Mandy - Sorry to hear you had a rough night. It never gets any easier does it. You think we'd be used to it by now, but I suppose it doesn't really work like that. I hope poor Jake s better soon.

Gutter - Cute pics.

AFM, I've awake since the ungodly hour of 6AM, for absolutely no reason. I just can't seem to sleep past this ever since the clocks went back. I can hear Rowan chattering away in her cot - she just woke up - so I'd better go and get her up.

Hi just wanted to quickly pop on with these






Just a few shots from to night

How cute!

Hi Ladies,

I sooo wished we did halloween over here!! I would love to get my kids dressed up (although, Grant would be predictable and be either Bumblebee or Spiderman!).

Mandy - OMG look how blonde Jake is!!!! What a cutie! Hope your DH gets better soon...I have heard swine flu is just awful...luckily we are getting hot weather over here and it isn't flu season! Just be careful, I have heard swine flu is not good with pregnant women...I will cross all my fingers and toes for you in the hope that you are safe and well and that DH gets better soon!

Gutter - OMG Audrey is just adorable...I love the chocolate yoghurt face!!! And look at all that snow...my mind still boggles when I see that much snow! I wish we would get snow (although driving in it would be horrendous!).

Yep Bry...I do need another ticker for Grant...he's been 5 for 4 months now hehehehehehe!!!

As for picky eaters...I have two totally different kids...Grant is picky (he is what I call a "grazer") but Rhys still eats anything...I have never seen a kid eat like Rhysie and it is a real shock after having a grazer! Grant eats brekkie, then grazes throughout the morning, then has a sandwich for lunch, grazes throughout the afternoon, picks at his tea (he won't eat meat, unless it is chicken or a lamb chop, he reckons all other meat tastes gross...so I don't force him if he doesn't like the taste of it...we just eat a lot of chicken and lamb hehehehehe!!) and then has a snack after tea - generally a yoghurt, cheese or strawberries and custard. Rhys however will eat breakfast, run the whole time between brekkie and lunch, eat his lunch, sleep and then wake up in a whirlwind of running, then eat his tea, and then waits until Grant has finished his tea and left the table, then he finishes off Grant's tea and looks for more! Doesn't matter what's on Rhys' plate - he'll eat it! I swear I could serve up nothing but cabbage and brussel sprouts and Rhys would eat it...if it's on a plate or in a bowl, Rhys wants it! My kids are chalk and cheese! I just wish Grant would eat like Rhys - there's no filling Rhys up! I am with you though Bry - if Grant sits there and whinges about what's on his plate, he gets told he either eats his tea or he goes to bed hungry...he will eat his vegies but, as I said, if it is anything but chicken or lamb chops, he won't eat anything except the vegies...but at least he eats them. I expect him to be different once he starts school next year, as there's no snacking between meals at school...so I guess he will be hungrier by tea time! Grant is also more like me...he loooooovvvvveeees pasta, so if it's pasta for tea, he woofs it down like there's no tomorrow and you don't see which way it went! He is also partial to stirfrys...he generally eats the vegies but leaves the meat...maybe I have a partial vegetarian!

Anyway, I gotta run.

Lotsa love
Tan

Looks like it is getting cold over there - love the pictures. I wish we celebrated Halloween here too - my husband did make a pumpkin cheescake though and we told Laurana what we suspect you guys do over there - turns out I know very little about what Halloween is at all. Anyway, we got Laurana to eat pumpkin which was a bonus as she most often hates vegetables. (She ate some normal pumpkin as well as the cheesecake)

Laurana is getting much better with the potty training though we still do not have her out of nappies - she asks for the potty at least three times a day now (even in the middle of the night) so we are at least going through less nappies. She should be fully trained soon and its summer here so we often leave her without a nappy.

Laurana is sleeping better at least though she seems to wake up at 04:00am now quite a bit - makes for a very long day. Today my husband started work (its only for a few days but a few days is better than nothing) so I dropped Laurana at a friends for the morning and apparently she is doing fine - we geared her up for it, but she's pretty easy that way most of the time.

Mandy hope your DH gets better soon.

The snow pictures were when we went up north for my sisters baby shower, thank goodness we have no snow here yet, normally comes in December. I am not looking forward to being stuck in the house this winter

Mandy,
Jake is sooo cute, I love it!!!

Bron,
Sounds like Laurana is doing great with potty training, better then what we are doing. I'm going to buy her pull ups next time and hopefully it'll be easier that way.

Audrey woke up 2 hours earlier today I was asleep for 6 hours straight and she's the one that woke me up. Geeze I hate daylight savings time, but also she's been feeling poorly.

Tan - Glad to hear I'm not the only one with an increasingly fussy eater. Like I said I try not to let it get to me. As long as she eats something during the day I'm happy. Speaking of which, she must have been havine a hungry day yesterday. She did nothing but eat from the moment she got up till the moment she went to bed. Very uncharacteristic. Maybe that's how it will be from now on - in fits and starts.

Gutter - I feel your daylight saving pain. It took a good week for Rowan's bodyclock to adjust and mine is only just getting there. I couldn't imagine that with 2 kids too.

