Tiny Turtle Hatchlings

[Kenickie]

Thanks all, that's good to hear. You're right Beatrix, I didn't walk into 18 months so in my head I'd not worried about it at all until this weekend when I thought 'hmmm, they're 18 months this week.' I definitely don't feel like there's any issues, more that I suddenly then worried that perhaps I've been too laid back if that makes sense? It's funny as I've seen a few posts from people with babies a bit younger asking if it's ok that they're not walking, bit they all seem to be caveating it with 'but they have been talking in full sentences for months so maybe they're concentrating on that skill' whereas mine aren't really saying anything either.

Funnily enough, although Tim cruises around furniture all the time, he's not wanted to stand up by himself at all (Topsy has been standing unaided for months), and his little legs would just buckle if you tried to hold him up. But today he randomly decided to give it a go, and did a bit of wobbly standing which he found the funniest thing in the world. I praised him for giving it a go, so Topsy then stood up so I'd give her some attention, and then Tim got annoyed that she was doing it for longer than him so went and pushed her over.

I'm impressed at M refusing her reward because it's no big deal now. ;)

I can't believe A is six months already! First solid food is so lovely, what has she been enjoying? Sorry about the naps though, I hope it's just a phase. But ten hours at night is good going!

[Kenickie]

Chocolate brioche is an excellent early food, sounds like she has good taste!

That's very true about different personalities, I think neither of mine have been in a rush to meet any of the milestones physically, plus I think they just can't see the point of walking when crawling and climbing get them to where they want to be.

[Leap]

Hop took steps when encouraged, but it was weeks after that that she was actually trying it herself (it first happened one day when she crawled into another room and then gave me a fright when she reappeared by walking back out ). I also LOVED that she was later than some with crawling, in fact it was only around 10 months that she even started rolling over, I could leave her safely in a spot with toys around her for ages and give my full attention to the TV ;)

Good luck F’Arty with A2! Maybe M can have a word

We have a total chatterbox these days, she repeats so much and seems to remember and understand the meaning most of the time. She keeps surprising us with things and we ask the grandparents if they’ve been spending time on it and they don’t seem to either. Shes very interested in saying what belongs to Daddy, what’s Mummy’s etc, and she’s understood a few times at bedtime when I say ‘Night night, Hop” she will answer “Night night, Mummy” which is adorable

Going back to nursery last week was a success, she seems a lot more confident and they noticed the difference in her talking too, which is also good regardless of clear words as I think she was very quiet with them before, so she seems to have come out of her shell a bit.

[Kenickie]

Awww saying night night is so cute. I bet I'll be a bit taken aback the first time though!

That's lovely about her being more confident at nursery, and it says a lot about the setting being good for them to be picking up on things like that.

I've still been doing bedtime feeds but I've decided that tomorrow, when they're 18 months, will be the last one. I was hoping that they'd give up on their own but it doesn't look like that's likely to happen any time soon, so I feel like that's a nice stage to stop at.

[Kenickie]

My jamas.

Thanks, I definitely wouldn't have believed I'd have done it for a year and a half at the beginning! I guess if there is a next time round, although it's easier in some ways I think I'd have more expectations as I think I'd be disappointed if breastfeeding didn't work out whereas I was not that bothered about it initially this time!

[Paris Stilton]

Breastfeeding twins for 18 months is so impressive! How have they taken to dropping the night time feed?

I hope the broody amongst us are doing OK. I have friends with babies the same age as mine and who are already talking about having a second. If we do go for a second it won't be for at least a few years (our preference) but I can already tell I'm going to feel left out. It's complex

Wobbly standing and chatterboxes are so adorable. How are the babies and toddlers getting on?

I is 9 months old now, crawling around and starting to make noises that sound like words! I can't believe how quickly this is all going. We've been touring daycares recently and it's so strange to think that he'll be spending whole days with other people soon. Well, if we can get a place. Given the waiting lists of some of the daycares he might never end up at one!

