any other over 35 first time mums?

[kosh]

Sabrina: and I forgot to tell you that thiago's favorite YouTube simple learning videos are the twinkle twinkle little star ( number one hit) than snow flakes ( my hubby number one hit) and it is a small world. I wish I could post a video of him watching twinkle twinkle, his face lights up and he has a big old smile every time the owl comes in the screen.

that's gael's favorite video too!!
he loves the little owl!

 

[clio]

2am? go to sleep clio!

I thought of you the other night while giving him calpol at 5am

angle - yes, sleep is even worse, mainly after 4am, it's like constantly half awake moaning

can't blame him poor thing - he's got three teeth coming through at the same time! I knew about the the two top middle ones but found out a bottom one is appearing too

on a positive side, his pincer grip is adorable

kosh--Yay for pincer grip!!! How did you find out that he could do it? Isn't fun to watch all our LOs reach milestones? I love it. But I'm sorry about the even more poorly sleep.

Re: videos--Maybe I should look into these videos. But we have no TV and only small screen monitors on our laptops... But the videos sound just short enough to hold his attention. Yesterday, Private Practice barely got past the opening credits before he had had enough. Maybe Grey's Anatomy will do better?

Anyway, I thought I'd tell A Sad Story about a Hedgehog

I have a new stuffed toy. His name is Hedgehog:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8029/8030343939_e69bfc3b8b.jpg

He's not really new, of course. He was originally J's. In fact, he was J's first stuffed friend, and J would lie there babbling and clicking to it when he was around 3 weeks old. He would try to suck on his nose because his head was the only part of his body that he could control at the time. And his first smile was for Hedgehog:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8461/8030346671_84ec33a063.jpg

But then, other animals began to enter J's life. In particular, Racoon:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8316/8030465184_b2d4398701.jpg

And Hedgehog so very sadly fell to the wayside. And for the past few days, I've been asking J to go to this or that toy. He'll go to every single one of them, except to Hedgehog. He has no idea who Hedgehog is. And it makes me sad every time. So, because Hedgehog means so much to me, I've decided to make him my own. He sits with me by my bed. I even cuddled him last night.

Does this make me a raving lunatic?

I'm hoping this will be a Velveteen Rabbit type of story, where the abandoned toy is later re-discovered by the boy who then never went anywhere without him. But not the deadly illness part. I really don't want to have J on the brink of death, and have Hedgehog burned. Yes, I know the Rabbit was turned into a REAL rabbit at the end of the story, but if this were to happen to Hedgehog, I don't think he has the ability to survive the harsh Edmonton winter.

So Hedgehog will be with me until he's ready again for him.

 

[Leeze]

Hi everyone. We're going through teething hell too. Kia has been worse than ever to settle in the evening. It's been around midnight the last 2 nights. Then multiple wakings during the night. I'm reaching for the sugar too. Cakes and sweets and diet coke. OH has been working late most evenings this week too so we've been on our own. This means the dishes pile up as I normally do them while OH does bathtime. Our kitchen is such a mess today. I'm too tired to care though. Mind you, I love bathtime at the moment. Kia has such fun in the bath these days, splashing round, trying to climb up the side of the bath and playing with her little bath toys. I'm so smitten with her at the moment, which makes this teething hell bearable. Clio, have you tried any new BLW ideas recently? Kia's getting so much more into finger food. I made a kind of fish mash with tuna, potatoes and broccoli and then made mini wraps out of it using tortillas. She totally loved it and ate a lot of it whilst playing with the rest. Her favourite is corn on the cob though. She chomps away at it like a wild savage. Very cute. I haven't seen the youtube videos you're all talking about, I'll have to check them out. Wishing you all a more restful night tonight xx

 

[Leeze]

Clio, very cute story about hedgehog. Kia still isn't that into cuddly toys although we're trying to get her into a couple of them so she can take them to nursery with her

 

[kosh]

2am? go to sleep clio!

I thought of you the other night while giving him calpol at 5am

angle - yes, sleep is even worse, mainly after 4am, it's like constantly half awake moaning

can't blame him poor thing - he's got three teeth coming through at the same time! I knew about the the two top middle ones but found out a bottom one is appearing too

on a positive side, his pincer grip is adorable

kosh--Yay for pincer grip!!! How did you find out that he could do it? Isn't fun to watch ALL our LOs reach milestones? I love it. But I'm sorry about the even more poorly sleep.

we were eating the other day and I gave him some grapes (in 1/4) thinking they'd be left on the tray,but to my surprise he inspected them first and then 'approached' them with his thimb and finger, pick them up very slowly and ate them. sooo cute to watch!

Anyway, I thought I'd tell A Sad Story about a Hedgehog

love it! made me a little bit!

