Babies Born March 16th ~ 31st 2008 #3

Wow, it's been so long since I posted in here. I think last time I checked in people were just announcing their second pregnancies. Congratulations to everyone who has had their new bub already. I have about 6 weeks to go until my EDD and really starting to get over it, just want to get on with being a mum to two little souls.

Will is going really well, will be 16 months at the end of the month. Has been walking/running for ages and into everything like most kids his age. He's a really happy kid and I have to say since he turned one life has been a lot easier in terms of understanding his wants/needs and keeping him occupied. I am really loving this age I have to say. My only worry is really seeing how he will go once the baby gets here but I know we will cope.

Teething has been our only problem of late but since getting his last eye tooth it has settled right down, 16 teeth in total. Does anyone know how many baby teeth there are by any chance?

Anyway hi again after so long hope your all well.

congratulations to Catherine and Laura on the births of Gabriel and Amelie ! :happyforyou::happyforyou::hooray: :babyboy: :girl: looking forward to seeing photos of them soon ! hope you are both doing well :-)

Melinda

Hi all,

Huge congrats to CM on the arrival of Gabe and to Laura on Amelie's arrival - :hooray: Hope you're all settling in beautifully with bubs no.2.

CM - hun, your little boy certainly had a rough trot there for a couple of days - you sound like you coped amazingly well! So glad to hear he's settled in at home well and that's he's being a good little bub for you. Let me know how Flynn goes with the "gentle" thing, we're still trying to convince Cam that gentle doesn't mean "hit" and "whack" (as our poor dogs often find out when he pats them!).

Bec - glad to hear you're still alive :nahnah: (only stirring!). Where are you living now? Good for you on going to the gym, and hey ... if you're keen to play hockey again, then go for it!

Macca - not long for you to go now and at least you won't have to suffer too much of the build up while in the last stages of pregnancy. I don't think I'd have coped too well if I'd stayed in Darwin for my first pregnancy (or this one!). Cam's only got six teeth - four up top and two on the bottom. He seems in no hurry to pop the rest, so unfortunately I can't tell you how many they are supposed to have!

Mel - how are you and the family? Has the sickness fairy buzzed off and left you guys alone for a while? We (finally!) are well ... touch wood.

Hi to everyone else - hope you and your bubs are all keeping well.

Just a quick update, we moved house two weeks ago and I've hardly been online for several reasons (least of all Telstra buggering us around). Am half way through pregnancy no. 2 ... time is flying. Had our morphology scan last week and all's well, which of course is a relief. The tummy has totally popped out and picking Cam up is now starting to become interesting, as it pulls on the sides of my bump. Just means I'll have to be a bit smarter in how I do things!

Gotta keep moving - talk soon.
Andie xx

hi girls,

im mainly just posting to bump this thread up (was on the 3rd page).
how is everyone ? how are all the new mummies/babies going ? and how are the expectant ones going ? who is next up to have their baby ?

no news with us, all just plodding along

Melinda

Hey!!! :)

I've been thinking of all you 2nd timers atm, some with NB's some still expecting, lol. I can't believe here I am looking at my 'baby' and you guys have your 'big boys' :lol:

Plodding along here too.....secretly I am so very very painfully clucky and finding it very hard to deal with as DH is not budging at all :( He is citing financial reasons which of course are founded and correct but........money can't buy happiness right??

Anyway, my little man is growing so much, he's quite the entertainer in our household!! It seems a lifetime ago I was so worried how I'd manage with 3 kids and now I just can't remember a time without him!!

I'm getting some daycare sorted for two days a week and am looking at getting some work. Maybe that will distract me ;) Bootcamp at the gym begins today and I'm all pumped to go for my session in about an hour.

Best go, Jake has his whole head inside the pencil case..... :D

hope you are all well and enjoying your little ones!

xxx

how quickly does time go by... our babies are nearly 18 mnths :lol:

I know you asked ages ago Mel but just wanted to say that Dusty mostly grizzels to sleep and wakes up crying everyitme. Not sure what I can do about it as I feel like I have tried everything. He will still wake a couple of times overnight... I try and keep in mind that he will sleep through once he is at school...

We are down to 1 sleep through the day and I am looking at putting him in a 'big' bed soon. Dusty loves people and kids, he really is a social kid so I have to get him out there more so to speak.

I am pleased to say that I went back to work part time in feb and quit for good in June, yay so I am back at home. I am starting at tupperware to earn a few $$ and get me out of the house.

I am starting to enjoy this age... but as I am 30 next year if we are going to have another it will be after that. I just wish they came out as 12 mnth old's, I never expected that newborn stage to be so hard...


D is saying a few words, we have brainwashed him early he can say 'ish' as in fish and is starting to put the whole word together, his favourite is ball and book :lol: Dusty thinks every bird is a duck lol and every four legged animal is a 'woof' or dog hehe He is soooo cute and I have to say that I am truly blessed, he is such a happy baby most of the time.

I am on a weight loss mission as my sisters wedding is in Feb next year and I am the maid of honour - so excited, I have lost 6 kgs so far :clap:

Well I am going to leave it there, congragulations to all the new babies and to those waiting hope that the waiting isn't too long ;)

Hi guys,

I'll pop in and say hi too - good to hear from you Mel, Bec and Nic.

I'm pleased to say our household has finally settled down after our house move and my parents left us this morning after a 3+ week visit. Was wonderful having them here as they're both good helpers around the house and with Cam, it's always sad to see them go.

Cam's been crook with another cold/chest infection. He's on the mend now, but last week was pretty miserable. Typically, he's passed it on to me, although I've been popping Vitamin C and Echinacea like there's no tomorrow - I think that's helped.

