March 2009 - The crawling / walking / talking race is on . . .

[jollyjoanne]

the new thread for March 09 mummies

Hi all! Hope everyone's having a nice weekend . I've just popped on for some advice, DH and I never had a honeymoon (DS1 was 3 mo at the time) and we've booked a week in Gran Canaria with the DCs staying with DH's mum. Any tips on how to minimise them missing us or worse still, me missing them?

Corgi I wish there was some advice I could give. I think it was down to also not wanting Amy to be an only child, plus as I'm turning 40 in November (eeeeeeeeeek!) time is not on my side.

How we even managed a bfp is beyond me as we've only had "relations" twice this year so far!!! (so sorry, way tmi)

Laumiere When you find an answer, can you tell me too please? Amy is proving almost impossible to leave without going into meltdown. It's our anniversary on Thursday (celebrated last year by starting labour!) and we're going out to dinner. Last time we tried going out we got a phonecall just before ordering the food to go back home as madam was in a strop...

I shall wait to see what happens this time!

Oh yes, and DH has informed me that if this bean turns out to be a boy, it's going back in. Yeah, right!

Hi All !

Back from skiing which was a success thankfully ! L was happy in the creche and DD1 loved ski school. However L was poorly the last day and we assumed it was a coldy/cough thing which dd1 had too until the spots started to appear the next day. Yup she's now got chicken pox. Grrrr. Touch wood she doesn't seem too bad and at least we'll get it over with.

The spotty one is also a naughty baby - knows full well what she shouldn't do but does it anyway usually after she's looked at us and given us a big smile before disappearing into/up/over something she shouldn't. The worst things she's eaten are slugs and fake coals.

Happy birthday to all those about to turn 1 !!

meep, now dd2 came down with chicken pox yesterday just as predicted! Hopefully she will be over the worst in time for her first birthday next wednesday. dd1 was fine after a week, and really wanted to go back to preschool. I wouldn't have said she was very troubled by the spots....all she kept saying was "but I am not a CHICKEN!!!"

Poor dd2 didn't have a great day today, with fever and throwing up the liquid i gave her, so no proper dinner and no milk, just a cracker for dinner.

On the good news front, dd1 had a heart scan last friday and it is still good, so the final medicine is coming to an end next week. I bought champagne to celebrate a miraculous recovery. I can't help thinking of the stats they gave me: one third get better, one third stay the same, and one third deteriorate. I am thinking of those other two children not as fortunate as our dd1.

wheely nice to hear of successful skiing break and hope the chicken pox is tolerated ok.

laumiere i can imagine ways to occupy myself when away from the kids, but the only tip i can give is good old fashioned bribery and SPOIL them, which is probably what will happen with the grandparent. suggest bringing them back a present?

corgi I sympathise with your night problem. I got to the point of suffering so much from sleep deprivation that i went home to sleep after school run, instead of going out to see people. I decided i had had enough and did sleep training with her, and it took a few nights but generally succeded. I stopped BF her 2 weeks ago as well. i have my evenings back too. it is not by any means uninterupted at night, as she usually wakes once and comes into our bed, has snuggle up to me and sleeps the rest of the night. But little steps are ok.

other dd2 news, two front teeth coming at last!!!

And she took her first steps last week too...

sorry for long post

xx

Hey Y'all!

How is everyone doing?! Sorry been rubbish at posting just don't seem to have the time since HHB got to his knees.

So I've only read a few posts, but I caught that Kanga you're moving back to Oz? You lucky thing - beats this lousy weather! Don't envy you the journey tho, but I'm sure you being you, will cope marvellously! When are you thinking of going?

Also so happy to hear the fantastic news on your little girl's heart probs. What a relief for you.

Congrats to Grinning! When are you due? How are you feeling?

Wheely Envious of your skiing trip, used to go all the time when I was younger but DH not so keen. Will get him there one day....

Sorry to hear about those with chicken pox, we've yet to have it with the wee ones, although when DD1 had it, hers immediately got all infected and she just didn't move for three days or open her eyes. Was horrendous. Didn't stop crying. (Me.)

