any other over 35 first time mums?

[SabrinaKat]

My OH is 18th months younger, so always makes me feel OLD -- but I look younger, so there!

Didn't go to the Zoo today as OH wasn't feeling well (me thinks it was the bottle of wine he had last night....growl!)...

have to do my roots today as well -- I got my hair cut a few weeks ago (to a shoulder length bob), but all the 'new' post-baby hair around my hair line and face is tiny wisps of almost black (no grey, tho!), so it looks like my dark brown hair might be turning blackish or....probably the contrast between my natural hair and the red I have dyed it since I was a teenager (clio - I loved Anne of Green Gables and her red hair)

babytalk - a little, e.g. milkee for formula, but mainly ordinary talk. I read that it's the tone of voice that we use with babies (motherese) rather than the exact words that babies respond to....

um.....that's all -- am dreading the morning early start and back to work tomorrow, but it is only until 2 pm and LO will have his mummy for 4 hours before my OH comes home at 6....sigh

best wishes

ps. sorry for not doing 'personals' today, as am just a little grumpy!
pps. here's the quilt (front, back (which was all patchwork as well) and Sabrina the cat next to the quilt and um...my bed....(and not all wrinkly, it was how it was photographed!)

 

[clio]

Okay, I've got to say, I do not understand this broodiness at all. I spent 4 years trying to get Jonah, and am now 40. While I love him (well, not right now since he decided to get up at 4 am), I don't want another. There is no tugging on my heartstrings, there is no reminiscing about being pregnant. So my conclusion is that you're all simply kray-kray.

Angel--Okay, I'm going to have to break up my answers.

Re: falling--I think what was the worst part of the situation was that my husband ignored the whole thing. Well, he grabbed J, but then when I said that I "think my ankle's okay, but I'm not sure," he took that to mean, "she's fine, and I've got stuff to read on my computer," and proceeded to ignore me and my pain. So I called him an a-hole for being so insensitive, he couldn't believe I called him an a-hole and made a big thing out of it, I told him that all I wanted was for him to make sure I'm okay and to love me, and then we made up. I don't know what I expected, though. He likes to pretend that all things medical that might be wrong aren't actually a problem. He once asked me when I was pregnant if I wasn't perhaps imagining my UTI?

Re: finger foods--I had the exact same problem with both banana and avocado. I tried something that I read on the internet, which was to roll them both in wheat germ, but that didn't help. He still spent the time squishing it between his fingers and not really getting it to his mouth. Try starting with steamed broccoli with large florets (J just liked to suck on his in the beginning), or steamed carrots that they can still hold. Or, watermelon. I still advocate for watermelon. We started with it, and whenever J seemed to get a bit bored with stuff, we'd give it to him again to re-spark his interest in food. But beware, but also take heart. You WILL be afraid when they start to gag. But they get over it. And so will you. Their gag reflex at the moment is more towards the front of the mouth, so not near their "pipes" yet. So they have a natural protection against choking. And gagging is not choking, as much as your brain is telling you that it is. It's just pushing food out of their mouths to keep them safe.

Basically what you are teaching them is how to use their mouths and their tongues. There are a lot of muscles in there, and you're training them. As well, you're teaching them co-ordination. We have a video of J trying to eat a cucumber stick way back in the beginning and hitting his nose first.

I found this site to be very helpful before I bought the cookbook. It tells you how to get started:
https://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/baby-led-weaning-first-foods.html

And then I used this pdf file for my first "cooked" meals:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bzv...ItYjY2YzNjNTAwMjI5/edit?hl=en&authkey=CNuvl04

J loved drinking from a glass in the beginning, too. I would hold it for him and he'd just slurp down the water. Until he got the bright idea of sticking his fingers in the water, too. Mmnnn...greasy minced meat water. We started training with a sippy cup after that. But, I know what you're talking about re: seeming to want the food. Here is the exact moment I chose to do BLW:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8470/8086113397_abbb05b703_m.jpg

He didn't want the food on the spoon--he wanted the food in the bowl.

Re: cat--oh, you and your husband are cat people after my own heart. Eric and I love to make up stories about the cat (what you have been exposed to already is just the tip of the iceberg). Now it's the cat and Jonah stories. I know your new kitten won't replace your previous one (I went through this too), but I've found that the more Morgan loves the boy, the more I adore Morgan. I used to call her "my favourite cat alive," because she could never come close to my former (dead!) cat-love of my life, but since the boy has come along, I actually tell her that she is "my favourite cat." (Sad. I am a sad, sad cat lady and that is a ridiculously sad, sad cat lady story.)