All good here otherwise. Almost 24 weeks along and started to feel heavy, if that makes sense. I didn't get very big with Cam, and feel at 5 months like I did at 7 months with Cammie. Sigh, the joys of pregnancy! I finish work at the end of October - bring it on!!!

I agree that 18 months is a delightful age. Yes, our kids are very full-on and can be a handful, but gosh aren't their personalities on full display. Cam's a real joker, loves books and being read to, and wants to be outside every chance he gets. He's still not big on saying actual words - though he says the dogs names and we think he says "ta" and "hello". Still, he babbles and chatters away like he's a born talker.

Hope everyone else is going well - by my reckoning, our next bubba must be Macca's???

Hope bootcamp went well Bec :clap:!
Good luck with the weight loss Nic - may the force be with you ;)
Hope James is better Mel :pray:

Andie xx

:bump:

Hi guys, thought I'd bump us up the list and say a quick g'day. We've all been quiet, not that I can talk as it's been weeks since I was on the internet, let alone BB.

All ok my end at the moment. For the first time in ages it seems both Cam and I are healthy. I had a sinus infection which took a visit to the dr and antibiotics to fix - I got sick of a stuffy, congested nose after two weeks and begged for drugs!

Cam's doing well. He started "swimming" lessons a few weeks ago and now we can't keep him away from water activities. We went to a water park at Caloundra today which had one of those water-fountain spout thingamies that kids run through and play in. Cammie took to it like a proverbial duck to water. Drenched himself playing with big kids, but had a ball. Anyway, at least he's social and isn't shy (which I guess is a good thing).

My sister and her son (20 months) are here visiting. The two cousins are getting on great, although "cuz" seems to delight in nicking whatever toy Cam is playing with at the time. Typical toddlers- no bites or whacks (to each other) as yet, so it's "so far, so good" :).

Hope everyone and their toddlers (and other kiddies) are keeping well.
Andie xx

Hi Everyone!

I must confess I hardly ever get on BB anymore. There is only so much freetime to be had with a newborn and a toddler!

We are going really well. Gabe is a champ and is the size of your average 3 mth old. He's just gone 2mths old. He is great overnight so I'm doing well. The other night he did 8hrs in a row! I was stunned, and very thankful! He seems to have turned a corner in the last couple of days. He is happy to spend some awake time (around 15min in a row!) out of my arms which is nice.

Flynn is doing well. He gets into eveything. He chucks tantrums a lot. Nothing unbearable tho and his gripe is quickly eased with a question to find something else etc, pretty well any kind of distraction works! He is learning to be more gentle with Gabe but he is still quite rough. He is kind of talking a lot. He says bird and he asks for help and says please in sign language. The only problem with that is sometimes he will be madly signing 'help please' and I have no idea what he wants. often it is something that I wont let him have! often it is more fruit. He would eat nothing but fruit for every meal if I let him, at least it's healthy I guess.

We have nearly bought a block of land in Euroa. Settlement is on the 22nd of Sept. I'm excited. Hopefully everything goes smoothly. We are putting a relocatable home on it (it's already there but has not been stumped or put back together yet). I have no idea when we are likely to move there. I will probably be before the end of the year.

Anyway hope you are all doing well.

Leesa must be getting married soon!!! Let us know how it goes!

Hi Girls
It?s been ages since I last logged in BB.:redface: I am flat out at the moment packing. We are moving in 11 days and I have sooooo much stuff to pack. It?s hard to pack when you have an 18 month old and a 3 ? trying to help as well.
All is good with Riley and Isabella (touch wood). Isabella has to go and see an ophthalmologist tomorrow as her left eye turns in. I am hoping that there is nothing serious wrong with her eye.
Riley has been diagnosed with separation anxiety, a global developmental delay and is in a moderate risk of autism. He hasn?t got autism but is show some autistic characters. Riley is eligible for DADHC (dept of ageing, disability and home care) which provides speech therapy, occupational therapy and home care. I want to give all the help and support that I can get for him before he starts school so he isn?t behind the rest of the kids.
My Mum was here for 6 weeks which was great. The kids loved her being here and it was company for me as hubby is still working nightshift 6 nights a week. :( Mum and Riley went walking. Riley was riding his tricycle and a car backed out of a driveway and hit riley?s bike and knocked him off. Riley was physical hurt but was really traumatised and now he won?t walk passed or go any near this man?s house. We don?t know what is going on in Riley?s head.

Isabella is finally walking and into everything more so then what Riley was at the same age. She eats or chews everything from paper to licking the wall bricks outside.

I should go so I can hang out some washing and start to pack again.
Hopefully everyone is well
Take care
Jo

Hi all,

Hope everyone and their kiddies are doing well. Cam's battling another ear infection and a sore throat at the moment, but overall he's not too bad. He had his first wedding on Saturday night and was good as gold, unlike another tot his age who ran his poor mum ragged (and whacked Cam on the leg about an hour after he'd fallen asleep - hence waking him up). Sometimes I'm so thankful for Cam's reasonably placid nature!

We seem to have successfully made the transition to a "big bed" a couple of weeks ago. So far he's falling asleep ok, although mummy and daddy have had a couple of visits from their boy in the middle of the night!

Not much other news really - Cam had his 18-month checkup and (chicken pox) vaccination a couple of weeks ago. I'm down to about 7 weeks - give or take - till next bub arrives. Finding it harder to keep up with Cam but it's definitely not impossible. I finish work Thursday week - bring it on!!

Ah, my little man has just woken from his nap - gotta go.
Take care all,
Andie xx

Oh I've been so slack in this thread :(

Andie so good to hear from you!! Glad all is well and yes you should be so thankful Cam is so placid, here's hoping the next little one is too!!

