May '09 Fine and DANDY vive la difference! 3 months on and our babies and lives are changing.

[Grumpyoldcaaaaaaaa]

Well Dandy!!!!!!! Just for you after an annoying night

thanks everyone.. i suspected it was a growth spurt as she's been feeding more and more since saturday. from what everyone was saying about when they got to 4 months and feeding i was sorta expecting it as grace is 4months next tuesday boobs are lot fuller this evening and she's fallen asleep a bit earlier tonight so i've now more time to MN :-)

Hello!

You lot can talk. I've been reading but every time I've tried to post I've been pulled away by someone or something else. I can't keep up!

I've been out this evening with friends for dinner and it was so nice to be out and about. I left DH at home with the bedtime routine and went off without a backwards glance. I had a great night out with friends from my first pregnancy and although we did talk about the children most of the night, it was great to be out.

I popped into work this morning to talk about my return to work. I must admit I'm not thrilled at the prospect of returning and I've got some decisions to make. I don't enjoy my career anymore and I need to decide whether it is the job or the organisation. DH and I have agreed that I'll go back in April for 3 months and then make a decision about whether to stay or resign. I'm going to ask Tummum for details of the person she spoke to in the hope that will help. I'm really in a position where I just don't know what to do, but going into work today didn't excite me. It didn't help that my manager was pleased that I'm staying off longer than planned. She said it was just as well! Charming.

Anyway, enough.

AuntiePula congratulations! I've seen the photos, he looks lovely.

Fi I hope your father is settling in well.

Momino still no sex here either!

Night all.

morning all

we didn't make it to the open day yesterday, M did an explosive poo as we were going out of the door, followed by another 20mins later, so 2 changes of clothes then she decided she was hungry again so we had a day feeding on the sofa

going to pop into work today for some money then go into town to get some holiday bits and pieces

then off to the hospital to see my friend this afternoon

Morning all,

Well it was DDs first day at school today- she was so excited and seemed fine about it. Hope she has a nice day . DS2 fell asleep on the drive home but woke within 5 mins of return, so i transferred him to his cot and he is still asleep so i hope he will be ok with the school run each day.

This is my first day with just DS2 for about 3 weeks so it feels like a real luxury- lovely and relaxed and quiet atm. Just a shame there is a holiday washing mountain to put away (no ironing in this household!), food shopping to be done, and i need to get a card/present for my sister and new baby. She is not too well, still on the labour ward being monitored regularly, a bit weepy, but she would like me to visit on Thursday.

Morning all

Quieter day than planned here. It's supposed to be NCT mums & babies but the DD of the mum who was due to host this week's event is just out of hospital recovering from a nasty virus. The doctors don't think it's contagious but best to be on the safe side. So I will try to catch up on housework and maybe bake some bread if H lets me.

pula hope your DD has a good day. Hopefully your sis will recover quickly. I bet you're excited about visiting. I can't wait until my step-sis and/or SIL have babies, though I need to try to be patient as neither of them are actually pregnant yet!

llareggub it's good to take the opportunity to re-evaluate, especially with all the other changes that have been going on for you. Do you think a session with a coach would be useful? I've had a couple through work that were quite good. Never paid for one myself though! I'm another one dis-chuffed with my line manager. He can't be arsed with me I don't think. I sent work an email the other week with pics of H (I hadn't sent them any before ) & asking how everyone was, and his reply was 'Glad you're ok. H is very cute. Busy here as ever. Regards..'

Morning All,

pula congrats to your sis, I remember you being excited for her when she got her bfp. Hope she recovers quickly and is home soon.

A belated well done to Mrlordhelen for his half marathon.

Fi hope your Dad (and Mum) are ok with his move to a new home.

Hi to everyone else, not sure if I've missed anything major - am with you all on the growth spurts. A fed constantly yesterday and downed a whole bottle of formula in the evening too. She did have quite a good night last night tho so I'm feeling a lot better today.

I'm excited but also a bit nervous as we have our first baby swimming lesson at lunchtime I love the water and really would like A to be confident in it too, she's getting to enjoy the bath a bit more now so hopefully this will be fun too. Later we have our first 'playdate' with a mum that I met at baby group. Her Ds is 20weeks and we have bumped into each other quite a lot over the past few weeks and she seems really nice so am looking forward to it.

