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

[dinkystinky]

off we go again

[bumpsnowjustplump]

Hello everyone. Sorry I have not been on at all. Things are really tough at the moment... DS is teething (I think anyway) and has not slept for two nights.. DP and I tried doing stints but he screams if he can not see me so I have been up most of the time with him. He is screaching and crying all the time and will not feed. He is only feeding (milk feeds) about twice a day and twice in the night... I am so tired and feel so depressed that I keep breaking down as well......

Oh and top it all off someone crashed into our new car on Friday and just drove off.....

As you can probably tell I am feeling very stressed and battered at the moment and not really in the mood for anything...

Sorry for the me me post and as soon as things start improving I will be back on again...

MOS really sorry but dont think I am up for the meet on Tuesday, apart from anything else I dont think I should be driving as I am not sleeping and I couldn't handle taking ds out the way he is at the moment... so so sorry!

[yummyspottyblueberry]

((bumps)) Feeling your pain with the sleeping - must be something in the air this week.

@ your new car. Arseholes.

[littleboyblue]

bumps Don't really know what to say sweetheart. Sounds awful. These babies can be little buggers can't they?
Luke still cries all the time. I can only do so much though

Just had a lovely 3 hour nap. Could have stayed there for the rest of the day!

Dp wanted salad for dinner, so that's what I bought this morning. I don't like salad really. I haven't even got any biscuits or anything to chomp on later.

[PinkTulips]

{{{ bumps }}} poor you, and poor ds (although i bet you're about ready to throttle him after 2 nights of sleeplessness)

I can't believe that about your car, how awful.... will the insurance pay out for it?

[elkiedee]

aaarrrgggh for poor bumps and ds, sorry you're having a horrible time.

[dinkystinky]

Bumps - sending you huge hugs and sending the bastards who drove into your new car and then just drove off some truly horrible driving karma ... If it is any consolation Danny - through a combination of growth spurt, cold and teething and possibly developmental stuff - has for the past 2 nights been waking every hour and a half and crying his little socks off most the time during the day too (the hours between 3 and 6 are proving particularly loud in our house at present) so I do sympathise with how rubbish you're feeling at the moment. I hope the teething bout is over soon and you get some sleep in and feel better about life soon.

Elkie - glad Danny's doh-like tendencies entertained you He did it again at dinner tonight - I may need to start putting him in a crash helmet, or maybe my old kickboxing helmet, for mealtimes. Though thank god he's pretty adept with his hands where food is concerned... sadly also adept with his hands and mouth where newspapers, toys and my clothes are involved too.

Markstretch - love the idea of a play prison for the various kids! Think Pink's super-deluxe one looks like the lo-security prison for those babies doing time for white collar (or should that be white babygro) crimes...

Between semi-crippled DH and 2 snotty moany kids havent really managed to do much today or really enjoy the sunshine - here's hoping tomorrow is a better day for all...

[MarkStretch]

Poor bumps and dinky

My DS is refusing to sleep for longer than 10 mins during the day now. He is a brilliant sleeper most nights but the lack of naps means that by 6pm he is wailing with tiredness, wants to bf, so I feed him and he fals asleep and wakes up half an hour later full of beans and wanting to play and we spend the next 4hrs trying to get him off again!

I have tried the car, the buggy, rocking, feeding, but he is awake after about 30 seconds it seems. Grrrr.

What am I doing wrong?

[dinkystinky]

Oh Markstretch - DS1 was like that too at around 5 months - I'd spend ages breastfeeding him to sleep and then ping his eyes would pop open the moment I moved. I think it was a developmental thing but god its knackering as they get so tired they go all glassy eyed. What helped with DS1 was having a set wind down as soon as we saw the tiredness signs - some music, quiet play, reading stories in his room, a short feed if need be in darkened room then putting him in his cot to go to sleep and shushing and patting him to sleep - we did have to swaddle him for naps till he got the knack of putting himself to sleep. It was like he couldnt locate his own off button so we had to help him gradually switch off. It gradually got better - after a couple of weeks he would put himself off to sleep with hardly any shush patting as he knew it was sleep time after the set wind down - but he was my first DC and I didnt have to deal with another child and school etc. at the time so I could spend all the time trying to get him through that stage. Hope someone comes on with more advice for you.

[MarkStretch]

Thanks Dinky, we're going for lunch a a friend's today about 45 mins away so hopefully he will have 2 nice sleeps in the car at least.

I am hoping things get better when we are back on the school run as that normally means he gets an hr in the buggy in the morning and again in the afternoon.

[PinkTulips]

Weird baby....

He cried at butternut squash pasta

Then he cried at banana rice pudding

But he gobbled up lamb and veg mush with a big grin... i tasted the stuff when i made it and damn near binned it straight off as it was so rank! (but then i despise brocolli and he seems to like it)

Sorry F is having a no sleep protest MS... A doesn't sleep much during the day lately either but he does have about 2 hours either all in one go or spread over 5/6 little cat naps and i think i'd go loopy without them as he can be quite clingy some days

[dinkystinky]

at A's eating exploits Pink!

I remember offering avocado - supposed to be catnip to babies - to DS1 and being appalled that it made him cry!

