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Hello.Again.Kitty

Hello.Again.Kitty
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Latest post on 16 January 2012 - 17:19
well, I decided to buy a brand new mattress for DD's cot because it still had the original when my dad handed it over and so was about 65 years old and had seen 6 babies! Anyhow, with the toddler beds, I was far less fussed - give them a sniff, check them over and if they're in obviously good condition, then they should be fine. I always use a mattress protector on them and have one of those little steam cleaners to give them a blast every so often. Job done!
Hello.Again.Kitty
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Latest post on 16 January 2012 - 17:14
OK... my warts and all account! lol Pre-children, I was at about 68kg... I was 89kg at term with DD and was back down to about 70kg within a year naturally (no diet, no watching what I ate, but breastfeeding). Got pg with DS 2 weeks after I stopped breastfeeding so started putting it on again, but was down to 69-odd at 12 weeks because I was just so darned sick! Was 87kg at term, down to 75kg at 6 months PP and then stayed there until I started making sound food choices (less of the "oh, I'll just finish the kids' meal"... "oh, maybe one more slice of cake"...) and stuck to reasonable portion sizes. I have never crash dieted, worked out (tut tut) or cut what I was eating to the point of wanting to binge. It took about 9 months, but I'm now at 64kg and have stayed there... mainly because I focussed on creating healthy eating habits, rather than depriving myself. Cor, if I still had my breastfeeding-induced G-cup, I'd look like Jordan!
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Latest post on 16 January 2012 - 00:57
If, as Ski Dubai say it's all controlled and 'scientific' then I'm okay with it. What, like how Atlantis was all controlled and scientific with Sammy? ... Anyhow, yes, it would be lovely to have penguins running around, but unfortunately - judging by how some of the public likes to goad the animals into "doing something" by throwing stones, poking them or shouting at them - the problem will be the public, not the penguins. Basic respect for animal welfare is simply not in the culture of a large proportion of the UAE's residents...
Hello.Again.Kitty
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Latest post on 15 January 2012 - 18:55
if you're working out as well as breastfeeding, then really don't worry about cutting back on calories - you should be eating at least 1800 cals for the breastfeeding aspect (exclusively breasfeeding needs an extra 300-500 cals per day) and then you should be eating back most, if not all of the calories you've burned through exercise, lest you drop to below 1200/day by accident. Er... that makes no sense! lol! Right. Let's say you're eating your normal recommended 2000 cals a day. Deduct the 500 that you're burning through breastfeeding and you're left with 1500, so you will be losing weight gradually. Let's say 40 mins on a cross-trainer burns another 500 cals, so deduct them from the 1500 cals (intake - bf) and your body is left with 1000 cals to do all the things that it needs to function properly. 1000cals isn't enough ([url=http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator'>this[/url'> site had a calculator that tells you how much your body needs just to function) and so your body will take action to conserve energy - mainly in the form of stockpiling more fat whenever it has a chance and/or dispensing with any actions over and above the core functions = ie your milk supply. Anyhow, so, eat healthily and regularly - a nice, balanced diet which is nutrient-rich. Treat yourself occasionally and above all, listen to your body - if it's hungry, feed it. The weight will come off, never you fear! Oh, and my "plan" was to use MFP to track what I was eating. I only started this when DS was nearly a year old because my weight loss had ground to a halt and I didn't understand why... made a warts and all diary of what I was eating and ho ho... yeah. Coffee, snacks and portion sizes were the big culprits! <em>edited by Hello.Again.Kitty on 15/01/2012</em>
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Latest post on 15 January 2012 - 17:05
I would go to a specialist maternity shop or a lingerie shop that also stocks nursing bras (the one with the yellow mosaic tiling stocks a few - can't remember the name, but they're in most malls). I got fitted here in the UK both times, as that was where I happened to be. I also used the Anita underwired too and they are sooooo good - BUT you must get properly fitted because the underwires should always sit on your ribcage and on no part of your breast tissue (this means the underwire will actually sit under your armpit and be flat on your breastbone - any gaping means that the bra is just not right)
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Latest post on 15 January 2012 - 15:51
am I lazy or what! but seriously its saves you so much time on dishes if you don't have to cook the pasta or rice on the spot either and you don't end up standing over a hot stove with a hungry toddler pulling on your pants saying "mummy mummy MUUUUUUMY, pasta PASTA pasta!!" Oh, lordy, I have SO been there! When DS was newborn, I had a rota whereby I saved a DD-sized portion of our food from the evening before (taken before the added salt), so when it was feeding time at the zoo ('cos invariably DS also wanted feeding too!), I could shove her dish in the microwave one-handed. I also did steamed diced carrots and then froze them, but froze them in water because our freezer seems to like to freeze-dry stuff if it gets half the chance.