 

[kosh]

Hi everyone. We're going through teething hell too. Kia has been worse than ever to settle in the evening. It's been around midnight the last 2 nights. Then multiple wakings during the night. I'm reaching for the sugar too. Cakes and sweets and diet coke. OH has been working late most evenings this week too so we've been on our own. This means the dishes pile up as I normally do them while OH does bathtime. Our kitchen is such a mess today. I'm too tired to care though. Mind you, I love bathtime at the moment. Kia has such fun in the bath these days, splashing round, trying to climb up the side of the bath and playing with her little bath toys. I'm so smitten with her at the moment, which makes this teething hell bearable. Clio, have you tried any new BLW ideas recently? Kia's getting so much more into finger food. I made a kind of fish mash with tuna, potatoes and broccoli and then made mini wraps out of it using tortillas. She totally loved it and ate a lot of it whilst playing with the rest. Her favourite is corn on the cob though. She chomps away at it like a wild savage. Very cute. I haven't seen the youtube videos you're all talking about, I'll have to check them out. Wishing you all a more restful night tonight xx

i need more recipes too oh, and a question re. tuna - is it ok to give them tuna from cans? isn't it too salty? all the 'no salt' business confuses me.if they are meant to eat the same as us,then they will get a bit of salt here and there......

 

[Borboleta]

Hi everyone. We're going through teething hell too. Kia has been worse than ever to settle in the evening. It's been around midnight the last 2 nights. Then multiple wakings during the night. I'm reaching for the sugar too. Cakes and sweets and diet coke. OH has been working late most evenings this week too so we've been on our own. This means the dishes pile up as I normally do them while OH does bathtime. Our kitchen is such a mess today. I'm too tired to care though. Mind you, I love bathtime at the moment. Kia has such fun in the bath these days, splashing round, trying to climb up the side of the bath and playing with her little bath toys. I'm so smitten with her at the moment, which makes this teething hell bearable. Clio, have you tried any new BLW ideas recently? Kia's getting so much more into finger food. I made a kind of fish mash with tuna, potatoes and broccoli and then made mini wraps out of it using tortillas. She totally loved it and ate a lot of it whilst playing with the rest. Her favourite is corn on the cob though. She chomps away at it like a wild savage. Very cute. I haven't seen the youtube videos you're all talking about, I'll have to check them out. Wishing you all a more restful night tonight xx

Leeze: you can move in a anytime ! What a true chef! Kia is so lucky. When did you start to give her pieces of food and not just purée food?

 

[clio]

Re: Sad Hedgehog Story--I KNOW! It makes me so, so sad. When I introduced HH to him, it was the first time he and I had ever really played together, as well (J was soooo small!). But when J was learning to hold big things, he went for Racoon or Tigger because they were long and could be easily crushed against his chest while he held them.

. Clio, have you tried any new BLW ideas recently? Kia's getting so much more into finger food. I made a kind of fish mash with tuna, potatoes and broccoli and then made mini wraps out of it using tortillas. She totally loved it and ate a lot of it whilst playing with the rest. Her favourite is corn on the cob though. She chomps away at it like a wild savage. Very cute. I haven't seen the youtube videos you're all talking about, I'll have to check them out. Wishing you all a more restful night tonight xx

i need more recipes too oh, and a question re. tuna - is it ok to give them tuna from cans? isn't it too salty? all the 'no salt' business confuses me.if they are meant to eat the same as us,then they will get a bit of salt here and there......

Leeze--that sounds like both great food and a great time!

Kosh--I know, I find it confusing, too, so I make things from scratch (not as impressive as it seems--I only use 3 ingredient recipes).

This morning I made porridge, basically, but so it can be cut into strips:

-- 3 tbs oats (not the "instant" type, but the "quick" type.)
-- 3 tbs milk
[-- I then throw in some cinnamon]

-- Stir together until it's a mush in the bottom of a wide-bottom bowl.
-- Then, with a spoon, pat the mixture so it covers the bottom of the bowl.
[--I add raisins to the top of the mixture because J loves them.]
Microwave for 2 min.
-- Cut it into strips or squares (squares are easier to get into the LO's hands) while still warm
-- Wait until no longer piping hot and serve.

Um, tonight I'm making him "chicken nuggets" which are simply pieces of chicken breast rolled in breadcrumbs and fried in a pan. Easy to hold, easy to consume. I mix up the veggies a bit--tonight it'll be green beans. (There might be more to this--I'll have to check later because J is trying to eat my iPhone.)

In the meantime, take a look at this:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bzv...ItYjY2YzNjNTAwMjI5/edit?hl=en&authkey=CNuvl04

This is how I started before I got the "official" cookbook. The avocado and egg yolk one on toast is particularly easy and tastes really good.

