New thread time ladies

http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/forums/ind...howtopic=760274

GOLD for me.

told you i have nothing better to do than be on here all day.

kylie hope your day gets better. i went for a walk down to the post office this morning and made me feel a bit lighter and happier, so maybe a walk is what you need. hope its not too hot in melbourne for you today.

put the baby einstein sample dvd on for emily just before. she loved it and was fixated on the tv. seriously, what is it about kids shows that do that to babies. so wierd.

oooh. sounds like someone is hungry....

silver

Hey girls....

Kylie - OM*G what a biatch that lady is..... Im waiting for someone to comment on Lucas' size he is GINORMOUS!!! That poor girl... good on you for comforting her though just because formula fed babies are well fed they get all the nutrients they need. BF babies the way I see it is they'd only get nutrients from the mother and that would depend on what the mother has eaten..... so they may not get EVERYTHING they need. Chubby babies lose all the chubb once they start crawling! Jacob was as chubby as Lucas and now Jake is skin and bones and has never showed any signs of chubbyness since being a baby. Load of Croak that babies can get eating disorders from being formula fed! Makes me so damn angry - Weight, oh no 800g might not be anything maybe just some extra fluid or if you hadnt gone to the toilet that day! LOL I hope your paed sorts everything out for E, poor lil guy must be why his so screamy all the time poor lil might has pain in his tummy and shoulder keep strong chick, things will be better soon xx

Bee - Lucas is showing interest in food already! his only 3.5months he watches us eat and I feel guilty eating in front of him LOL My Jake started Kinder today..... read below for the full story!

Jess - No hormonal issues here..... yeh I do get teary sometimes at movies or when I miss DP but nothing out of the norm for me.... Maybe meet you SIL at a park so the 4yo can play and wont annoy you and ask to go home lol. Gets some fish and chips to eat or something Jakes kinder story down below!

AFM

Ok so this morning Jake started Kindergarten..... I had a lil trouble convincing him to get dressed ready for school and I bargained with him and said just go today and see how you like it! its only for 2.5hours today and thursday so not long at all. So he got dressed, kept asking to go now cause we got ready to early i made it that way cause we know how unpredictable babies are but I gave Lucas a feed 40mins before we left so no trouble with him! we get to kinder class we put his bag down get his drink, fruit and books out ready. Then the teacher tells us what to do before we enter the class so we go in put his fruit and drink down then he choses his seat sits there all happy and eager to start painting (they had paint on the tables ready to go) but then i say ok mums gotta go now ill be back at 11 o'clock and he said nooo you cant go, so he started crying telling me noo, so i took him to the teacher told her he was upset and she told me to say goodbye and just leave as quick as you can so i did, he screamed! he grabbed me but i just kept walking, it was heartbreaking but im sure his fine now having fun! Cant wait to pick him up in an hour to see how he went I look forward to a painting he done for me lol

Bah, was all ready to post then fidget bum starts stirring in the sling...lunch time!

Back later

OH so quite in here, we need Mandy back

Leish ~ Im so sorry you went through such a rough time. I had an awful time with Rylie when she was born. I was only anle to feed her for 2 eeks then DH dragged me down to chemist to buy formula cause i couldnt get her to attach properly and my nipples were so sore i sat there in tears each time i fed her. (he dragged me cause i was so damn stubborn and he could see how much pain i was in) i was given no BF support at the hospital and was never taught how to attach her and how to
OH GOD how horrible it must have been for you to leave him like that I couldnt have done it!


India ~ Awwwwww thankyou Im glad to hear India is such a good bub. Your lucky she is such a good sleeper

Kylie ~ My girls were chubby on Breast milk AND on formula. I dont think it means they are being fed too much. Some people are just way too big for their boots if you ask me, who is she to say she is feeding her baby too much? how the hell does she know? How nice of you to console that poor lady.
Oh you should see all the other sigs that were made aswell charlie23 really does do and amazing job.
Oh i hope Evans lil arms is ok. Mabe you could ring a few places and see if you can now get in earlier because he may have a problem with his shoulder?
I wonder if your "black cloud" days are because you are staying home so much? i get like that when i am home for a few days so try to get out of the house daily. Even if it is just going for a walk.

Bee ~ Goodluck with Kinder tomorrow. DD had her orientation day yesterday and her first official day of Kinder is on Thursday, she is so excited and not fazed at all that i will not be there this time. I am amazed as she has never been left in the care of anyone other than DH, my mum, dad and/or sisters.
Im a Vid girl and would LOVE a meet up

Jess ~ HE HE im still a sooky lala too. But i never got over it from DD1's pregnancy lol. OMG i have never heard the Pinocchio story where he dies? i have only ever watched the movie.
Could you go to a play center where SIL's 4yo can play and you can have a good gasbag?
Micah is OBSESSED with the tv. No matter where i put his playmat he will twist and turn until he can see the tv lol.


AFM ~ Had a rather quite day today. Went Shopping thismorning where i tore my toe nail of when i whacked it on the wheel of the trolley. F*** it hurt. i then had to finish putting the shopping in the car, take the kids back out the car to return the trolley and then walk back to the car, get them in and drive home. So now i walk like a "nincompoop" according to Rylie lol.

Im really relieved atm cause DH's boss has gone away on holidays leaving DH to run the whole shop. (DH is a boiler maker and currently the company is making trailers) DH is the only employee and so he is running the front, where all sales take place. Which means tending to customers, answering phones, taking orders, answering e-mails ect. Then he is also expected to be waaaaaaaaaay down the other end of the Factory building the trailers. Well DH has finally said enough is enough and he isnt going to be working as many hours anymore, so when his boss gets back he will be telling him he wants to drop some hours. This is music to my ears. He currently works 6 days a week. He leaves hours before any of us are up and is often not home until the girls go to bed. Which leaves us with only Sunday together. So needless to say with 3 lil monkeys i am a lil frazzled by the end of the day.

I hope that makes sense lol, i have bee writing this post since this morning but keep on getting interrupted lol.

have a good night all

jess i am not sure if the pinocchio story i have is the original one, but pinocchio saves gisseppe from a whale, and when gisseppe wakes up pinocchio is lifeless (which means dead in adult terms) but the next morning the fairy turns him into a boy.

its great that your DH is talking about reducing his hours, must be really hard on both of you.

leish how did jake end up at school yesterday?

well thats it for personals COS NO ONE ELSE HAS POSTED. hahaha.

