Babies born~September 1st-15th 2009 #2

Sanchez, I really feel for you being woken 7 times at night. I lived in that hell for a long time and it was no fun. DS still wakes 2-3 times at night and A once. I am finding it rough because before DS was co-sleeping and I only had to roll over and feed him - now I have to haul my sorry butt out of bed and go to him.

Nicola, I noticed my MIA libido seems to be back again, more around ovulation time. Very inconvenient.

Taurean, Izzy sounds as though she has no time to waste being a baby!

NW3, hope you get your carpet sorted before you go away. Where are you off to?

Re drinking - I haven't had a drink since NYE in 2006! Since then I have been pregnant and/or breastfeeding so haven't bothered. I hate wine and only really like kahlua/baileys and milk. DS was such a frequent waker that I couldn't even have a drink at night because he would be awake wanting a feed an hour later. I imagine that the smell of alcohol would send me to sleep these days.

All is going well here. A was looking ready for solids so I gave her a bit of broccoli to chew on. I don't think she actually ate any of it though but the other night we had a roast and I gave her some fingers of roast potato and kumera and she loved that. She has also had a bit of marmite cruskit which she enjoyed. She thinks she is pretty neat sitting in the high chair eating with us.
I was thinking about what I was doing with DS at 6 months and realised that I was babying her a bit so I have started letting her do more and she is loving it - she has had a few turns in the sandpit and I have been leaving her sitting in the lounge with toys around her and she seems to like it.
We go to music and movement classes which DS doesn't really like, so I just leave him to it and spend the time with A.

Hi girls, just a quick one today - waiting for T to wake up :)
Art - good on you for not having a drop of alcohol since NYE 06! Even when i plan to have a low alcohol week i often end up with a wine on Fri or Sat night. T likes marmite cruskits too :) Gets nice and soggy with sucking which is perfect. We have mostly been having salads and meat rather than roasts etc with this heat, so not having heaps of options to give to T the next day - but think i will do some pasta tonight and see if he likes that tomorrow. We had porridge this morning, he fed himself off a spoon (i loaded it) and he was happy as - so that really proves to me he doesnt need puree. Is it still cool down your way? I noticed A often has long sleeves etc - We are really warm up here in Auckland, T lives in singlets and onesies!

NW3 - sounds like Sam is going well with solids, great news! Ditto on the early rising. T used to wake up at about 6:15, but lately we are 7am, and today was 7:30 - its so nice having that extra time in the morning, even if DH does wake me up with the alarm and just to check if he should get bubba out of bed yet for me (well is he awake!?) lol.

Taurean - thats interesting about the S26, as T seemed better on it when we switched at about 12 weeks (our nurse said its easier to digest for milk intolerant bubs) - so i havent bothered changing again. It smells yuck though. Would be nice to have milk closer to BM. Kinda funny with bub's getting caught in the cot rails, although i'm sure they don't find it funny at all. With T hardly rolling, and mostly staying wrapped up its not an issue for us - yet! Love the new FB photos - such a little look alike for Daddy isn't she - she's such a cutie!

Sanchez - you poor thing with V still waking, she just doesnt like sleep does she! Is it time to call in the sleep nurse yet? I hope you're getting some support from family and friends, i'd be beside myself if i didn't get some sleep. Wish i was closer so i could offer to come and sit with V. Amazing she is on to 3 meals already, little hoover huh ;-) Whats the fave? Man she must be feeling better after getting that poo out! They are so disgusting aren't they - DH said to me yesterday 'They're like real human poos!' lol, not sure what he was expecting. T gets the grumps when he hasn't been in 24 hours!

Nicola - boohoo for AF, i keep expecting mine anyday now i'm only BFing twice a day, and hormones are feeling a bit more normal, libido is rearing its head again, although somehow we have lost the habit - lol

So we are still on 2 BF's and 3 bottles a day and just added a second solids meal from today. Watermelon and bread/cruskits are the favourites - its funny watching how much watermelon he can stuff in his mouth. We suddenly seem to have a big boy, he is just so long and heavy now - looking forward to plunket in 2 weeks to weigh in. Sleeping is still good here, although we do struggle to get to sleep about every 2nd night - for 30-40 minutes he will grizzle on and off until we rub his back, get all the burps out, hum a song and sit with him - then he is usually asleep by 7:30 / 8pm. He has unwrapped himself a few times recently in the middle of the night, so i'm leaving him to see if he can get used to sleeping with his arms out, he seem to wake a bit earlier but be ok - so we may be unwrapped before 13 - you never know! In the day he still wont sleep unwrapped.

Think i have to go wake little man now - he is way past feedtime!
Have a great weekend.

Hey all,

Sanchez - LOL with the comments about being like your mother.... I am sure I will be the same as my mum too. We just bought an Ikea highchair - very basic but it is all plastic with no nooks and crannies to hide food. You can also be padding to make it a little softer. All up including padding was $50. Good luck

Taurean - Jaida gets her arms and legs stuck too. We now put her to sleep on the far side (as she only rolls to the left) so hopefully after the roll she is in the middle on the bed rather than her face squashed up in the bars.

Now we're 3 - we will start solids in 2 weeks. I am keen to start but DH isn't a fan until 6mths. I have snuck a little banana though. I then got little worms in the nappy and freaked out a little - how could she have worms already only to realise this was the banana. Not looking forward to the smelly nappies although despite being BF Jaida still tend to reek. They never used to but she now only goes every 4-5 days so I assume this is why they smell so bad.

Art/Kelly - sounds like cruskits are the way to go. Will put them on the shopping list when we get started.

AFU - nothing much to report here. Jaida is becoming more independent and doesn't want to be held all the time... she would rather sit on her own. Got to get the dreaded immunisations again in 2 weeks - yuck.... hate watching her in pain.

