Fab Feb 2009 - hey ho, hey ho, its off to babyproof we go...

[dinkystinky]

off we go again

fruit or toast here

Morning all. Shite night again - Danny awake howling every hour and a half or so (though thank god no more chundering incidents) - and not even the magical boob juice - or the even more magical nurofen infants - could settle him so is definitely teeth. Grr. Ended up with him in bed from around 12.30 and think I got about 2 hours sleep in total last night - he is now down having a mega sleep so hopefully that will sort him out for today. Shattered today and just really quite grateful am not back at work today - dreading tomorrow though if I have another night like last night.

Spotty - hope you enjoyed your wine. Glad the boys are sleeping well again and hope things are alot less hectic for you now. Re self-settling, when not teething I know Danny can do it but when teething pretty much nothing will help apart from boob - and even then that doesnt always do it. Am going to give it a month or so while am back at work to see if his sleep improves and then get DH to do the shush-patting for a few nights. If its just one wake up a night sometime between 10 and 2 I can cope with it - its the multiple wake ups that are the killers. Love the frozen yoghurt idea - will definitely be borrowing that one.

LBB - Danny is a big fan of dry toast and water in the mornings, strange child. Perhaps being stuck in his highchair brings out the prisoner mentality in him He also likes chilled raspberries and nectarine slices and yoghurt (I spoon feed him some, he grabs the spoon and tries to feed himself the rest). Tried him on baby porridge and cheerios and weetabix but they were not well received. If you have time, cheese on toast might be a good idea - or maybe bagel and cream cheese. Also you could maybe do an omelette instead of scrambled egg and chuck in some mushrooms tomato and cheese? Danny loves all of those but tends to get them for lunch rather than breakfast as they're too time consuming to do in the mornings.

MoS - hope the AWOL nanny turns up soon! Re 3 year old birthday parties - have been to a few and things like pass the parcel always end in tears (everyone wants the present!). Musical statues is good if a small group - make sure everyone gets chocolate when they are out for moving though - as is musical bumps. If hiring a hall soft play and bubbles - they can blow themselves - are great. For little girls, face painting (you can just paint flowers or butterflies on them) is always a hit. At a party we went to the kids could decorate and then eat their own fairy cakes - was a massive hit but as am not culinary-inclined not for me am afraid. For little boys, you just need to let them run around and go crazy for a while. As mum of boys I'd definitely go for the hall option but if your DD has mostly little girl friends a party at home probably wont cause too much carnage.

dinky sorry you had a rubbish night again. Fingers crossed he's better tonight.
Thankd for breakfast ideas. We have all the time in the world in the mornings so will try an omlette. Don't know why I didn't think of it, prob same as you and just tend to give those sorts of things at lunch time.
I love the idea of decorating their own cakes. We did it once at the childrens centre, but they are mostly boys so there wasn't much interest. Altough I enjoyed eating the chocolate sprinkles

Hello all - no broadband at home, still trying to get Virgin to sort out. Am at friend's house and logged onto her PC so will be v quick. Hope all ok - good to see you back LBB virus free! Dinky hope all goes well tomorrow and you get a few more hours sleep under your belt tonight. MOS hope H lets you enjoy your haircut!

Better be off now but hope to be back online soooooooon!

Thanks for all the messages, guys.

Don't worry - I didn't take offence at any of the answers!! I do understand where MIL is coming from, but having changed plans repedetly to suit her, and then it still not being what she wants, I was pulling me hair out a bit.

Went back on Friday having bought her some flowers and did a fair amount of grovelling, told her I hadn?t meant to upset her and explained that I am feeling a little left out from being away from M etc. and worried that she will start doing all her ?firsts? when I?m not there. I was actually very open and honest (very very hard for me in RL), and she was still sulking and barely said anything. I told her that my work were understandably hacked off that I needed to change my hours again after only a few weeks, so we looked into a nursery or childminder, and had organised a childminder for two days a week. MIL then perked up and said how understanding J has been and what a good son he is (grrr!) and all seems ok.

We had M?s baptism yesterday, and she kept her distance, but FIL took me to one side and thanked me for being understanding, so I think he understands more than she does!

We had a lovely day yesterday, and things are now on a fairly even keel, but I?ve come into a manic Monday at work!

Hope you and yours are all ok -
lbb how is L now? I can second/third/fourth/whatever! the porridge baths, worked wonders for my nephew. M is happy with fruit in the morning, either in sticks or stewed (if we are feeling brave!)

Dinky Have a fantastic day today, and good luck with tomorrow. Hope things are smooth and you work with lovely wibble-allowing people.

STW Nice to see you! Hope all is sorted soon.

BLW-ers I just emailed whoever it is that wrote the book with Gill Rapley a few recipes, and she is going to use them for a new book, and probably a pic of M eating them! I sent her my potato-patties and the fish pie recipe as well as a few other notes! The recipe book is due out next year...

Got to dash...

I'm so glad it was resolved PSL.... reading that she does sound a bit odd tbh but at least things are sorted now and hopefully you can relax a bit without that stress 3 days a week... hopefully she'll enjoy her one day a week with M and stop causing a fuss.

I'm sure M will be a clever girl and save all her firsts for mummy.... if not i'm sure your mother and childminder at least might have the sense not to tell you if she does stuff first with them so you can think it's her first when she does it around you

PSL Well done for having an honest chat with MIL, couldn't have been easy, but IMO needed to be done. Glad you have come up with alternative plans though, sounds like everyone will benefit from it.
Luke is ok. The ezcema rash was bad on his face today. I started thinking about foods, and tbh, I'm starting to think it might be cucumber????? He hasn't had any for a coupke of days but had some as a snack this afternoon and his face flared up but can't remember if it was before or after the cucumber. He only had 1 application of cream as we were out, but dp has forgotten to give him the cream and he's been fine before so think I'll keep away from the cucumber for a few days and try it again, see what happens.
Good for you on the book. You'll have to let us know when it goes on sale, and we'll need a meet-up so M can autograph them

I didn't return to work after having ds, but still managed to miss all his firsts! The first time he sat up, the first time he crawled, his first step. I'd stayed at home so I wouldn't miss a second of anything with him, but still managed to. I think I'll miss Luke crawling too. I keep picturing him just shooting past me while I'm washing up!