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Latest post on 15 January 2012 - 15:30
only buy your nursing bra in the couple of weeks before you're due - and only buy one or two, because you may have a bit of an expansion surprise once your milk comes in! The general rule is apparently a cup size and band width more, but it's not necessarily true for everyone. I never expanded the band width, so had I bought as per the rule, I would have had a rubbishly unsupportive bra. My only great tip is to have yourself properly fitted by someone who knows their stuff. I went from a D to an E/F during pregnancy and then once my milk came in, jumped to a G/H... first time around. Second time around, I stayed at an F cup throughout and only bordered on a G in the first few months of nursing. Once you get to that size, a well-fitted bra is simply essential, otherwise you'll have back and neck ache to add to your general tiredness! You can also find underwired nursing bras (I found them a godsend), which are perfectly fine [i'>as long as they've been properly fitted to you.[/i'>
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Latest post on 15 January 2012 - 15:23
I actually use a little vanity case/bag from Boots (in the UK - not sure if they'd have them in DUbai)... which has a zip around 3 sides so opens flat and has 2 large clear pockets on either side along with a bit of space in the middle. It's great and more compact than a normal change bag - I have nappies and wipes in one side, then "emergency" stuff on the other (first aid kid, calpol, change of clothes, change mat, etc...) and enough space inside for my purse and phone.
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Latest post on 15 January 2012 - 15:19
Kiwi - going to have to agree with you again! lol! I would boil up a single veg, purée it and freeze it in ice cube trays, then decant the cubes into a freezer bag for storage - do this with a few veg and then you can make your own veg cocktail... and once bubs is only lumpy bits, you just reheat the purée with some pasta/rice or teensy cubed carrots or whatever. The actual pureeing takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and then the reheating is no more than 5. I just had some good old saucepans and a stick blender. I also used to do fruit purées in ice cubes to have with plain yoghurt too. That and porridge... gosh, porridge is just so wonderful on so many levels! lol I was told that lamb is a very good meat to start babies on, as it is a rich meat with lots of fats (very nutritious) - use minced lamb, of course! Saying all that, I moved my two to normal food pretty quickly, about 8 weeks after starting solids because I wanted to eat with them whenever possible and to be honest, they were bored stiff with purées and purées with lumps!
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Latest post on 15 January 2012 - 15:09
wow thank you for sharing, Hord..sometimes they do say that c-section is the safest for baby even though it makes you feel like a cop-out at times :( ! c-sections aren't a cop out at all if they mean the baby is delivered safely. Just as Sweetlily says, look into hypnobirthing but above all, work at being at peace with whatever decision you may need to take during the birth. Most birth traumas (or simply the pain) are because women suddenly feel they're no longer in control of their own bodies or the situation. In some cases, like yours, their ability and confidence to give birth is undermined by hc professionals and others, they're just treated like a piece of meat and poked, prodded, pushed and cut without their consent. If you can, try to watch One Born Every Minute. It's on UK telly and follows a real maternity unit. I only watched last weeks episode, but it was lovely - not without some drama - but it just reminded me what a great approach to giving birth we have in the UK. Midwives deliver, so don't be concerned about the lack of OBGyn, but they are just wonderfully understanding, supportive and will back off if that's what they feel the parents want/need... but are just so completely on the ball if extra help is needed (there was one baby who did get stuck).
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Latest post on 15 January 2012 - 14:54
if all else fails, you might be able to find it as a pdf or ebook via a torrent site.
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Latest post on 15 January 2012 - 14:46
you could also try goats milk instead of cow's. One of my friends got round her son's dairy allergy this way. I would also stop using the jars. It's far easier to control what's gone into your baby's food if you make it yourself and often, just the industrial production process breaks the food down far more than you would.
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Latest post on 14 January 2012 - 18:02
seriously?! Wow. Use of a catheter hasn't been standard in the UK for years and years... like maybe 30 or 40. Good to see the midwife you spoke with is on the pulse of modern practices! As for an enema, well, you can, of course, but I think the actual enema would be more awkward for you than the possibility of a poo being pushed out seconds before you give birth. I didn't have an enema for either of my labours and quite frankly, any midwife worth their salt can deal with whatever happens during labour - they will have seen all kinds. I would, however, try to go to the loo when you're in early stages of labour! I'm just having visions of them having given me an enema when I arrived at hospital - I gave birth about 30 minutes after arrival, so had they tried, the whole experience would have been grotesque in the extreme!
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Latest post on 14 January 2012 - 15:47
My two luuurrrrrve porridge. I use a large rolled porridge oat brand (not Quaker, because that's more like "porridge dust" and just forms walpaper paste) and use just full-fat milk - it gives a great texture and is scrummy. You can also boil it up with raisins, chopped apple, banana or whatever else takes your fancy (vanilla extract or cocoa are a couple of others). However, they are fickle, so some mornings we just have jam on toast. Lots of.