Anyhow Jaida is waking for a feed - have fun

Easha - I agree with the 6 month theory for solids, however it is tempting to start isnt it! If it makes you feel better, we don't have IKEA here so the importer of the highchairs charges $80 plus i got a harness and extra padding cushion - so $120 for our el-cheapo highchair! Still happy with it though :) With cruskits, i did notice they are a bit salty (esp if you add marmite!) so i probably wont use as an everyday food - but T sure does like them. Also some people say to wait on adding wheat - but I'm not too worried about that, once bubs are 6 months their tummies can handle most foods - suggests the Baby Led Weaning book by Gill Rapley.

Can't recall who was asking about BLS... but here is a link to a brief summary http://www.rapleyweaning.com/assets/blwleaflet.pdf and there is a BB forum on it also. Quite basic really - but if you're anything like me, you still want to read the book 2-3 times first :D

Hey Kelly - thanks for the info. Yes it was me asking about BLS and we have just ordered the book. Hopefully wont come up with too many issues with the MIL. She can be quite opinionated when she wants to be. Another 'out there' thing I'm doing in her opinion.

I dont feel so ripped off now with the highchair:D give your experiences

Art - Happy 6 month Birthday to Amelia!

Have a great day!

Evening everyone

Just dropping in for a quick hello as just waiting for dinner to be cooked and the little guy is sound asleep.

Hope you have all had a great week. Personally I just can't believe how quickly they are going. A few of my friends who had babies last year are now getting ready to go back to work which is a real wake up as to just how quickly our beautiful babies grow up. I think this is what I will keep reminding myself of if we are having a bad day.

Things are going good here. Like I've mentioned before little Sambo seems to love his solids and I am just trying to decide what I will offer him next. He is loving everything I am giving him so hopefully that will continue. We tried peas tonight so will continue with that for a few days - will just have to wait and see if his poos change from lurid orange to green! Was a little bit unsure about giving him solids before the 6 month mark but the health nurses had said it was okay and the paed recommended it so just decided to try it and then just leave it for a while if he wasn't interested.

Starting the countdown to our trip now and just trying to work out what we need to get and what we can "borrow" when we are away. We are heading to UK and Ireland to take Sam to meet his Grandparents and DH's sister and her family. Everyone is very excited about meeting him. He is the first grandchild on my side and second on DH's. I will have DH on the trip up there but have to do the trip back on my own which I am not looking forward to. From door to door will probably be close to a 36 hour trip. Hopefully Sam won't decide to start to crawl when we are away as it could make for an interesting plane journey. The trip of course provides me with a guilt free reason to go shopping to buy him even more stuff!

Anyways that is it for us for now. Speak soon and have a nice weekend.

AM & Sam Xx

I have a quick question to ask.....Violet seems to be feeding less, the feeds are a lot shorter, because shes on the boob i can't monitor how much she is having. Yesterday she missed a feed all together and it didn't seem to bother her at all, she never got grizzly from being hungry. And now she is SO distracted when she feeds that sometimes the distraction takes over and she stops feeding. Other times i try to put her on and she archs her back and refuses to feed - the other morning i had to get in the bath with her to feed (logistical nightmare when she falls asleep and you have to get out of the bath!).
I am only giving her solids once a day because she doesn't really love it.
Is this happening to anyone else? I'm not sure whether to be concerned. She is not sick or unhappy.....is this normal do you think?

Hey Sanchez - this is happening for me too. Jaida isn't on solids yet either. I think she is becoming more efficient at feeding and Violet might be the same. Jaida usually does 20mins per side but her first feed this morning she did 10 mins one side and 8 min the other. She's too busy looking around to want to feed but I keep offering. After trying to sit up for the fifth time I gave up cause she just wasn't interested.

Maybe another phase??

Hey Sanchez - yeah we have similar too, Tadhg would much rather see whats going on or smile at people than have a feed most of the time. I believe its a phase they go through - and they will certainly let you know if they are hungry. We are doing 5 feeds a day now, but they are all quite small except for the morning breastfeed when i hear him gulping and lunchtime where he might have a 250ml bottle. Unless she stops feeding altogether I wouldn't worry about it. You could always offer her a sippy cup with water if you are concerned about hydration - that can be more of a game so they will often try a little bit. Tadhg thinks he is cool using the sippy cup, even though he still isnt too keen on water. V knows where the milk is, and how to get it - so she'll let you know :)

AM - Thats cool that you can get over to the UK, it must be so exciting for the grandparents - i know our parents get desperate to see T and they probably get to see him every 4-6 weeks. No doubt Sam will be spoilt to bits. Hopefully you can coordinate some babysitting too so you can have a few breaks. Sometimes the worst thing about trips like that is the worrying you do beforehand... Just think about all the things you've overcome in the last 5-6 mths. Hopefully the trip on the way up will add to your confidence about getting home safely :) Isn't it amazing how much stuff you need - or feel like you need! A few of the girls have done some long trips, so they might be able to help with ideas of useful items to take / things to leave.
Kelly... and a sleepy Tadhg

Hi

Feeding distraction is a phase and I find plastic rings or a similar toy are helpful to give bub during the feed.

Has anyone had issues with their parents in-law??? I had the first blow out with mine today in 5 years...wasnt nice but had to happen as it was numerous emotions etc building up and came out today!! It doesnt make things to rosie with DH either

Hey girls and bubs!

We are back from our holiday and had a great time. Both kids had a ball on the beach. Elena spent ages trying to jump the waves and buidling sandcastles. I sat Ethan up at the waters edge and he giggled and splashed. Although I had to watch him like a hawke as he was fascinated by the sand a tried to put mouthfulls in his mouth quite a few times eeewww!

