ILX Parenting 3: Back In (Potty) Training

Nat, I didn't use the bouncer for a while as ours is a quite upright one with no headrest. I put him in it when he was about 4 weeks old, photo below, but didn't start using it regularly until about a month afterwards.

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I've been having a bit of a wearing time, Aidan's feeding's gone to pot, he's feeding every two hours at night, and some days it's every 1-2 hours during the day. It's not time to wean - he's only just 4 months and is paying no attention at all to us eating. If there'd been any formula in the house yesterday morning I'd have given him some, but he then went on to go 4 hours and then three hours between feeds, for no reason I can see whatsoever!

He's learnt how to roll from his back to his front, and so does it all the time now, he's trying to get up on his knees but I think we've got a while yet before he puts it all together and starts crawling! my favourite photo of late

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2200/2037540430_d83fd73ea5.jpg

Ah, the old four-month growth spurt -- I remember it well. Loads of people mistake it for readiness for weaning but, as you've worked out, it just means milk, milk and more milk. Don't worry, it will soon settle down again. I would always recommend co-sleeping as a way to get more rest at night while breastfeeding.

We have, reluctantly, been doing some sleep training this week. Figured that at nine months, and eating like a horse in the day (finally), it was time for the night feeds to go, and he wasn't gonna give them up without a bit of fuss. But actually it has been less stressful than I had feared. Last night (night 3) he slept through for the first time since he was about 12 weeks old. I went to bed at 9.30 and woke feeling like a new woman. Fingers crossed that continues...

Getting festive...
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/8702/santababysmallhx7.jpg

Yeah. Our experience with the sleep training went much better than we thought it would, too. Basically one night of heartbreaking crying for 45 minutes, and then they got the picture for the next night.

All these kids are so beautiful. Makes me want to have 10 more. We never had to go through sleep training, thank god. We are experiencing a little dont stand up in the bath training right now though but that only involves mischievous looks which are hard to say no to without laughing.

Beeps just had her 9 month checkup. Her weight is in the 90th percentile and her height in the 97th which makes her the size of an average 12 month old! She also went from 2 to 8 teeth in the last month with number 9 coming close behind. Time for real food! Here she is at a Memphis Krystal Burger yesterday:

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6537/krystalnk7.jpg

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9748/krystalgm7.jpg

hey, that first one didnt show before. oh well, double Beeps.

Megan has become a fearless climber. This is where Mrs O found her yesterday:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2405/2092591581_7900f3a6e5.jpg

Note that my wife's reaction wasn't "OMG Megan are you ok?" but "Haha where's the camera?"

This thread, and especially that last photo (OMG Omino, that is more than classic!) = ultimate cure for a bleak mood.

Well done, Megan!

I like that sink, by the way. I like the way it has little nooks in it to balance your fag on, like an ashtray.

Perhaps I will post a picture:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2195/2080713204_0732b71866.jpg

Or two:

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Meg, you were still nightfeeding at nine months?!? Once they pass the five kilos, babies don't need nocturnal feedings, the only reason they want it is for comfort. Not saying you shouldn't! Just what the "experts" claim. :-) O slept through the night from 4 months (the second night I put her in her own room). I had already started giving her less milk before that.
Liesje has a patter: 2 am and 5 am. During the day she goes from 2 hrs to 4 hrs between feedings. But I am gently trying to teach her the difference between day and night: In the evening I put her in her crib.

I can't wait for a good night's rest. I am doing okay, but some daaaazzzze. :-)

At the check-up today. She's five weeks, 5 kilos 300 and 57,5 cm. Hurrah!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2076/2093597264_f76b5a83b9.jpg

Well, you know, I'm OK with giving a baby the breast for comfort as well as food :-)

But he has shown the past few nights that he's fine without it and can settle himself pretty easily now. I'm glad I waited til I was sure he was ready -- after all, it's such a short time in the scheme of things.

Both of 'em riding their "Mater" (from Cars):

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2080/2098414149_7b841bedc4.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2032/2097791829_de54c6eb37.jpg

I have to go and look at nurseries. I don't know what to say or ask or anything.

Edith is looking like a little girl and not a baby any more, yikes. Still adorable of course :)

Alice turns one on friday. I can't believe it!

I have to go and look at nurseries. I don't know what to say or ask or anything.

-- PJ Miller, Monday, 10 December 2007 11:07 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link

Really difficult but I would say look at the other kids first off, if they are happy then that's a good start. The nursery leader will probably give you a load of guff about learning and goals and so on. But ask yourself what you want your child to get out of it. If it's what we wanted, i.e. that they get to socialise, play, and be safe then the best thing you can do is check out the state of the toys and washrooms (but you know, don't expect everything to be super clean and new (in fact if it is that's slightly suspicious, like they only get the toys out when parents visit).

I have to state an interest here. I am a treasurer for a playgroup and we get some parents who think that playgroups should be hothouses for little geniuses (which, you will not be surprised to hear, their kids usually are). Well, it's pretty easy to tell those parents what they want to hear. It's much more difficult to make the kids look happy!

Oh and surprise visits are best.

Having a second kid does this:

http://www.democracycellproject.net/blog/archives/050315_scream_vmed12p.widec.jpg

Wait till they're older! It's more like this...
http://oyvindsolstad.com/wp-content/uploads/the_scream.jpghttp://oyvindsolstad.com/wp-content/uploads/the_scream.jpghttp://oyvindsolstad.com/wp-content/uploads/the_scream.jpg

At least it was yesterday. Child 2 came home having been told off by the head teacher (for something he didn't do - of course!) and proceeded to stomp upstairs with his muddy boots on and then stood on a sofa in them and then - when I proceeded to tell him this was not good behaviour - ran out of the house shouting "I'm never coming back!". Thus setting child 2 off crying and shouting "Daddy, you're so mean! We want mummy...".

