Tara - Aston in the last 2 weeks has started going to bed at 7. Before that he was lucky to make it to 6.30, which was difficult because around 6 is when we are having dinner, so I would have a very whingy tired bubba boy, and DH and I would take turns eating. I like for all of us to sit down at dinner to eat, as it is a way for us to come together and talk about what we have done during the day. Its good now that Aston is going to bed a bit later, as he sits in the high chair and "joins" in, lol. On a normal night he will "wake" twice for a feed - 10ish, sometimes 2 or 4. Last night I didnt hear him, thats how tired I was, until 4, and DH had gotten up and put his dummy back in, and stroked his head around 2. Dh leaves for work at 6.25am, and usually doesn't see aston awake before he goes - most of the time he wakes after DH has gone, around 7am. DH gets home at 5pm. and we alternate who cooks dinner, and who gives Aston a bath. I have found that if Aston is getting sqidgey around that time, a bath always helps, he loves his bath, and most of the time you end up very wet as well...lol. He has two to three sleeps a day, depending on what we are doing. two if he has woken late, three if it was an early start to the day.

The one thing I have learnt having three kids is that no two are alike. My daughter was the text book child - she sounds like AJP's Sophie. She slept thru from 6 weeks, during the day was up 2 hrs, down for 2, 3 times a day til she was about 9 months old, then went to twice a day until she was about 15mths old, then once a day til she was about 3 1/2. She ate food from 6months, and never had any problems with it, she would drink ebm from a bottle, and took formula without skipping a beat once I weaned her from the breast. She got her first tooth at 5months, sat at 5 months, crawled at 9mths, walked a couple of days before she turned 1. She made having a baby seem easy!!!! Then I had nathan! They are about alike as day and night. and have been from the start. Aston seems to be a combination of the two, but even saying that I have experienced things with him that I never experienced with Laura and Nathan. For example, he still throws up after a feed, not a lot, but still does it. and you know all about the food saga....

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say now...just that you have to do what is best for YOU and EVIE, and bugger what anyone else says. and you are NOT an idiot. Motherhood is a day by day learning process. and everyone's experiences are different. Evie will eventually sleep through the night, and she will start to eat food, and you will feel like a human being...when I can't say - probably around the same time I do...lol. Be kind to yourself Tara. Your daughter is very loved, and cared for, and that amounts to lot. dont underestimate it ok. HUGS, and lots of them.

well, now after that mammoth post, I am going to have a glass of wine. clink Christy (that was my glass clinking yours - pity they dont have an emoticon for that one!)