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FEB 2010 No longer newborns!!

811 replies

InmaculadaConcepcion · 16/05/2010 09:07

Three months and counting, everyone! Our babies are gradually getting the hang of the world...and we are gradually getting the hang of them...

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SunnyBumpIsNowSunnyMummy · 03/06/2010 22:32

Had a lovely sunny day here today. Managed to get loads done including a badly needed haircut and dyeing some plain white babygros bright funky colours! I'm fed up of pastels.

Another LO who fights sleep here. He was at Granny's while I got my haircut so didn't get his middle of the day big long nap and by this evening he was so overtired. He's sleeping so much better though so hang in there - it will improve. The amount of shoogling, bouncing, singing and feeding to get sleepy is reducing all the time!

IC did you get my message on your blog? Happy to lend you a Postnatal Hypno CD to see if it helps you sleep, just let me know

Stoof good luck with the job and house hunting, fingers crossed for the place you're hoping for.

4 month Injections tomorrow but DH is finishing work early for a dentist appointment so he's coming too. It'll be nice to have backup.

CC I know what you mean about people butting in to tell you what your LO needs. Luckily my Inlaws are great most of the time but why do random folk think it's ok to tell you your baby must be hungry or tired or need a warm hat...(It was 19C, still and cloudy!) I am working on my 'nod, smile and ignore' technique ;) More often I end up ranting to DH though.

bethylou · 03/06/2010 22:37

Back again for a pre-dream feed skim read!

Sorry to hear about the continuing sleep woes. DS2 needs turning back on his side (usually for a good fart!) a couple of times during the night but does like a post-lunch siesta that can last a couple of hours if I'm lucky (and espcially so when it ties in with DS1's 2 hour nap so I get a sleep too!) DS2 seems to wake mid-sleep for a quick moan and then puts himself back to sleep. I would recommend not stepping in too soon as it took me months with DS1 to get him to self-settle after I used to move in at the first whimper.

DS1 regularly sleeptalks which is hilarious (yesterday several loud miaows - wtf?) DH sleeptalks/walks too so I often have very busy nights, even if I'm not required to whip out a boob between 10:30pm and 7:30a.m!!

Chinook stinky wind also an issue here and he always seems to do it when feeding - I'm trapped! Good luck with your mum.

Off to feed again. Night all!

bearcrumble · 04/06/2010 08:07

Chinook My mum said something similar when I told her that the current thinking was to exclusively milk feed until 6 months. She said "but you'd have been starving" - so I said "OK the world health organisation is wrong and you're right". Then she told me she weaned me at 3-4 months but before that she used to feed me every 4 hours for exactly 10 mins on each breast and that was enough for me. Yet with the next breath she told me I would scream all evening. Well... give you a clue, mum. I mean breast fed babies need to feed almost constantly in the early days. She thinks I have a 3-hourly routine - I told her I did just to shut her up, but I don't as such. I do watch the clock and try and make it about that often but if he gets hungry and cries an hour to half an hour earlier then I'm not going to just sit there and let him cry when I could just feed him.

My DH is in Canada for work this week and I've been feeling a bit anxious. I posted on the MH board. I've been having nasty thoughts about something happening to the baby. Also in my part of SE London the take up for imms is not very high so there are childhood illnesses around and it is playing on my mind a bit. I know there's not a jab for chickenpox, so the imms thing isn't an issue in this case but it is rife in my area at the moment and I really don't want him to get it. I cancelled a barbecue I was having yesterday because one of the babies went to a storytelling thing at the library and one of the other kids came down with chickenpox a few days later. The incubation periond is typically 14-16 days and they are most infectious just before the spots come out and going by the date she was at the library, it was 14 days since she was exposed so if she had got it she would have been at her most infectious.

I had a panic all evening the day before and couldn't stop thinking about it so the next morning I told them I had a sore throat. I did just invite my friend from over the road and her baby for lunch, and when I told her she said she would have done the same so I don't feel quite so unreasonable and mad now.

Past few days sleeping (baby's) has been a lot better. I find that taking him up to bed at around 6 and having a long feed in bed with him and most importantly, taking my time, relaxing and not thinking "got to get him to sleep" really helps. He falls asleep in my arms and I can just transfer him on to the top of the bed next to me (I am letting him sleep on the double bed while DH is away - usually he is in the sidecar cot - but I put him on the side where the cot is so if he should roll he would only roll into the cot if you see what I mean).