Things have been really hard here - DD2 (2.6) is hell on earth at the moment, screaming tantrums and whining and still getting night terrors on times. Nicholas has taken to nutting his head of everything and anything which is very stressful and I have to say I am noticing a HUGE difference on that front in having a boy. Everyone says they are more accident prone and so far it is our experience. My heart is in my mouth all the time.

He's had two bleeding noses from falling, numerous bumps to the head, his nail bent back in half from his little big sister opening the door on his finger, pulled all sorts of nasty stuff out of his mouth and caught him escaping from his high-chair and climbing on the table..... Arrrrrgghhhh. My nerves can't take it!

I also had the implant (contraceptive) in my arm 6 weeks ago to try and calm down my periods as I got severly anaemic with them, but it had me howling at the moon and turned me crazy so I had to go back last week and have it removed. Within a day, I felt my levels return to normal - it is soooo good to feel human again. Am still waiting for the hair to disappear from the backs of my hands tho....

Nick has also been waking up through the night for the last month or so (sometimes for two hours) so we have moved his bed time to 7.30 and been giving him some ready brek before bed to help him last through the night. The clocks going forward also helped as it means he's not (techically) waking up at 6.30am anymore! So far.

Will try and read all your posts now.

xx

OMG! Just saw length of post! Sorry!

Ah, Meep You are a lucky thing! All of mine have been 'storm trooping vandals' as Libby Purves would say.... And Nicholas is following in hot pursuit. He's firmly on 'demolition tele' mode at the moment. I just CANNOT get him away from the bloody thing.

Love the pics btw!

Happy Birthday to all those who have turned 1! Nicholas's birthday was completely hecktic but I figured it would be the last 1st we'd have in the house. (Better be) Also had eldest's 9th which involved her and her pals being pop stars for a day in our garage/bit of a recording studio. And they all recorded a song and then got picked up by a limo and driven around. Tacky as hell but great fun for them. There were another 20 birthdays in the last month or so which is another reason why I was too busy to post. The tele in May/June must be crap eh...?

Reading all the demolition babies stories I think maybe I should be glad Gabe isn't bothered about walking yet, he's quite lethal enough just bumshuffling!

I'm turning 30 tomorrow, celebrating with leave off work til 5 April, promised lie in tomorrow morning, time off to go browse shops while blessedly alone, and then meal with 11 friends (inc DH) in the evening. Can't wait! Who wants to bet I'll be wide awake at 5 am?

Hello all - another long time no-poster coming in for a check up! I guess it's because all our LOs are turning 1 that we come back to this thread for a catch up - can you believe it's been a year since the birth thread when all of the babies were popping out? Where does the time go...

... glad to hear about DD's heart kanga - what a huge relief! Sorry to hear about still getting up twice in the night Corgi... Penelope has been sleeping through from 6 months but has started to wake up at 6 instead of 7 for the last month which has been hellish (we have been too spoilt until now on the sleeping front me thinks). Not sure what advice to give - I did 3 consecutive days of sleep training back when she was 6 months and starting nursery / weaned, and that did the trick for us, like it sounds like it did for kanga -- worth a try for you too maybe?

Well, in our news, Penny had her first birthday party a week last monday and it was great fun, and she got so many presents we had to overspill them from her nursery into the spare bedroom. Hopefully they will keep her entertained when we move to Sudan in August - I don't think there are many toy shops out there...

..and at 12 months and 1 week exactly, she walked! I know they all walk eventually and with #2 we probably won't notice if they walk on their hands at 6 months, but my PFB has started walking! So proud... here is the proof:

Penny walking

Excuse the slightly hysterical mother cheering at the end (that would be me...)

And a new pic of Pen on my profile (DH playing with photoshop...) - any more updated photos from anyone else?

Am 31 weeks today - eek - baby will be here soon!

so cute boobz, and she can even turn a corner....v impressive. Don't worry you still will be immmensly proud of No2's milestones. They are unique little people aren't they?

poor slick sounds like life is being rough, hope it smooths over soon.