Nicola - sorry about the IL's hun but sounds like it had been brewing for a while. Hope it's not going to cause too many problems between yourself and DH? My IL's annoy me at times but overall I can't complain too much. Huge hugs hun :comfort:

Sanchez - another distracted bub here too. I sometimes cover him with a light wrap which seems to help. Or I'll put on some beads and he loves to play with them while he feeds. Feeds are mostly short here too and he sometimes only has 4 feeds now but he is on solids too and I've just started him on two solid meals so that could be why?? Does V still have plenty of wet nappies? That would be a good sign that she is getting enough.

AM - wow your trip sounds like it will be fantastic!!!!! Don't have much advice on the packing but I wouldn't stress about it too much. Just take what you can and if you forget something then just get it over there!

Easha - I'm kind of doing BLS and my MIL thinks it is all a bit silly and told my DH that Ethan will starve because he won't be able to eat food that isn't pureed. I just laugh it off! We are having dinner with them later this week so I guess Ethan will just dismiss that when he wolfs down his steamed veggie sticks in front of her lol!

Hey everyone else. Sorry I'm not going to have time to read back much further. My bed is calling really really loudly! Sounds like you are all well though and that all the bubs are loving solids :) We are on two meals a day now and there's no stopping him now. Sometimes he cries when all the food is finished :rolleyes:

Hey All,

Sorry this is going to be a me post !!

Am very frustrated, I am sick of being made to feel guilty about the way I raise my daughter.

Jaida is 5 and half mths and DH and I made the decision to exclusively BF until 6 mths... yes just 2 weeks away. DH was talking to MIL who commenced telling us a month ago and continues to tell us to start solids now and that we should commence with rice cereal only for a few weeks... this apparently gets the babies tummy used to digesting food (as if Breast milk isn't food enough). She says the same thing every few days despite us telling her we will be starting solids at 6 mths. I am also planning on Baby led solids so wont be going down the pureed rice cereal stage anyway. Haven't told her this though as I would get more negative pressure from her. :wall::wall::wall:

I then saw the MCHN today and given we have moved up from Syd this was the first time she met Jaida. Jaida weighs 6.65kgs and has put on 300gms over the past 3 weeks. 'Oh shes a bit small isn't she' was the response. I advised her Jaida always put on small amounts of weight right from the start and has a small figure like her mum and dad. She then also proceeded to tell me I should have her on by now solids too. She asked why I hadn't started to which I replied WHO standards and ABA standard for 6 mths. Apparently there was a recent study saying 4 mths was fine again........ too much conflicting information.

DH thinks I'm being too sensitive.... maybe I am?? :rolleyes:

I know alot of you have started solids before 6mths which i think is fine by the way because that is the choice you have made for your bubs. I'm just frustrated that certain individuals namely MIL and MCHN think they know better than Jaida's own mum and wont respect the choices I've made for her.

Enough ranting from me:redface::redface:

Easha

Dont feel pressured to start solids when you dont think your bub is ready...thats what its all about when your baby is ready not what anyone has to say (dont get me started on the in-laws)

They say 4-6mnths but its leaning more to the 6mnth mark than the 4mnth due to digestive enzymes being underdeveloped and allergies etc and there are alot of other reasons not to start at 4mnths including most babies are not ready..they will be eating solid food for the rest of their lives and waiting 6mnths is nothing in the scheme of things.

I started Indigo on solids around 22wks and she wasnt that interested at first..she is bottle fed and also a small baby and weighed 6.8kg at 6mnths..she was 2.5kg at birth. Indi has already got an allergy from the basic first foods she has tried and Im pretty sure its banana, that is another reason why the say to wait until 6mnths..especially if there is a family history of allergies...Wyatt has a milk protein allergy.

Anyway hope this helps...take opinions with a grain of salt and have fun starting solids

Hiya,
Nicola and Easha - you poor things :( I think its quite common to have MIL issues, but it really sucks all the same. I suspect some people just think its their right or obligation to share their opinion on raising children. Seems to me its a common response for husbands to tell wives they are overreacting too - rather than standing up for their partners which just adds to the feelings. Easha I think you are absolutely right to stick to your guns and don't doubt for a second that you are doing the wrong thing for Jaida. You definitely know her the best and if she's hungry she will be asking for more feeds / waking more in the night etc. It annoys me that anyone, let alone a health nurse would say a baby is very small in any negative way. There are plenty of small babies around, my son was only about 7kg at 6 mths, and given boys are usually bigger he is in the 3rd percentile - but hey someone has to be there! Its nice having a small bub, they seem like newborn babies for longer :)
My mum suggested a few times that we start rice cereal, and we told her 'he only has a small tummy, and until he is 6 mths we feel its important he can fit in as much milk as possible - because that is the perfect food. We don't want to fill him up with cereal' she stopped asking after she saw him eating chunks of watermelon and carrot by himself :)
Hope the rant helped a bit too! :D

Sangie - The holiday sounds awesome, how cool to be able to take the kids to the beach - i think its a bit chilly here for that, although i know people who do it. I bet the MIL will be blown away by E's vege eating - our parents and friends have all been amazed. I wonder if its a boy thing to be so into food - T also will cry when all the food is gone, and also try and stuff extra bits into his mouth even tho its bulging already, quite funny.

Quickly from us - i'm having a great time at the moment, Tadhg is loving trying heaps of new foods and keeping busy with lots of floor play and he can sit up now.