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Latest post on 14 January 2012 - 15:41
DS did exactly the same at around about the same age - he only wanted milk morning and evening (and then 2-3 times during the night). I breastfed, so, well, that was that and we adapted. You can't force them to drink or eat, so just try to make good choices - always include a dairy product in each meal (cheese, milk, yoghurt, cream) and always offer water or milk during the meal too in a cup. I started doing porridge (made with just milk, no water) for breakfast, lunch with yoghurt and dinner with a white sauce/ cheese sauce or another yoghurt or milk jelly. If she's not keen on a bottle milk feed any more, just adapt and watch her weight gain (which will be starting to slow anyway) and nappy output. Babies should only be drinking milk or water - limit juice to mealtimes (high acidity in fruit juices), absolutely nothing soda-ish and no caffeinated drinks (tea or coffee). There's quite a bit of "stuff" like tannins in herbal teas too, which quite honestly, babies can do without. As long as she's having nutritious meals and is well hydrated, there shouldn't really be a problem.
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Latest post on 14 January 2012 - 01:24
I completely agree with the others - children seem to see emotions in black or white and don't really understand that few things are really like that, let alone the implications of what they say - they may be on the path to empathy, but they certainly haven't got there yet! Also, it could be that he's feeling a bit stressed about his dad not being around, especially if he's picking up on the fact that you feel under pressure and/or scrutinised... add to that the completely normal sibling issues and well, you get an emotionally confused child! Again, anger manifests itself in many ways, and although it's hurtful, I would far prefer a child who conveys his or her emotions rather than internalising them and withdrawing. One thing is for sure though, he does love you and will always love you. You are his world and his rock... and, just as adults, we often take the most important things in our lives for granted.
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Latest post on 13 January 2012 - 23:44
it seems that the article is putting more emphasis on the fact that this child didnt cry .... thats not important .. what a strange set of priorities this place has. "What a brave girl she was to not cry" - the fact that neither her nor her family have 2 specks of common sense between them doesn't even register.
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Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 20:04
I think any time that you feel ready for it during your second trimester is the perfect time to get things together. Three babies later (and another one on the way :D), the only 'essentials' on my list are: - somewhere safe for the baby to sleep - the safest car seat you can afford - something to carry or push baby around in when you're out and about (a stroller, buggy, wrap or carrier) - somewhere to change nappies that's the right height for you (we use two chests of drawers pushed back to back so everything is stored within reach) - nappies and wipes (we use cloth) - simple clothes - large muslins or other wraps, season appropriate for swaddling - bathtub (I used the IKEA bargain basement one with a towel laid in the bottom of it...reduces slipping!) Everything else is handy but not essential. Have fun...I love baby shopping!! Yay! I was exactly the same as you - bare minimum. With my first, I did buy some random useless things (flat sheets, bottles, way too many blankets...), but with poor DS... well, he didn't get anything new. You'll be given soooooo much. People will ask you what you need and will genuinely want to treat your baby - let them, because second time around, there's not half so much hype! Don't buy any toys, nor baby gym, nor clothes, aside from a going home outfit and some baby-grows. By all means keep an eye out for bargains from 12 weeks onward, but I left most of it until I was about 35 weeks. It just gathers dust otherwise!
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Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 19:56
Thanks kiwispiers. I sound so dumb lol but if i dont ask i'll never know. I feed and dh burps ds, then we put him to bed. He cries a bit but does eventually fall asleep. then that is perfect... seriously! I spent the 1st 3 months of DD's life [i'>constantly [/i'>worrying about whether I was doing the Right Thing (no such thing) and in constant fear of forming Bad Habits. After bursting into tears for the umpteenth time, my mum said "there's absolutely no habit that can't be broken, so it really doesn't matter at this stage". Try to worry less and you'll find yourself enjoying babyhood more. Just by asking the questions, you're proving that you're a good, caring mum and that, quite frankly is the best thing a baby could ever have. The rest is just detail.
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Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 19:49
we managed to pay off our outstanding loans and save more than we would have done, but it amounts to something quite short of "a ton"... it would have been very different had I been working full-time too - maybe then I could say that we'd have been raking it in, but at what price? Oh, yeah, not seeing my children awake.
