New thread time ladies

http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/forums/ind...howtopic=776960

GOLD

Morning Girls Silver

I did end up having a bad day yesterday but i went to Mum's for a few hours to get us out of the house and distracted for a few hours. I'm another one who needs my Mum I would be a complete mess without her!

Kylie- So happy for you that your Mum comes tonight Wow you got a bargain on your stroller!!

Mandy-Hope you are feeling better really soon hun Woo hoo on the IL's leaving...how odd they want to sit at the airport all dayy....how boring

Jayne-I just want to give you a big hug I hope everything settles down for you really soon

Liesh-Congrats on the job hun

Jess-Yay for Emily having a tooth and sitting up!! Toothy smiles are so cute I love it when H smiles now that his teeth are all the way up,it's just so cute

Rach-I sent you a msg on FB That's awesome Harper is trying to sit up,I can't wait until H does!! Actually I wish he would just learn to roll from tummy to back instead of getting stuck all the time

Ok that's all I can see! Big hello to everyone though

AFM-I'm off to Mum's for the next 2 nights as my sister is having her bub tomorrow (her 3rd) and I'm so excited I'm going to look after my niece and nephew and Mum's is closer to the hospital so it's easier to go there. I will be looking after 4 kids A 5 yr old, two 3 yr olds and an almost 6 mth old!I hope they behave!!

I haven't had a chance to say it but just wanted to say Jess,Mandy & Lisa I had a great time catching up with you guys! It was soooo cute seeing the bubs actually take notice of eachother! Looking forward to the next meet!!

Ok well I better go,M has swimming this morning. I probably won't get on for a few days so have a great weekend and I will update on FB if I have a new niece or nephew!!
Jo

Bronze

Wow it's been a while since I had one of them

Am just about to head off to storytime at the library with E, then mums group this afternoon. Thought I'd share E's 5 month stats from his paed appt on Monday.

Weight - 3.3kg at birth, 7.4kg at 5 months - 50th %ile
Head Circ - 34cm at birth, 43cm at 5 months 50th %ile
Height - 53cm at birth, 70cm at 5 months 97th %ile

I knew my length measurement was correct and the MCHN's was wrong at his 4m check up...he can't have grown that much in a month! E is currently spot on the 50th %ile in height for the average EIGHT MONTH OLD. He's now in 0's for length, but he has the skinniest waist that everything just falls straight down...he's been wearing a lot of 3/4 pants lately haha. No clothes with feet in this house, a lot of footless all-in-ones with long socks!

Have a good day all.

Wow Evan is gonna be tall.. Miles is 2yrs and 9 months almost and still in the 80's - cms that is . Thinking Greta is shrot like her brother

Juwat waiting for Greta to wake them going to go out and do a bit of shopping - but you know her she does like to sleep

Ive just been out playing ball with Miles in the front yard so must be feeling a little better after my 14 horu sleep

BBL

Just dropping by to say hi...again! Am up to my elbows in hot glue and Easter paraphernalia! We are making Easter hats for the kids Easter hat parade and it is messy - not to mention time consuming!

riley is turning into a demon at feed times, she is almost impossible to get to drink but yesterday she ate almost a whole pack of baby food. Seriously, she cant give up bottles for food!

Kylie - I liked the saag So healthy too. I froze more than half of it so I have another dinner ready to go. DH must have been looking for some this morning to take to work as he asked me where it was but I had already frozen it, lol. Oh - that pram sounds very much like 'me' too! Jealous *insert green with envy emoticon here* Owen is all length too - 0's for all-in-ones but 00 for sets

Karen - You've reminded me to get my act together and think about an Easter hat for Rose. I was hoping to get away with NOT doing one and not attending her parade as she doesn't go to daycare the day it's on. Parking is a nightmare and with Owen - ugh! Plus I need to take cakes into Sophie's school for her birthday that day and we're heading out to friend's for dinner that night BUT she keeps talking about how she's going to sing songs on the stage and how I must watch her....

Goodness sake Owen is up after a 20 minute sleep. Usually he saves that one for after 3pm. Here we got for another shift

Well the apple and pear combo pair i made for Greta went down a treat - just waiting to see if seh had any problems with an upset tummy later on tonigth hope not.

Best dash got to go to the GP to get my blood results - im now thinking virus as i feel a lot better today so some nasty 48 hour virus im thinking but bloods should confirm this.

I think I've got mastitis in my right boob....is it even possible to have mastitis with a 5 month old?

Rachel - I'm think it is, I'm afraid I remember my girlfriend having it and her baby was definitely over five months.

Bloody Hell....I think I'll send Dan to the herbalist tonight when he gets home....this sux

Oh bugga Rach, hope you feel ok, ive known someone who had it and she felt so sick with it too.

Well bloods are back, liver, kidney etc all A OK, white blood cells show no sign of fighting off a virus so either it wasnt a virus - and goodness knows what it is if its not that or they have already fought it off and im just getting the after effects now thats why i feel crap.. anyway he said to keep popping the maxalon and will see me on Monday if im not improved. I do feel a good 50% better so im guessing i had a virus and its passing.
He didnt reckon it was anything to do with the Mirena so thats a relief.
Greta has been a little sickly to and coughing a lot so im thinking its some nasty virus i got a bad does of.. wait and see if i get better i guess. DH is coming home early again, he left at 2pm yeterday, leaving at 4.30pm tonight him.

Bought Miles a new book when we went up to the Dr's and i think i misunderstodd which one he wanted as he had 2 in his hand at the time, got home and he opened his parcel and went OH NO MUMMY NOT THAT ONE..Then did a big sigh oooops!

Im thinking Greta has moved away from her 3 naps a day 2 two naps .. at the risk of p*ssing people off i will dare to mention her sleeps just skip this bit if i bug you... so she usally has 1 small nap and i long nap in a morning/lunch time btu today she had 1 huge nap that added up to the short nap and the longer nap all together.. then stayed up for 2.5 hours and has now gone down for her 2nd nap which would have been her 3rd nap and is due to wake now but showing no signs so
im thinking she is transitioning into 2 huge naps insetad of the 1 little and 2 longer ones?? anyone else doing this who is around the 6 month mark ? I remember Miles doing the same..

Ok best get the chicken in the iven - Kievs, borning boring.. but i feel pretty ordinary so cant be bothered almost the weekend

3.5 horus till the MIL and her DH officially leave Australian soil
Although we have to see them in July, they live in Spain but are coming over in July when we go over they invited us to Spain but we said no we wanted to see everyone not just hang out with them in Spain so they are flying over.... then we found out they are actually coming for a wedding of one of MIL's ex husbands relatives.. its a bit odd... but anyway thats why they are coming over so i guess we will have to see them

DH has to have 4 more flights before the end of next month to keep his platinum frequent flyer card thingy so he's gonna be tripping off somewhere.. we decided id stay home... cnat be a*sed to pack the kdis up to go away for a couple of nights.

Ok best go get the kievs ready

My mum can't get here soon enough, E has been unbearable this afternoon I have been holding in a massive explosion at him...have to keep reminding myself that everytime I yell at him he just goes more feral so it's not worth it. Am putting him to bed early so I don't have to look at him anymore...I'll deal with an early wake up tomorrow if I have to. So yeah, not in a good mood this afternoon, just want to rant and rave and throw something then have a good long cry, I feel like a total mess.

Awww Koiles you poor thing. I'd just say though you're much better off putting him in his cot or somewhere safe and leaving the room, cos as you say shouting at him will make him scream more, unfortunately they don't get empathy at this age... Or at 2.5yrs for that matter, much the pity!