SabrinaKat--what a lovely quilt! Man, I've got to get on my knitting. I have one arm left on Niles the Alligator and I just won't finish it. I mean, J doesn't help--knitting needles and so on are sharp--but for a mummy whose kid goes to bed at 6, you'd think I'd have gotten farther.

Baby talk--are we the only ones who do it, or am I just confusing baby talk with something else? If J babbles, we copy him, and we always have. I learned somewhere that it re-affirms that what they say is important and can also start a back and forth conversation of complete gibberish. But I do ask him if he wants his "bap." It seems like a good way to be sure that that is actually what he wants... But people on the thread also seemed to be against "doggie" (the name of one of J's animals), "horsey" (same), and some others that I found very draconian.

 

[clio]

Might as well start a new post, seeing as that one was getting embarrassingly long.

Jumping Bean Jonah--I'm having a hell of a time dealing with this. When rocking J to sleep for naps, I got in the habit of shaking him up and down at the same time as rocking him. It was very effective and got the job done fast. BUT, it started to hurt some back muscles, especially as I was doing it all the time, so I have to stop. J, however, won't let me, and I'm getting more and more frustrated. The minute I put him up on my shoulder to rock to sleep, he starts bouncing on my lap and repeatedly thrusting his knees into my stomach because he wants to be bounced. If I don't, he continues to do this, and I know that I will never get a nap out of him. So, I bounce him, and inwardly moan about my back (I outwardly moan later to OH, of course, just incase you thought that I had suddenly taken on a "chin-up, stiff-upper-lip" attitude. By now, I think you know me better than that...).

So I need the bouncing to stop. Now, I have trained dogs, cats and horses in my life (my husband hates it when I compare J to animals), and with them, you just simply refuse to give in. Soon, they learn it's not happening and stop. This is the only thing I can think of to do, but if I don't bounce him, no nap. NO NAP!!! Should I sacrifice a nap or two (or three) so I can stop responding, or just keep on bouncing? Essentially, should I just take one for the team even though my back is killing me?

Trying to find a convertible car seat for our strangely designed RAV4 is getting more and more frustrating. Today I'm going to try again, but without my husband this time. He's useless at installing them and always wants to give up in the middle of my very important mission. I'm going spare. (That ls a British saying, isn't it? I can totally talk British. I learned it from Enid Blyton.)

 

[SabrinaKat]

clio -- we do repeat back whatever Finn says, and I do some 'baby' talk as well -- it's just that I use more elementary words with him....

must run, tho -- everybody say silent prayers that the first morning back (the getting ready, dropping LO off at creche and catching the right bus) goes okay. Will report back...

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

 

[kosh]

hello all, no time at all, gael is ill and i'm exhausted but i though i'd say hi

 

[AngelUK]

Oh kosh I hope it is nothing serious? Sending and I hope Gaël gets better really soon!

I too have to run, I am getting Fish n Chips for dinner Yumm!! But wanted to report:
Dominic has a tooth!! His lower front one and it is just through. SOO cute! My OH discovered it today while we were out in the park. He was just looking down at Dom who was looking up and laughing and there it was! But I had no idea it was coming, he wasn't more cry-y or more clingy or had runny poo or anything! I really hope the others will be equally painless for him.
I'll include a pic but it is hard to see if you don't know what you are looking for cause my camera doesn't take very sharp pics. Still, I feel I have to share

 

[skweek35]

Hi ladies,
Well as one of us is finishing off Mat leave another starts. Sabrina I will be thinking and praying all goes well tomorrow morning for you.
Although I have officially started my mat leave, I still have a bit of school work to finish off and some emails I need to send. So will still be working tomorrow, but will be at home and be able to sleep late!! YAY!!!
There are still moments when this all seems a bit surreal, there is still a part of me that can't believe I'm about to be a mommy!

And onto the personals:
Sabrina - Love the quilt!!!
Clio - I can't seem to open the link to the BLW first cooked meals.
After smelling a bottle of cow & gate tuna penne - I'm would much prefer to cook food for my LO. That bottle of food serious stank and tasted foul!!
Just spoken to my mom, she has the 5mm needles I need. Now just to order the yarn. Thinking I might go for a pink, pale yellow, pale green, lilac and another colour but not sure. What do you think?
Kosh - Hope Gael is feeling better real soon! and you can catch up on some much needed sleep!
Angel - is that the tooth on his bottom left that is just peeking through? FXed all the others are as easy as this one was!

