Hey everyone! Back from NYC and majoprly jet lagged - Eva fell asleep at like 2am last night and woke up to feed at 8 then fussed majorly and is back down now until I don't know when - I have a huge pile of stuff to wash and repack for departure thursday...I am not so motivated but the next trip will be more restful.
I won't do persies just an update, sorry girls for my lack of direct replies, mushy brain I say
The flight over was the worst experience of my life - I ended up crying in the bathroom four hours into it - I flew alone, they gave the infant bed to another couple, and I was alone, so I had to use the bathroom with Eva on my lap and did not eat anything in 8 hours! The flight attendants were awful and I ended up next to an old obese handicapped woman who was super nice but could not help mle with anything or get up to let me out so I was stepping over her each time I had to go change Eva...I ended up just leaving Eva on the floor in between my legs (I won't even tell you how that made my skin crawl) because she could no longer stand being seated on my lap - she dozed off for about 1.5 hours in two naps during the whole 8 hours and was super energetic the rest of the flight since it was her daytime...Worst flight EVER! I am never doing it again. Everrrrrrrrrrr! For the flight back I went to check in 6 hours before to be sure I get the bed and they said it had already been reserved so I went to the gate and begged and said I was alone and they gave me the bed, thank god! So the flight back she ate and slept the whole way so I got some rest at least...she woke up half an hour before and was eating at landing so that flight was easy...
NY was not so great this time around - I never go in the summer since the heat in the city is notorious but since my mother insisted I did it this time - Eva was miserable in the 100 degree heat - the lowest temp we had was about 95 during our stay! She could not settle well and I could not keep her out much since it was just too hot! I got into a huge fight with my mother who flew me out because she said she misses us so much but then never came home from work early (never mind that she did not take any days off) - then left for three days in the middle of our stay to go work in another city! I was so angry because she got mad that I went to stay with friends last time and stayed at my parents' the whole ten days this time but they live far from everything so I was stuck a lot since I could not just go out for a walk to grab coffee or stuff like that...When she left to work I packed my stuff and left without telling her. I was so angry I could not process it. Don't call me and get me a ticket to come ALONE in a heatwave to sit in your house then make no time for us! My moither means well but is a workaholic and has no sense of quality time! I just lost my sh** and I am not the kind of person that should be pushed over the line - I am super understanding about all things and can see other point of vues and all that but this was really the final straw. And when I get mad it isn't pretty.
Since getting pregnant I have been talking to her about spending more time, if not with me then with Eva at least since we live far away...I have tried numerous times to explain how important this is to me and she just does not care - I know I cannot change my parents, but seriously...Even my dad had no words for her and when I left he was super sad but he understood. I will not be going back to ny until one of my siblings get their own place. I feel bad coming and staying with friends but if I go stay with siblings, my parents should be less angry. MY brother is planning a move soon and my sister has just gotten back on track with work and putting money aside since returning from her year of travelling, so they should be moved in in the fall...if it takes longer, so be it. And I will never fly again alone until Eva is old enough to stay in her seat alone...
Anyway, I am happy to be back home...it was super nice tyo have the new iphone too since DH and I put in tons of facetime so he got to see Eva every day on video chat
I am looking forward to our trip to the south, with the ILs who totally get quality time, and will be with us the whole time and will prob help me out enormously with eva...I can't tell you how hard it is to get over jet lag when no one is there to help out with the baby...you would think my mother would try to do that but no, she is too tired from work. This is why I insist on working but not too much - It is in my genes to work too much and I can def get caught up in it, but I suffered so much with my mother never being around that I told DH I woul dnever put Eva through that. I know everything I have is because my parents work, but still...you can't work until you drop dead.
Ok, so I miss you all and will try to be on a bit and post tons of pics from the next trip...
Oh and during our trip in nyc Eva started waving at people ! cutest thing EVER - I'll posty a vid when I can - she just waves at everyone! She also started sticking out her tongue and blowing, less elegant but so cute too. She get to sitting position once in a while too but no xcrawling or teeth yet, although she is advancing now commando style more often than before. She spends a lot of time in downwards facing dog with her bum high in the air!
Lani, glad to hear Jett isok. I was worried about that.
Hi BS - wow, I'm so sorry for your trip that sounds like an absolute nightmare! Fancy the airline giving the seat to someone else knowing you were alone, that's disgusting and I hope you are going to complain! I think you're amazing for even giving it a go, I hate flying with someone let alone on my own with a baby. I'm glad it was better on the way back though. As for your mum, excuse me here but WTF!! Are you serious? Mate I would be completely livid with my mum if she did that to me, sorry, I know it's your mum but that's just not cricket (sorry, a phrase we use here) - it means that's not on! Have you heard from her since you left without saying goodbye? I can't believe she took off for 3 days in the middle of your stay, that's just so sad for you guys and her really as she doesn't get to see you or Eva very often. My mum lives a couple of hours down south and she hangs out for when we go down to our holiday house (which is in the same town). When she came up to Perth a couple of weeks ago I saw her every day. My MIL is a workaholic, the whole family are actually, it's something I've spent the last 6 years trying to teach DH to slow down.........they know no different and he's definitely been 100% better since Amelia was born. I know work brings in the money but money isn't everything sometimes, our babies are growing so fast we need to cherish very moment. Hence why I'm not really keen to go back to work, I've been doing it for 20 years, I think it's time to spend time with my daughter now. But that's just me - I still haven't completely decided but the more I think about leaving her for work the less enthusiastic I am to go back. So where abouts are you headed with the inlaws this week? Sounds like it's going to be a much nicer holiday for you, so have fun beautiful!
