Parenting after LT TTC #4

Well... I've gone from being really excited about going again to absolutely crapping myself with breath-snatching fear. Yep, it's another opportunity to add to our family - but it's also another opportunity for my body to let me down again. I guess I've got a lot of things to work through in the next few months - I thought I was feeling ok with the chance of having another premmie bub, I think I'm ok with possibly not being able to breastfeed again... I'm definitely NOT ok with the chance of having another miscarriage. :(

When it came to starting solids - we didn't have that much in the way of mess issues, unless Sam was feeding himself. We do know, as he thinks it is fun to try to snatch the spoon off us but still isn't coordinated enough to cope with a spoon solo... We used a lot of bibs when he was younger, but rarely put one on him now. We do have a plastic mat on the floor under the high chair - but he can throw further than it reaches now! We also found that starting solids didn't really help with reducing Sam's chucking at all, but I do know that it has helped some. We just got apple-scented puke instead! The chucking didn't really stop until he had enough control to sit completely unsupported.

On another note - it appears that I can no longer deny the fact that Sam is well and truly due for his first hair cut. He's looking far too girly again!

Janie - really sorry to hear that Jasmine is sick again. :( I feel like we've been unbelievably luck with Sam's start to daycare. He's been sick once - and that turned out to be teething not a bug. He hasn't brought home any colds, viruses or anything else exciting to make life harder for his immune-suppressed mother. Counting my blessings every day there.

Marcellus - I hope A's start to daycare is better than his last. I know that one was tough on both of you. :hug:

I guess the whole daycare thing contributes to me feeling ok about Sam not being breastfed. His immunity is clearly not lacking in any way at this point in time. One thing that our paed suggested to help reduce daycare bugs - bath as soon as they get home after daycare. We don't always do it, but do make sure his face and hands are washed at least. The paed also suggested pentavite - but that's the one medicine that Sam doesn't open his mouth and beg for so we ditched it.

BW

Here's my contribution to feeding mess - get naked (baby, not you, or you could I spose) and put down a plastic sheet (though that's less helpful if they aim their throws further away).

That is lucky BW. A must have gotten 2 flus, a vomiting virus, and a couple of viral/rash type things in the 12 weeks he was there last time. Washing up is good advice! I must remember to do that.
Hopefully you've gotten the 'mix' right with your last cycle, so it'll be smoother sailing next time round

Hope you're enjoying the porn Grub :rofl:

It's so hard, isn't it Janie? Hope she's better soon. I think sometimes they get sick and never quite get the chance to recover properly with daycare so they just get sick again and again.

Wow Murph, you must be a super mum staying on top of all that!

Time to go pick up the little man....hope he's had a better day today.

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J
It is hard to come to terms with the fact that Tara will be 6 months old on Monday and starts swimming lessons (that's if her cold is gone away) and then immunisations on Wednesday and her MCHN visit on Thursday for weigh in. I'm guessing she now weighs between 7.5kg-8kg's :dance:. We are also doing the car seat change this weekend as well to forward facing and I've even just bought another cheaper car seat for our little car and also a stroller so I don't have to take the big car out all the time.

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Kelly, i know a lot of mum's turn their bubs at six months - just check with your car seat to make sure it's ok to turn your baby weight wise as well as age wise - i know ours says at least 8kg. not sure if you're getting Tara weighed for her six month check, but it's something to keep in mind. i have been reading the details for our car seat today trying to work out how much longer i can keep DD rearward, and it says she should be at least 8kg - and can be rearward as late as 12kg. your MCHN should be able to give you some more info about whether it's safe for your DD if her weight is on the cusp

Thanks BG, I've checked that our car seat is from 8kg's onward and a couple of weeks ago we weighed Tara at home (although not as acurate as the MCHN scales) and we estimated she was about 7.5kg's then. It is just getting so darned hard to get her in and out of the seat now and she persists in lifting her head all the time.

How do you manage to get E in and out of her seat seeing she weighs more than Tara? I find it really hard to get my hands under Tara's bum and head to lift her out and poor child if I try under the armpits, like grub I end up clonking her head on either the roof or door jam of the car. I'm hoping that once she is forward facing it will be easier to get her in and out.

I'm so looking forward to getting the extra Car Seat and Stroller I ordered today, this means that I can use our little car (2 door Getz) for the quick trips to the shops instead of having to manage with the station wagon. Car parks are just not made for big cars or 4WD's anymore and then the station wagon will be for long trips to Melbourne or family trips on the weekend.

Anyway better be off, child in bed asleep which means mummy now has washing and bottle steriling to undertake...

It is really awkward getting them in and out, isn't it? It was a relief when we switched A around at about 10 months (but he's a lightweight compared to your little girl) - and yeah he got clonked a fair bit too. But when I heard some safety statistics later on I kinda regretted it. Well, we didn't have a crash (thankfully) but it still worries me a bit. In Europe and elsewhere they have rear-facing seats for older toddlers (even up to 4 years old!), but not allowed here, which is a shame.

We have a sedan and that's bad enough! How do you park and still get out of the car?

A had a better day today. Fingers crossed that next week he'll actually eat his lunch. Then maybe one day he won't cry at drop off...