Hello darling girls!

How are you all? As usual am a slack tart. People (without bubs) keep asking me if I am getting bored at home. Seriously, I wish I had time to be bored! My list of things to do is just long long long and I won't even get them done before I go back to work in October I'm sure (like my honeymoon album, wedding album etc.).

Rach - oh no! I hope it's not mastitis, I had a friend have an awful time with it. I didn't realise it was still such a risk after a few months.

Kylie - Glad that your Mum isn't far away. What is E up to? Still having reflux problems even with the Losec? Yes I'm so far behind, probably missed all the goss.

Chantal - pimples!! I think Hannah may have had one or two as well, unless they were bites I don't know!

Mandy - yes I shouldn't have read about Greta's sleeping habits, not fair! I may get a couple of power naps from my little miss but that's about it! Glad your MIL is leaving, and that you are feeling better today.

Karen - you're so crafty and talented, I can imagine how busy you must be!


Hannah and I are well. She has her 2 bottom teeth coming through already, she's only 4.5 months, I didn't expect that so soon. She is ok, had a grizzly night on Monday but nothing too bad. She has been very good, lots of giggles, just the cutest.

I'm thinking about donating some breast milk to one of those banks, I have a fair bit of milk and I believe in the 'Breast is Best' thing. I don't know much about it but thought it would be a good thing to do for the premmie bubs and those Mum's that can't BF but want the benefits of it. Anyway, just thinking!

Ok gotta run, Hannah needs a bath and an early night. Love to you all.

Luv Brooke xoxox

The MIL has officially gone

Kylie, he is safe in his cot especially when Mum needs a break! Its great that your Mum is close by to be able to lend a hand and give you a break. I remember being at breaking point with Jessica, i had to put her in front of the fan at one end of the house and i was at the other end. Rant, rave and cry if you need to!

Freyja, if i could avoid making the hats i would be but i am feeling a tad guilty because the kids went without so much last year while we were dealing with my pregnancy so i am trying to make up for it this year. So far i have 2 hats down and 4 more to go. Ethan has a tanty over not having one so it looks like i have to make him one too!

Rach, i agree with the others...as long as you are bf'ing you can get it

I am dreading Easter this year. Ethan is seemingly reacting badly to chocolate - its the only thing we can work it out to be. Once he eats it he ends up pretty much raging for the next day or so until it is out of his system. It only happens after chocolate and nothing else. The other week he had a choc bunny and at 2am he was still awake So we are trying to figure out what to do Easter Bunny wise for him, we are thinking of maybe trying a little bit of white choc to see how he goes with that because there is no way he can miss out when the other kids get things

Riley is going really well here, she is sitting a lot better and longer by herself now so i have been able to snap some pics of her actually sitting. For a little while she discovered falling backwards didnt help so it became a game to her to throw herself back and laugh about it She has also started to say Dad...well da da da followed by a raspberry at the end LOL So now she can call DH all night long
I managed to snap this of her this afternoon...she has these patches of long hair all over the place that hasnt fallen out yet LOL

Hi Ladies,

Kolies I hear you with the wanting to rant, rave then have a good long cry today.

I am still sick and Elora''s second front tooth is coming in and all she wanted to do today was scream, she wouldn't feed probably or anything and the Bonjela was not working. Then I had to give her a bottle of formula because she was hungry but I expressed and realised that my milk amount was so small that is probably why she is not gaining weight. Plus hubby came home and we had a barny about find a childcare centre because we need to look for one now for the end of the year or will not get her in and he can't find time. It's really stresses me out thinking about her having to go into child care but if I have to go back to work then she needs a place waiting her.

Sorry for the downer post feeling sh*t, I'm a little worried about depression sneaking in as I have had it before and some of the things are happening again. I need to get off my bum and get some exercise outside of this house and stop stressing.

Rach- I had mastitis at the start managed to not need antibiotics, I put heat packs on the affected area before feeds, always started with that breast and I massaged the area in the shower and feed Elora anytime she opened her eyes. It helped clear it but all the information out there says if you get a fever or it doesn't clear after 24 - 48 hrs go to the doctor you'll need antibiotics. Hope it clears up for you. I read that you need to take it easy as well, I spent the day in bed doing the heat packs and feeding and I had been over doing it in the days before I got it.

MnM Yay for you MIL leaving pee'd myself with the yipppeeee and poem.

Okay better go make a cuppa, have a talk with my hubby and kiss and make up.

AllyMay

Hope you can kiss and make up with Hubby.
I hear you on them not having time for the things you want them to!
DF and I need to discuss high school for Grace as we may need to get her baptised and he would rather play squash, nag at me for the dishes not being done, whinge about not getting enough sleep etc...
Hope the tooth comes through with a minimal amount of whingeing!
I wouldn't assume that your milk is low because of how much you express. I can't express yet I have HEAPS of milk! WHen I put the pump on NOTHING comes out!

Karen

Awww how cute Riley is saying Da da!!
You're such a super woman I hope no one was giving you grief - just with regard to your facebook comment about not having any more spare time...
You take such BEAUTIFUL photos of her!

Mandy

YaaaaaAAAAaaaayyyy!!
Gawd if Grace was in any kind of routine then I would be able to talk to you about dropping naps but we're not. I would LOVE to be though!!
You think Kiev is boring? I grabbed some cold fish from last night and left over salad from last night and slopped a dollop of aoli on it and that was dinner! I'm sh*t scared that if I use the microwave Grace will wake up (it wakes her up EVERY time I use it!)

Brooke

Good on you for looking into donating your milk. We are very lucky to have full term babies who can breastfeed.

Chantal

Hope you get back into your routine soon Oh how I long for a routine. How do you put a baby into a routine anyway?? lol I am absolutely clueless!

Rach

Boooo Mastitis sucks! I know a girl who has had it like 8 times between 2 kids... YOu can get it any time unfortunately. Hope you get better soon

AFM

I have my second day of training tomorrow for my jobby and the hand over.
It's a bit weird working again! I'm sooo lucky something fell in my lap that I can do from home!
It's making me think I want Grace in a routine just so I can plan out to get things done...
Since she was in hospital she has only been sleeping 30-45mins at a time during the day. Before that she was doing 2 hours in the morning and then 2 x 1hr sleeps in the afternoon. Now it's all up the sh*t lol

I just wish sometimes that someone had told me all these things before I had her! No one told me that you have to teach babies how to go to sleep!!

ANyway tonight she was good and went down with minimal fuss but now that I've said that she'll wake up!
She went down at 6:30 so she'll probably wake up around 10pm. I'm still working on night feeds.
oh HECK I'm still working on everything! Don't get me wrong I'm having fun and I love her and I love being a Mum but the lack of sleep is REALLY starting to get to me!

Carly
x

Ally: oh crap, sorry you're having a rough time of it... I hope you make up with your DH soon and get day care sorted

Carly: yeah I didn't reslise when I had Miles that babies don't just sleep it's something you have to teach them... I remember being at a mums group and sitting there going What The... ! Greta totally forgets probably once every 3 or so weeks and I teach her again. They're funny little creatures.

Karen: could it be the sugar in the chocolate giving him the high? If it is then white chocolate would perhaps make it worse? Would dark be any better? I can't abide white chocolate myself it's si sickly sweet, I'm a dark choccy fan ... Yummmmm.

Well my Mums group have decided to do a huge egg hunt in the park next weekend, looking forward to it.