Well girls, it's stormy and horrible in Perth today but I'm still making myself go to Zumba, how good am I! I hope I can move tomorrow, something tells me I'm going to be very sore, I'm so unfit!!!!! hee hee
Alsion, you don't have to apologize, I said less nice things about her after the whole incident I went back to my parents for dinner fri and lunch sat before leaving. I left to sleep elsewhere without saying goodbye but I am not going to punish my father for my mother's behavior. At dinner and lunch she was pretty quiet...In fact the two meals meals were amongst the quietest in our household history - we are a loud family I think she felt bad. She did not talk about the issue though. So she did see us and was very loving and all with Eva until the moment we left - she also hugged me goodbye and said she loved me so I think she feels bad but just does not know how to stop herself or admit she was wrong out loud - right now I just can't be bothered with this. I'll deal with her later if I have to. She is also going through menopause at the mo which makes her slightly more difficult so I aml hoping this ends eventually.
Whatever, I was happy to be with my siblings and friends, the trip was not all bad
Hey Brussels, Just want to say that traveling on planes changes every time you fly.... We flew from Sydney to Rome (over 31 hours travelling door to door) and kids do find it hard. Maybe if you had had a better experience with your mum it would have seamed worth it? We always make sure we get a bassinette confirmed too when we book the flight. ALSO bassinettes can be a real bugger too sometimes, especially if there is lots of turbulance. They usually make you get them out as soon as the seat belt light goes on, and that is so painful after you spent over an hour trying to get them to sleep. I'm amazed the hosties were bad, who did you fly with? maybe you should make a little complaint to the airline. They should at least have held Eva while you went to the bathroom!. ..Just don't let it stop you from going. I'm sure Eva had a ball when she was there..
Alison, yep work really bites when you think about your kiddies at home and what your missing... I feel terrible right now...i miss them so much. I am at home now but the first thing I did tonight when i got home was feed Sienna and just stare at her. I also get DH to send me photos while I am at work
BS - Argh, that flight just sounds awful I'm with kanda, I think you should lodge a complaint about the hosties not helping you out at all.
Alison - You're game going out in this weather! Though it seems to have quietened down a bit now, at least.
And just a random - with people talking about bubs taking a lot of solids at this stage (in MG, I think it was) - are the mothers actively trying to wean the bubs? That kind of worries me, since bubs right now should still be getting most of their nutrition from breastmilk or formula (which are both far more calorically dense than solids). Bubs aren't supposed to be dependent on solids for nutrition until they're one - right now, it's just getting them used to taste and textures more than anything else.
AFM:
Thank you to everyone for your thoughts re Dad. It just seems never ending - he was initially diagnosed five and a half years ago with colon cancer, and has been in treatment pretty much ever since. This is now the third metastasis I think. But he's going back for more treatment in a couple of weeks, so we're hoping it's going to knock it all out.
Liam's been off his solids for the last few days and a bit warm today (but nothing serious), I'm thinking that there could be teeth involved. It's well due time for him to be getting them, based on when I and DH cut our first teeth. I think he's really getting to the point where he's getting frustrated with being spoon fed, too. I actually never intended to do much spoon feeding, but I've ended up doing it anyway. Bah, time for some baby led weaning, I think I haven't given him any dairy other than yoghurt yet (since anything other than yoghurt or cheese is contraindicated before a year) and I'm not even going to look at meat for another few months. But I need to start getting him onto some other textures at least.
And he is *almost* crawling. I'm kind of hoping that he stays the way he is for a bit longer after seeing my niece last week - within a few days she went from where Liam is to crawling really fast and pulling to stand. She gets into everything!
Kanda - Aw shucks thanks. My house is a pigsty and the laundry is piling up, but hey, no one's perfect I feel for you being back at work, but those hours aren't bad. Does it take you long to express? If you're pretty quick, I'd definitely ask if you can and put it in the fridge at work (if no one minds). Hopefully they have somewhere private that's nicer than the toilets, maybe someone can let you use their office or a conference room?
Brussels - Oh dear, what an awful flight! I'm so sorry you had to go through that. And on top of it how your Mum acted after insisting you visit and flying you there, and then not taking any time off! I'd be angry too. Have to check out your FB vids now, how cute is it that Eva's waving?! I'm glad the trip wasn't all bad. Your trip to the South of France should be fabulous by comparison!
