August 2005 Mommies - Working our Way to ONE! We're halfway there!

[hiphopgirl]

Leslie, sorry about the squash, but if it makes you feel better I've thrown avocados away twice because they went soft before I got it together to mash them. I was thinking of you this morning because Anders was wide awake at 5:45. I was not ready for him to be awake so I put him back in his crib after I fed him. He laid there and sang for about 15 minutes before it got quiet. I think he just got bored so he decided to go back to sleep, and then I had to wake him up at 7:40 so we could leave for school. What would Luke do if you put him back down after you fed him at 5:00?

Nikki - That is so cool that she said Mama!! Anders only "talks" when he's mad. All other times it is one long ahhhhhhhhhh

Food - He usually gets fed solids twice at day care and then we feed him solids once more at home. I am not at all consistent (bad Janet) about what foods and how much. I try to send him with one jar and have them feed him half of it there at one meal and cereal at the other meal. I then try to feed him the second half of the jar at night. I didn't go through all of the #1 foods either. In fact, besides bananas and prunes I don't think I've fed him any of the #1's. We've been on #2's since the beginning. I haven't tried finger foods yet, but I've been thinking about starting with those teething biscuits. As far as table food, we've given him some guacamole (I hope it's okay to give him this because he absolutely loves it) and some mashed up potatoes. I'm not sure he was keen on the potatoes.

babyproofing - Nope haven't started on that yet. He's probably going to be crawling in a week or two so I should probably get on that. Right now we just watch him like a hawk when he's on his hands and knees. He likes to scoot under things. Silly baby.

Jill What a handsome kid you've got there. I just want to pinch his cheeks.

Tina - Loving the pic of the boys with the wagonwheels. How cute are they?

Sleep - OMG last night was from he!!. He didn't wake up until 1:30 (he even went down early at 6:45 - so almost 7 straight hours of sleep) so I was pretty excited, but then he decided to grace us with his screams 2 more times at 3:30 and 5:15. I had to feed him all three times. WTF??? Jack and I got into it a bit this morning. He's threatening to do CIO with him. I am flat out opposed to that since I think he is waking to eat not to play. I'm all business when I go in there. I pick him up, put the boob in his mouth and when he's done I put him back down all without saying a single word or being lovey and huggy. He really does just want food. I know Jack is at the end of his rope because I am too, but I really really really don't want to do CIO. I am not sure that it is a good idea. I pointed out in HSHHC where it says that it is normal to wake up 1-2X/night, but nowhere in there does it say that 3X is normal. Gah! How do I know if I'm doing the right thing?

ETA - you must indulge me in my need to post pictures. We got his 7-month pictures taken yesterday at Sears:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y127/jlormberget/7month.jpg
There are more in my LJ

[Mickey&B]

I gave AJ a biter biscuit today he loved it, but I was a little freaked out when he was able to take a bite out of it won't be doing that again for a while :eek: but I had to share a couple of pics
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc00b3127cce97c2a837989500000016108AcsnLZyzZNB

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc00b3127cce97c2a85198f300000016108AcsnLZyzZNB

[LeslieR]

:eek:Michelle! You just settle the teething biscuit issue for me. No biscuits for Luke. lol Aidan is so freaking cute! Are you guys just calling him AJ now?

[QPDoll]

Quick flyby:
Michelle nope, different colored eyes. Petes are blue, Nates are sort of gray/hazel/brown - depending on the light/mood/clothing...whatever...I can't figure out what his eyes are going to do. Probably be like his dads, my DHs eyes are the same way.

Leslie Yes, they are reclined as far as we can get them. They probably recline more, but they hit the front seat already.
Marathon Question Is the lower seatbelt thingy, where the buckles go into, is that adjustable? Buckeling them in is a PITA because that buckle part is practically underneath them. Making the straps longer gets it to work, but still, Im squishing the "boys" because they are basically sitting on the buckle.

DH set the carseats up, and I haven't read the book. Bad mommy. No time. Can't Elmo do a demo video?

Storytime Its fun, but ehe, I wouldn't sweat it if I missed it. The boys are just interested in staring at the other kids. We haven't marched around the room like Leslies group did! We just play with colored scarves at the end. Im jealous that we can't figure out a way to go to swim lessons. Two kids...need to have two adults...and there is only ME during the week. My friends either work during the day, or are in school or have babies themselves. LOL

[QPDoll]

Dang, we have some cutie-patooties in the group!
Anders is looking so grown up! Janet, I love his sweater! I was thinking yesterday that I got to get Nate and Pete in for their six month pictures...and yikes! They will be seven months in two days! Bad mommy. Well, I had planned on taking them two weeks ago, but they ahve been too sick to leave the house...thats my reason anyway. Seven months now, Its so hard to believe! Its really starting to go fast. Those first few weeks were hell, and it took forever for them to crawl by, now time is really flying by fast! Eeek!! It must so down! Almost in 12 month clothes. :( pout, no more cute little baby stuff. :(

And [b]AJ, what a handsome fellow! He mananged to get a bite off the biscuit? Holy cow! What did he do with it? (eat it, choke on it?) Have you tried zuiwback toast yet or the wagon wheels? Im so in love with the wagon wheels right now. I gave them the veggie kind today, ummm..yeah, they really prefered the apple ones. LOL

Kim - Lina is such a doll!!!! So cute with her hunky-hunky-dada. She looks like she just has him curled around her finger.

michelle - what a sweetie you have! I love that hat. Ahh...pink....So much cute stuff in pink. All the adorable Easter dresses that are in the stores right now are just killing me! Nothing cute for boys. *sigh*

Jill - OMG - eyes to die for! Gorgeous!!!!

[gmooter]

Babyproofing

Can anyone help me here? First of all, is there anyone not planning on using gates on their staircase? Secondly, I'll post a picture of our staircase, does anyone know of a gate I can use with this staircase?? DH refuses to screw anything into our wood. The picture only shows the one side of the stairs but the other side has the same concept on the end...

http://images.snapfish.com/34638488%3B%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3238%3E296%3E56%3A%3EWSNR CG%3D323275858%3A%3A%3A4nu0mrj

Thanks!!

[kindermom]

It took me a while to realize that there was a new thread started. Yes, I am a little slow. There is too much for me to try to catch up on righ tnow but here is a shot.

First, the babies are adorable. Wow. Thanks for sharing pictures!

Talking - Madelyn said "dada" to Sean about a month ago but we have not heard it repeated since then.

Babyproofing - We started this. We have outlet protectors in most outlets, some of the cabinets have latches (they were there when we moved in) and I have doorknob protectors. And I have started scoping out baby gates. I am sad because we are going to need to buy 4 of them. Not so horrible but we also need 3 car seats soon.

Solids - I feel like a delinquent mom now. Madelyn has been eating solids for about a month and a half but she still only eats them once a day, most days. She gets 1.5 to 2 cubes of a fruit or veggie (depending on what I grab first) and about 1/4 cup of rice or oatmeal. She usually eats around 9:30, right before her nap. When comes home at night, it is such hit or miss that she will eat that now unless she seems hungry, I do not bother feeding her solids.

Cheerios - Madelyn loved Cheerios. We tested them first and found they melted on your tongue so we gave her a few of them. But we decided that we will wait to give her more. We are stil worried about choking.

We got her first bathing suit this week. I will be at a hotel with a pool this weekend and want to bring her in. I am not sure how it will pan out though because she has developed a fear of the bath. This past bath I got in with her and she clung to me, standing on my leg completely out of the water until I was done sponging her off. Not sure where this is coming from but I hope it goes away soon.

Sadness - I forgot my horns to my pump today and now I can not pump until I get home at 5:30. Thank goodness Madelyn ate at 4:00 this morning otherwise I would be in serious pain. (compared to regular pain which I am expecting).

Gretchen - They make "Y-Spindles" for attaching gates to rounded banisters. I am not sure how they work, though, until I buy my gates. Here is an example of one (http://store.yahoo.com/babyant/bh047070.html):

http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/babyant_1881_148498849

edited to remove the pics

[Kiley]

Preston's 6mo Stats:
19 pounds (75th percentile)
28.75 in (97th percentnile)

I have no idea how he's this "tall" as I'm 5'4" and DH is 5'6". Our parents aren't very tall either. Well, my dad is 5'11". Weird.

The doctor is really pushing us to just give him rice cereal and not sweet potatoes. Kind of annoying. Oh well.


Madelyn is ADOREABLE!

[Mickey&B]

Tina It's sorda funny cause I was video'ing him eating the biscuit and all of a sudden you hear me say "Oh crap" and put down the video on the table. I was able to take the piece out of his mouth, I don't know what he would have done with it but I didn't want to find out. I have only had to perform the hymlic (don't have a clue how to spell that) once and I don't want to ever have to do it again, especially on my own child :eek: I have to go pick up some wagon wheels today and see if I can find that toast. Is it in the baby isle? I don't think there is anything this kid wont eat :D

Gretchen They also make pressure mounted gates if that's an option.

kindermom Holy Cow no pumping all day :eek: Can you go home at lunch or ask if you could take a longer break to get your horns. I can't imagine having to go all day. Madelyn's a baldy I love it!! I don't know why I just love to see little bald babies, maybe cause mine only has a little peach fuzz :rolleyes: She is so adorable!

[philnikki]

Jill - Awwww look at him!!! What a cutie he is!!!! And I am also sending a WV howdy (what my mom likes to call it at least, I prefer the one finger salute) to your coworkers.

Michelle - Rachel is a doll as always. She and Ava are almost the same size (Ava is 16 pounds, 9 ounces and 26" long).

Leslie - Yep, we practice, but she had never really said anything other than just general babble, and really long squeals and "Ahhhhhh". I was pretty shocked when she said it, especially because she was so upset at the time. She was just that desperate for her mama that she spoke. It was awesome and heartbreaking all at the same time, because she was just so uncomfortable being so sick and in the hospital.

talking - Yeah, I wouldn't say that Ava is really "talking" per se either, but I do think she knows what the word mama is and how to say it. I will consider her a talker when she starts saying multiple words many times during the day. But, this will be recorded as her first word!

Here is the update on Ava's appt. yesterday as x-posted from my journal:

Ava had her ped follow up yesterday. The prognosis is pretty good. He said that she is no longer wheezing, but she has harsh breath sounds, so we are not out of the woods with this yet, but we are definately making progress. He said that she still has fluid in her ear, so the antibiotic is still necessary, but we did get to reduce her albuterol treatments from 6 times a day to 4 (meaning no more getting up in the middle of the night to give them to her!). She is still on the pulmicort twice a day. One thing that has bugged me is that she has not gained very much in the past few months. She has been 16 pounds and change for at least 2 mos(I will have to double check my records) and I know for a fact that she was 16 pds 5 ounces 7 weeks ago, and she was only 16 pds 9 ounces yesterday. Poor baby is so sick that she isn't gaining like she should. She is still a little chub though, so they aren't too over concerned yet. Oh, and she is 26 inches long now. Or as Phil says "2 ft. 2" :) lol

We had to reschedule her WBV for next week because they wouldn't give her her immunizations until she is over this. So hopefully next week that part will be over!