Kelly - we have a 4wd so have not yet bonked E on the head getting her in and out of the car! though i ahven't had a drama in mum's either - and it's just a commodore... we put her in basically sitting upright and alow her to sit herself down (we have her in the middle seat and i sit beside her rather than trying to lean in and out). like Marcellus, i have read a bit on the safety stats and decided we would put miss E facing rearward as long as possible. she hasn't really fought it at all which surprised me as i know a lot of kids that have. if i could keep her backwards longer i would, but she is a little porker - so unless she starts properly walking soon and her weight gain slows, we'll have her frontward by her birthday.

tired mummy day today - think the notion of returning to work is getting to me more than i wanted to admit. ah well, it has to be done!

You know, I've always wondered why people talk about having trouble lifting the baby over the car seat straps when they are rearward facing... and it finally occurred to me! We have a subaru forester - so highish roof, and the anchor point is in the roof - so we could just lift Sam out between the car seat and the straps. We also did the centre seat thing which made it easier for us, too. I can understand why some people have trouble now - I could never get my head around it before. But... when you've seen the videos and stuff, every time we have a near miss while driving my heart ends up in my throat thinking about what could happen to Sam. I would much rather we were able to use the extended rear-facing seats here like they have in Europe - much safer.

Teething munchkin here - he appears to be working on all four molars at once - mushy spots on his bottom gums and hard lumps on the top (but they have retreated from where they were the other day). He also looks really puffy and swollen along his jaw line. Poor kid... he's still mostly eating, which is one less stress. He all but stops eating completely when he's teething. :( And mummy forgot to buy icy poles for him today.

Smithy I've been thinking of starting solids with my little man soonish too I started at 6 weeks my Partner at 4 and we're both fine. Hope all's well with the move :D

Marcellus :leap: for happy sleeper is that a new new thing or did DS start hating sleep when he got older?

Mr peeper is a learning curve for me too :o got me three days in a row at bath time.

Neptune after a chucky day myself your description made me :D

Janie thanks for the insight and I"m sorry your Jasmine is sick again. I must admit I'll be happier when Linc has all his shots on bord too.

Kelly wow swimming lessons how much fun is that. BUCKET BIB! they actually work, I got one for a baby shower gift and thought "oh that's nice" and shoved it in the bottom draw.

Grub I love the idea of camp trip were you off to?

BW first hair cut how cute, you going to do it or someone else? Love the bath idea too 4.30-5 is bath time in our house so that works well.

Today I'm having my own little panic attack re organisation, I got half way to mums and needed to come home for my purse :doh: how am I going to manage this with work? :o I'm going to do a few dry runs leading up then a month before every Tues and Friday get up and go to mums as will happen when I start work (childcare Tues) but the practice will be good for both of us I think.

Had a lovely day with my Grandma's best friend (Grandma dies 13 years ago) I just felt like I needed to see her she's known me from birth and by chance I ran into her daughter at a work doo and I though "yep this is a sign" she was wonderful Italian Nona and still so active for 75 It was so nice to have a big cuddle and good coffee :D I feel like my Oma is smiling from above today. Real proud moment showing off Lincoln who was cute and adorable as well (good timing little one).

DH is on KI tonight and I'm :pray: Linc continues the run of good sleeps.

RE Car seats, With Campbell we had to turn him around just before 6 months because he was so long that he kept pulling on the straps that go over the top. He was only about 6kg. I agree it is better to leave them rear facing for as long as possible. Xavier on the other hand wont be going in the car that much he hates it and screams most of the trip. It is because the capsule is not upright enough and he is in pain thinking of trying the car seat when we get back.

We are off on our holiday on monday so will check in if I can.

:hello: NEPTUNE,MARCELLUS,SAPH,KELLY,GREEN,LENNY,GRUB,MURP H,JANIE
i hope you all have a wonderful weekend,thank you all so very much for your support over the past few days YOU GIRLS ROCK :D.
all is going really well here with miss c,night times are still a bit funny were back to 3-4 hrs down from 5-6 hrs so maybe a growth spurt not sure lol.apart fom this shes beautiful,giggling,smileing,eating and drinking heaps.
anyways girls love to you all and ill be lurking for a couple of days now as im so dam busy with all this mooving bizz,actually im just about done with the packing its really just cleaning the house now :shakehead:
take care xoxo

I still bonk DS1 on the head sometimes getting in and out of the carseat. DS2 is in the capsule - so his head is safe for now! It's a shame you can't buy a rear facing seat for bigger kids. I know some people prefer to be able to have their kids front facing - it does make it easier to hand them milk arrowroot bikkies on long trips, but when you see the footage on youtube, it does make you think. Having the option would be nice - like you say grub, horses for courses.

Green - I took my enormous nappy/handbag to the supermarket and did a whole load of groceries and came to pay, but my wallet was still at home. So I raced home and raced back again and by the time i got home again, DS1 had fallen asleep in the car!! And once I drove off with the mail sitting on the roof of the car. And I used to the the organised unflustered type, now I'm just human!

I had a slighty funny/cute moment yesterday at my mother's group. The lady hosting it asked if she could give each of the kids a small easter egg - sure, no problem. She gave DS1 his egg and he popped it into the driver's seat of the car he was playing with and carried on playing. None of them could believe that he'd never had an easter egg before - and didn't know that 'foil wrapping' means chocolate inside!! Well, he knows now!! I'm not a mean old mummy - i just didn't see the point in having a big easter celebration when neither of the boys are old enough to care.

Oh, and while I have the chance on this quiet Saturday afternoon I thought I'd take the opportunity to start a new thread here