Not too much to update here I don't think......Jake Also had his check and vaccination, and all is well :) He weighs in at 10.1kg ;) I did have slight concerns about his speech (he just doesn't even bother much, he's so lazy!) but I'm assured he is just lazy and has to many others to compete with and do the talking for him. I had a day alone with him Friday as he was too unwell to go to daycare and at the supermarket he was attempting to imitate every word I said. So I know he can do it ;) lol His latest fascination is with baaaaaaby.....lol. He loves them.

I've done my first two days relief a couple of weeks ago and it went well :) I was SO nervous, but it was fantastic. I really felt comfortable, which is a relief.

Things can still be really up and down here.....I guess it's just a crisis :P I know the good comes with the bad and I know I'm not perfect either. Hmmmm....

I've had my cousin pass away (he was 34) and the funeral. I think his passing and his age etc has really been making me re assess my life and if I passed away at his age could I say my life was fulfilled like his was??

I've had the IL's here while MIL had an 'episode' resulting in a trip to the psyche ward here....and then a road trip with us all to get her back to the hospital at home. thankfully she seems to be doing better now but they have been some hairy times!!

Right now the kids are fighting over who has the most playdough......:rolleyes: better go.....

xxx

Hi all,

I have also been very slack in this thread - sorry girls!!!

Yep - I'm now a Mrs lol (good memory Catherine - did FB give it away :D) - the pics are there, well some anyway.

AndiE - how exciting, not long for you to go now!! Is the gender a surprise?? Wow, swimming lessons - what a little dude!! How cool is that?

Becstar - that is terrible news about your cousin, so young. I assume it was quite unexpected?

Catherine - distraction really works a treat!! How are you finding it with a newbie and Flynn? Has Flynn started acting any differently since Gabe was born? DD has, a little :shakehead: / :redface:.

AFM - OMG, where do I start. So I don't bore you all...:

1) Found out my mum has 12 mths to live (lung cancer) - so hoping treatment gives her more time to enjoy her grandbabies..:pray:.

2) DD says the words 'pretty', 'who (or maybe its where) is it?', 'dada', 'mumum', 'bubby' (whenever she hears Mr B cry she tends to hear him first and says 'bubby' - and darn it, she's been right everytime!!).

3) DD is a born climber lol, so she's a kindergym girl now. But I'll be back to work next Feb so we only got 2 terms in, then back to child care for one week in three again - but in the 2 - 3.5 yrs room (I'm nervous about that one). She sleeps no worries at all over night, in a toddler bed - and she has almost got all of her teeth now.

4) It's apparently my fault that when DD see's a bird she say's pretty, instead of bird. Just ask DH!

5) DD has already learn't how to push my buttons during feed times with Mr B, it drives me nuts lol - she can be so mischeivous when my hands are full!

:

---

5) DD has already learn't how to push my buttons during feed times with Mr B, it drives me nuts lol - she can be so mischeivous when my hands are full!

---

OMGosh Flynn is exactly the same. I was feeding Gabe the other day and Flynn starte drawing on the wall, cupboard, fireplace surround with chalk - which i guess is not too bad in the grand scheme, but still naughty; he knew it too >:|

Flynn has started to climb everything. It's driving me nuts cos I don't have anywhere higher to put things out of his reach. He made me cry the other day cos he climbed our bed (stupid house-I can't shut that door) and got my expensive, discontinued, gift from Josh purfume and tipped it all out. I'm still upset about it actually.

Flynn does act differently now, but I'm not sure whether it is because of Gabe or that's just how he was always going to be! He is heaps of fun, but lately he has been very whingey and whiny. I think it is just the age more than the competition? Who knows.

Gabe is ok. He has reflux which sucks. He chucks up a lot and is quite sooky. When he is happy tho...hoo boy what a cutie! I'm looking forward to him growng out of the screaming and crying and needing to be held all the time. I find him difficult to wear cos he is heavy (6.5kg at 3 mth weigh in) and he fights and fidgets. It will be nice when he can sit 'properly' in the ergo. (I have a lot of trouble with the legs out one side carry)

We are having a long weekend here. We are off to do some work to our house/land. Can't remember if I've told you all. We bought some property in Euroa. We settled in end of Sept. The house has just finished being stumped so we are up to finishing off the outside and roof, plastering inside where it was cut in half. painting, plumbing, electricity etc. We don't know when we will be moving it's all a bit up in the air (we've got to rely on other work being done which we have no control over).

Hope you are all well. Sorry for no personals :redface:

Hi all,

Just popping in for a minute to say 'hi'. I stopped work last Thursday, so am now indulging in some 'me' time while Cam is at daycare Tue/Wed/Thu. The past week has been absolutely full-on - several work farewell lunches/drinks/sunday bbq (you'd think I wasn't going back in Nov '11!), plus friends from overseas stayed Sat night. Would you believe I layed down on the couch this morning for a nanna nap ... THREE hours later I woke up! Guess it was a much-needed rest. I'll have to get off BB in a minute to attend to some jobs before I pick Cam up!

All ok with me. Bub has started to engage, "dropped" to 3/5ths engaged two weeks ago and I wouldn't be surprised if it hasn't moved further down into my pelvis by now. Having lot of BH tightenings too ... for some reason I feel this bub may arrive a little ahead of time. I'm utterly knackered at the moment, but think that's just due to working/toddler/busy weekend. If I take it easy tomorrow, I should be back on track.

Cam is recovering from another throat infection. I'm considering taking him to a chiropracter as he seems to have soooo many ear and/or throat infections. I hear chiros can work wonders. Am not sure what else I can do - he has a healthy diet and lifestyle, and I guess it's just the usual thing of daycare building up his immunity, but this must be the 7th or 8th lot of antibiotics in the past 6 months.