[PinkTulips]

Wouldn't mind but it as all lovingly homemade [sulks]

And he normally loves his banana rice mush

He'll be very lonely as the only one in the family who'd take brocolli over something sweet... the rest of us could happily exist on sweet things alone

I have an advocado in the cupboard for him but i can't stand the smell of the things so i'm trying to talk myself into actually using it

[thehouseofmirth]

Grrrrrr! T has been awake lying in the bed next to me groaning, and pulling my nose/poking me in eye since 4am. Now the little bugger's fast asleep and DS1 is awake and bouncing around. Am supposed to be taking them swimming today. Just want to sleeeeeeep.

[littleboyblue]

Morning thom I hate when days start like that! Luke woke up at 5am, so we had some time alone in my bed practising sitting etc which was nice. I don't really mind the odd early start with Luke as it's the only time we get alone, but don't like it too often

I'm still trying to battle Luke with purees. Tbh, mealtimes are alot more peaceful if I just give him finger foods to feed himself, and I know I should just go with what he wants and what he tells me to do, but I really do prefer purees. For me, it just means I get a better idea of how much food he has iyswim.
However, today for lunch I'm going to give him pitta bread with either peanut butter or cream cheese and some cucumber on the side. Would like to put another side bit out, but don't know what????? Then followed by a yoghurt.
For dinner, me, dp and ds1 are having spag bol, so I think I'll give Luke some of that and see how he gets on.

[dinkystinky]

Grrr THOM - sending you lots of energy bars to get you through today! I hate mornings like those. This morning is being particularly trying so far - both boys have colds so we have snot trails everywhere and are being really clingy and whingy due to not sleeping properly, slugs have invaded our living room and slimed all over our rug (bleurgh) - bloody old houses [grr], Danny is vomming up every feed and DS1 has managed to trap his fingers in a door (even though he KNOWS not to paly with doors)

LBB - Danny loves big chunky slices of pepper - straight in the mouth everytime and gummed to death... tried him on a plum last night which he loved but this morning tried him on toast (which he turned to crumbs) and plum puree which he hated - so he is spoon feeding refusnik too. With the spag bol keep an eye on the salt content if using pre-made sauce as some of those can be really salty.

[yummyspottyblueberry]

stick of pepper & tomato LBB? or slices of fruit like melon, mango, nectarine, banana? Babies seem to love pesto too and DS1 could have lived on it and pita bread when weaning!

Brocolli is still a mad fave of DS1 too Pink and avocado is still squealed at even now Dinky

Ditto THOM. Up every hour with one or each last night too. This is night 9! I'd definately go with your shed idea

[thehouseofmirth]

I really wouldn't stress about how much Luke is eating LBB. At this stage it's about introducing them to the joys of food rather than getting calories in him and if he's enthusiastic about feeding himself I'd personally go with that as it will help set up positive associations and good eating habits for life.

What about some steamed carrot or broccoli to go with what you're giving him?

[yummyspottyblueberry]

Lol Dinky - I thought you were referring to your DS's re trails on the rug for a minute

[littleboyblue]

Thanks dinky That's what I was thinking about the sauces. Maybe I could just keep a bit seperate for him and mix with tomato puree (trace salt) and some grated cheese?
For me, it is a PITA that Luke won't spoon feed easily. Ds1 did so well with food that I would really like Luke to be the same, but I think I need to remind myself that they are not the same and will be capable of different things at different times, and if Luke is showing signs he wants to feed himself, then I should let him.
I think I'll buy a pepper today then. A yellow one I think, they are quite mild aren't they?
What do orange ones taste like?

dinks Sorry to hear about slugs. I hate slugs. When I took over my last pub, there were thousands of them in the cellar, the previous manager wasn't looking after his cellar properly so they were attracted by the stale beer! (I'm sure you don't hae stale beer on your rug) Wouldn't know how to get rid of them other than salt though.....

[littleboyblue]

Thom I know, you are right. He does cry whenever I get a spoon near him, even when it's in his mouth which is a clear sign I should stop isn't it? He seems ok-ish with sweeter things, he'll take yoghurts off a spoon and butternut squash (pureed with OJ) but anything else is a scream-fest. Makes meal times quite stressful for all. But you are right re positive associations though, I think I'll keep to finger foods for a while, see how he gets on.
spotty Yeah, will get some tomatoes too. Ds1 used to love them, won't touch them now though. I'm going to see if ds1 will have some pitta bread too, doubt it, but worth a go.

[yummyspottyblueberry]

I'm a big yellow fan lbb. Red is quite mild but I find green ones quite bitter.

I have a very easy pasta/pizza base tomato sauce recipe for babies/toddlers;

gently fry red onion and garlic, add tin of tomatos, little squirt of tom puree, splash of balsamic vinegar, sprinkle of mixed herbs. simmer and blend.

I add courgette, mushrooms, leeks, peppers, carrots, aubergine, butternut squash - anything I have in the fridge to get more veg into it.

If you want to get some protein in I sometimes chuck in a handful of red lentils (add a bit of water to it if you do).

[littleboyblue]

Thanks spooty That sounds yummy! Will try both of them on that I think

[littleboyblue]

I mean spotty. I have my disposable gloves on coz just about to clean toilet. Don't worry, I have not touched the toilet and then the keyboard

[yummyspottyblueberry]

DS1 had it for dinner last night. Always clears the bowl

Gosh you are good, I must do some housework today

[littleboyblue]

spotty I joined the FLY thread a few months back, so am in my routines now. So much easier I do it every morning.

Will def give the pasta sauce a go. I can do it for us adults too