July 2005 Mommies - We are one!

[July05Mommies]

Welcome all mothers who had their babies in July 2005!!!

If you had your baby in July of 2005 please feel free to join us. Even if you were not previously an active member, please join now – we love making new friends!

Because not everyone is still active on CC and not everyone wants their pictures posted, etc. we are asking that you re-post your information in the following form:

CC Name
Me: Name, Age
Married: Date
Baby’s Name
Baby’s Birth Date
Time of Birth
Weight
Length
Other Children’s Name, Age


Don’t forget to post any requests for a change in roster info in red to make it easier for the thread moderators to see. Thanks!

Your thread moderators are:
docoNY & NYN
**If you would like to help us maintain this thread, please email us through our individual profiles (not through the July05Mommies email address since we don’t check it too often). We are always looking for new moderators to help us so please let us know.**

Links to our old threads):
The first year – Part I (http://http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=1095)
First Trimester (http:// http://boards.weddingchannel.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3931939�)
Second Trimester (http:// http://boards.weddingchannel.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4125651�)
Third Trimester (http:// http://boards.weddingchannel.com/thread.jspa?threadID=489635&tstart=0)

[July05Mommies]

JULY 2005 MOMMIES – Member List (by username)

Char473
DH: E
Married 3-7-04
Sydney
7-08-05
8lbs
21 inches
Big Sister: Shelby 7-22-94

DanaLynn
Me: Dana, 36
Married: 8/3/02
Emma Jaidyn
7/21/05
Time of Birth: 9:31 am
7 lbs. 7oz.
20"
Big Brother: Hayden, 2 (1/21/04)

December27JJB
Me: Jessica
DH: Josh
Married: 12/27/03
Parker
6/13/05
5:53 am
6 lbs 6.2 oz 19 in

dizylizy
Me: Liz, 31
DH: Pete, 31
Married: 11/8/03
Harrison Raymond (Harry)
7/1/2005
5:30am
7lbs,15oz
21 inches

elnelson
Me: Erika, 32
Married: 6/14/2003
Andrew Axel
7/27/2005
1:31PM
6lbs 14oz
18.5 inches

Heatherlynne
Me: Heather, 28
DH: Mark, 33
Sarah Liberty
7/3/05
7 lbs., 3 oz.
21 in

jki
Me: Jen, 33
DH: Ham, 33
Married: 7/5/02
Cassidy Anne
7/9/05
8 lbs., 8 oz.
21 in
Big Brother: Jackson James

Jodi AKA Boston Teacher
Me: Jodi, 32
Married: 7.12.03
Camden
7.23.05
9lbs 2oz
21"

Jp'swife
Jill, 28 yrs old (as of March 28th...close enough!)
Married: October 11, 2002
Alexander Joseph
August 7, 2005
6:22 a.m.
8lbs, 2oz
22 inches

Kasia216
Me: 35
Married: 9/21/002
Jackson Karol
07/22/2005
6:03PM
8lbs 1 oz
21 3/4 inches

kmack
Me: Kara, 35
Married: 9.14.02
Ava Aileen
7.21.05
4:10 am
8lbs 15oz
21 inches

lil_nance
Me: Nancy, 36
DH: David, 33
Married: 10/12/02
TTC: 5/01/04
Connor Ryan
7/15/05

maggieb
Me: Maggie, 34
Married: 11/2/02
Marisa Carmen
7/8/05
2:55PM
8lbs 3 oz
20.5 in
Big sister: Helena Elizabeth 12/2/03

Montaukbea
Me: Deirdre, 29
DH: R, 30
Married: October 5, 2002
Jameson
July 28, 2005
8:00 PM
9 lbs.
21 1/2 inches

Msmarie B
Me: marie, 30
Married: 11/02/002
Lexington Thomas (Lex)
07/09/2005
10:45
6 lbs 11 oz
20 inches

myshel
Me: Shel, 29
DH: C, 27
Married: 6/6/03
Luka Alonso
7/21/05
8:17 PM
7lbs 15 oz
19.5 in

Nanner
Me: Age 36
Married: March 27, 2004
Sam
6/23/05
6:30 pm
6 lbs. 8 oz.
21 inches

newyorkgirl
Me: Erika, 31
Married: 7/20/02
Bennett Lawrence
7/9/05
11:20 am (I think?)
6 lbs, 10 oz
19.5 in

NYN
Me: Teba, 28
Married: 5.26.02
Catalina Michelle (Catie)
7.22.05
11:12am
8lbs 5.5oz
20.5 inches

PaulsGirl
Age: 34
Married: 10/26/2002
Ava
7/26/05
4:03am
7 lbs, 14.4 oz
20.5 inches

Tray85
Me: Tracie, 34
DH: Bill, 34
Married: 6/21/03
Katie
7/21/05
5:55pm
9lb 3oz
21 inches

[July05Mommies]

List of Babies (by birthday)

June 13
Parker
Mama: December27JJB

June 23
Sam
Mama: Nanner

July 1
Harrison Raymond
Mama: dizylizy

July 3
Sarah Liberty
Mama: Heatherlynne

July 8
Marisa Carmen
Mama: maggieb

Sydney
Mama: Char473

July 9
Bennett Lawrence
Mama: newyorkgirl

Cassidy Anne
Mama: jki

Lexington Thomas (Lex)
Mama: MsMarie B

July 15
Connor Ryan
Mama: lil_nance

July 21
Ava Aileen
Mama: kmack

Luka Alonso
Mama: myshel

Katie
Mama: Tray85

Emma Jaidyn
Mama: DanaLynn

July 22
Catalina Michelle (Catie)
Mama: NYN

Jackson Karol
Mama: Kasia216

July 23
Camden
Mama: Jodi aka BostonTeacher

July 26
Ava
Mama: PaulsGirl

July 27
Andrew Axel
Mama: elnelson

July 28
Jameson
Mama: Montaukbea

August 7
Alexander Joseph
Mama: Jp'swife

[July05Mommies]

List of Baby/Mother by Baby's Gender!

Our Beautiful Boys!
Sam/Nanner; Harry/dizylizy; Bennett/newyorkgirl; Connor/lil_nance; Luka/myshel; Jameson/Montaukbea; Alex/Jp'swife; Lex/Msmarie B; Jackson/Kasia216; Camden/Jodi AKA Boston Teacher; Andrew Axel/elnelson

Our Gorgeous Girls!
Parker/December27JJB; Marisa/maggieb; Sydney/Char473; Cassidy/jki; Ava/kmack; Katie/Tray85; Catie/NYN; Ava/PaulsGirl; Emma Jaidyn/DanaLynn; Sarah Liberty/Heatherlynne

[July05Mommies]

CC Parenting/Informational links
*please let us know if you run across any others that you'd like us to add.