Bron - Sounds like Laurana is doing really well with the training. I'm yet to start Rowan, although I did manage to catch some wee in the potty a few days ago. I'd taken her nappy off as I was getting her dressed in the morning and typically, in the short time the nappy was off, she weed all over the rug on her bedroom floor. I quickly grabbed the potty and sat her on just in time to catch the last few drops. I made a big fuss of her, telling her what a big girl she as. She didn't really seem too fussed. I really need to start working potty-sitting into her day, but she just won't stay on it, let alone do anything. I'm not sure what the best time is to try.

Hi Ladies,

Bry, I find the best time for Rhys on the potty is in the morning, but then he usually asks for during the day as well now...also another good time is while you are running a bath...if you put the potty in the bathroom and have Rowan on it while the bath is running, that works too...if Rowan shows any sign of wanting to sit on the pot at any other time - use that time all the time! For me it is a bit easier as Rhys wants to go like his big brother...so that is very helpful having that example...I am glad I didn't have a boy then a girl as apparently my sister always wanted to be like my brother and of course, that doesn't work hehehehehehe!!!

Bron - congrats on your DH getting some work...it can only go up from here! That's how my DH started working again - he got a few days here and there and it has now worked into permanent full time work...so crossing my fingers that this is what will happen with your DH too!

Anyway, gotta run.

Lotsa love
Tan

Gutter, Great photos, audrey is a lovely looking little girl xx
Hope Audrey gets use to the hour change soon.

tan, hope Rhys has fully recovered for his op.

Bron, Congrat on DH job, lets hope there are more days to come. It strange how halloween is different all over the world, to be honest its not really a big thing over here, I guess its getting bigger thou.

AFM, DH has gone back to work today, still coughing his guts up thou! Hopefully he will be fully well in a few days as he is off to Germany for a week on Sunday for work and I would hate him to catch anything else esp going on a plane!! Thank you all for asking x x

Mandy glad to hear your DH is back at work and hopefully will be totally better soon.

Also hope that the daylight saving settles down for everyone soon so you are all back to a normal sleep pattern soon. I took a tranquilliser two nights back cause I have not been sleeping - they said it would be fine as long as Laurana didn't drink in the night - I made her skip the next morning feed too actually which was good as I really want to stop breastfeeding her now - she can fight for it strongly though!

Well DH has been at work two days now and I feel better because of it - its great to have him around to chat to, but it has really been a strain too and on top of that I manage better on my own - the house looks cleaner, Laurana naps better and so on. She has been at friends of mine for the two days and loved going there - new toys, new experiences. Tomorrow I will put her in a tiny nursery school and see how it goes. (There are only about 12 children there and it seems relaxed) I am not sure how much longer my husband will be working or even if he is working tomorrow. Tan I am ever hopeful this will mean more work for him. I haven't realised how much strain we have all been taking until now when he is back at work.

Laurana has started reading some words - we knew she knew her name and Mummy and Daddy for a while, but she seems to know a lot more than that and if I write down a word she wants to know she'll remember it after only seeing it once or twice. I am not sure what to do about it - teach her phonics? And then what? She seems to want to know what everything is.

Bron - So glad to hear your DH has a job - I must have missed that a couple of posts back. Oops! Although work brings other complications to the home, it does at least help you feel more at ease to have money coming in.

Wow, Laurana sounds advanced! I'm not really sure what to suggest. I suppose, as long as you're explaining things to her, and putting in the time, it doesn't matter about having a definite strategy. I didn't realise children were able to 'read' so young, but now you mention it, I'm pretty sure that Rowan knows a couple of words. I always thought I was imagining it before but she has a favourite book, and she definitely knows the title. She says it out loud, whenever she goes and gets the book.

Tan - Hmmm, the only problem with mornings for me is that I'm always in a bit of a rush, and so don't have much time. I did try it one day though, because she'd weed all over the floor the morning before, but she just got straight back up again the minute I sat her down. It's almost like she's a bit scared of the potty, or doesn't like sitting on it. I'm not in a rush or anything; I just hope I can find a method that feels like it's going to work, because right now, the potty doesn't!

Hi Ladies,

Bry...toilet training is a pain in the butt! Here's a few things I have tried with my two...Grant wasn't a fond potty sitter, so I got him one of those seats that sits on the toilet - he still didn't like it...so in the hot weather I would just take his jocks off and let him run around outside and he eventually got the message that wee comes out of him and that it has to go somewhere...when that clicked he would sit on the potty for me! So maybe you could wait til it is spring/summer to train Rowan (bummer it is cold over there now...it is spring here though!) - maybe she just needs to make the connection that she can wee and that she has to do it somewhere...Rhysie loves the potty and jumps up and down whenever he does something in the potty, so I don't have to worry too much about him! But trust me, I can feel your potty pain as I have been there with Grant...don't fear though, it will happen eventually! If you have lino or wooden floors, maybe you could let Rowan run around with no nappy on in that area? She will get the hang of it!