Alison - How cr*p is it that you keep losing your power? I hope it's back to stay now. Waybuloo will be a cute theme for Amelia's 1st birthday. Maybe you can even organise some of it well in advance so it's not too frantic when her birthday gets close? Hope you enjoy Zumba tonight, it looks like fun!
Beany - What's wrong with Owls? I did a 'number 1' cake for Craig's 1st birthday party Suzi Murray's Photos | Facebook and a racing car for his actual birthday at home http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...&id=1516286427. For his 2nd birthday I did a number 2 shaped cake iced like a train track with a thomas the tank engine toy on the tracks Suzi Murray's Photos | Facebook . The Women's Weekly kid's birthday cake books are great for inspiration and instructions, that's what I used.
With the solids, Ryan doesn't eat that much everyday, that's just an idea of what he'll eat when he decides he really wants to. With the meat, I puree it with lots of veg and add water to get the right consistency. There's probably only 1 tablespoon of meat and then at least 3 tablespoons of veggies. The other day Ryan had mashed sweet potato with a tablespoon of tuna and sweet corn mixed in, but he's happy eating pretty lumpy food already. We started off using a bamix on pasta (wholemeal) bolognaise and adding a bit of water to get it thin enough. Does Michael eat any finger foods? You could try giving him a piece of steak for him to hold and chew on. He's unlikely to bite any big pieces off and if he's teething he'll probably really enjoy it.
Rose - I really hope that this round of treatment does the trick for your Dad. It must be exhausting for all of you to keep having to go round on the treatment merry-go-round with him, not to mention how your Dad is coping.
You're absolutely right about this just being a learning period about solids. Ryan is very clear with when he wants solids and when he wants BF, in fact he's had both a phase of breast refusal and mostly solids, and a phase of mostly BF and hardly any solids. I just go with whatever he wants and however much he wants of it. In fact, I'm paranoid about him not getting enough milk so I make his cereal with EBM to try and squeeze that extra bit in.
AFM - Better go to bed! I said I would go to bed before midnight and here I am still typing!
BS - Welcome back! Gosh, what a harrowing experience that flight sounded like. But you got through it...what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, yes? Sorry to hear about your time (or lack of it) with your mum. Thats so sad. Maybe now you have gone back she'll realise and might make a bit more effort next time. I used to be a workaholic too...in job a few years ago everyone worked late and didn't take breaks, I just followed their lead. But now I am out of that environment it is sooo obvious to me that you should work to live, not live to work. You don't want to reach 50 and look back to a life spent 90% at work! No thanks! I hope you have a more relaxing enjoyable trip to the south.
Alison - Gosh, you've had a rough trot with your power lately, haven't you? Its amazing how you realise how much you rely on it when you have a little one to look after! Yeah, Michael isn't keen on lumps yet either. Tho, having said that, he did eat a bit of fork-mashed banana yesterday which was lumpier than his normal stuff. I haven't heard of Waybuloo...I'll have to look it up! Great idea to do something she's interested in! Michael isn't interested in anything at the mo unless it fits in his mouth! I have had a rethink and might save the farm theme for another year. I think I might not have a theme, just a few smaller themes. I"m gonna get my owls in some how!! Even if its just on the invites (Etsy has gorgeous owl invites - do you have problems with their website? It keeps crashing on me. I'd have spent a fortune by now if it didn't keep crashing!). Yes, strange how MIL's are. I'm in a difficult situation since mine is very sick so I feel obliged to do whatever pleases her, but I need to draw the line somewhere. I sacrificed my first Mothers Day for her, which I am still quite bitter about. Its like they feel its their baby all over again, don't you reckon? And they want to be just as involved as when they had their own. Thast great Amelia is making more sounds! Michael seems to have haulted all development lately, I think he's focusing on his cold and his teeth. Fair enough!
Kanda - Oh thank you, thats great to hear positive stories like that. That you've been through the frequent waking and its all ok now. Gives me some hope! Thats excellent you got good hours going back to work! And I think you should def try and express if you can. I'm sure they wouldn't say no, its just a matter of finding somewhere discreet to do it.
Rose - I know how you feel. My MIL has been sick for nearly 2 years (leukaemia), its been so hard cos its never really "gone away", there's always that risk that it comes back, and it has and at the moment she is struggling to recover from it. Its exhausting for everyone, trying to be positive, waiting week to week for test results, visiting as much as everyone can to keep her spirits up. Its not a nice situation and I completely sympathise. I hope Liam feels better soon, hopefully its just his teeth. Why do they have to cause them so much pain??
Suz - WOWEEEE! You ARE wonderwoman! Those cakes look fantastic! Thats what I'm thinking now, a number 1 cake that I'll just decorate nice. Haha...I've never actually made a cake before, so that will be interesting! Will try and do some practise runs beforehand. DH thought owls were too girly But I dont' care, they'll be there in some form...I'll make sure of it!! I have to say I haven't really tried him withi many finger foods. Only banana a couple of times whicih I think frustrates him because it gets all slippy and mushy and he struggles to eat it. And rusks. I'll hae to try him with some more.