DH and i had a big talk about moving last night. looks like we will definately have to sell our unit, we could keep up with the repayments now if we keep it as an investment property, but if interest rates rise we'll be screwed. i think he is still not 100% on moving, but he is happy to if we find the right place.

so i was looking at houses all last night, and only found 1 that i would even look at. so i emailed them, so hopefully i can get in today to see it.

it was really annoying cos i was pretty much looking at houses anywhere in the shire, and came across some at lilli pilli that were SO SO SO cheap. we could have bought a 5 br house for $419k where they are usually closer to $1million. and we got so excited, thinking our mortgage would be for $200k less than we thought, and turns out there is another lilli pilli near batemans bay (down past ulladulla) i was so angry, cos these properties were in the "suggested nearby areas" section. yeah right, real nearby.

and there is heaps of work we have to do to our unit before we can sell it, so i will be busy doing paint touch ups and cleaning for the next few weeks. fun.

Jess ~ WOW i dont think i like that Pinocchio lol.
How annoying abot those properties, where do they come up with names like "lilli pilli" and "ulladulla"??????????? LOL

AFM ~ Not much here today, trying to make the most of my last non busy day for a few weeks. Tomorrow Rylie officially starts kinder. Might take the girls down to the park after Micah's 9:30 feed. I haven't taken them in a while how bad is that. I love taking them but i dred Amahlee running of and having to leave Rylie with the pram while i chase her or Micah getting super cranky and have to settle him while watching/running after the girls.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Ill check back when we get home....i bet nobody else will have posted pmsl

Jess - He went well, he was fine after I left. Im sure he was just a lil sad for a bit but then got into it. He said they had cupcakes, cause it was someones birthday. They danced to the wiggles, had a story read to them and ate some apple. Thats all we got out of him LOL he doesnt know any names yet haha apart from his teacher Mrs Collins. But when he came out when I picked him up the first thing he said was I missed ya! awwwwwww then he said he had fun..... so I think we're gonna be ok on Thursday, maybe a lil sad but dont think there will be tears or screaming lol he knows now that im coming back to get him and that his there to have fun

AFM

DH leaves for Bali tonight..... his mates are picking him up at 12 tonight. I really dont want him to go, we're going to miss him, and Jacob is going to constantly ask where daddy is and when is he coming home. I scared to be a single mum for 4 days.... what if something happens, like a robber, or one of the kids get sick or hurt hhhhhhhhuh scary. I was gonna go with mum to wrestling on saturday night just to get out but now shes cancelled that on me so I have no idea what im gonna do..... she wont be home all weekend because she starts holidays saturday so she'll be out on the p*ss my mother is a 20 year old stuck in a 40year olds body LOL. Chris gets home tuesday morning but Jake wont get to see him till after school he has a full day tuesday so thats gonna be tuff on the lil guy, his dads his everything!

Lucas is making so much noise lately its sooo cute! his gonna be a chatter box hehe when he wakes up in his cot he just lays there and talks hahaha funny bubba

Hello Everyone!!

Yes I am still around!! So sorry I have been a slack at posting - been so busy with mil here& the girls going back to school.

Well I did another couple of tests & they were all bfn's. Not really ready for a fourth yet anyway - way too busy with J!!

Kylie - feel free to pm me & I can give you the name of a fantastic paed from the children's hospital. He was fantastic with J. I am also struggling on the going back to work front. I have several options to look at, however I honestly just really wat to stay at home with J & the girls. I have absoloutly loved being able to take & pick them up from school - something that I haven't really been able to do as I worked full time & I was in a high pressure management role also.

mummylovesthem - I feel for you with your DH going to Bali.

jess869 - How exciting about buying another house!!

Well ladies that is my poor attempt at personals - I will be back later, when the kids go to bed & DH is watching tv (as usual!!)

Hope everyone is well.

Morning ( just) ladies.
Well this morning was the first Kinder morning. It wasn't really a kinder session, it was more about making sure we filled out the forms properly and had all the info they needed... must get Imy's 3 1/2 yo assessment done... now that she is 5 this year in Aug. Ooops! (2nd child syndrome?)

I begged Nick to drop Sophie off at school this morning so that I could take Imogen and stay with her during the 90min session they had set up for a few parents at the Kinder, but he wouldn't.
Imy was fine at the kinder, didn't want to come and drop her big sister off at all, wanted to stay at the Kinder, but wasn't allowed to without a parent. So we all trundled over to the school and then Sophie put on the water works.. .Grrrr. tomorrow better be better.

I have looked into doing a massage diploma this year instead of going back to work. There is a learning grant for anyone (VIC) not sure if it is nationwide or not) who is over 20, has not earned a diploma or higher at the moment. They will pay anything over $2000 dollars a year towards your course fee. Plus the hours are Wednesday nights and weekends, so I won't need extra childcare etc.

Oh poop Myley bug is hungry.

Miinii, Kyles, Sharna and Nat... when shall we catch up?

Quickie, E is being a little so and so...Melb ladies, I'm free any time except Thursday afternoons...what a life I lead!

All this talk of TTC and possible pregnancies Wow! We are SO at the other end of the spectrum - DH has his vasectomy booked for later this month Poor guy.

Bee - the massage course sounds great Nice way to ease back into things with 2 kids as well. I'm on the countdown to my return to work - less than a year to go now. I'm trying to make the most of it cos once I'm back it's until I retire, lol.

3 stars - Are you disappointed? You seem okay - too busy to think about anything, huh! If you go back to work when will it be?

mummylovesthem - Awww, I love kindy! You were lucky to get that small bit out of him. 2 years ago when my DD started I got nothing out of her. I SO miss my kindy class from last year....they're all big year 1 kids now.

miinii - I haven't done a park run in ages either. It's been either really hot or rainy so that's my excuse My goodness - that's a lot of time for your DH to be away from the home. If it were me I'd have had a nervous breakdown by now. The reduced hours sound like a good idea.

Jess - How exciting looking at houses! The prices in your area are insane. Makes me wonder how average people afford them but obviously they do.

My little boy cracks me up. It's so nice to see snippets of his personality coming through. Every time I place him on his tummy for tummy time he instantly rolls on his back so he can stuff his fingers in his mouth and relax. Such a chilled bubba but lazy too, lol.

ETA - Is there a Sydney catch up planned for this month?

Quick one from me too!

I think we organised to meet up on Friday February 12......The venue is still a bit up in the air....we were thinking either IKEA restaurant or Bicentennial Park again.....depends on the weather I guess....

Koiles - How are you feeling hunny? I am so sorry about E's shoulder and how you feel like you are constantly being kicked while you're down hunny. It sucks so much. I could seriously B*tch Slap that woman who said that, it seems like everyone is a Fr*ggen Child Care expert these days offering their opinions. Benny is a massive Boof at over 7.5kg which is in the 97th percentile for his age and he is solely Breastfed, seriouls Who gives a rats if the bub is bottle or breastfed, Harry was bottle/Breast fed after his Reflux, Colic was too hard to BF all the time and he was smaller than Ben is now. I just don't know where people get off these days.


