Sleep Sense Support Group!

[history_girls]

tg - did you have another feeding marathon? hope you got some sleep x

redpoppy - chin up duck (in the words of my late granny). the sooner you decide which ever way the better i think. making a decision always helps me.

Polaris - glad your night was better!

 

[TennisGal]

Morrrrrrrrrning laydeeeeez!

HG - apparently babies CAN have bad dreams, I read that somewhere...I'll have to dig out the link. Maybe it was about lots of angry meerkats setting her mummy right about their lifestyle?! Hope she's ok...I saw the pics of her with Max in Baby Club (I want to get some up of our felines with DD) and she's just a doll. Gorgeous.

Fingers crossed for three / four days

Polaris - glad you had a good night - and let's get thinking about how we can all make our millions

Jacs - I know, there is something called 'Daddy Syndrome', I swear! Every weekend and whenever DH is off work, he and DD are off together - scorning naps

Well, we went from 10000000000000 feeds to two last night (10:30, 4:00) and THEN...she woke for a feed at 6:45 and went back to sleep until 8:15 I had a real lie-in! I think she's needed it with all the waking, growing, guzzling etc.

We had the funniest brekkie together, I was in stitches. I made her a fruity porridge with some no-salt cinammon bread and she scoffed loads, wore loads, threw loads and rubbed loads into my hair. Was just so comical! Boy-cat looked terrified at proceedings, but then proceeded to eat some of the bread on the floor (weird cat!)

I feel like a new woman! She's going for gold in her jumperoo at the moment...

Everyone got nice days planned? We're contemplating going to a play group, but there are two v.annoying mums who attend (you know, the very over competitive, 'surely you're not doing that, are you?' type...my friends and I despair!) who'll be desperate to tell me ALL about growth spurts. *rolls eyes with a grin*

 

[jacs]

We had the funniest brekkie together, I was in stitches. I made her a fruity porridge with some no-salt cinammon bread and she scoffed loads, wore loads, threw loads and rubbed loads into my hair. Was just so comical! Boy-cat looked terrified at proceedings, but then proceeded to eat some of the bread on the floor (weird cat!)

*

Hilarious! At least you've got the cat to help you clear up, just stick it all on the floor.
Sooo pleased about your night - no wonder you've both got so much energy! Just great, have a good day (just outdo the annoying mums if you go. 'Little Timmy has developed his pincer grip? Oh, well DD did that months ago, she's using chopsitcks now...')
Loving the Daddy Syndrome, I'm convinced it exists!

We've had a bit of a busy week, so staying in today and giving Evan lots of attention. I feel like he's been a bit left out because I met up with a friend yesterday, and have been having a spring-clean on the days before that.

 

[TennisGal]

We're heading off in an hour - so I'll report back! Love the chopsticks idea...was thinking of adding 'DD was appalled, I forgot to put her salad fork down, and it ruined her entire dining experience'

I love proud mummies - it's what we all are, but I almost feel some just can't enjoy babies being, well, babies! They are constantly on the watch out to see who is doing what. So silly, as they all develop at their own rate, at their own pace...and as long as they are happy and healthy, does it matter?!

Daddy Syndrome is one to watch, as after a weekend the Daddy 'hangover' normally involves squawking at naptime, a bit of grumpiness and general 'well, this is just not fun' when routine comes along. DH thinks it's hilarious that I am always henning around he and DD chastising about naps!

Have a lovely day with Evan, it's hard when jobs need doing and there are people to catch up with...that said, it's great watching how they amuse themselves, too. Anything works - a foot, a cat, a toy...!!

Veggie lasagne went down v. well. She loved eating - and mushing - it. I feel I am going to need to buy shares in Fairy at this rate, as she's on outfit three of the day! Boy cat is also looking a bit harrassed...he's so good with DD, bless him.

 

[hivechild]

Hi girls and welcome to the newcomers! I hope that all's going well for you.

It's been a mixed bag here for Ronan and I. He's still sleeping in his cot at night and some nights he goes down without any whinging and other nights he seems to keep himself awake just that little bit longer to send him into meltdown mode. He's not sleeping any super long stretches anymore through the night unfortunately but I usually only have one wakeup around 2ish and then again around 5. Getting him back to sleep after the 5am wakeup is often harder and may only get another 45 mins- 1 1/2 hrs out of him.

Honestly though, he's a wee little monkey still and I've stopped (mostly) stressing for now about it. It's a vast improvement over how things were a couple weeks ago.

