October 09 - Solids and Sitting, 'My Jeans Are Almost Fitting!'

[twinklegreen]

Brand spanking new thread everyone

Princess I agree with your sleep comment.I am not too bad as long as he goes back to sleep straight after a feed.

What a lovely day.

DD2 is 8 tomorrow

DH is on holiday for the week

littlepea Have you ever been to Montana? It's BEAUTIFUL. Big and open and vast. AND no speed limit! Well, they have a posted one now so they could get government funding for road/highway maintanence but they don't enforce it. Driving through I found myself doing well over 100 mph without realizing it. Also drove for hour/s without seeing another car. It was fabulous.

Also, very slim chance of ever moving home. DH is English and we've agreed that we'd probably only go if he had a UK contract/job. You're treated much better over here in terms of holiday, sickness and employment protection. To make the leap we'd want to make sure we had lots of "protections" in place, if that makes sense. However, Seb has US citizenship as well as UK so that he has options as/when he gets older. If, God forbid, something were to happen to DH while we're young/Sebby's young, I might consider going home to be closer to my family -- but I have family here (my in-laws) and a great friend network who are like family.

ruby Sending good sleeping vibes your way. And a hug because it sounds like you could use one. I've never been to the Hummingbird Bakery but eye their recipe book with envy.

Had a good day with DH and Seb went to Sandringham to the craft fair there. And for a drive so that Seb and I could nap after his early start today. However, we've only gotten Seb to sleep in the last 15 minutes -- major wind and then "I'm so tired I don't know what to do with myself!" Fingers crossed he sleeps now. His 2+ hours of crying/settling has thrown my night/plans off track and now I just want to curl up and go to bed myself. Think I'll go make popcorn and watch tv instead of jobs.

Sending sleeping vibes to everyone!

ruby fingers crossed there are vast improvements soon, you've had it so tough with little ruby sleeping and earlier feeding wise.

PM 2?!

HT hope that monitor puts your mind at rest

meetup this time next week, well it'll be over, but I'm looking forward to it!

Annalise's naps are totally rubbish, as the PU/PD adapted for 6+months essentially you soothe until you pickup when baby extend arms to you, you cradle VERY briefly and put back down into cot. Well Annalise hates being picked up so basically I sit just out of direct site, soothingly saying now and again 'its ok, don't worry, you're just going to sleep' for over an hour several times a day to a very angry baby {sigh}. Once she went to sleep after 1hr20mins of that (for 2 hour morning nap!), but then after over 1hr of trying for her afternoon nap, wouldn't have it and had a total meltdown. Much easier feeding to sleep, but then no-one else can get her down. Today was out and about so she got to snooze on my boob or in the sling (doesn't like being in my lovely new bugaboo bee, but no suprise there!).

Saying that, the formula bottle is giving me a bit more sleep, but I think its because DH makes her stay up and drink a fair amount rather than her snacking in a daze as she does with me. Really felt very strongly anti-formula and wanted to ebf until she was 1, but now I've resigned myself to it, I don't feel that bothered! By June she'll be 50/50 as she'll be with the childminder anyway!

Seriously thinking of getting some blackout curtains; Annalise's room has wooden blinds, but the window is huge and is VERY sunny in the mornings, wondering if darkening the room would help??

Out of direct'sight' not 'site' {facepalm}

Scout Ive been to Montana about 5 times, Im so in love with it. My friend has a ranch in the Pypor Mountains, just outside of Billings, in the Crow Indian Reservation, beautiful! Doesnt seem to be very many laws there lol....Im going back with 2 girl friends in August & cant wait!

You must miss you family alot, good that Seb has passport, makes life so much easier if he wants to move later on.

Thankyou all for the lovely supportive messages. Was in a horrible place for about 6weeks but have been on the medication for about a month now and am feeling soo much better. DH got made redundant and the stress of that and its knock on effects(grumpy husband = grumpy DD and no help with DS) completely ran me down, then I got thrush and me and G got a string of illnesses and I was averaging 3hrs sleep a night and not even in a row. Hardly surprising I lost my marbles. G turned into a screaming banshee and DH found me hiding down the side of our bed from him. I was really interested in the mechanics of PND and the effect that it has on your body and on your baby. Understanding that has helped me to begin recovery and stop the vicious circle of stressed mummy = stressed baby.