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Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 18:49
thank u so much ladies for ur support and kind words. my DH's concern is that once he is on formula, he won't accept BF, whereas i plan to feed him for at least an year. i don't feel guilty about starting him on formula but i'll feel bad if he stops BF completely i don't rock him, and stopped swaddling when he was one month old. yes, he always sleep when feeding. and as soon i lay him on his back, he's up after 45 minutes, and sometimes it becomes nearly impossible to make him sleep again his height and weight are good according to his age, so he's doing perfectly fine feeding and sleeping wise (i think). he usually sleeps in the morning 6:30 to 8 and after that from 10 to 1 in afternoon. somtimes have a nap of an hour near 4. and then till night the feedimg and sleeping (hardly 15 minutes) game goes on Just looking at that, I would count any sleep up until 8h as "night time", so that's not a day nap, which means he's only having 1 or 2 daytime naps, which isn't much for a 3 month old. I would have expected 2 for sure, with the occasional 3. Length doesn't really matter - it's the length of time awake that is telling. My son was having a single 11h-14h nap with occasional late afternoon nap when he was 12-24 months old. In short, my gut feel is that your son is overtired at bedtime and so needs something (your breast) to knock him out, so to speak, but then it's a restless sleep because his brain is hyper - and sleep cycles go in 45 minute er, cycles, so that would tie in. If that's the actual problem, no formula can help - maybe a shot of gin to make him pass out (NO, please don't do this!)...
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Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 16:47
Thanks Green-ish - I'm doing ante-natal classes and breastfeeding is covered in the last week. Also plan to book a consultant to come to the house to help after the birth. I just don't feel overly passionate about it like some women do - but have always wanted to give baby best start and 6 weeks sounds a good target initially. I do find it confusing that some women suggest introducing a bottle from the beginning (my friend didn't - her baby is now 6 months, doesn't sleep for more than 3 hours at a time, and won't take a bottle from anyone - so she strongly recommended me to introduce early). I guess everybody's babies are different - and I really don't have anything against feeding with formula, so will just see how it goes and move over if it doesnt work! There's a lot to be said for starting out on the right foot and with a positive, but realistic attitude. Regarding bottles, there's absolutely nothing to say that babies should need to bottle feed and especially if you're happy breastfeeding, then, well, what's the point?! DD never took to the bottle and I kicked myself for not trying earlier, mainly because she was set on a 23h feed and that meant I couldn't have an evening out! With DS, I introduced a bottle of bm early on (which was pathetic anyway because I had to express during 3 half hour sessions over 3 days to get 1 bottle's worth, whereas if I just fed him direct, it took 5 minutes!)... anyhow, DS dropped the 23h feed really early on, so the whole bottle exercise was pointless! Both my two got used to drinking from the Tommee Tippee cups from about 5 months, so when we stopped bf, they drank their milk from a cup. There's also absolutely no research suggesting that formula makes babies sleep better/longer/more - those very same babies could have been "good sleepers" anyway, could have grown into a longer sleep pattern naturally or, well, it could just be fluke. My dad told me a joke once (bad dad joke) - 2 men are in a park and one is clicking his fingers constantly. The other asks why he's doing it, to which he replies "it's to keep the wild elephants away". "But there aren't any wild elephants in England!" says the first... "So it works then!" says the second. Anyhow, Orchard - I second Kiwi here - look to the daytime. Look also to the bedtime routine. Try to set up a clear rhythm with some strong sleep cues and hopefully it'll help. What time is he going to bed? I would say any time between 18h and 19h is ideal.
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Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 01:56
Aww, bless you! At 2, the average child will have a vocabulary of 50 understandable, but not perfect words. There are certain sounds that come first and others are more complicated... And also they will pronounce the sounds as they hear them, so for example in english, the first syllable is usually stressed, apart from in some words like 'banana', where the second is stressed, so children will often say 'nana' because the 'ba' doesn't register. My son wasn't saying 50 words at 2, but health professionals dont worry about speech until the children are around 5. We consulted a speech therapist who gave some top tips and lots of reassurance, but even 2 is too young for speech exercises or anything. Just reinforce the proper speech sound as your son communicates by repeating what you think he's said, so if he says 'ka' and points to a car, you say, 'yes it's a car!' Speech in infancy is about communication rather than diction... So if your son is saying his version of a word and is being understood, then that's a good thing and essentially, he's achieving what he set out to do, which is great. DS is very chatty, even though i can't make out half the things he's telling me, and he's 2.5 now. His progress in the last 6 months has been incredible and i just know that their speech development follows a bit of an exponential curve!