AFM - would you believe that Michael's sleep is actually getting better even with his cold? He woke up once last night. ONCE. At 4am. He was up at 5.45ish so I guess thats not too bad either...better than 5.15. BUT typical...first the friggin doorbell went off about 10pm while we were in bed - we just bought a new one but I think the neighbours car buttons keep sending it off. Then DH gets a stupid work call at 1.30am which went till nearly 2am. So, still didn't get the best night's sleep.
His cold is worse today, heaps of snot and coughing a lot more. It was wierd yesterday, he woke up after 30 mins of his afternoon sleep crying. He kept crying and crying, which he never does. I tried to calm him by picking him up, patting him on the bum and 'shhh-ing'. I had to do it a few times as each time I put him back down he's start crying again. He never cries so I was panicking a bit. But eventually he went back to sleep and didn't wake up till 4.10pm!!!!! He has never slept that late! Poor monkey must have been so tired.
Oooh, looks like nicer weather here in Perth today! Would be lovely to go for a walk...not sure if I should tho with Michael sick, and now me coming down with it too. Soo sick of staying at home!!
Rose Sorry to hear about your dad, hope the treatment is successful
Lani Poor Jett I hope he's feeling and pooing better very soon!
BS Sorry your time with you mum and that flight were so crap!
I've only had a quick skim through the posts so I'm not really caught up yet. Been busy with the never ending renovation, and all that keeps going wrong grrrr... but nearly there , I hope!
Beany I sympathise with the frequent waking!!!!! Is Michael sleeping much through the day? Does he play on his own for a while when he's up? Harry's still waking every hour or two, sometimes even more often. Now he won't sleep through the day unless I'm holding him, and when he's awake he won't amuse himself at all, if I'm not sitting with him he cries, even if I'm in the room but a few meters away he'll cry He has become a serious velcro baby!!! I've been a bit beside myself the last few weeks I'm typing this with one hand because he won't sleep unless I'm holding him.
He did cut a tooth on Saturday which could explain the extra clingyness, actually I'm calling it a fang, it's the top right incisor but not the middle one the next one, so the one next to where the canine would be, so with none on the bottom it really looks like a fang and it looks like it's partner on the other side will be next so he will really look like he has fangs lol
Well my arms are getting tired so I might take us off to bed, hopfully I'll get on again soon to catch up properly.
Lani - Saw your FB status. I hope everything is okay.
Rose - So sorry to hear about your Dad. Praying that the next round of treatment works. Thanks for mentioning Gill Rapley's book. I'm so much more relaxed about solids after reading it.
beany - I hope Michael gets over his cold soon but that his sleeping continues to improve. I hope you get some rest too.
BS - What an awful flight you had! And all that so that your mum could go to work and continue her life as normal Your trip to the south of france sounds like a great way to recover. Enjoy!
kanda - Well done on the return to work. I'm pretty sure that employers are legally obligated to provide the time and somewhere private to express (not the toilets). That's something I'm going to have to figure out when I go back to work next week too.
willow - In the Wonder Weeks, they talk about babies getting clingy around 30 weeks as they realise they have little control over the distance between themselves and their mummy. Playing peek-a-boo games, reassuring them as you walk away and talking to them from the next room are all supposed to help them adjust to this idea. I'm sure he'll settle down once he understands that you will come back. Plus, the renos and your stress levels are probably affecting him too. I hope its not too much longer until things settle down for you.
suz - Well done on losing 11kgs Thanks for always thinking of me.
Alison - I can't believe you're thinking about Amelia's birthday party already. I'll have to check out Waybuloo...I need to get up to date with all the current kids programmes at some point I guess. Although, Amelia did seem to be enjoying Pengoo yesterday...couldn't take her eyes of the screen.
AFM - Things have been pretty busy here. After 9 weeks of 3-4 hours sleep a day, we are now sleeping at night time. We are co-sleeping again. I think Amelia likes to sleep hot and if she's in with us then I have a better idea of knowing if she's too hot. Now that I have finally mastered feeding lying down, I don't even have to get up to feed her. I just have to shut out all those people warning me I'm creating a rod for my own back. I'm returning to work next week, so as long as we all get sleep, we're all much happier.
Amelia is coming along in leaps and bounds. She's getting up on her hands and knees and into downward facing dog quite a bit now. She still mostly travels backwards, but is getting good at circles so can use that to get where she wants. Her favourite activity is pulling the laundry off the clothes horse in the lounge room. She is also talking a lot and making loads of new sounds. Her favourite at the moment is 'f' or 'v'. I'm not sure if she's making that sound deliberately (due to my strong reaction the first time she said 'fa' - un oh!) or if she's trying to blow. Either way, it's pretty darn cute! Amelia will also stand while we hold onto her hands. She's even adventurous enough to take one hand away. Of course, she always falls over at this point, but it doesn't stop her from trying again. When she's had enough standing, she open her mouth and let go to give me a big kiss on the cheek.
I noticed there was a bit of discussion about feeding meat. I give Amelia all her fruit, vegies and meat as finger food. Apparently, it is good for them to suck on meat. They don't need the protein at this stage but by sucking on it they get the iron they need from the juices. Amelia spent almost an hour sucking on a piece the other night. She loves it!