[cc8]

Tons and tons of cute baby pics on this thread!

Michelle, Rachel looks so much like you! Amazing...

Solids - going great. My DD loves carrots and squash so far. And she is getting better at eating them (meaning the feedings don't take nearly as long as they used to!)

Talking - DD often "talks" to herself. Many mornings, I'll go into her room and there she is in her crib, grabbing her feet and just babbling. It's so cute! I've read that babies will either start to develop their motor skills or their verbal skills (Michelle is that right? Maybe what I read was wrong, who knows). We think that DD is more verbal than motor (ie she hasn't rolled over, can't sit up yet, etc).

Paci weaning - I am afraid of this. Because DD NEEDS her paci to fall asleep. My ped says we can wait on weaning till she is closer to 1 but I fear that if we wait till that long, we'll be in for a huge fight with DD. I am hoping she will just lose interest in it sometime in the next 9 months (Am I dreaming?!)

[QPDoll]

Oh, I have to say this about talking...its just too cute.

My boys are facinated with staring at each other. When they lay in their cribs, they have to crane to see each other. I put them in the johnny Jump-up and exercauser, they face each other. When they are on the floor, they roll to face each other (and steal each others toys).

What they are doing is babbling back and forth, and then all of a sudden they will BURST out in laughter and giggles, get all squirmy and do a little 'dance'. I have no idea what is so funny, but its like they have this inside joke already. Its amazing to see, cute and warm-fuzzy.

And speaking of stealing eachothers toys, one will be happily sucking away on his paci (a new love again now that they are teething) and the other will reach over - pluck it out of his brothers mouth and pop it in his own. So the lessons of "sharing" begin already. LOL

[alex67]

Nikki - I know your situation is different, but Trenton only weighed 15.5 lbs at his appt this past Monday. He will be 6 months old in one week. Just wanted to let you know that there are some other babies in the same weight zone.

[Kiley]

Weight - Preston slowed weigh down on gaining weight. He only gained 8 oz from 5mo to 6mo.

Tina - how cute!

[LeslieR]

Nikki, Luke's not in the same weight range at all, but I wanted to let you know that I think it's perfectly normal for them to slow down in their weight gain at this age...

Luke's stats-
4mos=20lbs 3/4oz
6mos 21lbs 10oz

Sure her illnesses have had some to do with her weight gain, but I don't think that's the only culprit.

Tina, I love it! That has to be one of the best twin stories, I've read yet.:D

Christine, I really wouldn't sweat or push the paci weaning-especially if she needs it to sleep. I've heard of all sorts of cute ways of weaning that work well once DC is able to understand. JMO-I'm no expert by any means.:p

[philnikki]

Thanks Leslie and Alex for your thoughts on Avas weight gain (or lack thereof). If I didn't have something to obsessively worry about, what kind of mom would I be? :p lol I am really not too worried yet anyway, since she seems pretty happy the past few days and she still has the baby chunky legs and all. Besides, I really like the fact that she might be my little baby girl a little longer :) I am no rush AT ALL to see her get bigger! :D

And this has probably been asked and answered a million times already, but humor me since we just started solids: How much did they eat at first? I gave Ava some bananas yesterday and today and she will only eat MAYBE a tablesppon total. Nowhere near the amount in the jar. Is that normal or should they be eating a jarful by now? TIA!

[Mickey&B]

Tina That is sooo cute!! Just one of the *rewards* of having twins ;) I swear everytime I read about your struggles with having twins I want to call my mom up and tell her how awesome she is ( I have a set of twin sisters)

[alex67]

Nikki - Trenton only eats about 1/2 of a jar at a time. Fruit in the am (1/2 jar) and veggie in the evening (1/2 jar), so a total of 1 full jar a day. If it is a new food, we only have about 1/4 of the jar at the first try.

[LeslieR]

We're also only doing half a jar at a time-if that. I don't have the patience to sit there any longer than that and neither does Luke.:p Fruit/oatmeal in the morning, lunch depends on what's left in the fridge, veggie/oatmeal at dinnertime. He's not always getting 3 set meals either. Like today-no lunch because of how his naptime and bf'ing worked out. I hope to get better about this as he gets older, but I'm not worried about it now because I know he is still getting 100% of his nutritional needs from me.

[hiphopgirl]

Nikki, Day care claims to be able to get him to eat 1/2 a jar, but I have yet to see him eat more than 1/3 of a jar at a time. When we first started I was happy to see him take more than 2-3 bites.

Like the others have already said, I wouldn't sweat the weight gain too much. When she's weighed for her official WBV they'll tell you if it's a problem.

[alex67]

Anybody else's hubby a huge baby like mine?! Last night, my DH was so frustrated with having to wake up in the night to put Trenton's pacifier back in, that he got out some pliers and snapped the ring off of his pacies so Trenton can no longer grab them out of his mouth. Umm, why is it not clear to him that Trenton will also not be able to put them back in his mouth on his own (which he can do if he grabs the ring). Makes me want to scream! As frustrating as it is to loose sleep and get up numerous times in the night, I would have never done that to his pacies. MEN!

[Mickey&B]

And this has probably been asked and answered a million times already, but humor me since we just started solids: How much did they eat at first? I gave Ava some bananas yesterday and today and she will only eat MAYBE a tablesppon total. Nowhere near the amount in the jar. Is that normal or should they be eating a jarful by now? TIA!


It's totally normal. Feed her until she isn't interested anymore. Don't try to get her to eat more, by distracting her or anything like that, that is a good way to start bad eating habits. 1 to 2 tbls is fine, especially in the begining. Are you buying the small jars? That way you could just pour some out into a bowl and save the rest and not have to waste too much. Eventually she will start to eat more remember right now it really is only for practice :)

[shellbell516]

Another question about solids -

In what order do you feed solids?

We just started solids at daycare this week. I gave them a box of oatmeal and one 4 oz jar of green beans with mashed potatoes. They fed her 3 tblsp oatmeal mixed with 2 oz EBM in the morning before her bottle. Then she drank the remaining 3 oz of EMB.

Lunch - they fed her 2 oz of baby food and said that she loved it. About 45 min later they gave her a bottle and she only drank 2 oz of the 5 oz.

Afternoon - She only drank 3 oz of the 5 oz bottle.

Should she be getting bottle before solids?

And doesn't 2 oz of EBM seem like a lot to mix with 3 tbsp of oatmeal? What's normal?

[EJH]

And this has probably been asked and answered a million times already, but humor me since we just started solids: How much did they eat at first? I gave Ava some bananas yesterday and today and she will only eat MAYBE a tablesppon total. Nowhere near the amount in the jar. Is that normal or should they be eating a jarful by now? TIA!

First -- I'm so glad that Ava is home and doing better!

We just started solids yesterday -- banana mashed with breastmilk, yum ;) . Arden ate about 3 spoon dips (and I mean dips, not spoonfulls!) and then turned her nose up at it. We'll give it another try tonight, see if she'll eats more.

[snowzilla]

Another question about solids -

In what order do you feed solids?

We just started solids at daycare this week. I gave them a box of oatmeal and one 4 oz jar of green beans with mashed potatoes. They fed her 3 tblsp oatmeal mixed with 2 oz EBM in the morning before her bottle. Then she drank the remaining 3 oz of EMB.

Lunch - they fed her 2 oz of baby food and said that she loved it. About 45 min later they gave her a bottle and she only drank 2 oz of the 5 oz.

Afternoon - She only drank 3 oz of the 5 oz bottle.

Should she be getting bottle before solids?

And doesn't 2 oz of EBM seem like a lot to mix with 3 tbsp of oatmeal? What's normal?

At this early stage, I'd be recommending the EBM *before* the solids. She's supposed to be getting the main source of her nutrition from the breastmilk - the solids are just "starter" foods and are a way for her to practice - they shouldn't replace breastmilk. If she's eating them first, and in turn, that reduces the amount of breastmilk she's drinking, then they should be switching it around, so she drinks her bottle first.

What's "normal" to mix in with the cereal is really more preference for the baby than anything else - here, Avery doesn't like her cereal runny anymore, so we're using less than we did when she first started (but I haven't really kept track of how much we use - sorry!).

[LeslieR]

I was going to post the same thing as Carla. Everything I've read and been told has been to offer bottles (or the breast) first, solids second.

I don't mix EBM or water with the cereal anymore-I just mix the food right in with the oatmeal. Usually it's sweet potatoes, so I'll spoon out about 1T of oatmeal and 1/3 to 1/2 a jar of sweet potatoes, mix it together, and nuke it for 10 seconds or so. I like the thicker consistency this way and Luke seems okay with it. I don't think there is a "normal"-it all depends on baby's preference.

Alex, my DH is a HUGE baby when it comes to Luke sometimes. I know I've posted here before that he doesn't change diapers because they make him gag. I think he's changed about 5 diapers in the past 6 mos, if that. He also has a very low tolerance for spit up. In fact, the other day he said (in a very frustrated moment after Luke had a big puke) "I don't want to have any more kids unless we can get a guarantee that they won't spit up!!!":rolleyes: So, yeah, I feel your pain. Men are just big babies in general.

[hiphopgirl]

"I don't want to have any more kids unless we can get a guarantee that they won't spit up!!!"

OMG that has me LOL at my desk right now. That is such a guy thing to say. Cracks me up.

Alex - Seems like your hubby's tactics were counterproductive. I don't know about your kid, but mine just spits the paci out of his mouth. He doesn't need the little ring to get it out of his mouth. Sounds like you might need to buy some new pacifiers ;) In any event, yes DH is very cranky about middle of the night wakings. We got into it a bit yesterday because he decided then and there that Anders should be sttn. I wonder who was going to tell Anders that :rolleyes:

Michelle - Ditto what Carla and Leslie said. Milk before solids. I don't know why all of my care givers are having a hard time with this concept. I actually don't mix cereal with EBM. I use water instead. I am super paranoid about wasting any of my precious EBM :) Anders seems to prefer cereal with water anyway. Works for me. I am not sure how much is "normal". It is really up to the individual baby what type of consistancy that they prefer.

[snowzilla]

LOL - Alex, by the way - if you need some new pacifiers in light of your husband's late night Tool Time episode ;) - I can send you a box of never-used pacifiers, since Avery refused to take one! :p j/k

[Red'sGirl]

alex I can't believe your husband did that! :eek: I'm thinking you might want to replenish - SOON!

Leslie When they discover the part of the DNA that controls spit up, and therefore can create babies that don't, LET ME KNOW! In the meantime, he might just have to get over it.

Arrena has graced me with another wonderful night. She went to sleep (for good) around 9:30pm/10pm. She woke up at 2am to fuss, but put herself back to sleep. She woke up again at 5:30am, and again soothed herself. She got up for the day at 8:15am!!! That means that I GOT UP AT 8:15am!!! Whippeee! I learned that, as long as I was getting up when she fussed, she'd get up, too. And once she did that, the next sleep would only be around 2 1/2 hours. When I left her alone, she went back to sleep, and slept longer. Who knew?!

Plus, she skipped a nap. She would normally get up at 7am, and take a nap from 9am - 10am. The another nap would come in around 11:30am until 12:30pm. Today, she got up at 8:15am, stayed up until 10am, then slept until 11:45am! It was heavenly!