Best head to bed

Hey girlies!

Didnt realise we had a new thread!

Have just caught up, but too knackered to do a huge post sorry! I have my fingers crossed that Phoebe will sleep in her own bed for the whole night tonight I do love cuddles with her, but i miss her sleeping till almost morning! Since shes been sick shes been waking several times. And last night she coughed so much she power chucked on me and the bed at some ungodly hour

I feel a bit better today though, thankfully! Phoebe and i had a big sleep after dropping Amy at day care and it was loooooovely!

Mandy - big yay for MIL being gone now

Ally - hope your ok hun. Have a chat to your CHN or GP if things are getting too bad, and we are all here for you too xoxox

Kylie - big yay for your mummy arriving!!

You are all so lucky to have such great support from your mums or MIL's. As annoying as they can be i'm sure, i bet they are handy to have around!!

Carly - Amy is 2 and a half and i am still working on things Phoebe is all out of whack since being sick too. Hope Grace gets back into her good sleeping patterns (notice i didnt say routine? lol) for you. Good luck with the rest of your training!

Karen - aww Riley is such a little sweetie. Cant beleive she is sitting so well! We sat Phoebe up today, propped on her arms out front and she stayed like that for a while. It was very cute hehe Riley must sound sooo cute saying Da da too Good luck with your easter goodies!

Big hullo to everyone! Sorry for the lame attempt at personals I'm gonna get myself a milo and head to bed i think!

Much love to everyone! xoxoxo

Karen- When Sophie was 3 she started biting. It was a new behaviour and we were so confused - it was like she'd go feral with energy and not know how to release it until she latched down on something - or someone It was awful. We finally realised it was chocolate! It was the period post Easter and she had a stash of chocolate she was getting through a little each day. I never believed in certain foods making kids hyper but have since changed my mind. I guess Easter Bunny might not be bringing too much chocolate to your house this year!

Jayne - Owen is the same as Phoebe these days - a bit sniffly, waking during the night then coming into our bed. I just hope this doesn't develop into a habit.

Mandy/Carly - Some babies are easier to teach than others! I've had 3, done pretty much the same with all of them with different results. Personality definitely plays a part. Good luck with your routine Carly - it sure will make working easier

Ally - It's a stressful time! Going back to work and childcare are huge issues. I'm not going back until late January and I get pangs of guilt everytime I think about Owen and CC. You've been there before, you know what to do Hope you're feeling on top of things again soon.

I think Owen may be teething. Or he has a bit of a cold. Something is going on with him. I don't think it's the 6 month growth spurt as he is off his milk a bit too. He hasn't gained anything in 2 weeks. He's still a good boy though - just a bit crankier than usual and harder to get to sleep.
We're off to playgroup. THANK GOODNESS. Rose is really pushing the boundaries at home these days. She has been in time out already today I think I might count how many days she has left before school...

geez you guys. 3 pages in one day? i have about 20 minutes before emily wakes up.

jo glad to hear you have your mum for support. is she nearby? so exciting you have a new neice or nephew arriving today. i am so totally jealous of the newborn cuddles you will be getting!

rach hope your boob settles down and you dont need AB to get rid of your mastitis. i second the massaging in the shower too, i had countless times where i was statring to get mastitis but have alsways managed to keep it away by massaging in the shower and at feed time. i have also used an electric toothbrush (the handle bit) to massage the hard to reach spots on my boob whilst feeding.

mandy oh no! hope greta isnt getting sick. hope you are feeling better today too. YAY to MIL being gone!

cant help you with the sleeps, i think emily has about 3 x 30-40 min naps and 1 x 15-20 min (before her last feed at 9pm) nap per day. it would be good if she could consolidate these into some longer sleeps, i could get more done then!

kylie im so sorry your having such a sucky time chicky. as if you need any more stress. hope little evan slept in for you today - despite being forced to go to bed early cos he was a naughty boy sorry if you have already said i think i remember you saying something about the paed saying to weean him off the losec. is that why he was so bad yesterday?

i have these teething tablets for emily. they are homeopathic ones, hylands teething relief. i have been using these for emily, and most times they make her go down after her last feed easily. apparently they have been around for years and my mum used to give them to me when i was a baby, and not just for teething. if you want me to send you some PM me your address. my mum gets them cheap cos she works in a chemist. its worth a try i guess, and they are natural...

brooke i am finding i have less and less time as emily gets older. she used to be quite happy laying on the floor playing with her toys, but i pretty much have to occupy her the whole time she is awake now. she is ultra cute though, so if she isnt whinging i love playing games with her.

karen if you dont think it is the sugar maybe try dark chocolate. or be really mean and find him a carob one that pic of riley is GORGEOUS. do you have a special camera? or are you just a fantastic photographer?

ali im sure if elora was not getting enough milk from you she would let you know, like feeding more frequently etc. and what carly said about expressing. you definately dont get as much when expressing as when your baby drinks. they are experts at sucking the most out of us that they can!

carly ummm. i must have missed about your job? can you fill me in again (sorry) sounds great that you can work from home though.

afm wooo. im cheering. its been 25 mins so far and emily is STILL asleep. had another crappish day yesterday too, and ended up bawling in the shower cos i feel terrible for thinking that i hate my daughter at times. its always great when she wakes up, but just gets steadily worse as the day goes by.

DH ended up getting home from canberra at about 6:15pm so i didnt have to tackle all the shower etc by myself. and he decided he is going to have an RDO today, so he is going to have some daddy daughter time when i go to pick my mum up from work (ploy to get some boxes, haha) and then go to the shops to buy the new pokemon gameboy game.

we are having yummy homemade hamburgers for dinner tonight

Aaarrrggghhhh! Why does Emily have to show me up when DH is home? She has been asleep for 1hour 20mins. And he's like, so this is what you do all day.

hello,

Kylie, how much longer until your mum gets here? Are you able to take E for a walk in the pram? the screaming doesn't seem as loud outside.xxxxx WOW he is tall!!! Blake is 4.5 and still only 95cm.

Ally, you poor bugger, don't forget though, some women cannot express a drop, but still have plenty of milk for bub. I am also one to not worry about the growth charts. This is just me, but I feel every baby has a different build, they have growth spurts at differents times and may not conform to the charts but still be very healthy. In saying that though, if your gut feeling is telling you something may be wrong- get it checked.

Rach, bugger about the possible mastitis I know a lady who got it when her baby was well and truly over 12mth. Hope the herbalist can help you.

karen, Rylie is adorable!

better keep moving, kids to feed and water and a house to clean

im still around... just dusting and vacing, can hardly move for half packed boxes everywhere and new dishwasher, oven, TV, lounges etc for new house ... best carry on, DH home in a few minutes and want to get finished - he gets under my feet ...

This is my story too!!! I say to DH how crap Hannah is at sleeping during the day and she takes up all my time, but every time he walks throught the door it happens to be in her huge maybe 30min nap she has. And he says the same thing! Grrrr, naughty babies

BBL

Hey girls,

Sorry I been MIA been reading though......

Kylie - Lucky you getting to go to the movies tonight.... you deserve it though gorgeous. Have fun! Hope your feeling better now your mum is with you.

Chantal - Hope Emil's leg gets better soon, poor lil man.

Carly - Hope Grace slept well for you lastnight and will again tonight.

Karen - Your lil lady is just devine! what a beautiful girl

Jess - aww your poor thing. kids aye, the boys play up as soon as Chris leaves too.

