Babies born~July 1st-15th 2009 #3

Hellooo everybody...

:hug: Cate. How's it going now? Good luck with the nappy rash... if it's not one thing....

we are doing pretty well atm, Arlea's routine seems to be paying off, she's still waking overnight but the daytime is very predictable & she is settling better through the day, I'm happy with that :p
So at the moment we are having one big sleep in the middle of the day & 2 catnaps about 30-45 minutes morning & afternoon.

Arlea had her needles yesterday & the nurse did her measurements, her head is up on the 97th percentile now (from 75) so we have to go back in a month & have it measured again. I am trying not to worry :lol: She handled the needles great, the nurse blew bubbles after & the tears stopped like magic! Ran a temp last night but seems fine today.

And she is into everything now... crawling, but still not a lot, but pulling herself up & standing...she has stacked it so many times now :( twice in 2 days she has banged the back of her head on the tiles, I am considering a helmet for her.... I have to put her in her playcentre while I express otherwise I invariably end up rescuing her from somewhere, or comforting her after another fall....:rolleyes:

Hope everyone else is well?...

hiiiiii

cate - sounds like those homemade wipes are awesome!! i just saw the pics of zac on fb - can't believe how much he's grown!!

jasp - glad to hear the daytimes have become more predictable. it just takes some of the stress away. how is it that they go exactly where they're not meant to?! a helmet seems like a good idea!

corey sounds a bit like arlea - into anything & everything. the dvds & the plasma tv are especially popular :rolleyes: yesterday i was making a cake & he crawled up behind me & started climbing up my legs & wanted attention. the waaaahhss were getting louder & louder & so i turned my head round & he was standing up, hanging on to the back of my tracksuit pants but didn't know how to get himself down again :lol: it is cute though when he crawls over & climbs up for a cuddle.

we're still having lots of night wake ups. i'm wondering whether we're missing anything & should we be taking him to the doctor for a check up? or whether some babies are just really bad sleepers? i thought it might settle down once he started crawling but there's been very little change!

Not much news to report here, so exciting that they are all starting to crawl/stand up though! I wish Hayley would hurry up :lol: She's still not crawling, just shuffling around everywhere, mainly backwards. Lol.

She has wobbled over twice in the last 2 days and smacked her head hard on the floor..yesterday it was just before bedtime, she was sitting by herself and fell backwards hitting her head on the floor. She cried so much :( This morning she was on her tummy and I don't know what happened but she banged her head on the side, just above/to the side of her eyebrow. I suppose I'll have to get used to more of that!

Jasp- did you manage to get your pump fixed? Read your thread this morning but havent gone back to see if there is an update. hope you managed to get through the day without it! We seem to be in a great routine atm too. She wakes up between 7.30 and 8.30 (although this morning it was 6.30, I put her in bed with us and I dozed until about 8 but I don't think she went back to sleep at all, if she did it was only for about 30 mins!), has a bottle and we usually take the dog for a walk. Back by 10 for morning tea (solids) and she is in bed by 10.30/11am. Wakes by 12 for another bottle, play then lunch and another sleep at 2 or 3pm. Another bottle when she wakes up between 3 & 4, dinner at about 5/5.30 and then in bed by 7/7.30. She has been waking (almost religiously) at 4/4.30am for a bottle overnight. So her night sleeps are pretty good now.

Cate- hope Zac's bottom is better soon! The cloth wipes sound pretty good, I bought some before Hayley was born and havent used them. Lol.

Sloane- lol at Corey not being able to get back down...what a clever little man for pulling himself up though! I think, unfortunately, some babies are just bad sleepers. Have you called Tresillian or anyone that may be able to give you some ideas? Hopefully he will grow out of it though and you can get some decent sleep.

ss_storm - thanks. i haven't called tresillian...i'm hoping to get corey's 8 mth check up appt with the MCHN that took my mother's group because she's a lactation consultant & i know she actually fed her two to sleep. i'm hoping she'll be able to give me some advice - i want to try someone who knows me first. that's mainly because i don't think a helpline will believe me that i have a baby that just doesn't do a quiet grizzle - if he just whinged when you left him, then i'd let him go a little but he just gets so worked up. but i'm worried they'd just think i'm a paranoid first-time mum. maybe i am :redface:

Have to be quick but Sloane - :hug: I don't think you are a paranoid first time mum at all. Arlea also gets very upset very quickly, much more so than any of my other three.
If she just did a quiet grizzle I would leave her occasionally to see if she would settle but I have learnt very early on that it's better to go into her early, before she gets too worked up. I think some babies are just like that. (actually I *think* my sister who also had her baby in July has the same kind of baby ;)) - so you're not alone, and definitely not paranoid :D

Storm, thanks - I did find another pump very quickly TG, a hire place where the mum works from home - and she was just around the corner so DS1 rode around on his bike to pick it up for me! I still can't believe how lucky I was! Not happy about my pump dying after 6 months, but as DH said, it's done a LOT of work :lol:

thank you jasp :hug: it's hard not to doubt yourself sometimes, isn't it? he did do one self settle in the middle of the night last night - i nearly fell off the bed in amazement! it didn't change the length of time he was asleep anyhow! which makes me think it's not the settling part that is necessarily the problem.

hope everyone else is going well. i wonder if some people have lost us because of the new thread?

ss-storm - ouch for poor Hayley's head!

Sarah - yep, Zac is big. I think he's the biggest in my mothers' group, although there is one 'little' girl (5 weeks younger than him too) who is giving him a good run for his money! Corey sounds like he is doing really well with the standing and stuff. Zac likes to stand but hasn't started pulling himself up yet.
Also, I don't think you're being paranoid at all! If it's any help, here are the tips I got from Koo Wee Rup:

• 3 good meals a day (Zac just wasn't getting enough food into him thru just finger food, so now I feed him at least twice plus he gets to play with finger food for his evening meal)
• routine routine routine (one of my least favourite words, but it does seem to be working, fingers crossed!)
• consistency and persistence
• try other settling aids - eg a dummy, a cuddly toy or blanket
• they also said Zac should be in his own room, which I haven't done yet... the main thing I have done is be aware that previously I was being too responsive, so often he would give a little cry in his sleep, I would get up to check on him which would wake him up...

jasp - your pump has done a heap of work, but I understand you would be pretty p'd off about it breaking down after only 6 months!

