New, bright and shiny MARCH 2005 thread

[ZoeC]

Thought this was about due, hope that's okay

Well, no solids here (forget who asked that, sorry) - except she licked my finger when I was pureeing some apple but I don't think that really counts ). I have icecubes of carrot, apple and pear ready in the freezer though but really she's fine on milk and I'm in no rush.

She's now all formula fed though - we did mix feed for a bit but she quickly forgot how to draw the hind milk so was getting less and less from me, plus we got thrush again so I really wasn't sorry to finish to be honest. I much prefer the routine we can have now and am just pleased she got 4 months of breast first. It really was as much as I could do and stay sane.

She is such a smiley baby it's untrue - you only have to glance her way and she beams, it's so nice to see. She naps better too - 2/3 hours in the afternoon plus a small nap in the morning - and that helps her be happier I'm sure. She was 15lb a couple of weeks ago by the way.

She's 4 months, 1 week and 3 days old today.

Cristina well done and good luck misdee with the driving.

I keep meaning to take rebecca swimming as I'm sure she'd love it but I haven't figured out how I'd manage two of them in the pool and changing room yet, maybe I'll talk dh into going with us at the weekend - that'd help. Dd1 is so lively and into everything I'd probably lose her while looking after dd2.

Hi Pixie1. Same here - 6 or 16? Firstly I would want to know some basic info. How big is she and what is she eating during the day? What is her basic routine? What time does she go to bed? Sure I can come up with some advice if you fill me in a bit more. Welcome anyway.

Morning all,

I hope that you all had a better night.

Leogaela - Thanks for the well wishes, I do hope you get better soon too

I thought alot about this and I think that I should post it as it is disturbing me. Tell me if I am being paranoid, I feel like I might have offended some people on here without realising. I just feel like peoples attitude towards me has changed and nobody is telling me why.
If I have caused offence to anyone I apologise, but I would really like to know what I have done to avoid doing it in the future.

Pixie1 - welcome to mumsnet. I'm sure you'll get good advice here. You could try posting in the "Sleep" section too.

Leogaela - you're so right that they seem to sleep better on their fronts or side. I remember when my older daughter managed to roll over she slept a lot better. And funnily Iris slept 8-10 hours without waking for a week when we were on holiday which coincided with her rolling on her front to sleep too. But weirdly she then stopped doing it, and when I tried to put her down on her front she screamed! Humbug.

Anyway, I've found that us going in to her repeatedly seems to just make her more and more furious. So the options are - either feed her to sleep, even if she's not hungry or leave her completely alone to see if she'll settle. And the latter option can get tough if she's really upset. But last night at 10.30pm she managed to put herself back to sleep with just 10 minutes of fairly low level grizzling and a bit of shouting. Absolutely no real screaming. She then slept till 3.30am when she fed. And at 5.30am she woke and settled herself again within 20 minutes and went through till 7am. So that's real progress (I think!!).

We've just received the next size up of wraps, so we can finally get back into using our re-usables. Iris had got too huge for the previous size and I was so disorganised about ordering any more.

Right - I'm off to puree up some squash for her to add to my growing freezer collection. I know how to have a good time.

Norash - have just seen your post - I've never got close to being offended by anyone on here. I love reading everyone's messages and news about their babies. I can't imagine what you could have done to offend anyone.

Yikes - maybe I'm now paranoid too. Can I just say that my post about Iris sleeping is not intended to arouse the whole "leaving to cry" debate. At no point was she really crying - just grunting and shouting and vocalising whilst chewing on fingers - loud enough to keep us awake, but emphatically NOT screaming or crying!

Phew - did I just post three times in a row?

Norash and Pidge - you're both paranoid . (No offence btw!)

Norash - definitely not offended me! Quite the opposite actually. I think its much more likely that I've offended people !
I think its easy to add your own interpretation to what people say when its written and you can't hear tone of voice or expressions.

LOL Pidge! Great to hear you are making progress on Iris's sleep.

Norash - is Kieran getting any better at going off to sleep? Have you tried leaving him to cry a bit !

I left Niklas at the nursery today for 2 hours on his own. They said he was very happy and even ate with the other children ! He usually sleeps at around 10, but when i picked him up at 11.30 he was pale with exhaustion as he hadn't slept, but was still so excited by everything that he wasn't complaing at all. My little angel !

Big dilemma (not sure if I mentioned this), I have been offered another job in another very attractive department, struggling with the decision of whether to let my boss down just before I am due to start back! Ho hum !

I've never taken offence to anything you' ve said, Norash. In fact I find everyone on this thread fairly like minded, with nearly all of us seeming to be part of a happy medium, even if we are all doing slightly different things. I've had a look on sum other post natal threads and it's a whole different ball game there - some very varying and vociferous opinions voiced. Maybe we're all polite types, whilst silently horrified about some of the March mummies.

sum?? Oh yes, Lauren's first tooth has broken through the gum! Quite exciting although I will miss her lovely gummy grin. And she has suddenly decided that 'tummy time' is actually not that bad, although she still can't roll herself back. Can't quite figure out where to put her arms - they always get in the way.