We've also had a run of "bad" nights with him for almost two weeks - he's getting out of bed at all hours (anytime between 11pm-4am) and walking into us to join us in bed. Fair enough when he's not well, but when he's fighting fit it's a bit different. We had a breakthrough last night (though I'll not hold my breath) ... he slept uninterrupted from 7pm-5.30am ... in his own bed! :dance: Fingers crossed for another night or two or many more like that! Otherwise he's pretty good - he has a fixation with trucks and tractors at the moment - typical boy!

Bec - how are things on the homefront with your family. Sad to hear about your cousin. How's the relief work going (I'll be nosy and ask what you are doing)? Hope all's well with Jake and the kids.

Leesa - sorry to hear about your mum, my thoughts are with you guys. Am a bit worried about Cam pushing my buttons when new bub arrives ... any tips welcome! Your DD sounds like a cutie though!

CM - ditto re: tips on dealing with a new baby and a toddler. It's the only part of this caper that is causing me anxiety! No good about your perfume ... I totally understand your frustration though - to our toddlers it's all about exploration and learning isn't it, they just don't understand the impact some of their adventures have on mummy and daddy.

Imagine that, like me, everyone is busy with family/toddlers and/or work. I don't seem to get on BB (or the Net) from one week to the next these days. Hope everyone else is doing well - from a few odd posts I've seen, it looks like at least another of our March 16-31 '08 mums has a new bub on the way. Maybe they'll pop in and say hi ...

Catch you all later, Andie xx

hi girls,

how is everyone ?

do you all know that this thread has been going for 12 months now, we are slow talkers lol

Andie: how exciting not long to go now, have you got christmas sorted yet so you don't have too much to do after the baby is born ? how is your new house going ?

Catherine: i read a bit of FB about Gabe being a little bit demanding, it is so hard when they are like like, especially when you have flynn to look after as well !

Leesa: wwwhhooo you on losing your baby weight already ! i think i read you are going to try for number 3 soonish ?

hi to bec, hayley, jo, nic, laura, nina, macca and anyone i have missed, im intrigued by the last bit of your post andie but no one has come forward and spoken up !

not much news with us, we have a puppy Harry, he is 13 weeks old and gorgeous but sssooo full on, our biggest problem is biting the kids so we are trying to fix that ! im going back to work next weekend, just casually and only when dh is home to mind the kids. james says very little still, he mostly grunts for everything (im getting a flashforward to his teenage years lol) he stamps his foot on the floor when he wants something and you aren't getting it for him ! he also went through a phase of holding his breath when throwing a tantrum until he started to go blue, naughty boy, he did it once a day for a few days but hasn't done it for the last week, naughty boy !

:grouphug:

Melinda

Puts hands up and says its me! Well I think it is anyway.
I finally get my little girl who is due at the end of February. Yay another stinking hot summer up the duff but it is DEFINATELY the last one so I should enjoy the pregnancy as much as I can I spose.

Scout has been hell on wheels. He just doesnt stop lately and is so frustrated by everything. He has lots of words but because im with him all day its me who knows them the best. He will try "talking" to his brothers who dont stop and listen to him and he loses it with them and ends up screaming. He is throwing toys packing tantrums and generally been a 19mth going on 4 year old!
Oh fun times and im bringing another one in the mix! I need my head read.

Just a quick note as he who must be obeyed is wanting to watch hi 5 so I am going to go with it for 5 minutes peace.

hope you are all well and busy with your toddlers/new bubbas and keeping cool. This weather is poos!!

Hi all,

I'll keep this post short and sweet only cos I'm starting to feel a bit whacked, but wanted to let you know that Jacob Thomas arrived safe n sound after a six-hour labour on Friday afternoon (11-12-09, 2.14pm qld time). :dance: :dance: :dance: Vital stats: 3.68kg (8lb), 52cm long. He's an amazingly settled bub and is BFing like a wiz, so we came home early at lunch time today.

Cam thinks bub is a bit of a novelty, but has spent some of the afternoon kissing him on the head. My parents are here helping with Cam, so fortunately my big little man didn't worry that mummy wasn't home for two nights. Of course he had daddy here to keep him company at night too!

Had visitors this arvo, hence why I'm a bit whacked, but all in all it's a much more relaxing experience the second time round.

Andie xx

Congrats Andie! Welcome Jacob! 2 boys are lots of fun!

Flynn is a champ, he is learning lots of words and trying to talk heaps! I love it! The I can't communicate what I want tantrums are a bit trying but they are not too frequent.
Gabe has just gone 5 mths old and is commando crawling :o. The poor little guys spends all this time working towards a toy and as soon as he gets it Flynn takes it off him - we still don't know about sharing! He is settling down and becoming very happy and smiley. It's good!

I hope you are all well, sorry it's so short and sweet.

xo

ooooh :happyforyou: Andie!!!!

And LOVELY name :lol:

That's wonderful news, glad it's all going so well, the Bfing must be a great relief after the run around Cam gave you!! How lovely, another boy :D Boys are lovely :)

Enjoy those NB snuggles and give Jacob lots from me. Look after yourself and take the help while you can, it's a whole new ball game with a toddler running around too :)

xxx

:redface: Ive been gone too long again!

Congratulations Andie! Well done!

Congrats all boys on the pg!

All is well here, I think it's been about 6 months since I last posted in this thread.So much has happened! Milly is doing fantastically, she's a bit of a night waker but is settling easily at least.Just had her weight checked and she's 7.9kg at 5 months, we have another chubby.It's really good though as she was so small (5th percentile) at birth and is now in the 98th.Labour went better than I could have hoped, apart from being induced early, I had drug free.The difference in how I felt after wards was amazing as a result.