AFM - Zac still hasn't started sitting on his own yet. Don't know whether to worry about that?

Also, any suggestions for what to feed him other than pumpkin, sweet potato, broccoli etc? Has anyone given their bubbas dairy, eggs or meat yet?

Cate- Hayley has been having cruskits/toast with vegemite, Rafferty's baby cereal, sometimes with a bit of one of their fruit purees mixed in, yoghurt (sometimes with a bit of mashed strawberry, peach, banana or other soft fruit mixed in), last night i gave her a chunk of roast pork to suck on and the day before we had leftover apricot chicken for lunch, she just had a strip of the cooked chicken. She's also sucked on a chop bone.

My MCHN told me that the foods they used to say to avoid, like milk and eggs, you dont have to worry about anymore (as long as for things like milk they don't have too much). I've used a few teaspoons of our normal milk in her cereal a couple of times and she was fine.

Hi all, sorry i have been MIA we've had more visitors! My best friend who moved to the UK just before Ash was born has been staying with us for the last week. It's so nice to have her around, but my goodness it has been busy!

Cate I hear you on the nappy rash. I found that if I used the baby wipes on Ash he got nappy rash almost straight away. Ever since the first couple of weeks I have just used a cotton ball dipped in water, it works really well and I find makes it much easier to get the poo off! I just keep a little bowl of water next to the change table that I change each day and a heap of cotton balls. Now I only use the wipes when we are out cos I find once or twice every now and then doesn't do too much damage...

Sarah and Jasp, I hear you on the sleep issues! Ash now wakes at least once a night, if not four or five times. It's doing my head in, I really don't know what to do. And now that he can pull himself up it's even worse cos he's standing up in the cot! I tend to think it's the learning to crawl that's the problem because sometimes when I rock him back to sleep I'll put him down on his tummy and he moves a little, then next thing he's up on all fours and sitting up before he's woken up. Of course then he's awake and crying. I'm hoping that soon he might learn not to do that, but I have also been toying with the idea of wrapping him again, just not sure if I should go back there but wonder if that would stop him getting himself up...

Jasp is your pump still under warranty, if it is I would definately be trying to get them to replace it, 6 months isn't good enough, no matter how often you use it.

Storm it's awful when they hurt themselves isn't it. Ash has had a few little bruises on his forhead of late, I feel so mean because I'm not sure how he got them (probably falling over in the cot, actually). thankfully we've been able to get through the last few days without a stack, but it was happening a few times a day up until a week or so ago.

Anyway, I better run before the little boy wakes up, hope mums and bubs are doing well!

hi everyone its been along time since ive been in. well my oldest daughter has started school my oldest son has started kinda both r loving it. Anton is rolling everywhere not sitting up by himself yet is eating lots has 2 teeth and i think more r coming. in the past week he has had losts of unsettled days n nights, his dad had him last week and he said he was awake until 6am then i got 2 ok nights 1 night he slept for 11 hours the other he had a 30min play session in the middle of the night but then slept for 9 hours the last 48 hours has been very little sleep lots of grizzles and wanting to be held, at the moment im glad i only have anton to take care of as the older 3 r staying with their dad full time for the next little while

Good to hear from you Jess!

We have been having nighttime play session here too :( 3 in a row... Wednesday was 2:30 am - 4am (and then awake again at 4:50!) Thursday was 4am - 5am, so not too bad (but mucked up her routine that day ) and last night was 3am - 4am.

Plus she is still waking at other times as well, just that those other times she is easier to settle, feed & back down. But the nighttime play sessions are full on party time!

Very glad today is Saturday, DH got her up this morning... he said she was climbing on me & pulling at my face & I didn't even stir... I am tired, lol. I worry about what happens if I'm in bed with her in the morning after DH has left for work & I'm that tired that I don't wake.
I try not to bring her into bed with us for that reason but she has been coming in around 4 - 5 am... also I worry about her going off the bed. I have watched her crawl to the edge & go to dive off it :o - if I hadn't grabbed her she would have gone. And then she went straight back to do it again! She did go one morning while I was asleep, didn't hurt herself TG but scared herself... clearly too young to learn from it :lol:

On the plus side, her daytime routine is working beautifully, she is getting easier & easier to settle. So on the days I'm not working I can catch up on either sleep or housework...just not both :lol:
And of course she is sooo much fun atm... it's such a gorgeous age!
I am noticing her becoming aware of strangers, she's not scared or shy but she definitely reacts differently..strangers don't get her biggest & best smiles. And she has started reaching & lunging for the people that she wants (only family, usually me or DD1)

We are thinking about how to deal with her getting around now...shge has been mobile for a while but she is venturing further these days, we will have to think about stairs soon.

Well I've drivelled on enough! Sorry for the mega-post :redface: Hope everyone is doing good :hug:

i started to reply days ago, got interrupted & forgot to come back :redface:

thought i better post something though to stop our thread disappearing into the depths of the 3rd page!!

jas - how are those night time play sessions going? cheeky little miss!

jess - good to hear from you!sounds like you've had a really busy time!

miss e - how are you going? hope you're visitor-free again for at least a little while. i agree on the crawling etc interrupting sleep. and pulling to standing alll the time...argh!

ss_storm - how are you & hayley going?

lovelycate - thank you for those tips - i can't believe how long it's taken me to come back & say thank you! i saw your FB post - so zac is as big as a 12mth old? :lol: these boys!! i was going to say as well about the sitting, that i think it's fine until they're over 9 months even? not sure but i think i read something like that the other day. there's one boy in my mother's group who can sit but really doesn't like it & won't do it much. she asked the MCHN & they said that was fine too.

we had our 8mth appt with the MCHN earlier this week. corey is 10.25kg (omg, we've broken double digits :o) and 73cm long. i told her how sociable he is (babbles away to anyone & everyone when we're out etc) & that he's a busy little man with the crawling & investigating and before i said anything she said "i'll bet he's not the best sleeper"... :lol:

we tried putting corey in his cot on wed night. didn't go well. probably the wrong timing because he's on the tail end of a cold & i think there's a wonder week at 36 weeks. he's 35 weeks but has always seemed to be that one or two weeks early with the WW stuff. anyway, he was asleep but woke as soon as we put him down. DP finally got him to sleep & he slept for 2.5 hours. but after he woke & i fed him he woke again as soon as i went to put him down & got hysterical. DP took him straight out but he wouldn't calm down & he got so upset he threw up. after 50 minutes of not calming down, even when being cuddled, i fed him again & put him back in our bed. :redface: we'll try again next week.