 

[clio]

Okay, I brought up my favourite baby sitter: the cat. My husband is out shopping, so I'm letting them play. My husband has never grown up around animals, so he wouldn't let them play together. But Morgan is so good with J! He lets J grab her tail, her fur, lie on her. I also try to explain that if M were upset, she'd just leave.

Um, other things. I like making spaghetti with both minced chicken and minced ground beef. I just make my regular sauce, but leave out the salt, boil some rigatoni or fuesili (not whole wheat or whole grain--too tough on their stomachs). I also add large strips of vegetable, like zucchini or bell peppers, and add them last so they're still pretty crunchy.

Hamburgers are really easy, too. Just make them like you usually would, and just leave out the salt. If you want to eat them, too, just make one for LO and the rest for the family.

Okay, another J freak out. Maybe you guys can share some of the stuff you've done? I'm starting to run out of ideas, too.

 

[clio]

Oops, re: Chicken Nugets:--I forgot the egg. You dip the strip in a beaten egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs.

 

[SabrinaKat]

well, LO went to sleep at 10, and it's now...12.35 and I can't sleep. sigh....

BLW - how to you manage the mess? We're doing traditional and LO is kicking and trying to grab the spoon, so I give it to him and he then flicks the food at me, or he puts his hand in his mouth (whilst chewing) and rubs his hands on his clothes...so I change him, soak and pre-scrub his clothes and bibs, and I feel like a chinese laundry! (Oh, and he loves to literally put his foot in his mouth, too (even more fun when changing his nappy along with trying to get his hands off his willy....)

am not sure now I want to go back to work (I suffer from anxiety and can't sleep at the moment thinking of my evil immediate boss, don't worry, am tired and will go to sleep/bed in a few minutes - I decorate houses in my mind to relax me and fall asleep (odd, I know, but i can fall asleep trying to decide on whether green velvet or brocade is the best for that couch, or where will I put the purple chair? Oddly, both cats seem to wander in and around those houses, so always put a litter tray in the kitchen!)

poor hedgehog! Finn orignally liked Sophie the giraffe, but abandoned her for Foxy (the red IKEA fox, you'll remember we bought some extra foxes just in case), but now, seems to like a bit of Sophie (but will still sleep with and play with Foxy when he wakes up from naps/sleep).....but now, has a mothercare soft giraffe and will play with both at the same time (it's confusing!)....

am going to knit a hat and mittens for LO when I finish the scarf....clio - any decent patterns (I think I remember you said you knit?). I can find caps/hats and mittens, but not both in the same knit? ideas?

okay, will sneak back into bed and cross fingers LO lets me sleep.....

bye!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[clio]

SabrinaKat--re: mess. You just live with it and think about things strategically. Breakfast is easy--oat strips or cheerios or cornflakes with an apple. Lunch, I look for something easy and not-messy either. I often use drop scones to deliver a healthy meal to him at lunch time. They're easy to make and you can add anything to them: apple, cheese, spinach. I should work harder at lunch time, but I don't have time to be cleaning up after J eats. Dinner time is the big, messy meal, and I put his high chair on specially configured blankets. After that, he is immediately stripped down, wiped down and sent for a bath. So yes, it can get very messy. But we've gotten very efficient about it.

Re: not going back to work--I can understand this entirely. Can you afford to have one of you stay at home? I'm sorry you're feeling so badly about it. Go eat some chocolate and drink some wine...

 

[SabrinaKat]

so I went back to bed as promised, and was drifting off to sleep and........I heard snoring! LO was fine, and I went upstairs to the spare room where my OH sleeps, he was quiet...the small cat was asleep and then....I looked through the whole house trying to find the big cat and....she had snuck back into my bedroom in the very few minutes I was on BnB, and was actually lying across the bottom of the bed, but as I didn't turn on the light coming or going from the bedroom, I never noticed her and she was sleeping, snoring as loud as can be....

re: work - we could afford for me NOT to work, but I can't afford for me not to work, e.g. I hate not having money or asking my OH for money, so the extra few hundred euro after creche, travel and my bills are paid, will be helpful. I will also use the time over the next few weeks/months to get a job closer to home, but I make a decent hourly wage (20 euros an hour/30 US$ an hour) teaching at a college, so I can work mornings only and still have some LO time every afternoon (I'd be picking him at 2 pm every day)....but if my immediate boss causes any problems, I may just quit and then take them to an employment tribunal (written evidence of bullying) and could then get unemployment, but I HATE to do that....oh, well...chocolate and wine! yummy

off to play with LO and...he slept from 10 to....8.45am, with only two minor upsets last night (e.g. was able to comfort him in his cot without taking him out, although we did have to give a 1/2 dose of calpol before bed (bright pink cheeks)), so am not too bad myself this am (aside from the snoring cat incident!)

bye!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Leeze]