As for me, I delayed my return to work for a couple of weeks so will be starting on Monday. It'll be a bit of a juggling act as Amelia won't start care until August.
Hi everyone. I'm sooooooo behind, but will do my best to say hi to everyone.
Rose - my heart sank to hear about your dad. But he sounds like a fighter so I've got all my fingers and toes crossed for you on this next treatment.
Beany - Poor Michael with his stuffed up nose. My mum made an owl cake for my sixth birthday and used flakes as the feathers. It was really cute. And hey that's great that a new playgroup is being set up at the church. It's such a good way to meet people and the bubs love all the action.
BS - What a horror flight!!! And then to get to NY not to even really see your mum. I would have been p*%"&$*# too. I hope your leaving like you did gives your mum makes your mum pause to think. They are babies for such a short, short time and you never get it back.
Alison - Matilda is eating around the same amount as Amelia I think. Not huge amounts. But I was a bit embarrassed yesterday when I was at a friend's and I gave Matilda some of her Rafferty's baby food and she really woofed it down. I don't think I've been pureeing her food enough. My MIL made one of those comments "through the baby" like "we like some texture in our food don't we?" when I avoided a big clump of carrot and so I wondered if I was "sheltering" her too much. But no, she doesn't like chunky food. I really should know better than to let me MIL get to me. And good on you for coming back so quickly on the birthday organising comment!!
Suz - well done on losing all that weight!!!
Kanda - It sounds like fun being back at work. I'd express if you're worried about your supply. But if you're giving formula feeds for those feeds anyway it probably wouldn't matter if your boobs adjusted to not giving a 3 and 6 feed. Your comment about Lila's sleep gives me hope...
Willow - great to see you. I hope your dream house materialises real soon! And I think Matilda and Harry sound like kindred spirits. Do you think you'll try any type of self-settling strategies with him? I'm like you and hate the idea and absolutely hate listening to Matilda cry. But I think there comes a point where you actually can't sustain it anymore for your own sanity. And I don't use the word sanity casually - I use it medically LOL. If you feel like you need to talk to someone going through the same thing let me know and I'll send you my number. I know how isolating it can feel.
Hi to everyone else checking in and who has absolutely no time to post (which I can relate to).
AFM - Sorry I've been MIA. Life in Sydney is a lot busier than Hobart and Matilda's sleep never really went back to normal after the cot change so I've been pretty sleep deprived. There were nights where I lost count how many times she woke up because there would be a couple of hourse where she'd only sleep for 10 minutes at a time unless I got up and let her sleep on me in the glider. It got to the point where we got Karitane in for a home visit. Like I was saying to Willow, I've really resisted any sleep solutions involving crying, but I was getting pretty desperate and actually started to feel that the disturbed sleep wasn't doing Matilada any good either. The nurse was lovely. But she tried to do a settle with us (emphasis on 'tried') which went pretty horribly. Matilda was so confused about why this complete stranger was in her bedroom. We gave up because Matilda (and I) were pretty distressed. Both Matilda and I were in tears and there were no signs of calmer waters on the horizon. But I gave it a go on my own and I was surprised at how well it went. I got her down with 5 minutes of grizzly crying and hands on comforting for her two day sleeps. But the night wasn't so easy and I have to admit to caving. But I had this weird feeling she wasn't 100% and I didn't want to push her. Sure enough the following night (after getting a clear bill of health from the doctor) she came down with an awful, snotty cold with a hacking cough which I proceeded to get a couple of days later. So all sleep stuff went on hold. But despite getting sick her night sleeps have been improving. She's not insisting on being cuddled ALL night. So I'm getting some 2 and 3 hour stretches of sleep. I can't believe what a difference this makes. And I can't believe that I think 2 hours of sleep is good going! But she's still only taking brief 30 minute naps during the day. And unfortunately in the last week separation anxiety has kicked in real bad. You would think someone was trying to murder her if I leave the room- even if I'm in her line of sight. There seems to be a critical distance of about 3 or 4 meters after which its just not on mum. And a lot of the time, full body contact is all that will do!! I know my family think its because I've "killed her with kindness", but I really think its just that developmental thing combined with personality. I think she's actually got quite an independent spirit but needs to feel very connected at the same time. And I can sort of relate because I think she probably gets it from me. I LOVE having my loved ones around. Even if we're not talking or touching, I love having DH in the same room reading or doing what ever it is. And while the separation anxiety is frustrating,all the very deliberate adoring cuddles and smiles and giggles that come along with it melt my heart. And its so exciting seeing her pull herself up on her own and move about and explore. I'm trying to psych myself up to do the self settling again when she's properly thrown this cough. Maybe I make too much of it. I joined a mother's group for the first time on Monday in Sydney and most of them seemed to have gone through the same frequent waking pattern around the 6 month mark and casually said "yeah, we had to do a bit of controlled cyring and now he's sleeping through". The mothers group seem really nice. I'm actually really liking Bondi and it will be tricky to leave now. We're looking at a place in Balmain on Saturday but bow I know a few people around here I'm worried it will be more difficult to meet people in Balmain. And with babies you really need to make local friends, don't you.