As for naps, I'm still letting him cuddle up and sleep on me more often than not. If we're both in a good mood and he's not overtired I'll attempt to put him down in his cot but if it doesn't work out, we get up, go back downstairs for another little feed and then a cuddle nap on the couch. I know it's not a good 'habit' but I have faith we'll work it out when he's a little more ready for it.

Right now, I'm content with working on his night sleep and if that means being chair-bound with my sweet boy curled up and nuzzled in against the side of my neck for hours every day so he gets the rest he needs while nothing else gets done, then it's worth it. He's more important to me than anything else I might possibly be doing otherwise.

 

[Arcanegirl]

Well so far our nights have been fantastic! He goes down reall well and though im hearing him make noises more hes never fully woken where ive thought i need to go into him.

Naptimes have been very good aswell

This afternoons has probably been the worst one where ive thought hes just not gonna go. Alex was very very tired to the point we could barely change his nappy before putting him down. But still following the routine and hes gone within 5 mins.

 

[jacs]

Right now, I'm content with working on his night sleep and if that means being chair-bound with my sweet boy curled up and nuzzled in against the side of my neck for hours every day so he gets the rest he needs while nothing else gets done, then it's worth it. He's more important to me than anything else I might possibly be doing otherwise.

Now that I miss! Before we started SS, Evan had practically stopped doing this, but now it just wouldn't happen. It's lovely looking down at their little faces fast asleep.

AG - sounds great! What a result. Sometimes Evan gets a bit past it too, usually when we've been somewhere and he hasn't slept properly. Seems like your LO is doing brilliantly.

 

[polaris]

TennisGal - great news about going back to a more reasonable number of feeds - and giving you a bit of a lie in this morning too! Yay! Hopefully the growth spurt is drawing to an end? How did you get on at the play group? Hope the annoying mums weren't too annoying!

Jacs - hope you are having a nice 'home' day with LO. You do need them from time to time I find!

Hivechild - good to see you! Sounds like you are taking a very sensible approach with your LO, he is still very young after all and why not enjoy the cuddles while you can? He'll soon grow up and not want to sleep on you anymore.

Arcanegirl - that is fantastic! Well done you! Big changes for your LO!!

We've had a pretty rubbish day of short naps and waking up still cranky. Thomas is definitely teething, his cheeks are really flushed and feel warm, and he is biting down on anything that comes near his mouth and soaking through bibs like there is no tomorrow (doesn't help that he likes to chew them, LOL). Ended up piling him into the pram and going round the shops for a couple of hours - was trying to find a few nice sun-hats for Thomas - who knew that only girl babies need to wear sunhats? There seemed to be a choice of about 200 sunhats for girls and about 2 sunhats for boys - only one of which was in Thomas's size so we didn't have a great selection to choose from!

 

[Cattia]

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't posted in a while. Seems as though everyone is doing well and lots of newcomers too which is great! Polaris I think Dana ought to pay you comission as so many people here are now using SS! Ladies, I have a nap question; sometimes, like today, Abigail is showing very obvious tired signs after only being awake for about an hour and a quarter. Do you think it is ok to try for another nap so soon? She still won't nap for more than 45 minutes at a time so I wonder if that's why?

 

[jacs]

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't posted in a while. Seems as though everyone is doing well and lots of newcomers too which is great! Polaris I think Dana ought to pay you comission as so many people here are now using SS! Ladies, I have a nap question; sometimes, like today, Abigail is showing very obvious tired signs after only being awake for about an hour and a quarter. Do you think it is ok to try for another nap so soon? She still won't nap for more than 45 minutes at a time so I wonder if that's why?

Cattia, I found the same when Evan was doing his 40min naps. Just go for it, with the nap, you know best. Just the other day I put Evan down after about an hour as he was crying and rubbing his face.

Polaris - bless him, sounds like mega teething. Evan was teething for about 3 days, ages ago, and then it just tailed off. He's still got no teeth though! Hope it passes quickly for you both!

 

[TennisGal]

HiveChild - night sleeps were our goal, too. DD still has one nap a day on me, and we both have 'chilled' time...

AG - fab news!!

Cattia - great to see you...I wouldn't worry about the naps, as others have said, go with your gut instinct. DD can go three hours some days, and an hour the next. Bit like me, lol!

Polaris - big hugs for Thomas DD had a teething flare up not long ago, but it seems to have subsided. Have you tried the natural powders? Think I've talked about them before (sieve brain!), but they really do work for DD. I bet Sophie la giraffe is getting plenty of use?

Jacs - Did you and Evan have a lovely day?