Oh joy...

Anyway, sorry Nathelie, getting carried away with my woes - what's up?

Oh god, I was exaggerating a bit. But headaches are no fun and sleep deprivation neither. But apart from that, kids are the bestest thing in the world. :-)

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Ophelia displayed mild displeasure at the relax chair. Very strange: before that she never did/said anything negative about Liesje. But the relax chair? She didn't like it.

ugh!

Aww Alex!

Thank you for the advice.

Yes, she is quite grown up, Archel. Today she has been pretending to be a dog. And well done on almost getting through your first year.

Ben and Owen have started to "play" the recorder and the harmonica this week, despite crippling and parent-maddening colds. It's pretty cute. Owen even got the whole "blow in for one note, blow out for another" concept on the harmonica.

My wife is sure they are musical prodigies now. ;)

And sorry Alex - that sounds like a really shitty experience, and like something I could easily imagine myself doing.

For those of you keeping score, an update.

Wow look at O standing there looking like a little girl. It seems like just yesterday she was the size of Liesje.

Here is Beeps being Beeps:

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3520/cutielq8.jpg

and Beeps being Maximum Beeps:

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8973/jumpinob7.jpg

Hey before you know it, Beeps will be grabbing EVERYTHING in sight, jumping from chairs, screaming, crying one minute, laughing the next,... Yes, Ophelia has officially entered manic two year old phaaazzze. I find it quite funny to be honest, but it can do your head in if you are tired and/or have a headache. :-)

The doctor at the check-up (for Liesje) said Ophelia was GREBT in the language department. Apparently at her age it's not that uncommon for kids to only speak a few words. Ophelia? Hell no, she's a motormouth. :-)

The only minor problem: food. She's totally using it as a control thing. But I don't let it bother me too much. She'll eat veggies eventually. :-)

Liesje now only wakes up (for a feeding) once a night. With Ophelia I was so quick to shove my nipple in her mouth, but with Liesje I am more relaxed and will just wait a bit longer, I guess. Result? She wakes up around 12 am but falls back asleep. So yes, wakes up about once, around 3-ish, for a feeding. Hurray. :-)

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"omg it's my birthday!"
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2017/2120653348_b566abd12f.jpg?v=1197989150

"and i have CAKE!"
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Yay! Happy Birthday, Alice!

Nath, O's top is great! Where did you get it?

Jumping the gun a bit, cos this isn't really viewable on Flickr yet, but here's our 13-month-old, MMR-jabbed, Tot of the Antarctic...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2315/2119510892_d68f5f76d0.jpg

She's started the slapping and pulling of Daddy's face that made that 12-18 month period with Ava such a joy. Except Tallulah is stronger than Ava ever was.

It's been too long since I've visited here, lots of amazing pictures of everybody's beauteous youngsters! congrats to rachel on the first year, and good to see alice has conquered that love-of-cake milestone. alex, it appears that your trike-busting moment has made everybody a winner, that new one is the bomb!

peter, I have also been looking at nurseries, plenty of them. today is the deadline in our borough for ava's september admission next year, which doesn't really suit my last-minute-for-everything mentality, but I've put in applications for a few and we'll see who's a taker. I've been reading ofsteds, hanging out next to the parents on the tours who actually bring notepads and ask all the questions I never thought of, worrying way too much. one nursery I like has the kids tending allotments and then cooking everything at the end of term, cool! there are loads of schools around us and they're all oversubscribed, except for the one that's spitting distance from our house that has a rep for being terribly mismanaged and chocka with bullies. I know the kids can't read it but the cover letter of the booklet inviting us to let them start teaching our kids great english skills was heaving with misspellings and typos! one of my best friends taught there for years and actually pulled her kids out of there while she was working there.

I am trying not to lose sleep over ava's future by just chilling out already through the medium of christmas crafting!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2305/2118643135_b04db7caa5.jpg

We're going to enroll Ophelia in a nearby kindergarten. It's a catholic school. Later on, if she stays, she'll have to wear a uniform, or rather wear blues/browns/blacks and or greys. Suits me fine. Actually I wish there was a strict uniform, but somewhere between my graduation and 2007, they changed the rules: there's no strict uniform in any school in Bruges. Bummah. But I suspect my daughters won't have the same idea as I have when it comes to uniforms. Even when I attended high school, I was very much in favour of uniforms. Yes, I'm a complete mentalist. :-)

Nath, O's top is great! Where did you get it?

From the Gap (Japan). My parents have EXCELLENT taste in clothes and are so nice to send/give me lots of kiddie clothes. :-)

Hopefully Shakey Mo doesn't mind that I post that Veronica Rose was born yesterday!

oooo! congrats! beautiful name too!!

I am not aware of any deadline for enrolling here, just waiting lists.

Sorry, that is about all I can manage at this time of day, which is the only time of day I can fit in quality typing time.

Yay everybody, etc.

Baby born! Little Veronica Rose Babcock arrived yesterday, 7lbs 12 oz, 19" long - no pictures yet, don't have 'em uploaded anywhere. I'm home briefly dealing with some computer bullshit and then its back to the hospital to help mom and baby recuperate....

Hurrah for new baby with my birthday! Also, lovely name.

Rah new baby!

photos asap pls!

woo new baby, what a great holiday present!

Awesome, congratulations - and I love the name!

^^^Agreed, awesome name! Congratulations!

Yay! Congrats!

Nice work, people. Molly says hello, I hope this picture isn't too big:
http://i15.tinypic.com/6t24aab.jpg

She turned one last week.

happy birthday, molly. she sure is beautiful.

Oh, like YOU should talk, what with your Beeps lighting up the world and whatnot!