Had an absoluely lovely weekend with the boys who were an absolute joy to be with.
We seem to have turned a bit of a corner with Eben. That's not to say he doesn't spend most of his time tormenting his little brother and spending time on the step for it, but Louis seems to be becoming less frightened and has started smiling at him far more. He also seems to have learnt the art of waving both arms in Eben's general direction to ward him off. When he gets some power behind it, hopefully it may inspire Eben to stop lying on top of him so often.
What I mean by turning a corner is we seem to have found a new equilibrium a way of things not descending in to a huge shouting match. Unfortunately this involves us working 4 times as hard to keep things on an even keel, but it's well worth it.
Problem with fixing this problem though is that the parenting zen has kicked in and Louis's started waking up 3 times a night.
Ah happy days, only 25 or so years to go.
29 comments:
Lol - Only 25 years?!
Well the good news is that there is a lull in the middle when they both start school, and whilst there will always be problems, we get more experienced/confident at handling them.
Lovely photos Six, They both look very content with life.
Beautiful photographs of beautiful boys, Six. My six month old nephew was round yesterday and I could just munch him to death. Fortunately for me, he likes me and he likes being munched. I predict a lovely relationship.
Sorry to hear about the sleeping problems. There is nothing further I can say because I've been there and so I know how awful it is to attempt to get through days whilst doing a zombie impression. It does end eventually and for now there is a big hug to you both from me.
To tell you the truth Mags, I'm not having too much of a bad time with it.
Nicky's the one who's suffering and this time round we didn't get Louis used to a bottle, so we're currently trying to wean him on to use a bottle and give him a formula feed and he's screaming blue murder.
Until that happens I'm not really that much use, as it's easier to breast feed him during the night so that we're not both up with him.
Only way I can really help is taking him off at 6ish with Eben and leting Nic sleep as late as she can until I go to work at 8.30.
I guess we're going to have to bite the bullet and kind of starve him of the feed. Good thing is he's not completely rejecting it. he too about an ounce and half yesterday before he started going for it so i think we'll get there eventually it's just a bit hellish while we do.
Poor Nicky. My heart goes out to her. It's funny that when you're trying to do something like wean it seems to go on for ages but when you look back on the time, it was probably only a month at most. A small piece of hell in amongst a lifetime but so distorting at the point of experience. Mind, it leaves its visible scars. I was only telling my son the other day that when I used to go clubbing when I was pregnant with him I was asked for id to prove I was over 21 every single time....I was 31! In the following 12 months I aged more than 10 years and found my first grey hairs and discovered that skin does indeed crease. He says I try to blame him for everything but I think he's just being a stroppy pre-teen!
Beautiful boys Six. Don't cave in over the bottle feeding, he'll give in eventually !
I know it seems harsh, but if you can sort him out now, especially over the night feeds, i.e. fill him up with formula last thing at night, your life will be easier in the long run.(and your poor wife should get a bit more sleep)
Babies are crafty little beggers.
I read an article at the w/e about trying to take a passport photo of a baby.
This couple have a baby that howls so much , the husband has nicknamed him the Wolverine. (a bit cruel !)
Beautiful boys Six. Don't cave in over the bottle feeding, he'll give in eventually !
I know it seems harsh, but if you can sort him out now, especially over the night feeds, i.e. fill him up with formula last thing at night, your life will be easier in the long run.(and your poor wife should get a bit more sleep)
Babies are crafty little beggers.
I read an article at the w/e about trying to take a passport photo of a baby.
This couple have a baby that howls so much , the husband has nicknamed him the Wolverine. (a bit cruel !)
Oh Six!
The look on the little fellas face looking at his brother (photo 1) is absolutely, gob-smackingly funny and wonderful!
Beautiful boys.
Excellent photo.
K xxx
Thank you all.
Curmy, we had a hellish time getting Eben's passport photo done. We had to have it retaken 3 times because his head wasn't in the right posiion. 3rd time up Nicky lost it in he passport office as they were in the process of changing the guidelines and they seemed to be working off two sets of guidelines as to where the head position should be.
Like all passport photos Ebs looks like a convict mainly because we made him take his thumb out of his mouth for 2 seconds.
Good news. I gave Louis a bottle at 10.30 last night and Nic was only up once. Problem was Eben was up at 5, it's been getting gradually earlier for the last week, but 5 was ridiculous so we've had an hour and a half of cold turkey screaming. Funnily enough though everyone was very jolly when we all eventually got up at 6.30
May I recommend a bublifuk pistole? Hours of good clean fun for all the family....
Good looking lads Six! You must be very proud.
Well done to you and your wife about last night, Six, you're getting there.
Hold your nerve about Eben waking up early, he's just trying it on, because he thinks Louise is getting too much attention.
Have you got black-out curtains at his windows ?
I'll never forget, when we put our eldest in a bed, aged 2 and a half, we put a stairgate across her bedroom door, and left her door open.
She stood and screamed for an hour. It was awful, then went to sleep on the floor.
The second night, it was half an hour, the third night, she stayed in bed.
Don't let the little beasts get the upper hand, you'll be a happier family if you and your wife set the boundaries.