he's a gorgeous little person though & they're so much fun to be around now. i love that at bathtime, after i've undressed him, that he crawls into the bathroom to DP & stands up at the bath bouncing & desperate to get in.

sorry for the super lonnnng post. hope everyone else is well & having fun with their babies :)

sarah - I did exactly the same thing. I think I started to reply the same day you posted, and kept getting sidetracked...
have you had any more attempts at putting Corey in his cot? I was remembering that one of the things I did with Zac was to give him some play time in his cot so that it didn't have all negative associations. I'm sure that's probably the wrong thing to do though ;-)
Zac is possibly a tiny bit heavier than Corey now, and 76cm! good lord. They may not be great sleepers, but god they're gorgeous!

jasp - I hope your nights have settled down a bit!

jess - I don't know how you find time to post at all, let alone think! It must be mad managing such a big family!

missE - hope everything is going well for you

ss_storm - thanks for the info. I have given Zac cruskits a lot recently, and he just loves them. There's also the Baby mum-mum brand that has rice crackers that he loves, but I don't like to get too much pre-packaged stuff like that (two crackers to a little packet) if I can help it. Good for packing in the nappy bag though.

We introduced some meat recently, which has gone down really well :-)

Zac's fourth tooth has been causing a bit of strife over the last few days, but has finally broken through, so hopefully he will be a bit happier. I was reading something yesterday that said all the things that are commonly associated with teething (like temperatures, irritability, nappy rash etc) are not caused by teething. What the? So there's just millions of coincidences? grrr

I hope everybody is doing well and that we get the rest of the gang back on line!

wtg zac!! i can't believe how fast they grow. 76cm! he's not far off half my height :lol: i don't understand some of the things written about teething either - it's all so confusing! i figure they're all unique & there's no way anyone can lump them all in the one basket. they develop similarly but what might worry or work for one, doesn't for another. something like that anyhow!

well I tried to post last night but hit submit and got a database error...so my whole gigantic post - gone!

Jasp - hope Arlea's night time antics have settled down? Takes you back to the early days where they have day & night mixed up doesn't it!

Sloane - Hayley is exactly the same length as Corey, 73cm! She is 9.45kg, got her weighed and measured last Friday. Bath time sounds so cute! Hayley loves the bath too, she went on a splashing rampage last night and I got soaked. Luckily the sides of our bath are higher than a normal bath so the floor didn't get too wet!

Cate- lol I find it a bit hard to believe that the teething 'symptoms' are all just a big coincidence! Seeing as once the tooth/teeth pop through they are back to their normal selves again! We have no teeth yet (still!) but the last couple of days she has been getting quite cranky and has an annoying whinging noise she makes. It's so loud, i can't even describe what it sounds like. Hopefully if it is teeth bothering her they will make an appearance soon.

Hayley is doing well, commando crawling all over the floor. Have to watch her a bit more closely now, she nearly ended up disappearing under the oven the other day! Lol. Got her weighed and measured last Friday, she's 9.45kg and 73cm long as I mentioned above, so still at the top of the growth charts but not quite as far up as she was last time! I originally went to see the nurse because I was worried about a flat spot she has on the back of her head. She was absolutely fine when she was younger so I didnt know why she was getting one now as she spends far less time on her back.

Anyway the nurse said it was fine and is nothing to worry about, just her head getting its shape. Apparently it's only in the first few weeks they are concerned about flat spots developing which I didn't know.

Hi everyone, sorry I have been a bit slack with the posts of late. Glad to hear everyone is doing well.

Sarah I hear you on the sleep problems, I just bought the No Cry Sleep Solution on Saturday. I was all excited and ready to get started with it, then that afternoon Ash's nose started running :wall: It is a good read though and from what I can tell has some good tips, definately worth a go I say. It does actually say that play/happy time in the cot is a good idea to help them feel better about it, so good suggestion Cate.

Storm I'm glad to hear the flat spot is nothing to worry about, I think I actually have one on the back on my head LOL! Ash is booked in to see the MCHN for his 8 month check up on Friday, I'm really interested to see how much he has grown. Love the commando crawling, it's so much fun watching them make their way around isn't it.

Cate I read the same thing (in Baby Love I think), all sounds like a load of crap to me though because Ash definately has lots of symptoms when he's teething. TBH I don't think I've actually looked at that book again after reading that. Anyway I hope Zac and you get a bit of a break before the next lot come through.

Jasp hope Arlea is giving you a bit more sleep now, mind you from your FB post the other day it doesn't sound like it... I hear you on the stairs, Ash has just worked out how to get up them so we have gates everywhere. It is a PITA because our place is three levels, but I guess it's just what we have to do for the next couple of years.

AFU Ash has his first cold :doh: I think we've done pretty well to get to this point without one, but it has been a nightmare. The poor little mite's nose is running like a tap at the moment and he is having terrible trouble sleeping. Last night was a nightmare, he didn't sleep any longer than 35 minutes at a time and at 12am it took me 2 hours to finally get him back to sleep. I tried bringing him into bed with us, but he just won't sleep with us, I think it is because I usually bring him into bed in the morning and he thinks it is playtime. I wish he would sleep with us though, it would make it so much easier to settle him if I didn't have to get up, rock him back to sleep and then try and put him down in his cot without waking him. Oh well, hopefully it doesn't last too long. But if anyone has any tips for helping him through it I'd very much appreciate it, I've got a vapouriser, have been putting Vics on him and tried the nasal spray but none of it seems to make much difference.

miss e - snap on baby love - that's where i read about teething as well. i don't mind some of the book but the teething stuff really threw me! that's such a shame about ash's cold as well :( i've read the NCSS a couple of times, just need to start putting some of it into place i think! hope you got alot more sleep last night & that ash is feeling better.we're just on the tail end of corey's 2nd cold. don't know there is much else that you can do other than what you've already been doing?

ss_storm - the commando crawling must be so cute. it's so nice to see them being able to get around instead of being stuck in the one place!

afm, daytime naps have gone a little haywire yest and today. so far today hr's had a 35m & a 28 min nap. i thought sleep cycles got longer, not shorter :lol: oh wells!

ss-Storm - Hayley sounds absolutely gorgeous. I love the commando crawling! I dressed Zac up in all his camo gear the other day and took photos (and a video - man he's going to love me at his 21st) hehe. Hayley sounds like she is quite long and slim?

