Dec 08 Mums - Terrible twos already? Tears, tantrums, tiaras and tractors - and the rest!

[Beans33]

Hope this is better - sorry all!

I too was devastated, Kiwi, T has his own fluffy Yojojo and he expects Waybuloo to come on after the goodbye sun, hello moon song he dances to. Overcommercialised? Us?
We do own lots of DVDs of ITNG, Teletubbies and Balamory for emergencies and when we're on holiday so can watch it on the laptop.

Have a fab time in Paris, Beans, v .

Folks, I know exactly the response on the wider MN threads to this, but not sure what you guys do with DCs of the same age as T. He will sometimes turn his nose up at a dinner I've made and I tend to give him something else instead (baked beans, hummous on toast, something easy) so he won't wake hungry in the night, which he has done on the occasions he's not eaten well at dinner. I'm sure I'm settling myself up for bad habits in the future but not sure how else to do it. Esp as one day he'll eat something that he'll reject entirely the next and I don't want to have to stick to "safe" foods like fish fingers and scrambled egg the whole time!

Spot I think at this age it's more important to give him nutrition and not make meal times a negative experience and stressful for either of you. DS1 is seriously the pickiest eater EVER! However, he does have a fairly wide variety of food he will eat (my standards for this have lowered though) now and yes he does like the stuff I never wanted him to like but if I've for time I make homemade fishfingers and chicken strips. I also make my own sausage rolls, spring rolls & meat balls. At the end of the day he is eating healthy food but in a form that he is happy with. Is it really that bad that instead of fish & roast potato he is having homemade fish fingers & chips?

By the way both homous & baked beans are excellent dishes. If you want you can make your own hommous, however, DS1 didn't like my homous he is a little less picky now so I could try again I guess.

spot - i do the same. don't worry, i think it's fine.

kiwi - yes, i know. it's tragic. our whole eve routine has changed now there's no waybaloo... sob...

couple of questions...

occasionally madam's poos are REALLY black - for no apparent reason - any ideas?

re: eve routine - up until the clock change, madam had been going to sleep without a peep - pop her down after a sing and then silence, for months and months now. since the clocks changed, it's all gone wrong and now EVERY night i put her down as normal, she screams, i go back in, pick her up, hold her until she calms, then put her back in the cot, and have to stroke her for 5-10 mins before she goes to sleep. after we paid so much money for millpond, i know they would throw their hands up in horror at this (and don't get them started on our bringing her into our bed to feed her back to sleep when she wakes from 4am onwards). but how much settling do your babes need/want before they go to sleep?

and another eve reoutine question... we were originally giving madam a bottle downstairs, then a bath upstairs, then straight to bed. however, recently bath has been so frenetic that we thought about changing it to bath, back downstairs for a "calming" bottle (and no waybaloo), then upstairs again for bed. does that sound mental?

sorry to ask all the boring questions...

Thanks for the food reassurance, folks!

As for eve routines, T is harder to settle now as he's just so into running around and playing so we tend to put him to bed later than before so he'll just go sparko after about 15/20 minutes of yabbering away to himself.

We do ITNG, bath, then bottle and stories in bed. Could you do the bottle upstairs?

Veg I have done it twice and it turned ut quite well probably works best with longer hair :

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/2350/739905

WG if it's just random poos it's probably something in her food.

I still feed DS2 to sleep though we are giving him a beaker of milk which he has before his BF but eventually will swap to after.

NJAN...wot? The link doesn't work, and what hair?

Oh sorry njan now I get it, I asked about the self haircut, that is amazing, I'm going to give it a go my hair is perfect length for it.

On the feeding I have another erratic eater in DD2 (completely different from her sister). She has resolutely been on the 98th centile and I have no idea how as I often genuinely can't see what she has eaten in a day bar a bottle of milk at bedtime and a Liga biscuit at some point (we bulk buy them in Ireland and ration them out between visits !)