Jess - Aww that is so sweet you chocked up reading that story, if it is any help i am the same normally without the hormones (Hopeless I know) but I have noticed in the last week I have cried every day over something and I feel very hormonal inside a bit unsettled, I wonder if it is just the body getting back to normal? I hope your feeling better now .


Bee - That Massage diploma sounds amazing!!! Good on you hunny. That is really exciting.


Freyja - Wow how is your DH feeling about the whole thing? Aww your little man sounds so sweet! Glad he is such a cruiser for you.


Mummylovesthem - Ohh hunny sorry your DH is going away, I hate it when mine is away. He works away heaps, he was away for a full week when Ben was only a week old and it crushed me. Plus Harry was so upset, I am hoping that the time goes quickly for you and that you get some sleep at nights, it can be very unsettling without the man of the house around, Harry wanted to sleep in DH's spot so it was nice and then he told me it was becuase he needed to keep me and Benny safe maybe J can sleep in with you?

Miinii - Don't feel bad about not taking the kids to the park, it is near impossible with little ones, I rarely get to take Harry either (and I feel bad too) but for now it is just too hard. Good Luck with RIley starting kindy tomorrow


AFM - Feeling pretty down in the dumps the last few days, I hate this hormonal crap. Anyway was supposed to catch up with a friend and I just can't be bothered (Terrible isn't it) so I am having a quiet day today sorting stuff out. Is there ever a Brissy/Sunny Coast Catch up?

Finally got a bit of time, E seems to be amusing himself in his bouncer...for now anyway! Nope spoke too soon, sling it is.

Jess miinii I get out and take E for a walk every day - I don't care if he screams in the pram, but I've stopped taking him anywhere else unless I have to . I think my black cloud days are just me feeling sorry for myself and I really need to snap out of it...I feel totally ripped off with my pregnancy, birth and now with how difficult Evan is...I don't even want to go to mothers group anymore. Everyone there rocks up and their babies ALL lie on the mats next to each other gurgling and smiling or sleeping, have the occasional cry and other than that they're happy...I can't even put Evan on the playmat for 5 seconds, and I miss out on half the session walking up and down with him outside the room trying to calm him down...when I do walk back in I get pity looks. It's so embarrassing. I am embarrassed to take him out in public, because everyone stares at me...and I know they're staring because pre-Evan I would have been looking at other people thinking the same things they're thinking about me now! I know it will get better, I just have to try and be patient. OUCH to the toenail, reading that made me cringe, I've done that before and it freaking hurts!!

Jess 869 how exciting you're thinking of moving!

Leish so glad Jake had a good first day, he looks so grown up in his school photos you posted on fb . I'm sure you'll be fine while DP is away...having said that my DH went away for a week while I was preg and I went and stayed with the ILs because I was too scared on my own lol. Hopefully Jake will have so many new things happemimg at school it might help him take his mind off the fact his dad isn't there...fingers crossed!

Sharna I will definitely pm you for the number of the paed. DH may be getting a substantial pay rise so if he does I'll only need to work 2 days instead of 3 which would be lovely...I think I'd enjoy that time away from it all. I'm looking at retail jobs now...don't have the headspace for anything more at the moment I don't think! How is J going now?

Bee what an awesome idea to go and study! I've been wanting to do an aged care diploma but always put it off, I might check out that grant...hey if I can wipe Evan's butt I may as well help the elderly! How come Nick wouldn't drop Sophie off...did he anticipate there'd be waterworks? Rude!

Kristy lol the TTC talk freaks me out too...I am positively obsessive when it comes to taking the pill every day and I told DH he has to use condoms because I'm not taking any chances he wasn't too thrilled with that so I can't see it lasting. Haha that's one way to avoid tummy time, just get really good at rolling!

Ali I'm feeling ok...kind of go up and down, I had a big long chat with my mum on the phone this morning so felt better after that. Just a bit over it, I want some good things to happen, plus it would be nice to leave the house with E without feeling embarrassed...I had to cancel Babyroo for him, which I was actually looking forward to as well. sorry you're not in the best mood either . Did you work out what to do with feeding Benny while you work?

AFM so much for the diet...it's so hot in the house so I'm pigging out on icecream...mmm. Can't see this tub making it through the day!

OMG you guys!! STUFF ZUMBA.... GET JUST DANCE. for the Wii its totally AWESOME! haha ok so Im a little excited hahahaha, I tried zumba and I got bored after 10mins cause the music sucks but with just dance its all dance songs so you totally groove out to it its great and im so totally breathless now and sweaty and want to keep going but had to stop cause Lucas done a poop hahaha but im getting back on after lunch its so fun! although it cost me $70 but worth it.... Im gonna have a comp with DP later when he gets home ROFL.

Ohhhhh DP is so sweet, he has 5 days off after he returns from Bali and he said that he wants me to go out get my hair done, nails , go shopping anything I want he said its my week next week. Nawwwww and he said he wont be doing this trip without me ever again finally got through to him that things arent fair! feel better now, and I know ill be fine without him but we will miss him soooo much and ill worry about him the whole time! they're going white water rafting....talk about putting yourself in danger

God help me tomorrow, Jake has already said he doesnt want to goto school

Koiles - Sorry you had to cancel babyroo , Hunny, you shouldnt ever be embarressed about anything, You are doing an amazing job. I can't tell you how much your words hit home with me when I had Harry, it is the hardest job in the world that you have and it feels like it is never going to get better and you feel p*ssed off when you look at all those other babies who are cooing and making smiles at their parents when yours is arching his back and screaming the house down, honestly I did the same locked myself away as I though people used to look at me with a screaming baby like "get you crap together woman" but in all honesty looking back they weren't thinking that at all. I also hated those bloody Huggies adds and think that kind of stuff just does not happen in real life, They shoot those adds with the adorable baby gazing into their mothers eyes. it was never like that for me, looking back over the time with Harry as a baby I still get chills from how hard it was, but honestly when he turned a corner boy did he make up for it, he was such a kind little soul he still is today, considerate and loving and what I went through with him really prepared me for so many things.

Hey Girls

What a crazy day I've had!! If you have seen my FB you would have seen that my DD covered herself in with texta while I was on the phone she has never done anything thing like this before...I was so cranky with her!

I'm pretty sure H is cutting his first tooth,it's looks like it's just about to cut through He is too little to have teeth,why can't he stay a baby

I think it was Rach that asked how I got H out of the wrap??? I started wrapping him with one arm in,one out and then with the weather being soooo hot I stopped wrapping him in the day and then stopped the night as well.He wasn't phased by it at all

Arghhhh just when I get 5 minutes to sit down H wakes up
I won't be able to make the Sydney meet if it is on the 12th.... we are going away for the weekend....

I will try and BBL
Jo

Hi girlies!!