Hi to everyon else, sorry for crap personals.... Im a bit blah today. Had a nice catch up with 2 of my gf's today was lovely. Rest of the day Ive been really flat..... I cancelled my job because it was gonna take me 2.5 hours to get there and wasnt paid work and it was sunday and DP has to start work at 2pm so cutting it a bit fine and also unfair for him to get up early after only finishing work 4 hours before LOL so meh oh well. Ive had more than 3 people tell me how much of a b**ch my SIL is to me now, after reading the comments she posts on my status update on FB. I think its quite funny!! Now they can all see shes not the goody two shoes everyone thinks she is.... Ive asked her on Skype if she has a problem with me but so far shes refusing to answer me... must be chicken! LOL.

DP and I have had a really good few days, I feel loved again and he even said he doesnt mind me having to travel if I get work in other states..... how good is that!

Morning

Morning!

Mastitis gone! I think it might have just been blocked ducts...had a night of fever and feeling crap and now I'm fine....so yay!

For those not on FB...my little nearly-5-month-old is sitting all be himself!

Little bugger, looks so darn pleased with himself!

Rach

ETA - Is anyone getting their kids the flu vaccine? nope

Rach- so glad your breasts are on the mend I get blocked ducts every so often. Even Blake tells me now, when I tell him I have a sore boob " Joel needs to suck it mum" lol

Double nope

I am so freaking over grown adults acting like bloody children. It will take me a lot to forgive and forget my IL's this time round. I don't know whether it's selfishness or jealousy, I'm tipping a combination of both, but DH rang them today to see if they wanted to come round and they launched into an attack about not getting to see E enough. Basically they made me feel like absolute sh*t for having my mum here. I need my mum. MIL had a go about not telling her about my PND...I've hardly told ANYONE and she was one of the first to know. What does she expect? That I want to talk about it all the time? I wonder how many people with depression she's met in her life who want to shout it from the rooftops for all to hear. I lied to the freaking nurse about it because I was in denial. I think she's hurt that I didn't ask her for help, instead my mum has come over. Seriously though, she works full time, my FIL cannot look after E because of his injuries...the times that she is available are the times that DH is home and I don't need her help. Anyway they hung up on DH today, then I called back and spoke to my MIL...she was upset but my FIL was in the background doing his nut so she hung up on me. **** it. If they're too stupid to see that they're cutting off their nose to spite their face it's their own problem. My mum has spent all day with E while they've been sat at home sulking like immature children. What p*sses me off is that they'll just rock up one day after they've calmed down like nothing's happened. I'm not going to let them get away with it this time, I was so upset this afternoon, it's not what I need in my life at the moment when I'm trying to get things together as it is.

So not what I needed. Thanks for letting me vent!

Anyway, I am :heart:ing having my mum here. We went to the Queen Vic Markets yesterday and spent the day wandering around the city and today DH had E most of the day while we went shopping. Not sure what we're doing tomorrow but we'll go out and do something then Monday we're getting stuck in to sleep training.

I went out with one of the mums from Mum's Group last night to see Avatar 3D...I had absolutely no idea what it was about, I'd never even seen a preview for it all I knew was that it'd won some awards and everyone I know who's seen it raved about it...it was FANTASTIC. Really long but great. DH had to do the bath/bottle/bed on his own and succeeded with flying colours, he was so proud telling me what he'd done when I got home .

Rach so glad to hear it was just a blocked duct, mastitis is yucky! I saw your pic on FB of DS sitting!!!

Clarinda yep he is tall alright! I think he'll start to slow down very soon...we don't have many tall genes in our family haha.

Chantal I hope Emil's bite clears up quickly doesn't sound good. Yep mum is staying in E's room and he's in with us. I hadn't even thought about the flu vaccine...I don't normally get it myself because it gives me a reaction. I'd only give it to E if the GP or paed recommended it and I'd have to do some research first.

Leish bugger to the job cancelling...but yeah does seem like a long way to go. Your SIL makes me want to slap her just reading half the comments she leaves on FB. She's very judgemental and always questioning everything you're doing. Good to see other people are beginning to see that now too .

Mandy how does it feel knowing your MIL is far far away now haha.

Flu vaccine - triple nope

Kylie - Your IL's are most probably feeling inadequate and jealous as you say. I think I would just leave them be for awhile and as you say they will turn up again once they get over it. You might want to remind them that some mum's (i.e. me ) never leave their babies to be babysat by anyone else and that they should perhaps think themselves lucky that they even get a look in. Perhaps you could suggest that the MIL cut back at work and she could have him 1 day per week for you through the week....perhaps shifting the decision making back to them might be a good passive-aggressive way of dealing with it

Argh - better go

Rach

Soooo over it today. Miles has been spawn of the devil from morning till bedtime (an hour ago now - only hours peace ive had all day!).

DH took pity on me so told me to take my car out for a nice drive,( top down of course ) and he'd mind Miles - Greta was asleep... so off i went and even decided to pop up to the shops and fit in a pedicure (a quick 15 minute polish and trim) on the way home..

Miles has just refused to eat anything all day, asked for biscuts all day, ive been saying no cos he hasnt eaten any 'real' food so no biccies and he's just been walking around the house in a mood throwing things/toys and yelling NO NO NO for no apparant reason at the top of his lungs... so ive been like *Breathe* all day... then i put his dinner on the table after he'd refused brekkie - wanted a bikkie instead, sandwhich for lunch, wanted a bikkie instead, afternoon tea, wanted a biccie instead - so all he's had all day is 3 strawberries so i set his dinner on the table and he screamed NO NO NO and picked up a peice of his train track that is glued in place and he wrenched it so hard from its table in his temper that he pulled it up and broke a piece - so he got swiflty removed and placed on his bed for a 2 minute time out - where he spent the enture 2 minutes screaming NO NO NO NO NO ...and that 2 minutes with him screming sounded like 3 hours so he came out and said sorry, so all fine then i said ok so sit and eat dinner with Mummy and Daddy.. NO NO NO NO NO *breathe* So i left it on the table , bathed him NO NO NO NO NO *breathe* dressed him NO NO NO NO NO *breathe* Got the sh*t kicked outta me cos he insisted on kicking me for the entire 7 minutes it took me to dress him ... *breathe, breathe & dont scream* then had his usual cuddle and story bnefore bed - yeah you can imagine how much i was enjoying that after he'd been a little B'stard *NO NO NO* then ok off to Bed Miles... "No mummy hungry, dinner pwease" " Yes of course, come sit at the table little man" *ARRRGGHHHHHH* he then ate his dinner, a custard, and his afternoon tea (some bread stick with vegemite on) adn asked for ice cream.. i said no and he asked me to go to the shops to get him some .. er yeah right! But anywa he was starving.. why they hell he hadnt eaten all day i have no clue .. but at least he ate before bed cos you just know he'd have been up at 5am asking for toast and a cup of milk

Thank Goodness for Greta, she is little miss serene compared to the whirlwind attention seeking big brother of hers.. and i managed to keep totally calm all day - somehow.. thanks more than likely to the lovely hour i had out in my car driving around with the top down and screaming my head off to the Rolling Stones - thank you Mick any my 15 minute pedi thought DH would crack if i had the longer one - got home to find Greta awake and sitting on the floor with DH and Miles going through all our DVD's and boxing them up for the move.. DH said to me that he knows what i mean about Greta now - you have a day like today and you just look at her and she calms you down.. she does its uncanny. Bless him he racked his brains thinking of a way to entertain Miles for the hour cos he was driving him insane too so got him helping him to pack up DVD's

So then i took Miles out for an hour to give DH a break from her - took him to the car wash cafe to get the car washed - but he got bored after 20 minutes, which was pretty good going - but we were there an hour so im surprised we weren''t thrown out at the end NO NO NO NO NO NO NO *breathe* Everyone on the cafe *breathe* They used to have toys there but have re done the place and got rid of them all bugga!