I think we March mummies are great! Norash, i can't see how anyone could be upset with anything you've said. I think it's great to have "known" people for so long, some since pregnant, to see how alike we are in fears, wishes and hopes. No matter what the little differences (as there should be, we are all individuals, as are our babies), we all love our babies and want and try the best for them. The rest is just detail. And if we happen to be a rather lovely and polite bunch in the process as well, so much the better!! I'd love to meet you all.

Hi jambot my daughter is approximately 24lbs in weight and about 84cm in height. She has a varied diet and often eats the same as myself, we have cereal for breakfast, a packet of crisp and a yogurt for snack, sandwiches for lunch and then a cooked meal for tea. About half an hour before she goes to bed she has another yogurt. My daughter is usually up between 6 and 7 in the morning, we have breakfast, shower and then go out for an hour or so we come back and she normally goes up for a nap. After lunch we do activities then it's tea time after tea we sit and do puzzles and play with her toys do nursery rhymes. I take her up for a bath at 7 we get straight into bed and have a story while she drinks her bottle. Then she settles in her own bed in my room but only for about two hours then it's back into my bed. My daughter goes to a dancing class three times a week where she mixes with children from the age of two to sixteen. She is away from me then as I teach the dancing that is fine she's happy to play with the other children it's mainly when we are at home. I would appreciate any help and advice anyone can offer.
Thanks Leogaela for the advice on giving her different toys I shall try that over the next few days, also I have started to put her in her own bed in my room, she stays there until I go to bed and then usually wakes and climbs in with me but I will persevere with it.

Hello everyone. After my hugely self-indulgent feeling sorry for myself crisis last week, I'm back to my usual more positive self. Can't imagine what got into me but apologies all round and thanks so much for the words of advice and encouragement

Haven't posted for a whole four days Loads to catch up on so here goes ....

Hooray to Iris for sleeping better for her mummy both at night and in the day at the same time as her big sister. Good girl. Pidge, shame on you for even mentioning leaving her to cry. You'll be talking about early weaning or working versus SAHM's next

Leogaela, Annabel Karmel has an excellent website (can't do links so it's www.annabelkarmel.com) which has loads and loads about suitable foods for different ages and some fabbo recipes. I used a lot of her stuff with DD 7 years ago and she loved it. On the water front, Harrison has a cup with handles like Grace (Tommee Tippee) and loves it. He learnt really quickly how to get it in his mouth and now drinks about 6 oz of water a day (hated it from a bottle). He's also really good at soaking everything in close proximity as he shakes it wildly whilst I'm feeding him but just won't let go Good luck with house move (loved the photo of Niklaus in the box )

Congrats to Lauren on her first tooth Jambot. She's a beautiful little girl and really growing up now.

Bonym, Harrison is in his own room but I'm in it with him !! DH snores like a good 'un so I often used to move into the spare room to get some sleep. When Harrison came along, the spare room became his room, so I'm sort of squatting for the time being Know what you mean about being away from them though as I said I'd sleep with him until he went through the night but he's been doing this for a while now and I just don't want to sleep apart from him. Plus DH will keep me awake more than Harrison

Finally, Norash, Kieran and Leogaela, hope you are all feeling better soon. Harrison also has a cold which has resulted in a particularly snotty nose, continuous sick and lots of dribbling. DH came home yesterday with DD (who he had collected from school) and I was covered in dribble, snot, sick and pureed courgette which Harrison had spat out when he screeched just as I put it in his mouth. Attractive ... I think not !! DH gave me a big kiss and told me I looked lovely as always (do you think he was joking ) DD looked disgusted and said it was a good job daddy had collected her from school

One final thing, Norash you have never offended me and I can't imagine that anything you have posted has offened anyone else either. I always think it's difficult to express ourselves in writing with no support of voice tone or body language but I think we all do a pretty good job. Have I managed to convey that I'm a gorgeous six foot, skinny blonde with super model looks and a fashion sense to die for ? No ..... must try harder

Phew, that's it from me and sorry it's so long. Have a good nights sleep everyone.

Also not offended! Love reading all our updates and thinking to myself "aah someone else's baby does that as well!" DP had a right panic yesterday, he put Caleb on the sofa turned his back and there was a big thud, Caleb flat on his face on the floor screaming Luckily he is fine and back to his happy self. Caleb keeps pulling my hair and I have actually got a small bald spot at the side where he's pulled it out

Oh Shalaa what a shock for DP. Hope Caleb is OK.

Harrison loves pulling hair too and I often think it's a good job I've got so much (beautiful smooth, flat hair is something I've dreamed off for as long as I can remember) as combined with how much of my hair fell out whilst pregnant and since, I've probably lost more hair than DH has on his head !

shalaa - yikes - your poor dp. So glad Caleb is ok. Good job these babies are robust!

Just to continue my reputation as a sleep bore - Iris only woke at 2.30 and 6am last night, which is nothing short of miraculous frankly! And this afternoon she is having a 2 hour nap. Unbelievable. This has enabled me to vie with Nigella for Domestic Goddess status, having just whipped up an enormous batch of smoked haddock fishcakes for supper (and some for the freezer).