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Latest post on 12 January 2012 - 00:20
Hello.Again.Kitty, I am in Rimal 6 in a -01 :( :( what do you mean?? i haven't noticed/smelled anything strange as of yet. how long ago was this? anything else i should know?? The Smell originates from a leaky soil vent pipe, and since they can't investigate the whole stack (it'd be horribly expensive), their "solution" is to seal up the SVP access point with silicone, which just means that there's less ventilation and the problem is compounded. I guess if you are on a lower floor, you're more likely to be under the leak point, and since sewage is warm, the warm air/smell wafts upwards. We were on a very high floor and basically couldn't have the AC on in the second bedroom, nor have the door closed. My parents stayed and did and both woke up with migraines. We obviously called in maintenance, who siliconed up the access hatch, then blamed the AC vents (which we then had cleaned - should be done every 6 months, just in case you're not aware - I wasn't!) and since the smell persisted, we got them in again to look harder. It turned out the wall surrounding the SVP above the suspended ceiling hadn't actually been completed, so they patched that up, but hey, The Smell persisted... so we moved. There are so many things in the build quality that 99% of us don't know about. The budget was cut by 30% before the first slab was laid, the specifications of internal fittings then had to be cut (the doors, kitchen units and window sills are the cheapest veneers out there!) and goodness only knows what other corners where cut. There's a huge amount of structural movement visible at plaza level and we had cracks over a meter long in our apartment. THEN of course you have to factor in the lack of skill of the labourers, which is visible all over Dubai. The outside plaza level lifts kept on failing the safety tests by the municipality and so weren't operating until the middle of 2009, if I remember rightly. AND THEN there's the maintenance. Not once in our year's tenancy (3 years ago) were the fire alarm systems tested... for those of you who've lived there longer - has anyone been round to clean and test your smoke alarms? It's kind of important. I won't even think of the central AC system or water tanks. We often had our tap-water run rust-coloured, so much so that I took to using bottled water in the kettle and to boil the kid's pasta. Anyhow, that's just my experience. We then moved to The Waves and it was just simple leagues apart... but just across a bridge from all the action.
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Latest post on 11 January 2012 - 23:27
Thanks HAK what book did you read? Think I may be doing it solo as there don't appear to be any courses currently running. The Mongan method one. There were bits which made me cringe a bit (can't remember which), but it was the sentiment of it that really confirmed it to me. I didn't do the relaxation (I'm not good at relaxing at the best of times), but instead went for visualising when was going on during each phase and kind of willing my body on... you know, like when you're at the gym and you're really pushing yourself and while part of you is aching and wants to stop, you give yourself a pep talk - like "go on, work harder, $&** you!" - at the same time as having a real understanding of what's actually happening inside your body. As always, I don't know how much of it was just in my mind, but hey, if it worked in any way, surely that was the aim of the game! One thing is for sure though, I have never, ever felt so completely in tune with my body as when I was giving birth to DS, nor as focussed and aware. It really is a heightened awareness - I can still remember being able to focus on the muscles rather than the contractions. Ah, yes, that reminds me - in the book, it calls contractions "waves" or "pulses" (which I found a bit silly)... and I was just about to say, about dealing with contractions that it's like the difference between surfing the wave and being in the water as the wave breaks over you. Same wave, just a completely different perspective... Of course, sometimes you fall off the board and the wave still breaks over you, but hey, no one's perfect!
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Latest post on 11 January 2012 - 23:14
lol Amelia, just posted a similar message at the same time as you, great minds think alike. Also there is a bus No 8 going up to Ibn Battuta, every 10-15 mins throughout the day, (only 10 mins or so to get there). This is right outside the car park if you didn't want to drive. Very convenient and only a few dirhams. edited by Alismum on 11/01/2012 and the F37 that goes round the marina every 15 minutes, so will take you to either of the metro stops and marina mall. I love the marina - I just feel there are better developments than JBR. Oh, and for the person looking to move to Rimal - avoid any -01 numbers in Rimal 6, unless you like the smell of mildewey urine wafting through your A/C!
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Latest post on 11 January 2012 - 23:09
depends also what you want the candidate to do and if you want someone to shape. If you want someone to troubleshoot, command respect, know his stuff and hit the ground running, get the guy with the experience. If you want someone to train up "your way" but to also come in with fresh ideas and more up-to-date skills [i'>and[/i'> be prepared to shadow them, then get the graduate. BUT also, it's worth bearing in mind that the guy with 35 years experience will probably hang in there with your company until s/he retires, so you could consider them an even more worthwhile investment (as long as they're good and your company doesn't treat them horribly). On the other hand, graduates change jobs more often, so you may only get 3-5 years out of them before they move on.
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Latest post on 10 January 2012 - 23:38
Quite honestly, a lot of the time adults don't quite know what may or may not have happened and who did what first, but it is simply not acceptable for them to be ignoring a crying child, regardless of why s/he may be upset. You're paying them to see to your son's well-being, end of. I'm quite relaxed when it comes to incidents, but this would set my warning bells going. Tomorrow, sit down with the principal and have a reasonable discussion about it. Trust your feelings and if you feel the staff are just paying you lip-service, find a place that actually does what it's meant to.
