FEB 2010 Valentines, pancakes and BABIES!!

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Here it is, then - the post natal thread for the Feb 2010 gang - let the poo/bf/nappy rash/sleeplessness/crying

OMG whatdoIdonow!! conversations commence...

three more sleeps!!!

hmm? more accurately i suppose i should say 'three more nights'!!!

70kg of luggage to pack, so i should probably stop faffing about and get on with it! Our luggage will consist of travel cot and stuff for DS, then stuff for DD, then suit and shirts for DH (for interviews, fingers crossed) then a pair of knickers and my good clarks boots (also for interviews, fingers crossed, for me!!!)

waved goodbye to all our worldly possessions (not included in the 70kg luggage allowance!) today? container should now be on its way to the wharf to set sail next week - hopefully catching up with us in cumbria in about 8 weeks!

DD getting VERY excited about getting home now - there's a big do at grandads next weekend, and she can't wait to see everyone again (actually, neither can we!!)

They were pretty grim days after DD's birth when i thought the only way things could improve was to emigrate to NZ! what a numpty? fortunately, i seem much more on an even keel this time! Definitely feel more like myself?

ok, i'll stop rambling now and go and pack

Good luck stoof! I think you're amazing doing this with two kids!

I've detailed our evening routine before so won't bore you with it again, but I do bathe both the DDs every night. They both really love the bath and I manage to do them together (I take DD2 out after 10 minutes and add a bit more water for DD1). And that's probably why i do it every night - it calms them down if they are fractious, and it signals to me that the end of the day is coming!

stoof only a pair of knockers and boots for a job interview! Some may find it a bit undressed Seriously good luck with the journey

stoof good luck with your journey home. As something of a frequent flyer my top travel tips are to keep hydrated , take more snacks and activities for dd than you think you could possibly need and if anyone is disapproving ifwhen your wee one cries just ignore them, they are not important. Oh and look forward to spending more time with your mum and getting lots of helpful parenting advice....

tinker you asked a few days ago about controlled crying. Don't listen to anyone else it is your decision. However I am sure that it is never recommended until your little one is 6 months old and to be honest your example of a bad night would be a really good night here, so I would wait a while and save yourself the stress.

Well ds has finally realised he needs to have longer naps in the daytime. I just wish they didn't all have to be taken on my lap. Am getting to watch loads of tv though and have never been so well informed politically!

Brain feels frazzled today...
Just a quick good luck message to stoofadoof. Hope all goes smoothly on Friday!

just about stopped dd1 trying to make the baby eat uncooked tagliatelle... She's usually quite a sensible girl so I have no idea what came over her! Reminded me never ever to leave the two of them unattended for even a few seconds because toddlers really are so unpredictable.

Yay, visas obtained (only three different queues that we had to wait in). Booked the flights as soon as we got in last night, so we're oficially moving to california on June 18th. stoof could you be kind enough to CAT me with some information about your container please. ATM we're assumming that whats not in the cases is not going. Good luck

While we were out yesterday, LO went from 3oz EBM bottles to 4oz . Thats two extra meals throughout the day, thankfully the medela pump arrived so maybe my breasts might be up to the job of expressing anywhere near enough. Already worried about expressing enough when I start work. Finally persuaded the attentant at Kings Cross to let me use the baby changing room to express, got in and realised the pump was in the bag with my DH. Was so embarassed (and attendant waiting outside) that I just waited in there for five mins . Finally expressed in the toilet on the train in the 10mins before it set off (and promptly chucked away).

Good luck CC with the move preparation.

DS had his 3 months check yesterday and he now weighs 6kg22 (13lb11) and measures 59.5cm. It was the HV staff nurse doing the visit (she's far much better than my normal HV) and she explained about weaning. Can't wait to start this new adventure.

Talking of weaning... my LO gets very excited/cross watching dd1 and me eat cereal and toast in the morning. I haven't the heart to tell her she is not supposed to have more than milk until August . Mind you, dd1 started on solids at barely 5 months because otherwise she would have screamed the house down for a few weeks in hunger. She couldn't believe her luck when I offered her real food (but was insulted by the baby rice - it is pretty foul). 'Confessed' to the HV who said that that is totally fine and the 6 mths thing is just a guideline!
Already looking forward to dd2 starting and my little experiments.. Liveliest nappy response was for either beetroot and potato, or anything with spinach...

Oh, and dd1 once accidentally ate a large piece of garlic. I'd put it into a red lentil dish for flavour and then forgot. Mashed it all up and only realised when she had serious garlic breath... Small baby with garlic breath is quite something

BG HV told me to start at/from 4 months with baby cereals, veg and fruits but pureed. Then at 6 months that he could eat what we're having (with a few no-nos).

DS opens his mouth everytime he saw DH or me eating something. The next few weeks are going to be interesting!

Baby with a garlic breath, that's an interesting one

Crikey, weaning! Seems a world away at the moment. DD is still a modest feeder, but seems to be continuing to grow okay.

Last night was a bit better after two unsettled nights of 2-hourly feeds post-Caceres. She's taken to going ballistic at around 18.45 every night when I put her night-nappy on...it's a bit trying as she'll then be too worked up to take her evening feed. It means I have to pram push her into calmness before resuming the bedtime routine. Not such a nightmare perhaps, but when we go to the UK weekend after next, we can't take the pram...
I'm busy acclimatising DD to taking all her naps in her baby nest and rocking the nest in my arms as a soother ready for when we are pram-less. Early days, but so far, so good. Mind you, I'm going to have biceps like a wrestler when I'm through!!