OH and I've had such success with CC that in 2 weeks I've managed to get G from 5-6 feeds per night in our room to 2 feeds and in his cot in with dd! Am hoping he'll drop down to one soon.

Smallone what a nightmare, but at least you are starting to come through the worst of it . Sometimes its easier to talk to people who you cant see, and that would be us, we are all here for you. Big big hugs

CF I'm looking forward to the meet-up, too. Since I've stopped working I'm hardly in London any more, so am having lunch with a friend beforehand, which I'm also looking forward to.

Do we know who all is going?

Also, very random question for those that live in London/know it better than me. Is the nearest tube station stroller/pushchair friendly? Since I have a long trip and am spending the day I'm using Seb's stroller rather than his kangeroo pouch (to save my poor back).

Okay, I feel a bit to be asking these but am going to anyway. I could go and read books, and honestly I've looked at some, but they all make me feel a bit inadequate and if I don't follow them to the letter I am a bad mom. And honestly, some things I'd rather ask other moms who are going through the same thing or who already have -- practical help/advice is so much better!

Anyway, as I've mentioned, Sebby LOVES his food and so far I have yet to find something he doesn't like. I have been trying to puree like mad, something every night, because he's getting through my stocks fairly quickly (on average, two cupcake pan disks per meal).

I have all of this wonderful baby rice that he doesn't like on its own, and had a thought that I could add some to his fruit to thicken it up as he's ALWAYS looking for more after he's finished his fruit. Talked to some mums at BF group today and they agreed that was a good idea -- but I forgot to ask, would you just add the rice powder to the fruit? Or mix the rice per the instructions and then add to fruit?

AND, if I want to do some butternut squash and avacado, how in the world do I go about preparing them? Personally, I've only had squash if someone else has made it (it's one of those things I don't love or hate, so don't think to make it at home) and I really don't like avacado but know it's something good to give babies.

So.... any help/advice/experiences very much appreciated by both me and Sebby.

smallone - good to see you back and hope things continue to improve for you

Scout - avocado - just mush up and give it to him. If he can handle it then give him a spear to hold and self feed

butter nut squash - cube it and steam it (he can then eat it whole when he is bigger or mash it up and you can then add water/milk to make it as thin as you need)

add the rice and fruit and splash of liquid - see how it looks and if you need it add more

blackout blinds - I do have them in both kid's rooms. They still let light in at the edges but i do think they block the worst of the light out

hope everyone is doing ok

x

Scout agree with ruby about the food questions.

I just used to sprinkle some baby rice into the fruit puree's to thicken them up. Gave it a creamy consistency.

I used to boil my chopped/peeled bnut squash, but steaming is better I suppose My friend used to cut her's length ways, put olive oil on it and roast it. Then scoop out the inside.
You can do this with sweet potatoes too.

With the child I nannied for I used to peel the avocado and mush it up. I will try strips with ds2..when he ever seems to actually want any of it.

He puts everything in his mouth but just backs away from any food I hold out to him. Bless his little heart!!

smallone Glad the sleeping is going well Keep it up baby-smallone!!!

fidelma Re sleeping through, I genuinely(sp) think that at 6m or 12 months they are still so tiny/needy/dependant and if they need a night feed then so be it. Don't get me wrong though, after he's been singing/gurgling/cooing at me for 1 hour at 4am I am not so perky about it all!!!

Thank you ruby and princessmel. I worry about food -- a lot! Probably more than I should, but I do. Have an apple/pear mixture cooling so I can puree it and get the mixture into the freezer. Tomorrow I will do more carrots and the squash. I took the green beans out of the freezer tonight and realize they're a bit thicker/chunkier than Seb likes at the moment, so won't be serving those any time soon. But everything else is a hit (though need to try out the mashed potatoes). Will experiment with the baby rice tomorrow at lunch.

princessmel Sebby's the same way -- EVERYTHING goes in his mouth but finger food. Food needs to be shoved in as quickly as possible via a spoon. He even ate a banana as a whole banana with me holding it. But the minute I broke off a piece to give to him he wanted nothing to do with it.

smallone Envious of babysmallone's sleep. Some nights here are better than others -- last night was one of the not-so-good nights.

