November '09 and the months are flying by, our 3 month plus troop, and us, the knitted boob group!

[SirBoobAlot]

New thread, we chat so much!

BBL, I am sorry, there's nothing worse than desperately WANTING to sleep and not being able to sleep properly. Are you managing to exercise at all..? I know it seems impossible when you're so tired, but sometimes wearing out your body can help with insomnia.

It is strange reading all these school concerns - I keep thinking 'That will be ME worrying endlessly in only two years or so...' I wish a bit we weren't moving out of our village - here in cosy Wiltshire, the primary schools near us are all lovely, most are C. of E., and all have decent rankings. Playground conversations seem to revolve around whether O. village school (so nurturing and close-knit!) would be better than W. village school (that lovely playground, and that wonderful Head!) I suspect where we're living in the US will be more competitive. We've already had difficulty getting DS 1 a preschool place for this September, and it appears that he will be the ONLY boy in his class.

We are still plaguey over here - I've just got DS 1 through pink-eye and a nasty cold only to have the poor baby succumb to both. This morning, I found him flapping and yelling because his eyes were actually sealed shut by thick, crusted yellow discharge. (We need a queasy emoticon). Spent five minutes gently trying to loosen it with water and cotton so I could get the poor kid's eyelids open and then clean off his eyelashes - honestly, you need a stomach of steel for this parenting stuff. I have a cold myself, but so far, my eyes are okay, thank goodness.

DH is currently staying in a $220 a night hotel in Colorado. I said 'Is it nice, then?' and he said cautiously 'Oh, it's - okay', so I'll assume that the bathtub is the size of a swimming pool, then.

Hi all,

Sorry I couldn't make the london meet-up today, dh is being made redundant today and Millie has a bad cold so couldn't face the treck up to London. Hope you all have a fab time though and look forward to seeing the photo's. Hopefully I'll make it to the next one!

sirboob so sorry to hear about dp's dad, what a shock for you all. Hope your dp is ok.

Hello and welcome bluecardi!

I dropped my mobile phone on Millie's head the other day, she cried and I cried but she was ok!

Got a lot on my mind still re moving to Singapore. We are going next week to have a look round and then it's make your mind up time...

Tamlin I walk to school and back three times a day (normally) and it does help. Last week was hard because I was stuck at home with spotty boys. At least this week we are back to normality. I've never really had insomnia before, except a few nights during my finals at University, so these last few weeks have been very hard. But I'm determined to get better without resorting to pills. Hypnosis does help me a lot.

fruit We've made a start with BLW. Isaac was very quick to pick things up and put them to his mouth but he mainly just licks things and drops them. One plus point is it's so nice having him sit at the table with us in his high chair. He's so happy and it also means we can eat our meals without holding him in restaurants etc. The one big downside I've found about BLW is that it's scary and I'm so worried about him choking. He finds long strips of fruit and veg easiest to pick up but then can shove them in a bit too far. According to the Rapley book this is to be expected but I'm going to take things slowly till I've been on a basic first aid course just in case.

sirboob so sorry to hear about your DP's dad. How awful.

Londonmeetup hope you had a great time.

I held my first coffee afternoon for my mum's group today. Think it went well. DH helped me clean the house from top to bottom, which was very nice of him!

Hi all

Had a lovely time in London - was lovely to meet all of you who came Feeling a bit tired now though, it's hard work sitting on a train then sitting to have lunch!!

BBL glad to hear Toby is now on the mend. Hope your insomnia improves soon.

Tamlin sorry to hear your boys aren't well, poor Arthur and his eyes. I used to get that a lot as a child and remember well waking up with eyes stuck shut. The first time it happened I thought I'd gone blind! We used to use warm salt water to bathe them open. Ioan has a bit of a cold and we have crusty eyes/lids in the morning but not sealed shut luckily. Glad your dh had the decency to pretend the hotel was a bit pants

helips good luck with your Singapore trip. My step dad also lived out there for about 2 years and loved it, although that was probably 30+ years ago!

Fruit good you've got a visit booked.

Well, have had two days here without any purees here and the spitting up seems to have gone right down after his milk feeds. Not sure if it's coincidence? Sat Ioan in a highchair in the restaurant today with a coat behind him and he seemed quite happy, so think will move to putting him at the table now for my meals with the odd bit of food in front of him and see what he does.

lemontop it's scary when they gag isn't it. Try not to worry too much though as it's very hard for a baby to choke unless they've put something small in their mouth.
What are you giving Isaac to start with? Do you steam the veg you give him?

Welcome BlueCardi

Was really lovely to meet some of you today - you're all as bonkers as I imagined Thank you for such a fantastic day, hope to see you again soon!

My auntie had her baby Just before 4pm, a little girl, called Lola

SirBoob congrats to your auntie

Ahh thats lovely sirboob!

Right, photos are on the facebook group, will add them to my profile here once I've typed this up. So brill meeting you lot in RL. Those 3 hours just flew by.

SirBoob Yeay your auntie! We love babies!

bluecardi Welcome! Look forward to getting to know you.

Tamlin Eeek, poor LO. How spooky to wake up like that. Well done you for staying calm & bless your DH for downplaying the swish hotel.

bluecardi I never said welcome, how rude of me. Sorry and welcome!

Glad the London meetup was good, are there any pictures yet on fb? Shall go check.