DD2 and chicken pox....nightmare. Up all night last night. She is very clearly suffering poor thing, and on antibiotics as well

2 new pics on profile xx

Aww Boobz! that film of Penny walking is just fantastic! Yayy Penny! I forgot you were pregnant again too, how is it going? When are you due? And you're moving to Sudan?! Is it for work reasons or do you just fancy a wee big change?

So many changes for everyone hey?

I started singing again a few weeks ago, it's a group that does shows for charity, but the musical director works us damn hard and the stuff is really challenging but it's nice to have something for myself in the week. I stayed at my Mums to get some sleep last night and poor DH was up half the night with a screaming Nicholas; (3 big teeth all coming in at same time) tripped over toy in hall setting it off, shinned himself on a chair and woke up DD2. Then got them out the door this morning to meet me, only to discover that someone had opened Nick's window in car and his car seat was drenched from the howling blizzard and sleet we had last night! Needless to say, he wasn't in the best of moods by the time he met me.

Still, I have the same sort of night when he stays out, I believe it's called "sod's law'. Grin. Hope everyone's coping with this lovely, er... Spring weather...

Morning ladies!

slick and corgi are back again - yay!!!!

boobz love the video of Pen - she looks so grown up! Rosie is trying so hard to stand up without holding onto anything - and is doing a weird walk but with both hands still on the floor! And you're off to Sudan???

kanga love the new pictures - the washing machine one is fantastic. Makes me feel better to know that my cheeky Rosie is no more naughty/feisty/crazy than any other. Dd1 definitely lulled us into a false sense of security.

By 8am Rosie had already put a handful of tampax into the shower tray - while I was having a shower, stolen has big sisters blanket, tried to put the potty on her head (luckily empty this time) and given me a big kiss by sticking her tongue in my mouth and biting my lip.........she is asleep again so I can breathe!

Sleep here is a bit hit and miss. Some nights she needs a feed at about 11pm - last night she slept all night - it was bliss. We do still have the odd night where she wakes up and screams for hours. Have come to the conclusion that if she doesn't have enough naps in the day she is a nightmare at night.

Corgi we didn't do full blown sleep training with Rosie - we tackled daytime naps first - made sure she went down at the same time each day and let her howl it out a bit until she worked out it was sleep time. At night she would scream as soon as we tried to leave the room and I had been cuddling her for hours. So we stopped that and she now only shrieks for max of 10 seconds then settles herself. It is tough to do - but her sleep is now so much better. In the night though I just can't leave her to howl and she gets cuddles!

Can I have a proud mummy moment - my dd1 is now potty trained - hooray. She still has a few problems doing poos - but the wees are now a doddle. It is so nice to have one less nappy bum to change.

Happt 30th for yesterday lau. Hope you had a fab day? My tip for not missing your boys when you are away - lots of wine - though not so much to make you maudlin!

wheely sorry to hear L got the pox. Rosie hasn't got it yet - am predicting it will arrive next Tuesday......

corgi tell you dh that having another baby will mean thatRhuys will always have a little chum to fight play with! Makes holidays easier and gives you moretime to yourselves. Yes it is tough in teh early years - but I am already seeing the benefits one year on. It is also nowhere near as hard second time round - sleep (or lack of) is so much easier to handle and all the anxieties you had with your first don't seem nearly as important with teh second.

Must go - need to sort out the troops to go to soft play!

boobz, I can't believe you're at 31 weeks already! Where has the time gone? Fabulous video of Penny - you have every right to shriek!

Was also pleased to see your posting in the weaning section, as I'm wrestling with eating questions, too.

Are others' LOs feeding themselves more-or-less accurately with spoons now? Rhys is good with finger food, but spoons are still a recipe for disaster.

mdavza, was it you who started transitioning from milk at night to rooibos tea and then off of even that? Haven't the heart to go cold turkey, and I'm dying to see how R would respond to rooibos.

kanga, washing machine picture is AWESOME.

meep, I'd love to come film Rosie for a day - she sounds like a handful! Rhys is a charter member of the Society for Putting Things into Other Things at the moment, so I keep finding my shoes in the oddest places (bathtub, clothes hamper, recycling bin...) .

