snowboarder

Gah. Fruit = bad for teeth, no fruit = bad for vitamins and stuff. Can't win!! Little sb doesn't know juice comes in anything other than cartons but he has one at least once a week as a treat in a cafe, and then the pure sticky apple juice version. I do honestly give in. And as for getting him to clean his teeth - well....

Yes but to be fair not all of them can do so in relative comfort and accommodate 5 prams...

Little sb was 16m - it was quite hard work though and we had to do it gradually! Knew he needed to as taking ages to get to sleep at nap times and bedtime, but when we first tried it he had complete meltdown at about 11.30 over lunch! So I cut morning nap to 10/15 mins and gradually phased out, with super early lunch and nap at 12.15 ish. It took a while for the big nap to be as long as 2 hrs too as he was used to 1/1.5 hr slots. I do think it depends what time they sleep till in the morning - he's always been an early riser, so going all the way to lunchtime is still sometimes a bit of a struggle, esp if out in car/buggy late morning.

Moos Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Rainy days are the days one might like to be a > baby... Wrapped up warm and trundling along in a > dry bubble! Until, of course, you reach 18m, when you declare war on cosy toes and raincovers etc and scream blue murder when you are put in the buggy.....but that's another diversion! I liked seeing little sb. Meant I could keep my eye on him, watch when he fell asleep, try and keep walking at even pace when it looked like he might wake up, or chat if I didn't want him to sleep. I'm not sure I buy the early talking and emotional guilt factors. But all babies used to be parent facing in the old prams didn't they - it's not as is if its a new phenomena - and later used to sit propped up on cushions, with toddler balanced on top. Actually particularly liked being able to swap my pushchair round at any point - good for sun shade - and I could do it with little one in the seat (prob not advised though!). And forward facing much the way forward with nosy toddlers. Apart from anything means I can scoff chocolate without him knowing!!

Yorkie - think I might have messaged you in the past - we cracked at 11m - but couldn't face it on our own, so got help in. I was SO so reluctant, but as Molly says you can start to hear different cries - eg crossness - why aren't you sorting this out for me mummy - and knowing when to go in - little snowboarder did better on his own - if I went in it generally made things worse - some obv like hh's little one do better with more immediate reassurance. ANyway...I just wanted to say don't discount getting some help. It is most certainly the best ?500 we ever spent....

We had the icandy apple and there were some really great things about it - hugely sturdy, easy to be parent or forward facing in pushchair mode, fab big parcel tray....but....heavy....rubbish rain cover....and I wished I'd bought a bugaboo!!

I'm hoping my newbie will arrive really soon. Can you all please come asap. Actually I look like it should have arrived several weeks ago. Will send out an invite in due course...

Hi - sorry maybe should clarify - I really don't think that the brierley would ditch you late on in pregnancy - in my case I'd had a previous c section for a specific reason that could reoccur, so labled as higher risk from the start - I think they were implying say at 22 Wk scan point or sthg. Go for it. Whilst my previous care last pregnancy with the lanes was fantastic my most recent experience was not that great - they have just got so super busy.

So shall we meet up again? I'm in dire need of moral support - due 5 wks today, size of a small planet, lost my ankles, maternity clothes mysteriously now too small, in sole charge of an energetic toddler who has NO clue about above and what is about to happen to him, and who loves to run. It's too late to change my mind, yes? And I can't sleep. Too uncomfortable. Shall I stop moaning now?!? Anyone else? Happy for a daytime toddler friendly meet or civilised evening...what do people think?

What sort of birth are you hoping for Jasmina? When I looked into it and had conversations with both in the summer (patient at DMC so the Lanes were an option) the Brierley really do focus more on home births - so if that's what you're hoping for absolutely go for it! The Lanes cater for both home and hospital births (indeed I had a c section with the Lanes 2 yrs ago and my midwife delivered my baby at Kings) and are great but BUSY! The Brierley did say to me when I had an early discussion with them that if it became clear that a homebirth did not look possible they would refer me back to the general Kings midwives.

I think it really depends on what your priorities are - it looks like a basic old school tandem - fantastic price and will do the job. I would really check out the weight issue - put your toddler in the front seat and try lifting it as if up a kerb or step. And wheel it round John Lewis with toddler in it and make sure you can take the corners. The p&t are super expensive but the weight distribution is great and as someone else said the bonus is they work just as well as a single buggy. I LOVE this forum on baby centre for double buggy questions.

ps - F - yes please!! I imagine little SB would have a whale of a time at yours!!