Willow - Michael has just started to sleep quite well during the day in the past week. Before that he'd get 2 40 min sleeps max. For the moment he seems quite happy to play on his own, however I am noticing separation anxiety may be creeping in...so I'm sure that will change soon. Gosh, that must be hard if he will only sleep in your arms. I really hope things have improved for you since you posted, you must be exhausted with all the reno's going on as well...
Hannah - great to hear from you! So glad to hear the sleeping is getting better. Sounds like she's really coming along! I'm sure she'll be crawling in no time! how are you going now you're back at work? I've got just under 2 months left till I go back
Tilda - great to hear from you too! Michael is starting to do the same thing, with me leaving the room. Last night putting him to bed was just awful He was really crying hard, which he never does, so I went in to see him and try and comfort him, but every time I left him he'd cry harder so I decided I wouldnt' go in...so all up he was crying his heart out for nearly 40 minutes before he eventually fell asleep I hope she is over her cold...its awful when they're sick Sounds like you have a good mothers group there, great idea to join one. Sorry to hear the home visit didn't go too well...its hard when its someone else trying to put them to sleep. Hopefully you picked up some stuff to try...how is it going now?
Hope everyone else is going well!
AFM - Michael seems to finally be getting over his cold. Snot levels have dropped dramatically. He had such a blocked nose that I didnt' bother giving him the dummy since he would get upset and frustrated that he couldnt' suck on it. I then thought perhaps its a good time to try and wean him off it, since its been nearly 4 days without it, so we're just seeing how it goes. So far so good. Its scary not having that as an option when he won't go to sleep. Plus he doesn't respond to any patting/rocking, he just sees that as me playing with him. Hmm...we'll see.
Separation anxiety is kicking in, seems to get worse later in the day. I had to just let him cry last night, as every time I went in to see him he cried even harder when I left. What the heck do you do in that situation? I can't soothe him to sleep myself, so what is the point in me going in if it only makes him cry more when I leave? And I hate to hear him cry so hard, I just dont' know what to do
On vacation and having a great time and resting well! Eva loves the sea the pool the sun and is eating solids wonderfully ! Go figure I bought jarred organic babyfood as backup and she lovvvves it - half a large jar of veggies and a full serving of fruit a day - she has cereal for her mid morning meal and drinks tons of water - the sea air aims to be doing her good!
She has started advancing a lot and is reaching tons of stuff - she crawls a bit on all fours but not fully mobile - started clicking her tongue yesterday and scrunches up her face in a little grimace that she has discovered quite often - I think she has begun testing her limits and cries to see how I react but I look at her and go Eva stop that and she usually does - it's pretty funny
Otherwise all is well - am taking tons of great pics that I'll post when I get home - sorry for no persies but hard to scroll up and down on my phone!
As for separation anxiety she won't let me out of her sight for some time now but I'll fill you guys in on that later!
Tilda - I hope Matilda is on the mend. And you too! I hope her sleep settles down. It may be an extension of the separation anxiety. Amelia is having that too. She's quite happy to play on her own, but frequently looks up to make sure I'm there. I love the smiles I get when our eyes meet. Whenever I walk out of the room or out of sight, I just continue talking to her so that she knows I'm nearby and am coming back. If she looks like she's going to be a big fuss, I'll pause in the doorway, explain where I'm going and why, then walk out while continuing to talk.
beany - I'm actually enjoying being back at work, thanks (see below). Glad Michael is over his cold. I hope his sleep gets better now. Is DH able to settle him at night? If you're feeling tense Michael might be picking up on it and unable to relax himself. I think that's what happens with Amelia. It's so frustrating when DH takes her and she'll put his head on his shoulder and eventually go to sleep.
BS - 8 months wow! The time certainly has flown by. 8 months of pregnancy seemed so looong. Glad you're enjoying the south of france. TTC#2 that soon?! Good luck.
to everyone else
AFM - Being back at work isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm working on the same project I was doing before mat leave (thanks to my replacement leaving in march ) but am now sharing the role with another mum whose son was born the same day as Amelia. Amelia hasn't been sleeping that well so getting to work by 8am has been challenging. She slept much better last night so I actually made it on time today. Thank goodness that my hours are so flexible, but I feel a little bad about being late and then taking time out to express. Amelia starts family day care in august, so I'll be able to do a couple of full days a week (am doing 5 mornings this week and next) and I'll be able to make up the time then.
Both days so far, Amelia has been asleep when I've gotten home, so I guess that means she's happy being at home with Dad. When she's woken up I've gotten great big kisses. It's almost worth being away from her just to see how happy she is when I'm home.