Thank God its only 1 day, well its more, but i guess he is sory of 70% lovely kid and 30% typical 2yr old - and the terrible 2's are not a joy to behold! Oh and if im not sucker for punishement enough i have to go through it again in 2yrs

Koiles: Argghhhh MIL's.. good going for her, hanging up the phone and making you feel guilty when yoe have PND, yay way to go MIL i bet you so wish you'd told her sooner hey so she could make you feel even worse! Really though, try not to let her gt to you, as Rach said she is just jealous that you asked your Mum over.. My MIL almost exploded in jealousy when Miles let slip he had been talking on the phone to Nana and Grandad (my parents) she asked if they call often and i said oh yeah several times a week.. man was she p*ssed! she never ever calls and has never spoken to Miles on the phone .. i bet she starts to call him as soon as they get home
Its only natural you want your mum there, she is your mum after all, the person most of us go to for help - and if MIL works full time then how the hell is that a help to you!
Hope you sory it all out btu really dont let it stress you, its her problem not yours

In good news, i tried Greta with a little water with her solid feed today and she loved it, sucked a little then when she realised what it was.. or realised that it wasnt milk she sucked like crazy.. thought it was great so good, took 2 solid weeks of offering to Miles beofre he would take even a sip, so im happy

Ok im going, im frazzled - i have NO NO NO NO ringing in my ears *breathe*

Hi all


Mandy: Sorry you've had a crappy day, at least he ate something before bed, hopefully he'll give you a sleep in tomorrow. So cute that he was happy packing DVD's with DH, at least you can keep him busy with some packing over the next few weeks.. I've been laughing at all of your celebrating over MIL leaving. I remember how excited you were before they came. We are exactly the same, we get sooo excited when any family/friends come and stay, and then by the end we are often counting down the days/hours, funny... Good luck with all the packing, ughhh, I hate moving, we seem to move every 2 years or so, sometimes, and I just throw lots of stuff out, gives us a good clean out.. But this was pre-baby, I can't see myself throwing out Summer's baby stuff, ughhh and we have sooo much stuff now. By the way, I love your signature, Greta has the most beautiful eyes...

Kylie: Sorry to hear about your PND, but at least you can get some help. Glad that you're Mum is here, so sweet that she came over even though she hates flying, thats Mum's for you.. My Mum came over here just two weeks before her hip replacement, just cos I asked her to, awwwww... Sorry to hear about your MIL. I agree with Rach & Mandy. I think Rach is right, even though she works full-time, I would ask her if she could help you out, perhaps one morning or afternoon during the week, particuarly when you go back to work.. I hate asking for help, but when we had Summer my DH asked MIL to come and help us out when I went back to work, I didn't want to ask her, but DH insisted, thank god.. I thought she's say no, cos it was for a month and it was during FIL's b'day, but she said yes, and came and was a great help, and now she keeps talking about what a great time she had, and how she was so lucky to spend time with Summer, she was really grateful.. Same with my Mum, I really didn't want to ask, but I think she was just waiting for me to ask, she didn't want to impose and cos I'm so independent I never ask for help, so she was also really happy when I asked... Great buy on the Maclaren, I have a Maclaren (Techno XLR) and love it, they are super popular in singapore, cos most people take buses/trains/taxis... I really wanted a Qunny Buzz, but it was just way too heavy and cumbersome for public transport, so although my Maclaren isn't as stylish I'm happy with it..


Sorry about my lack of personals..

AFM: My DH is away this weekend, he's gone to Tokyo for a friends wedding, I would have loved to have gone with him, but I just couldn't be bothered, way too difficult with a baby, especially for just 3-4 days, ohhh how my life has changed... Usually I hate staying alone at night, but we have our live-in nanny, so I feel a little better about it. Tomorrow is her day off, so it's just Summer and me, and I just realised that this will be the first time it has been just the two of us for 10-12 hours. We've had a few hours just the two of us, but not a whole day, there has always been someone around, DH, MIL, Mum, Nanny etc. That makes me feel kinda sad, I've been feeling like a bit of a bad mummy lately, I feel super guilty for going back to work PT when she was only 6 weeks old and then FT at 10 weeks... I keep thinking that she's going to totally resent me when she's a teenager, arghh... But it's not like I really wanted to do it, it was just bad timing with DH starting his own business... Anyway, I'm hoping I'll only have to work FT for another 3 months or so, and then I can work PT and then I can make it up to Summer, cos I'm really missing out on a lot.... I'm determine to be around more before she starts walking, I want to be there.. My worst nightmare will be if Summer's first word is "Estela", my nanny's name, I'll really die then. Anyway, I'm probably stressing out too much, I've had way too much thinking time lately, I need DH to come home..

Hope everyone else is well and having a nice weekend..

I've been watching the F1 GP qualifiers (I love F1) and Melbourne looks great, it makes me feel homesick, and the AFL has started, the MCG looked great on Thursday night, go blues.. Little things like that make me homesick at times.

Jacinta

Hi,

Im still around just been a slack poster. This month I have had 2 weddings, a newborn and a family to photograph so I am up at all hours editing photos!! But its all good!

Levi is still a shocker overnight. Lucky he is so bloody adorable. The carpet gets laid for our extensions on Wed so over the Easter weekend we can start moving the kids around. I am hopeful that once he is in his own room he may sleep better!! Haha

He is still super little. He only weighs 5.7kgs and was 5mths old today!!

Well might go and lay in front of the TV for an hour before bed!! Oh and dont taste those light blue Lindt easter eggs!!!!!! OMG YUM

Heeellooooo

wow some big posts to read through

Kylie - Garrrrrr inlaws hey! Just be lucky you dont have mine. Mine have also played the guilty card because DP doesnt contact them enough and my mum gets most of our attention.... well they live in QLD what do they expect?? anywho. Yes I agree with the other ladies see if your MIL can have E for a few hours once a week, that should make her happy. So glad your mum is with you, you sound a bit more relaxed

Mandy - Terrible 2's uhhhhh dont miss those days..... Not liking terrible 4's though! They can actually out smart you

Jacinta - Nawww Im sure Summer wont resent you..... sounds like when you are around her you give her your full attention and thats all that matters. Im sure her first word wont be her nannies name thats a bit hard to say LOL no doubt it will be dad! thats always the first name they say hahaha

Rach - Glad the mastitis cleared up on its own..... I had it when I had Jacob it was horrible

another slack personal writer here........ its hard to keep up sometimes!

I think Lucas is having a growth spurt, his been feeding every 3 hours...... he had weetbix today hehe love it in between mouthfulls when he looks at me like, "hurry up mum!" hahaha. His funny... he rolls onto his tummy and uses his arms and legs to push himself around in a circle on the one spot.... I think he will start the commando crawl soon, his also nearly sitting up he just falls forward too much and OMG he grabs everything. I had him on my lap today while I was eating lunch and he was trying to grab every mouth full before it got to my mouth and even trying to grab it from my mouth hahahahaha cheeky sod!

ok girls im off, hope you all have a good night.

night xxx

Hey Im here to let you all know I wont be posting in here anymore.

most of you have me on facebook, so Ill catch up with you on there.