MissE - poor Ash, poor you! hope he is feeling better now. Sometimes when Zac is hard to get to sleep we just sit and talk to him or read a book out loud - doesn't matter what, just a nice low, calm monotone. Seems to work...

Sarah - snap on the sleep cycles! Zac's daytime sleeps have gone completely bizarre over the last few days. He will be clearly very tired, showing all the signs, but just will not go to sleep! The other day he was up for 5 hours before we had to go out and he slept in the car, yesterday I managed to feed him to sleep for the morning nap but then I just couldn't get him to sleep at all in the afternoon. Pretty much the same again today. I don't know whether it's teeth or what...

Does anybody have a highchair that they recommend? We've got a second hand Steelcraft one, which is quite good except that the shoulder straps start about 2 inches below his shoulders... And it's a cow to clean, but that seems pretty normal :-) Would appreciate any tips though.

cate - i'm not sure what brand our highchair is - it's a handmedown from friends. i think it's a mother's choice...it's okay but soooo many people seem to recommend the ikea chair because it's so easy to clean. we're also using one of those booster type seats now that sit on a normal chair. corey loves being at the table with us but maybe not always practical? i wouldn't mind an ikea one but can never be bothered driving to richmond! :redface:

i'm wondering how everyone else's babies are playing at the moment? by themselves for short or long times? do they want you there alot - for eg, sometimes corey wants to sit on me while he's playing - like he just wants to make sure i'm not going anywhere! yeah, just curious really! corey will play with his toys by himself for a bit & is happy to play for a little while if i'm doing things like tidying or cleaning around him but at other times he wants me there with him. pretty normal i guess!

Hi everyone
So sorry I haven’t been around – life has been manically crazy as usual! I have had a read and you all sound like you are going really well. I am so glad!
I can’t even remember when I last posted… so forgive me if I go over old ground… we have moved to Melbourne (yay!) – which has been rather hectic! But great! The move went ok. Jacob was a bit unsettled for a while but I guess we also took the opp to move him into his own room and cot… so its to be expected! He also started at crèche which is going ok (and I am back at work 4 days a week – yes I am a crazy woman)… the only issue is that he simply wont take a bottle AT ALL! He occasionally will drink EBM from a cup – we are trialling every bottle and cup to see what he will do… I keep expressing at work 2 times per day and have also been going up and feeding around mid day if I can… so it’s a bit exhausting! He def wont do the formula so expressing is what it will have to be… but man oh man it is hard esp when he doesn’t drink it! He seems to want a cup with no lid – but then spills it! Aaah!!! Today he is trying a straw cup! I wouldn’t worry too much but he also is not keen on solids… like 1 –2 tsp a day max when I puree things… so I do worry about his intake. I think BLS will work better for him as he is quite independent and seems ot want to feed himself… so we are trying that and he has had sandwiches at crèche the last 2 days and I am cutting up soft fruits and veg for him too… I am v worried about choking though so we are treading carefully…what do you all give as finger foods? (he has no teeth at all, but he gums things like crazy!). if he ramps up the food a bit I will relax a little about the milk… I guess a feed just before I drop him off and when I pick him up and keeping trying in the day will be ok. But at the moment he then feeds ALL NIGHT! Sorry for that massive post – it is all front of mind atm!
How are the sleeps going for you all – his day sleeps are ok (he has 2 or 3) but nights are horrendous… he has never ever slept through the night and he has around 3 feeds every night. Is anyone else experiencing this? I am a little unsure what to do about it (if anything – or do I just go with it???). my DS1 was an awful sleeper but grew out of it around 18 months so on one hand I just think go with it.. then the fatigue kicks in LOL
J isn’t crawling yet (are all your bubs) – but againi have low expectations (DS1 started at 13 months!). he is rolling around like mad and getting into everything so I think he will do it sooner or later… and I think when he does it will be on for one and all! He is a great babbler though and gets so excited with all his toys etc. what toys are your kids into? I am thinking we need to get some new ones for J so keen to know what they all love!
I have the Ikea nigh chair and I love it – it is simple, easy to clean and v cheap! I would recommend it to everyone (it is also easy to take down and take to ppls houses etc if you need to). Usually at ikea they are near the check outs so you can sneak in that way and dont have to do the whole loop (I did that, it was a 10 min trip all up!).
Anyway sorry for the selfish post – will keep up from now on I hope! xxx

I think DD is getting a cold. She has a snuffly/runny nose and isn't very happy at all. Luckily I picked up some Little Fess yesterday afternoon because she was a little snuffly all day and I thought better to get it now just in case I need it! She hates it though, had a battle just trying to it close enough to her nose so I could squirt it in, and even worse with the little sucker thing trying to suck it all back out! Lol. So was a bit of a scream fest in our house this morning. She's under her playgym at the moment...thank god she still loves it! I think her teeth are bothering her too, she has been grumpier than normal the last few days.

Cate - i have a Steelcraft one, one of the new ones. I like it and is fairly easy to clean. But I have heard people rave about the Ikea ones!

MamaPan - good to hear from you :) We are doing a bit of both BLS and pureed (more like mashed though, has a bit more of a lumpier texture than purees), sometimes she doesn't mind me spoon feeding her but other times she doesn't want a bar of it! I too worry about her choking but so far she has done fine, although she has given me a few scares her coughing manages to bring it back up and she either spits it out or mashes it up a bit more (she still doesn't have any teeth either). She doesn't eat a lot, but at this stage it's still just about exploring food rather than how much they actually consume (I think most of hers ends up crumbled up and in her lap...we had vegemite covered socks yesterday! Lol).

Better dash she's starting to get cranky now...time to take the dog for a walk I think!

hi mamapan, it's good to hear from you!