She will often turn her nose up at dinner and I usually supplement with a random piece of bread and give an extra big bottle at bedtime. I often try to do meals with one bit I know is relatively reliable )(pasta, rice etc) and then focus on that part of nothing else seems to be going in. I was somepletoly different with DD1 who always ate in a relatively uncomplicated way. If she turned up her nose at something, that was it, no second chances, but then I felt she had always had at least one reasonable meal in the day, which isn't the case with her sister.

WG - re: the black poo - no experience of that directly but do remember my Mum coming to me in a panic about the lumps in DD1's poo which were latere calmly identified as half-digested raisins, so I do think some stuff just goes through them in odd ways!

Loving the sunshine here! Out in the sand pit and plastic house today (girls not me, well, not much anyway!) - I love the summer!!

Oh, Effie, it was me on the eczema / change of seasons - I feel completely vindicated now and will be flashing my intuitive medical expertise more broadly now .

WG we too are having goig to bed shouting. I think it is because he is actually very overtired. As he is spending alot of time outside and after tea too. So I think we need to have a longer calm down time to help him wynd down. Could it be the same with mini WG?

Proper cream crackered after our zoo visit. Boys had a great time running around with their pals.

Lovely sunny weekend vibes to you all.

Good lord, Gene Hunt riding the cotton pony. . That script writer is hilarious.

Spot, I would consider humous on toast a balanced meal as DD hardly eats anything. Didn't see owt wrong with the foods you mentioned! If DD ate a fish finger or beans I'd be utterly thrilled. Oh, and bugger the wider MN. Some of them are judgy old harridans.

WG, I don't think your new routine sounds at all mental. Give it a whirl and see how it goes. Settling - supper, clean teeth, (we do baths in the mornings) and then we have always just stuck her in the cot with her 'ambient noises lamb' on babbling brook (or whatever), kissed her goodnight, turned off the light and it's Goodnight Vienna, until morning. It may sound hard but bed is bed and that's that. She still has a dummy for sleep though, attached to a muslin so she can easily find it in the night. However, she has always gone along with being put to bed. DC2 will no doubt be a different kettle of pyjamas and be highly resistant to any form of sleep.

And Beans, I would very much like to be zazzing round Paree in this lovely spring weather. There's a lovely Diptyque shop where they treat the candles with the sort of reverence only the French can carry off.

Hello,
I found you all - it's been a hectic week but firstly Veggie and Aubi thanks for missing me - it meant a lot and thanks for the texts Lady - so glad your Dad is home and things sound brighter.
To summarize after a stressful couple of days (there were tears, mis-understandings, jumping to conclusions, more tears, and even a hospital visit involved, the db saga (if anyone can vaguely remember) has come full circle and all is much better with that situation!
Then FIL turned up out of the blue and met ds and I for the first time (and saw dh for the first time in 5 years) I thought I was going to pass out - We then had to deal with telling mil about the visitor but luckily she has taken it quite well (in the grand scheme of things) and although the 3rd degree as to when, how long, and if, dh and him have been in touch sounds likely to continue, she has taken it much better than we both expected and it hasn't been as nasty as we feared - fingers crossed that we have turned a corner there, and now that it is 'out there' that we have been in touch with him, I feel it's a massive weight off our shoulders and now don't feel like I'd be hiding anything if I sent a couple of photos through of his grandchild from time to time.
I must admit I haven't been able to catch up much and or remember what I did skim through but I will try and say what I can

Beans enjoy Paris

Kiwi & Beans I'd be quite keen to come to the Wetlands? What ever the heck that is but I can't do Fri's or Sat's until after May.

Boys are not smelly

MatB1 comes with the 24-26 week M/W appointment but my GP said they can issue them earlier now, although that isn't what initiates the freebie prescription / Dental card thingy (well in my case anyway) as I got mine through in the post after the booking appoinment at about 10 weeks.

The M/W is also suppose to give out the form for the government grant at that 24 weeks appointment too I've been told - so I must remember to book one.

I have a dentist appointment at the end of this month and they have booked ds one too I was surprised and reiterated that he only has 8 teeth and they said it's really just a ride in the chair and to get him happy about the dentist not being scary! I have been trying to brush his teeth but he hates it with a passion so I'll get some advice I think.