Eating
Breast Feeding Help and Support (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=198)
Which formula for supplementing a breast fed baby? (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=2575)
Formula Feeding Thread (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=573)
Mom's with Pumps (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=1540)
What is your child eating today? (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=191)

Sleeping
Sleep Teaching/Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=133)
The "I need sleep" thread. (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=2390)

Other Group Threads
Cloth Diapering Thread (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=102)
Moms of newborns to 6-month-olds meet here. (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=126)
What Parenting books do you suggest? (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=2226)
Baby carrier and sling info. (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=402)
Master Diaper Bag thread. (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=2202)
Support thread for moms of high-needs babies. (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=2212)

**A big shout-out to the August 2005 Mommies who moved to a new thread before us so that we could have a format to copy. :D**

[NYN]

sorry about all the confusion. this thread is updated until here. feel free to post. sorry that i'm asking you to re-post your info -- it's just that it makes it easier for me.

also, if anyone wants to help w/ the updates and all that, let me know. i will update again later in the day. :D

[kmack]

okay, here i am!

kmack
Me: Kara, 35
Married: 9.14.02
Ava Aileen
7.21.05
4:10 am
8lbs 15oz
21 inches

[jp'swife]

Welcome, Kmack!
Sorry I didn't get to say hello in the other thread!

[dizylizy]

Hi, Great idea to start a new thread.

dizylizy
Me: Liz, 31
DH, Pete, 31
Married: 11/8/03
DS: Harrion Raymond-Harry
7/1/2005
5:30am
7,15
21"

[maggieb]

We're here too! I think Marisa has figured out that she's not very happy when Mama isn't around. Everytime I leave the room she starts crying. :( I also think she's teething...finally!

Solids are still not a big hit with her. I try every couple of days, but she just isn't interested. Her big sister didn't really take to solids until she was 9 mos old, so I'm not worried.

Marisa started pulling herself up to kneeling the other day. I have to lower her crib soon! She's also waving hi. She used to pump her arm up and down, but now she actually opens and closes her fingers. It's really cute. I think she's also trying to play peek-a-boo with me when I'm changing her diaper. She'll put her hands over her face and then quickly take them away and just smile and laugh.

She's still not doing the belly off the ground crawling, but she gets around just fine doing her belly crawl.

maggieb
Me: Maggie, 34
Married: 11/2/02
Marisa Carmen
7/8/05
2:55PM
8lbs 3 oz
20.5 in
Big sister: Helena Elizabeth 12/2/03

[lil_nance]

Movin' on over.

lil_nance
Me: Nancy, 36
DH: David, 33
Married: 10/12/02
TTC: 5/01/04
Connor Ryan born 7/15/05

The other night I went to check on Connor before going to bed. As I reached his door I could hear the music from his "fishies" (Ocean Wonders Aquarium).
He's recently discovered how to turn it on by himself. I stopped and stood quietly outside the door. A few minutes later I heard a BIG sigh and that was it. He STTN until 7 the next morning. I was so excited that he had soothed himself back to sleep. I wouldn't have even known he was awake except for the fishies. Wish it was this easy all the time.

edited: forgot we had b-days since I last posted info :)

[maggieb]

I meant to say in my earlier post...thank you for setting up the thread, NYN and docoNY!

And, Jill...it's your golden birthday this year! Yippee! Celebrate extra this year.

[jp'swife]

And, Jill...it's your golden birthday this year! Yippee! Celebrate extra this year.

Thank you! I will! Funny because I JUST noticed that the other day. "I'm 28 on the 28th!" DH just shook his head.
DH turns 30 on Wednesday! He is all depressed! Geez, 30 is a good age! Not something to get depressed about, DH! He said he feels 70 though. Not a good thing.

[newyorkgirl]

Oops. Nearly missed this!

newyorkgirl
Me: Erika, 31
Married: 7/20/02
Bennett Lawrence
7/9/05
11:20 am (I think?)
6 lbs, 10 oz
19.5 in

Bennett is just waking up from a nap now, so let's see how much info I can get typed out before he starts wailing for real. Two Mondays ago, he started crawling forwards for real. Before that, he'd been doing the commando-slither-on-the-ground thing. That Friday, he started to pull up to standing in his crib and couldn't figure out how to get back down. We lowered the crib and added a second bumper so that he wouldn't bang his head (he's already got a couple bruises that are slowly fading away now). Now he pulls up on anything and everything and is now figuring out how to sidestep along the edge of the coffee table. Still not very verbal, although he is starting to say mamamamama. Hates being on his back - if we set him down anywhere on his back, he flips over immediately. Except when I set him down, play music from my iPod, and dance - then he kicks his feet and pumps his arms up and down like crazy. Loves his solids, though - eats just about anything I give him, except asparagus, and will willingly eat that if I add just a smidgeon of breastmilk. He is learning how to pick up Gerber puffs and would happily eat a teething biscuit except me the control freak will not give it to him because it turns his clothing and him into a complete and utter mess. Witness:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a387/anemone720/IMG_2178a.jpg

We ended up getting neither the Exersaucer nor the Jumparoo. We found a contraption called Around We Go by Bright Starts:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a387/anemone720/IMG_2187.jpg

[July05Mommies]

okay, i think we're updated until here. i hope more people join/re-join!

[December27JJB]

Re-Joining although DD was due in July but born in June (3 weeks early) I cant leave you ladies, I went through the pregnancy going to the July Mommies thread! :D

Me:xx
DH: xx
Married: 2003
DD
6/13/05

[PaulsGirl]

Checking in too. I didn't post much after she was born, but I'll do my best to keep up!

PaulsGirl, 34
Married: 10/26/2002
DD:Ava
Baby’s Birth Date: 7/26/05
Time of Birth: 4:03am
Weight 7 lbs, 14.4 oz
Length 20.5 inches


Not crawling yet! No teeth yet! But the most important thing has happened: She says MAMA MAMMAAAA MAAAA MAAAAA. ;) Love that!

We're on two solid meals per day. Going to move it up to three soon I think.
Want to try making my own food for her, bought all the stuff. We use Earth's Best.

In all honesty I need some support. Having a bit of PPD resurfacing. Would love to know if anyone else is having this happen....

Hoping to see more July 05 moms....

[char473]

I'm here too!!

Me: Char473
DH: E
Married 3-7-04
DD:Shelby 7-22-94
DD #2: Sydney 7-08-05
Weight: 8lbs
Length: 21 inches

We are inch crawling (going backwards really good though), and DD has just learned to sit herself up from a crawling postition:) And she is saying Maaaaa maaaa, which I love too;) It is so fun to watch her grow!!

We are on 3 meals a day, and wagon wheels/teether biscuits for snacks, with about 3-4 6 ounce bottles in between. She loves to eat!

Paulsgirl: Sorry about the PPD. I haven't had any resurrgance, but will give you plenty of support:)

[Montaukbea]

Thanks for starting the new thread! I can't believe that our babies are 7-8 months old!!

Me: Deirdre, 29
DH: R, 30
Married: October 5, 2002
Jameson
July 28, 2005
8:00 PM
9 lbs.
21 1/2 inches

Teeth: 5 teeth! Working on another one!
Solids: Eats lunch and dinner and will soon add breakfast, still BF'ing in between. Did someone on this thread say that the organic foods upset their DD/DS stomach? I thought I read that somewhere and I just can't remember where. That is what happened with our son and we switched to regular food and our nights are sooo much better. Just curious if it was on here that I read that.
Crawling: Not yet, just leaning forward and rocking!

Have a great week! :)

[myshel]

Argh! I almost missed the new thread. Here's my info:

myshel
Me: Shel, 29
DH: C, 27
Married: 6/6/03
Luka Alonso
7/21/05
8:17 PM
7lbs 15 oz
19.5 in

I'm kinda of excited today. One of my friends IRL, and a fellow CCer, is having her baby today!