In case you new girls are on Facebook, feel free to look me up, a few of us are sharing stories and photos there :) Facebook

Hi all

Sorry to hear that some of you are having IL issues. Guess that is one of the up sides to living on the other side of the world from parents and in laws - they pretty much leave you alone with regards to what you are doing. Don't get me wrong they ask questions but don't seem to question what you are doing as much. Hope it gets better soon.

Easha Kelly is right stick to your guns regarding what you and your DH have decided to do regarding starting solids. You're the one who will know best what is right for your daughter. I am shocked that the MCHN made a comment about Jaida being small. She wouldn't want to meet Sam then as he is probably a little bit lighter than Jaida and is only week younger at most. If we look at all the different sizes and heights that we adults are it makes perfect sense that babies are going to be the same. Some will be small and some won't. What she should be looking for is how alert, content, healthy looking the baby is not what number she is on a chart. Its bad enough to have to put up with uninformed people making comments as to your babies size without so called professionals doing the same when there is no need and there is nothing wrong with the baby. I can't remember which book I read it in where they were talking about weight gain but it basically said that you can't breed rats from mice so that if the baby is genetically dispositioned to be small/slim that is what it will be and no amount of trying and pushing food into the baby will make it into a large/tall baby.

Kelly LOL about Tadhg crying when the food is finished. Even though we have only been on solids for 2 1/2 weeks now Sam checks out his little bowl to see if there is food in it and looks around for more when I show him it is empty. How much are you feeding T? I reckon that Sam would continue eating and eating as long as I would keep on giving it too him. I am still only doing one meal a day at the moment in the evening though will probably introduce a 2nd one next week at breakfast. He normally has about 2 tablespoons of veggies and then some pear for desert (gormet baby having a 2 course meal :)) I am thinking that introducing the 2nd meal would be the way to go rather than increasing the amount he has at that evening meal? Thanks for the FB link I've send you a friend request through. I've no idea how to put FB link into this message so other ladies PM for FB details if you would like them.

Sangie sounds like you had a great holiday. Did you manage to pack anything belonging to you when you had all the gear needed for two littlies?

Sanchez the shorter feeds and the distraction are all really common at the moment. There is just too much going on their little worlds to be truely interested in feeding. Like the other girls have said they will feed when they are hungry. They are also super efficient at this stage of getting what they need really quickly. I'd just keep on eye on her nappies but shouldnt be an issue. Most of the time Sam will only do about 5 mins on each side now and he had good weight gains in the last two months (750g in January and 610g in the four weeks in Feb). I know he must be getting enough from me as most of the time now he won't even take the top ups that we offer him. A lot of people have suggested feeding in darker room or with wrap him him neither of these worked for me but might be worth a go if you are really concerned as to how much she is taking in.

Taurean hope all is good with you and Izzie and 2nd part of the move is going/has gone okay.

Quick question - looking to buy 2nd buggy to (1) take on o/s trip but (2) use for when I am going to mall and out for quicker trips. I have a mountain buggy urban but am looking for suggestions for the 2nd one. I don't want to spend a fortune but want one that will allow recline so he can sleep and has a little bit of cushioning so that it is comfortable for Sam. Any suggestions do any of you girls have a second stroller that you use?

Okay is one minute to midnight to I am going to go to bed before I turn into pumpkin. Night night all.

Nicola, have had a couple of blow outs with the IL's. They are lovely people but I know what is best for my kids and sometimes they just won't listen...

Easha, when people give you unwanted advice just nod and smile and forget about it. That MCN sounds useless - I hate to think of all the mums that are left stressing because of the comments that the MCN's make. My one always congratulates me for not having started solids - she tells everyone to wait until 6 months but hardly any do. Miss A was exclusively BF until a few days before 6 months - it is quite cool to see how big they have grown completely nourished by yourself.

Sanchez, they will start to drop feeds now, they don't need as many as they get bigger. A will pretty much only feed if it is to go to sleep, if she does want a feed for food then she is done in a couple of minutes.

Sangie, glad you had a good trip. We did the same with A on the side of the lake, she loved the waves getting her.

Kelly, it isn't really cold here, just a bit cooler in the morning when I dress them and then I don't bother changing her out of long sleeves unless it is really hot - she has very fair skin and has had sunburn in the shade with sunscreen on so I try to keep her covered if possible. The weather has changed in the last week though - we had our first frost yesterday. Yay for sitting too.

Taurean, you guys have done really well getting your new house fixed up - we moved in here a year ago and so far I have managed to paint the lounge and put one coat on the outside. The carpet desperately needs replaced but I want to get the painting done first so I don't get paint on it but geez it is just not getting done! There is just no time to do it with a baby. It is a bit embarrassing actually, because it is rather rough but if you live amongst it long enough it stops seeming so bad - until you get visitors and remember how ugly it is!

A is enjoying her solids - but I suspect it is more that she is sitting in the highchair feeling like a big girl. There is no evidence that she has actually eaten anything foodwise (although we are getting a lot of sand coming through!). She saw DS's toothbrush floating past in the bath last night and grabbed it and shoved it in her mouth with a big smile - she wants to do the things that he does.

Kelly I just asked you to be my friend on fb. When I figure out how to put a link here for you all I will lol!

Happy half birthday Ethan!

I am going to stalk Kelly's new friends.

Thanks Art! Can't believe my bubba boy is 6 months!
I'll PM you my name as I tried to put a link in here and it didn't work (can't be bothered trying to work it out now lol!)

Happy half birthday from me too Ethan and belated ones for Amelia and Indigo (and I think Izzie). I like Art's idea of stalking Kellys new friends so think I might do the same. Sangie if you work out how to put a link in let me know. My brain is not capable of working our something as technical as that !

This might also encourage me to get my act in gear and load up all the more recent photos on FB - it just takes so long to do so I just keep stock piling them and putting it on my growing to do list.