So sorry i havent been in for a while!! Like everyone else, i get to read and catch up and then one of thekids need something just as i go to post. I swear everytime i sit in the computer chair right at that second Phoebe starts whinging - the girl has timing!

Kylie - oh honey i'm so sorry things are so tough for you It really isnt fair!! I so hope that everything that is happening settles down soon and you can start enjoying your little man. You so deserve a break. Look after yourself and remember we are all always here for you (and feel free to PM here or on FB if you ever need a chat) xoxoxo

Leish - that is SO awesome that you will be getting all that time to yourself next week! Yay to your DH realising!!! So cool the Wii Dance thingo is so good too. If i wasnt so unco i might try it....but could be a scary/funny site

Jo Foxy - ooops about the texta! Little munchkin! Amy has done the same thing - grrrr! Hope H's tooth doesnt bother him too much!

Poo Phoebe is just stirring.....

AFM - things are going quite well. Phoebe is being a bit of a bum with her sleeping cause now that she is rolling keeps rolling over in her sleep and waking herself up Cute though hehe I'm sure she'll work it out soon enough!! And she has had very red cheeks the last couple of days, so that tooth that she got a while back that went back down must be on its way up again - joy!

Amy is still being a handful, but i think she is getting a bit better. Having her in daycare 2 days a week is such a lifesaver, cause i have really been at the end of my tether. But i can see a light at the end of the tunnel now. I know its just terrible twos (well i hope thats what it is anyway lol) and she will grow out of it, but sheeeesh!

Ok, really better go. Sorry for my lame personal attempt. Thinking of everyone and enjoying keeping up on FB too. Take care girls xoxoxox

I can't live in denial any longer...I'm not coping. On good days I'm fine, but on bad days it's just not good. I spent 2hrs this evening sitting on my bed holding E while he screamed and just bawled my eyes out myself. DH came home from work and I just handed E to him and walked out of the room...poor DH didn't know what he'd walked in to, both of us crying. We gave E his bath then DH fed him and he told me to get out of the house for a while...when I came back it was 30mins past E's bedtime and he was still wide awake and DH couldn't settle him, really sh*ts me because it's not a hard routine. I settled him and put him to bed, but now he's awake again, the whole night routine is down the toilet, so much for a break.

BBL he's crying again.

Oh, and please don't post anything on FB...I don't want my friends and family knowing how much I'm struggling, I'll tell them later.

awww Kylie you poor darling I really wish I could help you in some way. I really hope you get the answers you need to make E better really soon sweety this isnt fair for either of you xx

kylie im sorry your having such a sh*tty time. i know that its not likely, but if i can do anything to help let me know. sending you a really big hug.

Hey Koiles... hun, give yourself a break mentally. You are doing what you can, and yes you have been handed a challenge with the Colic and reflux, but you and hubby are doing a great job. Other than the colic, E is healthy.Feeling helpless about your babies ills is just gutting.
I'm serious about what I said previously this evening. You know I'm not more than 10mins away. Let's meet up at Southland or there is a coffee shop/ baby play centre in Bentleigh area on either North or Centre Rd that specifically caters for babies and kids under two....well there was when Imy was born. Shall I look into it?
I just don't want you to drown thinking there is no one near by that will come be with you.
Call me when you need me.

Will be back later.

Hello hello.. i have been reading but haven't been writing.. I can barely keep up with Facebook these days!! Babies.. I tell you.

thetucker - yes yes yes.. bne/sunshine coast catch up would be great.. How many of us are there?? Lets do it.. this month

koiles - xoxox

AFM - Oliver started swimming this week and loved it.. He's a little fish... He has just hit the 7kg mark and into 00 - i think i am in denial as i keep trying to squeeze him into 000 cos he is growing up so fast. I have gone back to hockey, which is helping me lose my baby weight real fast! got 5 kgs to go to pre baby, but would like to lose another 5kg..

I am back to work 1.5 days per week which works out well cos Mum or Cara have him on their days off.

Hoping everyone is doing well and am looking forward to hearing from the Bne girls to catch up soon!

raky

Hi ladies.

Have so much to catch up on but I don't have the time nor the desire right now to do so. Having a few problems here at the moment (nothing to do with Kai) and need to take a step back from being online.
I deactivated my FB account this afternoon but it's only temporary. Once things are sorted out and under control I'll reactivate it.

Anyway, just wanted to say if it seems like I've dropped off the face of the earth I guess I have in way but I'll be coming back soon enough. Just not sure when.

Think about you all and your babies all the time and I hope everyone is doing well.

I'll see you when I see you.

Deb
xxx

Kylie - from someone who's walked a year in your shoes, please go and talk to someone about it NOW. You NEED to talk to your family about it too. The biggest mistake I made was not sharing it around and then I ended up with PND and I really missed out on so much that first year of her life. I will PM you my home phone number hon, you need to talk to EVERYONE about it or you will lose your mind (trust me). Your family will want to help you and they will be upset if you don't tell them about it. I didn't tell my family about not coping with DD's reflux and ALL day screaming until 2 years later when I finally blurted it out in an argument with my mother......she was really devasted. People want to help you hon, so let them.

Thinking of you xxx

Rach

Kylie- I agree with what Rach has said you need to tell your family and friends that you aren't coping. Even if you start with just your Mum or someone you are close to and go from there.
You are doing a great job with Evan and I really hope one of these Dr's can do something to help him.
Try and keep going to your Mother's group meetings,it's good for you to be out and with other Mum's and they can be a fantastic support group for you..My Mum's group was my saving grace and that's where I met 2 of my best friends.
You always have us to turn too whenever you need.......even if you can't catch someone on here I'm sure 1 of us would be on FB!
Just take it one day at a time and worry about tomorrow when it happens. Sending you

To the girls who are worrying they are on EB too much...don't worry about it!! When i had M i went from a fulltime management role to being at home fulltime and it was a huge shock!! I felt like I had sooooo much time and didn't know what to do with myself and I used to chat on another parenting website as I didn't know about EB As M got older I became busier as she needed more attention and now that I have 2 I feel like I have no time at all So enjoy it!!

Deb-hope everything is ok hun,hope to hear from you soon

It's a rainy day in Sydney today....I feel like laying in bed watching DVD's.My sister lent me the 4 seasons of Jon & Kate plus 8 and I'm so in love with that show right now....such a shame they split up! I told DH I want 8 kids and he nearly fell over

Well I best be off,today is M's swimming day....I think I might leave H with DH I really can't be bothered dragging him and a pram around in the rain!

Have a great day everyone!
Jo

Kylie - I agree with the girls too.. your family loves you no matter what and they will help any way they can.. dont shut them out.. I guarantee your mum will be on first flight out if she knows she can help you in any way!

Like I said last night.. you are doing a fantastic job with Evan.. i take my hat off to you!