Thanks PSL. Fingers crossed for tonight being a better night and I should hopefully be ok tomorrow. Danny had this afternoon with our nanny and DS1 and had a great time at a playgroup with them so hopefully all will be ok tomorrow - they're going to babygym in the morning and messy play in the afternoon. Great that you've resolved things with MIL and that yesterday went really well for you guys. Am sure using a childminder will make life a hell of a lot easier for all of you all round.

And as for missing firsts - I caught DS1's firsts as he kindly save them all for mummy. Am sure M will be the same with you

tired lurk

good luck tomorrow dinky, hope it all goes smoothly

Beneficial all round - apart from financially. My shoe fund is going to take a hit!

GOOD LUCK for today Dinky!!!!!

xx

My posting box keeps disappearing from the bottom of the messages!

DH is trying to bully me into starting a new course today but i'm STILL unsure whether to go and it starts at 12.30

Kids were in bed by 6.30 last night which has meant a 6am start and they are already getting the tired whinge. and I think we're getting colds

Good luck today dinky

Luke is tucking into some weetabix. Well they are tesco own brand ones, but he is loving them. Ds1 won't even sit at his table for them. I put lots of fruit in there too so it looks nice, but he is not interested.

Must be a toddler anti-weetabix day as DS1 refused his too and just had fruit and yoghurt!

Sam's not eaten this morning either, he has just wailed since he got up and has gone back to sleep now. DS1 has just climbed into my bed and looks like he is settling down for a sleep already I envisage a very long afternoon in that case!!

Thanks Spotty and LBB - and Pink and PSL. Am at work - has been ALOT of changes here while I've been away so v disorientating. Especially as Danny was awake again lots last night and up from 4.30 this morning, wailing and inconsolable with bad cold and teething (he would not feed, would not take yoghurt and would not eat cold raspberries this morning which is totally unlike him, did not get calmed down by teetha sachets or calpol or nurofen infants) - was really hard leaving him with DS1 and our nanny. Apparently he calmed down and finally slept at 9ish and has eaten some lunch but totally refused bottles poor love - hope this horrid tooth comes out soon and the cold disappears even sooner.

haven't been on for ages but dinky i'm thinking of you. you know it but keep reminding yourself it will get easier and will soon be your new normality.

it must be so hard when danny is obviously having a difficult time with his teeth. ivor was the same yesterday but seems a lot better today. still no tooth though!

will catch up on everything else later.

dinky poor you and poor Danny. Ds1 went completely off his food when his first 2 teeth were about to come through. Hope Danny's appear soon so you can all get some rest.

Aw, Dinky that's awful. Hope things went well.

Is anyone else finding some irregularities on mn today? This whole thread is bold...

Oh yeah PSL. Why's the thread bold?

Anyhoo......when I give Luke cereal, does the milk still have to be formula or can I use full fat cows milk?

though A had kicked the keyboard again

i'll go post on site stuff...

Dinky I hope you are feeling ok after your first day back at work, it sounds like a really tough time to have to leave Danny, though the good thing is you are not leaving him with a childcarer that you don't know or are unsure about. Hope his tooth finally appears very very soon and you get a better night's sleep tonight.

PSL it sounds like you have come to the perfect arrangement, 3 days a week with a baby is a lot for a granny, but TBH I'm embarassed to admit I was jealous when my PsIL looked after DD1 even 1 day a week when I went back to work when she was a baby. (She was with a CM for 3 days a week, and home with me for 1.) But re the 1sts, she crawled and walked for the first time when both me and DH were around! Impressed re the book, are potato patties easy to make?

LBB I think you can use fullfat cow's milk from 6 months for cooking/on cereal, but stick to formula for drinking until 12 months.

Thanks coco. Will do.

This thread is still bold, but the others I'm on are ok. Most odd.

Hmm, thread bold for me too - how odd. Thought it was the office computers going odd... Thanks for your kind thoughts all - sadly last night was another sleep is for the weak night from Danny - went to cot at 6.40 shattered but crying till gone 9 when finally got him to take a bit of milk and medicine then again up between midnight and 3 and only slept after that till 5.30 because I cuddled him into submission. Impeccable timing from the little man. Fingers crossed he'll be on the mend soon though.

LBB - I use full fat cows milk for Danny's porridge/cereal in the morning and for cooking. Mostly because the poor child still hates the stuff and will only take 4 or 5 ounces during the day while I'm at work with much persuasion.

Hope everyone is good and their little ones are doing well. PSL - v impressed at the recipes! Come on, share them on here so we can give them a go...

DINKY So sorry you had another rough night. Is dh taking his turns and helping you out? Only fair.........my dp has been good and has got up the past few nights, I do tell him to wake me, but he says no because he know's I'll shout at him

PSL, yes, share recipes, just so we can all make sure they are worthy

Well after day 2 of Luke and weetabix, I have had to take the padding and straps off the high chair and they are now soaking in the kitchen sink.

No plans for today. Our 'homework' from playgroup is for the children to make and decorate 5 stars each (this terms' theme is space) so think I might do that. Ds1 got given 2 paint box sets for his birthday so going to be cheeky and take one back and try to exchange it for some glitter and other crafty bits. Failing that, he'll have to decorate his stars with pasta and lentils!