Also, I'm sorry if I haven't been around too much. My MIL was in a horrible car accident, so we've been spending most of our time in an ICU waiting room.

Luka scoots! Well... backwards, but it's a good start.

[jp'swife]

NewYorkgirlSo funny and soooo cute!!! I love how messy they get. Be the food!

Ooops!
Forgot to add this:

Teeth-2 bottom ones still coming in. Sharp!
Crawling-Now does full-blown crawling...fast! He motors around like nothing, pulls himself up to a standing position (ok, that was happening early in the 6th month) and all he wants to do is be on the floor.
Solids-Eats 2 solids per day...about an ounce and a 1/2 each. A few times he has eaten the entire container at one sitting...not sure how much he really needs.

Alex is 7 months today!! yippppeeee! :D
Had his first real whack! yesterday. Ugh. :( Tried to pull himself up near the tv, missed the surface and BAM! right in the kisser. My heart stopped beating. He bawled for a good 10 minutes while I rocked him. I think I was more upset though. Am I really ready for this mobility??????

[jp'swife]

Also, I'm sorry if I haven't been around too much. My MIL was in a horrible car accident, so we've been spending most of our time in an ICU waiting room.

I'm so sorry!!! :(

[December27JJB]

Does anyone know what happened to KLo. is she still around?

[Tray85]

Joining!

Tray85
Me: Tracie, 34
DH: Bill, 34
Married: 6/21/03
Katie
born 7/21/05
5:55pm
9lb 3oz
21"
No other kiddos

Teeth - No teeth yet, but major teething is going on.
Crawling - not yet, but lots of wiggling and rolling. She gets on her tummy and either "swims" like a crazy person or gets her butt in the air trying to crawl. On her tummy, she manages to do a 360...eventually.
Solids - She gets 3 Stage 1 meals per day after nursing. I tried a Stage 2 over the weekend and she liked it just fine. She doesn't seem to be too picky about food. So far, so good!
I have been researching veggie baby info b/c I am a veggie.
I know there are some veggie moms on here. What are your plans going forward?

[December27JJB]

Tray85

I was one of them, veggie moms. But DH and I have been bad bad bad, we've been eating meat. However, I haven't and do NOT plan to feed DD any kind of meat. (I need to stop eating meat altogether --probably asap) I found this site you can look at other veggie babies' "Food Diaries" http://www.vegetarianbaby.com/fooddiaries.shtml Hope that helps? Oh! I just bought O'Soy (Soy version of Baby Yogurt) maybe you can look into that too?

We give her cooked vegetables and chop them up. If Katie has no trouble eating, maybe you can try some of these things? If she does, just puree them then slowly puree only for a short time so the food is a little chunkier and see how she does then move up to chunkier and chunkier food when she seems to be eating faster and wanting more chunkier food. Hope that helps?

[jki]

jki
Me: Jen, 33
DH: Ham, 33
Married: 7/5/02
DD: Cassidy Anne
7/9/05
8 lbs., 8 oz.
21 in
DS: Jackson James

Teeth: No teeth yet!
Solids: 3 meals per day and lots of table food
Crawling: Nope.

[Tray85]

December - Thank you so much for the link. I stumbled on that website over the weekend, but couldn't find what I was looking for. The food diaries are great. I'm not going to raise her vegan (just lacto-ovo like me), which I think will be much easier. I'm sure grandparents will be freaking out on cue. Though, I was a self-decided veggie when I was a baby and absolutely refused to eat meat no matter how sneaky my mom was!! I turned out quite healthy. :)

[July05Mommies]

updated to here.

[NYN]

did you guys see this: The Red X Photo Issue (http://www.constantchatter.com/announcement.php?f=5)
apparently we won't be able to post shutterfly pictures anymore. sucks.

teeth: none but if i had to guess we are in the midst of teething right now. i guess you can never be sure but she has been very fussy and needy.

solids: still none. i try to offer every other day or so. she is very happy to sit in her high chair while we are eating but she puckers her lips and looks away when i offer her food. very passive aggressive, lol.

milestones: still not mobile at all. says mama, baba, dada and it's usually all together mamababadada and then when she's mad or really into it she tops it all off w/ a big rassberry, lol. sometimes she is about to cry but realizes that she is saying a new word and she forgets to cry and continues w/ her new words mamamamadadabaaaaa, prffffttttt. :D

organic foods: i don't think that was said in this thread. why would there be a difference, i wonder? i make DD's food out of organic fruits/veggies and have only ever given her the tender harvest or earth's best organic jars. maybe that is why she hates food so much? LOL

PaulsGirl: we are all here to support you, please feel free to share. chances are a lot of other people are feeling the same thing.

newyorkgirl: i am extremely jealous of bennett's new toy. look how happy he looks!!

myshel: hope your MIL is okay!

[jp'swife]

In all honesty I need some support. Having a bit of PPD resurfacing. Would love to know if anyone else is having this happen....

Hoping to see more July 05 moms....

Talk talk talk talk talk to us!
We'll listen!! I promise! I'm on just about all day every day...ok, well, when DS is distracted or sleeping. :)
Feel free! Yes, we are here to help you and each other.

[msmarieb]

Msmarie B
Me: marie, 30
Married: 11/02/002
Lexington Thomas (Lex)
07/09/2005
10:45
6 lbs 11 oz?:o
20 inches?

[PaulsGirl]

Thanks ladies.....how heartwarming to know y'all care. Honestly I didn't post much in the other thread because...well, I didn't think anyone would care....I don't know why! I've been on the WC/CC since 2001 and I still feel like a newcomer. There are so many small groups that form that I feel like an outsider sometimes. There. I said it. :p Okay, so I had PPD pretty bad in the beginning, till she was about three months old. I would sit there and cry and cry and didn't know why the heck I was crying. I didn't go anywhere, and when people came to see us I hoarded Ava and wouldn't let anyone hold her AT ALL except the grandmas.

I have never had a problem with depression in my entire life till now. It has subsided quite a bit, but there are days where I feel that sick feeling in my chest, it's so awful! I can't even explain it and I don't want to tell my mom because she'll freak out. (She watches DD while I work at home). I'm thinking part of the problem is I really don't get out much. I work at home, shop online (for just about everything - except food!) I think I need to meet some new moms & get out more. I do feel better when I exercise.

My problem is that is comes and goes.....anyone else?

[December27JJB]

Myshel- I am sorry about your MIL.

NYN- Thats so funny that C blows raspberries when shes mad or frustrated. parker does the exact same thing. Sometimes she does it when im feeding her solids and she doesnt want anymore--and food splatters all over the place then she'll think its funny and do it again! :rolleyes:

PaulsGirl- I am so sorry. I remember you mentioned something about PPD but I didnt realize how bad it was. Maybe being at home all the time is the problem. Would a vacation help? You are welcome to come down here to FL with Ava to visit Parker and I! :D (I mean it!) Have you talked to your doctor about it? Maybe he/she can refer you to a PPD specialist/counselor? Would you be comfortable seeing one? But everyone here is right, you can talk about it here and we will listen and help in any way we can!