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Latest post on 10 January 2012 - 21:56
I used to live 'next door' in Rimal and then moved across the marina. We moved because our apartment was victim of The Smell, it was noisy and the rent was high back then. During all our time in dubai we lived in the marina though, because it's just so vibrant, great for mums with small children and is [now'> very walkable. I would never live in jbr again though, simple because of the gamble on the apartment quality... And there are oodles of great places with better facilities within a 3 minute walk so you can enjoy the atmosphere, but sleep far from the downsides!
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Latest post on 09 January 2012 - 22:47
The important thing is that you and your husband are a [b'>team[/b'>, and you are there to [b'>support[/b'> each other. Don't be afraid or feel you don't have the right to ask him for help in whatever form he is able to give you, that's what marriage is about. I absolutely agree with you. It took us about 6 months after DD was born to really work it out and stop bickering about who has the hardest job and both start rowing in the same direction again. I also think the situation is different for those sahms with school age children. Most of us are talking about multiple pre-schoolers, who, in comparison to my professional encounters, are a combination of the fussiest clients and hardest taskmaster of a boss. At the end of the day, neither party in a marriage wants to see the other suffer, so as one of the others said, itbshould be situational - just as you'd be extra understanding if the OH was having a stressful time at work and try and take some of the strain for them, the other should too. DH went through a period of having to work weekens and evenings and so i made sure that all the time he got to spend at home was relaxed and worry-free. On the other hand, when i was still feeding DS 3 times a night and had got to the stage in sleep deprivation where i was finding it hard to function, DH would get the kids up, feed, dress and keep them happy and only wake me to take over as he walked out the door to go to work. We have never had a nanny, btw. I'm dying to go back to work, if i'm honest and that's mainly to get some bloomin' peace! Of course, that brings its own debates though... If one child is ill, who has the sacrificial job? What happens if we both have to work late?! Of course, DHs bosses will assume that wifey continues to pick up the slack...
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Latest post on 09 January 2012 - 14:16
After MANY "discussions", we've come to agree that being a SAHM is a job and so, to avoid further argument, my working hours are from the time DH walks out the door to the moment he walks back in again - everything that happens at home while we're both there are shared. There's no "that's not my job" or anything like that. However, DH is rubbish at all things laundry, so I do that. I also keep a grip on all the household needs and he leaves me to that. Housework, cooking and childcare, when we're both at home, are shared. I have found that, if a dad (or anyone) thinks that a SAHM has a cushy time, a great way to make them change their mind is to go out for a whole day - 9h-18h... and when you come back, you sit down, ask them how their day was, then ask what's for dinner, if they cleaned the house and if they did the washing. Invariably the answer is "No, I was looking after the kids all day!"... ah-ha! Exactly!
Hello.Again.Kitty
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Latest post on 09 January 2012 - 14:04
I started DS at nursery when he was 26 months and have actually not continued since moving. It was a lovely environment for him, but i felt was overwhelming him (and he's a confident little chap) - I noticed that although he started recognising shapes and stuff (which in fairness he was already starting to do at home), he was also developing less desirable things, like biting to get attention. He's now with a childminder for a day a week and she has 2 other little boys his age (they're building dens today!) and with me 1-on-1 every day for 3 hours while DD is at pre-school, so we go and do stuff together (that's the theory at least - it's Week 1)... the rest of the time we're all together doing stuff. DD didn't start nursery until she was 3 and wasn't at all disadvantaged. It was more about getting time apart at that stage and she was old enough to thrive with the FS1 curriculum.
Hello.Again.Kitty
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Latest post on 09 January 2012 - 03:39
well looking back it was... Looking back, I don't know what I had to complain about with only one child! lol. "oh, it's just so hard to go shopping with a baby! I don't know how I'm ever going to manage!"... yeah, fast forward 18 months and I was going shopping on my own with a newborn AND a toddler and THEN I knew the meaning of "hard work"! Hindsight is a wonderful thing!
Hello.Again.Kitty
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Latest post on 09 January 2012 - 03:35
Ah, so you started that. I'm a member of that group. Great job. :) Yay! No great job really (and I don't do modesty, let alone false modesty!)... it just seemed necessary and in a bout of bad planning, I created the group and only afterwards found Breastfeeding Q&A! I just really enjoy getting projects going - anyone who knows me in real life will now be rolling their eyes in recognition because finishing projects is another matter entirely! Anyhow, point being, is that it needs to keep going and I officially now hand that torch to you guys. Make it what you will!
Hello.Again.Kitty
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 09 January 2012 - 03:30
if you were happy at the villa and wanted to engineer a decrease in rent, you could tell all the prospective tenants the real story, then after a few months of fruitless viewing, go back to him with your offer to stay. Just saying. Also, don't allow people to visit without you being there.