Hope everyone else is doing well

 

[Rowan75]

gah loats to catch up on and sooooo tired - up all night last night - cleaningup sick at 4am - gah. poorMartha - she was still cheerful tho bless her!

good luck at work sabrina x

clio - you crack me up - i repeat some stuff but not sure i get it right all the time as to what shes referring to - i emphasise certain words too sometimes -shes getting way more chatty which is lovely but also way more shouty lol

lord knows re naps - martha needs walking to nap and maybe i should stop that?!

angel - great re tooth!

re reflux - marthas only just settled enough now I think - mainly as she spends most of the time on her feet - shes just started wriggling like mad after milk etc and bending over backwards etc so i figure hmm no need to hold her anymore! lol! our friends who's dd had reflux got better at 10 months and another got better at one - martha has silent reflux tho so not sure if thats different - shes only just started being outwardly sick

gah beddie byes....hope we all get some sleep poor martha - drs tmro!

 

[Borboleta]

skweek--I (and probably almost all of us on this thread!) for the first time in 5 years actually didn't want to cry when I saw my first PP period. It was the most liberating experience!

Borboleta!--I'm sorry it was such a horrible night! Do you think it was because you went out? Or teething?

Rowan--did M's reflux get better after you started solids? J's did literally overnight, after his first solid meal and it was so weird. He barely ate anything (BLW--the amount you get down in the beginning is minuscule) and it stopped immediately. Not that he had reflux, but this boy spat up ALL THE TIME from birth to 6 months. He was never without a bib. And I had bought 50 million of them, AND 50 million receiving blankets to deal with the problem. AND tons of sleepers to change his clothes all the time. And then a tiny bit of cucumber goes down, and that's it? Babies are weird.

AFM--My horrible day yesterday with J didn't get better, except I got a nap when my OH got home. He just wouldn't stop crying! We put him to bed at 5:30, it was that crazy. But part of my total inability to deal with it, I think, is because AF is coming. My PMS was getting the better of me. I had some cramps this morning, and my mood is 100% better, so it should come today.

My mother finally figured out FaceTime, which has me worried. Turns out, though, that she doesn't want to talk to me, just have me train my phone on the boy and follow him around with it so she can see what he's doing. My mother is insane. But in January my sis is having her kid, so hopefully things will calm down a bit then. She can be obsessed with another grandchild instead.

Did I tell you guys that J can say "apple"? He has been saying it for a while now, but it's getting clearer (he got lazy) and we finally know what he wants. Yay! However, he wants half an apple all the time. And then he loses that half and even we can't find it, so he wants some more. I suspect we have mouldy apple halves all over the downstairs by now.

Re: baby talk--did you guys read the thread about whether you speak in baby talk with your LO? I do it all the time, including saying the words he has for things (like "bap" for bottle). But basically everyone on the thread said that they never do it. I think they believe it hinders language development. What do you guys think? But they also didn't really define baby talk, so I don't know what they mean by it. I don't know, for example if playing the "yelling game" counts (he yells really loud, and then we yell back, trying to use the same inflection he used).

Okay, I've got to go. Cheers, everyone!

I think he didn't sleep well maybe because of the concert. He was being super stimulated there!! I thought that one point he was going to fly out of the place because he was moving his arms and legs soo much in excitment I guess. Poor thing is having a lot of activity around him the past month!!! But yesterday I gave him Advil at night and he slept straight from 9pm till 6:30am and them again till 7:30am ( we had to wake him up since we were driving to see my husbands sister). So lovely night for us. Hopefully he will do the same today although we have been with family and he just slept about 35 min since 7:30am !

 

[Borboleta]

My OH is 18th months younger, so always makes me feel OLD -- but I look younger, so there!

Didn't go to the Zoo today as OH wasn't feeling well (me thinks it was the bottle of wine he had last night....growl!)...

have to do my roots today as well -- I got my hair cut a few weeks ago (to a shoulder length bob), but all the 'new' post-baby hair around my hair line and face is tiny wisps of almost black (no grey, tho!), so it looks like my dark brown hair might be turning blackish or....probably the contrast between my natural hair and the red I have dyed it since I was a teenager (clio - I loved Anne of Green Gables and her red hair)

babytalk - a little, e.g. milkee for formula, but mainly ordinary talk. I read that it's the tone of voice that we use with babies (motherese) rather than the exact words that babies respond to....

um.....that's all -- am dreading the morning early start and back to work tomorrow, but it is only until 2 pm and LO will have his mummy for 4 hours before my OH comes home at 6....sigh

best wishes

ps. sorry for not doing 'personals' today, as am just a little grumpy!
pps. here's the quilt (front, back (which was all patchwork as well) and Sabrina the cat next to the quilt and um...my bed....(and not all wrinkly, it was how it was photographed!)

