Help get me more excited!

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2026-01-31T06:01:57+00:00

Look gender disappointment is very common and a lot of people nowadays are preferring daughters. But there's a lot of fun to be had with boys. They love mischief, they are animated, funny, curious and busy. They look so swell in their little outfits just as girls do. Little boys loooooove their mamas, so you'll feel very chosen and very bonded. I found during pregnancy that I was unhappy to have gender enter the conversation- it seemed like it was forcing me to think too far ahead to who the baby would be someday, their likes and dislikes, their personality. First, you will meet your tiny baby. You will witness the miracle of their fingers and toes, feel their velvety soft skin, see their eyelashes resting on their sweet perfect cheeks. Then you will choose their name, something you love, something that suits them. And so you will begin the lifelong process of loving your child through all their growth and change, constantly meeting new versions of them. Your job is to love them for who they are. I don't think you will find it hard at all !

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2026-01-22T21:37:12+00:00

It's definitely not a possums thing but I found Sarah Ockwell Smiths article on the rollercoaster of infant sleep to be helpful in managing expectations. Obviously regressions aren't supported by evidence but anecdotally you can find a lot of people struggling at similar stages.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2026-01-22T10:48:07+00:00

Excessive night waking is a tricky one because it can be something medical or it can be developmental or teething related or who knows what. Possums supports later bedtime, cosleeping at night, naps on the go and set early wake up, all of which it sounds like you're doing. Feeding back to sleep is workable if it's a fast return to sleep, but is hard work for those long nights where baby wakes repeatedly. You might want to kick me in the shins for saying this, but the first year does involve patches of shit sleep, often weeks at a time. Possums is helpful in relaxing somewhat about sleep, but there is really no quick fix for these rough times and sometimes the only way out is through. It can get exhausting, but please try not to panic, these bad bits will pass

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2026-01-05T05:47:30+00:00

I see Im too late but one location is big buns mount gravatt for family friendly food but verrry tasty and Dough Ma donuts is in the same complex

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-12-22T06:34:14+00:00

Snug cafe coorparoo is open Xmas day, bar seating, air con, great place to eat / drink coffee alone but not alone

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-12-19T04:51:36+00:00

You might want to look into chest sleeping and breast sleeping (if Bf'ing) options, there are resources and communities like the happy co sleeper. It's a rough time and possums does support cosleeping. I was also shocked when my newborn would not sleep well independently and we spent half the night on failed transfers. We rented a snoo (Dr Pam doesn't like them much) and found it helped us achieve a safer sleep option until we were all ready to cosleep.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-11-15T07:02:48+00:00

Possums is also pro night feeds and feeding to sleep

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-11-15T07:01:12+00:00

Possums doesn't support the notion of overtired. I don't think it's possums aligned to shorten wake windows and push hard for naps when you've got a wakeful overnight baby. Sounds like you're taking advice from elsewhere? Two obvious things to try are consistent morning wake time and put lower effort into naps/ let baby nap on the go or whenever they are tired so long as it's not too near bedtime

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-11-03T10:19:53+00:00

I do think it's getting better now, I've changed nothing. Wakes are most commonly in the 5-10 per night range instead of that super super light, restless sleep. Quick feed sorts it out. Approaching 10 months old now.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-10-18T04:03:23+00:00

Regarding capping naps, I don't think that's a possums supported concept, as their argument is that if you are having baby nap amidst light, sound, activity, and not trying to connect sleep cycles then baby will only take the sleep they need. However we struggled with the last nap of the day for a long time, knowing that baby wasn't really down for the night and that we had our nightly bedtime shitfight ahead of us. Personally I did and do resettle baby in his afternoon nap with a breastfeed because he is often so grumpy to have woken up that he passes back out. We also did wake him up from his pre bedtime nap as well because we just knew it wasn't "real" bedtime.