Right better go check I've packed everything for swimming. Have a good day all x x

x posts spangle your line manager sounds a bit like mine. Mind you apart from immediately after A was born, I haven't heard from work at all. Not sure whether to be pleased or not!

and that reminds me llare I changed careers three years ago after a couple of career guidance sessions with a friend of a friend. I found it v useful indeed although it did reinforce what I already knew deep down that I wanted to be a teacher!

Well S is still asleep (i'm not used to this!), and hasn't had a feed since 6.15 when he usually feeds every 3 hours . I am feeling rather full so might have to wake him soon for a feed.

Morning everyone,
We went to Drayton Manor/Thomas-Land yesterday, and had a lovely day it stayed dry, the sun came out too. No queing for rides, which was even better, meant that DD could go on rides more than once. J had a little grumble halfway round, which was getting on for lunch time, we timed it perfectly to be honest. I fed him just as we went it, and he was quite content then, and had little naps in between looking at everything going on, until lunchtime, when he wanted more food, and then he was fine again and had his long sleep We managed to do the whole park and zoo and rides more than once, took tons of pictures. DD and J had a train ride on Thomas and Rosie, DD's little face was a picture...lazy day for us today, J woke for a feed at half 5 so i fed him and put him back down again, he then didn't wake again till 8:45 so I got a lie in DD didn't go to bed till 9pm so I knew she wouldn't be getting up before 8am!lol I had to wake her at 9am! I've done all my washing, cleaned my kitchen/bathroom/lounge etc blah blah and were now going to chill out and watch a film all together I think, DD wants to watch Sleeping Beauty for the millionth time.

Hope everyone has a good day XX

Jael- so lovely to hear you had a nice family day out . I've never been but i've heard good things about it. Sounds like DD had a lovely time, and J was a good baby for you.

running have a great time swimming. I must take H some time - he loves his baths too so I'm sure he'd have a whale of a time.

work well, things may be a little better - I've had replies from the two directors who work in my office both asking when I'm back, and one asking me to tell him if I'm interested in working in his new division. Looks like I will have to go over my manager's head.

Put H down for a nap 10 min ago and he's woken up He had turned 90 degrees in his cot and had rolled on to his tummy & was sticking his arms through the bars!

Jael sounds like a lovely day

Glad you had a good jael. Its a great place for pre schoolers and even better when its quiet!

Can't believe the talk is coming on to returning to work. Scary.
running how was swimming? Was it a Water babies class? We're on a wait list for our local ones.

R had a bad night by his usual standards last night. I am conscious that he starts getting really tired about 6.30 which makes putting him in his cot really easy, but sometimes he is so tired that he won't have much of his bedtime bottle. Juggling DS1 and R at this time is a bit like a military op in this house and I'd be interested to hear how you others with 2 or 3 do bedtime and bathtime now.

Here's what I try to do:

6pm bath time. R kicks about on mat for a bit.
6.15pm R in his pjs and I get his bottle and DS1s bedtime milk ready.
6.20pm DS1 gets out of bath and into PJs. We have a discussion about whether or not he will wear his DryNites pant.
6.30pm we watch a bit of tv on our bed whilst R has his bottle (WHY oh WHY did Cbeebies change their schedules - Charlie and Lola fitted in really well with our routine!
7pm R into bed.
7.15pm DS1 has bedtime story
7.30pm lights out for DS1

Its all good, privided we start at 6pm. Otherwise its all too much for R.

I could bath separately but its easier when I do bedtime on my own to do them together and DS1 really likes R coming into the bath.

Ladyhelen- we do something very similar, except if DH is around (which is most nights), he deals with DD and DS1 and I do DS2. If i have to do them on my own its something like:

6pm- bath for all 3, usually with an argument between DD and DS1 about who has which end.
6.15- all out of the bath, get DS1 and DS2 nappies on quick before we have wees on the floor.
6.20- milk/cbeebies for DD and DS1 whilst i feed DS2. I may read them stories too if they are interested.
6.30 or whenever- interupt DS2s feed to get DD and DS1 into PJs
Now last time, i put DS2 down at 6.45 as he was so tired, and he went straight to sleep without me needing to go back in, but otherwise, they all go to bed after the cbeebies bedtime song, and sometimes without stories as i have had enough of their messing around by then. But last time, i was able to read stories before bed.

pula spookily similar!

running enjoy your swimming. I'm a bit as there are not baby swimming lessons around here for young babies. They all start from 6m.

