Hello Mudduh Hello Fadduh: ILX Rolling Parenting Thread

Sterling had his first fever last night, and he really DID seem way too hot--he wasn't cranky or anything, just 102.9. Our book said "brains only get fried around 107; if he's hot but is acting like himself, don't worry about it." Today, of course, he was totally cranky, because he'd barely slept. He's currently been napping for 3 1/2 hours...

It's her 1st birthday today!

But yay happy birthday Ava :)

She weight about 4780 grams.

Oops she just sneezed, gotta run!

Belated happy birthday to Ava - hope you all enjoyed yourselves.

I know lots of people who rocked their kids to sleep until their kids were almost two years old! At some point, babies need to learn to comfort themselves and go to sleep on their own. Trust me, you want to make going to bed very much habitual and very much self-reliant.

the bum things is that your babe (and mine, whose a week or so older than yours) is very much near the age when sleeping rituals can and should be established i.e. regular sleep times. We have been very, very lax on with our third and it is biting us in the ass. I have decided that next week we will begin naps at regularly scheduled times. She's ready and currently catnapping her way through the day, which is driving me fooking crazy.

I can't see well enough to read the thread again but has no-one mentioned how bloody hard it is to raise children? How sleeping becomes like some weird indulgence that you wonder if you're even entitled to?

Apologies for the negative energy in a WOOHOO KIDS thread but it is difficult, huge, and frightening isn't it?

I'm more than a bit scared. I'll be 35 by the time my next (3rd) child is born, If s/he decides to stay on at school & go on to higher education etc I may end up with a child at home when I'm close to 60. That's some serious time to commit to some else's life, isnt' it? Since my 1st son was born that adds up to around 32 years of being an 'active' parent.

It's easy to say "I'm not complaining" and that the rewards outweigh the sacrifices but when you seriously consider the magnitude of raising a child it's fucking huge.

The rewards really ARE amazing and I truly, honestly wouldn't change a thing about the life we have, but wouldn't it be nice to have 5 minutes to worry about yourself?

< / drunken selfishness >

I should point out that we really, really wanted another baby and that I'm over the moon about it. I'm just worried about how we'll cope. It's not really about not getting to go to the pub, more about how that ceases to even be an option.

I should stop typing.

The welfare of my children weighs heavily on my shoulders. I often think I'm not carved from the 'good parent' mould but I tell myself most people must feel the same way.

I can't remember what my point was going to be but I think it was something to do with how it's not all about "look at teh cute kidxorz!"

http://static.flickr.com/22/34603526_1add7f0ac6.jpg?v=0

It is so nice to have Edith back to normal after her various minor illnesses. Long may it last.

Sleep routine is good, but it all tends to fall apart at the slightest interruption, such as minor illness or visiting grandparents (they must rock), and then it's back to square one. What can you do? They want rocking and you can rock them, so you rock them.

Ha ha, until you give up and go downstairs in a huff, who am I kidding?

Dude, keep in mind that in the beginning you can not spoil a baby. I think up until six months a baby can't be spoiled. So let Teeny rock her cute baby. :-)

A couple of weeks ago, we decided: let's try a few nights of you-gotta-do-it-on-your-own-kid. So now we put him in pajamas, read him a story, sing him a song, give him a kiss, set him in his crib, turn out the light and walk out. First night: 20 minutes of screaming, which rent our brains asunder! Second night: 25 minutes of yowling, after which we came into his room and he was asleep sitting up with his arms and legs through the bars of the crib, breaking our hearts! Third night: 20 minutes of screeching, which made us feel like the worst parents in the world! Fourth night and thereafter: maybe 30 seconds of yelping, and then zzz. When he wakes up in the middle of the night, we still bring him into our bed; as long as he's nursing, that makes sense.

Libraries: Portland's library system is awesome. Two weeks after he was born, we got a package from Multnomah County Library: a board-book copy of "Goodnight Moon," as a present from the library system, and an application for his first library card. I want to start taking him to baby-book-time every week.

All of you with infants have read "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and have your Velcro swaddling blankets and/or tight-swaddling technique down, right? It really, really, REALLY works.

It ain't easy.

D, that's interesting. I've read about libraries that sound out these emerging literacy carepackets to newborns, but this is the first time I've heard about it actually happening. Do they have a baby lapsit program? Our library waits till they are 1 for the "Little One-Ders" Story Time.

but, you know, i probably rock our kid to sleep once or twice a week. i guess it's indulgent, but the thing is i like it too. it's a very satisfying, protective feeling. and i figure there's some finite number of times i'll be able to rock him to sleep, so i might as well enjoy it while i can. i doubt it's doing anyone any harm.

This is very true - I completely adore all the neighbourhood babies to the extent of knowing their names and not their parents', knowing their foibles and illnesses and oddities but not knowing their parents' professions. We went to a joint 1st-birthday party yesterday for Ava and Finlay and I was completely in my element; rather than talk to the adults about property prices or holidays I was scrabbling about on the floor with Ruby, Dominick, Harry, Calum et al. An occasion like this does rather bring home the fact that Ava is a tiny creature; she's one of only two girls in her peer group and is one of the younger ones (the age range of this crowd is 10-15 months) but still she seems like a real shortarse. Not surprising given her parents are five-three and five-six but we should probably check her on the chart sometime (it's been months since we did a length [or, now, height] measurement).

Compared to her chums, Ava is more likely to wander off independently into another room (some of them aren't walking), more likely to examine an object in great, exhaustive detail before chucking it on the floor, but less likely (indeed, just not yet able) to stack blocks or put things inside other things in a constructive way. Ruby is the star of the bunch - she moves like a dancer and is the most articulate babbler. Dom is the sweetest, shyest boy; he reminds me of PJM's Edith in her mellow moments.

When's the next party?

Same kid

and his brother