December 2009: for the sake of Auld Lang Sine

[LaDiDaDi]

Just thought that I would get this started before the ante-natal thread gets filled up, not that I've had much time to post since I had DS but others might be able to multi-task better than I can!

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Elizabeth does what it says on the tin im afraid, 5 bottles of 5 oz. She must of read the milk packaging closely!
No idea how much she weighs though we havent been to the clinic... OMG as typing this ive just realised I didnt take Elizabeth to her first lot of immunisations yesterday! Fuck shitty bollocks!!
Ahhh all is well I have just phoned the Dr's surgery and they said I can have an appt at 10:30 plus her 6 week check with the Dr. Phew. Must dash and get ready now, they wouldnt appreciate me and my brood turning up in our Pj's!!

Catherine's not had her jabs either ABF. We got an appointment but I got nervous because she was 10 day early so decided to put the jabs off for 10 days so she was really 8 weeks IYSWIM.

I know it's probably going to make no difference at all but it makes me feel better.

Just need to remember to make her a new appointment now!

Very of your DS's 10 hour sleeps Sparkly! Catherine has done 7 hours once but normally it's more like 5. 10 hours would be heaven!

Doctors must be mind reading - I just got a new appointment for Catherine's jabs through the post and she'll be past the 10 days too

Hi guys, hope you are all ok. just wanted to ask, do any of your little ones do this thing where when they are lying on their back, they turn their head from one side to the other, but several times (ie, it goes on for maybe 30 seconds or a minute?!?) sounds ridiculous i know. anna does it sometimes, and i just wondered if there is a reason why?
1pet you have worried me now....anna has been drooling quite a bit and sort of chewing on her knuckles...we were a bit worries that she might be starting to teeth and i have been checking her gums every day! can't see anything coming through, but hope tht none appear soon as don't fancy bf'ing when she has teeth!
have had a mad week with vistors, so am having a quiet day today (hopefully!) hope you all have a good weekend. xxx

I've put ds's imms off until next week so that I don't need to take dd with me as she will be back at nursery.

Ds is 10lbs now, growing along 9th centile.

Snowing again here today, I can't wait until it gets a bit warmer. Does anyone have holiday plans yet?

Nearly forgot my other news...dd has chickenpox !

hi all thanks for your replies re milk, Ebony now taking a bbit more, up to 4oz a time, new milk has left her constipated though .

Ive booked my holiday LaDiDaDi, off to rhodes in june for 2 weeks i cant wait. Dreading the thought of packing though.

Oh no re chickenpox, hope she doesnt pass it to your ds.

glad i read this thread today as it reminded me to book appointment for ebony's 2nd injections.

oh lizzy is a bear now that she has had the jabs!! dosed her up with calpol before we went but I think it has worn off now.

snitch you said you were going sealife centre. We went 2 weeks ago (DS belated birthday trip!) It was good but very busy! Dont know if youve been before but if you walk a little bit further down the canal there are some little restaurants, a nice burger place, pizza express and I think a nandos etc. Lots nicer than eating in the cafe in the sealife centre!
Also im not sure if they are still doing it but if you go to the Bullring centre and park, the back of the parking ticket was a buy 1 SL ticket get 1 free so it might be worth trying that then you'd save the price of an adult ticket, just dont hate me if you end up parking and it hasnt got the freebie on it!!!

We have two holidays booked!! In Laws have been talking for years about us all having a a family holiday on them and as this year is their 40th wedding anniversary they decided that was a good enough reason. So they've paid for flights and accommodation for us all to go to Portugal for 2 weeks in August - all we have to pay for is food!! We've never been abroad with DS before (or DD obviously) so I'm a little nervous. It's costing us a fortune in new passports too as on top of DS and DD needing one, I had to have a new one too as I'd never changed it into my married name.

We're also going to Center Parcs again in December.

Thanks for the suggestions ABF. Tesco have sent us some 2 for 1 Sea Life Center vouchers with our clubcard statement so I'm all set for discounts. DS isn't technically 3 until 8.04pm so we're hoping we can get away with saying he's 2 and getting him in free too

I've only been to Birmingham twice - once as a student when I got yelled at by some weird old guy in a pub and once about 18 months ago when I took DH to see Blue Planet Live at the Theatre which I think is the same area as the Sea Life Center. Never been in daylight though! We've been warned off the SLC restaurant by DH's work collegues too so we'll definitely be looking for somewhere else to eat. DS likes Pizza Express and you can't go wrong with dough balls so we might see if we can find our way there.

While you're on...We're thinking of getting him the red CD player with the microphones from ELC for his birthday. Is it any good do you know?

Red CD player, dont use with batteries it will cost you a fortune buy an adapter. We have some returns due to CD's not playing but nothing out of the ordinary, as far as I know its not on our high returns list. The one we use to play the music on the shop has been there playing CD's for 8 hours a day every day for the last 3 years, so they cant be all bad!

As for getting in for under3 DS was 3 in December and I even told the woman that he was three and she put him in for free anyway!!

Oh if you do get the CD player keep the receipt, now that we are mothercare we have gone all arsey with our returns policy and wont do anything without a receipt.

Thanks ABF. He was playing with his friends one this afternoon and loved it - especially the microphones! I have a feeling I could regret this

One of the reviews on the ELC site suggests getting an adaptor from an electrical shop rather than the ELC one too. Apparently, it's a standard size and the ELC ones are overpriced. Can't find them on the website either.