Hi ladies and hello to some of the new people that have joined. I am just touching base and letting people know how we are travelling. Happy half birthday to everyones bubs. Time really flies doesn't it
Frazer is doing very well and is a very happy and content baby. He is now a huge 10.2 kgs and giving my back and arms a huge workout lifting him in and out of everywhere. We went away for a couple of days to the sunny coast even with the terrible weather, and both DH and F got some sort of gastro on the last day we were there. It was really scary to see a poor bub dry reach but we didn't get too worried as 5 secs later he was smiling and laughing!

So nice that he has learnt to sit, as surrounding him with toys is a nice change to the usual. He has also (to the disappointment of DH) started to say "mum mum mum" in the last couple of days. DH didn't want to believe me til I got it on tape. His night sleeps are normally pretty good but sometimes needs a little resettling. I think it's his teeth as he has 2 new ones coming through at the top (lateral incisors) which are soo not cute looking. He actually looks a tad like a vampire. Apart from that he is doing quite well with the teething. I definitely think that the Amber necklace helps. He wears it 24/7.

Easha- Going by my little oompa loompa you can see that all babies are different. I have stopped seeing a CHN and will only go to my GP and have also kept off BellyBelly for the exact reasons you are describing. You make decisions for your child going on what you think is best at the time and with what knowledge and information you have. Frazer was a tummy sleeper from about 3 weeks old and I had to stop telling people as I would just get an earful about SIDS etc. I started solids at 4 1/2 months because Frazer seemed unsatisfied just with formula. When I asked for help about solids, people just lectured me that I shouldn't be starting til 6 mths. There is always someone out there that thinks they know more about your child than you but they don't. Do what you feel is right and stick by your guns, Jaida is your child. I went through alot of heartache and self doubt before I came to this realisation.

Hi Pooley

What is the amber necklace I have heard it being talked about a few times but don't actually know what it is?

I think my little fella may be starting to teeth he has been a little bit grumpy which is very unlike him and is is now biting down very hard on everything that is in his mouth. Previously he used to bite but not as hard as what he is doing now.

Thanks

Now we're 3- The amber necklace releases amber into the skin, which is absorbed into the bloodstream. It's like a homeopathic natural remedy to teething that is suppose to reduce red inflamed cheeks and stimulates the thyroid glands to reduce drooling and be good for the restlessness and irritabilty that bubs may have while teething. They are also worn by breastfeeding mothers. Check out amberbebe on the internet.

Frazer has worn his since 3 months old with his first teeth appearing 2 weeks later.They came through with no problems at all. I can't be certain that it's the necklace but I'm not game enough to take it off!!

Hi All,

Thanks you all so much for all your support with the MIL and MCHN issues the other day. AM feeling much better now. The good thing is I suppose is that the MIL is away now until the end of April so by this time Jaida should have finger food down pat - here's hoping.

NW3 - I just have a cheap $98 I think, stroller that I got from Big W. It lays back and is only 7kgs. I leave this one in the car and use my big one for street walking.

Sangie - Happy 1/2 year birthday to Ethan!!

Pooley - yaya for mum mum mum..... I say this in front of Jaida all the time and she looks at me like I'm crazy. Her dad then proceeds with dadaadadadadda. Who know whats she will say first??

Very interesting this Amber necklace - will look into it.

AFU - Jaida is sitting on the floor with a food container, measuring spoons and an eggs cup..... lovin it.

Have a great day ladies !!

Hi ladies. Geez I am terrible at keeping up with everyone. Havent been on BB for aaaaages :o DH lost his job so we were both busy applying for new ones for him. ALl is good now, he's loving his new job which he started on Monday!!

Welcome to the new mama's and bubs that I havent yet said hello to :)

All is well with us. Jackson started sitting on his own about 2 weeks ago. He wasnt showing any signs but then all of a sudden it just happened. He still gets a bit wobbly when he reaches of toys but is getting much better.

We are mainly doing BLW and Jackson is loving it. Everything we have offered him he has eaten with no problems. I was a bit scared at the beginning with chocking and gagging but that was very short lived. We do a small amount of spoon feeding cos he also likes that as well. So that suits us :D

We have an Amber Teething Necklace and its working a treat. I had to get it from NZ (couldnt find one in Brissy) and its been well worth it.

WOW Pooley Go Frazer. He's tracking along fantasticly. Jackson is 7.54kg and still in the 25 %ile but is 72cm long (93 %ile). I think we are going to have a tall boy ;)

BOB- Glad to hear that DH found another job. Nothing worse than worrying about money. What colour necklace did you get Jackson? Kinda hard to decide on a boyish looking colour I reckon. Wow 72cms, you'll have a basketballer on your hands in no time! Frazer is 66cms. I sometimes get jealous when other Mums with lighter bubs can throw their little ones up in ther air and carry them around alot. I just don't have the upper body strength and is a real chore lifting him constantly. I love the days when DH is home so my arms and back can have a break!

Hey ladies!

Where did you all get your amber beads from? I'm thinking of trying one on Ethan. I think he's starting to teethe. Heaps more drool than usual and he's a bit cranky and trying to bite down on everything. I had a look today and I can see his eye teeth. They haven't cut but they are definitely there. Will be interesting to see if they cut or just sit there until the front bottom teeth emerge (you know the order they are supposed to come in!)

Pooley - I was complaining about how heavy Ethan is so I feel for you! Ethan got weighed on thurs and he's a hefty 8.66kg now. No wonder my back gets sore (I'm only little lol!)

Bob - sounds like your boy is going to be really tall!