WG - night routines - ds has his dinner about 530-6pm -ish and then usually a bath after that just after 6pm then he comes downstairs and watches In The Night Garden with his milk and will often finish the milk and be up for about 20-30 mins after it before he goes to bed which works well as the milk usually triggers a poo so I wait till that comes and he's in bed by 7pm. usually straight to sleep if he's had a big day or sometimes babbles to himself. Sounds like we have a thing as ladyT which is a sleep sheep and he listens to that on the 'Whale noises' although if he doesn't go straight to sleep. he sometimes takes it upon himself to change it to the babbling brook or ocean etc and eventually falls asleep. He rarely gets upset but if he does i leave him unless it turns nasty or goes on for too long.

I think I'm going to drop the afternoon milk. Mil had him today and he had an action packed afternoon so didn't have any mid-afternoon milk and I had left him some roast pork, veg and mash and he ate the LOT and then some so think he would eat 3 massive meals instead of 2 decent and one piddly one if I cut out some milk. he's still having a pint a day at present but going to drop it to about 4oo mls from tomorrow and see how we go.

Quick Q - do most of you have a second lightweight buggy? Mil had left me a really basic one which she had picked up when Woolworths closed down and I'd used it a couple of times but it was really basic - I'm talking almost a disposable job and it did my head in as the wheels didn't swivel and the handles were too low so I've been since researching them as i think one would be particularly handy for travel or quick trips to the shop or to keep in the car and found a FAB one which weighs just 5kg, lays flat, swivel wheels, suitable for newborns with head hugger, and very very small umbrella fold - they have flown off the shelves and won't be in the stores for 2-3 months now so have found one which I can buy ex-display for 10% off. Feel like it's the only one currently in the country so i'm having it held for 24 hours but it is $80 so do you think it's worth investing in it? I'm really sold by it, and althoug I love me P&T for the bigger outings when I have two, i think this will be handy especially as I carry the lil one's in the Bjorn for the first 6 months a lot, so figured DS would go well in the lightweight buggy for quick nips to the shop?

Wow I've gone on and on and must get some sleep so although I had plenty more I was going to say (no doubt) I'd better wind it up.

P.S- Veggie sorry to hear about your not so nice FB group you found - stay here longer

Oh and WG - today I found a couple of Clearblue ovulation tests if you want them? Not a whole box - just two days of tests but if you want them i'll send them to ya. (Might be a "lucky box")

the buggy is £80 not $'s actually bugger wish it was $'s!

PPS - Lady - I was unbelievabley thirsty for the first trimester but then it suddenly dropped off. Now I have to remind myself to keep hydrated, but just thinking about a typical day - I probably have 2 -3 cups of normal coffee, 4-5 cups of decaf coffee, and maybe a pint or so of sugar free squash? I've heard that even if you have regualar coffee, your body can use that as though it's hydration or something in a way - can't remember quite what I read but I have to try and drink more as I get bad sinusitis if I don't which has been often recently, and is the worst when I can't take anything for it!

oh, rubes, that sounds like a story and a half. didn't know your fil was a stranger - hope it all turns out all right.

yes, we have a second car buggy - an obaby sport as our other one is a cameleon. it's like the difference between a rolls royce and a fiesta - so much more convenient but not so plush. don't know how it would work wiht a newbie, though, i think it is from 6months onwards.

thx for the routine info - suppose we are going to have to play hardball at somepoint soon so she knows night is night and cot is cot.

and black poos - she does tend to eat a prune or two a day - suppose that might be it. shall move to apricots and see if they turn orange.

i slept well for the first time in 3 weeks last night. hallelujah! happy weekends all.

Sorry about the link veggie I had visitors last night so had to be quick !

re:night time routines, we have always bought them downstairs for milk before bed, and we do not bath them every night either. We did with DS1 until I got utterly fed up of it and scared what would happen if I didnt, I felt trapped by routine, so now we just bath them when they need it, sometimes togther, sometimes separately. DS2 does need them more frequently as he is a mucky boy.