No worries Leish - catch you on FB!

chantal i am not getting the flu vaccine for emily, but if kydin will be in daycare it is a bit of a different story. im sure you probably already know, but the flu vaccine does not stop colds, so dont know whether it is worth it cos i have the feeling the sickness most kids will have at daycare is colds. BUT it is babies and old people that are most likely to die from getting the flu. the other thing to look at is how long it has been around for - i dont know how long the kids one has been around for. the longer it has been around for the safer it is (which is why emily and probably myself are not getting swine flu vaccine) but at the end of the day it is your decision. i have had the flu injection for years now (not last year though cos i was pregnant) and have been relatively healthy all through winter. there are also lots of people that dont get flu shots cos they get the flu after having it. this is a load of crap. the flu shot is NOT a live vaccine (one where they infect you with a virus) and the people that get sick would already have the infection in them (and lots of people mistake the common cold for flu symptoms) so as long as its been around for a few years i would assume it is pretty safe. but like i said, at the end of the day only you can make the decision.

leish i never seem to see your SILs comments. if i did though i would probably comment and tell her that she is a b**ch...

and whats the deal with you not coming on here anymore? is it your SIL again? get a new login and dont put any pics or names or anything on it.

rach woo hoo to boobies being better! harper is a clever boy to be sitting up already.

kylie your MIL is being so selfish. yes, she might be jealous your mum is there helping you out. but she needs to suck it up, cos she should have offered to help out AGES ago. maybe do what rach said and see if she will cut back her work (guess this really depends on how they are financially and if they need her working) and say that it would really help out not having to pay for one extra day of childcare. or organise a date night once a month and ask them to babysit. and it is not fair that she wants to take daddy-evan time away just so she can see him either. hope you sort it out with minimal arguments.

mandy sorry you had a sucky day yesterday with miles. hope he is better for you today.

jacinta hope you have a nice day enjoying summer all to yourself.

AFM i am sick and feel really crap at the moment. i have a terrible chesty cough, and pretty much cant take anything but stupid cough medicine for it (which DOES NOT work!) i did have a nice nap yesterday. went out to a fete the hospital had (got a good book for 50c, that was it) and had lunch with my mum, then came home and handed emily to DH and said you can look after her, i am having a nap. so got about 1 hour nap, then went to bed as soon as emily went (about 9:30) and woke up on my own at 7:15 just in time for emily. so am really well rested, so hope it clears up quickly.

going to try and do some packing of excess stuff today (to make our unit look less cluttered) but dont know if i will feel like it.

i have a question. i have been feeding emily solids once a day all this week (at 9am about 1-1.5 hours after her first feed) but other than the first day (she ate about 2 mouthfuls of pumpkin) she just keeps blowing raspberries and spitting it out. is it just cos she thinks its fun to do, or would it be that she doesnt like what i have tried her on? we have tried apple, pear, pumpkin and potato. i am keeping on with persevering.

oh and guess what??? emily said mum mum mum yesterday!!! DH is not happy, wanted her to say dad dad dad first and has been training her since!!

Take care Leish, see you on FB.

Arrghhhh the battle with the toddler continues... Didnt want the whole grain toast wanted the wholemeal - tough it's whole grain or nothing now do you want vegemite or jam, No I want this! And he grabbed the tomato sauce base for pizzas! Ok so ignore and move on.. Dp you want a cup of milk or water.. No baby milk! Miles you are 2.5 you are not having baby milk, ok ignore and move on... Here's your toast, water like it or lump it and walked off... A minute later he came out of the kitchen with his toast transfered to Gretas little pink plate.... Least he sat and ate it I guess.. Everything is a battle, I spend so much of the day ignoring/distracting him. He's currently sat on the lounge room floor building a tower out of blocks, I moved him out of his room as he was being too noisy as Greta is asleep in the next room... Another tanty about that of course, so I sat on the floor and started playing with his toys and he soon wandered over... Really I felt like laying on the floor, kicking and screaming trouble is he already outsmarts me

DH is currently havng a well earned lie in... He got up to Greta every morning last week while I had a lie in

I'm gonna make a curry today I have so much chicken in my freezer to use up before we move.

jacinta:Funny you say that, I used to call my Grandma Mum, just got it sorta came out cos I spent all my time with her cos my mum worked - I miss my Grandma... I used to love to hang out with my dad and Grandma, I still have little in common with my mum, we tend to sit in silence each racking our brains thinking what to say where asci could talk for hours with my Dad... Hmmm the inlaws! If they'd stayed 5 or 6 weeks they could have left on a high with us missing them but after 12 weeks, they just out stayed their welcome. My parents came for 5 weeks and I actually wasn't looking forward to them coming but we ended up having a lovely time and 5 weeks was just the right amount of time.

Jess: Greta did that with her food for a good 2 weeks, it's only in the last week she has really eaten properly.. It's just about getting used to the texture and stuff and this young age anyway not to feed her so just keep offering the same stuff and she'll eat it properly as time goes on.

OMG so disgusting. i just gave emily some potato, and she has only had a little taste of it before. and she had one mouthful and spat it out. so i gave her another mouthful and she rolled it around in her mouth then gagged and did a big river of vomit into her lap. obviously emily does not like potato.

then i thought i would try her on pumpkin again (cos she should be hungry after the vomit) and she ate about 3 mouthfuls, but i think it was cos she "helped" me put the spoon in her mouth. maybe i will have to go for baby led weaning after all.

morning
been MIA. Liam has been sick for over 2 weeks with some gastro virus.fortuntaelly it didn't get passed around the house but it did make for a very tired and grumpy mummy as i was getting up at 3 am every morning to stop the tears, whinging, give nurofen and rock him to sleep. he wouldn't let dh calm him down at all - he just wanted mummy. so haven't been online much...
Alex has also learnt how to sit on his own in the last 2 days - not bad for not even 5 months old. he's now on 3 meals a day and 5-6 BF and is thriving - well over 9 kg atm. he eats like a pg - he'd half half an avocado, half a banana or one of those raffertys garden sachets in one sitting. i worry he eats too much but he screams his head off if i stop the feed before he's finished so no choice. he hasn't dropped any of his BF so i guess it's ok...

chantal - both boys will get the swine flu and normal flu vax this year. Liam and i are ooked in for next week - Alex will get his with six months vax in may. my gp recommended getting the swine flu one first and then the noral one. the normal fluvax this year does have h1n1 in it but it's only a small dose - equivalent of a booster dose. so both boys will have two shots of junior h1n1 vax followed by single shot of normal fluvax for L (he's had fluvax previously and hence only needs one dose this year)and two shots for A. my reasons for doing it are:
L is already in cc and exposed to various germs and viruses. i don't want him getting the flu when his immune system is already comprimised with colds etc. they go around childcare like crazy. the first year he was in (he started at 6 months old like alex will be when he starts), he was sick every weerek for about 3-4 months. he'd be in cc mon-wed and it was guaranteed that by thu he'd be sick. he'd recover by sunbday and the cycle would start again. i expect the same willhappen with alex when he goes in in two weeks time. i am back at work on the 19thj and i seriously can't handle being sick, looking after two sick kids and working part time on limited sleep, hence why i'm also gettng it. DH gets his free at work for same reasons.
i looked into the safety of it and it's fine.
the kids vaccines (junior, up to 3) don't use thiomersal as a preservative - these have been available since mid-December. Here's the link - scroll down to about half way - relevant text copied below.