littlepea I've driven through MT twice -- on the way to jamboree in Idaho and on the way back. Absolutely LOVED it. Seriously considered moving there but the next year, while still researching it, went to England for (another) jamboree, met the man who's now my husband, and decided to move to England instead. You must be very popular/exotic in MT, with your British accent?

fidelma Did your DD2 have a nice 8th birthday?

princessmel I fed C last night at 2am as his cry was real iykwim.Also my breast was bursting lol

scout DD2 had a lovely bday, thanks for asking.She is a big tall 8 year old who still loves fairies and sylvanians.We just had 2 other families around (my 2 best friends)but between us we have 11 children {gasp} The weather was fantastic so they romped around outside.Dh on holiday so it felt like the weekend

Busy day tomorrow,hair cuts, physio,DH taking the big 3 to see Nanny Mcphee.We are having food at my mums so no cooking tomorrow.

Talking of cooking if you have a little girl, monsoon have these adorable cup cake kits with fairies to stick into the cake.A big hit in our house (I saved all the fairies for another time)

Weanning I love advocado however I could not eat the following but all my DC have loved it.Half an advocado mashed with bananna

I often mix the rice with other food to make it more calorific.Sometimes adding liquid and sometimes not.It depends on how wet the puree is.

Just eatten cake for breakfast !!!!

Dream feed @10

nightfeed @1.30am

morning feed 6am

so much better than a week ago

(sorry I am now getting obsesed with sleep)

fidelma

Last night was pants!

In bed at 8.30 woke and fed at 12.30, 1.30, 4ish 5ish 6ish and now.
The first 2 were due to him being too warm I think and then I just couldn't get him to burp, then he pooed lol!!!

Local nearby village funday today. Going with my pregnant after ivf friend. Will be first time I've seen her new bump

Princemel I hope you have a great day out with your friend, you deserve it after such a bad night!

Fidelma at your breakfast!!

Scout Everywhere we go, people love our accents, I dont get it, Northern Irish accent is so hard & well....not very nice, so i really dont understand lol

Faith is having a ball in her walker. She can sit & watch all arround her in the living room, and its a godsend in the kitchen, I can cook/clean etc while she flies about, mostly taking my ankles with her lol she also has this lamaze doll which she adores, it goes everywhere with her. If she is in a happy mood then the doll is safe, if she is in a grumpy mood, the doll gets it! Also she has started to eat her solids again, must be were her wee teeth are coming up, it must of hurt her with the spoon.

Sunny morning ladies

smallone Gosh, you sound like you were in a very lonely, desperate place, everything sounded like it was taking its toll at once. It sounds like you're emerging from it, hope that you can interact more on here - feel sad that you dropped of the thread and I did't ask where you were before Please share on here, and post lovely photos of G too! xx

PM sorry to hear F getting you up so often, must be really hard with 2 other DCs

fidelma yay! Cake for breakfast sounds AWESOME

sleeping I daren't quite believe it but Annalise has dropped all her feeds bar 1 (or a cheeky 2nd)! Last night she went from dreamfeed at 11:30 (formula) to 6:30am! She did stir and whimper but settled herself! Boobs were exploding and I had my usual nightmare(s) where I think she's trapped under the bed clothes and I frantically search for her so I didn't have much sleep - but we're getting there!

I think that my new approach to settling her is helping - previous post I was moaning that it took 1hr20min to settle her for her nap, yesterday c30mins, today 2mins! It was like some freaky hypnotist's trick, I just lay my hand in her chest (awake in her cot and crying a bit), crouched out of sight, and said (in French!) 'Its alright, its alright, you're just going to sleep, you sleep, you sleep' in a very calm low voice, with-out picking her up and she just closed her eyes! And she's still asleep despite it being so sunny in her room!

Oh actually she's woken, heh, time for a feed Have a lovely sunny day folks! x

yum @ cake for breakfast

i may have a crunchie for lunch!

gorge day here - been out with Ruby for a walk and will go out again later

washing is on the line as well ...

sleep rubbish - sorry to hear about your night PM but yay for Annalise and Connor

am watching a Sex and the City re-run whilst ruby sleeps and ignoring the housework

Just a quick one as am feling v low, struggling with my old friend the migraine(again)-I don't think I'm going to be able to make London . Finances are tight so I knew we couldn't do train but Joseph is such a screamer in the car that I can't face 5 hours of it. Sorry, I would have loved it.