[jp'swife]

Paulsgirl- I'm so sorry you felt that way too! Sometimes when I read things, I just whiz through them and don't really READ them, ya know?
Sorry that you have been feeling so depressed. Get outside! Maybe that will give you a nice pickmeup until you get to talk to a professional! Trust me, I sometimes get a bit dark, then I become moody, and by the time DH comes home, I'm off the wall. Try the excercising too! I really should be doing more. :rolleyes: I have found that I feel incredible when I have done a little...even if it's just a quick walk outside with the stroller, or have your mom watch DC and just go yourself to get a nice breather outside.
I get down during the wintertime and I'm soooo ready for the spring to be here. I'm excited because this weekend, it's supposed to break 70!!
Maybe even just go out to the mall for an hour or two and shop/window shop. Be among the people again...it's amazing how quickly we lose touch with the outside world once these little people come into our lives. At least that's how I feel!

My mom stayed with me the first week that DS was here. It was soooo wonderful. I really needed her and I had to start getting it out of my thick head that things were not going to be what they used to be.....I'm not 'free' to do as I want....I'm not going to be able to come and go as I please, etc.
Then she left and I remember calling her a few days later BAWLING like a baby into the phone, just overwhelmed with everything and wondering what I had gotten myself into. My dad drove her back down a day later. :)
She stayed again for a while and I felt so much better again.

Now since we are working on the house, my parents come down a lot. My mom will sometimes stay a few nights while my dad goes back home to take care of the cats, etc. It's always so nice. I realized that I was depressed because I felt alone even though Alex was here during the day if that makes any sense. It's getting better now. I still cry a little when my parents leave after they have been down. I hope that doesn't sound baby-ish of me. I LOVE being home with Alex and wouldn't trade it for the world. I think I just miss having someone to talk to during the day like I did when I was working.
Sorry, that was a ramble!
I'm thinking about you though! Keep talking!!

[PaulsGirl]

char473Thank you! So you had some PPD too in the beginning? How long did it last if you don't mind me asking?

December You are such a sweetheart. I do need to get away, be outside more, and generally remember that there is a world out there. I am so wrapped up in my Mommyness right now that it's affecting everything else. I haven't seen a counselor. My OB said to call her if I needed anything like that, and she'd refer me. The problem is it comes and goes. I will chat with you more in lj.

jp'swife Yes, I will do that. It's a bit rainy in L.A. at the moment but I plan on really being outdoors once that stops. You're so right about losing touch with the outside world, adding in the fact that I work at home and don't get out much during the week. I love being home too, wouldn't trade it for anything, but you're reading my mind when you wrote "I think I just miss having someone to talk to during the day.." (me too).

NYNThanks...I will do that. I hope others will share their experiences too!

Hopefully I can get over this and think of things to do everyday to help me work past this.

[NYN]

PaulsGirl: are you the same person who was prescribed reglan when your DD was born? i might be confusing you with someone else. in any case, if you are that person then i often thought about you and wondered how you were doing. ;) i will confess that i can seriously relate to this:
and when people came to see us I hoarded Ava and wouldn't let anyone hold her AT ALL except the grandmas.
except that in my case i didn't want anyone holding her, not even the grandmas. i started suffering from anxiety shortly after coming home from the hospital though i can't pin point when -- probably somewhere in between the drugs wearing off and the exhaustion catching up w/ me. anyway, i am not very comfortable discussing it in this public a forum but if you want to trade stories feel free to PM me (though i don't know that i am the best example since i sought help and then quickly shunned it...come to think of it, you might need me less than i need you. ;).)

December: Parker and Catie doing something alike? it can't be? hee, hee. :D

LJ: why can't i figure out LJ. i tried getting in erika's journal several times. i want to join the party. :(

[myshel]

Thanks for the well wishes in regards to my MIL. We're hoping she'll be taken off the respirator this weekend. We've taken Luka in to see her and she responds really well when he's in the room.

A fellow CCer, whom I know IRL, had a baby yesterday. She's a part of the March 2006 Mommies thread, obviously (kdotp). I went to the hospital to see her today and she birthed in the exact same room I did. Talk about flashbacks! I got to hold the new little guy. Then I scooted on home and as I opened the door, I could hear peals of laughter coming from the living room. It was Luka. Seeing the new baby and coming home to my little guy laughing reminds me how much changes in 7 months.

[PaulsGirl]

PaulsGirl: are you the same person who was prescribed reglan when your DD was born? i might be confusing you with someone else. in any case, if you are that person then i often thought about you and wondered how you were doing. ;)

Thanks so much. :) Yes, that was me. That Reglan was almost the end of me. OMG. It made things a thousand times worse, and it was prescribed to make my milk come in (which it never did, and that made me feel even worse), so it was a vicious cycle. Once I read the side effects it all made sense. I will PM you!

myshel My thoughts are prayers are with your MIL and family.

[newyorkgirl]

PaulsGirl - So that's why I haven't seen you around LJ! I was wondering what happened to you... I am sorry you are getting PPD on and off. We're here to listen - both here and on LJ. I totally empathize - baby blues during the first month were pretty bad, so I can only imagine what it must feel like to experiencing them on an ongoing basis.

NYN - To get onto LJ, go to "www.livejournal.com", click "Log in now" at the upper right corner. Log in (and click the box next to "remember me" if you don't want to do it everytime you try to get on LJ), and then go to "anemone720.livejournal.com" and that should take you to my journal. I've "friended" you, so you should be able to see all the entries. If you only see the beginning entry (even after you've logged in), then email/PM me and we'll figure it out.

Also, if other July05 moms want to be friends on LJ (that sounds so high school :) ), PM me with your LJ username. :)

[maggieb]

PaulsGirl: I'm convinced now that I suffered PPD after Helena was born. It didn't surface until about 3-4 mos PP and when it hit, it hit hard. Helena had acid reflux and it caused her pain to nurse so she would refuse to nurse. I had to put her to sleep with the paci and then wait until she was asleep and then feed her. Every. Single. Time. I was in hell. I often day dreamed about running away. I even had thoughts about hurting myself, but I never had a plan. Helena was a terrible sleeper, so I think the combination of no sleep and the stress of feeding her just put me almost over the edge. Frequently I had thoughts about circumstances in which I would die and then Helena would be without me. I thought about that a lot.

With Marisa, my DH did everything he could so that I wouldn't have to go through that alone again. He arranged it so that either my mom, his mom or he was here at home with me for the first four months of Marisa's life. It really helped a lot. Looking back, I wish I would have talked to a therapist about it and possibly gotten on some meds for it. It really helps to talk about it. I'll be thinking about you!

myshel: I'm so sorry to hear about your MIL. I hope she continues to improve.

Marisa turned 8 mos yesterday and pleased her Daddy by starting to say, "Da-da!" At first I didn't think she connected the two, but when he comes home from work she shouts it until he picks her up. Maybe she knows what it means?!?

I gave her a piece of honeydew this morning and she loved it. I think she's going to be just like her big sister and totally skip pureed foods and go straight to table/finger foods. Now if she'd only get some teeth!;)

[PaulsGirl]

Hi Newyorkgirl. Yes, that's why...but I'm really going to try to keep it up now. It is getting better, and I'll see you over there soon! I need to get out more, and I've been really making an effort to do so....

PaulsGirl: I'm convinced now that I suffered PPD after Helena was born. It didn't surface until about 3-4 mos PP and when it hit, it hit hard. Helena had acid reflux and it caused her pain to nurse so she would refuse to nurse. I had to put her to sleep with the paci and then wait until she was asleep and then feed her. Every. Single. Time.

maggieb This made me tear up. Ava had reflux too, but hers made her choke and gag on her bottles every time. It came to the point when I had to feed her, the nerves in my hands would tense up and I'd start shaking in fear. I'm sure that didn't help. You poor thing, you sound like you had it really rough.