Am back and tired - DD and her friends had a whale of a time! Annoying mummies were actually ok today...they were too busy outdoing each other, which was quite funny! The rest of us had a good chat in the sunshine. DD got a bit cross that someone played with the toy she likes...she gave me a real 'nooooooooooooo' look, was v.cute.

I've got some cake (again) in the oven, so better go and check before I burn it. I'm on the second lot, I forgot to put sugar in the first...you can tell it's been growth spurt time!! Was considering serving to DH to see whether he'd say anything

 

[history_girls]

Hi all!

Just a quickie - really busy day. Went to work for 5 hours to do revision and get ready and LO was looked after by granny. Not only did she do textbook naps she also did two poos and ate loads! little monkey!

I was fine a work just felt crap all this evening as it is band practice tonight by the time we got in at 5 i had to do loads of jobs, dinner and everything. Hardly had much time for her.

Will catch up tomorrow properly

oh and when I went to the spar after the opticians a ripple cost me 58p, is that normal price?

 

[polaris]

Hi everyone.

Cattia - good to see you dropping in again! I find that if Thomas only has short naps then he gets tired sooner than if he has a proper long nap. I worry about putting him in the cot too early though as I get very upset if he won't settle. Sometimes if he has had lots of short naps and is very tired and cranky (like today), then I just give up on sleepsense for a bit and bring him out in the pram. I start off with him sitting up so he can look around for as long as he wants, then when his eyes start drooping I lie him back flat and he goes off to sleep. In the pram he will often fall asleep after he's only been awake for an hour and a quarter, but I don't tend to put him down in the cot until he's been up at least an hour and a half. Except at bedtime, he will generally go to sleep at bedtime even if he's only been up an hour.

TennisGal - baby group sounds like fun - good that there's two annoying mummies, hopefully they can pal up together and compete with each other and leave the rest of you to have normal conversations! Thanks for the tip about the teething powders, I keep meaning to get hold of some as I've heard they are good from a few people now. I do have a teething necklace for him which I think might help a bit!

Warning - totally off topic post coming up - but I feel like a bit of a bad mummy and just wanted to share. Yesterday I gave Thomas some baking paper to play with thinking that it would be waterproof so he wouldn't be able to chew it into pieces. He is fascinated by newspaper or anything that crumples up like that, but obviously can't give him newspaper as he eats it - so I thought baking paper might be a safe alternative. Well I was wrong, it totally disintegrated within a minute and when I took it off him it was in bits. So this evening I just found two bits of baking paper in his nappy. Can't believe that his first solid 'food' was baking paper! Really feel a bit bad about it but at least it went straight through by the looks of it. I guess on the bright side I can feel pretty confident that he is showing all the signs of being ready for solid foods!

 

[Cattia]

Polaris - I know that probably made you feel bad but I think you will look back and laugh - and it will be a great story to tell all his friends on his 18th

I gave up and took Abigail out in the pushchair this pm as she would not settle even though she was tired. Sod's law, as soon as I had ordered my coffee and cake in Costa, she woke up! To be fair to her though she sat very quietly while I polished it off and we got home just in time for her 5 o'clock feed so it worked out OK.

TG we have afew annoying mummies in my group too. Always on about how much their babies have achieved! I feel like telling them that Abigail has sat some of her GCSEs already.

History Girls,nice to see you, are you back at work next week? I've been in this week doing an Easter revision workshop, it really did feel as though I had never been away, which I am not sure is a good or a bad thing? Good luck with the return to work, I think it reaches a certain point where thinking about it is probably worse than just doing it.

 

[TennisGal]

Polaris - don't feel like a bad mummy, that's definitely a story to tell him in front of his friends! I'm glad you told me that, as I read somewhere (only last night) that baking paper was waterproof. No stopping Thomas, imagine his joy when he eats a bit of banana or sweet potato!! I hate to think what DD has put in her mouth...she grabbed boy cat earlier, and he 'nosed' her hand, before I could get my wipe out, the thumb was in the mouth. Urgh. I'm so careful about cleaning and sterilising, but babies always find a way

I think teething necklaces make a difference...and the powders really do. DD is much more relaxed and calm when she's had a little sachet. Reassures me knowing they are all natural, too. Be exciting if you see a little tooth, soon!

Cattia - I may state that GCSE line, lol. How well behaved from Abigail, too, letting you enjoy your coffee and cake.

Yes, the play sesh is good fun...I love seeing DD interact, and love seeing her check that I am sat where she wants me! She was sat up bashing away at a pan and just beaming at it. She shuffles around until she gets her balance, and then she's happy to sit and play!

