April 2009 - Chapter 5 - The one where no-one is allowed to feel guilty (except about all the chocolate...)

[Guimauve]

There will be chocolate fines for the guilty!

Got a pair of babylegs yesterday. Love them

Any suggestions for what to wear to an early December wedding?
Needs to be:
Bf-compatible
Warm enough for winter
Inexpensive (sigh)
I'm thinking something along the lines of a knee-length dress with opaques and knee-boots, but I don't know where to start. Monsoon/ Coast/ Phase 8 keep calling to me, but I just can't.

Good morning! Bad night again and then Orbit started singing at 6am grrrrrrr..... Still, DS1 is at nursery so some relative peace and quiet.

So weaning questions.....

Yogurt - can't see any reason why live yog would be a problem but don't quote me on that! The NCT book which I have here (ready to post!) says to be careful of cow's milk products but only from the point of view of allergies to whey, casein and lactase. We used Little Rachel's and Little Dish fromage frais (can't find them any more, do they still make them?) as they don't use any refined sugar, only fruit juice to sweeten them. DS1 practically lived on them when teething and still eats Little Rachel's now

On teas, DS1 tends to eat either something different (sausages, salmon and rice, bolognaise, fish fingers, beans on toast etc) or leftovers of what we had the night before, depending on what it is. To be honest we found that at the beginning DS1 was far more likely to be interested in solids at breakfast and lunch initially, as he wasn't tired and cross then. He didn't start eating a proper tea until he was nearly one, and then he started at nursery where they did a sandwich tea at 3.30pm, and he would only have a snack and some milk at home later. I posted on here as I was worried about him not eating tea, and it seemed to be quite common for toddlers not to take to a later tea for quite a long time. It's still the meal at which he'll eat the least, as he's very tired, especially on nursery days.

I think with weaning the idea is to work up to three meals a day plus snacks by the time they're 12 months, some babies will want three meals a day straight away, some will take longer to get there, as far as I can see. Depends on your baby! I can only tell you what worked for DS1 and what I've come across on here/friends' babies etc.

Feier I think you can buy Holle porridge in health food shops - my local one stocks them and they are lovely, aren't they?

I found that Boots do controlled salt stock cubes too, in their baby organics range. Hooray!

Auld you've got me thinking about French snacks now! Petit Beurre, yum. Petit Ecolier, even yummier!

Sorry, no idea about Stansted though.

Must go and wash hair and attend to the sad toothed one

Look for mothers en vogue clothes. They have gorgeous BF friendly dresses.

Beth is seeing GP at 5pm.

5pm? That's the soonest they'll see a 4mo old with swollen glands? Poor show.

I know. Poor little mite is not well

She has a bit of a rash as well.

Lots of cuddles today, methinks.

never use anything but full fat milk.

Does anyone else find real butter really expensive. I grew up with it but we get through so much now I just cant afford it so buy fake stuff

I make my own yoghurt when I can be arsed so will for Izy

swali- phone them back and kick some arse

Gui I hesitate to give fashion advice because, well, have you seen me? But for weddings etc. while BF I have always either worn a suit with a softish top under the jacket (even a very dressy t-shirt will work in this context) or a dress in two parts, so a top and a skirt made out of the same material. Both of these things are occasionally to be found in charity shops - suits often come up in our poshest charity shops. Since it's December, you've got time to do a bit of a trawl regularly (and lay aside some money in case you haven't struck gold by the time the wedding comes up. If you have, you can spend it on accessories etc.)

Of course with a gorgeous sweet baby, people don't notice your outfit nearly so much. And a really gorgeous ring sling or mei tai can totally transform an outfit too. (Check out UKBabywearingSWAP Yahoo group for second hand bargains)

Right I really do have to do some washing and floor-finding this morning but I've got sucked in.

Swali, poor B. Hope you can get your appt. moved sooner.

Weaning: live yoghurt is fine. Most yoghurt is live anyway. I used to mix natural yog (Yeo Valley) with fruit puree, either my own or from one of those handy pots. We still do that for dinner now all of us, as I find all commercial yogs too sweet.

Teas: We have dinner all together at 5.30 6ish. At first we found it really hard, but we got used to it, and it does make the day work better. When DS1 was younger, if I made food that was DS1 friendly (i.e. anything softish and non-curried) I would lob a couple of portions into freezer pots at the same time as dishing up. Then if we had a meal that wasn't suitable for DS1 we could defrost him a pot to eat at the same time as the rest of us. Or if it all crashed and burnt and I didn't get dinner on we had the option of him getting freezer food and us eating after his bedtime. For a while we had an economy/health thing going where I had only one pack of meat a week. I'd cook a meat meal once or twice a week with it, freeze several portions for DS1 and then we could eat very meagre light meals some nights to keep our waistlines down and feed DS1 from the freezer. (You build up a variety of foods surprisingly quickly, plus there will of course be plenty of hearty veggie meals that can also go in the mix)

Gosh, I do like to go on and on about my household systems don't I? Perhaps I should errr go and do some actual household stuff.

Bronze impressed about the yoghurt making - keep meaning to do this myself (as I know it's straightforward really) but never get round to it.

PS if anyone has a spectacularly effective laundry system they'd care to share in excruciating detail, I'd be agog to hear it.

my laundry system is dont ever stop

My laundry system comprises of forgetting to do it for a week or so then putting all the washing in piles and working through it for a whole day!