Food Arrena eats about 1/3 of a jar of fruit with 2T of cereal for breakfast, and maybe 2T of another fruit. For "dinner", she eats 1/3 of a veggie, and 1/3 of a fruit. We MIGHT include cereal, and might not. She's turning out to be a good eater, thankfully.

nikki when we started, Arrena would take a tablespoon or two at most. They build up as they get used to food and get hungrier.

[MurphysLaw]

This might be a silly question, but re: milk before solids...same with FF babies too right? And I haven't mixed anything in with her cereal(although it is rice w/bananas). Should I be doing this? Should I also be mixing in veggies with cereal for lunch/dinner?? :confused: It's all so confusing. :(


Nikki, I wouldn't be worried about Ava's weight until the DR is worried. Angelina's stats for her last 2 visits:
4 mos. - 12 lbs 2 oz
6 mos. - 13 lbs 15oz
Lina's still growing, but is nowhere near the size of other Aug babies! And Ava's got her by about 2.5 lbs! ;)

[Mickey&B]

Alex I can't believe your husband did that! Since it's not me I can laugh about it, I can just see him in a fit of frustration breaking off the rings did he really think that would help. Then again who am I to talk mine doesn't even get up :rolleyes:

[LeslieR]

Michelle, mine either.:rolleyes:

Kim, yes, it is the same no matter what. Bottles first then solids. Babies are supposed to get all of their nutrition from formula or breastmilk until they are one year old. Like Carla said, the solids now are just for practice.

What do you mean you're not mixing anything in with her cereal? No water or no formula?:confused: Or do you mean, no fruit or veggie? I don't think there's a right way or wrong way. I just like to mix the fruits and veggies with the cereal because it makes it a thicker consistency. Plus, it kills two birds with one stone in him eating two things at once, if that makes sense.

Darrien, I will let you know!:p

[kindermom]

Wow - too funny about the hubbies. And if he gags with these little diapers, think about them when the children are 2! Ugh.

Update on the pumping. So I left work a little earliy to miss traffic and get home to pump. I was in serious pain and do not think I have been that size ever. I walk in the door and realize...I left my pump at work...52 miles away! So I had express all of my milk by hand. A little known fact - I used to milk cows in college (a sort lived job). The experience today totally brought me back to my cow days.

When Madelyn started on solids, we mixed her cereal with 2 ounces. We are down to about 1.5 ounces per 1/5 cup of cereal. So I do not think that 2 ounces is too much to start.

Tina - I love hearing about the boys. It must be so amazing to watch them develop together.

Christine - I would not worry about the pacifier weaning either. It seems like that is an issue in which you need to do what seems right for you.

[Mickey&B]

Update on the pumping. So I left work a little earliy to miss traffic and get home to pump. I was in serious pain and do not think I have been that size ever. I walk in the door and realize...I left my pump at work...52 miles away! So I had express all of my milk by hand. A little known fact - I used to milk cows in college (a sort lived job). The experience today totally brought me back to my cow days.


Ohh you poor thing :(

[QPDoll]

Anyone have a DC that pinches, scratches or pulls your hair? Nate seems to dirive pleasure in causing me pain; ripping the hair from my head (even when its pulled back in a ponytail) clawing at my face/lips/nose/eyes, and pinching my eyelids.

How do I discourage this kind of behavor? My moms answer was to smack his hands, but I just can't bring myself to strike my child. :o

[alex67]

It didn't surprise me too much that DH did that last night, he has been threatening to do it for a couple weeks now, although I think it is just plain stupid. I will go buy some "mommy" pacifiers with rings and DH can keep the others to use when he chooses. He's not all that bad though. He gets up every night with Trenton, changes all types of diapers, bottle feeds, spoon feeds, rocks, plays, etc. DH works nights so he has Trenton alone during the daytime Mon-Fri. Probably has something to do with why he is so stressed out.

Tina - Trenton pulls my hair and scratches me all the time, I mean ALL THE TIME! I could not image slapping his hands. He doesn't know what he is doing. In fact, most of the time he is trying to come in for a sloppy open-mouthed kiss. No way could I punish him for that! I just try to quickly take his hands and ungrip his fists so he can still kiss me or whatever he wanted without causing pain to myself. :)

[SD601]

Oh, Tina, my son does the same thing! I have bruises on my arm and face where he just grabs and pinches. I don't even say "no" to him, since he doesn't understand. Once I screamed "ouch" involuntarily and I scared him so much he started crying! I do what Alex does...just pry him off gently and distract. I mean, I don't think he even knows his name (and why would he...I'm sure he thinks his name is sweetpea...), so he doesn't know "no" or what he did wrong. Good luck!

[MurphysLaw]

Kim, yes, it is the same no matter what. Bottles first then solids. Babies are supposed to get all of their nutrition from formula or breastmilk until they are one year old. Like Carla said, the solids now are just for practice.

What do you mean you're not mixing anything in with her cereal? No water or no formula?:confused: Or do you mean, no fruit or veggie? I don't think there's a right way or wrong way. I just like to mix the fruits and veggies with the cereal because it makes it a thicker consistency. Plus, it kills two birds with one stone in him eating two things at once, if that makes sense.
TY Leslie! I actually meant no fruit/veggie. I always mix it with formula. :) I'm with you, I like the thicker consistency too...not sure why, I guess because it doesn't just run out of her mouth and down her chin!:o So I think if I mix with the fruits/veggies, the cereal will thicken the fruit/veggie, and in turn the fruit/veggie will be the needed water to mix the cereal, right?

Tina - Angelina is awful for pinching. She does it with her whole hand too! I just don't know how she gets so much skin in her little grip, but it hurts like hell!! I don't blame you for not wanting to follow your mom's advice, they are so little and they have NO clue they're doing anything wrong! I yelped "NO!" at Lina once, and like Laura said, it made her cry...it was pitiful, but totally out of reaction. I try to keep my composure better now!:o

[snowzilla]

LOL @ babies grabbing hair and pinching....when I yelped "OUCH!", Avery didn't cry. No, instead she laughed. :rolleyes:

[kindermom]

Another pincher and grabber here at my home. She does it to herself as well. I would not think of slapping her hand right now. I do sometimes tell her in a calm but firm voice "Ow that hurts Mommy."

QOTD: What games are you currently playing with your child?
We have several toy elelphants and monkeys which she loves. Now when I ask her where is the monkey/elephant, she will look for it. and try to grab the appropriate toy.

QOTD: Does your child have enough strength to stand on his or her own?
Madelyn has been standing at the coffee table on her own (with a little balance support) for about 2+ months. She loves standing up (more than sitting). I did not realize that not all babies were that strong until I held a friends son who was 2 weeks older and he had jelly legs.

[shellbell516]

Thanks for the input on the bottles/solids. My daycare is going to think I'm crazy for switching up what they're doing everyday. I did tell them that this is a learning process still for me.

I want to think that Rachel is saying mama now. This morning she said "oom-ma" when I picked her up out of bed. Is it wishful thinking?

And I forgot my pump valve for one pump today, so I'm having to take turns pumping each side.

[JillyB]

Wow...y'all have just been chatting away since I was here last. I think I finally caught up. *whew* :) Okay, now where to start...

Solids - We started out with just a little cereal for dinner. After a few weeks, we started cereal for breakfast and a little veggie for dinner. And just this week, we started a schedule of cereal/oatmeal for breakfast (2 T), fruit for lunch (1/2 container), and veggies for dinner (I usually give him about 4 tsp of a green veggie and another 3 or 4 tsp of a non-green veggie). I think we'll keep our current feeding schedule for awhile (just gradually moving onto #2 foods after we've been through all of the #1s a few time). And I've always called my little man a hungry-hungry-hippo, b/c he's a great little eater (boob, bottle, or solids). I think he would eat anything that I would let him! Last night, I fixed a pizza, and I let him chew on one of my pizza crusts. He was in heaven! And I feel like a very uneducated Mommy, b/c I had no idea that you were supposed to offer boob/bottle BEFORE solids for a meal. :o I just figured that boob/bottle was to "wash down" the solids (like how I eat!). Of course even after his "food", my little man still downs entire 5 oz. bottles of EBM at daycare. Yes, he LOVES to eat...just like his Mommy! :D So, I think we'll just keep doing what we're doing, since it's working out so well for us right now. Oh, I also give him a sippy cup of water (mainly to play with) at dinnertime. He'll take a couple of sips out of it, but mostly, he likes to bang it on the tray, chew on the spout, or drop it on the floor.

Tina - The story about your little guys talking/playing with each other totally brought a big 'ole smile to my face. Not only do you get to experience twice as many smiles, laughs, hugs, kisses, etc., your sons already know/have their best friend!!! :)

And I'm so sorry about you forgetting your pump (*knock on wood* I haven't done this yet), but this totally cracked me up for some reason...
A little known fact - I used to milk cows in college (a sort lived job). The experience today totally brought me back to my cow days.


Sleep update - I'm hoping that we've turned a corner. DS only woke up once last night (around 2:15), and I think that was b/c he had rolled over and "got stuck" in an uncomfortable position. He ate a little and went right back to sleep...sweet! I feel much more rested this morning.

I better go do some work. I'll be back later to answer the 2 QOTDs. Have a great day!!!

[alex67]

Games- The only "games" I play regularly are 1) Trenton has a big stuffed green frog that I make leap onto his stomach when he is on the changing table. I make 'ribbit' noises and make the frog jump up and down. He just squeals! If the frog is not up there, he will look around for it. And 2) I play hide-and-seek with him. When someone else is holding him, or if he is in his exersaucer I will hide behind the couch and pop up in the same place several times. Then I will mix it up and pop up somewhere else which throws him off but he just gets a huge grin when he finds me. :)

Standing- Trenton can certainly stand on his own if he could keep his balance. He also prefers to stand than to sit. I was worried that it might mess up his legs physically but his doc told me that if he wants to stand, let him stand. So he stands, jumps, dances a lot.

[Kiley]

Games - we sing Ittsy Bittsy Spider, Patty Cake, Wheels on the Bus all with hand motions. And Pet The Kitty, but the kitties don't like to play that game very much.
Standing - he likes to on our laps but no way could he by a table by himself. He loves to jump though and my arms will hopefully be nice and toned by summer from it.
Husbands - DH is getting a little stressed about the waking up 3x/night routine. It got better for a few days and now it's back to 3x/night. I really believe its due to teething. DH is wondering if we should be doing what his brother is doing with their one year old - CIO. Turns out for the last year, SIL has been sleeping with nephew on the couch every night to get him to sleep. Now nephew won't nap at daycare or sleep at night without his mom so they have to go back and "reverse" this. I think it's totally different and refuse to let DS CIO when he's in pain. I told DH if he had a paci or a thumb he'd use that but he doesn't like those things, he prefers mama. Oh well, we'll deal with it.
Solids - We've done them 3 times :) . Sweet potatoes twice and cereal once. I mixed the rice cereal with EBM and made it runny. DS liked it but I think I'll make it less runny next time so it's not quite as messy. We're doing it about every other night for dinner, about 1-2T at a time before it's mixed with EBM.
Pinching - He's not too bad in this department.
Forgetting Pump - DH, who packs my pump, for me has sent me to work without bottles to pump into twice. Luckily I was able to run to the drugstore and buy Gerber bottles to pump into (I have the PIS). Silly DH.