Hello.Again.Kitty
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 22:28
I had a horrendous virus at the beginning of November - 7 full days of high fever (38-40.3 degrees), then 7 days of feeling week and high fever at night (by which stage my body no longer registered I had a fever... was chatting to the Dr and it turned out I was at 39!) and then a week or two of feeling week. Absolutely no other symptoms apart from the fever!
Hello.Again.Kitty
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 21:49
oh you've moved back home, lucky you!! alternative addiction, hmmmm online shopping? what with delivery being that much easier... but stay on EW please, once an expat woman, always an expat woman :) xxxx yar... and it is nice to be back. A strange sense of being back in the real world! lol I have to say though, it's really hit home to what extent mums in Dubai are out on a limb - I was called up a couple of days ago by a speech therapist who just wanted to check on DS and tell me about a free speech therapy group in my area. I also popped in to our local Children and Family Centre where they have loads of support groups, activities, health professionals and most are either free or ask for a donation (if you can afford it, and it's like 5aed) to cover for the tea, coffee and biscuits! They run a bf support group there, which inspired me to create [url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/277564193389/'>Breastfeeding Mums in Dubai[/url'> Anyhow... back to the real real world and my pesky children.
Hello.Again.Kitty
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 19:47
I should hope so. Thats the beauty of advice though. We can get everyone else's opinions and then go ahead and do what we were going to do anyway :D The problem is though, that some people genuinely don't know what to do and will follow the consensus of the majority. We've kind of forgotten how much we had to learn - and quickly, at that - and I only have a vague recollection of quite how daunting I found all the different opinions. It's a big call to forge your own way confidently, something that only a very small percentage of mums can do (and I'm not one of them!). I remember on this forum, there was one thread where a 1st time mum was asking advice on a 2 week old baby who was bf and hadn't poo'd in 24 hours. The number of people who genuinely suggested suppositories (one even went as far as suggesting a dollop of vaseline inserted on the end of a rectal thermometer!) beggared belief... I don't know what the mum did in the end, but there were certainly more in the suppository camp than in the "let nature take its course" camp! <em>edited by Hello.Again.Kitty on 08/01/2012</em>
Hello.Again.Kitty
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 19:40
good advice as always HAK, where have you been lately? we've missed you! Well, I've had a bit of a busy couple of months - packing up our stuff, moving back to the UK, settling in, family Christmas, shoehorning the kids into childcare and sorting out the house so that we've at least vaguely got room for all our boxes. I'm also now sorting through the hoard of baby stuff that I've accumulated (word to the wise 1st timers - just don't buy lots of stuff!) and sticking them on small ads, which takes an age. I guess I should stop lurking on EW, but hey, I haven't yet found an alternative addiction! :-0
Hello.Again.Kitty
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Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 19:31
Professionally speaking, I wouldn't buy a property in JBR if it were 1aed. I was about to say "unless you plan to sell within the next 5 years", but actually, no, I wouldn't even then. The build quality is so poor that it's only a matter of time before service charges can no longer pay for the amount of maintenance required to keep it going. There's also no guarantee that in 5 years time it will still be in a state where people want to buy it. I wouldn't be surprised if it only has another 10-20 years in it.
Hello.Again.Kitty
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 17:54
I think it depends what the age gap is! If you have them close together, then it's hardcore, but you're still in baby mode from the first and haven't yet had an insight into them being more independent (and how nice that is!). Mine are 21 months apart. On the other hand, friends who've got children 3-4 years apart seem to be able to be far more relaxed... after all, their 1st will invariably be in fs1 or school... grr. I had intended a 3 year gap, but my hormones had other ideas! And then if you have a larger gap, a newborn can be like being a first-time mum again... Anyhow, regardless of how difficult it may or may not be, if you want more than 1 child, it's something we just have to work through!
Hello.Again.Kitty
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 17:47
Sometimes (oftentimes?) there is bad breastfeeding advice that goes around on this forum that can be harmful Has anyone's baby been harmed from some EW advice? Or is that statement just for effect? I would hope that people take the advice gleaned from any forum as just people's opinions rather than hard and fast, medically sound, fully referenced recommendations, although obviously when those opinions are fully referenced, then they're probably quite sound! I always get worried when people ask things like "my baby has been vomiting for 4 days, what should I do?" and then get every man and his dog suggesting home remedies, concoctions or even medicines. Er, no - you should go to the Dr if you're concerned!
Hello.Again.Kitty
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Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 16:52
Go down to the Arte souk (i think there's one on soon) - there are loads of artists there that have some gorgeous work, of all shapes and sizes and to suit every budget. I got several pieces from there (and from [url=https://www.facebook.com/purviis'>Purvi[/url'> in particular) and would have got more, had I not run out of time before we left.