(which is actually what i am doing today!()

laundry system = husband

ha ha my current one is a combo of Kaz's and Maths. However, the laundry attachment on the husband seems to be on the blink at the moment.

Bronze I'm putting my fingers in my ears.

la la la la la there is a magic, no-effort system out there.

Perhaps the two boys could become nudists? (DH and I not so much, for the world's sake)

Laundry system = marry a soldier.

Pros to laundry system = man in uniform

Cons = Iraq

mrsg I dont have any option. Theres two many grubby little people for me not to

Wait until the dirty laundry basket overflows (which doesn't take long here because it's so small ) then try to throw as many things in at once as you can. DH complains that his white shirt has gone grey since I've washed it with non-whites but you know what, if he's going to complain, he can do his own sodding washing!

Also have a washing machine that takes larger loads.

I have just made a discovery - the plastic lid from 500g pots of yoghurt fits the small Total greek yoghurt tubs too. Which is great because we're addicted to the stuff, but never eat a whole tub at once. That mixed with fruit puree, by the way, makes a fantastic baby dessert.

My eyes are so very tired today - just the eyes. How is that possible?

Little H sounds like a singing bird in a cage

Ha. My DH, despite being a Cambridge educated engineer, apparently can't work out how to use the washing machine I had to leave him written instructions last time I went away for a week - and even then he left most of it for when I got back. Grrrrrrrr.

Having said that, he does do a lot of cooking, DIY, puts the bins out etc so can't really complain too much...

I am sooooooooooo confused about the weaning thing. I don't know whether to stick with just baby rice for a few more weeks or to start to introduce other stuff. WFH - I love your soapbox moments too even though I'm probably one of the sources of your wrath

Yep, definitely normal for babies of this age to wake up in the night... Oscar was up 3 or 4 times last night - I think its teeth more than milk, but he'll definitely still be needing a night feed for a while yet as he properly guzzles it down. I think sometimes when he wakes he just wants a cuddle and to know we're still here... those are the times when its really easy to settle him.

Pleeeeeeeeeeeease tell me the screeching shrieky thing is just a phase?!!

I don't care. Cream then jam (then sometimes more cream) for me... that's what I'll be having in LESS THAN 2 WEEKS TIME!!!!

I've just eaten an entire bar of chocolate (one of the BIG ones) as part of my healthy diet and lifestyle yum

Bicnod, just do what you feel is right. How old is Oscar, if he's over 5 months I'd start to very slowly introduce some fruit and veg such as apple, pear, sweet potato (maybe 2 new things a week). If he's not yet 5 months I'd hold off for a little longer I think. That's not based on anything scientific or any official advice, just gut feeling.

Bicnod, just do what you feel is right. How old is Oscar, if he's over 5 months I'd start to very slowly introduce some fruit and veg such as apple, pear, sweet potato (maybe 2 new things a week). If he's not yet 5 months I'd hold off for a little longer I think. That's not based on anything scientific or any official advice, just gut feeling.

Sorry ladies. I just don't know why I keep double posting.

O.M.G!!

Was just about to type that my laundry system is a combination of Kaz's and Maths'!!! Spooky!!

The closest I have to a system is 'whites, lights, brights, darks', but DH does not really adhere, and it doesn't make it any easier. I keep meaning to acquire some extra containers to make for better pre-sorting so that whole box can just be tipped into machine, but I never do. So it ends up all over the bedroom and then either has to be sorted through or, more frequently, all ends up in the machine together.

I am pondering the idea of new sling instead of new outfit. A brand new custom Babyhawk is still way cheaper than your average Monsoon dress. Can I wear black dress black tights black boots if I have a beautiful, brightly coloured mei tai?

Thanks for the Mothers en Vogue link Swali. There are a couple of items on sale on there, and that makes for a bargainous outfit, even with shipping from Singapore! Unless I've screwed up the exchange rate.

Don't think we could only do meat once or twice a week. DH doesn't really like pasta (except spaghetti ), not keen on beans, chickpeas etc, will eat some lentils, but ideally only Puy type ones which don't go mushy. Limits my veggie repertoire somewhat.

OOOOOOHHHHH!
TippiToes bouncer just arrived! Terrifying experience putting H into it and letting go! I think he likes it, though it's a little too big for his skinny frame.

That first bit would have made a touch more sense if I'd posted it immediately after MrsG's post, but I got side-tracked by deliveries!

No wrath here Bicnod - I save that for the 'Oh we weaned at 8 weeks because we were bored and I gave him chocolate buttons on day 3 cos it seemed mean not to, and I was eating some...' brigade...

Isn't the screechy shrieky thing lovely?

Laundry system? Ha. Just keep doing it, all day, every day, is the only thing that works round here. Am currently washing a whole load of 6-12 month clothes from the loft for Orbit as well. Tediously, even though their birthdays are two weeks apart, DS1 didn't need these sizes till much later so they're all really warm winter clothes. Poor Orbit has been wearing vests, babylegs and the only three t-shirts that fit him for a few weeks now!

Hmmm, cleaner came yesterday, and the small pile of sand that DS1 emptied out of his pockets onto his bedroom floor is still there. Should I mention it next time she comes?