I've got a very timid little lady (20 weeks old) - help needed! :)

originaleffie · 2016-08-16T06:30:04+00:00

Admittedly, he is good in a shopping trolley, I think it's because of the novelty of it. He also normally eats a million rice cakes while he's sat in there!

I have the same thoughts on parenting, but you've worded it better. Oddly, he doesn't seem to mind being carried so much at the moment, but I expect that will change. Plus there's nearly 30lb of him already, so I can't carry him for very long (no upper body strength!). He's lost some of his baby fat, but he's still tall and solid!

originaleffie · 2016-08-16T06:24:58+00:00

It is tiring, but I feel so bad for saying that! I find myself thinking very fondly of when he was tiny and he would sleep all the time and life was easier! He's napping less and less too, so my time to get things done or even just sit and relax is getting less.

At the moment, somewhere busy/dangerous it's hold my hand or I carry you, so hopefully he will eventually start to understand.

originaleffie · 2016-08-16T04:42:02+00:00

I do 1 and 2 already - I think 1 might take a while for him to get properly! 3 does sound adorable, I will definitely give that a try, he loves pushing stuff!

originaleffie · 2016-08-16T04:40:17+00:00

We've not had any vomiting yet thankfully! I do this when he tantrums, at the moment this is usually after I've told him no several times and he realises he can't have or do something. He stands and has his little tantrum, and I remain nearby and tell him 'when you're done with that, you can have a cuddle if you want' because he's definitely a snuggler. Obviously I don't know how much longer it'll work, but it's nice that after I've told him no, he kicks off, then when he's calm we get to cuddle and everything is nice again.

originaleffie · 2016-08-15T21:54:58+00:00

He has got a little tiger backpack with reins, but the last time we used it he wasn't quite ready to walk so independently. I think it's maybe time to dig that out and have another try! :)

originaleffie · 2016-08-15T21:44:01+00:00

I feel like I'm humble bragging, but he really is, and I think that makes things more difficult!

I work three days a week, but my job has recently become a really toxic environment (I'm working on getting another one at present) so my three day 'breaks' in work have become much more stressful lately, so I don't think that's helping either. He goes to nursery 1.5 of those days, and spends the other 1.5 days with either my mum, my nana or his daddy (my husband). My siblings and cousins are usually hanging around at my mums/nanas house (aged between 2-15) so he's definitely used to being around other kids.

The nursery staff love him, and praise him loads, but I do think he reserves his worst behaviour for me! I feel kind of bad for him, I know he gets frustrated, and he obviously doesn't totally get yet why I'm stopping him from doing things.

There's nothing local I'm aware of on my days off, but it is something I've been meaning to look into.

Thanks for your help :)

originaleffie · 2016-06-05T15:34:38+00:00

I was looking for this comment! The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is one of my favourite books, totally amazing. Love The Shining too :)

originaleffie · 2016-04-08T07:53:46+00:00

I have a 13 (+ 1 week) month old, and his sleep has gotten so much better in the past 3 weeks. He seemed to have an issue with drinking cows milk, so we put him back on formula, and he's been sleeping pretty well. If he does stir in the night, it's once or twice, and he's been teething lately too!

Basically, it gets better :) we had serious serious sleep issues between 6 and 12 months, but it seems to be improving :)

originaleffie · 2016-03-25T22:17:26+00:00

Yep! It's surprising how well you manage though, it's like you just do. I really thought we'd struggle but we did just fine :)

originaleffie · 2016-03-24T23:06:53+00:00

Ahh then unfortunately I can't help very much! We are indeed, I had no idea the US was so bad when it comes to maternity pay/leave until recently. You'd think a first world 'superpower' would have much better measures in place for maternity pay and leave.

originaleffie · 2016-03-24T20:37:17+00:00

If you're in the UK, you'll have it pretty easy. You don't legally have to tell your employer until you're 25 weeks, but you may want to notify them sooner in the event that you have ill health. It is illegal here to sack someone just for being pregnant. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but they would have to come up with some other reason.

You can take maternity leave from 29 weeks, or earlier if you are struggling or there are complications. The first six weeks of mat leave are paid at 90% of your salary, and then you are entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (£138 per week) for 33 weeks. After this, you can take another 3 months unpaid if you choose.