WRT to who was asking about food, it sounds nutritious to me. As LadyT says the prevailing feeling on MN is that you should matryr yourself to you childrens nutrition, tireless and thanklessly preparing nutritionally sound meals for them and meal planning. Again, I did this with DS1 and it made me quite miserable and I knew I couldnt do it all again. So now I have a breadmaker and a slow cooker which helps to have healthy standbys but we often have jacket potatoes, beans on toast, toasties for dinner, especially if the kids have been at nursery. Whenever I feel a bit stressed about it, I think back to my own childhood that was filled with biscuits, puddings, starchy things and I think (and pulses and veg as well!), we're Ok and I have a healthy attitude to food.

Hooray on the good sleep, WG! Long may it continue .

Rubena, wow, it sounds like you've really been through it the last few days, so glad you're feeling more relieved about things, how was it for DS to meet his granddad for the first time?

LadyT, it's less those particular foods (as he'll often have them at other times) - more that I'm substituting a meal if he decides on a whim that he doesn't want what I've given him. But you're probably right I should just go with whatever creates less stress and pick my battles later on.

My mum is coming over for the weekend and DP and I are going out tonight in Lewes and staying in a hotel - the only one that wasn't full was very suspicious looking and I have a feeling caters for the less salubrious elements of the town. Still, a night off's a night off. I shall remember to bring my earplugs though.

T still asleep but I can't sleep beyond 6.30 these days thanks to the Fucking Seagulls [TM] and force of habit.

Have lovely weekends all.

Have a fab night away Spot.

DH and I are also having 24 hours of freedom and spending it at my fav country pub in Sussex. It's got gorgeous food and rooms and I am so looking forward to a lie in and leisurly breakfast with the papers tomorrow followed by a sunny country walk. Stupidly I went out late last and am a bit hung over today but am mainlining caffeine and paracetamol so will hopefully feel ok soon. A lovely old steam fair has come to our local park and I am really looking forward to taking the DDs on the carousel later.

Wow Rubes, that sounds like some week, glad you bro situation is settling down. Re buggies - we have a light weight Maclaren as well as the P&T. I love it, so light and small, easy to fold etc. I used it alot for DD1 when DD2 was in the Bjorn. Now I use it all the time for DD2 as DD1 is happy to walk most of the time.

WG - re night routines we do bath at 6pm, then milk on our bed with stories and then DH takes DD1 for another story while I cuddle and sing to DD2 in her darkened room. Then I bung her in her cot and 70% of nights she makes no fuss. On the 30% of nights she does cry I am v mean and walk straight out so as not to reward the crying. It always stops within two to three mins as she knows I won't get her up again. It sounds mean but I would never do that if she was ill or properly distressed and I do think she would soon start playing me if she thought I would get her up again.

How are the pox Effie?

Hooray WG! And a shower of old boots towards those pesky seagulls Spot. We had another screamy night but ds2 ended up sleeping for about 5 hrs which is enough to make me feel vaguely human. Ds1 is rocking him in his buggy and I think he might have dropped off.

Veggie: any idea what we can do to calm ds2's skin? The combo of eczema and pox is not good and I'm worrying some of the spots (he's scratching like mad) are going to get infected esp in the creases and nappy area. I'm keeping his nails short and moving his hands when poss but as soon as he gets the chanc it's scrich scratch! Thank goodness it's a nice day so we can spend some time outside. After I've finished the bare minimum of housework (as this plac is a tip that's quite a lot!). DH has gone into the office to catch up on some work so I'm juggling the dss on me own today

sorry that was a bit haphazard, brain not working very well!

Hello everyone! I tried to catch up with the previous thread but I've given up, sorry. But I would like to say many congratulations to the pregnant ladies, LadyT, Rubena, Summer and Beans (hope I haven't missed anyone). So exciting!

Effie we have the pox here too. DD suffers a bit with eczema and we have been using Eurax but perhaps you've tried that already. It says on the box that it can be used for eczema. I'm not sure how effective it is, as DD refuses to talk about illness but she seems to be surviving. I'm waiting for DS to come down with it now.

Hi nolda! Lovely to hear from you. We have some eurax but not much seems to work. Calpol and piriton take the edge off but he's still cross!

Sorry to hear that Effie. I hope Veggie can come up with something.