Hello.Again.Kitty
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 16:48
I would also just recommend a good baking cookbook. My all-time-favourite is The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook, where every single recipe is easy and delicious. However, I recently got this [url=http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Easy-Cake-Decorating/9781445422947'>book[/url'> which is full of lovely ideas and top tips, as well as some basic recipes. It really is simple once you get the hang of what ingredients can do and how long they need to be in the oven for. Making mistakes and inventing is all part of the fun. One of the recipes in the Hummingbird Bakery book has a misprint and says to put in 1.5 tablespoons of bicarb in a cupcake recipe - I though it was a bit wrong, so put in half that (thinking that maybe it needed more than usual because of the other ingredients) and the bloomin' things exploded in my oven!
Hello.Again.Kitty
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 08 January 2012 - 16:38
as for routine - 4 days old... he's very young for a routine and to be honest, it's not the be and and end all. Heck, I'm [cough'> 30-something and am still not in a routine! It all depends if you, as a family, work well on a routine or not - some of my friends, even pre-kids would do their ironing at a set time and eat their meals on the dot... I, on the other hand, am a bit less organised, so setting a strict routine for bubs was just a bit strange. Saying that, learn to observe - it will serve you in exceptionally good stead. Your baby will fall into its own pattern and you'll probably find that if you break it down, the same things happen at around about the same time. Don't get too het up with it though, because as bubs grows and develops, s/he will adjust these patterns!
Hello.Again.Kitty
1861
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 January 2012 - 22:16
When I flew solo with my two (DD was just over 2), I developed a very handy restraint technique of holding DS and wedging DD in to her seat with a rather firm pressure of my arm with my hand on the seat between her legs - she hated it and it wan't exactly relaxing, but it stopped her wriggling out from under her seatbelt! Good luck! Top tip - hit the gin early! ;-p
Hello.Again.Kitty
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 January 2012 - 22:12
If you can get hold of the book and read it, then you could pass on the course - I just read the book (and didn't listen to the CD/DVD) and it just clicked - I already felt that it was "my" approach, so reading it just confirmed what I already believed... anyhow, don't know what made the difference, but I had a wonderful labour and birth!
Hello.Again.Kitty
1861
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 January 2012 - 22:09
if he's old enough, give him some cucumber sticks to chew on... carrot sticks are also good!
Hello.Again.Kitty
1861
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 07 January 2012 - 22:07
I fail to understand why people do not appear to use children's reins. It is safer for the child and the parent and anyone else around. Less accidents. Adults have more control, shorten the reins if you need to until the child learns your guidelines. When child is alot older one can purchase a hand rein which is very useful even when child is 5 or 6years old especially in airports and crowded tourist places and shopping malls. A good investment to use and much less stress on the adult in charge. Same as using a seat belt in the car, very worth while on many levels. Like anything worthwhile one needs adult persistence Are you raising a child who understands situational boundaries or a dog who only knows the length of its lead? I would be as bold as to say that if you've done your job properly, you don't need to have your children tied to you - especially until they're 6!! Even my 2.5 year old now knows when it's safe for him to run around and when he has to stop - I can trust him to always stop before he gets to a curb and whilst I was teaching him this, the reins were always on slack so that he was obeying me, rather than the lead. Both know that the more people are around us, the closer they have to stay to me and again, although there are always some blips, I can generally trust them to have a bit of common sense. Again, and as always, it's about picking your battles. Kids will be kids and want (and need) to run around. They're not dogs who will always walk to heel and can't be expected to do so all the time, BUT they need to be taught when they do need to and in a very no-compromise way. I only have 2 rules - stop at the end of a road and never run so that I can't see you (this last one is a constant "work in progress"!)
Hello.Again.Kitty
1861
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 03 January 2012 - 22:04
In the UK it's "4 to 6 months" and healthcare professionals always say that 6 months is recommended, but not always possible/practical. I started DD on solids at 18 weeks because she was hungry. I know there's "sleep regression" mentioned a lot as a cause for night waking and it's mooted that parents confuse it with a sign of wanting to be weaned, but I knew without a doubt that DD was hungry, pure and simple. Not knowing anything about the process, I followed the baby rice packet's instructions and made up about 2 teaspoons' worth, which she gulped down and the expression on her face was very much "come on, keep it coming, call that a meal?!" She got bored of purées within a couple of weeks, so I introduced lumpy bits quite quickly, which meant, in turn, that she was having chopped up normal meals and pieces of fruit at around 6 months. I've also always worked on the assumption that if I wouldn't eat what I served up, then I can't blame them if they didn't... which made for a few interesting moments - "oo, what've you brought for DD's lunch?" "er... goat's cheese and green bean salad?" "Really?!" "Er, yeah... is that wrong?" ;)
 
 
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