[Kenickie]

Oh wow nine months! That's gone super fast. Crawling and the beginnings of speech is such a lovely stage. When are you thinking about going back to work?

I was unexpectedly sad about stopping breastfeeding. Weirdly they weren't bothered at all, maybe because we also changed their routine. I used to feed one while P changed the other in our room, and the one who would go into their bedroom with me would immediately be grabbing at my top. But then we just both went and changed them in our room, and then came into their bedroom together to do stories and neither of them seemed to ask for a feed. I guess it's good that it wasn't traumatic for them but it did make me feel a bit sad that stage is over and they're growing up.

I'm also frantically looking for childcare for my new job as it's full-time. I have one zoom tour and one lunchtime tour where I go and peer in through the windows. I keep meaning to do a thread actually as I'm not sure what I should be asking apart from how they deal with discipline and staff qualifications.

[Kenickie]

I don't think tummy time on the floor is important. Mine didn't really have much of it as they hated it but I often fed them laid back so they were on their tummies on me which is just as good. That's so lovely that you're getting lots of cuddles.

I'm not looking forward to the tantrum stage! I think Topsy and Tim are a bit of a mix of both of us so far, although I'd much prefer them to take after P in terms of being easier to deal with. Tim really wears his heart on his sleeve so is either ecstatic with joy or totally devastated. You've got to work much harder to make Topsy laugh or smile as her default is to look on you with a bit of distain.

Those are useful things to consider about childcare, I'll do a thread!

[Leap]

I can’t believe he’s 9 months, Paris! Is daycare in advance of going back to work? What will that look like for you?

We also didn’t do a lot of tummy time, in the end I realised she spent most of the time she was lying on my tummy holding her head up to gawk around, and that was a fair amount. So making a special effort to otherwise set it up seemed pointless when she was finding her way to do it herself. I was also lazy She was so happy in the bouncer or floor gym, it seemed a shame to disturb her ;)

[Kenickie]

Sitting up is so brilliant, I felt things really turned a corner for me then.

I don't think lack of tummy time is connected to physical slowness although obviously mine aren't good examples against that (Topsy can walk but doesn't want to/won't practice enough to be steady enough to find it useful and Tim is only just standing up really). ;) I think Hop is a much better demonstration of that!

[smalex]

W absolutely detested tummy time, he'd scream until he was purple, it was pointless.

[Angus]

W absolutely detested tummy time, he'd scream until he was purple, it was pointless.

And Mungus.

He also didn't walk until the night before his appointment with paediatrics when he started running. He just never had that toddling phase. His laid back personality serves him well now, but it did mean milestones meant nothing to him.

[smalex]

W was *exactly * the same. Really laid back. Sat at about the right time and then....nada. just seemed happy with that . Eventually did a weird bum shuffle, didn't walk for ages.
I wouldn't swap his personality for anything though, especially this last year its been a godsend!

[Angus]

Mungus was a bum shuffler too! But yes, I've never been more grateful for his personality this year, thankfully he doesn't take after me! They'd probably be best friends if they could be bothered

[Kenickie]

How is everyone doing? I'm really enjoying the current stage. They're beginning to get really interested in talking so are at that cute stage of repeating random things ('oh DEAR!). I think we're also beginning to get to tantrums though as we have a lot of big feelings about things.

I'm contemplating soft play as they've never been and I know they'd love rampaging about. I'm trying to ignore my anxiety about them being indoors and mixing as they're going to start nursery soon and I think they need to get as used as possible to new people and places. We've already been to a couple of indoor music classes which they've loved although they're still really hesitant about new adults. It's been lovely to spend so much time at my parents this week as they've really got to know them again.