BLS - we're like ss_storm & doing a bit of both. we do vegies & fruits (esp melons) as finger foods. cruskits are very popular too. i've started giving DS some meat as well as a finger food & that's been going okay. banana sandwiches are good too - corey mostly pulls them apart but he seems to enjoy them!

sleep - you're definitely not alone with sleep. corey usually wakes 5-6 times a night (that's after i go to bed - usually once before then as well). we've had one night where he had two wake ups only (i felt soooo rested the next day, i was in shock!) but that's almost 3 months ago now. he used to sleep for 4-6 hours for his first sleep each night but hasn't done that since he worked out how to roll at 3 months. he expects to feed back to sleep most times. we co-sleep (and DP is in the spare room) to try & cope but it's still tiring. i have no idea how you're managing with 2 LOs & working 4 days a week as well! obviously i would like more sleep but i'm like you & don't know whether to try & actively do something about it or let it go for now & hope things change on their own. sorry - no real help from me but sending some :hug: your way & letting you know that i really understand where you're coming from.

Sloane - they are exactly the same on the sleep - that just what J does too...and he wants feedingat each wake up (so he isnt actually up for that long each time) too... he haasnt done those long stretches of sleep for ages now... occasiobnally we get 2-3 wakes up only and i dont know what's hit me. idont know what to do as he does know how to self settle as i dont feed to sleep at the start of the night (unless he just falls asleep) and duringt he day. i am happy to juist ride it out most of the time but i must admit i am getting sooooo tired and run down with work, DS1 also etc etc. and i have been going to bed at 9.30ish - so i have no life! i also dont feel like i can go out at night (even though my mum is happy to babysit as i will def have to come home to feed him).. and my life is in disorder as i am basically too tired to do much after work... (ironing, cooking etc). aaaah whinge over but thanks for the understanding! i have a MACh nurse visit next week so i might ask there 0- though i think i know what she will suggest....
i usually bring him intoour bed sometime b/n 3 and 5 to get an hour or 2 with less interruption....

Hi everyone... sorry I have been reading & not posting.

Cate, hope Zac is feeling a bit happier now that his tooth is through? We still don't have any yet, every time she gets a bit whingy I am looking in her mouth, lol. Highchairs I have no idea what we have, it was sold to me for $20 by a lady I work with, it was her grandson's, lol, it's ok, I don't love it but it will do. And yeah, a total PITA to clean!

Storm, I hope Hayley feels better soon. Arlea hated the Fess spray & sucker too! Fingers crossed it clears up quickly. Sounds like she's growing well too!

MissE how is Ash? Hope his cold clears up quickly. Stairs...:doh: this is the first house we have lived in with a baby and stairs and I'm not loving the combination! We can't put up gates either, have tried but there is nowhere to brace it properly.

Sloane how have the daytime naps been? 28m & 35m :o that's hectic. Playtime - Arlea has been getting a bit clingier with me in particular, but she seems to prefer someone there with her when she plays. If she's left to herself she usually heads off exploring - ie, up the stairs, out to the laundry or trying to climb the couch! She will play by herself soemtimes but being mobile is much more fun atm.

Mamapan good to hear from you..sounds like you have been busy! I don't know how you have been managing :hug: Sorry to hear he's still not taking EBM, must make things very tough for you.
Finger foods - I can't remember if I went back to post in your other thread? anyway Arlea loves broccoli, zucchini, she gets lot of them as they are quick to steam, cruskits, chopped up chicken, chunks of steak or chop bones, mashed potato & pumpkin. Peas too, it's so cute watching her eat one pea : ) and this week we have had blueberries which were a huge hit! I halved them for her & she wolfed them down. Oh and banana, she would happily eat one a day with breakfast.
As for sleep, big hugs, no advice, Arlea is still waking 2-4 times a night, twice is a good night, usually she will wake every 2 - 2.5 hours. She seems to have more milk overnight than through the day and I think she would quite happily ditch her milk for solids but she's too young...I'm just kind of waiting it out until she's a bit older. Different to your situation though, J sounds like my DS2 was. All I can say is this too shall pass -hopefully soon!

AFM, I am struggling a bit atm to keep on top of everything, I am so tired, work and housework, kids sport etc. There just seems to be so much to do all the time & never any time to do it in!
Arlea is in FDC three days now while I work which I feel guilty about, but it mean better quality time at home as I won't be constantly struggling to catch up on paid work, I can focus more on Arlea. My boss is very understanding and I has given me the option to have every second Tuesday off work if I need to catch up on things at home, I can take Arlea out for an extra day at home which will be good.

Hopefully I will get on top of everything soon :crossfingers: I guess we jsut have to settle into a routine or something...
Sorry for the whinge :redface:

Oh, and we have BIL living with us ATM, he has been here since January...it's a bit crowded.. he has a boy just 8 days younger than Arlea, very cute to see them together :)

PILs are coming today to visit for the weekend, I really should get off here & clean this place up!
It took me an hour to sweep the other day, she is so mobile now & into everything! and she loves the stairs :rolleyes: in fact she loves climbing everything.

Hope everyone is doing well :grouphug:

Hello everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I am still alive. I have briefly read over the last month of posts!! Seems like everyone bubs are doing so well! Been busy at back at work 3 days a week now and every weekend we have had a wedding or get together or lunch or something!! I have been seeing posts on fb and also here so have been some what seeing how everyone is going!
Seems like there are lots of crawlers! Way to go! I can't believe we are 8 months! Sam is 8 months tomorrow and it is amazing!
He is almost crawling. Understands that if he pushes he can move forward to I think in the next few weeks he will be off. He is so intersted in everything. I took him to play group with a friend the other day. Lots of older kids there but he loved watching them. They have the baby group on a Wednesday from 1.30pm-3.30pm which I thought was a pretty silly time. Sam is sleeping then and I work on Wednesday anyway.
Sam is doing so well. Sleeping still from 6pm-6am at night, down to 4 breast feeds a day and eating everything in sight. I can't believe how much he eats. He is still only 8.5kgs but eats a full banana, yoghurt and porridge in the morning and similar big meals during the day. Not sure where it is going!! It is amazing starting to see them learn and understand about the world around them. He is terrible with other people. Starts crying if anyone says hello to him unless he is in my arms but I think that will pass!
Mama pan - I have steelcraft high chair, it is great as the tray can go in the dish washer which is handy. Just have to watch their little fingers.
Jasp - so now what you are going through with work. It is hard going. I had to go back 2 days when he was 3 months as we run our own business and my husband wasn't coping on his own. It is so hard juggling everything. Just make sure you look after yourself. I keep saying to myself, it is just work and you know what, at the end of the day Sam won't be this little again and I just have to do what I can to enjoy every moment with him and if that means work suffers a bit so be it. It is hard though, just look after yourself!
Wish I had joined a mothers group now as it would be nice to have some local people to hang with and for Sam to play with. I have a few friends with kids but everyone is always so busy!
Mamapan - I have no help on the sleep. Sam has always been a pretty good sleeper so I have no advice. I just feel so lucky. I think the next one will be a terror though I am sure!
Miss E - hope Ash is better now.