Night before last he went from 7-half past midnight, then til 3.30, then til 5.30 then til 7 but I couldn't bloody sleep til gone midnight because I was fretting about what to do about the barbecue. Last night he wasn't quite so settled but I don't feel dreadful this morning which is the main thing. I think he went off about 8 and I remember waking briefly about midnight and again at 2.30 then it was all a bit not-exactly-sleeping-not-exactly waking with him in my arms and pillows propped all around me to stop him rolling off. He was VERY fidgety and kicky.

He has gone back to sleep now (8am) - hence the mammoth post.

He rolled for the first time yesterday. At 15 weeks or 10 weeks corrected. Just the past couple of days he's been able to raise himself onto his forearms briefly while on his tum and last night he pushed up and went right over. I don't think he had actually intened to do that but, hey - a roll is a roll.

I am going out tonight and leaving him at home with my mum and the expressed milk in the freezer. I'm going to see the Pixies play a small gig in Limehouse. I love the Pixies but I am pretty nervous about leaving him. I know my mum will be really careful and she adores him but I will probably be texting every half hour and I'll get a cab home to be back as quickly as poss.

As for poos - he does a couple a day and is quite trumpetty in the bum region. There's always a morning poo. It came early today, but it is generally at 8 o'clock on the dot. Then there's another one early afternoon usually. He never wakes up with a dirty nappy or poos in his sleep.

He still possets quite a bit, but I think it is getting a bit less copious and frequent.

The last few summers have been crap weather and now I don't want it to be particularly hot, I reckon we are in for a scorcher.

fiziwizzle · 04/06/2010 09:37

bearcrumble I read somewhere - in What Mothers Do, I think - that having thoughts about something happening to the baby are totally normal and nature's way of making us new mothers hyper-alert to danger, as would be essential if we were living out in the open like our ancestors did. I have them too - I'm sure we all do?

No rolling over here, as yet

GuernseyFrench · 04/06/2010 10:02

chinook can't you eat more potatoes or flour to thicken your milk? lol

Trip to the GP first thing this morning as we had a bad night with his cold. He's been coughing so much that he was sick which was full of mucus with raised temperature. He still has temperature this morning, but according to the GP's thermometer he doesn't

I need to wake him up for his feed. That's show he's not well because he never miss a bottle.

bearcrumble I was so worried last night that I would not hear DS breathing or stopping breathing that DH installed the travel cot in our bedroom in order for me to sleep! So I think it's more than normal to be worried about our beloved LO

Lovely weather here too, warm already. We'll go for a walk later on today to enjoy the sun

ClimberChick · 04/06/2010 11:08

BC you poor thing. Hope you find the advice on the other thread to make the fear a bit more manageable for you and while your DH is away just post all the time and we'll keep you company.

InmaculadaConcepcion · 04/06/2010 12:30

Aw, BC, I know where you're coming from with these anxious thoughts, believe me...! My heart goes out to you. I would probably have reacted in a similar way to the chicken pox scare, too. OK, it's good for them to get it at some point, but NOT YET is my feeling! I'm still dreading the first cold.

sunnymummy you're a star - DH spotted the comment this morning, I'm not always very good at seeing the comments. I've emailed you...

Oh, FC poor you, it's a bummer, isn't it? (quite literally at times...) Mine is fortunately not the doubled-up-in-agony type nor the problematic - ahem - defacation (TMI sorry!!) variety, more like an ongoing feeling of bloatedness/indigestion - uncomfortable rather than horrendous, but enough to interfere with sleep. The last few nights I've been a bit better at managing to get myself back off to sleep after DD's multiple wakings - I now regard 5 hours of broken sleep as a good night's kip!! Last night she didn't sleep any worse than normal, despite the day's disruption thankfully.

fizi we're an hour ahead here - wrongly, because Spain is on the same line as the UK (the GMT line goes through the middle of Spain, FFS) but apparently Franco wanted to share the European timezone. I was in bed before ten last night. We usually play bg in sets of three - I won two last night (narrowly), but it varies, we're quite evenly matched.

bethylou, glad you're reasonably cheery - I was worrying about you...