Hey corgi -- I usually do most of the spoon feeding and then let Pen do the last 4 or 5 mouthfuls - more for fun than to get anything in! I just don't have the time (read: patience) to let her do it on her own - too much goes down me/walls/into dog's mouth, so I get most of it in and then let her practice for the last few mouthfuls.

Can't believe I am 31 weeks either - although I suppose it's not that surprising given I didn't even know I was pregnant for the first 16 weeks!

I'm sure I mentioned I was going to Sudan on this thread already, non? DH is moving out on the 19th of April, and I will be following him out in mid August when the baby will be 8 weeks and had his/her first load of injections. This does mean I am on my lonesome with Penny and dog for the last 6 weeks of pregnancy, and for 6 weeks after DH has returned following paternity leave in June, but how hard can it be? GULP.

Meep - can I ask how old your now-potty-trained DD is? I am wrestling with whether to start trying to teach Pen now so that she is out of nappies before the baby arrives - the idea of just one in nappies instead of 2 sounds good to me! My mum keeps saying I should start soon whilst I have the time and am on maternity leave.. apparently both my brother and I were out of nappies during the day by 14 months and dry at night by 16 months! Hmmm.

Great photos kanga - love the washing machine one!

Slick - am due on June 9th - not long to go! We're going to Sudan for 2 years - can't wait for the sunshine...

wow boobz - 31 weeks !! Good luck with it all (esp with dh being away). I personally think you'd be crazy to try potty training but you never know ! My Mum says how we were all out of nappies by 18 months but I think terry nappies help (maybe you are using re-usables ?) - disposables are too convenient I think for both baby and mum. I tried with dd1 at 2.5 but she refused. She could hold it and hold it and clearly knew when she needed it but refused to sit on a potty or toilet. I gave up, left it as we had builders in the house and then at 2.10 () she said she wanted to do it because one of her friends was and she did it over night - we had a few issues with poo but before she was 3 she was dry, clean both during the day and at night (and has never really had any set backs since). I think a lot of it depends on the child and I guess in some ways earlier might be better because they maybe have less resolve... You can always give it a go and see.

Well done Rosie too ! I think that's v. well done - what a star

I'm kind of hoping having a big sister will make L want to do it earlier but we'll see. In the end dd1 was so easy when she chose to do it, I won't rush it with L.

Kanga - I too love that washing machine photo - its fab !! I hope the pox are gettin better - they seem to have been fine here. I think we're done and L was ill before the spots appeared but been fine since. And actually its made her a bit sleepier than normal which has been great (she's slept 7-7 the last 2 nights ... unheard of !).

and great video boobz (and you do get as excited by a second (and presumably third, fourth fifth) reaching those milestones...

Corgi - L can manage a spoon sometimes - depends what it is. Yesterday DD1 had a friend to play and I sat them all down with sausage and mash for tea. L promptly picked up her spoon and started spooning down mash (but obv that sticks to the spoon which helps !). Usually she prefers fingers - her morning shreddies are usually eaten by fingers which is slightly messy but saves time for me !!

HAPPY 30TH LAUMIERE - Hope you enjoy your time away (its our 10th wedding anniversary in July and we're hoping to get away for 2 nights - we've never even managed to leave dd1 (5!) for that long before but hse'll love it as she'#ll be spoiled rotten.

Boobz if I were you I'd STEP AWAY from the potty. DD1 is still not pooing in the toilet even at 3.4 years. The idea of even attempting it with Melissa yet seems unfeasible. Yes our mums all toilet trained us in the second year (apparently I was dry at night by 18 months) but what they don't let on (until further grilling) is the amount of accidents that happened, apparently my mum used to wake me up at night to take me to the toilet at midnight... who the hell wants to do THAT? And apparently I regressed straight back into nappies as soon as my little sis arrived so she had to do it all again when I was two and a half anyway.

Sorry rant over! Lovely to hear from everyone. Kanga, love the washing machine pic! Am going to attempt to upload a few pics when I can work out how to use my (brand new -yay!) iphone.

Slick, hormone hell here too - sympathies! Started taking the contraceptive pill but it made me feel sick so had to stop and will try another one when my cycle sorts itself out. Really should ask DP to get the snip but I can't quite let go of the idea of a third yet...

