[tommytwotone]

Like so many other things, think it's horses for courses - I reckon with Una we were just lucky that she is / was a good sleeper, got the hang of it pretty quick and once she's out nothing wakes her up. I actually set off a smoke alarm in a holiday cottage we were staying at which was so loud it actually hurt my ears, sorted it all out and then went to check on her and she was still flat out enjoying her nap!


Having been through it myself now, I think basically you just do whatever it takes to get to a state where you're not stumbling round like a zombie through sleep deprivation yourself. Oh how I am looking forward to embarking on that journey once again in a couple of months.

[SA Chris]

Remember only half the things you learn from #1 will work for #2. They like to keep you guessing.

[Oldmanmatt]

TTT, when will that happen (not stumbling around like a Zombie)?
All of mine are over 8 and yet we still had world war 3 this morning, cos she (No.4) hit him (No.3), or he (No.2) hit him, or something and thats why (one of them, you pick) threw the beanbag that knocked over the xmas tree.
It was his/her/his fault and all explanations shall be screamed.


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[tommytwotone]

Matt - I get the sense that your being outnumbered may not be helping your situation!   

Either that or we have just had a charmed life, and what we think is chaos is actually a serene utopia other parents would kill to live...

All that said, we've both said after this one, that's it - no more. My other half was way, way more sick and tired early doors with this pregnancy and I was terrified we'd got twins so were quite relieved to hear we're only increasing the household population by a third.

Chris, totally ready for that, plus this one's a boy which I suspect will be a whole new challenge / learning curve.

[SA Chris]

They say boys are hard babies and easy toddlers. Swings and roundabouts though - some things will be harder some easier; older son guaranteed would fall asleep in seconds of going in pram, or car, daughter would only sleep in bed or sling. We had real hassles getting him to sleep though the night, she did it herself, no problem.

[Oldmanmatt]

Matt - I get the sense that your being outnumbered may not be helping your situation!   

Either that or we have just had a charmed life, and what we think is chaos is actually a serene utopia other parents would kill to live...

All that said, we've both said after this one, that's it - no more. My other half was way, way more sick and tired early doors with this pregnancy and I was terrified we'd got twins so were quite relieved to hear we're only increasing the household population by a third.

Chris, totally ready for that, plus this one's a boy which I suspect will be a whole new challenge / learning curve.

For the love of all that's holy, stop at two!


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[Oldmanmatt]

So, Alex (No.3) had THE BUG on Friday and threw up all night.
Stacy (No.1)had THE BUG on Monday night and threw up all night.

I felt like crud all day today, but managed not to throw.

Did we dodge the bullet?

Is it over?

Is it bollocks.

Lily (No.4) just burst from her bedroom and redecorated the landing carpet in hues of chewed chip, masticated broccoli and minced lamb.
Another sleepless night beckons! Oh the joys of parenthood...

Important lessons learned this week:

1. The Vax carpet cleaner is the dogs doodas. Worth every penny.
2. Wipe clean mattress protectors. Thank f#*k.
3. When a friend says "is it ok for little Jimmy to come to Lily's birthday party (last Friday), because we don't think he's infectious anymore" , say NO.


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[chris j]

Chris, totally ready for that, plus this one's a boy which I suspect will be a whole new challenge / learning curve.

Since our #2 (boy) arrived 6 days ago, my main challenge has been catching random long range weeing on the changing table. He's a kicker so anything absorbent I put on there stays for about 3 seconds. Unlike the girls, it can go in any direction...

Otherwise he's been much calmer than his big sister and will actually lie in his cot for a while when he's not asleep. Actually our other challenge is stopping his 2 year old sister crushing him when she comes in for hugs and kisses.

[tommytwotone]

Chris, totally ready for that, plus this one's a boy which I suspect will be a whole new challenge / learning curve.

Since our #2 (boy) arrived 6 days ago, my main challenge has been catching random long range weeing on the changing table. He's a kicker so anything absorbent I put on there stays for about 3 seconds. Unlike the girls, it can go in any direction...

Otherwise he's been much calmer than his big sister and will actually lie in his cot for a while when he's not asleep. Actually our other challenge is stopping his 2 year old sister crushing him when she comes in for hugs and kisses.

Congrats! (on the new arrival of course, not on the piss fountains...)


Think I'll be in exactly the same boat as you then - Una will be 2, nearly 3 when her brother arrives. I had heard people say that boys are a calmer babies, but then again I know a lot of people with toddler-age boys who are regularly waking at 4/5am ready to go for the day. As Chris said, swings and roundabouts!

[chris j]

Next doors 3 yo girl has co-slept with the parents from the word dot. I'm not convinced (far from it) that this was a good plan given the wailing/tantrums etc.. we hear at many odd hours of the night/evening/morning...

My brother's 3 1/2 year old co-slept, his wife also believed in feeding when ever requested,  I think it made it much more difficult when they initially tried to move her to her own bedroom at around 9 months, which took a few tries until they more or less succeeded at about 2 1/2. Until 3 months ago (when their second arrived) every night she still came into their bed at 3 in the morning for a feed and slept there the rest of the night. I believe my brother would decamp to the toddler's room to sleep the rest of the night on a mattress on the floor as there was no space in the bed for him....