[QPDoll]

Games We do a lot of peek-a-boo, singing songs with hand motions, and tickling (if thats a game). I never thought of hiding an object, will have to give that a try.

[shellbell516]

Games - We play patty-cake, itsy-bitsy spider, peek-a-boo, and tickling. Lately, she likes to lean backwards off your lap with her head down towards the floor. We do that several times in a row. Phillip has been doing the chicken dance with her and he likes to toss her up in the air (without actually leaving his hands). She also likes to fall back onto pillows, couch, bed, or whatever is soft. She loves trying to pet (read grab) our cat. We try really hard to keep her from pulling cat hair, ears, or whiskers. We also have a talking Eeyore that she likes. His ears move when he talks and she tries to grab them.
http://images.snapfish.com/346394594%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3238%3E588%3E872%3EWSNRCG %3D32334%3B%3C7%3B%3A%3B%3B8nu0mrj

standing - Rachel loves to stand. She'll pull herself into a standing position if you're holding her hands. She will stand by herself for a few seconds.

pinching - not too much. Mostly still grabbing.

[JillyB]

Just wanted to share this link that I received in an email...sick, sick people :( ...you can type in your address and see the closest sick-os and even view their pictures. Stuff like this makes me so scared and sick to my stomach.
http://www.familywatchdog.us/

[LeslieR]

pinching, grabbing, pulling, smacking, (and I'm going to add biting here)-all of the above! He has bitten me once and I yelped. He hasn't done it since, thank God. Of course, I told MIL about it and she made a comment about how you can't let them get a reaction out of you or they'll keep doing it. Yeah, easier said than done! Those jaws are strong! He hasn't pinched me in a while, but he is big on grabbing hair and necklaces/chains/the spoon-whatever he can reach, basically. I'm trying to work on my manners/temper/reaction and I'll say "Luke, please let go of _____." over and over again until he loosens his grip. He is very strong and sometimes it is difficult to get whatever it is out of his paws. lol I admit that the first time Luke pinched me, I smacked his hand.:o I totally did not do it on purpose/with bad intent. It was my immediate reaction which shocked the hell out of me and upset me greatly at the same time. He's just a baby and doesn't know what he's doing. I couldn't believe that that was my immediate reaction. I really don't want to discipline in this manner (in the future), so I'm working on my reactions. I also ordered that "Kids Are Worth It" book so that I'm prepared when the times comes for discipline.

games-I think we play all of the same games that have already been mentioned.

standing-Luke prefers to stand in your lap over sitting. He amazes me all the time at how strong he is. I'm not sure if he could stand holding onto something-I'm not really ready to find out, either. lol

Noel, I have to admit, I also got a chuckle out of your milking cow story. Man, I don't know how you self expressed until you were empty. The few times I have done it were just to get to a comfortable level. What did women do before pumps???

[Daniel's Kitty]

Games His favorite anymore are itsy bitsy spider, There were ten in the bed (with motions and tickling added by mom), or the alphabet done along with finger spelling.

pinching, grabbing, pulling, smacking I didn't know I had that much grab-able skin. He can get a really good pinch that makes my eyes water, and I am trying to direct that towards other things. I think his favorites are grabbing neck skin while eating or pulling himeslf up on my hair unless he can get my glasses.

We bought Ben his very own sunglasses last night. They were in with hair accesories at BRU. He loves them. He hates having sun in his eyes, so now he can wear a baseball hat and sunglasses just like Daddy.

[philnikki]

games We play patty cake, itsy bitsy spider, and peek a boo. I also like to blow on her belly. She gets a big laugh out of that one. Also if I lean into her face and then jerk back she cracks up. I have her RSV at the moment, so when I cough, she laughs. ;)

Jill I tried it and apparently PA is one of a few states that doesn't list the addresses of registered sex offenders! :eek: how scary is that??? I mean, especially for how politically to the right PA is too. Strange. Now I think I have to write my senators!!!

Along the same vein as the other QOTD - what songs do you sing to put DC to sleep? Mine are all over the board!:

Twinkle, Twinkle
Over the Rainbow
You are My Sunshine
Mockingbird
The Girl Who has Everything (from the Little Mermaid)
On My Own (from Le Miserables)

[hope0805]

I totally suck because I haven't been around for ages, but thought I would drop off Jonah's six month stats:

Weight: 19 lbs
Height: 26 3/4 inches

He came down with rotovirus 2 weeks ago and boy did that have us scared. My poor boy refused to nurse for nearly 2 days (and refused also to take pedialyte or anything else) and we were worried about dehydration. He never dropped below the 3 wet diapers/day level, which is when my ped. said we would have had to take a trip to the ER, thankfully, but boy were we concerned. He is on the mend, although not quite 100%. Hope none of the other babies get this bug; it is a nasty one. Apparently runs rampant at daycare centers and is generally attributed to poor hygeine when changing diapers.

We started solids over the weekend and he is doing okay so far, I think. I am mixing about 1 tablespoon of rice cereal with 1 tablespoon of EBM and he is eating it all. Right now we are doing only "dinner" but next week will go to "lunch" and "dinner" with cereal, and may switch to oatmeal. My ped. said to cycle through the cereals before moving on to veggies, so we are probably a few weeks from that. I am glad to see that you all confirmed what I thought was right - bottle (or boob) before solids. One question, though ... has anyone's baby dropped a feeding due to the intro of solids, or are you just spacing them out differently? We have to be pretty specific w/ our nanny on Jonah's eating and naptimes, and I'm not sure how to deal with the intro of solids. His day looks like this right now:

6:30 awake
7:00 nurse
8:30 short nap
10:00 bottle of EBM (5.5 to 6 oz)
12:00 nap
1:00 bottle of EBM (5.5 to 6 oz)
2:00/2:30 nap
4:00 bottle of EBM (5.5 to 6 oz)
6:15 nurse
7:00 "dinner"/solids
8:15 nurse
9:00 bed

Should I tell her to give him the 1:00 bottle right when he wakes up from his nap and then the solids? And I'm wondering if he's likely to finish the full 4:00 bottle if he's had a full bottle at 12:30 or 1 and then solids? Who knew feeding our kids would be so hard???

[cc8]

Solids/Feeding - Ok, boo on me since sometimes I give DD her bottle first before the solids and sometimes I feed her solids first. So far she's had rice cereal, carrots and squash. Warning: the carrots and squash STAIN everything in sight, even the rubberized baby feeding spoon I used! :eek:

I've noticed that since we've started on solids, DD seems to take in less formula. Having said that, she was never a big eater to start with.

Hair Falling Out? - Is anyone's DC's hair falling out? DD has very thick, black hair and over the past 2 weeks, we've noticed fine hair in her crib. Now, tons of hair has fallen off from the back of her head (and she is not a back sleeper BTW). Ugh - the nurse said it's normal to shed a lot but I just wanted to know if this was happening to anyone else.

In other news, I return to work on Monday. Yuck!

[Kiley]

cc8 - have you been off all this time? how come? how lucky!

Hair - DS lost most of his thick, dark birth hair around 3 mo and then it started growing back light brown/blonde although in pictures it looks red.

[Mickey&B]

{{{{Little rant}}}}}
I'm in such a stinky mood :( I just got home from work, and can I say that this whole mid-life change of career thing stinks!!!! Especially cause I don't really like the new career :rolleyes: I have been a loan signing agent for about a year, I started doing it to bring in some extra money before Aidan was born. But now I am studying for my real estate license so that I can work for my mom being an actual loan agent. She has her own business and is willing to teach me how to do it part-time with the idea that eventually I will be doing it full time, and eventually leave me to run the business. While there is tons of money in it I hate it!! BUT we want to tear down our house and re-build it (much cheaper than buying a bigger house here in CA) so if we really want to do this I have to bring in some money. I am just feeling so overwhelmed!! Along with all the learning that goes along with it, it means having to leave Aidan with someone else during the day, that and the fact that I know that I won't be able to pump as much as he eats, so I will probably have to supplement with formula earlier than I wanted too. All of this is far off. . . . but I am feeling so stressed out about it.. . . So out of my comfort zone! Don't really know where I am going with this I just had to get it out :rolleyes: On to happier thoughts!!

Anyone have a DC that pinches, scratches or pulls your hair? Nate seems to dirive pleasure in causing me pain; ripping the hair from my head (even when its pulled back in a ponytail) clawing at my face/lips/nose/eyes, and pinching my eyelids.

How do I discourage this kind of behavor? My moms answer was to smack his hands, but I just can't bring myself to strike my child.
__________________


Yup! Yup! and YUP!!! but as a someone else mentioned he usually does it to get in close to lay a big wet one on me or to suck on my face, but usually ends up bitting the crap out of my chin OUCHIEE! I just tell him " Ouch that hurts Mommy and I hold his hands back, he usually laughs. I have to say I agree that you should not smack his hands (my child dev background steps up here :p ) first off children this age children do not have the ability to think maliciously so he is not doing it to hurt you 2) if you resort to "smacking" him back you are only sending the message that you respond to someone doing something to you that you don't like by hurting them back. It reminds me of once when I had a child psychologist sit in my office and tell a parent of a child who had problems with bitting that she needed to bite her back so that she could see how it felt I almost fell out of my chair where the Hell did this guy get is credentials???? anyway I know that's not what you ment by your post but I thought I'd put it out there. Just keep telling him it hurts, he won't understand what it is you are saying but he will eventually learn the difference in tone. Yes some kids get a rise out of the reaction, for many different reasons until they get older I would say just keep telling them it hurts and re-direct their hands. You can play "soft touches' and teach them how to touch mommy, the dog, the cat whatever eventually they get it. For those older kids that get a rise out of your reaction sometimes it is better to not react. A lot of times these are the kids that *need* more attention in which case I tell parents to give them more of the positive attention they are after praise the good things like when he does touch you softly. Okay I could talk about this forever. . . . see these are the things I miss about my old job :(

Apparently runs rampant at daycare centers and is generally attributed to poor hygeine when changing diapers.


I doesn't run rampant UNLESS they have poor diaper changing habits, I hope that the fact that Jonah got it makes them re-assess thier policy!!! for the record I have worked in the child care field for over 10 years and never had a case of it, but I have always been in a facility that has been vigilant about their changing policy.
Glad he is doing better by the way.

Games I play a lot of sing-song games with Aidan. I put on a Veggie Tales CD someone gave us that has his name within the songs the other day and danced around the living room he had such a blast. Just yesterday I downloaded a bunch of the Wiggles songs and Greg and Steve (my absolute favorite child songs!!!) so I can dance around with him and make a fool of myself, and maybe work up a sweat too. Before he was rolling over on his own I used to place him on top of the excersize ball (I have a child sized one) and rolling him from side to side, and now I lay him flat on it with his tummy facing down and bounce him up and down he loves it. I am starting to make him some homemade toys too a few days ago I put all kinds of colored feathers into an empty water bottle and sealed the tops and let him roll them around. As soon as I get more I am going to make some with water colors and oil so he can experiment with color mixing. As soon as it gets warm we are definetly going to do more sensory play outside so I don't make such a mess in the house. If you guys are looking for a great website for ideas (especially messy ones :D ) check out www.ooeygooey.com she (Lisa Murphy) also has a book "The Ooey Gooey Handbook" that was like my bible when I was teaching that anything from Bev Bos!