Anyway ladies, I'm all about upwards and onwards! It has been a good week so lets have some new QOTDs:

Has anyone started taking classes yet with baby? I'm thinking of trying one out. Maybe a music class or something....

[kmack]

apparently we won't be able to post shutterfly pictures anymore. sucks.
so that is why my picture wouldn't post. what sites do you gals use to post from?

since i am a newbie here i will try to give all of DD's info. ava is 7 1/2 mos. and right now she is getting her 2 bottom teeth, they broke through the gums about 10 days ago. she started crawling a little, inch by inch, about a month ago. then one day she just went all the way across the living room floor and hasn't stopped since!! she is also pulling herself up on everything and 'walks' around pushing this thing across the floor
http://www.littletikes.com/productimages/full/JPD1621A_OL_full.jpg
she has so many little bruises from trying to get up on everything and then falling down. it also is SO hard to change her now - she hates it and it's like a wrestling match trying to put her clothes on. she hates her exersaucer now too, all she wants to do is crawl all over the place. someone posted a playzone in the last thread, i am going to look into getting one b/c i can't take my eyes off her for a second and it is getting exhausting.

she used to be a good sleeper but she hasnt STTN since before Xmas. not long ago she learned this funny trick of falling alseep while sitting up. she started doing it while we were letting her CIO a little - she would start out standing up holding the rails and crying, then she figured out how to sit down but i guess never figured out how to lie down so would fall asleep sitting right in the middle of the crib. it was quite funny to watch but needless to say we stopped letting her CIO so now i just go in and put her on her back and after 2-3 times she falls asleep.

we are BFing and started solids at 6 mos, she has eaten everything i have given her but doesn't really like avocado or bananas too much. i am giving her earth's best, my sister sent me a bunch of things to make my own food but i have been too lazy to do it!

whats with all of your babies saying ma-ma? ava loves to say da-da ALL the time!!!

Pauls Girl(fellow Ava-mom!) i suffer from depression/anxiety so a counselor came in to talk to me about PPD while i was still in the hospital. my mom stayed with me for the first week after DD was born since DH had to work and when it came time for her to leave i thought i was going to start having panic attacks again. i didnt want to go back on meds b/c of the BFing so i was totally stressing out. my SILs came over a lot that second week and then by the third week i felt so much better. now it definitely comes and goes, i find it is the worst when i dont leave the house all day. so i try to make it a point to get out as much as i can. i know it stinks to go through. do you have a professional you can talk to about it?

ok, DD is crying so i must run.

[NYN]

catie was sitting on my lap today while i was eating yogurt mixed w/ strawberries. we were just sitting and hanging out and i noticed that she was staring at me eat so i offered her some (i know i'm not supposed to give her strawberries but it was really just plain yogurt on the spoon - no strawberry chunks). she ate it, then came back for more. is she crazy or what? i try to give her yogurt every morning in her highchair and she puckers her lips and turns her face away from the spoon!

mama: yes, she said this long before she started saying da-da. DH claims that she is calling for me (i think it's b/c she has the habit of saying it when she is about to cry and she is always about to cry just as i am leaving the room b/c i need to do something) so i told him that if he wants to use that theory, then she was calling for him last night at 4am when i woke up to hear her whispering all calmly "da-da-da-da-da." LOL

okay, i'm going to try to figure out LJ again.

[Kasia216]

Kasia216
Me: 35
Married: 9/21/002
Jackson Karol
Born: 07/22/2005, 6:03PM
8lbs.1 oz 21 3/4 inches

Teeth We have 2 on the bottom and about 2-3 coming in on the top! He has been teething like crazy. He chomps on those Earth's Best Wheat Teething Biscuits ;)

Classes We take Music class on Saturdays and a Swim class on Mondays. I work during the week but I'm going to sign him up for Gymboree on Wednesdays and have my Caregiver take him.

PPD Pauls Girl - I actually had a slight case of PPD for about 5-6 weeks post baby. I would cry all day long for no reason and I had an insane amount of anxiety. I did call my OB to ask for help/guidance but in the end I was able to work through it on my own.

Trying a class with your DC might be a good idea. It will enable you to socialize and meet other moms plus you get to have some fun with DC! Most places offer trial classes. I honestly like the music class best.

I'm Kasia_216 on LG. I have a Journal there and I can "friend" you (and anyone else in this thread!). I try to keep it updated :D

[DanaLynn]

DanaLynn
Me: Dana, 36
Married: 8/3/02
Baby Name: Emma Jaidyn
Baby’s Birth Date: 7/21/05
Time of Birth: 9:31 am
Weight: 7 lbs. 7oz.
Length: 20"
Other Children: Hayden, 2 (1/21/04)

I was wondering what happened to our thread. I promise to post.

Teeth - nada

crawling - not even close

food - two meals a day. :)

Classes - none.

paulsgirl - I would suggest a mommy and me class. I take my son to one and I have met loads of nice people.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v733/girliepie/CIMG2510.jpg

[dizylizy]

Hi, all
I wrote out a long post yestersday but my PC wouldn't load it.....
Pauls Girl-I am glad you are feeling better. I think I had a bit of anxiety. the first few weeks were so hard. I cried almost every day. Harry would be crying, I would be feeding him and then start crying. his need for me was so great I couldn't understand. The complete giving over of one's self to another. get out of the house, take some classes. I would call my SIL whenever I was feeling down or anxious. Or I called Pete to chat.

Teeth-we have two and lots of drooling. I swear he goes through 3 bibs a day!

Crawling- almost up on all fours and moving. but he scoots backwards and co g forward a bit. Any day now...

Standing-Harry loves to stand. He stood up in his pack and play the other day. Such a surpise since he has never done that before. Pete lowered the crib before bedtime..

Food- two meals a day- lots of frouts and veggies. Plus, I am trying to give him more of our food. less of jars. but they are so easy. I have chopped up veggies for him. plus, given him cut up banana's and I tried the mesh feeder with grapes-he didn't like them... I have a few books from the library I need to scan or return....

Classes- I haven't signed up for any. I had a info sheet on some but DH saw it laying around and threw it away.... THe library has a story time near us I will see if he can go. not that he will pay attention. as it gets nicer, I will head to the park near our house.

[July05Mommies]

updated to this point. ;)

[PaulsGirl]

kmack Sorry to hear about the panic attacks. I don't think I've had one of those. I do have a professional I can talk to...my OB was terrific & always asks how I'm doing and if I need a referral. I am hoping now that I'm brave enough to start going out more it'll go away!!

Kasia Isn't is nuts what we go through? The crying is really unexpected and sudden. Luckily it doesn't happen too much anymore...I'm going to try music class too. I think Ava will have the most fun doing that.
I'll friend you on lj as well (I'm happy-blue-sky over there) and anyone else from here too...just let me know!

DanaLynn Hi you! I'll do that. Meeting more Mommies is the key I think. I have friends with kids but they all live too far to get together weekly. I love the pic of Emma in your siggy. :)

dizylizy Your words ring so true. "The complete giving over of one's self to another." They're such helpless little beings right now. I'm looking into classes and will start them soon. We live near the beach so I'm hoping to go there more with her once the weather warms up a bit.

