I think I've just forgotten how to start solids in a baby. Just getting Julian started on solids and I can't remember how much to start, which meal to give it, how often to increase etc.
Though now I've worked him up to a bit of brekky and dinner and last night he refused to drink his milk. He was actually very sleepy, and I ended up putting him in bed and letting him catnap, then waking him up 15 minutes later and feeding him again - he drank 200mL! Unfortunately he woke up at 9.30 screaming and did some farts then went back to sleep and then he woke up at 3.30am. I changed his nappy and took him to bed and we slept, and I didn't feed him and he woke up at 6am and I fed him then. So slowly I'm getting rid of the night feed! Just need to get rid of the waking up at 3.30-4.30am business and then we'd have a perfect sleep!
The other bad thing with starting solids... now I've lost my poo timer! He hasn't pooped as much as he used to and basically has held it since yesterday afternoon. I'm scared of opening a nappy and finding it overflowing with poo! I hope I can get my poo rhythm back!
1 May:
God I've definitely lost it. This morning he pooped in his nappy and then he did a big poop this afternoon in his nappy and then continued to poop while we were changing! And that was after I washed his bottom! So disheartened. But I can only continue trying. There is light at the end of the tunnel... and that is to stop cleaning poopie nappies!
Monday, 26 April 2010
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Balancing work, children, marriage and fun
I went to Yum Cha with a bunch of work friends and one of the girls there (Suzie) had met my friend Karen (who was in the same mother's group as another of the girls at the Yum Cha whose name is Felicity). So I gave Karen a call and she said that she did meet this girl and apparently Felicity and Suzie had said that I was a supermum! Well that was a nice thing to hear, and Karen was asking me how it was coping with 2 and when I think about it, it takes a timetable to make my life look so organised!
Fortunately for me I don't need much sleep. And now that I've got a routine going it makes it easy. Sometimes I wonder how I do it with the toiletting as well, coz that is really time consuming! I mean most of the time my day starts at 3.30-4am and goes till 11.30pm. Long ass day.
Other tips for coping with 2 little ones:
1) Don't try to do everything at once. You have to get to it when you get to it. That includes dinner, dishes, laundry. Kids come first otherwise you'll have chaos.
2) Involve your older child with what you're doing with the younger one. They might be rather entertained by you breastfeeding/changing a nappy/bathing the new baby. Don't lock them in a room while you're trying to do things with the baby because they'll start to resent the baby or become more difficult to manage.
3) Have a special thing that your toddler can do while you're attending to new baby. Like a special TV show, or a treat bag that ONLY gets to be played with/used while you're attending the baby.
4) When the baby is asleep or settled make sure you pay attention to your toddler so they don't feel left out.
5) Timetables. Very important in my opinion. If you and your babies know when things are going to happen then it makes life a whole lot easier to plan. I like the kids to have breakfast at the same time every day, same with lunch and dinner and bedtime.
6) Sleep whenever you can!
7) Me time is very important. I always have me time after the kids go to bed. I prefer to play computer games, but reading a book, watching a movie or sleeping is an option too! I prefer to do something rather than sleep the whole time away because then at least I felt I did something for myself.
Fortunately for me I don't need much sleep. And now that I've got a routine going it makes it easy. Sometimes I wonder how I do it with the toiletting as well, coz that is really time consuming! I mean most of the time my day starts at 3.30-4am and goes till 11.30pm. Long ass day.
Other tips for coping with 2 little ones:
1) Don't try to do everything at once. You have to get to it when you get to it. That includes dinner, dishes, laundry. Kids come first otherwise you'll have chaos.
2) Involve your older child with what you're doing with the younger one. They might be rather entertained by you breastfeeding/changing a nappy/bathing the new baby. Don't lock them in a room while you're trying to do things with the baby because they'll start to resent the baby or become more difficult to manage.
3) Have a special thing that your toddler can do while you're attending to new baby. Like a special TV show, or a treat bag that ONLY gets to be played with/used while you're attending the baby.
4) When the baby is asleep or settled make sure you pay attention to your toddler so they don't feel left out.
5) Timetables. Very important in my opinion. If you and your babies know when things are going to happen then it makes life a whole lot easier to plan. I like the kids to have breakfast at the same time every day, same with lunch and dinner and bedtime.
6) Sleep whenever you can!