Standing Aidan loves to stand up on our tummies or when I try to sit him on the floor he pushes his butt up off the floor and pulls himself using my arms to stand up!

Okay I am off to play my new computer game and drink a beer while DH makes me dinner tonight Yeah!!! I need to get out of this funk!

[LeslieR]

Michelle, ugh, that sucks!!!:( Why does life have to be so difficult sometimes? We have to give up things we want in order to get other things that we want. I hate it!


So, about the grabbing...yesterday I had Luke on my lap and we were singing and dancing. He grabbed my chain (I still wear my St Gerard medal that I got when I was pregnant) and ripped the medal right off of my chain! I noticed that the chain didn't feel as heavy and sure enough the medal was in his hand.:eek: Totally freaked me out. He so easily could have put that in his mouth. I have to watch this kid like a hawk, I swear. The other day when we were leaving the dr's office, I had a manilla envelope full of stuff that the nurse had for me. She gave it to Luke to hold (he was in the umbrella stroller) and he held on to it all the way until we got to the car (yay Luke!), BUT when I took it away from him, he had had a corner of the envelope in his mouth and gummed a chunk of it off. Thank God it was still in there. You should have seen me grabbing his face and pinching his cheeks to get his mouth open to make sure there wasn't any more in there. At the rate we're going, I'll be lucky to make it to 32. I'm sure he's going to give me a heart attack before then!

[kindermom]

Leslie - Paper is so easy to eat. Madelyn loves playing with the inserted subscription cards from magazines but she will eat the paper within 30 seconds if I am not watching her carefully. The other night she ate a huge mouthful of paper before I caught on to her. I am not so worried about eating paper but I am worried about gumming off a big enough piece to choke on.

Moments that make motherhood the best:
Yesterday was an awesome day in parenthood for a few reasons.
1. She was so excited to see me when I picked her up from my MILs. She reached out for me with a big smile on her face and snuggled against me for a few minutes while I chatted with my ILs.
2. As I settled her into bed with me early on, she had no desire to nurse. Instead she stared ito my eyes with this dreamy content look on her face. She did not want to play or eat or sing lullabies. She just wanted to gaze at me.
3. Last night Sean was away so Madelyn and I shared a bed after her 1 am feeding. She was so adorable in that she fussed until I spooned up against her putting my arm over her. She sacked out after that.

[LeslieR]

Noel, awwww! I have to agree. Moments like that definitely make it all worth while. I love when I go to get Luke out of his crib and he is all smiles and happy to see me. Melts my heart!


I keep meaning to post this-I don't know what sippy cups you guys are using, but I have finally found my favorite. The First Years Take And Toss cups. They rock!!! All the other sippys we have just don't work for Luke. The ones with the valve are too hard for him to get water out of and the ones that don't have valves just pour water out all over him when he tips the cup. Normally when I give him a sippy cup (just for practice, mind you) he ends up with more water on him than not, but I can honestly say with these cups, he is actually drinking the water-I hear swallows! lol

[BuffaloBlondie]

Hello to all the August Mommies!!! I have been checking out everything, but just haven't had any time to really post!! It is so nice to see where all our babies are at developmentally/physically. It is also a relief to know that some other babies still DO NOT STTN - will Brady ever???? O.K here are some updates on my little guy:
Weight: 19 lbs.
Height: Is questionable b/c he is soooo wiggly!!
FOOD: I am so lazy about giving him food. At first I was so into it & I think was one of the first August Moms to start solids, but now...blah!!!!! He has tried cereal, all of the veggies & some fruits. He HATES the fruits. Strange? I always thought that babies loved fruits and hated veggies? I am a bad mom b/c I am not good with an eating schedule. Some days he gets solids for dinner, other days he only gets formula.

SLEEP: We finally moved Brady into his crib & he loves it!!! I of course, I hate that he isn't in the bassinet in our room. I think I am just to lazy to get up & walk across the hall. On a god note, he is sleeping more, but not all night. He does only get up once to eat, but it is always a production to get him back to sleep. Does anyone else have a side sleeper?

SICKNESS: I am so sorry to all the little ones who have been sick. I can't even imagine what you girls went through. Nikki, I peeked in your journal & the pictures of little Ava broke my heart. Brady hasn't been sick, but he does have a wet cough & stuffy nose. I have been to the dr. at least every other week for two months now. I think the practice thinks "I'm a nut"! Nothing is ever wrong with him. They just tell me- use the vaporizer, make sure he is eating-blah, blah, blah----then why does he still sound sick???????

TEETHING: Brady has two teeth on the bottom & I think more are trying to come up. I bought one of those mesh do-hickkys and put ice chips into it. He loves it! I know that someone mentioned frozen fruit- maybe I'll try that.

CRAWLING: Are there any official crawlers?? Brady tries, but usually gets frustrated. He does get up on his back two knees, but nothing else yet.

FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTIES: IS anyone else even thinking about this? I have been looking for ideas on the parenting thread & some people really go all out. Does anyone have any idea what they are going to do?

If your're stilll reading, I think I am done recapping.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b280/BuffaloBlondie/Sam111.jpg

[JillyB]

Noel - LOVED your post!!!! Glad you had a great day with so many little wonderful moments! :D And this...
Instead she stared ito my eyes with this dreamy content look on her face. She did not want to play or eat or sing lullabies. She just wanted to gaze at me.
is something that Landen does too. Sometimes, we'll be playing together on the floor, and he'll roll over to me, put his hands on my face, and just look at me. It's like he's trying to "take in" as much of Mommy as he can. Makes my heart melt...

Michelle - Sorry about your change of jobs. That sucks. But if it's not something that you think you're ever going to "warm up" to, I would strongly suggest re-thinking it. Life's too short to be miserable all day at work. KWIM? I hope everything works out for the best for ya!

And I forgot to say Thank You for all of the compliments on my little man!! I think he's pretty cute too! ;) (and all of the "waving" at my nosey co-workers cracked me up!)

And speaking of games, I just have to brag on our daycare center. I think I've mentioned before that we've been so happy with our daycare choice. Yesterday when I got there for pick-up, DS was on the floor with a couple of the other kids while one of his "teachers" was blowing bubbles at them. He was having a hay-day trying to reach up and grab the bubbles. His eyes were so big with wonderment watching the bubbles go by. It was so cute and reinforced the fact that I love his "teachers". TGIF! Have a good day everyone!!!

[LeslieR]

Jen, I am DROOLING over Brady's eyelashes!!! I'm with you on the solids-it was fun at first, but now it's just a PITA. I can't believe how much time I spend feeding him now between nursing and the solids!

first birthday party, I've been thinking about it for a while now and lurking along in the first birthday party thread. The only things I know of for sure is where we're having it and what food we'll be having . Leave it to me to plan the food out first.:p I'm waiting until Luke gets older to decide on the theme. If I were to choose now, it would have to be Elmo because he is OBSESSED with him. And I'm not so sure I want to go with an Elmo theme. I know it's his party and all, but Elmo???:p

[gmooter]

Hi gals! I can't believe how time flys!!

JillyB, I'm glad you mentioned the bubbles! I think Grace would love that! I'm going to have to run out and get some soon!

BuffaloBlondie, no crawling here yet but Grace does get up on all 4's and rock! She scoots everywhere also! No teeth yet though!

LeslieR, thanks for the note on the sippy cups! Grace knows what to do with them when I give one to her but she doesn't quite get that she has to tip it up!

kindermom, very cute story! Don't you just love cuddle time??

Question: Has anyone taken or signed their DC up for Gymboree classes? I'm a SAHM and just looking for some social gatherings to get out of the house and get Grace used to being around other people. Are they worth the $$?

[BuffaloBlondie]

gmooter I haven't signed up for any classes that cost money yet. Mainly b/c everything is during the day while I am at work. However, I did join 2 mom's playgroups & they are awesome!! They both have a message board & they schedule playdates and mom's night out. I actually hosted a playdate yesterday with 8 moms & 8 babies!!:eek: It is really nice to have other moms who are in the area & in the same boat as you. You can always do an on-line search for groups.
Leslie - I don't know where he gets those eyelashes!!! I have to spend big-bucks on masacra for those suckers.

[BuffaloBlondie]

gmooter One more thing--I posted these sites on the old thread. Maybe you could find something. I totally understandd about getting out of the house.:)'

http://www.mops.org
http://www.momsclub.org/welcome.html
http://www.mommyandme.com/registrati...rchDetails.php
http://www.meetup.com/
http://www.clubmom.com/display/16204...romPage=179024
http://www.matchingmoms.org/
http://www.moxie-moms.com/index.php
http://www.onlineplaygroup.com/index.php

[philnikki]

Jen - Thank you so much for thinking of us! It was hard to see her like that, but just to give you guys some perspective on exactly how MUCH better that she is doing:

In the hospital:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c139/philnikki/100_2789.jpg

Two nights ago:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c139/philnikki/47b6dc03b3127cce970dd619d1bf0000001.jpg

So she is really on the road to recovery. I really hope no other parents ever have to go through that with thier child. ever. And how cute is Brady?!?! Awwwww....

Noel - Your post made me well up with tears! I know EXACTLY what you mean. Its those little moments where Ava looks at me with so much love that truly melt my heart. Makes me feel like I was really just put on this earth to be her mom, ya know?

1st Birthday Parties - Count me in too on this! I can't help it! I am so glad that I wasn't the only one planning so early. Its just too fun not to!! We already booked the place too. Our housing plan has a clubhouse that we pay for out of our homeowners assoc fee. Its brand new (just finished last spring) SUPER fancy and has a big pool. I have had a few things there already and its free, so you can't beat it. I think I am definately going to have a beachball pit since it is by a pool, but who knows what else. I am pretty sure her theme is going to be "Pretty in Pink" too. Pink EVERYWHERE :)

[hiphopgirl]

Jen - Brady sounds like Anders in terms of sickness. We've been to the doctors 3 times and everytime they just tell me it's a cold. How are we ever going to know if it is the real thing?

Michelle - Sorry about the career change. Thanks for the awesome tips on how to play. I feel like such a bad mom because we don't play a lot of games. We do sing some songs, but I haven't done anything more stimulating than "heads, shoulders, knees & toes". I guess I need to get on that.

1st birthday party - I haven't planned anything yet. Who are y'all inviting to the party. We don't have much family in town, and I can't think of anyone else I'd invite. I guess I can invite all my friends that have kids, but I don't want anyone to feel obligate to bring gifts.

Leslie - thanks for the tip on the sippy cup. I've only given one to A a couple of times. He seems to like to gnaw on the sipper rather than actually try to drink out of it. I think he has finally figured out that he needs to lean back in order to get the liquid out, but sometimes it seems to piss him off. He also has the problem of getting water all over him.