work I think that's what's keeping me from sleeping at night and it's 3m away . I need to go in to my new trust next week with my CRB stuff. I'm also fretting a bit about when to let my current employers know that I'm leaving. I feel a bit guilty about not telling them yet. Being catholic and female, I'm quite good at guilt . Part of me is also very content being a SAHM at the moment, but at the same time I don't want to loose my mw registration etc...
I must say that we're really lucky with our mat leave here. One of my mum's colleagues in Belgium had to go back to work last week after having her baby in May like us. Can you imagine going back so early?! I just couldn't do it. C is just too little.

llare at your employers' reaction to requesting longer mat leave. I'm not surprised you're dreading going back.

jael Great to hear you had a lovely day in Thomasland. I regret not going there before leaving for Kent. It was only on my doorstep really.

ladyH How about giving R his feed at 6, before the bath or while the bath is running? That way you can put him in bed as soon as ds1 comes out of bed and he can be in his cot by 6.30?

Thomas-Land We took DD there the week it opened, it was unsurprisingly quiet then too, she was 2 then and couldn't go on Cranky and the driving school, so this time, shes 100cm and can go all everything, including the rapids, and waltzer type things, i swear my daughter has no fear...wheras me on the other hand, I saw having baby J as a perfect excuse for not going on the rapids and suchlike we thought before she starts school next year, it was best to take her in term time where it's less busy, and they do a parent and toddler ticket for £15

Our bedtime routine is still a little higgeldy piggeldy at the moment. I'm hoping we can get it sorted next week when DD starts her allocated nursery slots.
At the mo:
5:30- DP gets in
6:30- We all sit down for dinner
7:00- DD and baby J are bathed
7:30- Story/baby J bottle/cuddles and bed

Sometimes I may have doctors appointments as soon as DP gets in, with me not being well recently, so that changes the routine slightly, only timewise really. As long as we still do the things in the same order I'm pleased

belgian I've thought about that. I could push the routine back so R gets his bottle a bit earlier, but then thats dependent on what time his afternoon feed is. He is only just waking from his nap now ( I can hear him on the monitor as I type) so he'll have a few oz now and that will get him to the bedtime feed. The only routine we have at the mo is the bedtime one. The rest of the day we just wing it and see what happens.

To bore you all to tears, today, for example, he woke at 6.30am . He napped for about 15 mins at 9am and then when we went to mummies and buggies aerobics he slept from 10.30am to 12.45! He fed again and we played at bit on his gym and he conked out face down on his mat at 2.15. He is only just waking now.

I'm not that worried really about it. I am just interested to see what others do!

Better go. Am meeting a friend for coffee before picking up DS1 at 5, so better get my skates on!!

Hello!

Routine none here at all. We wing it all the time and it works for us.

everything on mn is bold for some reason.

I do havea bedtome routine, but not a very strict bedtime. I tend to start when C gets tired, which tend to be 6.30-70. So I've got this 30min window where I start the routine, depending on when C gets tired. The oder 2's routine always starts at 7.30. Thankfully C is always asleep by then.

It's been a horrible day here btw. Got absolutely drenched this a.m. on my way toschool & m&t group. I think it might be time to invest in a rain hat "a la" tummum

my 1 handed typing didn't go to well in previous post.

Only this thread is bold for me!

I met Tummum for lunch today. She didn't her rainhat on but we did have a nice lunch and a gossip.

We're wingers as well. Having said that, most evenings seem to fall into the same pattern and around the same times:

6.30 H wakes up from quick nap & has a feed
7.00 Get H undressed, let him thrash around naked for a bit, get him into sleepsuit, change nappy etc
7.30 DH gets in, gives H a cuddle and a walk round the garden if it's nice. I get our dinner on
7.45 DH hands over to me for feeding
8ish Put H in moses basket in living room (we make sure lights are dim & tv not too loud)
8.30pm H asleep

11/11.30pm transfer to cot, give him a feed if he wakes up

have had a v.busy day

double checked all the holiday details andfound out that bmibaby had changed our flight to the following day!

they said they'd sent me an email back in july but i never received it! luckily DH managed to get an extra day off work and I have spent a fair bit of time on the phone today sorting out changes to car parking, hire car and apartment

thank god I double checked last night!

I didn't check the other threads. I wonder why we deserve to be in bold. Maybe MN towers think we're a bold bunch

C's routine is mainly:
around 6.45-7.15: get changed into fresh nappy + sleepsuit. Have tickle while changing (I know I shouldn't, but can't resist tickling her ), feed, C goes drowsy, transfer to cot, mobile on. Done. Normally we don't hear a murmur out of her and I'm out and ready by 7.15-7.30.