Hello Mudduh Hello Fadduh: ILX Rolling Parenting Thread

what a lovely tiny fellow. I can't believe they start so small.

that drunken sailor look they get after a good meal is just the best though.

teeny, OTM about that postprandial baby look. I love infants because they are so small and they always look like everything is a shock.

kyle, I've got to admit that labor videos freaked me out. However, I couldn't stop watching them...

Michael, my two pregnancies were vastly different. No morning sickness with the first one, but morning sickness with the second. Not to say that Pam can't tell what morning sickness feels like. How is she feeling?

Congrats to the new parents!

Cyrus has started really walking in the past couple of days - and raising himself to a stand without using anything for support. Verbal development is also accelerated. Two days ago, he said "baaah" and waved, now he says "bye" and is adding new words all the time. Now when you say "clap your hands" (without doing anything with your own), he claps. Say "where's the light?" and he looks up to the light.
So exciting!! Now we can start to communicate verbally with each other and I can find out more about the mystery who is a 14-month-old boy.

Conrats all new parents and parents to be - you are in for a whole world of joy.

I remember those first two weeks. It was an emotional rollercoaster that gets easier after you suddenly just let go. :-) I do know that I would cry at the tiniest problems at times. Even though you read what it'll be like, it's nothing like actually experiencing it. My husband explained it best: you're being pushed into a pool from behind. The only thing you can do is try keeping afloat and not sink to the bottom. It's fun but scary at the same time.
One of the best things I did: Not waking up my husband, not putting on the lights when I did a night time feeding. It was the world of difference: you and the baby go to sleep much quicker.The other great thing for me was not staying home alone. I think I'd have gone gaga.

And yes those first six weeks (and even a bit longer) are all about the baby. Quite a shock! :-) There was no time for much else.

Anyway, it's so much fun hearing about babies. Also reading about Cyrus' walking and talking! :-)

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Dinner time!

She's OK now. The 48 hours of complete incapacitation due to dizzy spells/vomiting might well have been triggered by hormonal changes or something else related to the pregnancy - the GP certainly couldn't determine any other cause.

This pregnancy IS tougher, I think, for many external reasons - lack of money, house stress (moved in February but we're still only halfway through the costly refurb), never any time to relax (thanks to Ava and the fact that to keep paying the bills Pam has to freelance from home every chance she gets).

Pam's first pregnancy was from May '04 to Feb '05 and, thought I'm sure we grumbled our way through that at time, it really was a breeze compared to this period. Of course, then you worry about how all this stress is affecting #2.

Of course, easier said than done.

I don't think the stress will affect #2.

Obv I know nothing.

I wonder if we can help at all. I think the only help I've been so far is to leave a big pile of washing-up and plant the idea of a cellar under the garden.

at the campsite:
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on the main lawn (elvis costello onstage somewhere in the background):
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To Michael and Pam lots of solidariety, i think we have same period second pregnancy (and same age of first born, more or less) and yes this one is harder for me as well. I think phisically the reason is quite simple, you have a very young child you have to take care of and that also involves a lot of physical action. Plus, you are organizing your work AND a young child, and I have found this to be the most demanding thing of the last 2 years of my life. Finally, we are organizing restructuring a new flat and moving out when Lea (second one) will be 2 months old. Which is crazy, I know. But I still stubbornly wake up every morning and tell myself that it will be great, that Lea and Sara will gain a lot from this messy period of our life, and we will soon learn how much you can love each other in the midst of everyday life storms...

Anyway, here she is looking cute-but-tired with her jim-jams already retrieved from the laundry pile...

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Sophie's cute!!! What a doll. :-)

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i'm making a miffy pillow for ophelia:

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i'll probably just frame it.

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PJ, you have such a cute kid. I know, I'm stating the obvious but I need to say it. Her dress and shoes are so pretty!

How are all your kids doing in this heat? Ophelia's head just sweats a bit. I think she actually enjoys it.

Louis sweats like a bastard when he nurses and also when he's falling asleep--only on his scalp though! We had to go out in the heat yesterday but he handles it pretty well--I bring a couple of frozen washcloths to help him stay cool.