Emotionally I'm doing really well, stressed and tired but the dreaded PND hasn't reared it's ugly head!:D

Sammy is so big now, I guess they all are.It's crazy, it feels like just yesterday I joined this group with my tiny 3 month old baby boy.Now look! they'll be 2 in o couple of months.

How are you all anyway?curious to hear more.

xxxx

I'm pressed for time ATM but it's SO god to hear from you Laura, and to hear all is so well!! I often think about you and wonder how it's going. I'm also so pleased to hear how 'well' (lol...if there is such a thing!) Millie's birth went!!!! I know Sam's left you feeling pretty dis-enchanted so I'm happy Millies was better!! I found Chloe's birth to be SO much quieter and smoother and just nicer after the chaos surrounding Ben's.

Will get back tomorrow, I think every day how close Jake is to 2...... :(

Wow! I haven't been on BellyBelly for AGES and I came on and saw this thread on my list. I don't have much time to catch up on everyone's news but congrats to Andie on the arrival of little Jacob! And to to everyone else who has had another baby- I see there are a few :D
I wonder if I'm the only one left with one child?? :lol:

Life has been a blur. E started sleeping through about a month ago then we went away and mucked it up, came back, he had an ear infection then the past two nights he slept through and we're off away again tomorrow! One day we'll get some sleep... and then we'll think about having our next. Some days I'm really clucky, other days I'm terrified and I think we'd never cope. We're happy with a 3-ish year age gap though so no action till after the 2nd birthday at least. Gives us a few more months breather ;)

All is well though. We're very happy. E is the cutest, smartest, funniest, most delightful person I have ever had the pleasure to know and we're so blessed to have him in our family. We love him SO much! :D

Take care everyone- great to see you're all still going along well!

Comgrats AndiE - I've been wondering about you, didn't see the BA until looking at this thread - how did that one slide past me ;).

It's great to see a few ladies come back to us after a break - I've also been slack in posting :redface: in this thread. Sorry ladies.

Maddy turns 2 on Australia Day. She is really switched on - but not talking as much as I'd like - not sure if she's just a late bloomer or if it's to do with being 9 wks prem? She can climb anything - and is so full of energy and smiles. She's adapted well to her role as big sister, although she still sits on DS fom time to time - but he doesn't seem to mind in the least ;).

Can you lovlies please tell me what kind of vocab your darlings have thus far?

Happy New Year ladies!! and how close are we all to having terrible two year olds??!!

Leesa Jake is only now REALLY picking up his speech....I've worried a little too. But lately he's added heaps more word to his vocab and I've noticed it's meaning he's able to communicate what he wants much better!!! I've read somewhere also that if you say a word with your mouth on their cheek so they can FEEL it it can help too :)

Hello All - just saw this thread and read it! Haven't been here for so very very long!!!:redface:

Looks like lots of you have had bubbas in the past year. Congrats!!!

I spent 2009 working part time and balancing motherhood. Wow - doesn't that tear at the heart strings!

We have a little girl due in Feb 2010 so Will will be a big brother a month before he is two.

Will seems like a little boy now. His speech is amazing - early bloomer in this regard (slower in others). He speaks in sentence fragments but to people's questions re speech, I found that once he got started the number of words just increased exponentially! Modelling and talking constantly to him helped as well. But he is a natural born chatterbox who loves the sound of his own voice.

Glad to read your posts that the second bub is far more relaxing as I have recently gone into panic mode about balancing the two! Love to hear any tips...

Will try to keep in touch - should be easier now I am not working. Looking forward to chatting:dance:

Hi gals,

Just a quick vent to start with, cos I'm gobsmacked by what my sister has just told me. She has our parents and her in-laws all visiting her at the moment. All generally nice, non-aggro people. But would you believe her MIL cracked the goo tonight with my 2yo nephew cos he favours our mum over her? Um, grandma - he sees our parents regularly (they live in same state as nephew) and you twice a year (they live interstate). And our parents give their grandkids lots of attention and interact with them, whereas my sis's MIL apparently does her own thing and interacts with my nephew on an as-needed basis. Toughen up, granny, for goodness sake, and don't take your frustration out on your grandson! Sorry - this has got NOTHING to do with this thread, I just can't believe a grown woman would scold a toddler for not paying her enough attention (hmm, shouldn't it be the toddler cracking it with the granny for that very reason :lol:).

So glad to hear everyone is doing well with their toddler and younger/older kidlets. Thanks for the well wishes re: Jacob. Yep Bec, thought you'd like the name (thanks for your earlier approval, by the way :D). He's a little sweetheart. I thought Cam was a reasonably easy baby, well this kid leaves him for dead!! Jacob BFs, sleeps, poos, BFs, sleeps, poos ... you get the pattern. Sometimes he actually wakes up and is happy to just be awake! He'll squark for a feed - or a cuddle - sometimes, but on the whole he's a dream. Maybe it'll all change, but hopefully not. Cam had a similar pattern too, and stayed that way. Main difference is Cam and I took a few weeks to sort out BFing and he suffered wind those first few months - something Jacob seems to have avoided (though I've eaten a bucket load of choc covered liquorice today, so that could all change overnight!).

As for Cam, well, he's doing ok. My parents have been here for the past month, only leaving yesterday (Tue) morning. Cam bonded incredibly to them, so I was really worried for his sake he'd grieve (for want of a better word) when they went back to Tas. So far, so good (though he's looked for them), but I think next week will tell if he's adjusting ok to having a baby brother. Next week we start being on our own - me, Cam and Jacob - as DH is back at work. Hopefully he behaves himself, at least long enough for me to feed Jacob! He showers Jacob in kisses and constantly wants to touch him if he can. I guess having a baby brother is a novelty still - he probably thinks Jacob will disappear the same way nanny and poppy did. He's probably hoping for it to happen!

