Newborn and baby advice

Thanks for the idea's ladies, you are all too sweet.
With Jordan already being three and me having to constantly try stimulate and arrange playdates... I actually think the best route to go now is a preschool. I think by next year he would have been ready to go 1/2 day anyway, and I wouldn't want to get him used to one thing now and then change it again next year. I would also like him and Lia at the same place. Also, with Daddy working from home lots of the time, I just know it would be a total distraction for him if somebody was looking after the kids here , he'd be constantly in and out of the office to see what was happening and I doubt he'd get any work done. I also usually take my two kiddies outdoors a lot here, and there are lots of lakes/dams in our estate and I've got a slight paranoia about one of the kids falling in to one of the dams. It's fine when they're with me, I'm just super cautious but being with a stranger around all that water I'd be stressed out totally... I know, a bit silly from my part but anyway.

Scrib, you totally crack up up! lol
I highly doubt that haha
I may just be that boring chick in the suit who still has totally short nails, and now feels way to guilty to even go to the hairdresser or anywhere else because I'll be gone every day from 6h30-6h30/7 and hardly ever see my kiddies. And I doubt I'll ever be a career woman until I actually stop dropping out of degrees/Diploma's and actually complete something. I guess I will be taking care of a some high powered business person helping them build a career though so I shouldn't feel so horrible about it all. Oh well, don't have a job yet, so best I try to enjoy my flipflops/tekkies and jeans withoutout having a panic attack about the whole situation.

Thank goodness James is better Claudia - so awesome that you managed to avoid antibiotics
Love the invite - it is too cute!

Congrats on your wedding anniversary beansmom! Sorry you are also having a bad time sleep wise. Hope it gets better soon.

Can't believe Lia turns 1 tomorrow. My sweet little munchkin is growing up. SHe got so many gifts from family - they just came over for tea/ snacks on Sunday. She got this rocking horse... which she is super SCARED of haha! I can't believe it LOL. She loves all our animals but it just freaks her out.. I'm sure she'll love it once she's over it.

Lia has been doing this 1 nap a day thing sometimes lately... arrrgh... and then the nights sucking too.. blah. All temporary I guess... she does have a tooth coming out maybe that's it.

Have a great evenign guys

Beansmom, nice going on the wedding anniversary. We're going to have to do something special this year. We also went through a rocky patch with the sleeping. Madam is now waking up at 5am, which sucks piles, so you're not the only zombi around today. Maybe it's teeth or something. Or maybe another milestone? Emily also went on all fours and started rocking and it wasn't long after that that she just took off, and now there's no stopping her. I was working yesterday and Mark took her for a walk around the garden. She crawled the entire garden, in her white pants.

Emily also doesn't get much interaction with other kids, which is why i'm always keen on the Moomie get-togethers. The last time we got together Emily and Karla were pulling each other's hair, and then Emily stole all the others' toys and wouldn't give them back. Not the social bunny is our little girl.

Meags, soon you will be putting the swaddling to good use Almost there!!!

I also can't believe the little ones are turning one!! Sometimes when I look at Emily I get a twinge of sadness, because she looks like such a little girl, and not like a baby. I now know why all parents going around saying that they wish they could stop time!!!

Claudia_B, thanks for the offer of James's cot. I'm going to see what I can find - we'll be down for Comrades, so I still have a little bit of time to arrange things. I was a bit worried about the car company's car seats. But I'm sure they wouldn't hire out gash hey?? Well done on the invitations! They look so professional. You ladies are making me feel really bad for not throwing Em a party.

Bronz, how about a hook-up this weekend? When are you coming up north again?

@ Claudia - What a cute invite I'm busy planning Tayla's first birthday as well... and from wanting to do nothing or something very small... Hubby has managed to turn it into something quite time consuming for me
We decided on a picnic so everyone could just do there own thing... now he thinks that we can't expect people to bring there own picnic baskets if we are inviting them... so now I'm looking into snack boxes for the adults that will not cost us a fortune!
AND lets hope the weather holds out for the picnic as well!

