snowboarder

If you can chance it and hold on until April the Baby Jogger GT.....Supposed to be out by then!

Have been thinking - We really do use toys/books/tv alot - yeah prob really bad blah blah but anyway. They def helped when the 2yr old was little and he would let me pop stuff in his mouth fairly regularly if distracted by a couple of cars etc. Does occasionally get out of hand these days - came down to find him with a massive transporter lorry at breakfast the other day. Eating out/with others has never been a major success for me with either child. I have a complete memory blank for what food was most succesful at this age with eldest - I do know by 14m-ish we had settled into some fairly reliable meals (and I really tried to make lunch 'good' so could relax for tea time!). Often things you might not necessarily feed at baby work - annabel Karmel's toddler offerings seemed more succesful - there's a potato pizza one I think that I still use and not too prep heavy if organised. Umm...novelty plates/spoons/cups etc often go down well here. Again distract from the real issue at hand! 10m old is obsessed with drinking anything with a straw so smoothies in cups and a straw work. And fruit puree ice lollies.

Oh no! Our babies are similar ages - but mine has never been great at food and has ups and downs (current down - has learnt how to spit out food). My 2yr old has always been picky, and seems to survive on pasta/cheese/sausage/shreddies/apple and toast. I do use the ellas pouches/smoothies for them both - even the baby now can hold it and suck at it - only the stage ones which have some element of fruit in them though. If it's a really bad day the baby might have one of those and a philadelphia sandwich for lunch and I'm okish with that - and he will have those innocent fruit tubes and yoghurt squeezies (sainsbury do a sugar free one). I have always got by with pasta variants for my older child - he refused to be spoonfed, BUT would let me pop bite size pieces of pasta in his mouth (often shells so could load more veggie sauce in them!)...so pasta sauces were his veg intake. It is deeply frustrating - I feel a real failure with my eldest's diet, and it has narrowed over the last yr considerably. I do use some sneaky snacks to get through too - smoothies or banana or rice cakes. We often have the tv on at tea time (have lost all strength by then) and that distracts as do little toys - the baby in particular zones out to the cbeebies autumn song and I pop a few mouthfuls in. Also he does sometimes lunge for my plate at lunch so it's all a buffet affair - sometimes they want what they think they can't have. Ugh it is so stressful...will she eat little sandwiches? With tuna/cream cheese etc? That is my staple lunch out with both boys. Maybe if you just save a portion of your food from the night before you won't feel quite so angry when she rejects it (but not always - I was unnecessarily cross last night when baby spat out his share of meatballs!) as you haven't made it especially for her... Will try and remember some of my other 'tricks'....

Whilst yes I understand is ideal to brush post milk, we don't yet with baby. Older one doesn't have milk anymore so is ok - I actually do them both in the bath. I do toddlers teeth in the morning as much as possible but not the baby...dunno why!

Is it just too soon? My 2yr9m old had an amazing start to potty training over christmas and has only had two 'accidents' - 1 of each, but now he just refuses to wear his big boy pants. When he has pants on he's great, no fuss, hour or two between wees, asks to go rather than when prompted. But he won't poo on the potty - I know this is common, holds it in and runs around when desperate, eventually have to put a nappy on then relief. One poo in pants caused absolute hysteria ('I so SORRY mummy', sobbing). Is the poo issue affecting the training? Basically we've gone back to nappies as he just totally refuses to put pants on and I really don't think forcing him is the way forward. I'm kind of relaxed about it but it's annoying as he was so good at it mainly! And in the back of my head - is he just being a bit lazy? He wees on the potty at bathtime etc - so not as if afraid of it etc. Have been reminding him how many of his friends wear pants and how nappies are really just for sleeping and babies, but don't want to go too far with this so he feels crap! Sorry for adding to the endless potty debate. I'm seeing it as our first big 'test' post weaning!

Hire your own pod!!

I put it on a tissue and tucked it into my bra! I was pretty desperate at that point though (I also have castor oil unopened!!).

Gah I am really stupid then for determinedly going back again and again and being harassed stressed mum with baby on one arm and giggling runaway on the other....

But what is with these really lovely angelic obedient children at these classes?!? I kind of wouldn't mind if everyone was running round like a loony. Am thinking/hoping my little boy will be better when a bit older and you actually leave them at the classes. As much as anything I think it's me he plays up for...