Cam is generally a "good" boy - he's incredibly active, and while he's no longer exactly placid, he's not aggro or hyper. I've been reading the book "Toddler Taming" by Dr Christopher Green - it's fantastic. Probably nothing I didn't already know (ie/ toddlers lack sense and crave attention all the time), but it's giving me some tips on rewarding good behaviour and discouraging bad behaviour. In our case it's nothing too drastic, Cam's "worst" traits are that he throws toys (usually at the dogs ...) when he gets the strops on and gets out of his bed EVERY night and wants to come into ours (usually he wins). I just wanted some good practical advice/tips on how to nip some behaviours in the bud - if that's possible.

Question - is anyone else having - or had - issues with toddlers getting out of their beds to sleep with mum and dad? How on earth have you dealt with it? We stuffed up totally - when we put Cam into a bed (transitioning from cot), one of us would lie down next to him to get him off to sleep. Now (of course :doh:) he won't easily go to sleep without having company. I keep thinking we're going to have to let him howl it out until he realises we're not going to "sleep" next to him ... but I can't stand the thought of that either, particularly as we'll have to close his door to make it work (only opening it after he's nodded off). I hate hearing my "baby" cry like his heart is breaking. Still, I have a sinking feeling we're going to have to bite the bullet and take decisive action. Any ideas, or should be just go with the flow for the time being given he's already had his applecart upset by the arrival of Jacob?

Also, what's happening with you all re: toilet training? Cam's just not ready to TT, and we're not going to push him if he's not ready. I figure that when the weather warms up after winter, it might be about the right time (again if he's ready).

Congrats mum2willie on your pg - a little girl, fantastic!! I'm keen to go back for a third bub and "try" for a little girl ... just not for a little while though. Maybe sometime in 2011. I joke that with our luck, we'd wind up with twin boys (boys seem to run in DH's family).

Leesa - how are you feeling re: your DD's speech now that you've had a few responses?

I won't do any more personals atm - will try and pop back in within the next couple of days and do that. It's getting late, and I need to feed Jacob and hit the hay myself.

Andie xx

AndieE - We have exactly the same sleeping issues with Will. He slept in his cot in his own room from day 1 till 9 months all night (when I returned to part time work and sep anxiety started). Then he started waking all the time, so I just put him in bed with me to get some sleep myself. He also would only go to sleep hanging on to me. Now our scenario is he sleeps on a mattress on the floor next to my bed but goes to sleep on my bed and lie with him. Then I move him onto his mattress.

We have recently been discussing the moving him, not lying with him options but my heart just can't do it...so I think I will leave him because he sleeps nicely on the mattress now most of the time.

My issue is when bubs comes along and BFing overnight - it will wake him. So perhaps I will trial moving his mattress...all so confusing!

In my opinion - I think you have enough on your plate with bubs and this massive transition, so if you can stand it leave the sleeping arrangements until it has all settled. I don't know whether it is true, but a lot of people have warned me that toddler regresses when bubs comes along so it is probably not the time to be trying something new unless it is driving you crazy!! But just my thoughts .... and I am always wondering what to try!

Good luck with it!

Sorry I've got a few things on today and the kids are driving me BONKERS!!!!!!! and there you go, Chloe just hit ben with a play hammer (real but smaller!!) ...what a glorious day!!!

Andie, I personally would just leave him in the bed, if you are happy with it and everyone is sleeping. It may be a comfort thing at the moment, to know that while Jacob has arrived, he still has a place too yk?? With all my kids I've always either laid with them to get to sleep or let them in bed. And 95% of the time we only have Jake in there at the moment, lol. It doesn't last forever.f it gets too much in bed, then move to just laying in with him, seeing as he's in a big bed my personal opinion is so what if mum or dad end up falling asleep??? there's room and if I wake up I just go back to my own bed :)

Glad all is well for you Andie and Jacob is dream :)

Mum to Willie congrats!! how exciting!!! really having two kids will come easier than you think ;) you already have a wealth of first hand knowledge you didn't the first time around, it's generally a lot easier :)

anyway I'd better get these kids out of their rooms and sort out what REALLY happened and organise some apologies.....something for you all to look forward too :lol:

Bec
xxx

ETA - I almost forgot, Ben was 6 last week. 6!!!! I can't believe my biggest little man is six :(

Im so glad it is not just me having the sleeping issues. Scout has been horrible and with our little girl now 49 sleeps away (fingers crossed of course, but probably longer) :dance: I am worrying how I am going to cope.
The cot is in our room as we simply dont have the room for her to have her own room so with his highness coming in at what ever time he wakes I am concerned he or her will be woken. Also I guess there will certainly not be any co sleeping happening with new baby if Scout is coming in.
I have tried being tough and he is good at going to sleep in his own bed it is just the waking up thing. If he sleeps with me or one of his brothers (they have double beds) he doesnt wake so it is obviously his needing a comfort body when he wakes during the night.

Oh well I am sure I will work it all out eventually.

Scout starts daycare for two days a week on the 27th of this month, same day as the boys go back to school. Im to going to know myself but man I cant wait. He is so busy and into everything that I cant keep up with him. He needs some social skills too as his brothers just give into him all the time so he thinks it should be that way with everyone!
He is in for a bit of a shock I would say but I know he will love the different things he will be doing.

