May 2016 Babies Club

Oh Lucuma delighted for you re the sleep, I honestly would have lost my mind with broken sleep for that long. I'm a terrible tired person. Speaking of which I'm a zombie this morning, after nearly 2 months of dry nappies at night I took the plunge and put him to bed with out nappies, first night went great, last night woke at 4, everything soaked quick change and thankfully I have the mattress protectors since the nose bleeds. Didn't go back to sleep until 6:45 which is normally waking up time but I just couldn't do it. gave us both 30mins then had a mad rush to get out the door, although i have to say kind of worth the rush for sleepy cuddles!
We had a major regression with the potty training after 6 weeks for about a week, just constant accidents didn't know what to do as he was needing 3 sets of clothes a day in nursery. One of the TA's was a bit aggressive about it which i think might have caused one accident to become a big deal and it snowballed. She was just really loud and snotty telling me about it and i think he got embarrassed. Anyway all ok again and i think back to nappies for night time for another while.

We still have the nap, its somewhat on its last legs but even an hour in his cot is good enough of a rest for both of us!

Glad to hear she's enjoying PS, I'm sure her language will fly along there. No issues with chat here, he never stops talking. He spends ages repeating words until he gets them right, drives me draft sometimes. He's throwing all our own phrases back at us now when he's not getting his own way. 'That is not very nice Mammy' or 'That hurts my feelings' -- when he can't have a pancake for dinner! My OH and I say silly things to each other like stop being obstreperous and he now says 'Daddy you're being obstreperous' and in context. He remembers absolutely everything, so i have to watch everything I say and be careful I don't absentmindedly say yes to going to the beach after nursery (again!). Shesty is that green card available online? would be interested to see it? We live abroad so didn't get it.

It feels like he is in a leap at the moment although they finished long ago, but he's getting so emotional and dramatic about things. Sometimes offering him what he wants sets him off. I guess its late terrible twos or early threenager but its doing my head in and my patience is minimal. Trying to pick my battles but feel like I am choosing wrong constantly. They aren't even that bad but I'm not used to them.

Otherwise trying to enjoy the lovely weather part of the year, found a lovely outdoor play park with loads of trees(shade), play houses, water play areas and some animals (tortoises) wandering around. Nice coffee shop and entrance under 20e for a family(cheap by Dubai standards) so that will be my go to for awhile! Also by the beach with a walkway so he can scoot or cycle to totally wear him out! Starting on our bucket list for here before we move home so we are hitting Jordan next month, it will be probably be hectic but we have 2 days in a nice resort by the deadsea after hitting the sites and some camping. Should be interesting with a 2 year old!

Long may the sleep continue Lucuma and hopefully not too much longer on the potty training! Also those 2 hours enjoy, do something nice for yourself one of the days! I started back at the gym at long living last, 7am on saturdays as with my part time husband its the only time i can commit to. I am soooo unfit and overweight! Copping myself on with food, I was basically having a 4th meal of crap after the little guy goes down. it slowly went from being an occasional snack fest to practically everynight... anyway! I'm in agony after the gym but going for a brisk walk on my lunch breaks (Which gets me out of the mad house!). I've no interest in being skinny just getting back to somewhat healthy size and able to run. I need physio for that tho, my pelvic floor is weak as hell! How are you getting on with your fitness buzz?

Aw lovely to see your update Kathy, the time is after flying can't believe your 2nd is 1 in Aug!
How do they get on? One of the other mum's that had a little boy the same time as us, had another boy back in Oct, the older boy doesn't even look at the baby, whereas my little fella is obsessed with him even named his baby teddy after him. Great work on the potty training, really works so much better when they are ready. Still in the pull ups at night but not a drop of wee since the wet night. I will just use the nappies I have and try again. We still occasionally have battles when its obvious he needs to go but he doesn't want to stop playing etc.. accident in a sports shop a few weeks ago, just said wee and then a massive puddle on the floor! :eek: Trying not to lose my sh*te and clean it up. Won't be back there for a while! lol

The threenager thing comes and goes, we had a parent teacher meeting in nursery the other week and she said he never behaves like that in there but that she thought he was probably copying older kids. I reckon its a bit of both. We went on a short break at the beginning of the month and he was great, even though we did a lot of driving, which he wouldn't be used to. He did lose his ****e when Daddy sat in the back with him instead of me once, he literally roared until i thought he was going to get sick and we swapped back, not one for giving in but he was hysterical, which is weird because he is such a Daddy's boy. Kathy we have the same drama with getting dressed, giving him options is useless he just wants one random spiderman tshirt, we get over it but its a battle that wrecks my head. The holiday was great, we all had a ball, we did heaps of hiking and he still fits in the carrier so was no bother when he was tired. Also had a day just playing in the pool. I'm glad I'm back at the gym tho or I would have died a death trying to do most of it. Was great to get back to an active holiday. Dying to plan something else now!!

Nothing planned for his birthday, will prob just have his 2 besties, cake and drag out the paddling pool.
Thank god summer has been slow to start this year, this time last year it was hellishly hot already. Long may it last. Ramadan starting next week. Can't believe its another year!

Hope the little ones enjoy their birthdays! Have a great holiday Kathy!