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flyingcloud · 04/06/2010 15:48

BC I hear you too - I still wake up in the middle of the night and go and put my finger under her nose to see if she's breathing. Sometimes I squeeze her little hand to get a reaction (a squeaky baby bird noise and a squirm but she usually stays asleep). When she was very little I was walking on the pavement with DD in the pushchair. Rounding a corner I tripped and as I did a huge bus came roaring round the corner (on our side of the road coming towards us). Now I didn't lose my footing or let go of the pram, but at least once a day I replay the moment in my mind when it could have happened and I feel really violently sick just thinking of it. I wish I didn't think about it but I can't stop myself.

Love backgammon, just need to teach DH to play.

bethylou I think my greatest triumph so far was the moment when DD woke up in the night, grumbled and then went back to sleep after ten minutes. I very nearly couldn't get back to sleep as I was so excited to think that she had learned how to 'self-settle' so I agree with you there. Obviously I run (literally) if the grumble escalates to a cry.

GF I am speaking English and DH is speaking French to our DD. We are trying the one-parent one-language approach.

Talking of smelly bottoms the dog is trumping away next to me - think I should let him out.

I'm working all weekend, DH is away tonight and tomorrow and then I'm away next week, feeling a little emotional that I'm abandoning DD once more.

bethylou · 04/06/2010 22:09

BC Hope you get some useful replies on the MH boards and we'll be sending you lots of reassurance and support from this thread too.

IC et al, IBS sounds horrid. The GP thinks that may be DH's problem but not clear yet. Either way, I hope it settles again soon - you don't need anything else to contend with at the mo.

FC excellent news on the self-settling front. DS2 decided to stay up to watch Britain's Got Talent tonight which was really my plan!

I'm feeling pretty positive really. I am choosing to use the mattress monitor as a reassurance and feel positive that we can act if there is a problem. I probably worry less than if it was a first DC-may sound wrong, but have less time available for contemplation.

Off to look at football classes for toddlers now.

p.s. What are you all doing for Father's Day? I have got a mug for DH with a photo of each DS on it from photobox. It is cool. I've also recently ordered a print on canvas of each DS and they are now on our lounge wall. If you haven't used photobox before and want to do so please let me recommend you as I get free prints and so would you! Sorry for the sales pitch - just interested in what you are all doing really.

bearcrumble · 05/06/2010 12:12

Thank you all for your kind replies, support and empathy.

I really appreciate it and I've been feeling a lot less panicky since I cancelled the do.

Had a good night out last night. I jumped around like a teenager and then had a twinge around the caesarian area so calmed down a bit. Have my first mini-hangover this morning. Baby is being very kind and having an unexpected lie-in.

It felt horrid pumping and dumping and giving him another bottle of expressed milk when I got back. We were both longing to do a feed. Ah well.

I also managed to buy tickets for Thursday thinking I had bought them for Friday - only noticed when I checked just before I left the house yesterday. Luckily I was able to get one a friend had going spare and another from a tout. I am an idiot, and a skint idiot too.

Bethylou Glad you are not panicking too much, and have a sensible attitude to your DS2's issues. It does not sound wrong at all - I think you are being very level-headed.

Father's day is the 21st June isn't it? I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but will definitely bear the photobox thing in mind and let you know.

BabyGiraffes · 05/06/2010 15:29

Typed a long post the other day but it vanished with the internet connection so just marking my place and will try again once home...

BabyGiraffes · 05/06/2010 15:29

Typed a long post the other day but it vanished with the internet connection so just marking my place and will try again once home...

Insanitybecomesme · 05/06/2010 15:49

Well after nearly 18wks I have had enough time to finally read through all the threads and want to say a very belated congratulations to everyone and a hello to all the now not so little bundles we all have.

Ethan and Erin will be 18wks on Monday and I am still trying to work out where time has gone (Dd1 was 4 on the 22nd may and Ds1 was 10 on the 23rd May, so also trying to work out how that happenned. I never thought 10yrs ago I would have 6 children, or twins or four children in under 4 years.

Will try to post again soon but Ethan now squeeling (tooth number 3 is causing him some pain)two teething babies is not fun.