My broodiness has totally disappeared in the last couple of months which is really strange. I wouldn't rule out another child at some point, I think, but it's a much more theoretical feeling now and I'm just mostly relieved that P put the brakes on. I wonder if it was more hormonal than I gave it credit for? My sister's baby is due next month and I don't feel jealous/envious at all anymore, just glad it's not me. I think I was totally crazy to consider another so soon, I think I kept thinking that it would be my sister's third and her second is only seven months older than mine so it's a doable gap, forgetting that although my sister will have a 2.5 year old, her oldest is nearly 6 so quite a different set up overall. I mean, I'd have had to get a triple buggy or something.

Obviously I might not be admitting to P that he was right all along.

[Leap]

I would be exactly the same

Also, is now an appropriate time to say I personally thought you were mental to consider it at the time? Which says far more about me, I know. I’m still thinking in a fairly detached way about “getting through” the baby stage rather than getting excited at the thought of baby cuddles, even though I was a 24/7 heart eyes emoji with Hop through all but the worst of it. I’m glad it feels right no matter what it is though, it must feel good to be having these thoughts now and not e.g. while newly pregnant (which I bet happens loads and obviously would still work out!)

I am also absolutely loving this walking/talking/personality formation stage, I laugh so much with Hop just now and I’m a total cliché, I think she’s the smartest and most adorable and fascinating thing that ever could be I think this is the main benefit of having a partner while you do it, C and I can bore on for ages to each other about the minutiae of what insignificant but new thing she did that day, and mercifully not inflict ourselves on anyone else about it.

[Kenickie]

The appropriate time to say that would have been at the time. honestly, I don't know what I was thinking. I could have ended up with 3 under two years old! Thank god P isn't the type of person to just go along with whatever I suggest.

I bet the newborn days will be tough but lovely, and feel a bit less stressful as you know you can get through the hard bits. Has Hop got excited about a new baby?

I totally agree about the joy of having someone there to mouth 'isn't s/he amazing?!' at constantly, or to spend the evening recounting each moment with. I think even my mum isn't quite as impressed with every sound or action as we are.

[Leap]

Imagine I had AND you’d listened to me. “Darling, I’ve changed my mind about the baby thing. No, no, not because of your many good points on the subject; I just found out someone on the internet thinks I’m mad.”

And my mum has definitely reached a limit too in the past, when even she glazes over I know I’ve gone too far #myworld #blessed

We haven’t talked loads to her about the baby yet, although she’s felt some kicks now and will refer to the “baby in mummy’s tummy” even though I’m sure the whole thing is too abstract to mean much to her. For her birthday (in 2 weeks) though, one of her gifts is a baby doll with nappies, bottle, outfit etc, so after that I will begin engaging her a bit more with the idea, and do some role playing and other things I’ve read about on Pinterest ;) She loves to watch the videos of herself as a baby on my phone though, so I’m sure she’ll be just as delighted when the noisy usurper arrives

Anyway, please enjoy this photo I’ve just discovered from today which keeps making me laugh. Hop finally got to properly meet her cousins from Aberdeen, but it seems she was more interested in either plotting the immediate downfall of Nephew, or more likely the complete obliteration of his biscuit

[Leap]

Oh and I meant to say - with germy softplay, this was definitely a worry of mine but what you say about nursery is absolutely right. Hop has basically had a new cold every week or so since starting nursery, just a recurring runny nose or occasional temperature that seems to kick off again just after we get to the stage of not needing tissues constantly at hand. For that reason I’m a lot more blasé about what she might pick up at a soft play (or putting her mouth on various equipment in play parks ) as I feel like she must be exposed to so much through the nursery kids and their contact with their wider families and friends etc. I am also SO keen to take her to one but I don’t think ours are open till after her birthday. Ditto swimming, which she’s only done once when she was tiny, but of course I’m massive now so it would involve a maternity swimsuit and whatever elaborate rules the places near me have in place. I really need to just organise myself to do both, though.

[smalex]

I don't really belong here but I was talking to my hairdresser yesterday and she's taking her 3yr old to soft play for the first time, and I said, honest to God, I bet its way better now than it used to be, because of how much they're having to clean it between visits and limiting numbers etc. God, some of them were absolutely hanging before.