I'm pleasantly surprised by myself. I was seriously dreading coming back to work. I didn't know how I was going to be able to juggle everything. But I'm so much more relaxed about work. Before Amelia, work was pretty much my life. Now my family is my life and work comes second. I always felt like I needed to prove myself but now I don't. Perhaps it's because in my absence I was made aware of how much I am valued (always nice to know ). But I feel much more relaxed about my work which should make it more enjoyable and I'll be more productive as a result. I'm just surprised how easy it has been for work to fit into second place rather than competing for first. Then again, we'll see how things go once I have to deal with deadlines LOL.
Another plus is that I am enjoying my time with Amelia so much more. Usually by the end of the day, I'm getting desperate for some time to myself and wish she would just be happy playing on her own or not need so much help in getting to sleep. But having those few hours away from her and home makes me value the time with her so much more.
Then again, perhaps its just refreshing after a bad last week dealing with mum's estate. I miss her! While she was sick and I was on mat leave, we at least talked on the phone everyday. I keep catching myself thinking "I must ask/tell mum about that". The worst is when Amelia does something new. I just have to give it time to pass.
Finally, I think Amelia is beginning to learn to self settle. She used to hate it when I'd lay down with her on the bed. Now she is more often quite happy to lie next to me and will eventually go to sleep. She'll flail her arms around for a bit, pull the sheet on and off her face (so cute), sometimes squeal or grizzle. Then it reduces to her head turning from side to side until she figures out which side is comfortable and then she's out. I've even managed to leave the room a couple of times and she's gone to sleep within 5-10 minutes. There is definitely more and louder grizzling if I'm not there, but she doesn't get herself worked up like she used to. Now I just have to figure out how to get into bed next to her without waking her up.
Sorry for rambling on a bit. Just a lot going on in my head at the moment.
Hi girls I may have a few mins before the next call from the bedroom...
BS Sounds like you're having a great holiday and Eva is thriving! ...even with with a little separation anxiety issue, sounds like we're all having that one. as soon as Sept omg how exciting!!! But ...won't say a word.
Beany Good to hear Michael is sleeping a little better through the day. Must've been hard the other night when he was crying but then cries more when you go to him. they are such funny little creatures sometimes
Hannah Sorry you're missing your mum so much and having to deal with the estate and crap that comes with it.
It's great that you're not hating work! And the self settling If I can get Harry to sleep in the bed with out me I haven't quite mastered getting in...and actually getting comfortable, with out waking him either. We're co-sleeping again too, 3 weeks of trying him in his cot in his own room had no success, if anything it made things worse I had pinned hope on Rose's success with Liam spilling onto Harry but no luck here.
Tilda Sounds like Harry and Matilda are VERY alike! I have had thoughts of cry solutions, but am still questioning myself as to why, like sometimes I think it's cos I'm so cranky and frustrated with him, but I don't think that is the right reason to leave him to cry, IYKWIM? ...But my sanity is fading... I often wonder about the "stranger" element with the home visits, like you said Matilda was confused. I wonder even more when you do the stays in the sleep schools, a strange place for them, I find it hard to sleep in a strange place and I know what's going on! I just wonder what goes on in their little heads in that situation???? Maybe I'm just too soft. Thank you for the offer of a chat I will keep that in mind
DP has just made me pancakes with ice cream and maple syrup mmmmmm, so best I go eat!
Hello to everyone I haven't got to, but yumminess is calling
BS - Great to hear from you! sounds like you're having a fantastic time on holiday! Soo jealous! WOW! TTC in September! I haven't even started thinkikng about TTC#2 yet! I think its at least a couple of years away. Good luck!
Hannah - thats great, sounds like work is really working out for you And you're so lucky to have flexible hours! DH is actually very good with Michael, and he only ever seems to fall asleep on him, never me! He is nice & cuddly tho Oh I hope I'm not speaking too soon, but he seems to have stopped that horrible crying he was doing right before going to sleep. The last couple of nights he's been asleep within 10 mins of being put down. *please don't let me have spoken too soon!* sorry to hear you've had a rough time dealing with the estate, you just wish someone else could look after that side of things, don't you? You have enough to deal with. Has it all been sorted now?
Willow - Haha, well, just as I had said he is sleeping better during the day...we've gone back to his old habit of 40 mins in the morning and maybe 1 hour in the afternoon. I know I shouldn't complain, but I just worry he isn't sleeping as much as he should...especially when he's up at 5.15am! Hope you enjoyed your pancakes! Yum yum! Any improvement on the sleeping front?
Hello to all my other lovelies too busy to post!
AFM - My poor little darling is having real trouble with his teeth He woke up a few times last night about 10pm, I went to check on him and he was half asleep but sucking on his gums. Poor little darling. I've been giving him Hylands Teething tablets and putting Bonjela on...but I think I might go and get some SM33 today, thats meant to be a bit stronger. The top lateral incisors are about 1/4 of the way out and his top central incisors are just below the gum and should cut any day. Poor little baby
Wow I'm sooooooo behind!!!!!!!!! Will do my best here....