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/healthem...s-vaccine-qna#7



Mandy - i so hear you on difficult 2 year old. Liam is the same as miles atm. everything is either no, no, no or he's being naughty. he doesn't listen to me and is deliberately testing boundaries (and my patience),. i am so over making both cereal and toast in the morning only to find neither is eaten... sigh...


jess - thats awful... maybe she's not ready yet?

Leish - i must have missed something. hoep you're ok. will miss your posts...

jacinta - yeah we're watchign F1 around here too.. Dh and DS1 love it. we went last year and Dh is missing being there this year - he loves the atmosphere...

kylie - so glad your mum is helping. you sound heaps better.

rach - yeah on no mastitis. it's my constant worry. especially about how i'll go once i'm back at work. tehre is nowehre to express but i want to continue BFing, so we'll see how it goes....

Leish If the person in question is reading this can they kindly mind their own business...and seriously, get a life. How sad must you be to stalk someone elses posts just to make yourself feel better about your own crappy life. It's more a reflection of them not you Leish so you can hold your head up high. Could you just use a new username and tell us all on FB what it is, then when you post just don't include too many personal details or pics or the kids names or anything? We will miss you, but totally understand. As for the ILs...it's ridiculous that they're jealous of my parents..the IL's get to see him a minimum of once a week, my folks get to see him every few months...and those visits will slow down when I go back to work. Just a joke.

Mandy lies all lies...my little Miles doesn't do things like that...I'd still trade you him for E any day he's just too cute.

Rach yeah I'm just giving them some breathing space atm, they'll come round eventually as they won't want to miss out on seeing E for long. It just seems so stupid to me that they're annoyed they don't get to see E as much as they'd like and then they spend all weekend sitting at home sulking instead of coming over . And we were round their place last Sat for lunch then MIL, E and I went to the markets Sun morning and I stayed til lunch time...how much more do they want to see him...DH doesn't get to see him all week either so weekends are precious. *sigh* such a balancing act, it's all just jealousy because my mum is here. I will not be made to feel guilty that I need support from my mum though, a*s*holes. Vent over lol.

Jacinta I took the Maclaren on public transport (train & tram) on Friday and it was great, folded down really easy, was light...really good little 'get around town' stroller. I still love my Steelcraft though it's just so nice to push...I missed it how sad is that! Yeah I bet it would be hard this time of year seeing so many reminders of home...are you from Melbourne originally?

Naomi glad to hear all is going well with your family. Busy busy month indeed! I bought (and ate in one sitting) a packet of the peanut butter Lindt eggs, the ones in the orange packet...drool.

Jess 869 hope you're feeling a little better this afternoon. I'd say it's a combination of Emily maybe not quite being ready and her thinking that it's a game. I'd avoid potato if she really didn't like that. E didn't like pumpkin on its own but mixed with carrots or corn for a bit of natural sweetness he loves, so maybe you could try that? I hate the taste of pumpkin so I don't blame her for not wanting it either , and maybe the potato is just too starchy at this age? I'd keep going with it every day though...food is meant to be fun and she doesn't really need it at the moment anyway, so just let her have a good time, have a taste of the food and get messy. Definitely give the BLW a go, try her with some breadsticks or rusks, steamed carrot sticks, steamed broccoli etc and see what she does with that. I'm doing a combination of purees and BLW and it's working fantastic for us at the moment...but E has been used to a spoon & cup for his medication and most feeds since quite early on though which makes things easier for us, he can hold the spoon and feed himself little bits now which is where he gets his enjoyment from the feed times from.

Marina sorry to hear Liam has been so unwell, no fun at all. Go Alex with the sitting! E is no where near sitting or crawling or anything! Thanks a bunch for the info on the fluvax I have bookmarked it, appreciate it.

AFM day 1 of Operation Get Evan To Sleep Somewhere Other than the Sling During the Day starts tomorrow...am actually looking forward to it...amazing how different you can feel just by having your mum with you . E has been actually really really good the past few days. I was keeping him on 5 x 180ml bottles because I didn't think he'd be able to go up a notch and drop a feed (like the magical tin says)...silly mummy . He's gone up to 210ml bottles but has dropped one so is only having 4 feeds a day and I must say, it is very much agreeing with him. He's now feeding at 7.30am, 12.30pm, 5.00pm and 8.00pm with solids around 10.30am. No way did I think he'd be able to have 60ml less a day and be happy, but he is fantastic.

Had a lovely day today, headed off to the shops and ended up having dinner out, Mexican Yummo! Then took Miles to choose 2 easter eggs, on from DH and I and one from Nana and Grandad (my parents).. so he walked into the shop and announced he was in the Easter Bunny's house walked around star struck and chose 2 eggs.. well 1 egg in a little basket thing and one cadbury bunny... so we brough them home, DH put them in the boot off the car under the pram and when we got home the bunny had smashed to peices .. Miles sobbed aww i was so sad for him, he kept saying "mummy where is Miles' bunny wabbit" i showed him but he didnt get it was the same one - so im on a mission tomorrow to get him another one without him knowing!

Then we went up the water sprinkler thingy that all the kids run through and he had a ball till an older kid ran into hom and knocked him over and he burst into tears os i got soaked going in and picking him up.. he's such a gentle soul.

He was wonderfull today, think its all becuse he is dropping his day sleep... i dont beleive he needs it, he sits in his room for an hour or so for quiet time but doesnt go to sleep .. so i dont think he needs it but the transition is making him grumpy as we were still putting him to bed at 7pm then having a story and leave him then he'd sing in his bed as he always does at night and chats to his toys for 10 or 15 minutes and he would be asleep for 7.30pm... so now he has dropped his day nap we have moved his bed time forward to 6.30pm, so he is now fast asleep by 6.50pm.. seems a lot better for that extra 40 mins - he used to have abount an hours sleep in the day so i guess thats about right now.. well he's been his usual lovely self today anyway Ahhh terrible 2's turn a little angel into a little devil

Well DH is back at work tomorrow, hey does anyone feel a bit weird on weekends, like i really miss Greta cos DH gets her 50% of the time when he is home and she goes to bed and im like, oh but i feel i didnt get to spend much time with her .. perhaps im just soft

Milk intake: Well Greta is loving her solids but has never really had her full quota of milk, as a new born she was on 5 bottles a day instead of the 7 she was mean to have .. now she is meant to be on 4 a day and had 2 today I have checked with the nurses as it worries me but they jsut say that she is gaining weight so alls ok.. but i dunno it just seems wrong... she just adores solids and ive strated to give her water with her solids - she is on 2 solid feeds a day, has something like a quater of a banana or a cube 9 i freeze the food i puree for her in ice cube trays) of apple and half a cube of pear for brekkie then in the afternoon she has a cube and half of veggies of a quarter of avocado.. so not a huge amount but she has really dropped her milk intake She has her 6 month check up next week so i will check with the health nure again.. she is just so not into milk. Total opposite of Miles, he hung on for dear life to his milk and really fought to not have solids, he was so not into his solids or water - took 2 weeks of offering water till he actualyl sipped any, Greta drank heaps the first time i tried. Even now Miles will have a cup of milk over a meal any day of the week - hmm perhaps why he is almost 3 and still wears 1yr olds clothes
Anyway its just something im thinking about at the moment, i mean its not like she has suddenly dropped her milk intake she has never had as mush as she is meant to .. how come my kids dont have big appetites, where they hell did they get that gene from and why did it skip me

Koiles: good luck with operation sleep tomorrow nope you cant have my little man sorry, he's my little comedian, he has a wicked sense of humour... when i get past the tanties that is but i him
You're sounding so positive at the moment, doing you the world of good having your mum there

Leish: oh i didnt realise your IL's were being tits... ive seen your SIL's name down the bottom of the page.. please dont let them win, just keep being you

Marina: aww sitting, what a super star. Greta was so close to sitting but has now become fascinated with rolling so has forgotton to everything other than rolly polly herself all the time its so cute though.

