That would have been scary Heather but glad to hear Michael arrived safely in the end and that Alex is a great big brother!

Kirsty, yes Ethan has been at kindy for just over a month now and loves it, each morning he asks me hopefully if hes going to kindy today, am not looking forward to the first lot of holidays however at least Easter is the first week so he'll have Dad home for a few days.

Had an unexpected hour of peace today, had just put Dylan down for a nap then Ethan decided he needed a nap too on one of the lounge chairs, hes just woken up wondering where he is!

Not too long to go now Amelia, all the best for a stress free (well as stress free as childbirth can be) birth, and like Kristy said, we are all here if you need to "talk".  Make sure you accept any offers of help with housework, cooking, looking after Charli-Rose etc in those first weeks, makes such a difference (unfortunately I live a bit too far away to help with any of that!).  

Happy new year!  Wow Kristy, Kaitlyn must be a very clever girl to be ready for toilet training at 19 months!  Sounds like Bethany is loving kindy.  Ethan starts this year, I'm hoping he might become more interested in drawing, he only does a quick scribble and loses interest at home.   Unfortunately Dylan has gotten chicken pox, first spots appeared New Years Eve, hes had a couple of restless nights but today didn't seem quite so itchy so hopefully the worst is over, he has lots more spots than Ethan had, especially his face so he will probably still have them on his birthday, as Ethan's spots are still visable three weeks later!

I think I was up around the time you were on the computer, trying to convince Dylan he needed to go back to sleep! 

That's no good about Alex having a bad tummy bug Heather!  Gosh, not long until Baby No 2 arrives!  Hope everything is going well and you are coping with the hot weather. 

Re chicken pox, the first couple of days after the spots appeared were the worst, night time in particular, Ethan just couldn't get comfortable and would scream in pain, gave him the Loratadine med the dr gave us and some Paracemetmol as required which did seem to give him some short term relief.  The third day, I went and bough some Calamine lotion and smoothered that over him and he did sleep a lot better than night (but perhaps he would have anyway!).  After that he was fine and by about 5 days after the spots appeared they started crusting over and I was able to take him to his final morning of preschool last Friday (he is starting at afternoon kindy next year).  No sign yet of Dylan getting chicken pox so really hoping that he might not get it this time around as I have read that kids who have excema can sometimes get a more severe dose of chicken pox!

Ethan was very enthusiastic about opening his Christmas presents, had to stop him from opening Dylan's as well (which he seems to think are his anyway).  We had a lovely Christmas Day with lots of family around and now we are looking forward to my brother arriving from England in two weeks time (to attend my Dad's wedding on 14 January).  The following weekend is Dylan's first birthday so the next month is rather busy!

Hi all, just thought I'd bump our forum to show up in the "posts in the last month" page!

Sad week this week, Ethan doesn't seem to need a nap anymore.  He happily takes one but it seems to refresh him too much and he was getting out of bed at night constantly, finally giving in to sleep somewhere between 9.30 and 10 pm!  So past couple of days I haven't given him a nap and hes been ready for bed by 7.30 and no getting back up!

Amelia, Heather you two are getting closer to meeting no 2 now, you must both be due around February?  Once Christmas is here, time will just fly.  Its hard to believe this time last year I was nearly 7 months pregnant, seems like Dylan has been around forever now.  Hes in no hurry to crawl but has wonderful balance holding onto the tips of my fingers or furniture so he might just be one of those babies that walk before they crawl!

Congratulations Becky, hope everything is going well and that Kade is enjoying being a big brother!

Well Ethan's 3rd birthday has come and gone, he had a great birthday, it lasted about 5 days!  The party was on the Saturday before his birthday, he was throughly spoilt, lots of little presents but in additon to the bike from us his other "big" present was a remote controlled helicopter from his uncle and auntie!  I think it will be a while before we give Ethan the remote control somehow esp since the box says for 14+!  Then on Sunday hubbys parents came to visit (as couldn't make party due to lambing).  Monday at Music and Movement everyone sang Happy Birthday and he got a balloon (his actual birthday), Tuesday another pressie arrived in the mail and on Wednesday at preschool they made a fuss of him!

Well the weather finally seems to be getting a bit warmer, isn't it great to be able to get outside more with our active 3 year olds!

Hi all, I haven't checked the forums for a few weeks and it appears that everyone has been chatting up a storm!  Well after two weeks of toilet training I came to the conclusion that Ethan wasn't ready after all, he was keen as at the start but towards the end of the second week I had to drag him to the toilet and he'd sit on it for all of 5 seconds and he never did anything in the toilet the whole two weeks.  Several people reckon the best method is to wait for warmer weather and let him run around in a pair of regular undies without pants over top (ie to save washing) so he gets the true feeling of being wet/dirty so I think I'll try that in a couple of months time.

For Ethan's birthday we are having a fairly low key birthday at home with family and a couple of friends.  This is the first year he actually knows what a birthday is so he's getting quite excited I think.  We are getting him a bike and because he's so tall (106 cm) we have skipped the trike stage and are getting him a 16 inch bike with training wheels so that he gets a few years use from it. 

