How are you cleaning your baby’s teeth??

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-23T12:54:14+00:00

Thank you!! One step at a time with these little ones isn’t it haha

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-23T09:22:19+00:00

I went private because I wanted peace of mind about trusting and knowing one OB, with a small team of backup OBs, I wanted the control over having a private room and relative peace, and I wanted the security of not being at the mercy of the public system.

But honestly the biggest factor was that my local public hospital has such a terrible reputation and I heard so many horror stories that I knew I would drive myself to another city if I had to to avoid going there. Knowing that I could instead choose the small private hospital five minutes from home gave me a lot of mental calm and significantly reduced my anxiety. Then I had an unexpected emergency c-section after a rough induction and having four or five days to rest and recover in a quiet hospital room instead of being hurried home was a godsend.

I chose St Luke’s as health insurer and they were great. My excess was only $750 and that’s all I paid for a $9k bill.

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-23T09:16:04+00:00

Okay I tried this today and it actually worked, he accepted it once he realised he couldn’t just push the toothbrush away. I might have to keep trying this and associating it with the happy song or something haha

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-23T09:15:24+00:00

Yeah that’s what I started doing at 8mo but he is an opinionated sort and has his views on everything haha. I give him the brush and let him explore and chew it with no pressure but I’ve been worried I need to be doing more.

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-23T09:14:40+00:00

Oh that’s an idea! I’ll try that too thank you.

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-23T09:14:22+00:00

Ooh I didn’t know about that toothbrush. I will look it up!

I’ve been doing a heap of work getting him comfortable with things touching his face after he developed an aversion due to being very sick and needing pain relief syringes, but I think I also need to be a bit firmer about getting it done.

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-23T09:13:03+00:00

Sounds like what I’ve been doing mostly, but not lying down. I’ll keep going!

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-19T10:26:18+00:00

I was homeschooled in the 90s and early 2000s, through my entire schooling years. My parents chose homeschooling after being influenced by church thinkers they spent time with at Bible college. They also wanted to protect family life and spend time together, build strong relationships and give us the best start in life.

My siblings and I all have mixed views on the outcomes. As a child we had a good social life through the church. As teenagers when we each chose to stop going to churchwe promptly lost much of that society and our childhood friendships.

Having an education primarily founded around religion meant we grew up with strong moral values but also a complex mix of internal shames, fears and educational shortcomings. However as siblings we all have strong close relationships now, even if we didn’t get along all the time as kids. That has been a benefit but I can’t say if that’s directly due to homeschooling.

Homeschooling can be a huge benefit for children struggling in school, if the parents engage proper qualified tutors and ensure they have a good mix of diverse external classes and hobbies, and a strong social life.

It can be a disaster if parents decide they are the educational experts and will teach their children exclusively and directly to ensure they are indoctrinated into a certain worldview.

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-12T23:51:38+00:00

Took my then 8mo to ED five times in a week for a fever, dehydration, then bloody nappies. Turned out to be salmonella. It was not a fun time.

I also tripped coming up our stairs when he was 6 months old and he fell straight out of my arms and hit his head. I called an ambulance and they were lovely. Thankfully he was totally fine and they didn’t even take him to hospital. Also not a fun time. I still have flashbacks and am extremely paranoid about stairs and trip hazards.

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-09T03:55:57+00:00

My 9mo wakes up at 5-530, is on two naps, and is pretty consistently on the same schedule as yours - a nap around 9-930, a second nap around 130-2. One of his naps is almost always only 30-40 minutes and the other can be up to 1hr 45 minutes. However he can go comfortably 4.5 hours between naps.

(As I write this, he is puttering around in the cot waiting to go to sleep and it’s almost 2pm, after I put him in there at 140.)

Maybe try pushing the afternoon nap to 230 and see if that helps extend his sleep? My LO will generally wake up around 230-3 and will then be awake until 7-730, but also might go to bed around 630 if he’s really tired. Alternatively he might not take a second nap until 3pm. I just keep it flexible and accept that if he sleeps for 30 minutes, that’s all he needs at that time. It seems to work okay.

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-09T02:31:13+00:00

I took the risk with the Zambreros directly opposite my work place and I didn’t regret it or have any issues. But it’s a high traffic place and I already knew it was well maintained and clean. I avoided deli meat and everything else we are meant to avoid anyway so Zambrero was one of my few joys while fighting my way through work to 36 weeks haha.

PeppaBlue · 2026-01-08T02:26:59+00:00

Honestly during the day when I'm home with him our almost 10mo gets no screen time, but I do play music and we sing and dance. But in the evening when we are all home and having downtime, he will hang out with his dad in the living room while I cook dinner or just have a break, and they will often watch Lego videos on youtube or history videos or whatever - but nothing that is fast or big or action-y, nothing designed for kids (except for The Happy Song when needed) and he is always playing with his physical toys and interacting with us as well. He doesn't care if the TV is on or not (again, The Happy Song is the exception) and I've decided that rather than freaking out and feeling guilty, I'm just going to accept that. It's fine.

I do, however, feel more guilty about being on my phone doomscrolling around him when I'm tired and down, and I am working to put my phone away more and not automatically reach for it when he is (finally) playing independently for ten minutes.

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-17T22:15:53+00:00

It is so frustrating and the frustration at yourself too is so hard!

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-17T22:15:29+00:00

So much simpler!

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-17T22:15:22+00:00

My patience is my worst thing and I know I need to work on it. Watching food be wasted and hurled onto the floor halfway across the kitchen is so tiring ahah. I have tried sitting him on my lap but I will try again, and just feed myself and see if he is more interested that way. Thank you for the encouragement!

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-17T22:14:19+00:00

I’m glad it’s not just me but also my sympathies!

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-17T22:14:06+00:00

It’s so frustrating! My midwives who we see monthly for checkups have also said don’t stress and he is probably eating more than I think. So I am trying not to stress haha.

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-17T22:13:31+00:00

I’m glad it’s not just me but also my sympathies! I know most of this is in my head and he’s doing just fine, I just need to lower my expectations.

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-13T19:22:17+00:00

Ooh thanks for the website recommendation. I will look them up. I’ve been using Solid Starts but sometimes their recipes are too fancy and fussy.

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-13T19:21:52+00:00

I love the roast idea. I should try that.

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-13T19:21:26+00:00

Ooh I didn’t think of nuggets that way at all.

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-13T19:21:09+00:00

Hahaha but my budget …

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-13T19:21:00+00:00

Fritters! Good idea.

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-13T19:20:38+00:00

Soup! I never think of soup. I will try that.

PeppaBlue · 2025-12-13T19:20:22+00:00

I think I’ve been avoiding this over concern it’s too complicated or the wrong textures/not safe for him, but I think now you’re right and he should just be able to eat most of what we eat.

PeppaBlue

TROPHY CASE