7) Me time is very important. I always have me time after the kids go to bed. I prefer to play computer games, but reading a book, watching a movie or sleeping is an option too! I prefer to do something rather than sleep the whole time away because then at least I felt I did something for myself.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Spreading the word on infant potty training
After I had that negative experience at a friend's house with early start potty training, I have decided that I would make people more aware of toilet training early. So I openly tell people that I am potty training my child despite the fact he is only 6 months old.
I liken it to toilet training a puppy. Because if you can teach a dog surely you can teach a baby! Babies are smart little things, they like routines and they recognise familiar objects. If the baby can recognise a milk bottle means food time, a car seat means car ride time, or seeing a bath and knowing it's bath time then surely they can recognise that a potty/toilet means poopoo weewee time!
And it seems like extra work when you have to break the habit of the child who is used to pooing and weeing in their nappy. And if you try to introduce them to the potty at that terrible two age when they are busy asserting themselves and everything is "no" then it just seems like a daunting task. I think I did the right thing by introducing him to the potty at the early stage so he's not afraid of it and even enjoys it because it means mummy is going to play with him!
I've read that the best time to introduce it is betweeen 4-6 months of age. And that there is a window of opportunity before they start refusing to try new things. And there used to be people saying that there is psychological trauma from trying to potty train too early so that's why you have to wait till they're ready... but I don't like that approach. If we waited for our kids to be ready to eat their vegetables, go to bed early, learn manners then we'd end up with children with no boundaries and a bit wild! Hence we teach them to like eating vegies early, we train them to go to bed early... I wonder why the resistance to potty training?
And that crazy thing you read in books about how kids have no bladder and bowel control before they're 2? I think that's crazy too! Julian clearly shows some slight control, he does try and hold his poops until we get to the toilet because as soon as we get there it goes BLRRP! And he can hold his wees until he wakes up after a nap sometimes too. I truly believe that we can teach them to hold their waste if you start early.
I guess though that it's easier to just let them poop in their nappies, and I don't blame people with their busy lives now that they don't have time to do toilet training. It really is time consuming! But I look at my friends now who have children who won't poo on the toilet and only poo in their nappies and think of all the stress they're having and am glad that I have one child who doesn't have that problem, and hopefully a second who won't have the problem either. But if I can do it, and I am a mother of 2, and I work 4 days a week doing 10 hour days, then most people can too. But you have to admit I have a pretty schedule driven life, and I don't go out much (but I never did before I had kids anyway).
I think I might make a new post on that subject!
I liken it to toilet training a puppy. Because if you can teach a dog surely you can teach a baby! Babies are smart little things, they like routines and they recognise familiar objects. If the baby can recognise a milk bottle means food time, a car seat means car ride time, or seeing a bath and knowing it's bath time then surely they can recognise that a potty/toilet means poopoo weewee time!
And it seems like extra work when you have to break the habit of the child who is used to pooing and weeing in their nappy. And if you try to introduce them to the potty at that terrible two age when they are busy asserting themselves and everything is "no" then it just seems like a daunting task. I think I did the right thing by introducing him to the potty at the early stage so he's not afraid of it and even enjoys it because it means mummy is going to play with him!
I've read that the best time to introduce it is betweeen 4-6 months of age. And that there is a window of opportunity before they start refusing to try new things. And there used to be people saying that there is psychological trauma from trying to potty train too early so that's why you have to wait till they're ready... but I don't like that approach. If we waited for our kids to be ready to eat their vegetables, go to bed early, learn manners then we'd end up with children with no boundaries and a bit wild! Hence we teach them to like eating vegies early, we train them to go to bed early... I wonder why the resistance to potty training?
And that crazy thing you read in books about how kids have no bladder and bowel control before they're 2? I think that's crazy too! Julian clearly shows some slight control, he does try and hold his poops until we get to the toilet because as soon as we get there it goes BLRRP! And he can hold his wees until he wakes up after a nap sometimes too. I truly believe that we can teach them to hold their waste if you start early.
I guess though that it's easier to just let them poop in their nappies, and I don't blame people with their busy lives now that they don't have time to do toilet training. It really is time consuming! But I look at my friends now who have children who won't poo on the toilet and only poo in their nappies and think of all the stress they're having and am glad that I have one child who doesn't have that problem, and hopefully a second who won't have the problem either. But if I can do it, and I am a mother of 2, and I work 4 days a week doing 10 hour days, then most people can too. But you have to admit I have a pretty schedule driven life, and I don't go out much (but I never did before I had kids anyway).