Hi Hannah - yay for enjoying work and feeling good about it. I am due back in October and I am DREADING it! I don't want to go back at all, I loved my job but the one I think they're going to offer me doesn't excite me at all, it's likely going to be the part-time job that was actually assisting me before I went on leave which will mean junior admin duties, no thanks, I'm 37 and have been doing this for 20 years, the thought of doing that crap work does nothing for me at all! I'm going in next month to discuss though, I'd love them to offer me to look after the travel bookings like I did before but on a part-time basis from home lolol.......wishful thinking huh. Anyway, we shall see, we shall see. I try not to think about it too much, it depresses me, I am loving being home more than anything at the moment. I'm also sorry to hear you are missing your mum, gosh that must be so hard for you, I don't really know what to say to make it better but for you. xx
Hi BS - I'm so enjoying your holiday piccies! They're making me rather jealous however hee hee. Glad Eva is thriving with her food, almost crawling wow! I think Amelia is going to be the last at that, she's only just getting up on her hands but no knees yet. I thought of you today, I went into Pumpkin Patch, haven't been in in ages and they had 60% off! Got a couple of things but was pretty restrained, Amelia really does not need any more clothes! TTC#2 in September, wow I'm impressed! We are going to start trying end of the year so you might just beat us to it hee hee. The closer it gets the more nervous I am, I want my kids close together, I think it's more that I worry about just getting my body back and then starting all over again, plus Amelia is such a good baby I won't know what to do with myself if number two isn't the same hee hee. Anyway, I am looking forward to being pregnant again, aside from the morning sickness. Good luck mate, won't say a word but can't wait to go on the journey with you again.
Hi Tilda - you sound like you've been so busy with the move to Sydney and all. Are you planning a trip back to Perth anytime soon? I bet you're not as cold now hee hee. Would love to see Matilda again, I'm sure she's grown so much. You must put some pics up on FB!
Hi Willow - how are those lovely boys of yours going? I love seeing your pics on FB, you certainly have got some good looking boys there and Harry is just the cutest.
Hi Beany - was lovely to see you and Rose the other day, your boys are so gorgeous. Definitely get some SM33, it's 10 times more effective than Bonjela I find. I'll get some of that teething elixir in time for our next catch up, typical, just when you didn't think it was really needed. I'm going to get some too as I fear when these top 2 teeth start rearing their head things will go to crap here like with the bottom ones. Poor bubs, it must be so painful. Amelia had short naps yesterday too, I think it's part of this wonder week that's coming up to be honest! She's been good at night though but like you, as soon as I say that she has a bad night so now I'm scared lol.
Hi Rose - thanks for hosting the other day. I forgot to ask you how your dad is going? I feel terrible for not asking the other day, it went so fast. I definitely think we need to go for the late morn/lunchtime catchup next, gives us a little more time.
Hi to everyone else that hasn't been on lately, hope everyone is well and your bubs are all thriving. It is tough getting on isn't it, I spend too much time on FB as it is so tend to do more reading than posting these days.
Sorry girls, no persies. I've been really sick with tonsilitis, but my Dr's given me some antibiotics and some steriods to reduce the inflammation. I've been able to eat and drink today, so I'm feeling much better. Will hopefully be back on tomorrow to post some persies.
I'm with kanda, I think you should lodge a complaint about the hosties not helping you out at all.
thanks. My house is a pigsty and the laundry is piling up, but hey, no one's perfect 
I'm so sorry you had to go through that. And on top of it how your Mum acted after insisting you visit and flying you there, and then not taking any time off! I'd be angry too. Have to check out your FB vids now, how cute is it that Eva's waving?! I'm glad the trip wasn't all bad. Your trip to the South of France should be fabulous by comparison!
I have had a rethink and might save the farm theme for another year. I think I might not have a theme, just a few smaller themes. I"m gonna get my owls in some how!! Even if its just on the invites (Etsy has gorgeous owl invites - do you have problems with their website? It keeps crashing on me. I'd have spent a fortune by now if it didn't keep crashing!). Yes, strange how MIL's are. I'm in a difficult situation since mine is very sick so I feel obliged to do whatever pleases her, but I need to draw the line somewhere. I sacrificed my first Mothers Day for her, which I am still quite bitter about. Its like they feel its their baby all over again, don't you reckon? And they want to be just as involved as when they had their own. Thast great Amelia is making more sounds! Michael seems to have haulted all development lately, I think he's focusing on his cold and his teeth. Fair enough!
He has become a serious velcro baby!!! I've been a bit beside myself the last few weeks 
Thanks for always thinking of me.
) but am now sharing the role with another mum whose son was born the same day as Amelia. Amelia hasn't been sleeping that well so getting to work by 8am has been challenging. She slept much better last night so I actually made it on time today. Thank goodness that my hours are so flexible, but I feel a little bad about being late and then taking time out to express. Amelia starts family day care in august, so I'll be able to do a couple of full days a week (am doing 5 mornings this week and next) and I'll be able to make up the time then.
). But I feel much more relaxed about my work which should make it more enjoyable and I'll be more productive as a result. I'm just surprised how easy it has been for work to fit into second place rather than competing for first. Then again, we'll see how things go once I have to deal with deadlines LOL.
as soon as Sept
omg how exciting!!! But 
...won't say a word.
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