Dylan is 7 1/2 months old now and it is so much fun watching the boys interact. Ethan is constantly kissing his little brother!  I think Dylan is going to be a bottom shuffler as he rocks on his bottom and I swear he's moved a couple of times when I haven't been looking.  His execema was under control for about 2 months but for the past three weeks his face has permanently been red and itchy again, he was sleeping through the night but now he often wakes up not due to hunger but because hes so itchy.  Sometimes he scratches so much during the day (at night he wears mittens) that his face starts bleeding!  Currently waiting on an appt at the hospital with the pediatrician who is consulting with a doctor from out of town as to what to do now as hes already on the strongest creams and the special allergy formula.

Kristy, I always had planned on having two children and now that I have two children I am sure that is the right number for me.  I just feel that I wouldn't be able to give more children enough one on one quality time (obviously people do find time but it must be hard). 

All the best Becky for the next few weeks!

Hooray for being in the second trimester Amelia.  Yes secound pregnancy def goes a lot faster, I guess because we are busy with our first. 

Started TT yesterday and the little monkey keeps crying wolf, telling me he wants to go wee but when I sit him on the toilet he does nothing and before I get a chance to go back and take him off (after at least 2 minutes or so) hes walking up the hallway with his pants around his ankles or has taken them off all together.  Just have to be patient I guess!  Around two years from now I have to do this all again with Dylan!

Belated Happy Birthday wishes Alex!

Ethan's operation went really well, it was very quick (1/2 hour) and within about half an hour of waking (after he'd had an iceblock, jelly and icecream of course) he was singing and running around.  We were home by lunchtime.  He did have quite a big nap this afternoon but was still in good spirits when he woke, was looking a bit tired by teatime though.  He is obviously hearing a lot better, a couple of times when Dylan was being grizzly, Ethan covered his ears like the sound was just too loud!

Ethan is showing a lot of interest lately in using the toilet so in a few days time (once he is fully recovered from his operation) I am going to give TT another go!

Congratulations Susie on Isla's arrival, sorry to hear she had a rough start and the ongoing reflux, did Catriona have reflux too?

Kristy, hope Bethany is feeling better now, that must have been very scary for you.

Ethan's operation is this Thursday!  Its come around fast, I'm going to be the one to take him to the hospital while my hubby stays at home with Dylan.  I'm expecting he will be a bit sore for a few days but it will be worth it, can't wait to hear him start to speak more clearer.  He's not only getting grommits put in but is also getting his adenoids taken out.

Dylan's excema seems to be more or less under control at the moment although it stil flares up now and again.  Hes just started sleeping through the night so it can't be quite so itchy any more!  If only Ethan would stay in his bed all night!  Anyone else have a frequent visitor in the night.  In fact its not just in the middle of the night, lately he keeps appearing in the lounge after being put to bed.  I thought it might have been due to him napping too long or too late but that theory went out the window today. He only had a short nap between 1.30 - 2.30 (sometimes he sleeps 2 hours or more as late as 4) and still played up at bedtime!   He still needs a nap as on Saturday my DH's parents came to visit so he didn't have a nap, about 4.30 pm he suddenly lay down on the floor and went to sleep!  We have a safety gate that is across Dylan's door (as Ethan used to go in and wake him up from his naps) but the couple of times we have put it on Ethan's door at nighttime, he has stood at the door and howled so loudly that it woke Dylan up!

Just thought I'd update you on the results of Dylan's blood test.  He has a low to moderate allergy to cows and horses (just as well we don't have either on our farmlet), a moderate allergy to milk and egg white and a high allergy to peanuts!  The doctor has recommended that I don't go back to breastfeeding him and he is now on the Neocate formula full time.  I'm a bit sad to give up bfeeding but have to do what is best for his health and at least he had nearly 6 months of my milk.  His face is still quite red and dry in spite of being on the formula so have been prescribed yet another cream and I think after two days it is looking slightly better.  I am hoping he grows out of the allergies as its going to be very hard as he gets older, I've already started him on solids although just fruit and veges at this stage but he turns 6 months next week so the range of food I'm supposed to give him is going to start increasing over the next few months.  Ethan doesn't have any allergies that I know of so this is all new for me.  There was mention of me seeing a dietician at one stage so I think I'll follow that up next time I'm at the hospital as I'm unsure if I will be able to give him foods that are baked or processed made with dairy products or if he needs to avoid everything.  I hoping its the first option as when I was dairy free for two weeks it was very hard and I accidently ate foods with dairy in them a couple of times in spite of my best efforts.  I ate muesli bars and fruit and nuts quite a bit which would not have helped Dylan given his peanut allergy, if only I had known!

Congratulations Amelia, I hope Charli-Rose isn't too disappointed if the baby turns out to be a boy!

Becky, your due date is getting closer, at least the bubs will be providing you with an internal heater during these winter months and convienently arriving in Spring when the weather starts warming up again!

Hi everyone, just an update on my boys.

We saw the Ear Nose Throat Specialist the other day (got sick of waiting on the public system so since we have medical insurance have gone private and got an appt within a few weeks).  Anyway the specialist said that Ethan has a very thick glue like substance in both his ears which will be responsible for not only his speech delay but probably was the reason he walked late as well due to affecting his balance.  He recommended Ethan get grommets and we agreed so he is booked in for day surgery on 11 August!

Dylan's execema isn't too bad at the moment mainly due to the several creams I am applying several times a day along ongoing steriods, they seem to presribe a three day course once a week.  We are also waiting on the outcome of a blood test to hopefully pin point just what is causing the execema.  In the meantime he has been put on Neocate formula for a two week trial and I have to express so that I maintain my milk supply.  

I can't believe our "babies" start turning 3 next month!