InmaculadaConcepcion · 05/06/2010 18:50

Blimey, Insanity - I take my hat off to you!!
One of my sisters has twins (DCs 4&5) and I often wonder how she manages - puts my own new mum anxieties firmly into perspective! Your two are almost exactly one week younger than my DD... and they're already teething??! Wow!
Good to hear from you.

Glad you got sorted for the Pixies, BC, even if it was a bit of a palaver. Also pleased you're feeling a bit less worried.

Oh, BG, how frustrating! I want to read it, too...

Life at Casa IC has been pretty good today. Bloody hot here in Madrid now, though. Ceiling fans going 24/7 and our shutters spend most of the day down to stop the sun hitting the glass in the windows. DD seems to be coping with the heat pretty well so far, although she gets quite sweaty - anything her body is in contact with, really. BF is a sticky business, but luckily, she's not put off by the sensation (just as well).

DD napped better today and even I managed to grab a short siesta when DH got back from work.
DD delighted us both last night and tonight by doing her first proper baby chuckles. We've had smiles for a while, but this is the first time she's done actual laughing. Utterly heart-melting. She also did a 5-hour stretch last night until midnight (but then woke every 2 hours or less afterward...).
IBS is still there, but I'm managing to get better sleep and the insomnia's not so bad, so a much better week in general. Makes such a difference to my general mood and outlook! Interestingly, I'm less resentful at DD waking me up now - my own sleep problems put hers in a different light and I just feel grateful if I can snatch sleep in between each feed/resettle....

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bethylou · 06/06/2010 20:51

Welcome back Insanity and I agree with IC that you must be amazing! I've only got two DSs and am amazed when I get to the end of the day in one piece!

Things here have got even more interesting-having a new porch being built from tomorrow for the whole week and cladding out on the front of the house. I had lots of nice outings planned as DS1 is not keen on loud noises. He woke up this morning and proceeded to throw up again. We can only assume this is now some wierd bug that has been going on for 10 days, though he's only actually been sick on three days. Now housebound! Have a lovely garden which would be fine if it wasn't predicted to rain for the next few days! DH has kindly erected a tent for us in the garden as I think it will be slightly quieter than in the actual house. So, I have two DSs in a tent with a camping chair, DS1's Thomas the Tank readybed and a sick bucket for company! Have I really been that bad in a previous life?!!

mamaloco · 07/06/2010 05:19

OK, so DD2 is on the move. she move like a caterpilar on the back, she also must be pushing more on one side because she does half circles and gets untangled in her baby gym. She was already strong enough to make it topple on top of her with her arms. She loves it and spend ages playing on her own, but it is probably too dangerous now . I know I have been very lucky up to now (I couldn't let DD1 more than 5 min, DD2 will go for at least 1/2 h to 1 hand if I am really lucky she will fall asleep there )
I started the weaning with pureed carrots. I am not conviced she is ready. She likes it, has lost her gag reflex (not sure this is how to call it, small babies are supposed to spit pieces which reach their throat, making them unable to swallow something more solid than milk, she doesn't have that anymore), but gets upset after a teaspoon because she wants to suck and it doesn't go fast enough.
Oh! by the way Watercress and GF! You both wanted to start early too (isn't it?), DD2 is an early developper, she can sit unaided, grab things, stand.. if she didn't have the "symptoms" of being ready for weaning I wouldn't have started, and would have gone against medical advice (they want me to start weaning). You could check the signs here on mumsnet there is a lot of discussion (fights? ) about it, and make your mind.
insanity I admire you too, your going to have a fan club!
Bethylou good luck, and have fun (hope it doesn't rain too much though)
DD1 just woken up I have to get her ready for school.

mawbroon · 07/06/2010 09:52

Ah well, it had to happen. DS2 has a wee cold. His coughing and sneezing is the cutest thing though. He is not too miserable, but has had a bit of a temperature for the last couple of days. He fed a lot more during the night, but it was still managable. After ds1 who didn't sleep unless he was latched on, I can handle a couple of extra night feeds!

