November 09 - solids and crawling underway but sleepless nights still here to stay!!

[scarlotti]

New and shiny thread

I tried to inform tax credits that me and DP are getting married. They didn't care

It is ridiculous isn't it? Mind you, I am rubbish at anything like that - reading instructions etc - it just makes my head spin. I can see why people avoid it and miss out.

Thank you, you lovely individuals Finally got through - he said my mother is stupid, and has sent me a claims form. Though he said they can only back track three months, so have missed out on 6 months worth, and it will go down when Bryn turns one. Thanks

Make sure you get everything else you're entitled to too! That form will just be for tax credits.

Nag nag nag.

I am a good nagger. I never give up, which DH will vouch for

I can do nagging - once I know I'm supposed to be nagging about!

Fantastic. this news has lifted my mood today. Keep us posted SB So pleased it's sorting itself out. Oh and yes, don't just stop there, get everything you're entitled to.

Forget all these fancy baby toys. C enjoys nothing more than a ball and a balloon! He is happily playing with a balloon as I type.

I excel at nagging as well.

funny moment ds has just informed me that for my birthday daddy is buying me some new boobies, "as yours are silly ones Mummy!"

Juicy

Fruitpastels I have just plonked Lucy in front of an old mirror to keep her occupied and let me get on with mumsnet work. So far so good...

SirBoob Excellent advice on here. Hope it spurs you on to stand up for what's due to you. Good luck!

Two kids getting molars. T two premolars, P secondary ones- 2. Send gin... or magic sleep replacement pill. Sob.

Turtle Ouchie!! Sending virtual sleep and painkilling vibes to LOs. Does it count if I have a glass of red in your name?

Meant to say, nice to hear from you Tamlin, hope you're settling in OK, especially now when you finally have your stuff ()

Helips sounds like you're doing well, too

SirB going back to your point on bf and feeling trapped - we're going to a wedding on the 28th. Child-free for a whole day and night. DREADING IT already. Lucy's really only used to me being there constantly, only just started to be OK left with DH and falling asleep with him instead of me around. I have not started her on bottle/cup and have no idea how she'll cope with no boob for over 24 hours. On the other hand I am hoping that - judging from the way she hoovers up food - she's not going to go on a hunger strike. It's really the emotional comfort I am worried about. Hers and PILs who are having her for that time. I go from wanting to smuggle her in for the wedding to thinking I'll just hit the champagne as soon as we get there so I don't think about it. Aaarrgghhh!!!

Juicy

Fruit I think you asked me way back when about almond butter? I found it in a health food store in Cambridge, along with a number of other nut butters.

Laugs Have a lovely holiday!

turtle owwww. So sorry.

skorpion Yikes! I say hit the champagne... not that I'm one to talk - at least your LO eats solids, so you know she won't starve. I can't imagine not bfing for 24 hours right now. Just going to cross that bridge when I come to it. You have some time to prepare, though, right? Try out the bottle before then?

SirB My sympathies on tracking down benefits. Had to do that here and they don't make it easy. I think I've applied four times now, because of various technicalities. This latest time I have to apply because I need proof that I've been denied benefits before I can schedule an appointment without health insurance.

Applied for a dream job this evening - been working on my resume & cover letter for weeks now and I finally sent them off. Er, sent the first e-mail without the resume but immediately sent another one with. Sigh.

Skorpion I'll be away for a 2 days and 1 night and I'm dreading leaving C. DH will be home with him and more than capable of getting him off to sleep. I worry about the comfort too. C is used to snuggling up to me at night and calls for me. I will be the hitting the wine and trying to enjoy my freedom!

Arrgghhh I'm so tired. C isn't sleeping. I have no idea why.

Forgot who mentioned about the programme 'Who Knows Best: Can't Sleep Kids' I have recorded it and need to find the time to watch it. It might make me feel better that I'm at least getting some sleep.

longway Thanks for the butter tip. I will look in our local health shop. Good luck with the job hunting.

Separation anxiety has landed. I hope this passes quickly.

I'm back off to bed. DH is taking over for an hour. Bliss

Oh Oh Oh! I won a case of wine on a competition on here! Much needed, I think! You're all invited to help me come and tackle it!

Skorpion can you not take her with you to the wedding? 24 hours is a long time... Though if she's a food monster then no worries really Will she take milk / water from a bottle or cup? Bryn, being the finicky child he is, took a bottle of EBM whilst I wasn't here, but then wouldn't take another one, and just drained me when I got back. I hope the wedding is fun though!

Longway how bloody awkward. I hope they sort it out quickly. And fingers crossed for the job

Fruit Bryn has been a nightmare the past few nights too, I think its because one of his teeth is very very close. I hope C starts sleeping better soon.

SirBoob Can't take her but am going to work on the cup for milk. And well done on the winnings!

Longway Good luck with the job!

Fruit When's your hen do? Sounds a major party, enjoy :)

I've just received an e-mail that Lucy's got a place in one of the Uni's nurseries. Hurrah!! Last time I spoke to them - in June - they told me I was number 159 in the queue, so not bat going. Although it makes the going back to work a very real thing. 1 November, not long to go at all :(

Skorpion you are so lucky, I had to apply to do an MA to get H into uni nursery in the end, we were top of the list for non students but about 950th on the list overall! Was devastated, ds went there and it was brill, never entered my head that they would not have room for H, we put her on the waiting list when she was less than the size of a pea! In meantime all the other nurseries got booked up and then we got the call to say they didn't think H could get in this year- argh! Meltdown time! Oh well, I had always meant to do my MA, just maybe not this year - with a 9 month old and on top of going back to work in a new job 20 miles commute away!!!!!

first day back at work on monday, can't believe how fast being pregnant and having 9 months maternity has gone, in some respects am looking fwd to it and DD2 went for first day at childminder and despite screaming when she was with anyone but me of dh she was happy as larry the whole day with her so they obv have the magic touch!

posted question on another thread re. asking if should go to aptamil 3 or not, didn't realise how emotive people got! i didn't even know such a thing existed, anyone changed? made any difference to their lives??

