've been going back straight away, but last night thought he'll never learn like that, so left him for 2/3 mins to give him a chance to settle himself. My friend today said that wasn't long enough ansd I should leave him for upto 20mins! I personally think this is far too long for a 4 month old, what do you all do?

dinky I had 3 fags yesterday and one today I actually bought myself a box of fags

Oh, and also, the hungry baby formula doesn't seem to make much of a difference to his eating patterns. Should I give it another week, or go back to normal formula? I don't think he's ready for weaning yet. Am thinking as normal formula is easier to digest, I should just switch back as not making making much difference. Poo's are less frequent too. Might give another week and see what's happening then. Thanks

LBB - understandable re having fags after the day you had yesterday but today please step away from the fags - you're doing so well at giving up and being healthy with doing the buggy workout etc. - it'd be a shame for all your hard work so far to be for nothing.

Re letting babies cry it out - you know your own baby and how long they'd be able to deal with grizzling without turning into a full on tantrum. During the day I only leave Danny a couple of minutes if he's grizzling - he'll either stop grizzling and go to sleep or go the other way. If he's full on crying I go straight in as I know he wont go to sleep from sobbing his heart out. At night I leave him for 5 minutes or if he's being quiet at intervals for longer - if he starts making pre-crying noises then I'll go deal with him. I think 20 minutes at Luke's age is quite long but some babies may need to grizzle that long to get themselves off to sleep.

I leave for about 2 mins, which seems like an eternity if proper crying!

Didn't you say Luke is sleeping through the night? If so and the hungry baby forumla doesn't make much difference I'd go back to normal formula and just accept he's going to feed more often during the day than you might have expected/read at this stage. You've got the night-time sleep cracked so I'd not worry too much about the timings during the day. Not sure if you had some other major concern about the timings of his feeds but if not, probably best to accept and go with it.

LBB agree with Dinky on the crying front - you know your own baby....DD isn't much of a cryer which in a way is a good thing as when she does cry there really is something up. DS on the other hand would cry a lot so you could never quite work out what was wrong. She will though grizzle and moan herself off to sleep at night but never for long (maybe 5/10mins max) as she tends to be too knackered but if it escalates then I know it's time to go and sort her out and usually a pat and a shush in the ear does the trick. Her worst time is if she's really tired late on in the daytime when she sort of needs another little nap but can't get herself off and then she just needs to be picked up and cuddled or rocked in the buggy.......til she goes.

I miss my houseboy, and my nanny and my DH (he will at least mind the gruesome twosome when I have a bath) and DS1 (who I pay to mind the gruesome twosome)

MoS

Not long till DH and DS1 are back to help you out. If things get really hard, may be worth looking into local babysitters or mothers helps who can give you a break with the DC or the housework for a couple of hours here and there.

MOS - Oh dear. I've found it hard this week going back to doing it all by myself when I'd had a week on holiday with full time childcare when we wanted it and no cooking and washing to do. Back to earth with a bump now I'm back....must be doubly hard for you if you have those things full time and also with recent events. There is a babysitting agency which my sil uses who are national - they might be able to help you. Also have a look at local nanny colleges if there are any around you. Some of them can provide NVQ training staff who are looking for training.

SOrry meant to say that I don't have the name of the agency (aren't I helpful!) - but if I get it I'll let you know !

dinky Thanks. I was just curious what everyone else does.
Kbn There was no major concern really, I haven't fed Luke in the night for a while now, he does still wake once or twice but settles ok with his dummy. The only reason I wanted to go on hungry milk was because it's a PITA to feed to often, very selfish of me I know
mos sorry you missing everyone. It'll all be ok.

For Luke's morning nap today, when he cried, I popped my head in to check he was ok and then left him for 3 mins, when got worse, went in and left again once he calmed. You're all right, each baby is different, and I'll know what and when he needs anything.

lbb not at all selfish, you can tell i'm just at your nights!

mos your life has been a complete rollercoaster in last few weeks, not surprising you're missing those you're used to having around you. stay strong and perhaps look at getting some help as suggested.

dp took my 2 to his sister's today deliberately leaving me to have some me time, so what did i do? i cried and felt guilty! but also managed to fit in a leg wax and long soak in the bath...

kbn Don't envy my nights! Dp, ds1 and now ds2 snore like wild animals so I'm awake all night anyway.
I would actually prefer to feed Luke than be woken 2/3/4 times because he lost his dummy or got his leg stuck in the bars. Sometimes I'm tempted to just feed him when he wakes so he'll sleep un-interupted for longer, but no point feeding unnecessarily. Sometimes I think he could go longer in the day if I was able to keep him slightly more entertained, but I've not completely figured out how to do that with ds1 in tow, he does make it hard sometimes so poor Luke is often left just watching ds1 . I'm sure it'll all fall into place soon though.
Don't feel guilty! You deserve a rest and a break from the lo's. i know what you mean though. Hope you feel good for it all. x

KBN - that was very sweet of your DP, but I know what you mean about feeling at a loss and a bit guilty when you're unexpectedly child-free and with time to burn doing what you want to do.

Evening all. DS is asleep on the sofa next to me and dd is asleep in bed. I have a glass of wine and all is right with the world..

Well, I'm feeding Luke again now. He has been very unsettled all night and is full of snot. Poor thing can't breath so am gonna let him sleep in bouncy chair tonight.

Morning. DS slept well last night he went from 9 - 4.. Then fed and vomited it all back up in my bed. o we have been lounging on sofa watching crap on the tv since then..... Just going to sort bed out now!!!!

Do you think it is ok to go to toddler group? The rash has gone and poo is back to normal so it is just the sickness (but that could be normal)!

What would you do?

I'd go bumps What was the rash? I think I must have missed that. But, I'd go.

Worst night ever here. Luke wouldn't settle anywhere or anyhow. I am completely wrecked. We came into living room around 11pm to try to let dp get sleep, I settled on sofa and tried to get Luke in bouncy chair. Dp said he was up with Luke at 3am as he was screaming his head off, and I was laying on floor next to him snoring

Not in the mood today I can tell you!! Better get cracking. The little sod's grizzling away now, has snot pouring down his face I've put some vapour rub on him and given him a bit of calpol (won't help cold I know, but at least I know if he has little pain, that'll help)

LBB yesterday when I changed ds after he had the huge green poo I noticed he was covered in a rash!!! HV said it was all due to a virus.. He has just had another green poo so I wont be taking him to toddler group just incase he passes anything on...

Another day confined wihtin these four walls Still I might set up all the paints for dd downstairs..

LBB yesterday when I changed ds after he had the huge green poo I noticed he was covered in a rash!!! HV said it was all due to a virus.. He has just had another green poo so I wont be taking him to toddler group just incase he passes anything on...

Another day confined wihtin these four walls Still I might set up all the paints for dd downstairs..

Calico, IKEA trip sounds like a nightmare! Do they do the bed you want online or have you decided to look somewhere else?

bumps, sorry to hear ds isn't very well, hope he feels better soon, and that you survive another day stuck in.

MOS, don't do ironing, but you've reminded me that maybe I should hang this morning's wash out and hope the weather isn't as eccentric as it's been most of this week (mostly quite good but with sudden outbursts of rain which are a bit of a pain in relation to drying our clothes).