Anyway, hope to get back on here sooner rather than later!

hi!

jetta - good to hear from you. It sounds like Sam is a good eater - he has more for breakfast than I do!

jasp - yep, Zac's a lot happier now that the tooth has well and truly arrived, but I suspect there are some more not far behind... Your life sounds manic - I don't know how you manage! I hope having your PILs was ok?

mamapan - your nights sound exhausting. I hope you got some answers from the MCHN? Afraid I've got no suggestions, but big hugs to you.

Sarah - your nights sound hideous too! Have you found that as Corey's gotten more aware and engaged that the co-sleeping isn't working so well? I find now that if I bring Zac into bed with me he wants to chat and play for ages, even when he's clearly very tired...

ss_storm - I hope that cold was short-lived? poor wee thing - and you!

re sleeping - for Melbourne-ites, I went to the Koo Wee Rup early parenting centre sleep school thingy (a one-day session), and I've had friends rave about Rosebud, which is a two-night one. The biggest thing I learnt from it is recognising the different types of crying. I hate to hear him cry at all, but now I can tell when I put him down if he is just making 'noise' (ie he's p'd off and letting me know, but not distressed) or if he is genuinely distressed. If he's distressed, then I go in and either try to settle him or get him up (depending on time of day and how long he's been awake). If he's just letting the world know that he would rather be up and playing, then I leave him alone, and usually within 5 minutes or so he's out to it! That, and giving him more food during the day, seems to have really helped us.

AFM - we're going pretty well. Zac is a real tonka of a boy :-) I had to get some size 1 bodysuits yesterday because the size 0s were far too small... I reckon his body is quite long in proportion to his legs IYKWIM so he is still in 0s for pants.

Melbourne ladies - we should organise a meet up! PM me and we will see if we can come up with a day and location that works :-)

Just a quick one while Hayley is having some raisin toast in her high chair! Her cold is still here...I went to the dr's on Monday and he said her chest sounds fine. She had a chesty sounding cough and I was worried about it turning into a chest infection or bronchitis or something nasty. A week later though and it's still hanging around, I don't think it sounds as 'wet' but it is definitely still there. Not sure if I should take her back to the dr today. I went to the chemist this morning and they said there's nothing really I can give her except keep using the nose drops, which I haven't done since the weekend since she cried so much she power chucked three times all over me!!
they aren't allowed to sell baby dimetapp for bub's under 2 years now, so to my mum you aren't always right about everything! Lol

ss_storm - poor hayley :( corey had a cold recently & it really hung around for ages. i think it was almost 3 weeks of snot & a cough...but it did go so hopefully hayley's will go soon :) i hear you on the dimetapp - i saw my SIL using it on her 1yr old so i thought it might be good, asked my MCHN about it & she said no way & it's not meant for under 2's.

cate - i'd love to catch up, will PM you. zac sounds like he's growing like a little trooper!

jetta - sounds like sam is so close to crawling! how exciting!

jas - how are you chicken? hope things are going okay, feeling swamped is such a downer :( how was the visit from your PIL? and i keep meaning to say - i love the photos with AR & SJ on your facebook. SJ looks like she is a very doting big sis :)

Hi all, I'll try and do a quick post while the little man is sleeping...

Storm, try not to worry too much about the cold. When I took Ash to the GP with his she told me to expect it to take a week to ten days to clear. In the end it took just over a week. Have you tried a vaporiser? I found that really helped and also propping up the cot mattress so they're not lying flat iykwim? I think that just helps stop then from getting so congested. GL I hope it goes away soon x

Cate, wow can't believe Zac is in size 1's already. I've been thinking I need to go out and get Ash some warmer clothes, but not sure if it is worth buying the 0's cos I'm sure he'll grow out of it soon. I'd also love to do a Melbourne meet up. I'm pretty flexible with days and times, so why don't you ladies let me know what works for you.

Jetta, sounds like things are going great with Sam. Maybe we should swap babies for a few days, I'd love to have you work your magic on Ash LOL.

MamaPan and Sloane, I hear you on the exhaustion front. I've just started doing a log of Ash's sleep as I start the No Cry Sleep Solution. The other night he had to be resettled 8 times! I think I've created the problem myself cos I've got into the habit of rocking him to sleep. So over the last 24 hours I've started patting him in the cot and am wrapped to say that I haven't rocked him to sleep once! He still woke up 4 times last night, but at least I feel like we're making a little bit of progress!

Jasp, I hope all went well with the PIL... Hope life is getting a bit more manageable for you.

Anyway, better run... Hope you are all doing well x

Hi all :)

Miss E good luck with the NCSS, I have read good things about it here & might give it a look for AR...will be keen to hear how you go.

Sloane, SJ is indeed a very doting sister... she has actually asked if she can have AR in her room tomorrow night :o so I can get some rest... I love the idea but don't know how it will go, I feel a bit unnerved by the idea of having Arlea away form me for the night, even if it is across the hall! But SJ is Arlea's favourite person apart from me & DH - and sometimes she will even prefer her over us - if she's going to settle for anyone, it will be her big sister. It's so sweet to see the relationship between them.

Storm, I hope Hayley feels better soon, it's yuck when they are sick. It can take a week or two to clear, but you could always take her back to the Dr if you're worried. Apparently Demazin / Dimetapp is either not available for under twos or you need a script, not sure which. Anyway I hope she feels better soon :hug:
We are going out in sympathy here, another cold...the kids bring a lot of germs into the house!

Cate sounds like Zac is doing fantastic! In size one already! Good to hear he's better now the tooth is through :) I am wondering whether we might have some arriving finally...her bottom gum is a bit bumpy. But then I have thought that before, lol.