Now off to deal with the bucket of pooey reusable nappies. I sure know how to have a fun time.

Shalaa - Glad to hear Caleb is ok after his accident.

3Mummmy - If you are reading but not posting then I hope that you are ok and that things are going well for you.

Well, the big day is tomorrow - Freya will be going in her own room (at last!). The painting finished on Tuesday and now that the smell of paint has completely gone we are going to move her in tomorrow. I hope she will be ok, I bet I end up going in during the night to check on her.

Has anyone started with 'lumpy' food yet??? Freya is only really just getting the hang of puree, so I'm not sure about pasta bits and the like. She will gum a piece of bread for a few minutes, though I am not sure if she actually eats any!

Joe - Lauren's food has become less pureed and I notice that she is actually chewing, although without any teeth (just the tip of her bottom two just peeking through). With the chicken she gets, it's hard to make it totally pureed and I just mash veggies like sweet potato and butternut and they are quite fibrous.

My heart just melted today. Lauren's never been into cuddles, but today she was crying and she put her arms out to me and when I picked her up she cuddled into my neck. Makes being a mummy totally worthwhile.

How sweet that must have felt, Jambot. Have you received the Ergo yet?

About lumpy foods: Sylvia likes to chomp on dried apple rings (the chewy ones, not the totally dried variety). She expertly spits out what she bites, but she likes sucking on them. Also rice cakes. I buy the small ones for her. Also likes apples grated very small and crushed bananas. In fact she likes full bananas too - and gets very messy and a bit frustrated when they get too slippery and fall out of her hands.

She also babbles a bit of mama and mummy but I know it's not directed at me

Yes, got the Ergo. Only tried Lauren in it once and she seemed very happy in it. It was very comfortable and I hardly felt her 18 pounds on my back. Haven't had much opportunity to use it yet.
Lauren loves banana too, although she nearly choked on a lump she had gummed off when I gave her a whole piece. Now she has it mashed or I give it to her in this special little thing that looks like a rattle but has a sort of netting holder that you put food in that they could choke on. She sucks the banana through the netting and loves it. Every time I give her a mouthful of any food she likes she goes 'MMMMMM or AAAAH!
She is going off her bottle in a big way! She hardly ever takes a full bottle now and I'm worried that it won't be long before she won't want it at all. Know it's important for them to have the milk up to one year, but most of the time she plays around with the teat, has a few sucks and that's it. If she does suddenly start refusing it, I'll have to start incorporating it into her food.
Are any of you giving your little ones vitamin supplements?

This is just quick! I have been so busy this week taking Niklas to the nursery (which he is absolutely loving), packing, meetings for work etc....

Pidge - have you managed to keep up the running? I did almost an hour on Monday, but have been feeling terrible with my cold so haven't been since.

Jambot, the net thing for food sounds like a very good idea. I also give Niklas chunks of fruit to chew on and bread, he prefers that to the pureed foods I think.

Have also managed to get him to drink more water !

Jambot - Niklas's doctor insisted that we give him vitamin D from birth, I do ocassionally, but forget quite often, I am not that keen to give it but she insists.

Typical me not so quick !

JoPG - hope Freya got on OK, in her own room,.

And Pidge, to support you as a sleep bore - Niklas has been waking up in the night again wanting to feed, not really sure why, ho hum! Yawn!

Leogaela - rats on the sleep front. At least Iris seems to have temporarily dropped her 10-11pm wakeup. Last night it was 1am, 3.30am and 5.30am. And my current strategy is to try to shorten the feeds by a minute every night, to see if she can get used to settling herself with less and less milk. Will keep you posted with my continued sleep obsessions . On the positive side BOTH girls slept in until 7.45 am this morning, which is unheard of. It took ages for me and dp to realise what time it was, as we were assuming it was at least an hour earlier. Not that it's stopped dp sloping off for an afternoon nap, leaving me with half an eye entertaining dd1 and her playdough, and half an eye on mumsnet!

Running - well I've been 4 times, building up to half an hour. I'm hoping to do that twice a week for a few weeks and then try to build in a longer run at the weekends. It's very exciting. So exhilerating. And so far I haven't even got stiff or particularly pushed myself.

jambot - that is just sooooo cute about Lauren and her cuddles. It just makes your heart melt. My fave thing is when Iris is a bit tired or upset she clings on to you for dear life with her little hands all clenched up.

Cristina7 - I tried Iris on a piece of banana too - it was a comedy classic - it just kept shooting out of her hands every time she tried to grasp it. She does ok chewing on the mini rice cakes - though I'm not sure anything actually gets swallowed. but it keeps her entertained.

JoPG - good luck to you and Freya with the new room. If you're anything like me you'll find you reach a whole new level of sleep without a snorting snuffling infant to disturb you!

Oh, the only down side to the Ergo carrier Ladies is that you have to have a strap under your boobs, and it pushes them up in a very unflattering way. Makes mine look like one long sausage!! Very sexy!