Deb - hope everything is ok... Look forward to you being back on line.

Jo - wishing it was raining here again today.. It's already too hot!

AFM - I am off to Bingo today (dont laugh) I actually quite like it. My sister wants to take Ollie shopping for a few hours so DP and I are heading out to have some fun!

Have a great day ladies!

raky

haven't been online much - sorry just been busy...

another quickie now, as i'm about to take Liam to his first music lesson, and to send (((hugs))) to Kylie and really to second what everyone else has said about talking to your family and friends about it. get them to help you - even if it constis of listening to you vent about your day. For your sanity please (((hugs))) It may not look liek much but getting it out in the open helps enormously. I'd offer to come over for a coffee but it's a bit of a trip from Brisvegas...lol
As for mothers group - are there any of the girls you feel closer to than others? maybe arrange a coffee or something with them - things will improve and you will see that althoguh it looks like all their babies are wonderful and have no issues, thats really not true. All babies are different and all mums have issues with them at some point in their first year - whether it's reflux, lack of sleep, feeding, not crawling, not walking, not babbling, not developing or a combinataion of any number of other things. Newly formed mothers group are the pits as everyone is trying to show how easy it is and how they're coping, but the truth of the matter is that there are probabably mums out there that are not coping like you - they just hide it better. This is from my experience - ie from someone who has been in your shoes with a colicky and refluxy baby and felt the same going to those MG meetings....


and raky - don't feel bad - Alex has just hit 8kg fully BF, and i'm just about to put him into 0 clothes. tehy grow so fast!

I was just reading but had to reply to Kylie : Was going to say what Rachel said - she hit it on the head. You must reach out. I'd even go as far suggesting you see your doctor for a referral to a psychologist as they have great ideas on how to cope with different things and the talking really helps. I've been there

Deb - Hope you get everything sorted and see you back here in no time I totally understand the need to step back from the computer sometimes.

Raky - Back to work - good on you!

Owen is waking so I must go.

Hi girls.

How are you doing today Kylie? I get why you wouldnt want to tell your family and friends your struggling I have the same issues. Although I am not struggling nearly as much as you. But I do agree with the girls please call your mum get her to come stay with you until E gets into the doctor, just so you have someone with you for support until things get sorted out. You need someone sweetie you cant do this on your own.

Chris left this morning for Bali, I feel so lonely but Jake and I have something planned for most days. Tomorrow we're going to feed the duckies at the pond and have a play at the playground, saturday is movie day as its supposed to rain and sunday we're gonna go see my mum and little bro & sis who he adores and monday Im not totally sure yet lol then tuesday daddy is gonna pick him up from school.

Thanks everyone, don’t know what I’d do without you lot . I took your advice and told my mum...well sent her a text, if I phoned she wouldn’t be able to make sense of me through the blubbering lol. She’s out with a friend but will call me this afternoon. Mum’s been through depression so she’ll kind of know how I’m feeling I guess. I also told another close friend. I don’t really feel comfortable talking about it at mums group...to be honest I hardly get a chance to talk to anyone in between trying to settle E – don’t feel like I’ve made any friends they all just feel sorry for me, but it’s only been a few weeks. I might ask the MCHN after the meeting though, but in reality, I can’t see anything getting better with me until E gets better.

Just in case I freaked anyone out, I’m not in a state where I’d hurt E or myself, no where near it...I think the word despair fits better than depression, I just feel so helpless. His cry is like a knife in me and it just goes on all day long...he doesn’t even have a ‘nice’ cry, he sounds like a bloody animal, it’s all in his throat! I have many more good days where I manage fine than I do bad days.

I told DH I wasn’t going to mums group today and I was cancelling E’s chiro appt so I could stay home...then I dug out the depression leaflet I got at hospital and the first thing on it is isolating yourself...so I took E to chiro and I’m forcing myself to go to mums group soon .

Chiro said E’s shoulder had made no improvement so she did a more aggressive move on it today, so fingers crossed. Back again on Tuesday.

Oh Koiles hunny, I am so sorry that you are going through this nightmare. I think it is amazing that you text your mum, it is always so hard to do but you;'ve done it, good on you hunny. I never thought for a second you would hurt E but I do know how disheartening it is and how heartbreaking it is to feel helpless in easing their pain. You're doing an amazing job sweetie you should be proud of yourself and if you need a day at home some time dont push yourself your entitled to be at home alone.

I will do persies later I have a grissley boy on my hands at the momentRaky - you're on for that catch up

Kylie - I never thought you'd harm E. I was never like that either with my PND (and I'm not saying that you have PND either). For me it was just a feeling of extreme separateness from the world and isolation. I barely left my house and when I did it was only briefly and I felt very panicky about how DD was going to behave (i.e. would she scream loud or louder). Hence I made no mummy-friends and had no one to turn to (or so I felt). I wish I'd reached out to other people at the time.

Really glad you've made the effort to go to the Chiro and good on you for going to mum's group. I hope your chat with your mum goes ok this afternoon. Make sure you tell her everything.



Rach

Leisha - Forgot to quickly add for you hun, things that helped me feel more secure when DH was away as I was seriously afraid of being alone too. Keep a pair of his shoes & Socks at the front door (make it look like he has just come home and taken his shoes off at the front door). I would also tell my neighbours (if you trust them) that he is away and get their numbers just incase and have the phone by my bedside table. I would lock up the house before it got dark so I knew that the house was secure. I would also tell myself that nothing had ever happened while he was here so the odds of it happening while he was away were the same. I would also keep my car parked out in the drive way instead of being put away in the garage. They are only small things but they all added up to making me feel a little safer. Good Luck Hun.

I am off to try to express ahead of work on Sat, wish me luck.


ETA - Rach I hear so much I myself with Harry when reading your words. As reading Kylies takes me straight back there again.

Kylie
You're being so grown up about this I just sook! No that I'm going through anything near what you are...
I hope your Mum can help you. Fingers crossed that Evan turns a corner soon and can return all the love that you have given him

Alisha
Hope the time goes quickly for you with Chris being away. It must be so hard being with someone who does shift work and odd hours!

Hi Ali

Hi Marina

Raky
Bingo sounds awesome!! I would love that hehe
I might look into it actually! Although I suppose you can't really take a baby along can you :|

Deb
Hope everything is ok

Jo
I hear you on watching DVDs. All I feel like doing lately is sitting around on the laptop or watching tv.
THank god babyroo makes me get up off my ass!

AFM
TERRIBLE attempt at persies I know. I have a horrible head ache
Grace has been waking every 3 hours at night - sometimes not even 3 hours! And she has a FULL feed each time (both boobs). During the day she was almost at 4 hourly feeds about 2 weeks ago and now she is back down to 3 hourly. I just hate thinking that she is going hungry. I make sure she is definitely hungry and not just tired but she keeps having full feeds! I really want to keep BF her until 6 months so I'm going to make her last feed before bed formula and keep BF the rest of the time. Hopefully that helps. I just feel so exhausted all the time!