Good to hear from you Jetta, glad everythign is going so well. I second what you said about watching them learn about the world...it is an amazing age to be , and to be around :)

AFM, I am still struggling... we have had rough sleep this week, always worse the night before I have to work! - murphy's law - and last night she came down with the same cold DS1 & DH have got. She didn't sleep more than 40 minutes at a time last night or today - TG today is my day off - but I am worn out! DS2 is upstairs right now trying to settle her so I can finish pumping, I am lucky to have so many helpers.
PIL's visit was good, I am lucky I get on very well with my PILS, I always say half the reason I married DH was he had good parents :lol: BIL is still living here so they got to see both babies which was lovely for them.

I had better go ... she is not settling & I have just about finished expressing...
Hope eveyone is well.

hi everyone
just a quick one from me... J also has that nasty cold - poor little man has seemed so unwell... vomiting etc. it really knocks them about hey...
we are also having a v rough time w sleep and the lack of feeding inm the day... i have booked a nurse to come and spend half day on monday with us so hope she can come up with some ideas... i think we need to break the night time all night feeding to sleep associations.. but since iw ont do cc that may be hard... lets see! all i know is it is getting to be a desperate situation here - i have too many balls in the air so i need to get onto it. i have been feeling like the worst mum ever with going back to work in such a full on job and he is rejecting all milk, water, food (which he never eats even for me) at creche... so i think whatever strategies she has for me will help
Jasp - J also has nop teeth yet! i love the gummy smiles so i am ok with it! DS1 got teeth at 6.5 months... but app i didnt get any til i was 1 so i guess it may be a while yet
J is in such an adorable phase trying to explore the world... he still doesnt try to crawl but he rolls everywhere and has just learnt to pull himself up to sit (he has been sitting unaided for a while) - he pivots around and wriggles all over the place... wants to be mobile but i think still along way off the crawl...
oh better go... btw Jasp i cant believ you are still expressing - AMAZING SUPER WOMAN!

hi everyone. things are going ok here. anton is sleeping all night from about 7.30pm till 5.30ish am, his not crawling or sitting up yet still just rolling everywhere. Anton has 1 leg slightly shorter then the other so he will be of to see dr to make sure his hips are fine.

Wow, we are getting quiet, aren't we :lol:

Mamapan :hug: thanks :)
How did you go with the day nurse? I hope you can get his feeds sorted out soon, it must be stressful for you :hug:

Jess, good to hear Anton is doing well, I hope everything is ok with his hips.

Pie has a doctor's appt today, we had her head re-measured last monday & it had moved up on the charts again, it is over the 97th percentile now so we had it scanned on Friday.
Poor little Pie screamed the whole way through, she did not like having her head held still! The sonographer said the fontanelles are usually too closed at this age to see anything, but she had a bit of a look & said it all seems clear, no fluid that she could see.

So back to the docs today for the report, also she has a lump under her nipple which is really weird, I noticed it last Tuesday & freaked out just a bit (as I am prone to do) but calmed down & just waiting to see what the dr says now.

Everythign else is good, she is getting into everything & has to be watched like a hawk atm :p

She has also started displaying a real preference for DD2 (much to the boys digust, lol) and cracks it if she can't go to her, luckily Panda has more patience with her than anything else in the world & will always take her unless she has to go & do something - shower etc. Very cute.

We still have BIL living with us :wall: it is getting a little close here - in our 3brm townhouse there are 7 of us now, 8 when he has his DS - but hopefully he will be gone Wednesday & we can give DS2 his bedroom back.

Does anyone have special plans for Easter? We are just looking forward to 4 days of nothing to do... ahhh bliss...

Hope you are all well :grouphug:

we def are very quiet! i think we've lost quite a few people along the way as well :( might have to start PMing them all to try & get them to come back :lol:

mamapan - hope J is feeling better. how did the nurse go? please don't feel like the worst mum in the world, i think you're amazing for looking after two babies, let alone working as well! have you seen the dr jay gordan site? he has a way of night weaning that seems really gentle. it's meant for over 12mths but i reckon if you're desperate, it'd be worth a try. he is mainly focussed on families that co-sleep but i think it could be adjusted for a cot sleeper (can't rem if you co-sleep, but i don't think so) or pinky has a nice strategy for breaking the initial feeding to sleep for nighttime & that hopefully helps with further night wake ups. let me know if you'd like details of either :)

jas - poor arlea having her head scanned. you must have been hopping from foot to foot wanting to just give her a cuddle. hope the results are all good today & so is the lump. i just knew panda & arlea were close! such a beautiful bond for them to have :hug:

miss e - how are you going? i hope ash's sleeping has improved even more for you :)

jess - hope anton's appt about his hips went well. sounds like he's sleeping well though!

afm, corey is still crawling everywhere & cruising along the furniture (or legs, arms etc!). his 7th tooth has just come through & i don't think number 8 is far behind. at the moment he has eczema all over his cheeks, poor little man. all the teething dribble has given it to him :( we've been to the doctors & have cream so hopefully it'll clear up soon.

Just a quick one before I go back to bed...just put Hayley back to bed after a bottle.

We have a little tooth starting to appear!!! Bottom front tooth on the left. It's only just broken the surface but is so sharp, can't let her chew on my fingers anymore! Lol. She's also starting to pull herself up on the coffee table, so will have to take everything off there tomorrow as she just tries to grab everything and pull it off.
Still not crawling properly, just dragging herself around the floor. It's amazing how far she can get though, she's gone down the hallway to the front door once, into the bathroom twice and in/out of her bedroom.
We are having a big easter here...MIL flies to Canberra Wednesday night and DF is picking her up and bringing her here until Monday when she flies back home. SIL & her bf will be here Thursday/Friday and my parents and little brother will be here from Friday until Monday, so we are going to have a house full of people, luckily my family are staying in the motel over the road!

Hi all,

Just wanted to pop in quickly and say Hi! The last couple of days have been awful for us, Ash picked up a gastro bug which DH and I then got :wall: DH and I are feeling better today but poor little Ash is still battling it. He hasn't vomited in close to 24 hours, but does still have the runs. He also won't eat anything so I am trying my best to get him to bf as much as possible so he doesn't get dehydrated, so far so good...

We have however has a bit of a break through with the sleeping :dance: Last week after I was seriously considering signing up for a sleep school program I agreed with DH that we should give CC a go at home before we decided to go to a sleep school. Our thinking was that that is probably what they would do at sleep school anyway and that perhaps it would be better for DS if we were going to do it to do it in his own environment where he feels safe and comfortable. So we had agreed that we would start on Friday and give it 3 days over the weekend.