Jess: Miles used to gag on EVERYTHING and vomit it all up.. he was a shocker, i pureed his food till he was like 18 months old it was insane, he chocked all the time and was never really into eating..he's totally fine now though can eat anything but i used to hate to feed him cos he would gag and them vomit so much all the time - DH used to feed him all the time he was home cos my paniking used to drive him up the wall.
Miles has stolen that shape-o thing of Greta's he loves it.. he is into learnign shapes at the moment so he thinks it great - i cant complain cos Greta has most of Miles old baby toys, every time she is playing (or should i say chewing) something he goes "hey Gweta, thats mine" but he still lets her play with it so i guess its only fair he gets to play with her one and only toy

WEll i booked my cat into the catterry for when we move house she is 7 this year and we got her when she was 7 weeks old from the rspca and she has never left our house - except for her annual vaccine at the vets, thats all of a 30 second walk up the street... she has a cat sitter when we go on holiday so im gutted she has to go away while we renovate. DH has promised me he will get the builders to fix up the spare bedroom in the first week then we can go get her and keep him in that room and i can go hang out in there with her then we can let her out at night in the house to wonder around get used to the new house.. so a week max in the cattery... and its walkng distance to our house so i can go see her every day on my way up to the house .. i feel so awful but can think what else to do.. it will be a week at most but its gonna drag.. When we used to go away at first she never ate for the first few days.. but now she knows her sitter and is fine with her .. poor girl, she didnt ask to move house - i hope she'll be ok.. 7 years of having her seems like a lifetime.

Then swimming class for Miles at lunch time.

Im still not 100%, still wheezy and feelng sick.. but much better than i was... still got the maxolon so that helps..such an awful virus.

Ok thats me caught up

Night all

Hi Girls

I thought i'd pop in to say hello! I know i don't stop by often but wanted to let you guys know i think about you all and wonder how all our babies are doing!

We're doing pretty well! I do think i was spoilt with DD though, she was such a good, easy, happy go lucky baby...LOW maintenance!! Hudson is the opposite, always wants attention, wants to be picked up all the time and cries a lot. He also has reflux and is on losec so feeding times can be challenging. We're still BFing and have now started solids (1 week ago) He's just having rice cereal and some pear atm, tried mashed potato but he didn't like that! Might try some avocado at lunch today, see how that goes.

What foods are you all giving? (If on solids that is!) I'd like to offer vegies first so he doesn't get used to the sweetness of fruit.

Hudson's stats at 20 weeks were
7.07kg
64.5cm (although when i measured he was 67cm?)
47cm head (this is so wrong, only 43.5cm! Don't know what the nurse was doing!)

Hmmm now i can't think of anything else to say I might try to pop in again soon!

Ramona xx

Oh yeah i'm doing well now too. I still have a heart condition (Cardiomyopathy) but almost feel back to my normal self! It's weird though, it feels as if i'm living my second life, everything before going to ICU (23rd Oct) is my former life! It also still feels as if Hudson is really someone elses baby and not mine. It's like i left my baby in the hospital and when i finally came home there was this other little person here. It took us a long time to bond, i still have trouble now and don't feel that "feeling" with DS that i do with DD.

Chantal - I have no advice for you as both mine have been crap sleepers too, but I just wanted to send you a ......maybe go to the doc and talk to him about it as I ended up with PND due to my first baby being such a sh*t sleeper....

Chantal - Put him in his cot and let him cry! shut the door and walk out..... sit on the couch have a cuppa and watch some TV and check on him after 10mins. He is overtired and needs to let his fustration out and wear himself out to fall asleep. Cant hurt can it!

Mandy aww it's so hard with pets isn't it. We used to take our dog interstate with us when we went, but one time we couldn't take him and our IL's were going away at the same time so we had to put him in a kennel, I was so upset. Plus when we picked him up he had kennel cough GRR!!! Your move seems to have come around really quick, I bet you're really excited!

Ramona so good to hear from you lovely lady! And super glad to hear that you're doing well. Will this heart condition stay with you forever now? Big hugs it must have been so hard for you to come out of ICU and suddenly the baby you'd been growing in your tummy was out in the real world and so big...totally understand why bonding would have been hard. You'll no doubt get there though, it will just take a little longer than it did for DD.

I'm the same with the solids, only giving vegies at the moment and once he's eating those then I'll introduce sweet things. For bitter foods I've been using carrot or corn as a natural sweetener. E has been having the following combinations: Pumpkin & Carrot, Pumpkin & Corn, Pumpkin, Carrot & Corn, Carrot, Carrot & Corn, Sweet Potato & Carrot, Spinach, Peas & Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Peas & Sweet Potato - I gave him pumpkin on its own but he didn't like it, but will happily eat it if it's with something else. The first time I tried him on pumpkin I made a huge batch and froze it and he hates it, so now what I've been doing is buying an organic jar of baby food and if he likes the flavour I'll then go out and buy the vegies and make some myself.

Chantal big hugs lovely . Can you call Ngala again and see if they can get you in ASAP for a day stay? You've been doing everything they told you to do over the phone and it's not working so it sounds like it's past the point of you being able to manage on your own and they need to get you in to help you sleep train him. I started E's sleep training today and I feel like a wreck - such a struggle to get him down and he slept 20mins...personally I'm happy because he'd normally have that nap in the sling but he was in his cot so for me it's a success, but 2hrs struggle for a 20min nap...bloody craziness. The thing that is keeping me happy is knowing I've got the day stay coming up. I'm still cautious of letting them cry it out at this age...unless you're so frustrated you just need to leave him or risk doing your nut of course. I'd check with Ngala and see what they recommend you do now - there are not many places that advocate the cry it out method. Hugest hugs.

AFM day 1 has been a success so far. I got the bathroom totally gutted out, scrubbed, cleaned and put back together. I really feel like if I get my house clean and in order I will feel so much more in control and able to deal with things. So, tick, that's one room done. I'm aiming for 1 room a day...we only have 6 rooms in the house so it's not like it'll take long haha. As for the sleep...as I said to Chantal, still counting it as a success because it's more than he's ever done before during the day in his cot...20mins. Massive struggle to get him down though...in the end I did cheat a bit and I let him get really sleepy on me then put him down awake but very drowsy. Normally though, he'd never even let me do this he'd immediately scream as soon as I started lowering him into the cot, so it's good. Mum & I struggled for about 2hrs with him though, at one point he cried so much as I was lowering him into the cot he hyperventilated and threw up...he'd had spinach & peas this morning and then his bottle so when he threw it up it looked like bird sh*t, white spew with green blobs . He'll be due another nap in an hour or so, so we'll try again.

Question on settling: for those with bubs who sleep in their cots (ie. most of you ), when do you put them down? Do you put them down as soon as you notice one tired sign? Do you wait until there's a few tired signs? Is anyone still rocking to sleep? I know it's naughty but I'm thinking of trying to rock to sleep to get him to sleep quicker in his cot, and then once I've mastered cot sleeping then trying to wean off rocking. Don't know whether it'd just be more hard work in the end though?