Very grumpy Joeph on my hands at the moment-after the two bottom teeth coming through on successive days last week, I can now see the first top one. Poor thing. Bf is becoming a little painful, i'm quite sore. He also wants to feed ALL the time atm, it's almost like the early days again. Not sure why?

fidelma So sorry I didn't get on yesterday to say happy birthday for your dd, I meant to.

Calypso and fidelmayay for sleep

scout you sound like you're doing so well with the weaning. I find it quite stressful sometimes.

littlepea The N Irish accent is one of my favourites! I was working in Belfast in the mid-late 90s (one week out of every 5) and found the people to be some of the friendliest I'e ever met. Reminded me a lot of home (S Wales valleys) in that someone would randomly start talking to you while waiting to cros the road. By the time you'd got across, you'd know their life story and have a new friend

princessmel How lovely for your friend. Sending you better nights sleep vibe for tonight.

Smallone-I'm so glad things are picking up for you, you've really been through it. Keep posting x

Iggly and Hc hope all is well with you

Anyone heard from flame, hackneybird, Treats or wibblydibs?

Off to buy a solarweave Connecta after much deliberation x

Hi all

Am back from our caravan jaunt. Lovely weather but DH poorly so didn't get out as much as we hoped. Girls had a ball though.

HT-boo to your migraine. Despite no AF they still arrive once a month, am in my 22nd year of having them and they are indeed pants! I can't get my presc tablets as I am BFing and you shouldn't take them but I did with DD2 and she was fine so I am having to buy Immigran from the chemist at £7.99 for 2 tablets and they are half the strength of my presc ones. As soon as M stops feeding I will be back to the Drs to stock up as I get 6 at a time. Hope you feel better soon.

I have blackout blinds and even though they aren't completely blackout they do a great job especially as the nursery curtain material is so thin.

Sorry some of you are still having rough nights. M slept quite well in the caravan but is now waking 2 or 3 times a night so methinks I will have to live in the caravan permanently! He has gor DH's lurgy though poor lad.

Must go and get some lunch. Love to all!

HC
x

HT I laughed at you saying about crossing the road, its so true! Its worse if we find you in a bar, will buy you drink all night so we can talk your leg off . When i lived in England, I worked in Boots, Northern Irish people would come in, just because they heard 1 off their own was working there, just so they could have a chat lol, I do miss that.

I feel so sorry for you HT & HC with the migraines, its not nice. I used to end up in hospital with them. Mine it turned out, was from taking the pill. I also couldnt talk or even walk with them. Horrible things. I hope it goes soon.

Calypso well done to little Annalise & her sleep. Have to ask....are you french??

Smallone how are you feeling??

Always wonder about everyone who hasnt been on for a while, it would be great to hear how they are.

ht see my connecta V ergo thread...www.mumsnet.com/Talk/slings_and_backpacks_chat/940836-Moving-on-from-my-borrowed-Baby-Bjorn-Connecta -or-Ergo

We had a lovely day thanks But I now have tummy ache , not sure if its sick/diarrhea related. Hungry too so all the tummy aches blend into one!

dd been complaining of tummy ache last few days too, not eaten much.

Sorry, too tired to post more

Evening all xxx

evening all

just having a look at the trains for Sunday and there is engineering works going on, so i will have to figure out how to get to you

will keep you posted - fingers crossed i can make it

x

i WILL BE ON mn WHEN YOU ALL MEET UP SO IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT i WILL PASS AROUND THE CAKE.

(sorry caps lock on not re typing !)

HT I wish I could scoop you up and let you get a wee rest.The migraines (sp?) sound terrible.I don't think I could manage if I had one.Does anyone come and help you?

HC I am glad that you had a good trip to the caravan.You must check out the Monsoon fairy cake pack for the girls.

I met treats on another thread and I said that I missed her but she said that she found it difficult to keep up with this thread as it moved so fast.

I do feel like the thread has deminnished alot, I guess RL gets in the way.I aint going no where and I love all your chat,so lets keep it going.It has been a great support for me. I looked back at the very beginning of this thread the other night, there have been alot of us that have used this thread over the passed year and a quater.I think we were all just starting to get over our morning sickness this time last year.LOL