So funny when you mentioned you baby hair! My bangs were so full before now I have the baby hair so half of my bangs are full and the other half is not. It is puffed by the roots and thin at the bottom by my eyebrows. And loads of gray hair for me !

So sorry you couldn't go to the zoo.

 

[Borboleta]

Clio: I gave thiago oranges and tofu and he loved it!!! Now I have a watermelon at the house and will give it to him today or tomorrow. Oh, he had pancakes too. Thanks for the tips.

Angel: you are so sweet! We had a makeup artist do our make up so that helps a lot!!! Now the arms all you need is to start lifting weights and they will change fast. Although it sounds like you have two good hand weights at home so you can start with that .

 

[clio]

SabrinaKat--good luck tomorrow! I think you're the first of us to return to work!

kosh--we miss you!

I too have to run, I am getting Fish n Chips for dinner Yumm!! But wanted to report:
Dominic has a tooth!! His lower front one and it is just through. SOO cute! My OH discovered it today while we were out in the park. He was just looking down at Dom who was looking up and laughing and there it was! But I had no idea it was coming, he wasn't more cry-y or more clingy or had runny poo or anything! I really hope the others will be equally painless for him.
I'll include a pic but it is hard to see if you don't know what you are looking for cause my camera doesn't take very sharp pics. Still, I feel I have to share

View attachment 495869

How exciting is that! Congratulations Dom on your first tooth!!! Angel, congratulations, too--it must have been amazing to see! Yaaay!

skweek--congratulations to you on the beginning of your mat leave! My only advice is to see as many movies as you can before your EDD. We went to tons from the second trimester on, and it was so nice. Now, we simply can't go to a movie, so I think back on that period with great nostalgia.

I'm not sure why the link isn't working, but why not try to google "baby led weaning first foods?" It should come up. If you scroll down, you'll see these big coloured text boxes telling you what to start with (this should tell you if you have the right site or not.)

Re: colours--those sound lovely! I'd be careful about the light green, however. The one I used (you are getting Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, right? Because this is brand specific), looked like cat sick. Is there a cream? That would look nice with that combo.

Borboleta-- Right on little T! Was he a total mess afterwards? He, of course, has an advantage over everyone--he has teeth! He'll be ripping through a steak in no time!

And yay for all those considering BLW! I also don't see a reason why one can't combine the two ways of weaning, either. Or am I wrong? (I'm in no way a BLWer pusher, however. I just couldn't get a puree down my baby's throat, so I had no other option. It'd just be fun to have others doing it too! And then we can exchange REALLY EASY recipes!)

 

[skweek35]

Morning ladies,
Happy Monday Morning to you all!

Sabrina - Hope your morning has been plain sailing and home time comes around quickly.

Clio - thanks for that tip. Will look into a cream colour instead. Want to try keep to the 'girlie' colours if possible.
No movies yet for me. I have a few bits to sort out for work. So I had better get my butt off here and get that work done.
Should be around a lot more than I have been recently.

 

[Rowan75]

hey ladies - I just wanted to check with you guys - how are you managing with your housework whilst looking after your lo's?

Im doing rubbish! so much so it took me 2 weeks to clean the bathroom - thinking of getting a cleaner in even tho we cant afford one - starting to get more in pain now and Im only going to get bigger!

 

[clio]

hey ladies - I just wanted to check with you guys - how are you managing with your housework whilst looking after your lo's?

Im doing rubbish! so much so it took me 2 weeks to clean the bathroom - thinking of getting a cleaner in even tho we cant afford one - starting to get more in pain now and Im only going to get bigger!

Um, we don't. We have our own "things"--I take care of all things laundry, he takes care of all things kitchen, and because of my SI joint, my husband is responsible for vacuuming and washing the floors. (<--Hah! This is why I'm so astounded by StormJet!) Bathrooms, if they get done beyond a spit and a polish, have to wait until we have guests coming. But at least, if you want a clean towel, I've got you covered.

We're also typical academics--we've got books and more books and papers and more papers everywhere. I dare anyone to look around our home with the intention of cleaning or tidying and not cry.

Poor Rowan! I'm so sorry! The rascal M, SPD, pregnant--I couldn't imagine! Here, now we must use special smilies:

Has anyone's LO tried to sit or lean heavily on the dishwasher door yet? I don't know why J is intent on putting us out a couple of thousand dollars, but my mother says it's some sort of biological imperative. My sister did it to her dishwasher, and the thing was damaged beyond repair.