Morning all

5am my darling boy woke today - 5am!! His early morning feed is normally around 5am but today it was at 2am. What is going on? I am shattered. I have thoughts about giving up bf, although I only do 5am and 7pm so it's not that restrictive, but it isn't the nicest when you get chomped and pulled at 5am!

weston are you talking about follow on milk? I've been giving that at the dream feed since around 6 months. We use cow and gate so no idea about aptamil. Haven't read your other thread either so no idea what the resistance is! My HV told me that stage 1 and 2 milks are more regulated than the others, and so the others (i.e. 3's and onwards) contained more sugars. I compared the packets in the supermarket in detail, and what a load of rot! There's not much difference in them at all. Stage 3 has more iron but the sugar and calorie content is the same. I now use Good night milk for the dream feed as it contains rice flakes. That has definitely bought me an extra hour or so of sleep - well other than today

been lurking for a while but can't remember all your news, so good luck to all going back to work, great news on those nurseries and childminders, fingers crossed for all escaping mummies - champagne is definitely the way to go!
When I went back to work, Ioan didn't take any milk whilst I was away and just waited until I got back. He ate solids. It's quite common so don't worry.

Here we've had teeth playing up but no sign of any more just yet. Have been doing some extra hours at work so pretty busy.
DH and I have also decided on a trial separation. Last Tuesday's relate session was tough where it was agreed, but since then things have been easier as it sinks in. This Tuesday will be a session to sort out the practicalities and what it all means in reality. I don't know yet whether it will be a permanent thing or a temporary thing, but it does feel like the right thing for us to move forward, wherever that ends up being.

Scarlotti I really hope things work out for you, moving forwards is a good thing even if it's moving forwards to this trial separation- far worse is to sit stagnating and going back and forth over things constantly with no resolution (that's what I tend to do and it's not helpful!!)

scarlotti I'm really sorry to hear about the trial separation. :( I hope you get more sleep soon x

Morning everyone! I survived the camping! And weirdly, bear cub slept much better there than he did/does at home he woke once through the night each night for a feed, and went back to sleep in the morning in bed with us, and one morning he stayed in bed asleep while we all got up! He even grumbled at DD for waking him up, rolled over and went back to sleep once . He had NO routine whatsoever, and both the children went to bed between 9-10pm, although DS was nearer 9pm and DD nearer 10pm (maybe later ). First night back and he slept from 8:30pm-5am then woke and fussed til 7am, then last night he slept 8pm-midnight, then woke probably 1.5hourly! I shall be setting the tent up in the garden and he can sleep there . He did a lot of crawling, moving, standing, and had a LOT of fresh air, and also slept probably 3 hours each day, as we went places in the car. It was, all in all a great trip, DD spent time with her cousins and had a great time, did not want to come home, cried in the car on the way back after waking up from a sleep, proper big wet sad tears (not regular, usually they are frustration tears), just rolled down her cheeks 'i don't want my holiday to stop, i want to live in the tent forever ' bless!

While we were away, bear cub learnt to clap, from that throwing his hands together in some fashion as he had been doing for a couple of days, to proper clapping, can't seem to stop now though! He has a second tooth, likes to rip things with his first tooth as its through properly now, he says mummummummumma so beautifully now, and crawls towards me purposefully now.

scarlotti I am so sorry things have got to this stage with you and DH, I hope that however the future pans out for you both you can be happier at home. I hope you can resolve things and get back together, but if you can't you have tried as hard as you can to make things work at least you can know that whatever happens is the right thing for you and the family.

Sorry for not responding to other posts. I missed a lot!

sorry to hear about the trial separation scarlotti I agree with yikes about it being a good thing to move forwards, even if its not the outcome you would have liked to have seen happen.

nice to see you back Pav and glad you had a good time away and that the bearcub slept well.

Thanks for all the support ladies.

Pav glad the camping was a roaring success

Oh, sorry to hear your news, Scarlotti. I hope you can both work out a good solution for a happy future life. Best wishes.

Pavlov how lovely. Glad the camping trip went so well.

Yikes thanks, I know it's very lucky to have got a place. Especially as I had already given up on that option. Good luck with your course - that's as good a motivation as any I guess.

I'm going to visit the nursery in a couple of hours, bit nervous. But it is a formality, it's not like I can turn my nose up at anything there, this is really the only choice I have. At least DH says this'll look great on Lucy's cv

skorpion thanks.

When DD was little I went to Uni (she was just over 1 when I started) and so went to Uni nursery. She loved it (which was just as well!) and it was great to be at Uni and then have her there - we used to go to the cafe for a bacon sarnie and stuff like that! Makes you feel like a right funky mummy taking your DD to Uni!!

Scarlotti So sorry to hear your news. Has your DH moved out of the home? You know that you can always talk to us.

Pav Welcome back. Glad the camping went well.

Skorpion That's great news