I often think I'd like to have to do a school pick up - at least would give sthg to do!! Little sb sleeps till 3 and is cross until 3.30 - so little time to get out! I don't know whether this still happens but there was an ad on the nct yahoo group about a bumps and babes suitable for people with toddlers and babies - Dear parents, Just to let you all know that the first session of the joint NCT B&B/Little Gems at the Salvation Army, Crystal Palace will be starting next week. This particular group is open to all parents and parents-to-be, be they NCT members or not. It is of special interest to parents with 2 kids or more as there is a large play area suitable for older children as well as a dedicated area for the younger ones. Start date : Tuesday 28th Sept 2010 Date and time : Every Tuesday during term time, 10am-12pm Entry fee : ?2 each time, collected by SA who will provide light refreshments and arts & crafts session for older kids Address : 58 Westow Street, Upper Norwood, SE19 3AF Other details : Your children will become members, no joining fee. Donation of cakes, biscuits etc are warmly welcomed Don't know what parking is like - suppose it's up near sainsburys? I'm starting to feel v scared about being out/feeding baby/controlling runaway toddler....

Hello - we need playmates on mon and tues mornings sometimes and always need to fill the post-nap pre-supper slot (too much tv dependency!) - and in anticipation of new arrival soon we need toddler/newbie friendly places!

Solids made no difference to little snowboarder's sleep habits. But Radnrach - it's not just sleep that is the issue, right? So tricky - because all the early weaning foods are often fruit and veg based and carrot etc certainly not as filling as full fat milk! I do like the blw book's guide - which if I remember is basically that if a baby is sturdy enough to sit up in a high chair and handle bits of food they are probably ready to start exploring things other than milk. We def started having little snowboarder sit with us at meal times and play with bread, have tastes of yoghurt etc by about 5m....but we were a bit haphazard about weaning in general, looking back! No baby rice!

Have now got disturbing (or otherwise) image of brazilian man (baby oil shiny, no top, dressed only in apron) doing cleaning whilst mellors sweeps the path outside, hair wrapped in scarf hilda ogden style..... Do you think bio oil would work too? It doesn't seem to be helping the stretch marks much.... He he generally I have to say I'm a fairly happy 'lick and polish' person. My house is way better than my mums (thank you, lovely cleaning lady) - she admits she's terrible and everything was fairly haphazard. It's the clothes/washing/ironing/putting away thing that really bugs me. And the kitchen floor. But no-one advised that shiny black rubber floor and food flinging toddlers were a bad combo. Admittedly the floor precedes the toddler, but still.

Umm, so, I'll let you into a little secret re ironing....she's great, she picks up mountains of clothes and they come back all lovely and flat, I can give you her number...but shhhhh! Anyway. I can't even put the freakin' clothes away. Partly due to being halfway through decorating...that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I do manage the getting dressed before coming downstairs thing, but that's purely because husband takes small one and gets breakfast started, so I grab 15mins or so before he leaves. It's kind of my sanity saver.

Please stop it, all of you, stop it...!! I am currently collapsed on sofa after an exhausting morning of swimming. There is wet washing in the washing machine, and dry clothes in the tumble dryer, but I can't face even sorting that out. Several mountains of ironing to put away upstairs. Have chosen cup of tea and hot cross bun and internet while small sb snoozes.....I have after all important research on potty buying to do....

Ha Gubodge not at all I think you are very probably right. I dramatically 'mmmmmm'-ed my way through a pot of edamame beans (go co-op!!) at lunch while he spat the one that did enter his mouth out.... I do think it probably helps when there are siblings or others to cook for - it's only ever me and him really so you do resort to whatever is easiest.

Side order of peas and sweetcorn not well received. Would go so far to say they made 21m old little snowboarder quite cross. Have just finished picking them up off the floor...No mean feat at 34w pregnant and planet sized....

Gubodge Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- The children I > know who still do not touch veg are the ones whose > parents stopped even offering it and only ever put > things they knew to be liked on their plates. Hmm. Oh dear I fall into that category. Rubbish mummy. Pasta for lunch every day. I gave in when my son cried when presented with annabel karmel hidden vegetable (turns out not remotely hidden) tomato sauce. Will try harder. He spat out a single 1mm sq piece of carrot hidden in baked beans last night. On the other hand he ate a pear and an apple.... Edited for poor spelling..

Mine won't. Never has. Is 21m. He will eat a tomato sauce with pasta and I can hide a little in it, but not too much or all out rejection! Randomly he will eat a spinach and cheese pasta sauce too. And he does eat some fruit. Have to say I have truely given up worrying about food (he has had no milk since giving up b/f 4 months ago - but likes yoghurt/cheese/eggs) as he is sturdy and generally well. He won't eat chips either - weirdo! He just likes to dip them in mayonnaise! Sigh. What is with these babies?

Surely they simply CAN'T climb out if in grobag? Please?!?

Thanks everyone - we have made progress in that husband now forced into investigating etc...He works for a fair;ly large company so turns out scheme all set up, part of pick your own benefits package etc. All good except you get to choose your benefits once a year....in October!! Pah. There is hope - apparently you can also review said benefits if you have a 'life changing event' (!) and with baby snowboarder 2.0 due soonish we may still get in before tax rules change. Bureaucracy, bureaucracy....

Hello - sorry didn't make it - late nap coupled with cold feet about how to cope with escapee toddler in large pub...how did others manage?!?