Well thats all in our camp for now, good to hear you are all doing well with toddler and new babies. I have done it before as my first two are 19months apart but I think I must have wiped it from my memory or it all passed in a furry haze as I dont remember alot about it. They are relatively normalish now though so I guess we muddled through somehow!

hi girls,

Andie: great news you have another dream baby, how do you order one of those in case we decide to go again lol

as far as sleeping, james is still in a cot and i will be keeping him there as long as possible ! he sleeps well there and doesn't move around much and never climbs out. Emily on the other hand always comes into our room every night at some stage, we have a mattress on the floor for her now and she alternates between that and in our bed, if we put james in a bed i know that will just mean we will have both of them in with us !!! so i say whatever works best and gets you the most sleep is what i would do as bec said it wont be forever.

as far as talking, james has been really slow, says things like mum dad ta please truck neigh moo quack quack etc but has really come on the past few weeks so i think the words will come quick now. he is always into mischief and because he has an older sister he is always trying to keep up with what she does even if he isn't really capable !

congrats stacey and mum to willie !

hi to everyone :-)

Hi all,

You gals are ace for replying en masse ... it's so good to know our household isn't the only one experiencing toddler issues!! We're aware that Jacob's arrival has probably thrown Cam out of whack a bit, so I think we'll let him keep climbing into our bed for a while longer. If that's all it takes to make him feel special and close to us, then so be it.

CM - lovely to hear Gabe is doing well! And yes, toddler tanties are such fun, aren't they :shakehead:. All part of growing up and becoming more independent, I guess.

Bec - oooh, how's Ben's noggin tonight? Poor little bloke - did you get to the bottom of who did what? Six huh ... time flies! And you're right - Cam won't always be coming into bed with us ... but hopefully we can ease him out of the habit before Jacob starts (ha ha). And yep, we bought Cammie a king single bed for those times we'd need to lay down with him. It's quite comfy actually :p

Laura - lovely to hear from you! Milly sounds like she's thriving - good on you. Great too to hear that her birth was a really positive experience for you. Congrats! As for how quickly they grow up, they certainly don't let the grass grow under their feet, do they?

Meow - nice name change Luey! We can relate to E's sleeping ... doesn't take much to mess up good habits, does it. Still though, sounds like he's doing really well and it's obvious you think the world of him. He sounds like a sweetie :lol:

Stacey - not long to go now till your baby girl arrives? You're due around the same time as my sister (March 13) - she's having a girl too! Our toddlers certainly love to be close to us at night, don't they! I bet Scout will love daycare - you're right, it will keep him entertained and be good for his mental stimulation too. We've kept Cam in two days a week - for his entertainment and physical/mental activity ... and for my sanity too!!

Mel - hey there! Wish I could take credit for having two chilled out babies, but damned if I know how it happened!! If I ever work it out, I'll let you know :D I notice you say "truck" is one of James' words ... OMG - that word is a constant here. It's amazing how many trucks are on the road when the toddler in the back seat insists on pointing them out and telling you about every one "truck, TRUCK ... ahh, big truck!!" Oh, and you're a smart lady for keeping James in a cot!!

Leesa and M2W ... hi again!

Suppose it's time to get the thinking cap on about second birthdays ... ?

Andie xx

Hi ladies, hope you had great christmas and welcome to the new year.

Just a really quick post about DS sleeping... well he is still in the cot, he won't go to sleep in the big bed by himself unless he is totally exhausted. His day sleeps are in his cot and he starts out the night in the cot. He wakes about 12 am to 2am and I lay down with him and sleep with him for the rest of the night. I have cut out the night feeds finally :dance: he just feeds from dawn until we get up.

Something that keeps me going as I trudge to DS bed everynight is that I read that we as adults like to sleep with someone for that comfort factor and it is the same with kids... they do eventually grow out of it. BTW All-Boys, I love the idea of your boys sharing with your youngest DS I think that is beautiful.


As for number 2 hmmmmmm maybe one day, like meow (like the name change) if we decide to have another one it will be a 3 yrish gap... have to say these 'easy' second babies give me hope though...

back later for personals... glad this thread is going again :)

Stacey I lobbied to get my boys a double bed instead of bunks for this reason!! I have slept Jake with Ben once or twice and he slept all night. But DH is all phobic about boys sleeping together (stupid I know :rolleyes:).

Ben's head is fine, it was in the back she hit him on the ribs!!! Little minx!! he's ok, a bruise but he's not in pain so not broken ;)

Not much else going on here really, a few family dramas but that's it. I was quite freaked about a lump I found in my breast which I had checked out yesterday with an US which turned out to be just tissue so that's a relief for me. Got me thinking a bit though about the things I want to achieve in my life. My personal NY resolution was to just try and let go of the idea of #4 cos DH is a sure NO and it's just causing troubles. But with this happening I kinda thought about it all again more :s Whoops. So when DH asked me what was up last night and I tried fobbing him off he got annoyed so I told him. Now i've got the guilts for using it all to try and get something I want but he doesn't.

Anyway......so glad to "see" you all again!!!

xxx

Just a quick post.

Bec - so glad the lump was just tissue! What a scare!

Stacey - you are due with a little girl about the same time as me. I am due March 19 but have been told I will go no longer that 39 weeks as I have gestational diabetes (didn't with Will), which totally sucks! I am just hoping I get to the 39 weeks. Will was just over 41 weeks. Hoping my bubs engages soon so as I can be induced.

Andie - I have just moved Will into our queen bed in the spare room - slept there for two nights. He has been sleeping on a cot mattress on the floor next to my bed (waking, getting into bed, then I put him back down when I wake up) since 10mths - when I went back to work. We were going to buy a single but so glad that we didn't yet because it is so easy just to lie down with him. He woke at 3.30am last night and I just went and lay down with him and fell asleep and moved back to my bed when I woke up an hour later. No fuss! I am touching wood the good luck continues because so far it hasn't been too traumatic. Here's hoping. When Will is settled in there, I will decorate his room (moving stuff of his from his nursery room and finally I can set up the nursery!)