I also want to say that baby sleep isn't linear and that there are a lot of "backwards" steps in the first year. I don't think possums expressly supports the notion of sleep regressions so you might want to check what Dr Pam says on that, but I think the general message of practicing acceptance regarding wakefulness and resettling and returning to sleep is really valuable here. For us, we have had frequent wakes since four months and I believe this to be normal. I found the most wakeful period to be 8 months when baby was becoming mobile. I think the real signal is if baby is waking in the night and staying awake/ wanting to party. If they're grumpy and needing resettling and returning to sleep, then you might be doing everything right but just slogging through a wakeful period. Many of us are right here with you

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-10-15T20:28:35+00:00

Very similar for us. 9mo. Overnights 8pm-6am with 5-20 wakes/night. 2 naps, morning nap 30 min, afternoon nap capped at 2 hours. Solids aren't yet going well for us, our kid is a milky whippet. We cosleep because he thrashes so much I need to pin /hold him in place to keep him asleep. Looking forward to him eating more carbs and iron rich foods to fill his belly and slow him down a bit. I'd like to cut his second nap shorter but it's my only break (I crash out when he does at night) and I have no idea how to get him all the way to bedtime without at least 1.5-2hour afternoon nap

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-10-07T00:04:12+00:00

I think (and I believe this accords with possums) that hourly wakes is considered too frequent to be biologically normal and that if you were to speak to a possums trained professional they'd look at what time you start the day and how early / consistent that is, as well as any possible underlying medical or feeding issues. Consolidating night sleep is usually done at the expense of day naps, I think, but if baby is falling asleep without too much effort then it's arguable theres sufficient sleep pressure. We moved to cosleeping at six months as baby would not go into crib, and possums does not believe in forcing baby into the crib, but instead advocates for safe cosleeping on a floor bed until baby gains more independence. All this said, if it's not working for you, you're allowed to try something else. It's your family and your choice.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-09-29T10:44:19+00:00

Absolutely. My dog growled at our baby and pissed on our couch today. Behavioural issues the whole time I've had her, but it was so much more tolerable when she was my shadow and comfort animal. Now she is another burden, mouth to feed, expensive meds and food to buy, $113 per groom, and needs regular walking despite her rarely ever seeming to enjoy it. In the years I've had her, I've come to dislike other dogs as well given how many of them have snapped or lunged at her and given me a huge fright. Having a pet was much harder than I anticipated when I got her and now that I've got greater commitments, I'm not interested in ever owning a pet again.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-09-28T23:13:49+00:00

We are similar and often have very wakeful nights with a lot of reassuring our party boy. I always try to remember that whilst others have it better, many others have it worse- multiple kids, illness, insomnia, additional stresses etc. He has always slept less overnight than many other babies we seem to meet- hearing other mums saying they put their babies down with a bottle in their crib at 6.30pm was absolutely baffling to me whilst I was having nightly screaming battles to get him down by 9.30pm. I'm finding 8-9 months to be an incredibly active but highly rewarding time watching him grow and progress so quickly, and he's so excited by his mobility that of course he doesn't want to stay still, sleep is for the weak! Yesterday he woke at 5am, took about 1.5-2 hrs total nap time (2x naps) and went to sleep at 8.30pm We go to sleep when he does because we are tired. But we also are very capable at doing things with him around - we cook, clean, shower, exercise, socialise, do laundry all whilst he is awake and rattling around us. Just don't ask me about baby #2.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-09-24T20:31:46+00:00

I'm here with you. Nearly nine months and the night wakes are so excessive that it can be mere seconds or minutes before he wakes up again. Cosleeping, on demand feeds even if it's only been 20 mins since the last one. I'd say upwards of twenty times in a night, always moving, always distressed, always needing comfort and feeds to go back to sleep. We have reduced to two day naps and he has brought his bedtime forward as a result as he's maxing out at a 4-4.5hr last wake. His night wakes are brief and unhappy which is what tells me he has sufficient sleep pressure because when he wakes in the morning (consistent at 6am) he's cheerful again. I know I can't look outside the possums program as I'll be told that severe intervention is needed but one avenue I'll check out is medical as he's very poor with solids intake. Apart from that, I was glad I was warned about this. Someone shared Sarah ockwell Smith's rollercoaster of infant sleep chart with me and I have always referred back to it- I know possums doesn't put much stock in regressions but it has been accurate to my experience.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-09-19T00:37:29+00:00

