Leeze--That is a great idea about giving him corn on the cob while I try to cook. He loves it, and it would keep him occupied. I'll have to have OH bring his highchair back up again. And I keep hearing about "Baby Yoghurt." What's the difference? Why do you need a baby version of yoghurt?
Rowan--that's amazing that M is walking back and forth between you and OH! She is so incredibly determined! That will suit her very well in life. And your description of your baby Heimlich Maneuver! The image is hilarious!
Skweek--I totally agree with the others. I hated cervical checks. They actually don't mean anything anyway. You can go around for weeks at X number of centimetres, so it's not a reliable indicator of anything. If it's any consolation, however, J wasn't engaged even when I went into labour. I think he was still at a -1 or at 0, or something.
Are you feeling any better? I hope you're okay--are the hormones getting to you, or something else? Remember, we're always here for you.
Angel--I hope your kitten is okay! You really don't want to give her back, do you? You seem to be rather two minds about it. But the poor thing--FXd that she's not sick.
I'm glad Dom had another good night. And if he needs the woombie, then he needs the woombie. Some people swaddle past one year!
Re: talking--it seems that Martha and Jonah are rather anomalous. It is usually at one year that they start to talk. I wonder if your twins will develop twin-speak! Then they'll be TRI-lingual: English, German and Domsebish.
Re: feeling guilty--well, you're not the only one who wants time away from your LOs. Look how often I am so happy to pack J off to Oma's! I look
forward to Wednesdays and Saturdays. I don't feel guilty, though. I'll take sleep or the time to go shopping anytime I can get it!
Re: milk--I really know nothing about it. I give him a lot of dairy though, and when I use milk in a recipe, it's 2%. I know that there is something about whole milk, but it's beyond my ken. Others on here must know. Leeze?
Re: keeping him occupied--unfortunately, he never really liked the bouncy chair. And he certainly wouldn't stay in it now. He is always on the move. Unless I'm wearing him. And that is incredibly frustrating--he's so big now that his head blocks my vision. So I will look to the left of his head to see something, and he automatically moves his head to the left, too. I have no idea how to wear him on my back, either, and wouldn't trust him. Who knows what he'll do if I can't see him!
Re: my back--thank you. But the backache from wearing him is simply from age and being out of shape. It's not the same pain that's in my pelvis and for which I'm getting those injections. BUT, it does actually seem to be working! Things that would typically cause me days of pain don't cause any anymore, and last night, after rocking him for hours, I was in agony today until I took a nap, and when I woke, the pain was almost gone! So, there does seem to be some hope!
Re: my "bad" parenting--Just thought I'd share:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7132/8151875665_0c25b81edf_n.jpg
Borboleta--What a great idea about buying next year's costume! I'll have to check it out. Because that bat costume was seriously the cutest thing... Oh, and J won't summersault on his own--I help him. He just loves doing it, so I know now when he puts his head down like that close to me, and then waves his booty in the air impatiently, that I'd better hurry up and flip him over! I'm sorry that you're missing your family.
It sounds like you're all very close, but T will have a ball visiting Brazil, I'll bet. Everyone will be going nuts over him!
Re: recipes--I'm getting mine all from Gill Rapley's Baby Led Weaning Cookbook, plus a very few that I know how to do thrown in. The choking/gagging thing scares everyone, though. But it stops pretty soon. J learned to manage it by putting his fingers in his mouth at the same time as he ate something and would pull something out if he needed to. Now he just opens his mouth, lets the offending piece fall out like nothing, and keeps going. But I look at the Weaning board now and then and see that TW parents are petrified when they introduce lumpy stuff to their babies as well, and the babies do gag, too. So, it happens to everyone eventually. With BLW, it just happens right away. And then you calm down.
Good luck to your husband! My fingers are crossed!
SK--when J was four months, he was doing something weird with one of his legs and I freaked out. I eventually took him to a physiotherapist that was an expert in babies, and she not only reassured me that he was fine, but she also gave me some exercise sheets to help him along with creeping and rolling and sitting. The sitting one seemed like fun to do, so I worked with him on it. The key, she said, is a wide base, and she emphasized this over and over. You need to sit him up and spread his legs wide. This should eventually lead to the "tripod" position, where he will put his hands in front of him and support himself. Then, because I was bored, I invented a game whereby I put a large bowl in between his legs and put some small-ish balls in it. He spent forever leaning over that bowl, trying to get those balls. In the end, he could sit, AND he could catch and palm a ball. It was pretty cool. Here's a pic (of course...):
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7263/8152333510_82179d4f90_n.jpg
This was later, after he had mastered the balls, but you can see a red one I used by his leg. And yup, as Borboleta said, it led right to crawling.
ETA: J was 6 months when he mastered sitting, not 4, and the crawling took a while after that--I realize that my wording made the timeline misleading.
Am I caught up? OMG, I think I'm caught up!!!
I am calling the vet first thing Monday. 
. I sort out my washing in that chair in front of them and can only quickly go and put stuff away. My mother is coming for a weekend soon though and that means I will clean like a mad woman lol. 
, he will be a dragon 
.
! 
I turned around, and there he was walking! He fell after around 4 or 5 steps, but he had gotten up without the help of anything, and wasn't even aiming for anything, like me, or the couch. He seemed to simply want to go for a stroll!