Last night I gave her the first formula bottle she's ever had and she drank the whole thing. I didn't know how she would go with the taste so I put in 180mL like the can said but only 2 scoops instead of 3. Then after the bottle I topped her up with boob. She went down VERY easily which is nice as I know she was contented She slept 5 hours. I think ym supply must get a bit low at the end of the day as she has not been going down as well as she used to. So tonight I will give her the full 3 scoops and hopefully she will sleep a bit longer

Typical - I'm on EB so she wakes up! It's like she has a sixth sense!! She's kicking around under her playgym now.

I was wondering though - what bottles does everyone use? Do you notice that some give more gas than others?
The one I used was called Breastflow by 'The First Years' and she took to it REALLY well. She has taken an Avent bottle when she was 8 weeks old but nothing since then. I'm going to get some more of these breast flow ones - it was a present but DAM its good!

Carly - Woohooo for you 5 hours sleep that is awesome, I bet you felt like a new woman with that extra 1½ hours you got! Hopefully tonight with the extra scoop you will get longer out of her again! I might look into that bottle your talking about, as I have been struggling with Benny at nights he cluster feeds every night (every 30 mins) from about 6.00 - 8.30 pm and then he sleeps in the swing until 10.30-11.00pm when I dream feed him and then he goes down until 3.00am and then he wakes up at 6.30 after only 2½ finishing his feed. Re, Bottles I bought Dr Brown bottles as a back-up and he wouldnt take formula but he would BM it, I also bought a Tomie tippie (Spelling) one that is closer to the breast and he took a little expressed milk out of it but have not tried formula. Also which formula did you try her on, the one I had no luck with was the Karicare one with the Pro-biotic but have just bought sticks of S26 Gold for him to try instead of the big container.

kylie so glad you have reached out for help by texting your mum. even if she cant come and stay for a bit at least she will be there to support you and in most cases, mums dont judge or criticise you (thats what MILs do ) and your mum will just be supportive. it sucks that you live so far away. do your ILs live in perth too? can your DH maybe take a few days off to just give you a bit of a break so you feel more able to cope and feel refreshed? have you had any luck with appointment cancellations yet?

hope mums group was ok. is it just a meet up in a park, or at one of the health centres? if you distance yourself its not helping anyone, just makes it worse. so you should try and force yourself to keep going to these mums groups. i have suffered from depression for about 10 years, and isolation always makes it worse. you dont want to get to the stage where you cant function and miss out on evans first few years (even though it sounds appealing now )

leish so sweet your DH is giving you a nice break when he gets back from bali. im sure you will be fine without him, the days will probably go quicker because of it.

raky hahaha. i did the same thing, i had this adorable little dress for emily, and i loved it so much i kept squeezing her into it until it was pretty skintight on her. i hope i have another girl so she can wear it too. hope you won at bingo today. i sometimes go with my mum, though havent been since i was pregnant.

deb hope all is going ok with you.

AFM i went and looked at a house today, OMG what a craphole. it had a nice bathroom, and ok kitchen but the rest of the house was crap, and no backyard. i actually started a thread in the home/renovation section, cos we are not sure but thinking of moving to helensburgh, which is 20-25 mins away (towards wollongong) from our unit. just not sure what we should do, but we can definately get a really nice house down there for our budget. but there is just nothing in that middle pricerange available at the moment.

had lunch with a friend today, we went to sizzler but they didnt have my fave meal on the lunch menu anymore (steak and salt & pepper calamari) so just had steak. emily came with us and was such a good girl, i was really suprised, i just expected her to scream and be unhappy, cos she always seems to do that when i go out. but she was happy, and was eating her pram straps, then playing with her crinkly book. then she started whinging and then when i looked at her she would give me a big grin, and as soon as i looked away she would let out a little whinge again. it was pretty cute.

i dont know if its my imgination or not but i think my boobs grew overnight. they seem huge today and they are not particularly full either. wierd.

Ali

I got given Dr Browns by MIL and bought Avent myself for the VIA freezer gear for EBM.
She hates both - I think cos the teats are so long and hard.

The Breastflow one is quite soft - it bends in with their suction but another harder teat on the inside makes sure it doesnt bend all the way in. She never even hesitated - the softness sucked her in!

I used S26. I just grabbed the can that had the biggest shelf space assuming it was the most popular lol - I'm a sucker for shelf positioning!

Hope you can find something for Benny

I'm not sure if I should keep all the DR Browns bottles or give them away... I only have one new one and the rest are from SIL and are pretty yellow and have that 'old bottle' smell which no doubt is not nice for bub...

Jess

Isn't looking at houses just the pits!! We must have looked at about 30 odd. It was horrible...
Good luck to you

AFM

Watching an OLD OLD episode of Seinfeld on Go hehe

tuckers - Im not that frightened when DP isnt home as Im used to it now he works 6 nights a week. I feel quite safe, We have a garage door that blocks one side of the front of the house and a 6ft fence on the otherside and we have a german shepherd that barks at anyone that walks past! we also have roller shutters on the front windows and my car is always out front as its too big to put in the garage LOL but atm both cars are out there cause DP got a lift to the airport. I know I can always shout out or run next door if I need, the neighbours are pains in the bum but they are nice enough LOL so I think Zara (the dog) will be sleeping inside while DP is away because I know if I hear a noise and she barks if its something but if I hear a noise and she doesnt stir then its nothing to worry about shes a beautiful dog a gentle giant but wouldnt hesitate in protecting her family she is Jake's best friend too how cute is that but thanks for the advice mum told me to do the boots thing LOL

Carly - you poor thing.... god Im so lucky to have such a good baby. Grace must be going through a growth spurt. Lucas has a feed at 730pm then plays til 8ish then falls asleep and gets put in his bed and he sleeps til 130 - 230am then wakes for a feed then back to bed til 530am. and thats when his having a growth spurt which is now because during the day he eats every 3 hours on the dot and 1 cluster feed before bed. Hopefully the formula works definately put in the 3 scoops, Lucas has the s26 gold formula and has since birth. I use the Tommie Tippy bottles the slim ones Lucas hardly ever gets bad wind pain he may grizzle now and then but I just sit him up and he burps eventually I dont even need to pat him on the back anymore lol.

AFM

well got a text from DP his landed safely....