I got a referral to see a paed about Ethan's flat head. My GP thinks he is borderline in needing a helmet to correct it. The receptionist told me it was a 6 week to see the paed but luckily a cancellation came in so we get to go in 2 weeks instead. I've been trying to get him to sleep in his side or tummy but he kicks up a massive stink and just rolls onto his back :wall:

Sangie- Check out amber.bebe on the internet. Really fast postage too. 8.6kgs, I wish Frazer weighed that much. I can't go anywhere without a pram, even if I'm popping into the bank etc. and the sling is not much help at his weight either.

Glad to here that you don't have too long to wait to see the pead. Can't stand waiting ages for appointments. Good luck! Frazer used to do the same when he rolled onto his back while sleeping and I used to have to go and put him back on his tummy. Luckily now he's getting used to it and will sleep back or belly if he turns during the night.

Thanks Pooley I'll check it out.

Hi all,


Pooley - really pleased to hear F is going well, amazing how he has kept up with the weight gain you might have a little rugby player on your hands? Isn't the mum mum mum so cute - glad you managed to get it on tape too, no doubt your DH is working on Dadada as mine is...

Sangie - The amber beads are really popular in NZ. We have some but haven't used them yet as we have no sign of teeth yet - its also meant to be good for excema.
You can buy them from Belly Beyond (.co.nz) for $40 NZD - $30 AUD - including postage (as you don't have to pay GST if you are in oz).
Bummer about E's head shape, although i think it happens to lots of bubs - will be interesting to see what the spec says - hopefully they can ease your concerns. Woohoo on 8.6kg too! Putting on weight nicely. I weighed T on Friday on our scales at home and he is about 7.7kg so i think he is definitely catching up and not so tiny anymore.

BoB - glad to hear about the job situation, cos thats no fun at all. Its an interesting time with the economic climate, seems quite a few people are moving for different reasons, but certainly not a stress you need with a young family. We had to same with T sitting, all of a sudden i realised he could do it and within about 4 days he was hardly falling at all. Glad you're enjoying BLW too - any foods you've found particularly good? T loves chunks of watermelon, highly recommend a try.

AM - loving the photos of Sam on FB. With solids i can't really tell how much T gets because we are doing BLW he only eats about half of what i put on his highchair, and the rest is mushed up or discarded as too small etc. He probably has about the equiv of 1 tinned peach slice, and 2 tablespoons of pumpkin for example - so about the same as Sam - i'm really not too worried how much he has, but i am also aware he may not quite realise how filling food is yet! I want him to have his bottles too :)

Art - lol at sand in the nappy! yummo - does that count as fibre? T is really into his toothbrush too, i have a pigeon rubbery one, and figured we'd get into the habit of doing it after each meal in his highchair - mummy's turn then Tadhg's turn. He'll sit there for 10 minutes while i clean up chewing away.

We had coffee group at the park today under the trees with all the Dad's too - it was great. Such a nice way to spend the middle of the day, and all the bubs are old enough now to handle a couple of hours awake and playing.
Last night I was up at 12, 2, 5, 5:30, 6... before T got up at 7:15 because little monster is escaping his wrap. Luckily DH took T after i fed him and I went back to bed until 9:30am :D I think I have to give up on wrapping, and go through a few rough nights of him getting used to sleeping unwrapped - better now than when I'm back at work or we are on holiday. Wish me luck, its going to be a crap week i think!

Pooley I ended up getting the Honey/Cognac colour. I also wanted to get as close to his skin colour as possible. We often get funny comments and looks from people when they dont know what the necklace is for and wonder why a BOY is wearing one lol.... Its a pain having to explain to everyone but I dont mind :p

I got our teething necklace from NZ (Trademe) but you can also get them a bit cheaper than online shops off Ebay. Totally worth it where ever you get it from IMO :)

Yes watermelon is a bit hit here to Kelly. Jackson loves it, along with nectarine slices, toast soldiers with veremite, broccoli, cruskits, rice cakes etc. He does get mashed foods as well cos he also likes to be spoon fed so we do a combination of both BLW and Spoon feeding. Although, I dont puree though.

I am still offering Booby before food and will keep doing that until 8-9 months at this stage. So generally Jackson will have booby then within an hour I offer him other food so I am also unsure of how much exactly how much food he is eating. But at a guess, perhaps 1/2 - 1 full cup worth in total at each meal :D

sangie Jackson also has a flat head, albeit its not that bad. We took him to osteo to help correct his neck movement etc and its worked well. I hope you dont have to wait too long to see a pead. Our GP is still keeping an eye on Jacksons flat spot but at this stage we dont need to do the helmet yet.

Thanks for advice on the amber necklaces. I ordered a cognac one and just got an email saying its on its way! He's been drooling like mad lately so hopefully it helps.

Kelly - yay on the coffee group! I'd just ditch the wraps if I was you. We ditched ours a while ago and we only had one bad night and then he was fine. Good luck!!!

Bob - we tried a osteo but his head really hasn't improved a lot. It's flat right across the back as he likes to sleep staring straight up at the ceiling! I have a feeling he's going to need a helmet :( Yeah I think I'll have to do a bit of explaining on the necklace too!

BOB- Funny thing is, Frazer's neck is so fat that his the necklace disappears in his roll!! Hardly anyone sees it and sometimes I forget he's got it on when it's bath time. When we first got it I wasn't sure it was going to fit but it did. We leave it on at night cause there's no possible way he'd choke on it. It just doesn't dangle at all! U can just see it in my ticker picture below.

Hi Girls!

We are here but still waiting for our phone and Internet to be connected (so frustrating!) so I'm using my mobile. I'm dreading this months phone bill!

We are going well and enjoying the new house. The final move went really well thanks to a lot of help from family. It was full on with a baby but the old jumperoo and sling kept our little miss quite happy.