Pinching, grabbing, etc - Oh my yes. I just assumed all babies were doing this. He loves to pull my hair and bite my chin or nose. I have to make sure we clip his nails every week, too, because those little daggers are constantly digging into my skin. One time he pinched under my arm (you know the fatty, dangly part) so hard that I had a big giant bruise peppered with little cuts from those daggers. Boyfriend is STRONG. I know he doesn't know he's hurting me so I try to grab his hand and just redirect it. I don't even say "no" because I figure it does no good. I have yelped in pain a couple of times, though. Ouch it hurts!

Noel - Aren't those moments the best. Whenever A does that I always say "you are staring at your mommy because she's so beautiful, aren't you" :)

I have a question. Have any of you had a non-family member babysit for your kids yet? I have two things to go to this weekend and due to IL drama we don't have a babysitter either night. I'm planning on going to both things solo and leaving Jack at home. I would really like for him to be able to go, but we've never had anyone else babysit and I'm a little nervous. It's probably too late for this weekend, but I'm just wondering how one goes about looking for a trusted babysitter, and what the going rate is.

[Daniel's Kitty]

Baby sitters The only non family babysitter was with my mom helping since she is really young. When I was babysitting though I met people at church that I babysat for. You could call your local church and see if they know of anybody.
DH has a ton of female coworkers who want to babysit or have children who babysit so I haven't been to worried. I have no clue on the going rate though since everyone seems to pay differently and I was more interested in playing with children than money.

[EJH]

Nikki -- I'm so glad Ava is well on the way to recovery. She has the most gorgeous eyes!

Michelle -- I'm sorry about the career change and accompanying issues. I'm dealing with this to some extent as well.

hiphopgirl -- Nope, we haven't left A (other than during daycare) with a babysitter other than the ILs. We might at some point use a girl that helps the ILs at their store (her mom owns the gym that's next door). She sees Arden some because the daycare is right there and she's great with her. Of course, she's probably going away to college in the fall so that will kill that idea. I haven't the faintest idea what the going rate is these days!!

Pinching/Grabbing -- Oh my yes. Arden grabs our hair and just pulls to her heart's content. She also is a fan of trying to remove our noses. She's got one heck of a grip. :rolleyes:

1st Birthday Party -- MIL told us that her party is at this new place for kids that's in the same building as her chocolate factory. Yep, told. Now, it might be a nice place to have it but since she is saying "this is how it is" as if it is her decision, it makes me want to find somewhere else to do it. Anyone who reads my journal knows that we have some issues, she and I. :cool: DP told me that this birthday party will be huge because that's what her family always does. We haven't really talked about the planning part of it yet.

Arden turned 6 months old this week and I just can't believe it. The time has gone way too fast. I need to win the lotto so I can stay home and play with her all day long. I hate that we see her for maybe an hour each day, and most of that time is rushing around to get her ready for daycare and then coming home and getting her ready for bed. My ILs get to see her every day and as nice as that is, it fills me with such jealousy. Balancing work with the rest of one's life is so hard.

Hope everyone is having a nice Friday.

Erin

[QPDoll]

My boys turned 7 months old yesterday! I missed the time for their 6 month pictures because they were sick. :( I get them done every month so now there is a gap. :(

They continue to amaze me. We are starting to ST Nate, and its going fairly well. We STed Pete awhile ago, but waited with Nate because of the reflux problems. Thankfully, the reflux seems to be a thing of the past now that we are on solids. Nate is also eating better - woohooo!!!
They are really taking an interest in each other and love to stare at each other and babble back and forth. They love to laugh together. Even Nate is laughing now! He usually takes his cues from Pete though, and laughs with him. Nate is my serious one, while Pete laughs at everything. Pete is generally a happier baby, easier in so many ways. Nate is more reserved and in some ways that makes him more difficult, or at least, I have to try harder to engage him. Its great to watch them at this age.

We have our late WBV today.

Thank you all so much on the pinching/scratching advice. ITA that slapping him makes no sense, even though it is a natural reaction. I will keep saying "ouch, no" and things like that. He seems to do it when he is tired and Im giving him a bottle. He does laugh when I react to it, and I don't want him to think its a game and continue it.

First birthdays: yes, Im already thinking of plans. Leslie: Elmo...I know. LOL My boys are hooked. I bought this Elmo doll that sings the chicken dance song. They love it.

Off to do the never-ending piles of laundry.

[Red'sGirl]

Well, Arrena has her first REAL cold, though I wonder if it might be allergies. The pollen index is at an unhealthy high and she's sneezing like no tomorrow. But for the first time, her snot (sorry) is thick, and cloudy or green. And copious! She hates getting suctioned, but there's just so much. She even left a little snot stain on her sheet last night. I knew she was stuffed up because I could hear her breathing through her mouth - but she was asleep and I didn't want to wake her up to clean her. Still, she woke up every hour from 2am - 5am, fussed for 2 mins and fell back asleep. Obviously, I didn't sleep well - and of course, DH slept like a log.

Jen I, too, have been to the Dr.s office regarding Arrena's congestion and they keep telling me that she's fine and to keep up with the humidifier and suctioning with saline. It's frustrating. And she definitely prefers to sleep on her side.

Nikki Ava looks so much better! I'm glad you're getting your healthy and happy little girl back.

[Mickey&B]

First Birthday I have started thinking about it/ talking about it with DH I think we might do an aviation theme, or police officer since we will most likely be doing it in the city were DH works and we may be able to get some guys to come out with a patrol car and let the kids sit in it and play with the sirens not sure yet though.

So how's this for a crapy way to end my already crapy day yesterday, we got a call last night that one of B's partners was shot in the face last night while he was off duty. He is doing fine but DH is in the worse mood ever!!! The phone keeps ringing everyone calling to see what was going on so Aidan has not slept this morning yet and it's 11:30!!! I gave up trying and now he's in his bed talking away, I am hoping now that B's left for the hospital and the phone is no longer ringing off the hook he'll go to sleep. . . .Wishful thinking I guess.

Happy Friday!!!! Off to try and pack we leave on Tues for Idaho YEAH!!!!

[alex67]

Oh Michelle, that is so sad and scary. Glad the officer is doing ok, that is amazing! One of the things that keeps me from freaking out that DH risks his life daily when going to work, is that all his friends, all the other officers we know, always come home ok, day after day, year after year. It is such a reality check when one of them gets hurt. Was that officer working an off-duty job, or was he shot in his regular time off? Wow, we will keep him in our thoughts.

[MurphysLaw]

Oh Michelle, my heart goes out to B's partner. That happened to a uniformed officer here a few years back but he didn't live through it. It's truly ubelievable the things that people will do. :(

[shellbell516]

Michelle - that's terrible! I hope he'll be ok.

[LeslieR]

Michelle, my God that's horrible! I hope he's going to be okay.

Janet, all of Sal's family/friends live in the area so to speak and we'll invite all of them. My family is in FL and IL; we'll invite them, but I'm sure the only ones who will come will be my parents. And I guess if we become good friends with anyone with kids between no and then, we'll invite them, too.

babysitters, nope-no non-family babysitters here. I just don't feel comfortable with anyone else watching Luke yet.

[Mickey&B]

Thanks for the thought girls. It is so scarry and yes Alexsuch a reality check when one of them gets hurt. The officer is doing fine, and is expected to recover. He was just going to the gym after work in his regular street clothes and was shot in his car. They don't know why he was shot at. He says that he was just parking his car when his windshield broke into pieces and he then felt a burning sensation in his jaw he never saw the guys (apparently 2 men were seen running from the scene). What is really scarry is that it is a possiblity that these men new he was an officer and intended on shooting him, this is precisely why we don't live anywhere near where he works, although our families do.

[Red'sGirl]

Michelle I heard about that. So sorry that was a friend. I'm glad it isn't life threatening and I hope they catch the guys.

cc8 I forgot to answer that yes, Arrena shed a lot of hair in the last month. It seems to have stopped now and the back of her head is slowly growing in (she's not a back sleeper either), but it was so scary. We love her curls so I was hoping it wouldn't all come out and grow back in differently.

Birthday I haven't thought about it yet, and I doubt that we'll be going all out. But we have a pretty big group of friends, so we'll have to do something. Most have babies, too, so it might end up being a big party. We'll see. I can't think about it yet, too much other stuff to worry about.

For instance, my daycare is closing. :( It has been so great because the provider was a friend and she let us come part-time and only pay for the days Arrena was there. I was so panicked that we'd have to find someplace else that would cost easily twice as much. BUT, I told my boss. It turns out that our office is moving out of our current space (in the middle of a bigger company with lots of employees) to a space for just the three of us. Since we won't disturb anyone else, he said I could bring the girl to work! I can just bring in a pack n play and they'll all help watch her. I love my boss!!! :D

[cc8]

Red's Girl - OMG how awesome of your employer to let you take Arrena to work! That has got to be such a rare opportunity.

I forgot to asked this and I am too lazy to click back a few pages :o but yes my first day back to work is Mon. I received a long maternity leave due to a combo of post delivery complications and a generous employer (more the latter!) I do feel very lucky but yeah at this point, I am ready to go back to work!

Have a great weekend everyone!

[alex67]

Here is a new photo of Trenton. This is last weekend right after we returned home from buying new mattresses! He's trying them out.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc05b3127cce97f62946a25500000036108AZuWrRk3atS

Couple more new pics in my journal for anyone interested.

[Red'sGirl]

I saw this on the parenting thread.

There is a program that offers free eye exams for infants. Go to http://www.infantsee.org and you'll find a Dr. in your area. I called a Dr. and made an appointment for Arrena in three weeks.

Your child just has to be between 6 and 12 months old. It's a government program(?) with Jimmy Carter as a spokesperson. It's to find and treat eye ailments in children, since most people don't get their child's eyes checked until much later. Check it out, it seems cool and a bunch of ladies had it done.

[gmooter]

Just had to post that my Gracie no has a tooth!! I was so shocked to see it there! She'd been drooling and chewing for months but no other sings than the white thing in her mouth!!

Six month WBV and shots coming this Friday!

[leftrightrepeat]

Yes, I'm alive. I survived our first vacation with Miss Caitlyn. Well, I should re-phrase that. We survived our vacation with the IL's. :rolleyes: Caitlyn was a rock star all week. In a super good mood, super smiley, and so fun to be around. It hurts to have to come back to work. :( Our vacation was decent, although I think would've been much better if we had been surrounded by different company. MIL killed me this week. I will elaborate when I'm not poring over the 6 milllion emails I've accumulated from work over the past week, but I did want to let everyone in CC August Mommies world know that I am back safe and sound. And of COURSE we took pictures, which I will upload and share tomorrow. :D

[QPDoll]

Just had to post that my Gracie no has a tooth!! I was so shocked to see it there! She'd been drooling and chewing for months but no other sings than the white thing in her mouth!!

Six month WBV and shots coming this Friday!

Woohoo!!! Congrats on the first tooth! :D Good luck on Friday.

[Daniel's Kitty]

http://images.snapfish.com/346429%3B48%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3262%3E8%3C6%3E275%3EWS NRCG%3D323355%3A834%3C84nu0mrj

Someone was talking about Babylegs on lj so I thought would share Ben showing off his. I love them.