Good luck with the move, stoof! Wow, I'm stressing about a 2-hour flight with one LO, it really puts my fears into perspective to consider your journey!! Hope it goes as smoothly as possible and I (we) look forward to hearing from you when you're back home...

Oh fizi what a bummer about your computer! I hope you can salvage your pix. A salutory lesson, though. I'm off to do a quick backup...

Yes, back up all of you, back up. I won't find out now until next week if anything is retrievable as the courier must have turned up as I was hanging out washing, and went away again .

I can't believe you're thinking of weaning already! It seems a loooooong way off yet. I'm assuming I'll exclusively BF until she's 6m (although should have learned by now not to make assumptions!).

Climber why did you have to express, couldn't you have fed your LO?

Fizi LO stayed at home for the day with nan, figured it was better for her not to spend the whole day travelling and waiting and generally upsetting her routine. Glad we did, as negioating the underground would have been lots of fun.

Am also shocked at weaning talk already. Though I am wanting the investigate the possibility of getting her to cup feed when I go to work full time. She'll be 4 months, which I'm thinking will be on the verge of her being able to hold things. Basically I'm scared of her having a bottle 5 straight days a week.

mawbroon hows the tandem troubles going?

New trick from DS

he starts a tantrum when put down to bed for the night! It happened two nights in a row. He takes a while to calm down and will only resettle with me next to him. He seems to be scared that I leave him.
I'm not pleased with it especially as he used to go down easily.

Hopefully it's just a phase

Anyone got a rolling baby? I took DS to see a chiropractor last week re the reflux and she instructed me to do lots of tummy time with him over a rolled up towel. This has proved very tricky as he just rolls off! It took DS1 till 5.5 months to do this so I have been rather surprised, but then DS2 is 15lbs 14oz today, so really rather a bruiser and physically very strong!

IC have you found your LO gets the bottom wind out when lying on her front? This works well for DS2 during our hour-long middle of the night winding sessions!! Will be doing it before a wedding in a couple of weeks in the hope that he doesn't embarrass us during the service!!

I hav been advised to wean my refluxy babies early and started at 22weeks. This worked fine for us and helped the reflux.

Good luck Stoof and congrats to CC. Thanks for the toddler warning BG. Mine got hold of DS2's saline nasal drops (for easing snuffling) the other day and I only realised when he said, "It makes my nose feel funny," from behind the sofa. Clearly, I wouldn't have left anything dangerous out, but it was still a wake-up call.

bethylou at saline drops

just a quicky - thanks for all the good wishes and advice!! have just finished the packing! aargh? setting off for the airport in 9 hours, so best try and get some sleep? then we've got 14 hour flight to singapore, 3 hours in singapore, 12 hour flight to munich, 1 hour in munich, then 2 hour flight to manchester? hoping my l'al brother is there to collect us and take us HOME!!!

hopefully catch up with you all back in the northern hemisphere next week some time!!

Good luck Stoof!!!!!!!!!!

hey bethylou! We seemed to have passed through the gas problems for the time being, but DD certainly found it more comfortable lying on her side when it came to expelling unwanted flatulence... she's never been much into tummy time, although used to prefer sleeping on her belly on top of me when she was tiny and had noticeably less trouble with wind when she did so. Go on, see if DS can let a real humdinger rip during the ceremony, I dare you!! Reflux, ugh - you poor thing, that must be exceedingly tiresome.

Well, the manual rocking in the baby nest seems to work pretty well - even used it successfully when she went postal apres night-nappy last night. Also realised that if she's agitated (but hungry) she will take a feed if I am either standing or kneeling up and rocking her at the breast. Not the most comfortable position, but sometimes desperate measures are needed. Anyway, it worked a treat last night.
DH, after initially giving up too easily, is now helping with the nest-rocking, including while it's on our knees in preparation for the plane ride. Could be interesting for whoever's sitting next to us!

I'm thinking of starting a new thread soonish as this one's getting pretty full now. I'll leave it until next week when stoofadoof has landed, but figured I'd start to give fair warning now. I'll post a link on this one once the new thread is up so you can find it okay (I'll call it something helpful like "FEB 2010...xxxxx") - Z'at ok with everyone?

Oh, and Bon Voyage stoof!

Good idea IC Let's celebrate the 3 months (+ or -) of our LO and the fact that we survived!!!

Good idea IC, wow I can hardly believe it's been nearly three months .

IC what is your DD's night nappy?

Also other cloth nappy users, do you use paper or felt liners? And if felt, do they require special rinsing when covered in poo? I've seen felt advised several times in the nappy section but I quite like just throwing away the paper ones .

fizi - I am not using liners at all at the moment. I ran out of paper ones and discovered nappy absorbs poosplosions better without and no leaks. i just prewash nappies before full wash.
I use a fleece liner at night as the nappy gets soaked pretty good and the fleece keeps DS's skin dry.

Always amazed how much character tiny babies have already! My LO loves talking to the fridge - in her defence there are lots of magnets on there in interesting shapes and colours... She gets pretty excited about one particular baby book, too, and today thought the ducks in the park were fabulous .

She also sometimes does a bit of a grumble in the evenings when I put her to bed, something like 'Sleep? Are you crazy? But I am not tired (yawn), honestly, I really don't want to sl.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz'
I think I am a little bit strict on bedtime but then I know she is knackered, and if dd1 has taught me one thing when she was a baby it is that there is nothing worse than an overtired baby that's gone beyond being able to drop off. (Obviously I do pick her up again if she gets really upset or is not well or something).