DH and I getting ready to watch the debate...DD went to bed a bit early, she was rubbing her eyes and yawning. Not before swiping a couple of pieces of courgette off my plate, though

 

[TennisGal]

Just OT, but this is such a fab thread - I really enjoy reading all the updates and updating!

 

[jacs]

Can't believe that his first solid 'food' was baking paper!

Oh, that's funny!
A while ago I was talking to DH, with Evan on my lap, and holding a box of tissues that I had been using to wipe his mouth (Evan's not DH's).
I was holding it away from him, or so I thought, when hubby jumped across yanking a tissue off Evan. He opened it up and there was a big hole in the middle, but the monkey must have swallowed it as there was nothing in his mouth.

Sounds like everyone's been busy, glad the group was good TG, LO sounds really sweet! How was the cake (take 2)?

HG - your Ripple sounds very expensive, but then I remember when a Mars Bar was 28p. I only buy multipacks now (honest, it's for the savings). Was the band practise to do with school, or is it something you do in your own time?

We had a nice, lazy day. Lots of playing and walking about outside - which is basically my chance to see what everyone's doing with their gardens!

 

[TennisGal]

DH is crying with laughter at the debate!

Aw, glad you and Evan had a lovely day, Jacs. What did he have for dins today? What does he enjoy playing with at the mo? Our LOs are so close in age, and I can see DD getting a bit bored with some of her toys...so looking for recommendations.

Cake went well, and has been consumed in vast quantities. If this growth spurt is slowing, I feel my cake consumption will also need to do the same!

I also feel 58p is a lot for a Ripple...that said, Smiths charge ludicrous amounts for chocolate. Doesn't stop me buying it, though hehehe

I remember the good ole days with cheap choccie, too. And when Snickers were Marathons. AND when Walkers were 10p a bag.

 

[jacs]

I wanted to watch that, but hubby got in from work at 8.30. Thought I'd be nice, getting his tea and the like.
Dinner was interesting today TG. It was the first time ever that Evan has refused something! He just tipped his head forward and opened his mouth, very funny to watch his little face screw up. It was potato, peas and cauliflower, with a bit of cheese. Reckon the peas were the culprit as he hasn't had them before (gave him some jarred food instead). Let him chew on some melon, which he sucked the life out of! Guess my resolution to cook more isn't off to a great start!
What have you got on the menu tomorrow?
It's funny, I'm feeling like Evan's getting bored with his toys, I rotate them, but it just feels like the same old.
Current fave though, is the Vtech crawl and learn ball. It moves around on the floor, so they have to reach/shuffle to get it.
https://www.vtechuk.com/products-and-accessories/47303-crawl-and-learn-bright-lights-ball/

Also thinking I might get out the walker he got for Christmas (also Vtech, the one that's like a push around trolley).

https://www.vtechuk.com/products-and-accessories/first-steps-baby-walker/

I'm very excited about the talking photo album he's got now (Evan has shown no interest whatsoever!). I've put pictures of me DH, grandparents and aunties, and each person is able to record a message with their photo. When you open the page, it automatically plays the message.

What does your DD like? Be nice to have some new ideas! It's just great about her sitting up so well btw, Evan isn't there yet - he still cries whenever we let him go!
Yeah, remember the Marathons! And 10p bus fares to school!

 

[TennisGal]

Oooooooooooh, I have to get that crawl and learn ball...looks fantastic! I love the talking photo album, too. Once he enjoys that, I bet it will be a real favourite.

DD is currently into this 'cube' (I'll get a link) which sings songs about various animals. Each cube is a different animal with interactive bits to grab, and little songs. She loves the lion!

She's also got this abacus thing on wheels - the most random toy - but she adores it!! A friend bought it for her...her son has one, and loves it. I'll ask where she got it from and post the link.

Tbh, recently she's been into banging pans!! I always think people must think I'm dreadful, but she chooses these pans.

I'm keen on the walkers, too. I think she's done with the soft, rattly toys with mirrored feet. Well, for this week...could be flavour of the month next week!

She has a few we've put to one side that are just a bit too much for her at the mo.

How cute, Evan and his peas! I bet his face was a picture! Melon is a good one, I'll try DD with some.

DD likes sitting, but does NOT like rolling. She has done a couple of times, but always looks surprised and a bit scared. I was repeating 'Mummy' and pointing at myself today...to which she laughed, whacked my nose and did a trump! Aren't babies fabulous?