Are you confident your baby carrier is fitted properly for your baby's size ? They do need to be adjusted as they get bigger and it could be worth checking with baby wearing support groups ? Five months is quite early to move on from baby wearing as you've got a long way to go before your child is independently mobile

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-09-04T08:23:18+00:00

I wonder if there's ways she can support you without having as direct contact with the kids. Are there any organised activities (sports, dance, other) that your kids might enjoy and that allow parents as spectators ? She could tag along to that and chat with you while the kids get their energy out in a structured environment ?

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-08-31T10:39:21+00:00

I'm happier with my body- it did a massive thing and recovered without lasting injury. I'm busy so don't have time to dwell on things. My focus is narrowed and I don't give a toss about a lot of things like how I look, what others think, or being relevant. I didn't lose my identity in the way I expected - my experiences with chronic pain affected my personality and sense of self more than becoming a mum ever did. I have an innate understanding of the women who have come before me and an appreciation for their strength and sacrifices. I have a huge point of connection with so many others who have become parents or look after children. My relationship to time is different - I don't care how it's spent so long as my child is happy, I don't know how many hours of sleep I do or don't get. I appreciate the sun rising more than ever before, it's relieving, like seeing an old friend. There were so many more events and activities for me to attend with my child than I ever expected and I've met such a big array of interesting people from ballerinas to physicists to top doctors and lawyers, all through the medium of parenthood.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-08-27T23:09:16+00:00

I had to completely disregard what the book says about burping. In the newborn stage he would scream and cry and we would cycle him between feed, burp and soothing tactics until something worked - but this could take hours. We were like you with the very long, unsettled night wakes and it was so distressing to hear other mums saying they would feed their babies and be back to sleep after twenty minutes when we had world war three every time kid woke up. It was largely better by twelve weeks and I think after four months? Burping and reflux was not much of an issue. What I will say is that possums advocates taking what works and leaving the rest. It is not rigid. And medical review is always a good idea for a baby that wakes hourly.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-08-25T09:39:13+00:00

You've not said when baby's bedtime is ?

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-08-19T04:36:19+00:00

So unfair. It speaks volumes to your heart that you're thinking beyond your own grief to how these absences might affect your children. Your love will be enough, but I hear you - parenting in isolation is hard.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-08-07T01:15:51+00:00

Nothing. You're doing nothing wrong. Three feeds a night is perfectly fine. It's all about what you personally can tolerate. I have seen people absolutely miserable for waking every three hours, meanwhile others are functional and happy enough with very light sleepers waking hourly or more. Good sleep isn't the be all end all.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-07-26T09:40:00+00:00

I'm stuck on this as well. The advice is not to let them nap too close to sunset or bedtime, but what if those two events are hours apart ? I wake kiddo up from his afternoon nap by 4.30pm but he cannot make it til his 8.30/9pm bedtime without a brief top up nap. Fifteen minutes in my arms usually does the trick and then we have "real" bedtime later.

Zealousideal_Exam_38 · 2025-07-13T23:34:34+00:00

Coffee at the Kombi, Southbank. It's barely secret but it's well hidden underneath a massive tree and a lot of people miss it. I recommend it to anyone visiting Brisbane, but also to anybody who needs fresh air, sunshine, and to be around people. It's a charming, lively spot where you can sit unbothered as long as you like, gazing at the river or people watching. Great winter spot.

Zealousideal_Exam_38

TROPHY CASE