@Bronz - that doc sounds aweful!!! I was also told at Tayla's 6 wk appointment to give a Flouride supplement which I promptly ignored! When she is a little older I'll give her kiddies vits... but I believe she is getting all she needs right now.
As for Top Tots - we did the free prelim class last week and it was fun. The term ends today - so we are starting 11 April for the beginning of the new term. They work on all the senses... so you do little games for sight, hearing, touch etc etc We also did movement games to develop the vestibula (to prevent motion sickness). And then you have messy play time as well - last week they had babyoil on bubblewrap, the week before it was couscous and the mommies were apparently covered lol! Tayla doesn't have any interaction with other kiddies - so it is good for her... she has issues sharing at the moment... but has never had to share... and then there is the crawling thing too... since toptops class she is now going on all fours and rocking which she never did before. But i think after seeing all the kids crawling to collect toys something clicked!

@SLEEP! we have one good night then one rotten night. Last night Tayla woke up about 9 times - thank goodness just for a dummy run... but still - waking up to the shriek is aweful.. so i am a zombie today!

It was our wedding anniversary yesterday... so hubby thoroughly spoilt me with a dinner at Salt Restaurant on Sunday evening... so very adult which was a great change! I haven't dressed nicely with makeup and jewellary and all in a long while... And then yesterday we went to Butterfly world with Tayla. She loved it...

Anyhoo - that is my update for today. Hope you all have a fab day! I'm off to do some orders!

Hi Ladies!

Just wanted to say Happy 1st birthday to Connor for yesterday!!!!
Cant believe all your babies are approaching their 1st birthday!!! It's gone by so quickly.
I remember meeting up with some of you to show you swaddling...hehe.
Well it'll be my turn soon and then I get to ask you all for advice!

Oh gosh bronx he sounds awful! Ditto what Jacadabra said about the foreskin though - it should never be retracted and he obviously carries that back from the ark days!
Flouride???? Its benefits are questionable and some countries are actually lowering the water levels because its a neurotoxin. I specially sourced baby toothpaste with xylitol and no flouride!!!!!! ANd have installed a waterfilter at home........

As for the Asthma if he is asymptomatic I wouldnt worry about it. When he gets old enough to "blow" they can do lung function tests (usually only older than 2), but if hes not sick all the time and is not having difficulty breathing then there is no point in starting meds. Some children are just a little more chesty than others and grow out of it. Others find that they need a bit of support when exposed to allergens (dust, smoke, pollutants, preservatives in food, egg, wheat etc..) Greame is an absolute superstar developmentally, so hes clearly getting enough oxygen at the moment:) Just watch him as he gets older.

Scribblingal can you not hire a car seat from the car hire places? We're doing that whn we go to Cape town. Where are you going to be? I could loan you James campcot for a while... I dont know any companies (but then I've never had to look....)

James was sick last week, he was completely miserable with mild fevers last weekend (38 - 39 deg). He still doenst have any teeth yet and was rubbing his ears, so I figured ear infection with teething and decided to watch and see. On tueday (after the obligatory 3 day wait) his fever had dropped and he seemed to be getting better, but then in the afternoon he broke out in a rash from head to toe. That combined with the waking up crying motivated me to go to the doc (first time since 3 months). Anyway the rash was a response to a viral ear infection and I was pretty much told to wait it out. Sigh R300 I could have saved my med aid.. I decided to go the holistic healing route and did the crazy breastmilk in ear, echinacea, vit c and zinc supplements for me so James could get additional vitamens in his milk and the sister lillian ear care tablets. He was better by thursday, so I'm not sure if it was anything I did, or just the virus had run its course:)
I think the ear infection may have been aggravated by his swimming so I now keep swimmers ear drops on hand for after lessons.

Does anyone have a superduper carrot cake recipe? I'm trying to organise James bday party and have decided to do a carrot cake as a "healthier" option (not really, but hey). I'm trying to avoid one with vanilla extract, because its got some preservatives in it which I prefer to avoid...
Below is the invite I have done:)

Sorry, I just reread that post, and I don't want it to seem as though I'm dissing doctors or advising people not to listen to them.