[shellbell516]

Kat - how cute! I've got to get me some of those!

[QPDoll]

Are they leg-warmers or something? :confused:

[Daniel's Kitty]

Yup, they are leg warmers. I saw them in a thread on here and fell in love with them. Ben doesn't take them off like his pants so I can keep him warm and they cover that area between his socks and pants and hold his socks in place.

[LeslieR]

Awww! I'm not a fan of those babylegs things, but Ben sure does look cute! He is such a big boy!

So, get this! We finally decided to install the other Marathon in my car (we have one installed in Sal's truck and I've had to use his truck every time I needed to go somewhere-I don't mind, but he wants his truck back:rolleyes: ). BIL does all of the carseat installing for us because we are just too inept. So, Sal took the carseat out of the box and out of the plastic and what do you know? It's a used carseat! The bottom of the seat was all worn and the buckle of the seat was dirty! Ewwww! Sal came in the house to show it to me and I about blew my top. He's like "There's really nothing wrong with it." Um, and you know that how? What if it was in an accident? So, needless to say, he and BIL went to BRU and got us a new one. Can you freaking believe that? Long story short-make sure you check your stuff out whenever you buy anything from there! Apparently they DO NOT check out their returns. grrrr. I'm still really pissed off when I think about it. What kind of parent returns a used carseat to BRU and passes it off like they never used it? And WHY doesn't BRU inspect shit that is returned to them???:mad:

[QPDoll]

Since I saw a lot of you like The Itsy Bitsy Spider, I thought I would pass this along. Did you know there is more than just one verse? A friend showed me a book that her son has, that has tons more verses in it, so I looked them up online, and thats what I sing to my boys now. Its their favorite, their eyes light up when I start singing it. I made up hand motions that go with the rest of the verses.

The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the waterspout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again

The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the kitchen wall
Swoosh! went the fan
And made the spider fall
Off went the fan
No longer did it blow
So the itsy bitsy spider
Back up the wall did go

The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the yellow pail
In came a mouse
And flicked her with his tail
Down fell the spider
The mouse ran out the door
Then the itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the pail once more

The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the rocking chair
Up jumped a cat
And knocked her in the air
Down plopped the cat
And when he was asleep
The itsy bitsy spider
Back up the chair did creep

The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up the maple tree
She slipped on some dew
And landed next to me
Out came the sun
And when the tree was dry
The itsy bitsy spider
Gave it one more try

The itsy bitsy spider
Climbed up without a stop
She spun a silky web
Right at the very top
She wove and she spun
And when her web was done
The itsy bitsy spider
Rested in the sun

If you are like me, and lack imagination and find yourself singing the same song over and over again until your brain is numb...check out this site, tons of cute kids songs, many with wav files so you know how to sing it. http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/alpha.html

[Mickey&B]

Aidan had his WBV and shots today here's his stats
17lbs 15oz 27in he droped a percentile in both so the dr suggested we go back in 3 months to make sure he is growing well and doesn't drop more. This news does not help me with the whole " am I produicing enough" thoughts I have :rolleyes: Well he seems pretty happy after a feeding so I am not going to stress over it. The dr also mentioned that we could start proteins ( chicken and turkey) but I'm in no hurry for that I think I'll hold off for a while.

Kat Ben looks so cute!

Tina I have the Itsy Bitsy Spider book that has pictures for all the words they have a bunch of thoose books that give you all the verses as well!
Thanks for that web site I'll have to check it out.

Well we leave tomorrow wish us luck on our first trip :p Don't know how much if at all if I'll be able to check in so have a great week girls!

ohh update on the officer that was shot he is out of the hospital, he will have to have surgery to remove the bullet from his jaw :( and as far as physically he is doing great! Mentally is a different story, imagine how you would feel if you knew that there were people out there that would love to see you dead. He is very lucky to still be alive but still needs loys of prayers

[JillyB]

Are they leg-warmers or something? :confused:
That was my thought too...Well actually, I think I just had a flashback to what I'm wearing in my 2nd grade class photo. :p

[hiphopgirl]

Kat - I was just on that website this morning and I was eyeballing that style. I love them. I like that they keep baby's legs warm without pants. A has a hard time mastering the crawling thing in pants, but I feel bad letting him crawl around on his bare knees (lots of rug burns). I think these are a great idea.

Tina - Thanks for the other verses. I don't think I've ever heard those words before.

Michelle - I'm glad to hear that the officer is doing better physically. I am so sorry for his mental state. I hope they catch the guys that did this.

gmooter - Congrats on the new tooth.

Am I the only one with a toothless child? Not that I mind, I was just curious who has teeth and who is still waiting for that first one to present itself? Seems like a lot of y'all have been through the first round of teething already.

[philnikki]

Michelle - So sorry about your hubbys partner :( That IS awful. I sure hope that he can recover (both mentally and physically) soon. Your DH has a tough job!

babylegs I think they are cute! How warm are their legs with them on? the only reason I ask this is bc its gonna be spring and summer soon and I don't want to invest in them if they are going to make Ava's legs so hot she sweats, ya know? I wish I would have seen these back in the fall!

Teeth - We are still toothless here Janet! Although, Ava has been chewing on everything that is front of her face. Its funny that she explores that way. If you give her something, the first thing she does is put it in her mouth. It's like her first response is to see if its edible ;) lol I am guessing one day a tooth will just appear. I am in no hurry though!!!

Though, this does bring up a question I kept meaning to ask you guys -- What are you doing for oral care? - Our ped told us to just wipe out her gums everyday a few times, but that was back when she was on formula alone. Now that she is eating solids I am wondering if I need to start using something more? TIA!

[shellbell516]

teeth - none here yet.

oral care - we're supposed to be wiping gums? :eek:

Tina - thanks for the link. There are many songs that I just hum through the words. Now I can actually learn them.

[LILRTL]

Teeth I thought we had 2 teeth - but it seems just 1 has poked its way through - LOVE. IT! It's too dang cute! :D

babylegs I think these are cute! However, I wish I had found them earlier. It is supposed to be 70 degrees here tomorrow! It's time for shorts! :p :D

Janet Is A crawling all the time now?! Wow! I feel so behind! :o

[BuffaloBlondie]

I am at home sick today & thought I would try and catch up. I felt terrible this morning with a stomach ache & my body is all achy. So...I sent Brady to the babysitters b/c I don't want him to get sick.

Michelle- That is good to here that the officer is doing a little better. Also, good luck on your first trip!!
Tina - Thanks for the verses. I sometimes start out each song really well, then mid-way thru forget the ending.
Kat- those leg warmers are too cute, but my dh would have a fit if I put them on B.
Leslie- That really stinks about BRU. They pulled the same crap with our high chair. They ended up giving us a new one, but made a fuss about me opening the new box and inspecting before I took it home.
hiphopgirl- We have two teeth on the bottom & I think more on top. You can kind of see them in this picture of my "HAPPY BABY"!! http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b280/BuffaloBlondie/Brady017.jpg

[EJH]

No teeth for Arden either. She's been drooling for 2 months straight, and last week was getting rosy cheeks which we figured meant something was trying to break through. Still nothing though. She gums EVERYTHING though, man! If it exists, it belongs in her mouth.

[Daniel's Kitty]

The leg warmers aren't too warm, but they have been protecting his knees from the carpet as he scoots along the floor. I thought Daniel would have a fit but he decided that he likes them a lot. He has worn them on our warm days with shorts or a onesie just so he doesn't get rug burns on his knees.

Teeth His get almost through and then the swelling goes down and they don't bother him for a few days. It took me 6 months of teething to get mine through(I asked my mom) so I think that is what we are in for.

[LeslieR]

teeth-no teeth here yet, but I had a dream last night that Luke had 3 teeth. I was at school and apparently my boyfriend from 8th grade was Luke's father.:eek: I wanted to take Luke home because he wasn't feeling well and bf did not have the carseat in his car. bizarro! Anyway, at Luke's 6mo WBV, the dr checked out his gums and said they weren't even inflamed yet. I'm guessing he's a long ways away from teeth. I'll have to look in my baby book to see when I got my first tooth. Not sure about Sal either.

[LILRTL]

Can anyone tell me where to get a good deal on a mei tai??? TIA!

[cartersmommy]

just lurking.... lora, you can get them at rosiebaby.com, and nancy hand makes them all. she's great!

[Daniel's Kitty]

Lora I love the ones at rosiebaby, I make them too although it is more of a for friends than as a business now.

[LeslieR]

Lora, I got mine from rosiebaby.com and I love it.:)

[Kiley]

We have one tooth. It cut through about 1.5 weeks ago.

I am so tired today. Preston woke up every 1.5-2 hours last night, and the night before and the night before last, etc. This sucks. Any suggestions?

[LILRTL]

Lora I love the ones at rosiebaby, I make them too although it is more of a for friends than as a business now.

Am I a friend? ;)

[LILRTL]

Lora, I got mine from rosiebaby.com and I love it.:)
Thanks!!

[alex67]

Trenton is 6 months today!! ( a little behind most of you) Actually he would turn 6 months on the 29th, but since there is no leap year this year I guess I will call it today. We also had his WBV.

Weight: 15lbs 12oz
Height: 27.5 in

He is doing great. The only thing we need to get under control is his eczema (using special lotion now) and his cradle cap that comes and goes.

No teeth here either. Sometimes I think I feel them under his gums but other times I don't.

[L-O-V-E]

Hello Ladies!!! I can't believe our babies are starting to crawl and getting teeth! Where does the time go?

I hope all the sick babies are doing better... Ava, Nate, Pete, Talia, Abby... anyone else?? We're hanging in there. About 4 days after we stopped Ethan's antibiotic for his ear infections he started waking in the night again, which is a huge sign to me. Everyone kept telling me it was teething though, or a growth spurt, so I kept second guessing myself. Well today I feel like a big JERK! We went to the specialist and Momma knows best - there is still fluid in his ears. So my baby is having surgery on Monday morning to get tubes in his ears. :( Its scary, but everyone says its no big deal. I hope this will help put all these infections to bed though. I need some sleep!

Love those babylegs. I ordered a pair for him to wear to help with the crawling. Rug burns can't be fun. We're not there yet, but he is starting to push up onto his knees and he wiggles backwards. And no sign of teeth for us either.

OK. Be back soon. Happy Tuesday!

[LILRTL]

Its scary, but everyone says its no big deal.


It may be no big deal to everyone else, but I know ANY type of surgery was a huge deal to me! Don't feel bad if you're scared. I bawled handing Zach to the anesthesiologist!!!

[Red'sGirl]

No teeth here, either. But that doesn't stop her from trying to bite anything and everything!

Arrena is doing well. Her cold isn't too bad. She isn't feverish, and seems to be feeling fine, but she coughed all night. And her cough is getting stronger, though it isn't exactly "wet". Plus, we seem to have moved past the constipation. At least I hope. She hadn't pooped more than a pebble or two (sorry) for a week. She was straining, and crying every so often. I just felt so bad for her. And I was feeding her prunes every day for a week! Nothing helped. Finally, yesterday, she passed a decent amount. The first part was very dark and very dry, then it became softer. Hopefully that means the toughest part (literally and figuratively) is behind us (haha, no pun intended).