A question for two time mums - I have been so slack at getting organised for this bubs. I am now 34 weeks (to be induced by 39 weeks) and really have done nothing! I have spent the last few weeks dealing with diagnosis of gestational diabetes, Will had a shocking flu which we all got and then just the general heat and exhaustion of pregnancy. I really need to get moving on the planning but my other focus has been ensuring that I have everything in place for Will. Did you find it easy to get organised quickly the second time...On another forum for mums due in Feb nearly everyone has their hospital bag packed and I haven't done a thing!! Oops!

I have Will booked into 1 day child care again this year, just like last year, but I am just starting to consider with I should be making it more with bubs coming along. What have other's experience been? I am not working at all in 2010 - having the whole year off with maternity and long service leave which is great so feel guilty about 2 days child care but he will have to go at least that in 2011. Would love to hear other's experiences! Oh and cost is a factor!!

Hi gals,

Thought it was timely to say hello given our toddlers are on the verge of turning two. Gee ... where have the past two years gone? I look back over our BB thread and think of how often we all "talked" in that first 12 months, but in this past 12 months we've become a lot quieter :lol: Says something about how active our kidlets are, I think!!

We're not having an official birthday party for Cam this year, but nontheless he'll end up with three cakes (:doh: ... I must be nuts). To explain - he'll have one cake for daycare; one (to be shared with another bub) at our mothers' group and a third when we have a family bbq to officially mark his b'day. At least by the third cake, I should be an expert cake maker. Then again ... I just had the thought that I should get an ice cream b'day cake for daycare - there'd be sure to love that!!

Cam's a bit of a whirlwind toddler. He's nearly always a really good kid when we're out and about, but he can sometimes be a horror head at home. Ha, I was reading another thread on here recently about a two and a half year old who constantly turns light switches on and off, jumps on (and off) the furniture and gets bored quickly with their toys. I had to laugh ... the post could have been talking about Cam. Currently his "thing" is to drag a chair over to the kitchen bench so he can access anything and everything we keep on there. Just means our kitchen bench got a mini-makeover ... and our kitchen cupboards acquired more stuff!

Cam's vocab is improving each day. DH and I understand 90 per cent of what he's saying, though anyone outside the family may struggle. I figure it's a typical boy thing, but he's completely in love with trucks, lawn mowers and now trains. He's not a big tv watcher but does seem to like playschool, Larry the Lawnmower and now Thomas the Tank. Not that I want to turn him into square eyes, but with Jacob still so little, it's sometimes handy to plonk him in front of it for 10-15 mins or so. I can't believe that I've become a Play School watcher too ... but then I guess I'm on maternity leave again, so I've got the time to watch it with him.

He's really good with Jacob (who is 3 months on Thursday - eeek!!). He loves to get close to Jake and kiss him and generally just get in his face. Fortunately Jake's an incredibly easygoing baby (much like Cam was ... I've honestly been blessed with my babies!) and nothing much that Cam does worries our Jake. They now have baths together, albeit Jake is obviously supported by mum or dad.

Our biggest issue with Cam at the moment is him sneaking into our bed during the night - half the time we don't hear or feel him arrive ... we just wake up with him between us. It happens every night, and while he sleeps without a problem, we're pretty sure it's not absolutely ideal. About a month ago we finally stopped the habit of laying down with him while he goes to sleep - can't believe we didn't do it months ago. Most of the time he nods off without fuss.

Big congratulations to All-boys (Stacey - will you be changing your user name now you're not an "all-boys" any longer?) and Mum2Willie ... I see you've both had little girls :dance:. Stacey - I'm so glad for you in particular, as I followed your thread when you were told it was another boy!! The radiographer is lucky you didn't send a hitman after him!! Anyway, hope both cherubs are doing well.

Has anyone had their tots vaccinated against swine flu? There are free shots at the local high school at the end of March. I want DH, Cam and I to get the shots. Two nurse friends have told me that if it comes back through Australia, it'll be much worse second time round because the virus will have adapted and modified. Not a pleasant thought - particularly if Cam or Jake were to be exposed to it.

Anyway ... hope some of you see this post and let us know how you are going. We're all pretty busy these days. Take care everyone ... enjoy those almost two-year-old cuddles!

Andie xxx

great to hear from you Andie and you're right they are keeping us busy!

Sam hates me using the computer, he chucks tantrums the second I get on!and for that reason I'll be back later on when the boy is sleeping.(he is already walking towards me!)

Hope everyone is doing well!

xxxx

Hi girls and thanks AndieE for congrats. Baby Sophie arrived on the 1st of March so was 1 week old yesterday. Just getting the hang of toddler (who sounds just like your Cam - a whirlwind who absolutely rearranges all the furniture!!) and baby mix! I, too, have used the tv a bit! But hey - do what you have to do!!!

Just planning Will's birthday party and think we will have a family bbq too - Sophie will only be 3 weeks old so not going all out!

Talk soon! Happy 2nd birthday to all the babies....

hi girls,

i have been meaning to post here for ages !
great to hear thing are going well for you Andie with your little boys :-)

stacey and mum2willie congrats to you both on the recent arrivals of your baby girls

hi Laura and everyone else :grouphug:

i can't believe my boy is 2 tomorrow ! gosh he has been such hard work but he is coming good now and is so cheeky and gorgeous :D
we are having family and few friends here for a party on sunday (we are going to tell him thats his birthday, its probably the last year i can get away with that lol)

Happy Birthday to all the March bubs in the coming weeks xx

Melinda