Well it's 1pm and M still hasn't had a nap - must get her bedded down. Wave to everyone!

boobz another vote to step away from the porrty. Dd1 is2.9yo and only showed a real interest in the potty in the last few weeks - helped by her friends at nursery doing it too. The nursery staff helped her a loyt - but even they said not to try too early. Thier experience of any child potty trained under 2yo was that they were great for a while, then would deliberately wet themselves to get attention when they hit the toddler mayhem stage! In other words they used the lack of nappies as just another thing to push buttons/boudaries.

By my dd1's age, she really wanted to potty train and wanted/understood that it meant that she was a big girl. If I think back to how old she was when Rosie was born I shudder at the though of trying to toilet train her then - and pen is even younger.

There are lot of threads about it on MN and I relaxed about it all after reading them (when my mum was muttering about it as well!).

Out of Emily's group of friends - she is the first one to be toilet trained - the boys are beginning to show signs of it but just starting.

And - even at this age it is not without difficulties - she is still scared to poo!

On a practical level, yes it is great not to have to buy/change nappies - but when you are out you need to get to a toilet fast - which may be difficult if you are feeding a newborn?

Just my thoughts......

Happy 30th Laumiere - you young thing, you!

Boobz I agree with Miss and Meep. I've been trying with moderate success with our 2.6 yr old and when I decided 'right, I'm really going for it this time...!" she did quite well and then got pissed off with me asking all the time "are you sure you don't need to go? Shall we just try? Remember to tell mummy if you need a wee or a poo!" I think she just thought, "Oh for the love of God will you change the bloody record!" and got bored quickly.

I've been told there are windows of opportunity and you have to go with it. If they pass - like hers, just wait to try again. I now am back to sticking a nappy on her and she will either ask me to go to the toilet or I will occasionally ask her. She has better luck on the pooing front than the peeing as it goes, but hey, they're all different.

congrats Meep on your success tho!

It's no picnic, so I'm in the 'wouldn't worry about it' camp. Two in nappies 'aint so bad - it's just a bit of a production line sometimes! NEXT!

Corgi I'm shockingly bad when it comes to this as I just can't be bothered with the mess so I quite often give them a spoon to hold and just keep shoveling in myself. I do get to a point where I let them try and then if they are still waving it everywhere I take it back off them. Nicholas is ok if he has stick-to-the-spoon stuff or finger foods, but anything else at the moment and I'm still doing it myself. If I didn't have the 2 year old and the 9 year old, I might be a bit more gung-ho about it. A bit.

corgi I am with slick on the mess front - am more relaxed with Rosie but just can't cope with her flinging gloop around! I give her a spoon and a bowl with something dry like rice crispies in it to do herself - and shovel in the real food at the same time!

I do give her finger food - have become a devotee of quorn goujons at the moment - both girls love them and they are easy to hold/bite/chew/swallow!

Weirdly, Roise isn't that keen on chocolate - spits it out - strange wee thing.....

boobz I am with everyone else here on potty training. My 3 boys were all over 3 yrs old even though I tried at 2 and a half. DD1 was the earliest at 2 yr 10 mth, again I tried earlier. For me if they don't get it on the day I postpone it as it is just too hard cleaning up after them. In summer weather it is easier, however by waiting til they seem ready it is all done and dusted in a week. As slick says two in nappies is pretty straightforward.

corgi, we are no where near accurate with spoons either. Gosh i must be so slack with my kids....in nappies for years and unable to feed themselves!!!! Well I prefer the quick mummy-feed method, though finger food is always given at every opportunity. She adores bananas. DD2 hangs around the table like a dog at dinner time, so we hand her bits of what we're eating. (or she scavenges it off the floor when the others drop it! yuk!) In this way she is gradually comimg to eat our food anyway.

got to go dd2 has emptied my handbag and is wearing it round her neck...

Love the photos and video.

Still no walking here yet, although she is able to walk whilst pushing something and she will pick up her toy pushchair thing and turn it round, but refuses to walk with out it.