[BuffaloBlondie]

L-O-V-E~ I am sorry to hear about your little guy. I am fearing that we will be getting tubes shortly. Brady has had two ear infections in the past month. Let us know how it goes.

[LeslieR]

Lori, poor Ethan! I've also heard the surgery is not that bad. Just think how much better he's going to feel! I know that's not much consolation when you think about your baby having surgery, though. *big hugs* Please keep us updated!

[kindermom]

Wow - I am gone for a few days and it is hard to catch up...

Madelyn took her first steps on Sunday. She was standing at facing the back of a restaurant booth and took two steps to the side to get to me. She ran out of room but was still standing strong for a good minute.

Strange foods my baby will eat...She loves parsnips. Last night she had eggplant and that was a hit. Pretty much, if it is not a fruit, she will eat it.

Babysitters - We have a friend watch her 2 days a week and we had a married couple (friends) watch Madelyn this weekend at our hotel while we were at a formal there.
Birthday - I have not even begun to think of that! I actually do not want to think of my little girl getting older!
Teeth - No teeth here but she has been chewing and drooling for about 3 months!
Oral care - No one has told me to brush her gums either. She would not even let me in her mouth. Recently she has begun to open her mouth and I suppose I should become more deligent about wiping down her gums.


Michelle - I am glad to hear that the officer is doing better.
Darrien - You are so lucky with the job situation. And even better is that you will now save on the day care! Thank you for the info on InfantSee as well.
Leslie - That stinks about the car seat. I will totally have to keep that in mind when we make our next major purchase.
Jen - What a great picture of Braden's teeth. :D
Lori - I am so sorry to hear about Ethan's ears. There is perfectly good reason for you to be worried. I would be really concerned to.

[Kiley]

First steps! OMG! Congrats, Madelyn! :)

[L-O-V-E]

STEPS? That is crazy! Go Madelyn!!!

Thanks for understanding my concerns, ladies. I get so angry when people poo-poo it. Even my dad, who got tubes a few years ago, keeps telling me its no big deal. I keep trying to explain to him that he is a 60 year old man, and not a 7 month old boy!!

And yes, my baby is 7 months old today!!!!!! (well, there is no 29th this month, so I'm counting March 1st!)

Lora - Is Zach doing better now? I hope so! He's sure had his fair share...

[LILRTL]

Lora - Is Zach doing better now? I hope so! He's sure had his fair share...

Zach is 5,000x's better than he was. Once they figured out what was wrong and got him on meds, and I cut out formula (reflux), he has been an ENTIRELY different baby! :D

[JillyB]

Thanks for understanding my concerns, ladies. I get so angry when people poo-poo it. Even my dad, who got tubes a few years ago, keeps telling me its no big deal. I keep trying to explain to him that he is a 60 year old man, and not a 7 month old boy!!
That's what we're here for!!! :) I'm sure there will be lots of tears and worrying before/during/after the surgery, but I'm hoping that it all goes as smoothly as possible. And like others have said, I hope the surgery corrects the problem and helps him feel bunches better!

Steps?!?! :eek: Did I read that correctly?!?! Holy moly...way to go Madelyn!

Teeth - No teefers here yet. Lots of chewing, drooling, etc...but that's been the "norm" for DS since around Christmastime. So who knows when one is going to pop through? For those that are BFing and baby's have teefers...is BFing still going okay? I know this probably sounds dumb, but the thought of teeth scares me!!!! Jen, that pic of your "Happy Baby" and his little teefers is too cute! :p

Going farther back...Kiley so sorry about your sleeping woes (saw your post in the BFing thread too)! I hope it's just some little phase and passes soon!

I think DS is about *this* close to crawling. Last night, he was "scooting" around some (I don't think I'm ready for my little baby to be mobile!). And just feel like sharing a pic of my little man before "school" the other day (ignore his hair...this was taken pre-morning grooming)...:D
*pic removed*

[philnikki]

OMG Noel!!!! I had to read that twice! Steps! Go Madelyn!!!!

Lori - I know EXACTY how you feel! People were trying to poo poo Ava's recent experience at first. They ate their words when she was in the hospital for 5 days. I really hated to the people who thought that RSV was "no big deal". I will keep him in my thoughts sweetie!! Lots and lots of {{HUGS}} coming your way!!

Jill - You know I think he's just too adorable for words!! Awwwww

So we are doing ok. Ava gave us a little scare the other night and I thought she was relapsing (wheezing and coughing) we gave her a breathing treatment and she was fine after that. Now I am wondering if she had an astham attack?? Is that even possible in an infant?? Anyway we have her 6 mo WBV today (late since she was too sick last week to have her shots). I am so NOT looking forward to them poking my poor baby with any more needles. The whole 45 minutes of the IV techs smacking and poking my child with needles is enough for a lifetime in my mind. :( :(

On a lighter note, Ava is eating solids now with ferocity (read:she eats the whole jar PLUS her bottle) I guess she's making up for lost time!

We have also started planning Ava's birthday. More details in my journal, but I am purchasing this dress for her 1 year pics as well as to greet guests in at her party:

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c139/philnikki/161405_6001.jpg

I just think its the bees knees!!!

And also a pic of Ava because I want to! :)

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c139/philnikki/100_2879.jpg

[LeslieR]

Disclaimer: I am in THE WORST mood today.:mad:

A couple questions-anyone else's baby still HATE being on their tummy?
My mommy gave me what for while we are on vacation about Luke needing to be on his tummy or he would never learn to crawl. Fine. I put him on his tummy and he whines like there is no tomorrow. I CANNOT deal with his whining so I flip him over (he knows how to roll over to his back, but for whatever reason he is content to lay there and whine instead:rolleyes: ). He will even roll himself onto his tummy and lay there and whine. If your baby hates being on his/her tummy, how much tummy time are you giving them? Seriously, do I just leave him lay there to whine or what? I get down on the floor with him and play and it makes NO difference. I put toys out of his reach like my mom told me to do and that makes NO difference either. I even put them IN his reach. Nothing.

Second question-anyone feel like solids are a big fat waste of time?
Luke gets so distracted while he's eating. I mean he could take it or leave it. I have to practically stand on my head to get him to open his mouth sometimes. We're still trying out different foods through the jarred variety and I'm lucky if he eats 1/3 of the jar (mixed with a ton of oatmeal). I don't force him-I take my time and try to redirect him when he gets distracted, but it would take the patience of a saint not to aggravated. I imagine at some point he's going to become more interested in solids, yes?

[EJH]

Leslie --

Sorry you are having a bad day :mad: . I wish I had advice on the tummy thing. Arden's a tummy sleeper so we don't have experience with her hating being on her belly. Have you tried those tummy time mats they have? Not sure if it would make a difference, but just a thought. I imagine when you least expect it he'll just start crawling.

Solids -- We've only been doing food for a week, but Arden can definitely take it or leave it, unless it is bananas. Actually, unless it's bananas she wants to leave it. :rolleyes: She gets distracted and we don't push the food at all. We try a couple of times and will give her something to keep her hands busy and see if we can get a spoonful in. If not, we let it go. Eventually she'll be more interested, and until then we'll just follow her lead.

Sending you hugs, hope your day gets better.

Erin

[kindermom]

Leslie
I just posted that Madelyn took a few steps along a bench this weekend. I do not subject her to much tummy time. But it does not seem to hinder her mobility! She just started to roll to get places and stopped whining when she gets on her stomach.

I also have her eat solids during the day at day care but some times I give it to her at night and other times I do not. It seems like most the times I just end up wasting alot of food because she will take a bite or two and be done. On the weekends I try to get her in the habit of eating but she has to be in the mood to eat.

[Kiley]

Tummy Time - Preston LOVES to be on his tummy. Put him on his back and he flips right over. However, he does sleep on his back. Just the other night I noticed him sleeping on his side. My nephew who is 13 mo hated being on his tummy. He never learned to crawl. Instead he scooted on his butt in a sitting position to get where he wanted to go. Well, he still does this because he's not walking yet either :)

Solids - Preston is not a fan of solids. He's very easily distracted, would rather play with the spoon, drink water, stare at the cat, cry, pound the high chair, you get the idea. Maybe he'll eat a tablespoon. He's only had sweet potatoes, rice and bananas so far. He seems to like it really thin with breastmilk.

[alex67]

Trenton had his appt today with the surgeon. The good news is that the surgeon confirmed he does have a cyst and can remove it, next Tuesday actually (glad they got us in so soon)! The bad news is that they have to cut it out, so he has to have general anesthesia and will end up with stitches and a scar. I'm really scared about the anesthesia. The surgery should take about 30 minutes, a total of an hour for the anesthesia before and after. My poor little guy. I hope he does ok.

I researched his surgeon and he has great credentials, is board certified and had a fabulous bedside manner with Trenton. Trenton loved him.

Question: I know some of you have little ones who have undergone general anesthesia. Any advice? Should I really not worry? Will he sleep like crazy for the rest of the day or be cranky? TIA!

[jillybean_247]

Leslie Sorry your having a bad day! Lucas usually loves his tummy time, but it depends on what kind of a mood he's in. I do tummy time when he's in a good mood. I lay on the floor with him and we talk, read books, or play with toys. But if I'm not down there with him, he's not very happy.

Go Madelyn!!

[Daniel's Kitty]

Sorry to the babies having surgery. I know when I had me knee surgery I slept the rest of the day.

We had a playgroup today. Ben met two little girls that he really likes and I met some great people too. It was at Chuck E Cheese's and Ben seemed to love all the lights and everything. He hasn't taken that great of a nap in months. It was two hours.

Leslie half the time Ben hates tummy time and instead of whinning goes to a full on scream, his face turns purple and everything so I know when he hates it. I don't worry too much, I just try and I figure that him throwing a tantrum isn't doing any good.

[JillyB]

We were on page 2?!?! :eek: I couldn't leave us there. ;)

I hate hearing about the babies and surgery. :( I hope it goes smoothly for everyone involved...especially Mama, b/c I know it's really "hardest" on her. :)

Couple of questions...
Those that have introduced teething biscuits, wagon wheels, etc., when do you offer them? With a regular meal? Or just whenever? I'm thinking of picking some up today.

Anyone exercising? I'm trying to get back on the treadmill (I was a fairly avid runner pre-pregnancy) a few times a week, but it's so hard to find the time between spending time with DS/DH, work, taking care of stuff around the house, etc. Anyone have any tips or want to share their exercise routines? I'm also thinking of picking up some new exercise DVDs. There were a couple in the new Parents magazine that appealed to me.

Have a good day!

[Kiley]

exercise...what's that? Between, DS-DH-work-grad school-housework-other family/friends I have no time for that. I'm hoping that once it's nice outside I'll walk more with DS and that will kill two birds with one stone.

Good for you Jill! I wish I had your motivation!

[philnikki]

So Ava had her 6 mo WBV visit yesterday and I am please to report that she is 100% better!!!! :D I was so happy yesterday I cried over that (and over her shots!) We still have to give her the pulmicort twice a day until June, and then we'll talk about taking it away until fall.

Her stats:

17 pounds, 3 oucnces