Jake had a good day at school today, bit teary this morning but I told him I was just gonna go home and feed Lucas then come back and pick him up. So he claimed his seat at the painting table and wasnt gonna budge today, tuesday he lost his spot because he got upset and run after mummy when she left LOL so he learnt his lesson with that hahaha, But he came home today happy as larry talking about his painting and "his Jordan" who's his new bestie hahaha awww my lil man has a friend and his also made friends with Makayla, which is a bit of a worry as he LOVES transformers and in the movie (meagan fox) plays Makayla the girlfriend of the main character sam and all holidays Jake has said he has a gf like sam and her name is makayla sooooo now my lil ladies man has been chatting up makayla in his class by the sounds of it.... next thing makayla will be his gf. Oh god help me! But Im so proud of him and happy he had a good day hopefully next tuesday there will be no tears at all

Kylie -

I'm so glad that you text your mum. Please remember that you are doing a fantastic job as a mum and E is so lucky to have you for his mum.
I'm pretty much free during the day (except for school drop off & pick up) so I'm happy to catch up either at your house or mine - if you want to. Please also let me know if you want my number so you can call and just let it all out.

Please take care & I hope that mothers group was a good trip out!

SUNSHINE COAST GIRLS!! If anyone is near caloundra and wants to meet up over the next few days send me a text message. We're at the coast until sunday morn. It might be the closest will get to a qld girl meet up!! lol We don't seem to be able to compete with all the girls down south and in WA!!lol

Can't chat....sorry At maccas on the free wireless and hubby is ready to go.

Mobile is 0411 402 420.

Helen

Rach I’m not quite at that isolation stage yet but I don’t think I’m too far from it...well at least now that I’ve admitted to myself that I’m not coping and I’ve told you guys and my mum I feel 10 times better and I’ve read the PND pamphlets so I know what kinds of behaviour to look out for now. I’m giving DH the pamphlet to read tonight so that he knows what to look for and he can kind of pull me up on it if I’m slipping. At the moment the thought of taking E out in public makes me shake...I get so worked up that he’ll go off his nut and I won’t be able to settle him and everyone will stare that I just end up thinking ‘it’s not worth it, I’ll stay home and go out on my own when DH gets home’. Sorry I missed your msg on FB chat, was changing a stinky bum!

Ali thanks for sharing your feelings with me, it’s so nice to know I’m ‘normal’ IYKWIM? A couple of times I’ve gotten so frustrated I’ve shouted at E, but all that does is send him from distressed to absolutely hysterical...now if I feel like shouting at him I just put him in his cot and leave him for a couple of minutes, and like you said once I lose it and start crying it’s like I’ve let it all out and I’ve then got more strength to continue on through the day. If I didn’t have a cry or two a day I’d be rocking back and forth very slowly in a corner mumbling gibberish . GOOD LUCK expressing!!

Marina your words really hit home when you said that others at mums group would appear to have it together on the surface but behind closed doors might not...I put on a pretty good show to anyone else, but I’m a mess! So if I can cover up that well then so can other people too...and everyone’s got their own issues, for me it’s the reflux devil but for others something that I could handle quite well they’d be struggling with.

I tell you what, these reflux babies need to come with warning...and possibly free psych visits .

Carly just wanted to give you a heads up...Evan has a sensitive gut and didn’t cope well at all with changing from EBM to formula and back again. It gave him a really bad gut ache...my GP said (after my milk had dried up mind you and he’d had a tummy ache for the first 4 weeks of his life!) it was because the gut uses different enzymes (or something similar!) to break down formula...so when you feed a BF baby formula the gut then works overtime to change the gut flora before it can digest it and then when you go back to BF for the next feed the gut needs to work hard to change it back again. So me giving EBM and topping up with formula was sending his poor gut into overdrive and it was just awful for him. Like I said though, E has a sensitive gut and most babies handle it fine, but just if she does start getting tummy aches that might be why...wish someone had’ve told me!

Bottles: I’ve got the Avent ones and E hasn’t had any trouble with them...they have a seal thing so you can hear the air escaping out of the teat rather than into his mouth. I haven’t tried any others though – I’d imagine they wouldn’t be the best ones if you were BFing though...they’re not very nipple like at all, so maybe something else would be better for you?

Leish I wouldn’t recommend Ali’s suggestion of leaving shoes and socks outside the front door...in good ol Rocko they’d be pinched in 5secs flat hehe. Aww I miss home. So glad Jake had a better day today and has made a new friend . So cute about Makayla...I keep telling E that if he stopped crying long enough at mums group he could have the pick of the bunch...there are 3 boys and 11 girls .

Kylie Raky I bingo...my DH takes the p*ss out of me. I haven’t been in years, I think you’ve inspired me to leave E with my FIL once a fortnight and go! And thanks for the chat last night was much needed!

Deb hope everything’s ok, sounds like it’s a lot of drama you don’t need right now.

Jess 869 nope no luck with cancellations yet...but I thought about it, if you had to wait 2.5months for an appt for your kid it’d have to be something pretty big to make you cancel! But today I got the number of yet another paed from one of the ladies at mums group so will give them a call tomorrow morning. Yep my mums group is at the clinic for the first 6 weeks then after that it’s up to us if we still want to meet. My IL’s are in Melbourne...at 10am this morning when E picked up where he left off last night I was just about to call my MIL and ask her to come round, but then I decided to take him to chiro and mums group and he’s been ok, sort of...I could handle him anyway. My MIL is working from home for the next 3 weeks then she’ll be out of work for a while, so that back up is always there if need be which is good. Aww E does that with the making noises to get my attention then smiling, it just melts me it’s so damn cute...really wish he wouldn’t do it at bedtime though!

AFM WELL...I do believe we may have a tooth on the way. E has been waking up some time between 2 and 4am all this week...he’s not hungry he spits the bottle out, he’s not particularly wet either and it’s been confusing the heck out of me. Last 2 nights I’ve tried the Bonjela and he’s gone straight back to sleep. He’s also had a really yucky nappy rash all week that I can’t seem to kick no matter what I do and he’s been more cranky than usual...then this afternoon he did what can only be described as a disgusting kind of BF poo, nice and liquidy and stunk to high heaven and he screamed demanding to be changed immediately...so would I kid, so would I. So it all finally clicked...they’re all teething symptoms. Now to sit and wait for a tooth...dear lord please let it be a tooth, please don’t let this all be for nothing LOL.

Had a long chat with mum on the phone today...of course she’s been noticing things for a while now little things I’ve said...mums know everything don’t they! It was good talking to her...I’ll no doubt get 20 texts a day now checking up on me, but it’s all good.

Oh and I FINALLY had something to feel smug about (inside, I’m not that cruel) today...only one other baby out of 14 at mums group is sleeping through the night...tee hee. Yes my baby is a sh*t during the day, but gee that 10.5hrs straight at night is love-er-lee. Hey, I gotta get my kicks however I can . I did reassure them though that he only sleeps that long because he absolutely exhausts himself during the day!