Hi everyone. We're going through teething hell too. Kia has been worse than ever to settle in the evening. It's been around midnight the last 2 nights. Then multiple wakings during the night. I'm reaching for the sugar too. Cakes and sweets and diet coke. OH has been working late most evenings this week too so we've been on our own. This means the dishes pile up as I normally do them while OH does bathtime. Our kitchen is such a mess today. I'm too tired to care though. Mind you, I love bathtime at the moment. Kia has such fun in the bath these days, splashing round, trying to climb up the side of the bath and playing with her little bath toys. I'm so smitten with her at the moment, which makes this teething hell bearable. Clio, have you tried any new BLW ideas recently? Kia's getting so much more into finger food. I made a kind of fish mash with tuna, potatoes and broccoli and then made mini wraps out of it using tortillas. She totally loved it and ate a lot of it whilst playing with the rest. Her favourite is corn on the cob though. She chomps away at it like a wild savage. Very cute. I haven't seen the youtube videos you're all talking about, I'll have to check them out. Wishing you all a more restful night tonight xx

Leeze: you can move in a anytime ! What a true chef! Kia is so lucky. When did you start to give her pieces of food and not just purée food?

I started giving her finger food around 7 months, but it's quite hit and miss really. She still loves her purees although I'm going for more mash type food or risotto or pasta at the moment now she's over 10 months. Sometimes she loves finger food especially toast and rice cakes and I often add cheese or veggies to them too. Generally she loves cheese so if I add cheese to stuff she will mostly eat it! X

 

[Leeze]

And, kosh - re tuna. I hadn't even thought about it being salty. It was just from a weaning recipe I found. I think it's ok for them to have a little salt but not to add any extra and to avoid processed food. I did read for bread, for example, you should give no more than one slice a day due to salt content.

 

[Leeze]

No time to read other posts right now. On way to meet MIL for lunch. Chat later xx

 

[clio]

re: tuna--I've read that it is okay if it's packed in spring water. I've used it a few times now.

It's 5 am here and I could knock my husband upside the head. It's his night and at around 3:30, J started wailing. He needed painkillers. Then, for the next hour, all I heard was crying, then even more wailing. I kept going to the door, but the cardinal rule is: don't interfere when the other is trying to get J asleep. But I was waiting for it--the time when OH would come to me to take over. After an hour of J crying, he finally came for help.

Thing is, I've told him (even as recently as last night just before we went to bed!) that when you give J meds at night, you have to then take him into your bed so he can bounce off the walls a bit and watch something on my computer. Thank you for Twinkle Twinkle, guys. He watched it around 5 times in a row. Then, he crashed. Total time: 10-15 min. OH came in to get the blow by blow, and I told him again--take him into your room! His answer? "I have my way, you have your way." WTF? "Yes," I said. "But your way DOESN'T WORK!!!"

And now I'm up. Baaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!

Something New!--J's been practicing standing on his own. At first it was accidental (distracted by something, forgot to hold on to couch), and then he and I practiced a few times. But during his bath, when my arms were at the ready anyway if he slipped, he straightened himself up and stood! I'm of two minds about this. Yaaaay! and Oh dear. I don't know if my back can handle a walker right now...

 

[Storm1jet2]

Afternoon ladies - have to try and read all the updates properly later. Today I think I've taken leave of my senses - I'm not letting L have an afternoon nap! Yesterday I forced her to go for a nap she was fighting and last night she was bouncing off the walls and wide awake and I didn't get her down to sleep til 9.35 - not that she sleeps through but until a couple of weeks ago I always got her down at 8 without fail! She cried 5 times during the night and was up from 7.20 so I'm hoping she flakes out and falls into bed later -am I mad???????

 

[Rowan75]

yey for j standing - martha on lap so skim reading - sorry! hope all good x

 

[Storm1jet2]

Me again - was just having a quick read through and reading what you ladies feed your LOs. I really struggle with feeding L on a daily basis, I do spoonfeed her but let her feed herself at the same time - it can be an almighty mess She used to eat her porridge in the mornings without issue but now she seems bored with it, she won't eat weetabix so I end up feeding her mango, cheerios etc to distract her while I try to get porridge, sometimes mixed with fruit puree into her. We generally use baby porridge so its flavoured anyway. I do like the idea of oat strips though. Lunch can be a nightmare too, today wasn't too bad she had lentil soup i'd made and a fruity pot thing and she ate a good lot of it then fromage frais this afternoon and homemade stew for dinner with a tiny bit of brioche for afters. But there is sooooo much she won't eat and I find if I give her fruit after lunchtime it makes her windy and cranky in bed.... I feel so pressurised to feed her good and varied food and find it so frustrating when she won't eat it! I should stop the rant now - anyone got any more ideas for good baby finger food? I'm def going to try the oat strips and chicken strips!