Edith looks very cool in her shimmerin' dress.

I haven't seen much of Ava this week due to work... :( Did pop in to comfort her this morning at 5am. She sacked out as soon as I located a dummy for her.

You should have a care of dependents day, Michael.

I am going to make a film called Care of Dependents Day.

Remember, you read it here first.

The heat makes Edith drink water, which she didn't really like doing before, and she gets too hot at night. As indeed do I.

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Edith looks very old-fashioned. Sort of timeless. Louis is my favourite kid in the world, quite possibly. He's so amusing-looking (this is a good thing, teeny, honest).

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If I ever meet Gerry's kids, I'll be so disappointed if they aren't running around in small repetitive motions.

More chaining them to trees/caging them/burying them alive, please.

Well, the intonation and number of syllables and look of enquiry on her face were all correct anyway.

The only worrying thing about this is I had already told her where I was going.

Ava's really started to associate things with words - shoes (sooz), hands (han), nose (nus). She hasn't given me a kiss though. A Glasgow kiss, maybe.

Nice to hear a good home birth experience too :) Hope this isn't too nosy but as you can imagine it's on my mind - did your wife have any pain relief? Or was it all too fast?

Archel - thanks! The missus had gas & air and gave birth lying on her front atop a big shiny silver exercise ball (like wot they sell dead cheap in Argos). Midwives were great BTW.

Whatever. CONGRATULATIONS, NickB and Mrs NickB!

I also love hearing all the ILX kiddies talking. It's the sweetest thing!

Ophelia's eating habits are more difficult, I think, due to the heat. She doesn't eat much, prefers to stick her thumb in her mouth instead of a nipple, and then suddenly screams for food an hour and a half later. She drank for half an hour, which made me insanely happy. She's a pretty skinny baby. Funny how you want the exact opposite with a baby (compared with older kids/adults): you want'em chubby. She also dislikes some solid foods: she makes these *choaky* sounds when eating some things. :-( Ah well, I'm not worrying too much.

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She loves to play with that parasol.

My real question--the boy (almost 8 mos now!) is not a fantastic little traveler and we're about to take a 5 or 6 hour trip. We did it once when he could be counted on to sleep a couple of hours in the car but I don't have high hopes for this time. The initial plan was to take off in the morning, before his morning nap, and at least get that hour asleep in the car. Someone suggested we take off in the evening and let him sleep part of overnight in the car and we're considering that now. Pros: kid probably sleeps whole way. Cons: we are a bit tired during the drive and when we arrive, and when kid wakes up for transfer to bed, he'll think nighttime sleep is over and be ready to play. Pros: we're going to my folks and they'd probably be delighted to get up at midnight and play with the kid for an hour until he realizes he's still tired.

my god, what a tiny little decision I have just elaborated, feel free to ignore all this, my life is all these tiny little decisions.

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In regard to travelling? We did it once, never again... until next year. Ophelia was screaming and crying the whole day when we went to my PIL. :-(

Come on, people, I wanna see pictures of your kids!

Ophelia has six teeth now. Luckily she doesn't bite my nipples so breastfeeding is a joy. I only do it twice a day now. What a change! I used to do +8 feedings a day. She eats quite well and is growing a little slower than before.

She loves her walker and sleeps 12 hours at night. During the day she takes one or two naps. The rest is PLAYTIME with mummy and daddy. She doesn't sit yet but does sort of lifts herself on hands and knees. She doesn't really crawl forwards, only backwards. But damn it's cute seeing her run around in the walker.

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Ava now recognises rabbits (makes ears above her head, says "hop hop") and cats ("meow"). Showing some signs of recognising letters too (points at signs and says "mmmm" or "ohhh" for "M" and "O"). Also asks to be lifted up onto the couch ("up"). She gave me a kiss the other day! A smacker, right on the chin. Will not stop singing "E-I-E-I-O" from Old MacDonald or "Bob Bob Bobby Bob" (her version of the Bobinogs theme).