[tomtom]

Chris. Congrats.
To avoid piss fountains get a damp cotton wool ball and make a small dimple hole in it with your finger - then pop that on his Hampton whilst changing him. Midwife friend taught us that trick..

[Oldmanmatt]

Chris, totally ready for that, plus this one's a boy which I suspect will be a whole new challenge / learning curve.

Since our #2 (boy) arrived 6 days ago, my main challenge has been catching random long range weeing on the changing table. He's a kicker so anything absorbent I put on there stays for about 3 seconds. Unlike the girls, it can go in any direction...

Otherwise he's been much calmer than his big sister and will actually lie in his cot for a while when he's not asleep. Actually our other challenge is stopping his 2 year old sister crushing him when she comes in for hugs and kisses.

Congrats! Fun ain't it...

I had to look after my lad, mostly singlehanded. I always had a nappy ready before starting, opened up; that I just laid over him as soon as the dirty one was moved. He found it harder to kick off, wedged between his legs.
It was rarely the nappy that actually got put on him.

My youngest daughter is still in pull ups at night, at 8 years, because she doesn't produce (enough of) the hormone that should wake her up to pee. Of course, at that age, the quantity of pee often results in serious overflow and late night sheet changing. I knew nothing about this condition until she came along, but we might be dealing with it until she hits puberty. Fortunately, with the vomiting bug she has now, it meant she had a meaty mattress cover.

Still had to decamp her to the lounge, with Mrs OMM for the night, so her sister wasn't kept awake too. So woke to this:



She and the dog have a very special bond, the dog has been fussing over her since before we realised she was sick.


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[SA Chris]

Since our #2 (boy) arrived 6 days ago,

Congrats mate. Another wild trip.

[chris j]

Thanks everyone.

So far I'm amazed what I'd managed to blank out from the first time, little things like waking up to be on the receiving end of 5 minutes of blind incandescent fury from your baby when you carry out a pre-feed nappy change at 3 in the morning. Who would have thought there could be so much anger in such a small package.

[SA Chris]

Hell hath no fury like a hungry baby.

[T_B]

Who would have thought there could be so much anger in such a small package.

Wait till he's 3! (congrats by the way : ))

My Dad advice now that my two boys are 3 and 5 is this: If you have any nice furniture either a) sell it, b) put it into storage or c) give it away.

[SA Chris]

d) cover it with bubble wrap. Along with the entire house.

[lagerstarfish]

e) get a girl child so that the boys can see an alternative way of doing stuff

(two girls and a boy for me - the boy is large and active and has fortunately learned a lot from his sisters)

[Oldmanmatt]

Our smallest is a girl.
"Bull in a china shop" springs to mind.

Or Genghis Kahn on acid.

One of those.


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[chris j]

Our 2 year old girl rampages and climbs and swings on everything. Daddy is quietly proud, Mum frequently horrified. At the same time she's a girlie girl already when it comes to clothes...

[Muenchener]

Well, it was going to happen sooner or later, and it happened today. The lad flashed a bloc that took me three goes.
[/prouddad]

I expect  in the next couple of years I will be campaigning vigorously for a ban on stumpy twunt cheating beta.

[Oldmanmatt]

Our 2 year old girl rampages and climbs and swings on everything. Daddy is quietly proud, Mum frequently horrified. At the same time she's a girlie girl already when it comes to clothes...

Hmmm...

We're not there with "girls clothes", she's just not on that page.
She was allowed to choose her own outfit for a, very formal, wedding earlier this year:

Well, it was going to happen sooner or later, and it happened today. The lad flashed a bloc that took me three goes.
[/prouddad]

I expect  in the next couple of years I will be campaigning vigorously for a ban on stumpy twunt cheating beta.

Nice though ain't it. [emoji16]



All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[tomtom]

Cots.

Time for TT jnr to have a cot rather than the snuzzshizzpod thing thats strapped to the side of the bed.

I like the look of the Ikea ones (decent but cheap - look nice, removable side, couple of levels) but MrsTT seems in favour of more expensive ones that also convert into 'toddler beds' etc... Is this any use? Or will he be wanting a Thomas the tank engine/Gansta stylee small bed at that point anyway...

Or does it really not matter at all (probably the most likely option!).

 

[SA Chris]

Just get a cheap second hand barred cot, from any NCT sale near you. A new mattress to fit is probably a good idea though.

We then got one of the IKEA extendable beds which both kids have used (sometimes even simultaneously).

[tommytwotone]

What Chris said - we got a hand-me-down cot which served us fine. Just get a new mattress (think there's a minimal risk to spine etc development re-using an old one, but you can't be too careful etc), but you can pick them up in Mothercare etc relatively cheaply.


Once Una was 2 she graduated to her "big girl bed" which is just a normal pine single bed. We were a bit worried about her falling out of it so just had a rolled up blanket on the non-wall side under the fitted sheet as a bolster. I think she's only fallen out of it twice!