The new rolling ILX parenting thread, since the other one was getting unwieldy

meg, is he teething yet? we are waiting for 6 months before we start food too.

I wonder if any ilx parents use 'THE MAN' as a way of curbing their childs behaviour?

I hear this all the time and I think it's hilarous, but potentially damaging to the kids.

"Put that down, look, the man's coming!"

My friend has started it with her two year old girl, she says it works like a charm and so far the wee one hasn't shown any pathological fear of 'men'.

Isn't it better to teach her right and wrong yourself? I mused, but she becomes such a little angel when 'THE MAN' is around that I wonder if this is a good method after all....

We use "Leatherface is coming!" accompanied by the sound of chainsaws. If this means Ava grows up afraid of Leatherface and chainsaws, I think we've done her a favour. May lead to some difficulties when Daddy gets out the hedge trimmer though.

;)

I used to use "THE FOX" as the way to get my eldest daughter to do things, i.e. if she was dragging her feet in getting ready to go out, I'd say excitedly : "Quick, quick, put your coat on! THE FOX can't see you when you've got your coat on!". Distraction techniques are a good way to get toddlers to do things.

It worked well up to the age of about three, by which time she worked out the ruse for herself and realised with huge disappointment that she didn't actually own any magical invisibility coats after all. This made her sad.

No, I give Ophelia the "look." Trust me, if I use it on kids, they know I'm the MAN. If I push it hard, I could make'em cry. I use this in the shop when some brats don't want to keep quiet or keep touching things. That said, my friend was right when she warned me it would be harder to use on Ophelia. So I have been practicing. ;-)

Ophelia has officially entered tantrum stage. I can laugh with it, even when she throws a tantrum on the street. We usually put her on the ground so she can't hurt herself. Usually it's over in half minute,but those 30 seconds are a sight to behold. :-)

Since coming back from her grandparents, she has learned the noises of particular animals (Ranging from lions to ssssssnakes.) We decided to add the Zombie routine. We ask her:"What does a zombie do?" And then we stick out our arms and mumble "Brains! Brains!" She has started to join in more or less. I am not sure if it is to please us or make us stop. ;-)

You couldn't make children fear foxes in south west London otherwise they'd never be able to go out.

(p.s. Vic - just thought you'd want to know that Joanna had a healthy little girl this morning!)

When was Joanna due, wasn't it after me?!

That's what I thought too! Baby was 8 lbs 8 ounces so it doesn't sound like it was too early!

Seriously, Vicky, enjoy your last days as much as you can. I'm not saying that having a child ends the PHUN LIFE, but the first few months will be hellish due to sleep deprivation and wacky hormone levels. Having your first child is really learning how to swim in the deep pool without any help. I mean, you'll have people giving you tips, but it's a bit "HALP" most of the time. :-) How manay days are you *over* your due date? I was about four/five days late. Which is completely normal.

Only two days over, so not too bad at all. Have got plenty to keep me busy at the moment, so I'm pretty happy, it's just hearing about births from people due after me that get me all riled up!

I am enjoying my days, but it's a bit limited as to what I can do with them, given the SPD and my back and the fact that I can hardly walk upstairs without running out of breath! I'd love to blitz the house, but whenever I do a bit I just get really knackered. The internet has become even more of my best friend!

Vicky, I didn't want to come across as a pedant (?). I know when people told *me*, I wanted to scream. :-) Now I know better. haha Pedant I am, I guess. ;-)

Don't worry about it, I've had a really enjoyable day today! I was feeling really impatient early on in the week but you're right, I should be making sure I make the most of this me time cos it'll be a long time before I get any again!

Wish I could spend all my time asleep though! I'm just too uncomfortable, waking up in the middle of the night and not getting back to sleep and not being able to sleep in, it's as though my body is already preparing me for those night feeds and nappy changes!

Seriously. When I was in that last month and people would say to me "get plenty of sleep while you can!!" i'd want to punch them. have these people ever been 8-9 months pregnant? sleep=impossible.

i wonder if vicky has a babee yet?

Yes, you're right, I wanted to punch them in the face as well. The last weeks I didn't sleep for hours in the night time. Being pregnant a second time, I do still want to punch people in the face, but I also do sleep a lot more. Well, I try to anyway. I mean, I know what I'm in for. Which freaks me out a little - knowing I'll have two kids to take care of - but also I know there's a light at hte end of the tunnel. ;-)

I've been thinking about Vicky a lot, I'm pretty sure she's in the hospital! YAY!

Hey everyone, it's Pam here, wife of Mike and mum of Ava + Lulu. I'm posting under the husbeau's login since I don't have my own yet, but I've been lurking for a while and loving all of the pics of your gorgeous nippers, I've been meaning to contribute for ages. So I thought a fine way to say hello while I'm waiting for my own login from the moderators would be as the bearer of fabulous news about the arrival of Vicky and Chris's squirrel!

Aidan Paisley Brown was born at 12:20 this morning, weighing in at 8lbs 6oz, hurrah! They aren't home from the hospital yet and Chris has just sent me a picture from his phone which I can't seem to open. I'll post it soon if I can make it work!

xopam

Hurrah! Happiness to all! Welcome to Aidan and to Pam as well, as it were. :-D

awwww...aidan!! yay!

welcome, pam! your babies are absolutely beautiful.

CRESCENT MOON

Woohooo!!! Silly me is crying a bit!! :-D

She's leaving the hospital so soon???

... and a few days before her birthday!!! What a PRESENT!

Welcome to the world, Aidan! xxx

Congratulations on New Baby Aidan! Yay!