We were at a barbecue on Saturday and ds2 was brilliant. He was happy to be held by all the clucky women and just snoozed in the sling when he was tired. He was just no bother at all!

bearcrumble - how much did you have to drink on your night out? Have a look in the breast and bottle feeding archives for info from tiktok about alcohol and breastfeeding. Unless you are completely shitfaced and can't stand, it is pretty much ok to feed the baby. I can't remember the exact facts and figures, but it's worth checking out.

climberchick (congrats on the phd btw) - how is the weight gain going now? The general consensus is that what you eat and drink doesn't have any impact on your supply or the quality of your milk. When a mother is super busy, it can often be that feeds are maybe cut short if she has to get on with things, or if the baby is fairly placid, s/he may not demand as often as they really needs to and might not be offered as much milk as often. This can contribute to slow weight gain. Or - your baby might just be petite. Eating and drinking properly will make you feel much better though.

We have started using a different car seat for ds2. It was one we had as spare in case anyone gave me a lift anywhere. If dh is there, he will drive and I will sit in the back with ds2. I leaned over him and fed him yesterday because he wouldn't stop crying. He is fine on long journeys, but where we live, most of our journeys are around 20mins long and stopping and starting at traffic lights etc, and I hate it when he cries. He seems a bit more comfy in this other car seat and hasn't cried so much in it, but when dh isn't there I either just have to carry on, or stop and sort him out. I guess it will depend where we are going and if we have to be there by a certain time....

There is some spectacluar nappy filling going on just now. Guess what my next job will be.

InmaculadaConcepcion · 07/06/2010 13:40

I seem to remember reading that alcohol remains in breast milk the same as in the blood stream - ie, you will lose a unit per hour. Alcohol doesn't "store" in breast-milk, but leaves it the same as it does the rest of your body.

I think, as mawbroon says, you can be fairly relaxed about having modest amounts - although undoubtedly some babies are bound to be more sensitive than others to the presence of alcohol. Must confess, I've been super cautious so far - mainly because alcohol affects my sleep and god knows I don't want anything to do the same to DD's, she wakes up enough as it is.

Aw, bethylou!! I hope the weather won't be too grizzly for you (and indeed, your two DS also!)

My DD is also propelling herself in circles mamaloco. I got woken from half sleep this morning by this as her legs unexpectedly landed on my arm. She's very pleased with herself about moving about, though!

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GuernseyFrench · 07/06/2010 14:56

A few day without posting, as I'm fighting another chest infection. Yepee

mamaloco DS also manage to move himself around his playmat.

We tried fruit puree but DS wasn't impressed by it. I think he still have his gagging reflex.

DS is on his 'bounce about' which you hang from the door frame. He loves it, especially as he sucks the strap!

He's trying to pull himself up as if he wants to seat up by himself. It actually looks like if he is doing some pull up!

galadriel77 · 07/06/2010 17:49

Hi All,

Not posted for ages as life is pretty hectic! Every time I manage to get on here it takes me so long to catch up on all the posts that I don't have time to post! Sorry about the essay below but it's been a while!

Had a pretty rough time with DD3 - she's now 18 weeks. The first 3 weeks or so she was very easy and then turned into a screaming monster. We couldn't put her down at all as she cried so much she would make herself throw up. Every time she went in the car seat she cried. We drove once for 50 minutes with her screaming (nothing would calm her down) and I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. Where was my easy 3rd child? It was very tough going - especially with a 3 yr old and a 4.5 yr old as well. I was just resigning myself to the fact that we had a screamy baby but the HV said it wasn't normal and suggested reflux at about 10 weeks. I disagreed as she was only a bit sicky and was gaining weight okay - very slowly but I wasn't worried. My first 2 had reflux but had no pain with it and were sorted with gaviscon. So they started her on gaviscon and within a week she gained 10 oz and was a bit more settled. But the screaming started up again and now she was constipated. So the doc switched her to Ranitidine and Domperidone and she is like a different child - it is amazing. She no longer screams the house down, smiles all the time and is generally quite lovely. I can leave her rolling around on the floor for an hour and she's brilliant!! I hate the thought that for 7 weeks she was in pain all the time. She's still a bit sicky but nothing like before.

So we've battled through 4 bouts of thrush (her) and horrible reflux. Her weight gain is a bit rubbish at the moment - she dropped over 2 centiles and the doc said if she dropped any more we had to see the paed at the hospital and I was under a lot of pressure to switch completely to bottle but refused as I have worked so hard to breastfeed.