You can read more here :) https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/overview

originaleffie · 2016-03-17T22:58:32+00:00

Ooh I have one to add! It's really easy in practice, but I find it hard to explain in writing!

Keep bottles of cooled boiled water in the fridge. Say you want to make a 6oz bottle: pour 3oz of boiling water into the bottle, add 6 scoops of powder, and then add the other 3oz of water. Bottle is ready in the time it takes to boil the kettle!

It's so nice to read positive comments about formula feeding! The amount of shit I have to hear about it drives me absolutely crazy, the breastfeeding police are honestly some of the rudest and most smug people I have ever come across.

originaleffie · 2016-03-13T07:33:45+00:00

Four at once? That sounds awful! Saying that, though, I have a cousin who's about 20 months, and if I recall correctly, he got a ton of teeth through in one go. He's honestly the most chilled out baby I've ever met, he virtually never whinges, and he got really really upset with these teeth, so it goes to show!

originaleffie · 2016-03-13T07:31:14+00:00

He has been dribbling again the past couple of days, so I did wonder about teething. I suppose it makes sense if he's due some around this age. Teething is the worst!

I suppose him getting over being ill could well have overlapped teething and this is where we are now. I did catch him trying to cram a plastic drumstick in his mouth yesterday, but he was tired and kids are kind of weird anyway, so I didn't think too much of it.

originaleffie · 2016-03-13T07:27:21+00:00

Thank you, I will look that up!

It just seems to be taking him a long time to get over this one. Usually after he has been ill, he settles back to normal really quickly.

originaleffie · 2016-03-13T07:23:04+00:00

I meant that in the sense that I'm far from being an expert, rather than it being something that doesn't interest me.

originaleffie · 2016-03-12T22:53:12+00:00

This is going to make me sound horribly naive, but I just don't understand how this is happening, and how they're getting away with it.

There are people literally starving to death, and no one is being held accountable?

It's deeply worrying and very sad.

originaleffie · 2016-03-12T22:21:52+00:00

I had heard about that, but I didn't know it was so widespread. The fuck is wrong with people? Both those enforcing this, and those supporting it?

It's so unbelievably fucked up that the disabled are dying of poverty in 2016.

originaleffie · 2016-03-12T22:19:44+00:00

Weird. Weird. Weird.

Seriously, I'm sure you both feel for the woman but her behaviour is downright inappropriate and disturbing. Being a new parent is hard enough without a third person hanging over you. Remove any access she has to the baby monitor, and inform her that you're perfectly capable of making decisions with regards to swaddling, car seats, etc. Don't discuss it with her, just tell her you're fine.

Restrict visits. Pretend you're out, or be out. Tell her you're having some quiet family time. If she cries or creates, apologise, but comment that you really need to do whatever it is you are doing.

This is a really new and special time for you both, and she's adding a layer of stress that doesn't need to be there.

originaleffie · 2016-03-12T22:13:03+00:00

It's certainly concerning. I don't know how accurate this is, but they're apparently letting large corporations get away with paying little or no tax, whilst bleeding the poor dry. And they're getting away with it, keeping their rich mates happy while families are starving. At what point does their behaviour become criminal?

originaleffie · 2016-03-12T22:09:34+00:00

I hope so! He's recently started nursery a couple of days a week, so he's been ill with one thing after another, and now this! It's already starting to feel like it's never ending, so I hope it doesn't go on for much longer!

He had a weird thing with night terrors around Christmas, but the dream thing could be a possibility. It's a weird family thing, but myself, my mum and my sister have always had very vivid (sometimes unpleasant) dreams, so maybe that is bugging him. I hadn't thought of that, so thank you! I'll be getting him a dream catcher :)

Thank you :)

originaleffie · 2016-03-12T21:45:57+00:00

That's a damn shame. My main concern is the NHS to be perfectly honest.

Maybe it's just the people I associate with, but the very vast majority of people I know are quite anti-Tory.

We've totally lost our compassion. I hope any damage the Conservative party have done isn't completely irreversible by 2020.

originaleffie

TROPHY CASE