Few things i need to ask....

firstly, emily is 8 months old today -hurrah!!

anyway, this coming week is my last week before i go back to work - will let you know how emily gets on settling in her new nursery..............

couple of questions - emily is being real fussy with food, she loves ella stage 1 but my veg, anything meaty or different she turns her nose up. hoping nursery may change this but I was going to start putting lots of finger food on her tray to see what she eats - any ideas - so far she has tried toast, cheese, carrot sticks, banana, avocado ( was not ripe enough ) - what else can I try - was thinking cucumber, pitta bread - can i give pieces of chicken or is that a no no - please give me some ideas..................

another thing, on a rather sensitive note, since Emily has been born Mark and i have not been getting on well, at the start it was fine but then it has got progressively worse. dont get me wrong we are fine but we just exist at the moment, sorting Emily out and the house - is this normal - we used to be soppy and cuddly but not now. We do cuddle up some times at bedtimes but I want to go to sleep as I dont know when emily may wake up so I want to get to sleep as quick as I can.

Also, I feel that from the moment I wake up to the moment Emily is in bed I am constantly on the go and Mark seems to think that me being at home I am not doing anything and that I am on here all the time. I am not on my laptop but the washing is on, kitchen being tidied and loads more.... I get very hurt that he thinks that I sit on the sofa on the laptop. If Emily is playing nicely or asleep then yes, I may spend half hour or so but other than that I am always doing stuff.

I am now getting resentful that I am not being appreciated and that I feel that I am just a mum and a housekeeper and it will only get worse as I am working next week as I need to fit everything into the 2 days I dont work. Mark does help out, he has sorted the garden, hoovered and done other bits and pieces but I feel that we are getting further and further apart even though I love him to pieces I resent the feeling that he thinks I am doing nothing but looking after Emily constantly thru the day is bloomin' hard work - as you Mums will know....

Please let me know these feelings are normal and how we can resolve this.......................... ......

Mark says I should chill out and in the evening I should do some exercise but that it not my choice of chilling out - when Emily goes to bed at 7pm I have approx 2 hours of 'my' time and this is spent slobbing on the sofa watching tv or on the laptop........................ ..............

Love Natalie & Emily (8 months old today!!!) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hey

Hope everything goes ok with the nursery and you going back to work.

Megan is too little for finger foods at the moment, but with my nephew my brother couldnt get him to eat, so he put loads of different foods on a tray for him to pick at when he was ready, including things like grapes, tortilla wraps in little bits, it took a while cos he was just pulling faces at everything but they didnt make a big deal out of it and left it to him and now he loves everything. Nursery did really help as he saw all the other kids eating, and was copying.

As for the relationship, Lee and I hit a really really bad patch, he would still try and cuddle me and kiss me a lot,but i was tired, he was in my space all the time and i just didnt want it, it would really annoy me.
Is there anyone that could have Emily for a night so you can go out for a meal, and just spend time together? Also I dont know how things work but could Mark look after Emily for a few hours on a weekend morning so you could sleep a little? Lee has started doing this for me since I got told I have underactive thyroid as he knows I wont cope.

I think Lee also seemed to think I didnt do much in the day or even in the week, but I taught him a lesson and on Sunday, I didnt do anything, as I normally wash and iron his work clothes for him (he is 33) so I didnt do it, didnt tidy up, nothing and he realised how much of a mess with all of Megans toys etc things get, and then realised I may have a break but there is always something going on.

Think you need to talk to him too.

Hope things work out for you

Nat and Megan xxxx

Hi nat

I've been wondering the same with food as Sam likes the purees but still not keen on lumps. He does have toast and pitta and houmous is a fave but I get stuck with what else to try. Will keep an eye on the replies you get, I suppose there is no reason why they can't try most things tho. Sam is certainly interested in everything we eat.

I know what you mean about feeling like a mum and housekeeper, I sometimes feel the same and feel a bit like i'm doing everything or at least responsible for everything. I have made sure Dan knows that it's hard work with Sam and at weekend I plan some me time leaving Dan to it and I know he's found it a bit of a struggle and he only has a taster. I suppose it is easier for me as Dan works from home most days so does actually see what I do. Maybe being back at work will even it out a bit? Can you tell him how you feel? My theory (and experience) is that men often need things pointing out to them in a clear and easy to understand way as they are not anywhere near as perceptive as us superior women (ha ha ha)!

I've joined a yoga class so that I get out once a week and even tho sam is asleep when i'm there just being out the house makes me relax but yeah, most nights involve sofa, tv and laptop!

Enjoy your last week...how are you feeling about going back and nursery etc?

Rach x x x

Morning hun

Not goin to be much help with the feeding front as Dylan is just 7 months and only finger foods i've tried so far are the organix crisp like things that melt in their mouths that went down well but you need more practical suggestions than that i'm sure.

My partner has recently returned to work after being unemployed for a time and im a little worried that he may be thinkin the same about me ' its ok for you your at home all day' sort of thing so i find popping outg for even a brief time say to the shops just as baby is getting tired and a little whingey reminds them that its not all smiles and naps all day long.

As for the couple thing we also felt a bit like this a couple of months ago i think i noticed it more than him and i too felt the same as you about sleep we get really precious about it as you know how crap you feel after a broken night but i think if you can make an effort to have some 1 on 1 time even if its just a cuddle before you go to sleep and talk about his day or what you both have planned for weekend etc we started to feel more like a couple, then things start to fall back into place. I know it feels a bit like you having to make an effort and you already feel like you do nearly everything but you will prob feel better once you get a few more cuddles and have one less thing to worry about ...

Have I made any sense ?? sorry if i haven't x.

Also really really stupid question coming up ladies but do i have to wait for my little man to have a couple of teeth before i can offer him little strips of toast, cheese etc ?? I'm paranoid about choking.

t care

Em & Dylan 7 months x x

Hiya

well when it comes to food, all i can say is give everything a go. I know all babies are different but CC will eat just about anything. I give her chicken and beef but i do cut it quite small as she has a habit of shovelling it into her gob and choking! She likes cucumber, but again i cut it into small cubes and i peel the skin off as i feel thats the most 'choky' part. She also loves tomato and was having a go at eating a whole one yesterday! but she has no teeth in her head and even her gums of steel couldnt get into it. But i do cut it small again and peel it. Um not sure what else, my babes loves pasta and long spaghetti and noodles, she grabs a whole handful and slurps it down, so cute! Basically we went with the baby led weaning and just put it on a plate in front of her and just let her get her hands in it, as we had no luck trying to feed her ourselves, she just wouldnt have it!

I wish I could help with the man problem, i think its a general man thing, being with a baby all day is just so hard, its incredibly tough just considering shes one little person! but men dont understand. Its gotten easier now shes eating food and I can actually leave her for a good few hours as MIL can have her when shes around and I get some peace. Shes so clingy, i guess because shes just used to having me and shes getting to that age. But OH doesn't understand how tough running a house with a small child is. Especially one who refuses to nap! And that resentment+tiredness doesn't exactly put you in the mood for loving!
Im a night person, but i dont have to wake up for work etc so im not usually in bed until after midnight, problem is i then have disturbed sleep and im up early as Little Miss is wide awake.

I just realised im rambling on and not giving any helpful advice, sorry! Im maybe going to research into it I know I do have to make the effort and so does OH its not easy I reckon for the first year after having a baby you should just write off romance! Once shes fully weaned things will get back in the swing of it, when I have my body back and maybe shes actually sleeping through the night. just 5 months to go lol