Solids are going so well. Izzy's now on 3 meals a day and loves everything we offer her so far. All her food has been pureed except for teething rusks. She's had lots of different vegies and fruit, weatbix, yoghurt and even apricot chicken. It's confusing me a bit with the breastfeeding as she doesn't need as much for food but still needs it for thirst so I'm a bit worried that she's not drinking enough. She still has 4 feeds a day but her middle of the day feeds aren't as good as they use to be, IYKWIM. I offer water in a sippy cup too but it's more successful in a bottle. She's a smart cookie, knows when it's not milk!

Izzy is sitting really well now and attempting to crawl. It won't be far off which is exciting but scary! The other 4 babies in our mums group started crawling in the last 2 weeks so Izzy is the only one still rolling and pivoting to get around! Crazy! They look so tiny!

No teeth in sight yet but was going to get an amber necklace so will order from NZ - thanks for the tip Kelly!

I'm babysitting a friends 3 year old for an hour this morning - scary! He's a really good boy so im sure I'll be fine but looking after two kids freaks me out! Art, Sangie and Nicola - stop laughing!

Gotta run. Will get to persies next time hopefully!

Ps 6 month shots went well. Izzy is 7.2kg now and has a big head, in the 90th percentile! LOL!

Taurean, glad the shift went well. How is Izzy settling in to the new house? Wow on nearly crawling! A flaps around like a stranded fish when she is on her tummy lol

Sanchez, how is V's sleeping going? Try to keep in mind that by being there for comfort when she needs you she will eventually become a secure little person who knows that you will always be there for her (at least this is what I tell myself about DS - and I am starting to finally see the results)

Kelly, how is the unwrapping going? I fear hard times ahead with Miss A in that department.

Sangie, bummer about the flat head. Do they have to wear the helmet all the time or just at night?

Pooley, F is a whooper! Your poor back! A is 8kg and I am finding her heavy to lug around

BoB, good to see you back. Glad your DH found another job, must be a load off your mind.

AFU, Miss A seems very keen to suck food, but if anything actually goes in her mouth she gags until she throws up. Not even chunky food either, anything at all. So I will just hold off solids for a while I think. She has plenty of rolls so it won't do her any harm.
She is loving playing in the sandpit now, she sits there digging in the sand in front of her and can't figure out why she can't pick it up lol. She so badly wants to play on the trampoline with DS and DH, actually she wants to do anything that DS is doing.
Sleeping is going o.k. She wakes usually 1-2 times at night. She is only having short day naps - usually two 20 minute ones and a 45 minute one and she can quite happily skip one if we are out. I think I drew the short straw in the sleep department, my kids don't seem to need a lot of it.

Hi

I ordered the walnut coloured amber necklace from amberbebe..Indi has very pale skin and a gingerish tinge to her hair so I didnt want a pale yellow necklace...Im waiting for it to arrive hopefully it arrives today as we still have a cranky/not sleeping bub with no teeth!!

I have started solids but have backed off a bit because she has some allergies..I thought it was banana but I think it may be mango now so Im taking it easy..she has mainly been eating rice cereal,pumpkin and pear. She is 7kg now.

No crawling yet but moving around alot on the floor and everything is going into her mouth so no random objects can be lying on the floor anymore..which is hard with two toddlers!!!

n

Hi!

Flapping around like a stranded fish describes Ethan pretty well when he's on his tummy. He can move around in a circle but hasn't figured out how to go forwards. He lifts his bum up and tries to move and then gets frustrated cos he can't. He is also saying 'ma ma' now which is cute but he's said it soooo much since yesterday that I'm wishing there was an 'off' button lol! He is doing well with food and is still on 2 meals a day. He seems happy enough so I might wait a bit longer before going to 3 meals. His new favourite food is pear, he absolutely loves it. Luckily they are coming into season now cos we go through them pretty quickly (Elena loves them too!)

Art - I'm not sure how often he will have to wear the helmet, that's one of the questions I'll have for the paed if he needs to get one. I have heard of some bubs who wear them constantly. Ethan is the same and wants to do everything that his big sister does, won't be long I suppose and they'll be chasing after their siblings!

Taurean - sounds like Izzy loves her food! As long as she has milk before food then I'm sure she'll be having enough. Is she settled into the new house?

Nicola - how hard is it to keep toddler toys away aarrgghhh! Ellie is driving me nuts as she wants to show Ethan everything and of course it goes straight in his mouth. Not good when she draws him a picture and I find his stuffing paper in his mouth :wall: I seriously can't look away even for a second these days!

Evening all hope you and bubs are good :)

Sangie LOL at Ethan repeating ma ma over and over again. They are sooo funny the way the keep doing the same thing once they work out how to do something new. And so cool that his first word was ma ma rather than da da. I think Tadhg's first word was ma ma too so we'll have to make sure that the rest of us girls keep up that tradition. I'm like Easha and keep saying ma ma to Sam but he just looks at me funny and laughs so who knows what he will say. Best of luck with the paed regarding the helmet. I guess one positive if he does have to wear it the whole time is that the weather is getting cooler so won't be so hot for him. I feel very sorry for the little babies who have to wear the harness during the hot summers. Fingers crossed he won't need one and they will be able to give you some other way to resolve the issue. Sam normally sleeps the same way in bed but doesn't seem to have this problem.

I thought Sam was starting to try to roll a bit more but it looks like he ditched that idea. Standing continues to be the thing that he loves to do most including trying to stand while feeding which is an interesting manouvure. Its really interesting to see just how differently all babies develop and how they differ size wise. I'll get weighed on Monday when he has his six month check but doubt that he will be much more than 7kg. He is a little skinny minny though maybe he will start to put more weight on when I move him to 2 meals per day. We are just on one at the moment but about to introduce the 2nd meal. Will continue to offer the milk first for the next few months though. He continues to love his food though turned his nose up at avocado and also doesn't seem to too keen on peas. Pear is also a big hit with him. Haven't given him teething rusks yet but have the Bellamys Organic ones.