That's todays advice from Auntie Curmy !
BTW Six, your elder son has got the most beautiful eyes.
He's going to break a few hearts when he's older !
They are stunning aren't they Curmy. That photo is so similar to one I have of my two at that age, maybe I'll scan it and post it - no one would recognise them now.
One other thing that strikes me is that Mrs Six has a penchant for stripes!
Curmy, their his mother's. It's the thing that keeps me hooked to this day. Mine are just an apology for eyes, those two have the most amazing piercing gazes.
Lol Lucy. I thought that yesterday when I looked at these. The truth is Eben has always looked good in stripes and inevitably inhrited all his brother's clothes.
Having said that though two of those tops were bought for Louis so maybe she has. It's probably because being such streaks (well Eben is anyway) they can carry horizontal stripes off, long gone are the days when we could.
Six, it's the big eyed innocent look and the long lashes !
BTW how's the conversion to the bottle going ? !
I mean Louis not you !
Yep it's the lashes that do it and the shape of the eyebrows. I think Louis's going to be less of a looker than Eben, but he's much more chilled out than Eben ever was, so horses for courses.
Bottles going alright thank you. I fed him a 2/3 formula 1/3 mummy milk bottle last night and he took a good whack of it and then slept through until 5.00. We also started him on baby rice as well, which he gobbled up, so it looks like he must have been ready for something a bit more substantial. If we're lucky we could get him to sleep through from 10.30ish in the next few days - here's hoping.
Six, is that your photo ? you look shattered ! Congratulations over the feeding, that's really good, Well done !
If you can get some baby rice down him as well , he should go longer between feeds, especially at night.
I had one chilled baby and one little whinger, I don't think I'd have survived if I'd had 2 of the latter !
Is that freddie flintoff Six?
I was also wondering what steps you had taken, with such great results at the weekend, - as I am ridicuously nosey.
No it's Freddie Flintoff. Gavin wanted me to change my other picture.
I think I agree, if we'd have had another Eben, I think Nicky would be losing her mind (more than she is now). That's not to say I don't love the fella to bits, bu he's trying to say the least.
Mrs Six also likes stripes on you too, judging by the trousers you had on in the birth photos. I noticed them as they were like the Boden ones my husband has.
To tell you he truth Lucy. I think it was a case of Nicky being far more structured, our days run like a military operation. her week's are very similar.
We've fallen in to the trap too often of looking at other people's kids doing whatever, staying up at parties until everyone goes home, having tea wherever they find themselves and thinking we should try that. Eben just isn't like that, he needs sructure to keep him on an even keel. He needs a few key moments to happen in his day to ensure he stays level. Some people including my parents and grandparents think that that means he's ruling the household, but frankly the other way is a living hell.
Doesn't mean we do the same things all the time, in fact we do a massive variety of things, just means we have to be quite rigid in the daily structure to make sure everyone has fun. Thing is as soon as he gets bored he starts tormenting Louis, we end up shouting at him, he laughs, it escalates and at that point we've lost it.
Quite excited we found a nursery for him this morning, we've had real trouble finding one we felt would accomodate his needs and then someone suggested one, that isn't far from us at all and it's absolutely perfect for what he needs. Big weight off our minds.
That'll be because they are the Boden ones your husband has. I love those trousers, they make me instantly relaxed.
Excellent pictures, Six.
Take plenty of photos of your kids : time passes so ridiculously quickly and before you know it they'll be grown up!
P.S. Did I ever tell you Freddie Flintoff went to the school next door to where I went?
I thought you were a mackem through and through Shy. or did Freddie go to school up that way?
Six, I think you and your wife are absolutely right, having fixed points in the day when the boys do things. It makes them much more secure, and they know where they are with you (Hopefully, you're in charge!)
Watching my friends who subscribed to the "Whatever" brand of child rearing, it was a disaster.
My kids used to moan a bit when they were little that we were fairly strict and orderly, but it really paid dividends in the long run
Glad you've found a nursery school that suits Eben, it'll do him good to have some time away from his brother ! and it'll use up some of his energy.
I absolutely agree, to tell you the truth he's moer than ready to go, but as Nic gave up work to look after him, we've left it a bit lnger than we maybe should haveony a bit though, we're not about to start beating ourselves up about it.
I think he'll love it, it'll open up so many new horizons for him and as you say it'll hopefully stop him getting at Louis and give Louis some space and mummy time as well.
We're hoping it'll wipe him out so much that he'll sleep in until 7.30. That's too much to ask though.
Six, good for your wife for giving up her job, I think if you can get by on one salary when they're so young, it's important.
Don't worry about not sending him to Nursery yet.
From what I've seen in the past, little boys aren't ready for Nursery until they're 3.
Don't be surprised if he comes home at lunch time, and flakes out on the settee!
I think you're marvellous parents, you should be very proud of yourselves. Your boys will be a credit to you.
Six, having had another look at the pics, I think your younger son is the spitting image of you .(Before you morphed into Freddy Flintoff ) !
I love your website. It has a lot of great pictures and is very informative.
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