DS was fine after his jabs so I'm hoping Catherine will be the same after hers. We've had a few really good days recently (the house even looks tidy!!) but I'm dreading the next hard one. Could be Sunday as DH is out in Birmingham on Sunday night so I'm home alone with both of them so have got bath, bed, any getting up in the night and an early morning to deal with all on my own.

GS - I am a Brummie, so just let me know if you need any info. There is a Pizza Express in Brindley Place (where SLC is) so it will be easy to find. Otherwise, there are loads of great restaurants nearby

We've booked hols in Devon with the in laws in June (a big cottage on a farm with indoor pool etc.) and then we're off to Majorca in September for 2 weeks. Hoping to squeeze a few days in Centreparcs as well

damnit
phoebe is 12 weeks and has been formula exclusive for last 3 or 4. I swapped to formula as was bf every 2 hours and she was such a faffy eater it would usually take over an hour. All thru the night exactly the same. As she matured no change no improvement and my sanity sliding (exhausted). HV just kept saying it was all normal.
I would recommend aptimil hungry (its what we did) it has a longer protein and takes longer to break down so even if LO is taking small amounts it may stretch out the night feeds.
I have heard people say it can cause tummy upsets but it was not my experience.
Spent long time discussing my woes on this matter with sma and aptimil helplines.
They are there to encourage you to stick with the breast so dont fear any bias and all were experienced mums.
They said ignore the chart for feeding amounts and ages at our babies age they take what they want when they want, if they take 40z be inclined to make up 5. They shouldnt be draining the bottle you should have bout 1 oz left to ensure they are getting the full feed . I also heard this from a friend (mum of 3).
My LO does midnight 5 + 8 midday 4 + 8 or there abouts. Feed amounts vary, I discovered this by literally writing down a weeks habits from poo to bath naps feed amounts and times. It became clear that she took certain amounts at certain times and tis was v predictable.
In the morning and midnight she only does 3 oz. The night feed is a 5 and the afternoon and mid evenings are whoppers of 6. A bit like us with our breakfast and evening meal. Realising this rhythm stopped alot of waste.
There used to be a 2 am feed and when she dropped this it was a bloody revelation and life really turned around for me.
I guess she takes bout 20 to 25 ox a day but dont get too bigged down with what other babes do, I would recommend writing out the days routine as it happens, really helpful.

Sorry its a long one but my LO feeding and weight gain were a downer for me and I spent alot of time trying to understand/sort it.

thanks legscrossed, she is getting a little better now. just changed her milk again as she is really constipated on the lactose free on i have got on perscription. i have bought cow and gate comfort as it has half the lactose found in other milks but ok for constipation.

I will try writing it down though.

Be prepared for really foul smelling wind and green very runny poos on the c&g comfort damnit! Its fab stuff, sorted my ds out great. weve moved onto c&g hungry baby now as no more probs with colic, thankfully.

Snitch another thought occured to me whilst feeding Elizabeth this evening. I also use the Tommy Tippee closer to nature bottles, which you said you have been using and are not sure of. What size teat are you using? If you are using the teat that the bottles came with I'd recommend trying the next size up or the variable flow ones. If Catherine is used to not having to work so hard for her milk whilst you breastfeed her then the hole is probably too small on the teats you are using and she is getting bored with it. Jake was the same when he was a baby so this time with Elizabeth we went straight onto the variables.

Oh yeah dont buy adapters from ELC far too expensive and quite crappy tbh!!

Elizabeth pretty much went 6 till 6 last night, just the usual stuffing bottle in her mouth at half ten worked wonders, fingers crossed that becomes a habit!!

Very of your sleeping through DD ABF. DS had started to go 5 hours between feeds during the night a week or 2 ago, but Fri night he woke for a feed every 3 hours and last night every 2 hours. Im hoping its just a growth spurt (he is 12 weeks), i worked out he had nearly 50 oz in 24 hours yesterday

Very of these sleeping babies. DS is still feeding 2-3 hourly day and night. He is such a chunk ! Getting lots of lovely smiles now though (pic on profile) but he's such a pita to get to sleep - fights it constantly

Aww hes gorgeous Tillyscoutsmum, i get loads of smiles off DS now too, but everytime i get the camera out he stops smiling and looks at me like im crazy
Ds has started messing around when feeding during the day, he plays swith the teat on the bottle, and the slightest thing distracts him, so he stops feeding and keeps turning round, ive resorted to sitting with him facing the wall, so theres nothing to look at!

Lovely pic TSM. Ds is still a serious little lad most of the time although he will smile for mummy .

No sleeping through the night here, of those who do, though I had a good run last night from 10.30 until 4am. Survived the wedding though my dress revealed more than anticipated when sitting down bf

Not sure what we are going to do about hols here, it's a major issue for us as dp hates flying in particular and doesn't particularly like travel at all. Last year I had to cancel hols in Majorca as I was worried that on the day he would simply not get on the plane. We had an ok week in Centerparcs but really want some guaranteed sunshine this year. Have made holiday hints to dp but he has studiously avoided the subject and I actually feel frightened to broach the topic as I know that it will cause arguments .

Love the pictures Tilly!
Is that your wedding dress, you look absolutely gorgeous!
My sister is getting married in September, she has bought a red wedding dress, she looks so stunning in it. Kinda wish I had chosen red now!