Hmm I don't know - I don't work and my 2yr 9m old is a complete pain at organised classes. He goes to preschool 3 mornings a week and seems to love it and the staff haven't ever complained he's unruly, but at football/music/tumbletots etc he just runs around like a maniac and won't wait his turn/stand in line etc. He's fine when we go to playgroups and he can do what he likes and just play. I've actually upped his days at preschool and ditched tumbletots as it was becoming so stressful (esp with his younger brother in tow). Football is next to go I think as my husband takes him and says he just doesn't participate. It's such a shame as he's a really active boy and loves football and running around and I honestly thought he'd love the classes. Hoping it's just a maturity thing!

Poor baby snowboarder covered already. To think I was only faffing about the vaccination for eldest a month or so ago.

c7 thanks will text you in the morning! Dunno about virasoothe - tried to get some for bigger one but northcross rd chemist not helpful. By the way - don't google chickenpox. Some AWFUL stories online!

Poor 10.5m old youngest snowboarder has caught chicken pox from his big brother, despite guzzling 4 bf a day still. Just as I was grabbing the piriton and eurax we lathered over brother, realised neither suitable for a baby. Hmm. Yes I know this is medical but seeing as drs don't want to see you for chickenpox thought would ask for alternative remedies here. Poor spotty baby sleeping just now but think we might have a rough night ahead...:-(

Do you want an opinion on your names? I really like Zara. Not Madison. The others I do like but more for little girls, can't imagine them as grown up women names! Having 2 boys my girls name lists go on and on!

As an aside - I saw this high chair the other day in a shop and it looks great - it is expensive (like tripp trapp) but I tried 10m old in it and it was just so upright and neat. Certainly would be v tricky to escape from (in fact thing it doesn't even have a harness). It wasn't huge though - not sure would fit a hulking toddler in and doesn't do the convert to junior seat thing. It's kind of a really sleek/neat/compact/folding version of the ikea one with a foot rest as added bonus!

Yeah easy to get out. Now the tripp trapp on the other hand is working ok so far....!

That looks awesome! My sturdy boy got his mini micro (regular type) for christmas last yr when he was 20 months and he took to it straight away. Now he's doing wheelies at the skate park in peckham rye at coming up to 3...argh...

I have a manduca for my 10m old and the 2.8 yr old fits in it too...I really like it - it does front, back and hip carrys.

Oh and another thing to bear in mind which had not even occurred to me before starting out - or maybe it's just me - but I found I really needed to wear a bra or something like a nursing top with built in bra at night for quite a while - leakage and general comfort! So they really do have to be comfortable.

From my experience with both babies if they think baby is big they will scan you and you should see a consultant who would assess you. In my case with first baby Leonie Penna said to me the thing they worry about with big babies is shoulder dystocia - when the shoulders get stuck - but in my case she thought I would struggle to birth his head. Funny thing is his head is not now and never was particularly big. I'm sure if they were worried at all you would be offered a C section. I had to fight NOT to have an elective with second baby and he was only 9lb!!

I'm not sure about gestational diabetes - I was tested for it in my last pregnancy but the result was negative - but my first baby was a chunky one - measured big at 36 weeks and scan at 38 weeks indicated he was above 10lb. The consultant I saw at Kings as a result of this scan scared me to death (first baby!) and recommended a c section. He was big - 10lb 7oz....but...plenty have birthed bigger! It depends how you feel about it but I have always wondered what might have happened if I had tried - I did go into spontaneous labour before the scheduled section. There is a website about birthing 'big' babies - http://www.bigbaby.org.uk/ which if you want to have a vaginal birth should give you some support. Sorry - wittering on - hope that helps a bit. Good luck!

Anyone?!? Would love to pack eldest off for a morning tomorrow :-)

I have spent a fortune on nursing bras in the last 3 yrs - the best I have found are the 'Anita' underwired range. I have always worn underwired bras and was horrified initially by the non wired ones I tried. Some people I know do have concerns/problems but the wires in these bras are specifically designed for bf. I really have to say I'm not sure my bf 'career' would be quite as lengthy if not for these bras so am bit evangelical about them!! You can get them at pretty pregnant and online (cheaper and some nicer styles).

At this age with my eldest we did sing and sign, swimming, tumbletots and started to try a couple of playgroups. There's Gymboree in herne hill which sounds good too. Tried little bubbles but it seemed to require too much sitting still...not something my then 18m old fancied much (and at nearly three still doesnt!).

I realise this makes me sound a complete idiot but completely forgot to check this...does anyone know? (please say Tuesday...:-))