So nice to see your update Lucuma!

God she put you through a lot alright, glad most of that's behind you now. Its so easy to look back and think i should have waited it out, you can't know that at the time, you did the right thing at the time. The main thing is she's happy and well.

Our current **** storm is schools and nurseries are closed here for at least a month due to the coronavirus... despite kids been the least at risk (thankfully) anyway not a single **** given for working parents with no nannies. Luckily our nursery manager is letting one of the TA's look after some kids at home for the 1st month anyway, means she can at least pay her staff.

The threenager thing is definitely real.. although thankfully its eased off a lot we seem to get a few weeks of a it a time. He literally never stops talking unless he's asleep and even then some! He's great craic and a mad imagination.

I'm due again in May, all going fairly well, my placenta is low at the moment, i'm hoping it moves as I'd rather avoid a section if I can, its more the recovery and lack of driving that worries me. I swore black and blue that there was no way in hell I'd go this time until we are all settled with baby but I may well have to eat my words if I have no child care for the 4 yr old. We'd all go dolally stuck in the house with the heat etc.... so I may be home in the summer after all although this time I would just inflicted myself on my brother as he's out all day but close to my parents so I'd have space but close enough to have help if i need it and no up and down the country every other week. We are planning to move home by the end of the year, at least in Sept I'd have the ECCE hours. I am so done with here... but I do like my private healthcare and financially the few extra months is worth it. Work expect me back after 2months... not a chance cannot wait to quit! Anyway all up in the air for now!

Wuffly, how are you? Any baba news?
We are still in lockdown since the schools and creches closed suddenly on 12th March.
Creches won't be reopening til July not that it affects me and schools and playschool not til Sept, sob!
It's been a tough time and getting harder as the months of the kids being at home with me 24/7 loom ahead.
Very hard to get no break at all from them. And of course their education is being affected too.
Are things opening back up again there? Funny how your neighbours Iran were badly affected and then Iraq next door got off very lightly! I was reading about it in the sunday times recently. Hope you're keeping well x

Hi Wuffly, only seeing this now. Congratulations on baby boy no.2 !! Wonderful news. A lockdown baby you'll be able to tell him about the strange circumstances he was born into, he'll probably never believe you !!
For my kids it's like we never lived abroad or were expats, we just blend in with all the other people who never left the village I came from (which I have now returned to) my eldest can remember some stuff about being abroad alright, she was 3 and 3 months when we returned to Ireland. She has an unreal memory.
I'd say you had an awful summer by the sounds of it. Being stuck indoors with a 4yo with no school/preschool/nursery and a newborn and not even being able to get out for a walk inside a shopping mall. Sounds awful. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Hopefully it has started to cool down there a bit now and also your move back to Ireland must be imminent at this stage, so exciting !!
How did the breastfeeding work out for you in the end? Fair play to you for giving it a go in trying circumstances like that. I wonder is the culture over there geared towards families with the mother at home? If they were talking about part time school or school online !!
Thanks be to fcuk the schools reopened here after nearly 6 months of them being at home. I never, ever want to go through anything like the lockdown here again. I'm already starting to blank it out like childbirth and pregnancy ha!
Having my little girl's 4th birthday party at the end of April with just us 4 that live in the house and everyone else even my Mam and sister that live right next door ....joining on Zoom. It seems surreal when I look back at it now. Thankfully she's still young enough that as long as there's a cake and sweets it's a birthday party to her. The Zoom did help.
That's so sad that ye weren't able to give yeer friends that left a proper send off or even meet up with them. What about for yerselves will ye be able to have a going away do? We've all had to miss out on so much this year. Getting fairly fed up of it now but as long as the schools stay open and my cleaning lady continues to come I think I can cope with anything else. 12 weeks of no cleaner nearly did me in that was actually the 2nd worst part after the schools closing :-D
Where will ye live when ye come back here? Have you a preschool place for the eldest boy? Jobs to come back to? It's a pain dealing with all the admin when ye come home, it will probably be stressful for a bit. I was lucky enough as I came home to Ireland to have both babies they already had PPS numbers, we already had a GP and hubby and I both kept our separate cars taxed and insured here even though we were away for all of 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 in my case plus 18 and most of 19 in his. Thank fcuk he moved back here July 2019 before all this covid thing broke lose. I'll never know how I did the 18 months here on my own without him. Again I've blotted it out !!! He gets to work from home alot now which is really handy.
I'll go back to work myself when the 4yo starts primary school Sept 2021.
She is doing well. The letters she couldn't pronouce a few of them she's after getting just with time (f, v) she still can't pronouce c, r, k
But her language has come on a lot and I find I'm not explaining what she's saying to people as much, they can make her out by herself.
She's a real tomboy - very violent !! Loves rough play. And as a result her friends in PS have always been and continue to be - boys! I also started her in rugby even though she's only 4 and they need to be 5. I was cheeky and signed her up and when they saw the height of her they said twil be grand bring her down for training, no problem! She's extraordinarly tall for her age.
She's also doing speech and drama and was doing indoor soccer as well til it was cancelled due to Level 3. Thankfully drama and rugby are continuing. So yeah in general she's flying. Full of devilment!