She has been having 1 bottle of formula since about 7 weeks as I work one night a week and am rubbish at expressing. I gave into pressure and started giving her a second bottle 2 weeks ago as she only gained 1oz in 2 weeks. Since the 2nd bottle she has gained 15 oz in 2 weeks so I'm thinking my supply must be rubbish but I want to cry when I think about giving up feeding so I'm not going to. I am still feeding her 3 times a day and want to do that for as long as possible.

So life is tough with an 18week old DD and 3 yr old and 4.5 yr old DD's who are intent on killing each other whenever they can - I feel like a referee most days. I am also self employed and work part time running a slimming club so am beating myself up over the fact that I can't seem to shift the baby weight.

Sounds like I'm a right miserable git but I'm not really! DD sleeps like a dream; down at 7pm, bottle at 11pm and sleeps until 7am. It is probably the only reason why I am sane!!

Off to France in 5 weeks for a holiday - entire family plus dog on the ferry to stay with my inlaws so really looking forward to a break!

GuernseyFrench · 07/06/2010 18:09

galadriel welcome back. Poor you and DD. good it's sorted now. I've done the ferry crossing with DS at 14 weeks and it wasn't as bad I thought, but I don't have 2 older DD so it can't really be the same.

Are you also a mix language couple?

galadriel77 · 07/06/2010 20:54

GF - not mixed language unfortunately - my French is enough to order wine, moule frites and cheese - all I need really!

Dh's parents retired near La Rochelle. We go by night ferry Portsmouth - st. Malo. Do it every year with the kids and dog so fairly used to it. Cabin will be cramped though this year with 4 on bunks and the pop-up cot that wedges inbetween the bunks!! I do find that the kids when babies sleep really well on the boat due to the motion. I take a stugeron and have a glass of wine and sleep better than the kids!!

galadriel77 · 07/06/2010 21:14

GF - not mixed language unfortunately - my French is enough to order wine, moule frites and cheese - all I need really!

Dh's parents retired near La Rochelle. We go by night ferry Portsmouth - st. Malo. Do it every year with the kids and dog so fairly used to it. Cabin will be cramped though this year with 4 on bunks and the pop-up cot that wedges inbetween the bunks!! I do find that the kids when babies sleep really well on the boat due to the motion. I take a stugeron and have a glass of wine and sleep better than the kids!!

mawbroon · 08/06/2010 09:45

We took ds1 on the ferry for the first time when he was about 3 months. It was overnight from Newcastle to IJmuiden and was no hassle at all. I would say the only hassle now would be the price because we would now need a 4 berth cabin instead of a 2 berth!

DS2 is starting to be able to sleep on his own now. I put him in our bed and fed him to sleep at 8.30pm last night and he was still asleep when we went to bed at 10.30pm. Poor soul, I had to wake him to change his nappy, but then he went back to sleep no bother after a quick feed. DS1 slept all night (about bloody time after 4.5yrs of broken nights....) and ds2 only woke once to feed. And now, ds2 is asleep on his own in bed for a nap and ds1 is at nursery. I believe this is called time to myself. It's been so long that I can't rememeber!!!!

Absolutely pants weather here today. It;s been raining since Sunday and according to the forecast, it will be raining until Friday. Great eh?

GuernseyFrench · 08/06/2010 10:15

What an evening!

DS went to bed without a fuss at 7pm (his usual bedtime). Slept up to 10pm, DH went and gave him his dummy. 5mn later, DS is crying his head off, not really a tantrum but very loud. We tried feeding (not hungry), changing his nappy with no result, putting him back to bed (crying increased).
DH took him down to watch tv (it normally calm him) but it failed so I run a bath, stripped the boy and put him in the bath. It calmed him immediately, and after a few minutes, we had a smiley baby. Went to dress him back on his changing table and the crying started again... so back in the bath!
I finally managed to put him into his nappy and sleepsuit and sat on the sofa in his bedroom where after a story, a cuddle he went to sleep. From start to back to bed (still awake as as soon as I stood up he opened his eyes {grr] ) this took us 1&1/2 hours! Then he slept until am this morning.

I don't understand where this came from as he'll make a fuss at bedtime but not after 3 hours sleeping in his cot

I'm now wondering what tonight is going to bring us...