I think I might make a new post on that subject!
Julian's first cold
Julian was very grouchy yesterday, started off being fine and drank 180mL at his first feed and then he didn't eat much for the rest of the day. He was very clingy and needed to be held to go to sleep and in fact didn't sleep very much at all! He managed to get 2 hours sleeping on his dad's shoulder. And at night he would sleep but only for short periods before he got uncomfortable again. He seemed to do better sleeping on the shoulder and then putting him in the bouncer. He breastfed ok and had a few naps.
This morning Erika was covered with dried snot! And in the car yellowie green snot was pouring out of her nose and she was smearing it all over the place. So fortunately for me it's only a cold and not a major illness or I'd be tearing my hair out with frustration and exhaustion.
Frankly I don't know how I could avoid the virus spreading around the house. Julian drools everywhere and wipes his nose and face and then touches everything, and so does his sister. And the ewww of breastfeeding a baby who is dripping snot all over your breast.....!!
Let's just hope that breastfeeding him will mean a milder illness/faster recovery.
Friday, 9 April 2010
A food and baby behaviour diary
I thought I might start a diary about what I eat and how Julian behaves - to see whether things I eat correlate with Julian's bad night behaviour!
7 April
Hot cross bun
Water
Red Curry Chicken
Chocolate
Rice and Pork chop
Ribena
Fed 0430. Fed 1830. Slept 1900. Woke at 2230 changed nappy and bounced to sleep (disposable). Not fed! Slept till 0400.
8 April
Weetbix and milk
Hot Chocolate
Fried rice and Satay
Water
Chocolate
Chicken Laksa
Ribena
Fed 0400 + pood, and some weetbix at 0645 + BM. Fed 1600 when arrived home R BM, pood after. Pood in nappy at 1800. Julian fussy to sleep, drank very litle formula and L BM (1830). No poo after drink. Crying a lot. Slept at 1900. Woke at 1950 (settled with picking up after 1 min).
9 April
Oats and yoghurt
Soyamilk
Chocolate
Hot chocolate
Apple
Nutrigrain
Vermicelli noodles and cabbage
Woke at 0200 fed R BM + pood in toilet
Fed at 615pm amd went to bed at 1930
10 April
Cocopops
Soy Milk
Yum Cha
Chocolate
Rabbit stew and Beef with burdock and octopus
Woke at 1am and fed, woke at 4am and 5am and then fed
Pood at 6 and 8
Fed at 9am
Fed at 1pm, 4pm and 6.30pm (little poo)
Bed at 730pm
11 April
Cocopops and Soy milk and Chai tea
Chocolate
McChicken, fries, strawberry shake
Rice, Pork belly, fish, beef and burdock
Cold and flu tablet (night)
Woke at midnight, fed and changed nappy back to sleep
Woke at 530 fed + poo
Fed some weetbix/farex/breastmilk + BM at 9. No poo. Bed at 10, up at 1045, pood at 11 (in nappy)
Snack at midday. Slight poo at 2 in nappy. Napped in car. Fed 3pm
Fed at 6pm
12 April
Soy milk and cocopops
Chocolate, Ribena
KFC Burger + Chips + sprite
Fried rice (pork, celery, onion, egg, carrot)
Woke at midnight, fed, and changed nappy back to sleep
Woke at 330 fed changed nappy sleep at 5
Fed at 9am (formula 150mL + BM) and weetbix and pood. Fed at midday. Fed at 3pm and then 6.30pm. Small poo.
13 April
Pullapart bread, soymilk
Hot chocolate and banana bread
Sandwich + Almond croissant
Orange juice
Nutri grain
Vietnamese broken rice with pork and jellyfish
Woke at 2am, fed and pood and changed nappy. Woke at 5am put back to bed.
Fed at 6.30am and pood. Grumpy all day because he had a cold.
Fed at 6pm and at midnight. Up all night.
14 April
Banana bread
Water
Chicken kebab and lemonade
Boost juice
Chicken cajun, fish broth, sugar cane drink, rice
chocolate
Up at 5am, fed. Ate well and slept well at Michelle's. Fed at 6pm when at home, slept at 7pm (no poo)
15 April
Weetbix and soy milk
Hot chocolate
Woke at 1am, fed (no poo), 5am fed and poo.