After the weekly family dinner last night, where there are toys for all ages for all three cousins, we decided that J must have this:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/ekater/41WQM3gdRJL_SL500_AA300_.jpg

Age appropriate? Absolutely not! But he loves both sitting on it and being pushed, or pushing it himself (with me at his back). I just hate the fact that it's so boyish. He turns a certain age (9 months) and suddenly trucks and cars are everywhere on his sleepers, his soon-to-be new toy is a car, and he was pushing a toy truck around yesterday. *sigh* It just makes me mad. His next big gift will be this, I've decided:

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/ekater/little-tikes-victorian-kitchen.jpg

Sorry--in another life, I was a gender historian. And that toys are so friggin' gendered makes me very angry.

Oh, and after incredible stress, I finally found a convertible car seat that fits our car. I NEVER want to have to go through that again.

On a happier note--J's 10 month b-day is tomorrow! Wait--why did I think this was a happier note?

 

[skweek35]

Rowan don't feel bad - it's 13:40 and I'm still in my pj's!! Will admit that I have done 2 loads of washing but the last load has been waiting for the last hour to be hung up!
The bed still hasn't been made and breakfast and lunch dishes still all over the kitchen.
Forget the bathroom - that can wait for another day unless I get an unexpected visitor then I will simply do a lick and a promise in the bathroom.

 

[Rowan75]

lmao you guys crack me up! m in playpen but wont stay there long I think! went well my folks looking after her - yey

physio was ok - no miracle cures lol - she says not spd at all - my old car crash injuries made worse by preg making hypermobiltiy worse - so got an SI belt clio - and she said have to start swimming again keep my weight down, set exercises and also pilates class not dvd - she recommended someone so Ill check that ot - hmm this may require dh's co-operation lol he works all hours bless him! but maybe there'll be daytime classes and my folks may step in - you never know!!

so we shall see how I get on!!! she also asked If i'd been diagnosed with scoliosis and I said no and she asked if Id noticed any changes to my spine after the crash - I said to my unytrained eye it now goes to the right - she said yes it realy does and wants me to get it looked at when Im not pg

gender toys - yuk also gender bloomin clothes yuk yuk

 

[clio]

Can't really reply--J feeling "abandoned", the little bozo.

BUT, need nice (preferably easy) stew recipes. J is doing well with his spoon, but he needs more thick, mushy things to eat.

Rowan--totally with you. Tractor on J's suit today. Bah!!!!!!!!!!

 

[clio]

J in Daddy's arms now. No longer abandoned.

Holy cow, Rowan! Not SPD! And all the stuff you have to do to improve it... (OMG--which reminds me! I've got a physio app't this afternoon! Totally forgot!) And I'm sorry about both the car accident and the scoliosis. Are you in pain when you're not pregnant?

I loved the SI belt. It was like I was totally normal again, after years of pain. That's saying a lot!

I've tasked OH with making J an omelette for lunch. Now I just have to figure out J's dinner...

Oh, and I'm pretty certain J has an upper canine coming in! I can see a white spot where the tooth should be. So he just went through the two upper front teeth, and now he has to go through this monster? And a tooth to the right of one of the upper front is starting to push to the front--we can see the outline. But he's being a real trooper today. The meltdowns are becoming more frequent as the day goes along, but in between episodes, he's sooo good.

My sister is driving me up the wall. I don't know if you remember my long ramblings (or even read them), but my sister is 38 and pregnant for the first time. And totally helpless, it turns out, when it comes to outfitting your house for a baby. She's already getting ALL of J's clothes, swaddles, sleep sacks, my Ergo w/ infant insert that we never used, etc. Then, when she sends me a desperate email saying that she needs to get her registry in order ASAP, and could I help tell her what items to put on it, I made her a very comprehensive list, all with links to BRU. Instead of clicking on the links to see which specific items I'm referring to, she printed it out, walked into a BRU with her OH and became completely overwhelmed and worried about how much all this will cost them (um, hello? This is why we were making a list for a registry. And I tried to find things that were the most inexpensive, as well). And although this sounds incredibly petty, I worked really hard on that list, including both links and information about the items, and she has yet to thank me. Oh my god, I do absolutely sound petty.

Okay, nap time!

 

[Leeze]

Just wanted to say hi. Have read posts but am too tired to focus on replying. Sorry. Kia had a full on party last night from 4am to 6am and I was on the guest list. Agree about gender stuff being very annoying. I've already bought Kia some toy cars and a little digger. Re stew-type recipes - what about mince with chopped carrots and potatoes in a bit of baby stock cubes?