********
Here's another QOTD:
How much formula/breast milk is your baby drinking in a day?
Ava has 28-34 oz a day still. As for solids we're on two meals a day, each is about the same: cereal, fruit, veggie.

[NYN]

QOTD: catie still eats between 8 and 10 times a day. she ate a few bites of yogurt today again. :D

teeth: still none!

classes: we do storytime at the library, playgroup once a week and still go to our la leche league meetings -- basically anything that is free, lol.

[char473]

Hey Ladies:)

DD is 8 months and we have crawling!! It is so darn cute. I forgot just how happy it makes me to see them learn to crawl. She just takes off now. She is also standing on her own when holding onto the table, couch, etc. And she is trying to stand up on her own too. She is trying to grow up too fast I think:(

QOTD: DD is taking about 3-4 6ounce bottles a day, with 3 meals of solids and some water in between, and wagon wheels, puffs, and teether biscuits as well. She LOVES to eat. We also started giving her some mini pancakes, because she oogles our food so much.

Paulsgirl: sorry this is late, and I know we have moved on, but I had PPD for about the first month. It at times was bad, but mostly just alot of moodiness. If you have any questions, you can message me:) Glad to hear you are having a good week!

Classes: No time for that:( We are so busy with work and my oldest DD's softball games, so her class is acutally people and softball watching. She is such a good baby, and hardly ever cries. I love her so much!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

[newyorkgirl]

Nursing - Bennett is down to nursing 5-6 times a day. I have to say, it actually is a little bit of a relief for me. Since he slept 12 hrs at night and then about 3-4 hrs between all his naps - he would cram in 7-8 feedings during those 8-9 hours that he was actually awake. The ped gave us the okay to stop limiting solids so I basically nurse him until he doesn't want anymore, then give him solids. I used to limit the amt of solids, but now I'm just going to give him as much as he wants (which I don't anticipate being much more than I already give him).

classes/activities - We go to baby yoga once a week (we're right now in between sessions - there's a 3-week break before the next session starts, and then we will start the tot class for crawlers). We also have playgroup on Fridays. There are also playgroups on Mondays and Wednesdays that we can go to, but right now that's too much for us to handle. Bennett seems to thrive on a pretty strict schedule and I try not to mess it up too much.

[Jodi AKA BostonTeacher]

Hi Everyone!

I finally got around to checking in and I see there has been a change of address :) Here's my info for the main page:

Jodi AKA Boston Teacher
Me: Jodi, 32
Married: 7.12.03
Baby’s Name: Camden
Baby’s Birth Date: 7.23.05
Time of Birth 9-O-something
Weight 9.2
Length 21

Things here are going very well. I still love being home. Cam is 7.5 months and crawling around like crazy. He's also started pulling up like a champ in the crib, playpen, pack n play and on furniture. He's taken a few falls, but doesn't seem any worse for the wear.

We're headed to Disney in a few days. Looking forward to our first real family vacation, but a little nervous about the logistics of travelling with a baby.

He got his tope teeth first. There's two up there and I just found a bottom one this morning.

Well I should get to bed. Just wanted to check in and say hi to everyone and welcome to the new gals! Hope everyone is doing well!

[Tray85]

We have teeth popping in, finally! They are very cute.

Whew - Rough weekend! Mommy had the stomach flu. Blech! Katie has been less interested in nursing and that led to a plugged duct for me. We thought we'd get a good night's sleep last night, but then HUGE thunderstorms rolled through and kept the bambino up and wanting to play/nurse all night. I would bring her to bed, nurse her to sleep and then go to move her and bam - she was awake. Ugh!

Anyone else's baby less interested in nursing while teething?

[Tray85]

More questions!
Anyone buy an SUV/Minivan for the baby? I am feeling the itch to get something bigger than my sedan (Toyota Camry). Its so annoying trying to get the baby in and out of the car seat. I bang my head, bang her head and have to climb around in the back seat to get her situated. Granted, I am getting used to the Britax Marathon we installed vs. the infant seat, but still.

My question...do SUV's/minivans make life considerably easier on mom?

[dizylizy]

QOTD-DH was having a hard time with his truck. It was very hard to get Harry in the infant seat and the car seat. Then his truck started having some little glitches. so we decided to get a new vehicle. DH wanted a Ford Explorer. He did a lot of research on it. He went to test drive 4 different cars. we decided on the 2005 Explorer. DH wanted a DVD and I wanted a full row of seating in the center-eventually we will have 3 kids in car seats and I don't want to climb in the thirs row to buckle someone in.... so it was SUV for us. He didn't want a station wagon or a van. (His mom had a van and he hated it...)

[Nanner]

do SUV's/minivans make life considerably easier on mom?

They definitely do, IMO, especially when it comes to messing with the car seat.

The nice thing is, there are lots of alternatives out there these days, so you don't have to settle on either a) a gas-guzzling full-size SUV, or b) a dorky-looking minivan. There are now hybrid SUVs, nice-looking mini-vans, and "crossover" vehicles, that are kind of a cross between SUVs and vans.

If I were to get a new vehicle, I'd consider:

Toyota Highlander (they also have this in a hybrid now)
Ford Freestyle
Nissan Quest
Honda Odyssey

They also make a Ford Escape hybrid, but the interior is a little small for me. I'd get a minivan before this one.

[PaulsGirl]

Just checking in. We met a July Mommy & Baby today from another group and had a lovely breakfast! It was really cute to see her interact w/another baby. She kept doing this funny face where she'd scrunch her eyes & face up and says "eeeeeeee" to him. She does that to her cousin (1 y/o) too. Hilarious.

QOTD-Anyone buy an SUV/Minivan for the baby? Yup. We bought a Volkswagon Touareg a week before she was born. I owned a two-seater before this car, so yes, it is considerably easier. LOL

[newyorkgirl]

We bought a Volkswagon Touareg Oh man! That's one of my favorite cars! We were gonna get a Touareg, (and we had also weighed in the Volvo SUV) but in the end got the Lexus SUV instead. I had a Jetta when I had Bennett, and about four weeks after he was born, DH decided my Jetta was a death trap for his precious firstborn son and traded it in for the Lexus. ;)

[jki]

They also make a Ford Escape hybrid, but the interior is a little small for me. I'd get a minivan before this one.

Actually, the head and leg room in a Ford Escape is greater than that of a Ford Explorer. The Escape is narrower and has less cargo space than an Explorer. I have an Escape - it's a great car for the price but I do have my eye on a Toyota Land Cruiser! ;) We definitely need 7 passenger seating.

The thing I love the most about having an SUV is being able to change diapers in the trunk. I can't tell you how many diapers I've changed back there and how great it is when there's no where else to do it! I do think an SUV makes life easier on the mom and since I drive less than 5,000 miles/year, I'm not all that worried about fuel economy.

Anyone else's baby less interested in nursing while teething?
DS used to go on strikes all the time when teething. The ped's office said to give solids if he would take them otherwise, just wait for it to pass. I think it's pretty common.

classes: We go to Music Together once per week, her brother's playgroup once per week, play dates a couple times per week, the library once per week, etc. It's hard because there are very few activities where I can bring 2 kids!