Taurean you will have to have the video camera on the ready to capture Izzys first moves. She is doing so well with her sitting and almost crawling. How did you go with looking after the 3 year as well as Izzy? Hope it wasn't too stressful. Too funny about the size of Izzy's head - it doesn't look that big in photos.

Bob hi and great news about your DH getting a new job. Must be a great weight off your mind.

Art hope you are not too tired with that little sleeping being done during the day as well as night waking. It looks like my days of 7.30 wake ups may be over as Sam appears to have changed his wake up time to 5.30/6.00am. Guess I'll be drinking a lot more coffee.

Pooley have no idea how you manage to carry Fraser around. I am not surprised you have to use the pram all the time.

Kelly how are you going with T's sleeping without the wrap. Did you end up getting the sleeping blanket? Sam really seems to like his and I call me stupid but I think he knows that once he has been put into it that it will mean sleep time! Have you finished weaning him yet or still doing a combo of breast and bottle.

Sanchez hope you and V are good. Love the photos on FB she looks so cute with her little pigtails. Hope you are managing to get some sleep.

Easha hope all is good with you too and no other MIL issues.

Nothing new to relate here at the moment. You'll be the first to know if he starts rolling crawling, talking :lol: Just counting down to the big trip i guess we go in a week tomorrow. Fingers crossed we will get the bassinette we have requested. One of the girls in my MG has just been to Bali and didn't have one on the way up. 7 hours is a long time to have to hold a 6 month old. She was also travelling on her own which made it doublely hard. Just working out at the moment what I need to take can't believe they restrict babies luggage to 10kgs. Don't they realise the number of outfits you need to have when in the middle of starting solids. AND I'll need all that extra space for the new clothes I will buy over there.

Well thats all for us for now. Sleep well everyone especially bubbies as this means that mummies get to sleep too.

Hey all,
We are going pretty well in the sleep department, but just taking baby steps. We have spent the last 2 nights unwrapping T once he is asleep and he can now put himself back to sleep so i haven't got up to him at all - yay! Last night i tried to leave one arm unwrapped but after an hour i gave up and wrapped him, as he was still awake. Will try again tonight! I am home alone tonight as DH is at a stag-do and his parents, who are staying the weekend, are at a party. So i can just sit in his room and shush him - maybe!

AM - yep I have purchased a merino sleep sack, still waiting for delivery. my MIL is also going to make one for us, so will have 2 which will be cool. Meantime I have T in long sleeve PJs and he is wearing merino mittens to bed - which apparently makes them feel more secure when they are used to being wrapped, and also keeps him warm. I'm still BFing twice a day, but i doubt he has much at the afternoon feed, its more like a snack before dinner! I guess we may drop to 4 feeds soon - but it just doesnt seem like enough to me, although he will drink a tiny bit of water. I am enjoying the feeding, so i might keep doing the 7am for a while, its nice cuddletime and he is hungry and less distracted than other feeds. Bummer about the early rising :( Maybe once he is on 2 meals a day he wont wake so early? You'd think/hope the darker mornings would help.

Art - i think once you're ready to drop the wrapping, or A starts to escape, then you probably just have to go through a few tricky nights. I decided it was worth it, as i was getting up to re-wrap him anyway - and I'd rather he wasnt wrapped for daycare, or going through the transition once i'm back at work and needing sleep! Seems like the mittens are helping though! Interesting about the solids... I expected T to be similar but he seems to love eating, no doubt she will get used to the idea soon :)

Sangie - LOL on flapping like a stranded fish, i know what you mean. They are just so eager to get going arent they! Wont be long and we'll all be shutting doors and buying cupboard locks etc - i must get onto that!

Nicola - you must need eyes in the back of your head with toddlers around, i'm enjoying the 'just 1' phase as much as possible, realising next time will be different. Bummer about Indi's reactions to foods, i think i've heard of mango creating issues before :( I guess you can only progress slowly and see what happens, or maybe she will grow out of it.

Taurean - sounds like Izzy is going really well! I'm not sure when to move T to 3 meals, I quite like having some time in the day that we can go out rather than worrying about sitting down for another meal. I might leave him a little longer on 2, until he drops the 4th day sleep - which we are working on. I think it takes them quite a while to get used to water, T still isnt all that keen but he will have a few mouthfuls, and he likes holding the sippy cup. At least with breastmilk its not as thick as formula, so she is less likely to need as much water. Also good that its a bit cooler (well it is in NZ now anyway) as I was getting worried about dehyration too, T gets a bit sweaty during daysleeps. Are you still on meds by the way? I can't recall. Hope the baby sitting went well! I have looked after our friends kids a few times, who are 4 and almost 3 - its exhausting! and really hard to convince them to be quiet when a baby is sleeping for more than 5 minutes. Look forward to hearing about the crawling. And you are not alone with the large headed bub - T is very top heavy, lots of brains!

ps. 3 more days until Tadhg is 7 months old!

Hi All,

I haven't posted here for awhile as I have been quite the social butterfly. Jaida and I have been out most days. Just a quick update before we feed again.

Jaida is now on solids through the BLW method. She is going great although the first few feeds I was wondering whether I had made the right decision cause there was no food going in the mouth let alone being swallowed. She seems to be picking it up now and swallowing alot more. Loves her fruit and yoghurt and chicken. Gosh shes already awake. Will try to get back later today

Hugs to all mums and bubs