Kylie – I am glad you’re feeling a bit better and have reached out to your mum. Hopefully with some good support network you will be able to handle going out in public with E. I remember having the same thoughts when Liam was a baby – I hated going to shops, to social lunches or pretty much anything cos he screamed so much and I could not settle him when out. It was so embarrassing and depressing at the same time. And not to mention that he would not go to DH at all (he screamed and screamed until I picked him up) so it was always left up to me to look after him.. Maybe see if you can get someone to go with you – ie someone who understands, someone who can help – family, close friends? Even if it’s once a week? The other thing I found that helped was getting my Mil to come once a week and look after L for a couple fo hours while I went out and had some quiet ‘me’ time - coffee at a local café, manicure, just shopping – anything to get out fo the house. I used to look forward and count down the days till she got here as it made those early weeks so much more bearable…
Just remember, asking for help is NOT a sign that you’re a failure by any means.
And don’t worry – if you keep going you will make friends at MG. I have met two wonderful girls there – we still catch up on a weekly basis. The key thing is to open up and admit that not everything is perfect. I remember going to one of the meetings and feeling so horrible afterwards –this one girl was going on about how wonderful her 4 hour labour was with her DD, how good she was, how she was developing ahead of schedule (she was crawling at 4 months) etc etc. A perfect little angel child whilst there I was trying to settle a screaming baby, the little devil child and kept on wondering what was it that I did wrong in my life to deserve this? it made me feel so inferior as a parent. Anyway, as months went on, it turned out that she had a hell of a lot more help than us, her sister and husband were living with them and were there to help out all the time. An extra 2 pairs of hands makes a massive difference in how you handle things. It also turned out that her daughter was a screamer and would not sleep at night (just scream and scream) and she resorted to control crying to settle her. She also was not gaining weight. Anyway, my point is – you don’t know what happens behind closed doors – everyone is different, every child is different. Alex is by far any easier baby than Liam ever was. I hoep this will be the case for you too – the second child will be easier…
And yay for you with Evsn sleeping throguh -see it's not all doom and gloom

Once i again i have no more time left as darling A has woken up demanding attention (alright, that should read Big L has woken little A up!!!)... BBL (i hope)

KylieSnap on what everyone else has said. I hope your mum makes you feel better. Big hugs mate!!

Ali Ben and Levi do the exact same thing overnight. Although Levi wakes up about 5am and comes into bed with me. The good thing as long as his booby is there for him to use as a pillow he will stay in bed with me for as long as we want.

Haha justy sat down I started this at lunchtime, will post this bit and come back. LOL

hey girls sorry to put the spotlight on me as my problems are irrelivant but I just need to tell someone that im really struggling without DP atm. Im having to hold back tears constantly this afternoon im just missing him soooo much, the boys are fine no troubles with them but i just feel so lonely i want him to come home, i dont want to cry infront of jacob he keeps asking when dads coming home his missing him too so me breaking down in tears cause i miss daddy isnt gonna help him.

anyway thats how im feeling. thanks for listening

leish i know how you feel. sometimes you just need him there to give you a 5 minute break so you can have a shower. if it makes you feel any better i am in for a crap weekend too cos DH is working both days, then when he gets home he will be whinging almost as much as emily about how hard hes worked and expect me to feel sorry for him.

if you keep yourself busy and make sure you have a fun time the time will pass quickly. i really dont know how single mums do it. hugs.

Marina yup you hit the nail on the head...most of the time I sit here thinking how bad I must have been in a past life for me to end up with a child like this...it's such a horrible thing to think about your baby like that. That's actually a great idea to set up a regular thing with my MIL to come round, or I could drop E round there then go to their local shops and just have a break. DH is great, but if he has to look after E for any great stretch of time on his own, then it's not really worth me going out sometimes because I then have to put up with hearing about what a struggle DH just went through for the 2hrs I was away lol.

Leish big hugs lovely I know exactly how you feel, I hate DH going away. Kinda pathetic how much we rely on the men in our lives isn't it . Is he going to give you a call tonight? I saw a tv show on Discovery Health the other day and they had a suggestion for this family whose husband works away a lot that they set up a little box and whenever the kid did something good, or wanted to say something to his dad he'd write it on a bit of paper and stick it in the box then when the dad came home they'd sit down together and read them all out...don't know if Jake's missing him that much but might be worth a go if you find he won't settle to go to bed or gets too upset.

AFM am enjoying the quiet. DH went to bed at 8pm and E went to bed at 8.30pm...heaven. I love DH but after having E cling to me all day the last thing I want of a night time is DH trying to cuddle me...how bad. My own space is lovely. Am now going to write a letter to my boss extending my mat leave for another 6 months...only wish I could see her face when she gets it .

Alex is in bed, Liam is on the potty and I have a couple of minutes on my own…

Kylie – ahh, yes, your DH sounds like mine. If he has to look after the boys for any length of time, it becomes such a great, incredible thing he has done that I hear about it for days afterwards. Seriously, does he want a medal or something? lol… men, you can’t live with them, you can’t live without them…

Leish – I really have no advice to give honey as my DH doesn’t go away for any extended period of time but send you hugs. Can you get a friend or something to pop over every few days so you don’t feel so alone?

Carly - i have Avent, Nuk, Happy baby and Tommee Tippee closer to nature ones at home (yes i went through a few brands to find the right fit with Liam). Liam only liked the Nuk teats, Alex only likes the tommee tippee ones. Alex is fully Bf but one or twice a week i'll give him a bottle of EBM and he'll only take it form TT bottles.

Oh and before I forget – Bee – I trialed the Moogoo Eczema and Psoriasis crème on Alex in the last couple of weeks. I’m pleasantly surprised -seems to work really well on mild eczema (ie not the flare up but when it’s just dry and itchy and not too red).

Helen - would love to catch up but SUnshine coast is a bit too far for me to drive from Brisbane...

Ok, I’ve got a couple of questions…. As I mentioned before Alex is a big baby. And being so big means he feeds a lot. So
1) How often does your BF baby feed? Alex is currently feeding every 2, maybe 3 hours during the day, so basically has anywhere between 6-8 feeds a day. I know this is normal but the periods between his feeds are getting shorter which makes me wonder if I’m starting to run out of milk. I have started taking Fenugreek about 2 weeks ago to boost my supply and although it was working well for a few days, I am again feeling like the supply is dropping off and I don’t have enough for him… Which leads into my second Question…
2) When is everyone planning on introducing solids? Guidelines seem to have changed from when I had Liam from 6 months to 4-6 motnhs. Now, I never followed them with Liam anyway as our paed told us to introduce solids at 4 months with hima s he was a big baby and he thought it would help with his reflux as well, which we did. I’m probably going to do the same with Alex – just wondering what everyone else is doing