[heatherlynne]

Heatherlynne
Me: Heather, 28
DH: Mark, 33
DD: Sarah Liberty
7/3/05
7 lbs., 3 oz.
21 in


Teeth: 4... That 5th one still hasn't come through
Solids: 2 meals per day, table food, and snacks
Crawling: Like crazy
Standing: Sarah wants to stand all the time and is walking around the furniture. She is starting to let go, but she usually falls. She just doesn't have her balance yet.

[lil_nance]

Tray85 Where do you have the carseat positioned at? Is it in the middle or on a side? I'm asking because we are thinking of trading DH's Acura Integra in for a Camry. We already have a Rav4 but would like a sedan (2nd car).
While on the subject of cars, anyone have a sedan they like? I don't think we want 2 SUV type vehicles.

[kmack]

Tray85 DD seems to nurse more now that she is teething. and wouldn't you know she is starting to push away the spoon when I try to give her solids now (she has been eating them for 2 mos)! she won't even eat her oatmeal anymore at all. and i feel for you, i just got over the stomach bug. it was passed around our whole family and we finally got it - it sucks!! luckily i got it on a sunday when DH was around to help, thank goodness. DH had it today so i am crossing my fingers that DD doesnt get it.

do SUV's/minivans make life considerably easier on mom?
we have 2 cars right now, a jeep grand cherokee and a nissan altima that we got right before DD was born. i use the altima all the time and dont find it that difficult transporting her around. i like that she is close enough that i can reach around and pop her paci back in if she is fussing. the only thing i hate is that the trunk space is very small and if i have the stroller in there i can't fit much else. so i really like the added space in the jeep, but while i am driving i am paranoid about everything flying up front and into DD if i ever stopped short/got in an accident.

i had to change a few diapers in both back seats and found it difficult - the jeep was easier on my back bending over though (our trunk was full so i couldn't do it there). i did end up buying a car changing kit but of course haven't had to use it since!

classes: we don't do anything :rolleyes: aside from getting together with friends who have babies here and there. my sister is a music together instructor (in VA though) so i have been meaning to check out a class in boston but i havent gotten around to it. same goes for a southie mom's group - i have the number but just haven't called! i know this sounds crazy but i feel like i am too busy to commit myself to too many schedules. i feel like i can only handle one or two outings a day, like going to the gym and then grocery shopping, or picking up things at target and then to the post office. i hope i can figure it out though b/c i want her to interact w/ other kiddies her age!

[msmarieb]

Hello all!
We are doing well. Lex had his first ear infection and it was a doosy, we are finally getting it cleared up. He seems in fine spirits. His two top teeth are just hanging in there just beneth the skin, you can see those suckers and the two next to them. We are considering getting him one of these:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000096P3A.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

He pretty much turns anything he can push into a push toy, it was his bath tub yesterday, he looked too silly with his butt up in the air. He is pretty easily redirected and still enjoys eating table food. We're still Bfing and I've got him on the sippy cup well now, will try to wean off the bottle totally soon. Um...I guess that's it...oh yeah he says baba, and mama. Dh is jealous but were working on dada.:)

[kmack]

msmarieb we have that same toy. DD loves to try and push it around but it isn't very stable - i'm not sure if i just didn't put it together right? also, those little 'drawers' on the front have sharp edges, not big bulky ones that i would have thought would be on a childs toy. so she hurt herself a few times falling into them, and pinching her fingers in them. other than that, she loves the 'envelopes' that stick in those side grooves, as well as spinning the while that is on the front blue compartment.

[Tray85]

Thanks to everyone for your input on the cars & teething. Gotta love the July Mommies group!!

Lil Nance - I have the seat positioned in the middle. The front seats are fine in terms of enough room for passengers. I could even squeeze two people into the back. Its more a convenience factor of thinking the following things might be nice for me: headroom to get the baby in/out of the seat, auto doors to manage baby & all of my "stuff", built in window shades, LATCH! (I have a 2000 Camry w/o LATCH), the height of the seats (i.e., I may not have to contort myself as much w/ a minivan). I love my Camry and intended on driving it until it died - so its a hard decision. The trunk is large on the Camry and I can fit her full-size stroller and groceries back there. I'm just so car payment averse even though we can afford it. Decisions, decisions.

[char473]

I would love a minivan!! I never, ever thought I would say that, but I know now that I would enjoy one more than an SUV for the ease of lugging everything 2 kids require around. We will definately be getting one or the other within the next year. We are planning to relocate here soon, so once we get settled, that will be my next research project;)

Dropping off some pics:
My sleeping beauty, wait, I think there is a baby in there!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e257/char473/Picture209.jpg

This is what happens when your husband does not pick up things, and is not used to having a mobile baby.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e257/char473/Picture204.jpg

Take care!

[msmarieb]

msmarieb we have that same toy. DD loves to try and push it around but it isn't very stable - i'm not sure if i just didn't put it together right? also, those little 'drawers' on the front have sharp edges, not big bulky ones that i would have thought would be on a childs toy. so she hurt herself a few times falling into them, and pinching her fingers in them. other than that, she loves the 'envelopes' that stick in those side grooves, as well as spinning the while that is on the front blue compartment.


WOw thank you for posting, I thought 19.99 was too good of a price. I'll keep looking:)

[dizylizy]

Oh, shucks, AF is back. I forgot how much this was a pain. :( What a surprise but I should have known since I have been crabby and snotty for 2 days. (PMS?) Doc was surprised I hadn't had AF yet but he siad it should start soon as Harry was eating more solids.... yucky... I was trully enjoying my no AF life....

[Tray85]

char - Those pics are too funny!

Liz - You poor thing. I've had bouts of PMS, but nothing yet. I could do without the PMS! I'm sure my husband could too. :p

[newyorkgirl]

I could do without the PMS! I'm sure my husband could too. So that's what it is! I've been trying to kick this bad mood for a while. I totally forgot about PMSing! No AF yet, and not wishing for it anytime soon.

[lil_nance]

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
It's been a big week for us. Connor is talking/babbling like crazy. His Ba Ba Bla Goo's are getting much clearer. He also got his first tooth! It started peeking through right on his 8mo b-day, Wednesday. This morning he army crawled just a little bit. DH & I were so proud. LOL
Here's our little leprechaun.
http://static.flickr.com/34/113839225_5b1b9744e8.jpg?v=0

[Nanner]

OMG, that is the cutest thing I've ever seen, lil_nance! :)

Teeth: Sam has 2 bottom ones coming in. He started getting them right before he turned 8 months. They're so cute!

Crawling: Sam wasn't doing anything for the longest time. No rolling from back to front, no crawling, nothing. Suddenly, within the last 2 weeks, he's done all of that, and he even tried to pull himself up to standing several times today! He fell onto the hardwood floors twice, and cried. :( But I think he'll be standing in no time.

Solids: We've been on solids for several months now, but we're still only doing 1-2 meals per day, with the wagon wheels and veggie puffs as snacks. We had those biter biscuits, and they're disgusting! They get everywhere. His favorite foods so far are sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans and bananas. He couldn't care less about applesauce and pears. Peas are okay.

Carseat question:

We bought the Graco Metrolite travel system. He's just about to outgrow the infant seat, so we need to get a new carseat. What do you guys have? Do you like it? I get confused on "stages" of carseats. What exactly am I buying, just a regular old car seat? Is that the same as a booster seat? Will he still be facing backwards, or will our new seat be a forward-facing one? So confused!