Congratulations Vicky and Chris and welcome Aidan! Ooh this is so exciting :)

Yay! Welcome Aidan! Look forward to seeing pics...

Hello everyone, I'll post a 3 minute old photo below... Vic and Aidan are still in the hospital, he's got a suspected chest infection (some fluid on the lungs)but in himself is absolutely fine, as is Vic (a little sore though). The doctors seem to be playing better safe than sorry though, we're waiting for tests to come back tomorrow, if they're ok, Vic gets a wonderful birthday present and they come home for cake, if not, they're in til Friday and the party moves to the hospital :(...

so, I'm just talking to vic now and we've been completely under-informed by the doctors (they didn't come and see us at all today which we saw as a good sign) and a 5 day stay is compulsory in such casses and they're not coming home til Friday, always nice to be told isn't it?

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1165/1022231539_931838225a.jpg
3 minutes old

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1058/1022237317_8ff9b7f81a.jpg
rocking out after 24 hrs

boo to having to stay in hospital yay to everything else!

haha i know it is silly to be excited by this but omg aidan looks totally like chris and vicky

Poor little lamb's just done his first projectile vomit, too! I'm liking this parenting lark, but would really prefer it at home... Am completely flouting hospital rules and posting from my mobile!

happy birthday vicky!

Congrats to the whole fambly!

yay! congrats!

and happy birthday!

Yay! Shout at the Devil! Congrats...

What a wonderful birthday present Vic, Aidan is just gorgeous! Sorry yor're still in hospital but hope you get some cake and presents in bed!

Vicky how are you holding up? Can you walk around? How was the delivery? TELL US ALL!

I didn't realize you can return home so soon in some countries. Well, I did but it always surprises me. We have to stay at least 5 nights, if I remember well, if you delivered "au naturel" (and more if it's a caesarian). In my case I doubt I could have returned before that as I had lost a ton of blood. :-( Anyway enough about me, Vicky those pics are so lovely and I am dying to hear about how it all went!

Wow, where do they keep you in 5 nights!? Sounds rough for all concerned. For child no.2 we were in and out in about 6 hours which was fantastic and kind of made up for child no.1 (36 hours labour, caesarian, couple days on hospital = aarrrgghhhh!)

Anyways congrats to all concerned - ILX babies rule!

In Belgium. It's actually five days. I can't remember, I was too out of it at the time to count the days. :-) I do remember they counted the night of the delivery (and, prior to that, the labour) as a "night over" so I stayed one night/day less than others. Apparently you can go back home immediately after delivery and checkup, but I'm not sure if it's that common. It's most of the time a "special request" (or however you'd call it). So you can, but usually mother and child stay longer. If you had a caesarian, then you really do need to stay a bit longer as it's a riskier procedure.

I don't know if I'd liked to have gone home that quick. When I left the hospital, I remember being a little bit freaked out by it as I realized that I was no longer "protected" (no nurses etc) and I was on my own (so I felt).

I stayed in four nights with Alice (not including the night I was in labour). That was because her birth weight was a bit low. I hated it but hospitals err on the side of caution I suppose, and on balance I'm glad they do!

I know what you mean (even with the big pack of goodies we got from the hospital - nappies and such like - it was still 'how do these babies work exactly?) but I think Mrs T was keen to get home after memories of the first time. It wasn't that the hospital was bad or anything, both times everyone was just great, it's just your own bed, your own food, hubby there to wait on you!

Happy birthday!

What a handsome chap!

I came home after one night in hospital, and was glad of it. But did phone the midwives about 10 times a day for the next week. It's changed a lot though, when my mum had kids you stayed in for 10 days!

Happy Birthday to Vicky! I can attest to the fact that she got the bestest ever living pressie a couple of days early, we trucked on over to the hospital to meet the babe this afternoon and lemme tell you, he is gorgeous.

Ava and Lulu were denied entry, being non-siblings and also walking/crawling towers o' germs but Chris took them on an ice cream errand so I could sit a spell with the birthday gal and young Aidan.

Vicky looked great, she was up and about and wearing real clothes! I was only in the hospital for one night after both Ava and Lulu were born but with Ava, I don't think I was out of pyjamas for a good three weeks after I got home!

Aidan is just gorgeous. Happy Birthday, V!

Wow, what a great looking baby Aidan is!

I'm completely amazed by the long-seeming hospital stays; it's pretty much 48 hours in the US, unless you have a C-section. I lost a ton of blood with baby # 2 and they still sent me home after 48 hours. Baby #1 was a preemie and had a 21 day hospital stay; I was discharged after 48 hours.

I didn't enjoy staying in the hospital, but do think that in the cases with extreme blood loss that the insurance companies here are a bit too in control...

everyone's home :)

Toffee and Rhubarb (the cats) are a little discombobulated by the new arrival.

He's a very handsome boy (yes yes, it's my job to say that)

Mayday Hospital though - what a farce.

Yeeps re: hospital but glad to hear all is well otherwise -- so the cats can't decide if he's another cat or not?

porkpie the head of the complaints dept is one of my best friends!

Really Mark? they must be fucking busy. The communication there is appalling. We were told that we could go home at 4.45...... we left at 11.45!! Got our prescription with no paperwork, oh, loads of things, but at leastthey're both home and settling down for the night :)

Congrats!

And just to spread around some good news further, veteran ILXors Mr. Noodles and Kim (who posted above a bit!) are as of a couple of days ago now the proud parents of Julia, who doubtless is a sweetie.

congrats! and welcome julia!

Awesome! Julia is a beautiful name. I may be a bit biased toward it since my daughter is also a Julia. Mine will be 5 this week.... I think having a Julia in August is definitely a good omen. Hooray and congratulations!