Bron...I so know how you feel about your DH working...my DH worked at this one company when they would call him...some days he was on, some days they wouldn't call him...but eventually they offered him permanent full time...it is nice having that extra money and my DH said to me one morning "It's nice to know I am needed"...while I realised it was hard for him to be out of work, I didn't really realise until that moment just how hard it was for him! It is a nice feeling knowing he is happy...I guess you know how I feel as I can presume your DH feels the same way right now, even if he doesn't know when he is working next (I know when my DH got called in, you couldn't stop the smile on his face!)...it's nice to see life back in him again, it's nice to see that he has a purpose! And I bet it's also nice for you to have a bit of time with Laurana alone and to get some kind of routine happening! That's the thing I missed most was the routine...when DH was unemployed I hated getting calls at work asking "When does Grant go to kinder? When should Rhys go to bed? Can Rhys eat....?, the weather is funny, what do I dress them in?" That got old real quick! But, it also gave him time to actually know the kids too! He also knew why sometimes when he got home when he was working why the floor was untidy with toys...he found out real quick that you don't get time to scratch yourself with 2 kids hanging off you hehehehehehe!!!

Mandy, glad your DH is getting a little better! Hopefully he will be back to his old self by the time he jets off for work!

Gotta run.

Lotsa love
Tan

She was up at 2am last night for 2.5 hours, she NEVER has done that before, I am pooped today!

Gutter really hope you will get some rest tonight (or today) then - its exhausting when they are up! Maybe she will nap well this afternoon.

Bear that is exactly how we feel about the work I think. DH is not working today but I have taken Laurana to nursery school for the morning anyway cause I think it will be good for her. She wasn't so sure she wanted to go by herself today though, but she should be fine and she needs some time apart from us and with other children.

I'm off this weekend and we are planning on going to the Urban Market so Laurana is looking forward to riding the ponies again. She has been being such a big girl lately and tells me she's a big girl, but if you tell her big girls don't drink breastmilk then she says: "I'm a tiny baby"

Thanks Bron, but last night was crazy too. She was up at 11:30pm til 2am, I had to give her Tylenol and warm milk again and she was out like a light until ONLY 6:30am I am sooo drained, because once she goes back to sleep JAsper is up ....

Gutter - Your poor thing I can only imagine what it must be like with 2. Poor Audrey. What do you think was the problem?

I must admit, that's one of the things about having another baby I'm not too keen on. I like the fact that unless Rowan is ill, I never get woken in the night these days. I think I've become too used to it

Gutter shame that really is hard - and especially with both of them at it! I can only imagine how exhausted you must be. How is Audrey feeling now?

Laurana was asleep when I picked her up from nursery today and slept two hours after she got home. It was only when we woke her up that she told us about nursery, but what she imagined and what really happened is anyone's guess - she sang "two little dicky birds" to us so she must have done that at school as she hasn't heard that since she was 16 months old. She also told me though that she made green popcorn all by herself, so who knows. She seemed to enjoy it and asked to go again (with Mummy) I'd like her in a play group twice a week, but with DH no longer working its better she stays at home.

Hi Ladies,

Gutter...does Audrey have a temperature? Maybe you should take her to the doc to check out her ears or tonsils (waking up at odd hours is always a sign that one of mine had tonsil/ear problems...thank goodness they will no longer have tonsil problems...when they wake up in the middle of the night now I know it is ears - and that's few and far between now hehehehehehe!!)...maybe take Audrey to get her checked out by a doctor...if it is unusual for Audrey to be like this (which I know it is!) then maybe she has a bug of some sort. Sending sleepy vibes your way xx.

Bron, Grant is like Laurana after he has been to kindergarten...on the days when he has been to kindy, he comes home pooped...it is just because they are sooo busy and run flat out all day that they are pooped when the get home. I can't imagine how Grant will be when he starts school next year - being full time 5 days a week will mean he is totally exhausted by the end of the week! I can't wait hehehehehehe...seriously though, he will be pooped at the end of each day, meaning hopefully on the weekends he will sleep in a bit more (I hate getting up at 7.00am to 7.30am on weekends - 8.00am I could handle though!).

Yep, Bry, you are right...two little monsters running around the house equals no sleep if they are sick at the same time! There are times when I put them to bed, then one will be up at 9.00pm, will finally settle at about 10.00pm, I will literally just hit the mattress and the other will be up screaming because he is sick too, will take another hour to settle, will get about an hour before the other wakes up, and so on! It is mentally and physically draining, but you know after a few days it will be back to normal again...the thought of being ok in a few days time doesn't help you in that moment, but you know they will eventually be better sooner or later. Now that Grant is older, he understands more and isn't so bad when he gets sick and generally only wakes up the once...I just have to get Rhys to that stage now! I love my sleep too, so it is very draining when it happens!

Anyway, gotta run.

Lotsa love
Tan

Thank you ladies!!

Audrey doesn't cry at night, she is just trying to open the door when I hear her. She only cries when I leave her room after putting her back to sleep, so she gets up again and tries to open the door again. I really hope it goes better tonight, if not...I'm going to call the clinic tomorrow and see if they can take a look at her and jasper just to make sure they are okay.

Audrey was up again last night but I just listened as she tried to open the door again. About 20-25 min later she went back to sleep. Wish she slept, I would of gotten 8 hours of sleep last night!