I first started on Friday afternoon for DS's afternoon nap. It was horrid, he cried for an hour before going to sleep, but his crying was more an angry cry than a distressed cry iykwim? Then we kept him up a bit later that night to wear him out so he would hopefully go to sleep a bit faster, he fell asleep after 30 minutes. He woke a couple of times (this is huge for us, he was waking at least 5 times a night) where I went in and fed him, gave him a cuddle and then put him back to bed, each time he grizzled for two or three minutes then went back to sleep. By his afternoon nap on Saturday he went to sleep without a peep :dance: I can't believe it, I was expecting a hideous weekend, but it all went pretty smoothly and his night sleeps have been so much better since. Even though he has been sick the last couple of nights he has still been settling easily by himself. I've actually been waking him up to feed him!

Anyway, don't want to get to excited prematurely but I think we might of turned a corner (even though I still feel mean for doing the CC).

Sorry for lack of personals, will try and pop back later to say some proper hellos x

Miss E - that's fantastic about the sleep break through!! I know what you mean about feeling mean re the CC. I think it was a great idea to do what you did at home to try it out, because I'm sure that's exactly what they would do at a sleep school, but the distress would be compounded by unfamiliar surroundings and people. I also figure it's a bit different when the crying is more of an angry cry than a distress one. I don't like to hear them cry at all, whether it's angry or sad, but I guess it is good for them to learn how to cope with different emotions? Obviously you've got a happier, better rested baby, mum and dad :dance: Especially considering you've all been sick.

ss_storm - those teeth are super sharp aren't they? It sounds like you will be having a very full on Easter too.

Sarah - my god Corey is powering ahead! all those teeth, cruising around... I used to roll my eyes a bit when 'old' people said "they grow so fast" but now I know what they mean! ;-)

Fleur/Jasp - 7 or 8 people in a 3bdrm townhouse?!?! Good lord. I hope you have slightly more space to enjoy your Easter weekend. Sometimes having nothing planned is just what you need.

Jess - hope Anton is ok?

Mamapan - I'm also curious to know how you went with the nurse?

AFM - Zac had his first swimming lesson on Saturday with his daddy. He was a bit overwhelmed by it all, but seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly by the end. However, he now has a cold, which I'm sure is not a coincidence... BUT, his first cold, so we've done alright. So far he seems pretty much his usual cheery self, just can't breathe through his nose. I've tried doing the saline drops etc but he won't let me near his nose, so he just has to snuffle.

He is still commando crawling, but man he goes fast! My back is really suffering from constantly chasing after him and picking him up. With a fairly open plan house over three levels, we have barricades and gates all over the place! He has started pulling himself up to standing, but only by using people - doesn't seem to have worked out that he can use the furniture yet ;-) Still doesn't put himself into a sitting position, but I'm guessing that's not too much of a problem. He sits fine if I put him in that position, but the MCHN said not to do that much as then he won't learn for himself...

Hello girls!
I haven't been in here for awhile but I love to stop in and see how all of belly buddies are. Sophie is just about 9 months now. She can sit up and crawl. She can stand by holding onto things.. no steps yet. She sleeps 12 hours through at night and is officially onto sippy cups... no bottle. She weighs 15 lbs and is 26 inches long.

Finally have time to breathe a little bit after our fairly hectic easter! House feels so quiet now, especially since Hayley started yelling really loudly while everyone was here. Thankfully she has quietened down back to her normal self now. I don't know if it was the excitement of having so many new people here, or just yelling for attention but she did it loudly and often! Lol

Just wondering what everyone does with their bubs in regards to playtime...I'm starting to feel like i'm just doing the same things over and over again and don't want her to get bored, and I want to make sure i'm stimulating her mind as much as possible. She loves peek-a-boo and flipping through books, but I don't really know what other different things I can do with her?

Jessica- great to hear Sophie is going well. Love the night sleeps!

Hayley still wakes up once during the night, between 1 & 3am, and lately has been waking very early, this morning it was 5.30! FInally managed to get her back to sleep in bed with me at about 6.30am then she woke up just after 8. But she has been waking up around 6/6.30 and won't go back to sleep...my mum just rolled her eyes and said 6.30 is fine, but it's awfully early to start our day when we aren't going anywhere! Even 7am I could deal with...just don't know if there is anything i can do to stop her waking up quiet so early.

hi, hope everyone had a lovely easter!

Jessica - great to hear from you! sounds like Sophie is doing really well.

ss-Storm - lol @ Hayley yelling :-) re playtimes, I don't know either. Zac loves it when I get down on the floor with him and he can use me as a jungle gym. He also quite enjoys chasing games (crawling) - it keeps changing who is chasing who, but it is very funny! um, what else... "guided tours" going around the house or anywhere and telling him what he can see and what things do and letting him touch things. babycenter.com.au has some really good suggestions for games to play based on different ages.

AFM - warning LONG! we had the most appalling easter. seriously awful. Our main car blew up last week so we're using the Jeep (and a 2-door soft-top is not ideal for baby transport!); I came down with gastro overnight on Friday which was hideous. Sunday night was so bad that neither DH or I got any sleep so we shunted Zac off to his aunty first thing in the morning. DH took me to the Dr and while we were there had to get a tetanus shot for a bad cut. He mentioned that he had been having some heart palpitations so she sent him for an ECG while we were there. We had been home for about two hours (fortunately I'm feeling a million times better by now) when the Dr rang with the results of the ECG and told Nigel to ring an ambulance and get to hospital immediately as the ECG suggested that he might be having a heart attack!!!

I had to stay home with Zac, but after a couple of hours Nigel got sent home - no heart attack thank god, but something's not quite right and he needs to have a whole heap more tests.

Zac now has the gastro and is amazingly cheerful about it - most of the time. We thought Nigel had got it too as he was vomiting but we think that was just a stress reaction.

because Zac is mainly formula fed I had to stop giving him any formula yesterday for 12 hours (because it's dairy based I think). Before I knew about that I gave him his first bottle yesterday morning and it 'bounced' :lol: - our first ever projectile vomit. Started up again last night and thought he was doing well - until about 4am :shakehead: Hopefully it's like mine and he's over it within 2-3 days total.

Sorry for the pity party, but good lord it has been truly miserable. On the upside, I've lost a few kilos ;)