7 April
Hot cross bun
Water
Red Curry Chicken
Chocolate
Rice and Pork chop
Ribena
Fed 0430. Fed 1830. Slept 1900. Woke at 2230 changed nappy and bounced to sleep (disposable). Not fed! Slept till 0400.
8 April
Weetbix and milk
Hot Chocolate
Fried rice and Satay
Water
Chocolate
Chicken Laksa
Ribena
Fed 0400 + pood, and some weetbix at 0645 + BM. Fed 1600 when arrived home R BM, pood after. Pood in nappy at 1800. Julian fussy to sleep, drank very litle formula and L BM (1830). No poo after drink. Crying a lot. Slept at 1900. Woke at 1950 (settled with picking up after 1 min).
9 April
Oats and yoghurt
Soyamilk
Chocolate
Hot chocolate
Apple
Nutrigrain
Vermicelli noodles and cabbage
Woke at 0200 fed R BM + pood in toilet
Fed at 615pm amd went to bed at 1930
10 April
Cocopops
Soy Milk
Yum Cha
Chocolate
Rabbit stew and Beef with burdock and octopus
Woke at 1am and fed, woke at 4am and 5am and then fed
Pood at 6 and 8
Fed at 9am
Fed at 1pm, 4pm and 6.30pm (little poo)
Bed at 730pm
11 April
Cocopops and Soy milk and Chai tea
Chocolate
McChicken, fries, strawberry shake
Rice, Pork belly, fish, beef and burdock
Cold and flu tablet (night)
Woke at midnight, fed and changed nappy back to sleep
Woke at 530 fed + poo
Fed some weetbix/farex/breastmilk + BM at 9. No poo. Bed at 10, up at 1045, pood at 11 (in nappy)
Snack at midday. Slight poo at 2 in nappy. Napped in car. Fed 3pm
Fed at 6pm
12 April
Soy milk and cocopops
Chocolate, Ribena
KFC Burger + Chips + sprite
Fried rice (pork, celery, onion, egg, carrot)
Woke at midnight, fed, and changed nappy back to sleep
Woke at 330 fed changed nappy sleep at 5
Fed at 9am (formula 150mL + BM) and weetbix and pood. Fed at midday. Fed at 3pm and then 6.30pm. Small poo.
13 April
Pullapart bread, soymilk
Hot chocolate and banana bread
Sandwich + Almond croissant
Orange juice
Nutri grain
Vietnamese broken rice with pork and jellyfish
Woke at 2am, fed and pood and changed nappy. Woke at 5am put back to bed.
Fed at 6.30am and pood. Grumpy all day because he had a cold.
Fed at 6pm and at midnight. Up all night.
14 April
Banana bread
Water
Chicken kebab and lemonade
Boost juice
Chicken cajun, fish broth, sugar cane drink, rice
chocolate
Up at 5am, fed. Ate well and slept well at Michelle's. Fed at 6pm when at home, slept at 7pm (no poo)
15 April
Weetbix and soy milk
Hot chocolate
Woke at 1am, fed (no poo), 5am fed and poo.
Monday, 5 April 2010
Rentachook - Chickens in Suburbia
Watching all of this River Cottage stuff with hubby makes me want to grow my own food and have my own chickens. There is a guy in Sydney who rents chicken coops and chickens (Rentachook), and for $380 you get a chicken coop for 2 chickens, 2 chickens, and some feeding things for the chickens. After 6 weeks if you don't want to keep the chickens you give it back, and you get $280 back. So basically $100 for 6 weeks!
I'd like to give it a go. But mum says that chickens are messy and make poo everywhere and thinks it's a bad idea. One of my colleagues at work also told me that there are lots of diseases that chickens can get that you have to be aware of and one of those includes some kind of mites the chickens get on their feet, which ended up with that person's kids having bites all over their legs. Eeew. So at this stage it looks like there will be no chickens. Hopefully when the kids are a bit bigger we can have chickens and then have some eggs too. And I was so looking forward to having chickens.
I'd like to give it a go. But mum says that chickens are messy and make poo everywhere and thinks it's a bad idea. One of my colleagues at work also told me that there are lots of diseases that chickens can get that you have to be aware of and one of those includes some kind of mites the chickens get on their feet, which ended up with that person's kids having bites all over their legs. Eeew. So at this stage it looks like there will be no chickens. Hopefully when the kids are a bit bigger we can have chickens and then have some eggs too. And I was so looking forward to having chickens.
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