Also not given up bottles yet, she is the only child at nursery who still has one, although she will quite happily drink sips of water from a tippy cup she won't have any milk, so we are forced to continue the bottle and I am too soft to go cold turkey on her.

She is also not on top form again today and was sent home from nursery with a temperature, although not sure what is actually wrong with her.

Not actually even considered potty training, altough my mum appears the same as everyone elses and is shocked that I won't be trying over the summer!

Although I quite often give Mae a spoon and try to watch her help herself to food, she still tends to put her hands in the food and shovel it in to her mouth and just pat the food down with the spoon.

Boobz good luck with the move to the Sudan, it all sounds quite scary. But I am sure it will make for really fascinating stories and photos for the children later in life.

Happy 30th birthday Laumiere I feel positively ancient!

31 weeks Boobz that has gone soooo fast! Love the video of Pen walking.

Kanga I believe birthday congrats are in order today for your lo? (I may have that completely wrong). Now they're all 1!

Slickbird I think I'm 9 weeks, and due around early/mid November but who knows?? I was supposed to have my booking in appointment yesterday but was banned from entering the surgery, even without Amy... cos guess what she got for her first birthday?

Bloody chickenpox!!

First spot arrived properly on Thursday, but I didn't know then what it was, and then they rapidly popped up on Saturday. We still had her little party on Sunday (we did tell everyone to give them the option not to come) but she wasn't quite her normal self poor thing. The nights have been horrible.

Oh, and guess who started sleep training on Friday night too. Talk about crap timing! Ah well, we can start again.

I really hope I can have the first scan in the next couple of weeks. I'm finding it hard to be positive as it's around this stage I had the mmc with pg1. I just need to know the little bean is ok. I got really upset yesterday when the midwife wouldn't see me. I now have to go to our maternity unit on Sunday instead.

We've changed Amy's name to Spotty Dotty

Sorry for the long post! I'm going to attempt to make a cuppa and have some breakfast now

Just a quick wave, hi all, before lo wakes up. Love reading all the stories, can't believe some of your are pregnant again, woawzah!
Grinning sending you special thought, I understand that you must feel scared. Hope all goes well!
Boobz I'm from Africa and Sudan is going to be the experience of a lifetime. You'll love the weather and food, probably, and most Africans are extremely friendly. And poor. Be more careful over there - I'm actually jealous!

Laum happy birthday, woohooo, 30! Spring chicken!

Corgi Yes, we started by dilluting his formula, and then I changed it entirely to rooibos tea. His eating during the day improved a lot after we cut the night feeds. His sleeping has also improved, on its own? so I have sneaking suspic/t/sion (sic) that the bad sleep is related to teething. he gnaws his hands and at times looks so uncomfortable. I have decided not to let it upset me so much, hopefully it will continue to get better, and stay that way.

On a personal front. I've had a minor bump felt quite low and anxious the past two months, and without my AD's I was worried that I woulnd't be ok, but it seems I'm getting better, and it wasn't so bad. Still feel a bit fragile, and I got laods of acupuncture and was at the doctor's a few times, but hopefully that was it. Ben is just such a sweet boy, he makes me sooooo proud!
He likes finger foods but I still shovel in the mush, to make sure he gets in enough. He is walking a few steps at a time on his own, but crawling is just faster. He is loving being outside more and chews the ground and rocks. eeeeugh. Also putting things in other things, and taking them out. Oh, and SERIOUSLY warming up to tv! He loves Shaun the Sheep, 64 ZOo Lane, 3rd and bird and so forth.
Awake baby, here I gox

Hey Mdavza - Sorry you've been having a rough time lately. I guess it gets hard when you are a year in with a baby and it feels quite relentless - I've always find there are peaks and troughs with it all and you can go through phases of thinking 'Oh, I'm just bloody knackered/bored/fed up with all this lack of sleep/repetition/no one listening to a word you say (my house)'. And it's difficult cos obviously you love them and think them fab but it doesn't make it all sunshine and rainbows. I can vouch - having a 9 year old as well as the wee ones, that in so many respects it gets easier. And you are doing so well to be managing without the AD's. Are you able to get out for a half hour walk by yourself? I always found that's really helped me.