Reuben has mostly slept today. Took him to gp again about his continuous rattly/gurgly chest, who said it was DH smoking which has caused his A bit as DH hardly smokes at all, smokes rolling tobacco and when he does it is outside with the door shut behind him (regardless of the weather!) and he never smokes in front of the children, even outside. However - his initial reaction was 'aw balls is it' and then, within half an hour he had booked himself onto a smoking cessation clinic tomorrow, and signed up for a 'kit'! He said if there is even a chance it is his smoking, he is stopping, he will not take that chance. I guess he became a bit 'whatever' about it as DD has never had any chest or breathing problems whatsoever, but realises that Reuben is a different baby. DH said that even if it is not the smoking he needs to quit so this is the incentive. And he has smoked even less than normal today since I came back from the gp. I am pleased that he is taking it seriously.

oooh x-posts ! I shall go look at the photos. Who came? Were the babies all good?

Pavlov, bless your DH - I hope he can stick with it, but prepared for him being a bit ratty as he gives up!

Will have to nip to Facebook to admire everyone...

Venus, thanks for putting the pictures on your profile!

It was really nice to meeting you all. I guess it has been an exciting day for the babies as well. I think Paula enjoyed meeting so many other babies. Although I have to say, when we came home, I put her into the cot to get her cloths off and straightaway she put her toe in her mouth with this relieved look in her eyes "finally at home where I don't have to be well behaved"

Welcome bluecardi!

Congrats to your auntie, sirboob BBL, glad to hear that your boys are feeling better.

Pav, I hope Reuben will be better soon and good luck for your husband! My dad used to be a heavy smoker, 25 years ago (when it was still normal to smoke in front of your children, at the breakfast table, in the car with closed windows....) and he stopped from one second to the other when the doctor told him he had to examine his lungs with an operation. I think he never touched a single cigarette again, didn't even finish the packet.

tamlin i am also preparing for him to lose some momentum once the 'moment' passes and once his smoking friends badger him, suggest it is not the smoking etc (the ones who will want him to keep smoking so they have a smoking buddy at parties where smokers are dwindling!). But I am getting myself armed for that time with some literature about third hand smoke! He has always said he would quit. I used to smoke until I fell pg with DD, and for some reason I was able to just stop. I can also have the odd cigerette (if out at the pub, glass of wine) and not return to smoking, but he is not likely to do this, as it almost 4 years he has not made a serious attempt to stop. This is first try, and the 'cycle of lifestyle change' suggest 7 attempts before success . But it is a start, and if he is aware, he will at the very least not get too close to Reuben once he has had one, change his clothes, wash his hands etc.

Oh great pictures! what a lovely group of ladies and babies. They are just lovely babies all of them!

Love the facebook pics. Now I need to know what everyone's like in real life!

Well, Laugs, they were all lovely, apart from that Venus... I had such a wonderful day, especially considering this weekend, thank you so much everyone! And all your babies are just even more gorgeous in RL!

Pavlov will keep my fingers crossed for him - I have a copy of Alan Carr's stop smoking book (someone on here recommended it, can't remember who though sorry!) that I got for DP, and he's never used. You're welcome to it if you'd like it?

How great it was to meet you all, ladies and babies!!! Fab time, again soon, please!
We really do have the cutest babies on here, photos and real life.

bluecardi welcome!

venus thanks for putting the pictures up, had a look at my camera and they're not too good

laugs what a fab thing to do, well done you and dd.

tamlin poor boy with the gungy eyes. I heard somewhere that camomile tea may be used to clear the crust...??

pavlov this book did wonders for my at-least-a-packet-a-day dh and many of his friends.

sirboob congrats to your auntie, Lola is such a cute name.

Lovely pictures. Looks like you all had a great time! By the way is there any way to see the list of log in names / real names? Not on here obviously but if someone has it could they send it to me on facebook so I can work out who everyone is!

scarlotti I've given Isaac some lightly boiled veg ( don't have steamer!) like carrots, broccoli etc) but stuff like cucumber sticks and fruit like pear and banana raw. It's more that little pieces can break off and he can choke I'm worried about. I think a bit of first aid telling me which bit of his back to bang if something gets stuck would put me at ease a bit.

sirboob congrats on your aunt.

bluecardi welcome!

pavlov good luck to your DH on giving up the fags.

When I said 'cutest babies on here' I meant the thread as a whole, not just our london babies... You know what I mean... I'll get my coat... ...

Glad you all got on well ladies that i could not come to another one!

Thanks for the support re DH. I am sure he can do it, with some time, some support and a lot of chocolate! (or is that bit me?!!) Not looking forward to the grumpiness, he is bad enough at times without the absence of nicotine. I have seen him after a 12 hour flight to USA, the waiting time before a 2hour immigration wait and over an hour sorting out lost luggage. It is not a pretty sight. He was almost clawing at the walls . I have heard several people mention that book. If you have it spare sirboob i would buy it from you, that would be great, show him i am supporting him to get him a copy.

lemontop there's a list of names under 'discussions' in the group on facebook.

skorpion I did not presume you excluded us non-londoners don't worry .

Reuben is 17 weeks next week. I cannot imagine he is ready for food yet. Although DD gave him a spoon today and he sat there eating it!

I have a tidy bedroom, my lovely DD finally asleep next to me one side, after watching endless episodes of peppa pig, and my lovely DS sleeping on the other side after endless amounts of milk. DD announced to us that she was sleeping with us all night, all four of us together as a family. Sweet, but not sure we will manage her kicking us in the back and having a hissy fit because we won't 'budge up' to give her more room! But, for now, I have my two sleeping babies beside me. Aaaah.

pavlov I don't know how true this is for others but I can vouch that giving up with this book was stress free. At least for me

skorpion oh now that is a good recommendation, if it is stress free, that works for me. The less stressed he is the better i say .