Here's my latest favorite photo:

http://static.flickr.com/48/113855185_a4d6da2e5b_m.jpg

[NYN]

omg, so adorable!

Sam wasn't doing anything for the longest time. No rolling from back to front, no crawling, nothing. Suddenly, within the last 2 weeks, he's done all of that, and he even tried to pull himself up to standing several times today!
interesting. i wonder if catie will do this one day. she is really just so content to sit there. at playgroup all the kids are rolling and most are crawling (well, the ones her age or older) and she watches them w/ interest but doesn't even attempt to move. in fact, she gets annoyed when she gets run over, lol.

we had wonderful weather here in new york for a few days and we took full advantage but alas, the cold weather is back. some pics (the last ones are from a trade show i went to that had a little section w/ entertainment for the kids. the women who were singing had amazing voices and catie made herself the center of attention by "singing" along and flapping her arms in an attempt to clap. it was too much.)

http://static.flickr.com/29/113966441_6076edbd42_m.jpghttp://static.flickr.com/49/113966440_6d2dc248d8_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/50/113966443_b13c8d28c1_m.jpghttp://static.flickr.com/42/113966442_3c6694d98d_m.jpg

also, i forgot to mention that catie is a little bit more interested in solids, specifically in yogurt. she loves it plain or with fruit in it. i started mixing veggies in it too and she takes it that way. i offer it once a day if we are home. we also went to a restaurant the other day and i ordered hummus and gave her some and she kept wanting more so there is some progress on that front!

[December27JJB]

Oh My! Look at all these babies! ADORABLE!!!!

Char- I love that photo of the blanket over her! Too funny!
LilNance- How cute! Connor looks really Irish in that pic!!! And his name is Connor! :)
Nanner- Love that pic! For some reason when I look at that picture, I think Sam looks like DD when he sleeps, hm?
NYN-Loving her hat!!! Shes adorable! Congrats on the food issue! DD did the same thing, all of the sudden she wants food food food food. For the first time today, we ordered her something at a restaurant! :eek: (of course she didnt eat it all)


We are doing well. Except, DD is so much more interested in solids that she's really lost interest in breastfeeding. (She really hates baby food, she prefers to eat table food all the time.) I am a bit depressed about it. She does bf at night but...I was really really trying to breastfeed for 1 year. I am going to pump so that my milk supply doesnt go down and give her ebm in a bottle. :( It kinda 'hurts' when I offer her bm and she rejects it. Like I've been dumped :rolleyes: Anyone else having this issue also?

Heatherlynne, It was so great meeting you and Sarah on Friday! She is beautiful! We have to get together again!

Car issue: I had a smaller wagon when DD was born. We found a bigger wagon and it was a steal! The only bad thing about it was we had to buy it in another state when DD was 5 months old! Whew! Although, I admit I swore up and down I'd never ever ever get a mini-van. I am kinda wishing we had gotten one instead of another wagon because its low and I have to bend down to put DD in her carseat.

[NYN]

ya'll -- if your baby is refusing the breast or bottle during the day they are just going through a strike and you have to do whatever you can to get them back on it. it's especially important to pump or do whatever you can to maintain a strong supply while breastfeeding. i have no time to post links right now, but do a google search for "nursing strike" or "baby refusing bottle" (if you formula feed) and you will come up w/ tons of information. a baby's primary source of nutrition needs to be breast milk or formula at this age so it could also be that you are offering too many solids. the nutrients in solids are still not being fully absorbed (that's why the food comes out in their stinky poop!) so it's really important to give them their milk! also, breastfed babies do not wean before 1 year but they do go on mini strikes from time to time so don't let anyone convince you that you won't make it to a year!!!

i will be back when i have a chance but i just wanted to post that info!

[Nanner]

Question about sippy cups: How many of you have started giving your child a sippy cup? The ped. suggested at the 6 month appt. that I start offering it to him, and I have a couple of times. But he doesn't "get" it yet. Just like anything else I put in front of him, it goes directly into his mouth--but not the spout. Like the rim or the bottom of the cup. Then he loses interest.

If your child is using a sippy cup successfully, how did you introduce it to him? How long did it take for him/her to learn what it's for/how to drink from it?

[December27JJB]

NYN
Thank you! I also posted on the BF thread. Yesterday was MUCH better. She took the boob a lot. Whew. People kept telling me "Oh my mom said I just stopped breastfeeding when I was 8 months old" or "She's weaning, she doesnt need it anymore anyway." I knew in the back of my head that its important for her to have bm (or formula for ff babies) for the first year of her life. I've been pumping and my milk supply is back up. :D Thanks!

Nanner
DD has refused the sippy cup. I bought her the disposable ones, they come in all different colors (I think there are like 5 or 6) Im not sure who makes them (maybe first years?) I would put the spout in her mouth and squeeze just a little and she'd realize there's liquid in there. It took awhile but she finally got a hold of it on Saturday. I either put ebm or water in it. Now she thinks its so much fun to drink out of it. Hope that helps.

[lil_nance]

Sippy cups I actually decided to delay the sippy a bit. I've been trying to start weaning Connor from BM to formula. I offered the Avent sippy and like you mentioned all he wants to do is eat it. I've had more success with the bottle. He wasn't taking bottle or cup a while back so I'm happy with bottle for now. I still offer the sippy with a bit of water at dinner time. I'm sure one day it will just click and he'll get the hang of it. If not, I'll probably start pushing him towards the cup a bit more next month.

[newyorkgirl]

December27JJB - I am so glad Parker is nursing again. I know my SIL had similar issues with my nephew around 9 months and she thought he was self-weaning, so they weaned him. But he had so much problem taking the bottle or cup in general that they were worried about dehydration for months afterwards. I know she regrets weaning in retrospect, because my nephew just hated to drink liquids in general - and still does to this day - that nursing would have been the perfect way to make sure he didn't get dehydrated.

sippy cup - we're still working on it. We're using the Avent trainer, but I've heard good things about the Nuby, since the spout is as flexible as a bottle nipple. I keep planning on getting one, but I've been lazy about it. At first, it was so hard for the water to come out of the spout that he didn't "get" it. So I started taking the spill-proof mechanism off. (But of course, then I had to be on hand the whole time he was drinking from the sippy so that he didn't just dump the whole thing on himself!) Now he gets that the water comes out of the spout, but he still does play with it. We have him drinking straight out of a glass pretty well (we use a 5-oz juice glass) so I guess that's why I'm not so motivated about the sippy.

Gotta go! Bennett just woke up from his nap and pulled his pants off!

[char473]

Thanks ladies:)

We just had to lower the crib:( She is raising herself up on everything, and we knew it was coming. We laid her down for her nap, then heard her laughing and walked in and there she was standing away! I told DH to go get his tools NOW.

Sippy cups - DD has been using one with meals for some time now, I think about 4 months. We only put water in it, and she only likes this one type, but it works for her. She still has trouble repositioning it if it comes out of her mouth, but I let her figure it out on her own unless she gets too frustrated. I think that if I could have breastfed longer, which I wanted to do, that I would have held off on it for as long as I could.

[dizylizy]

Sippy cup- Harry is playing with it. sometimes gets it in his mouth, sometimes not. He knows water or juice is in it. He still plays with it, turns it upside down, throws it, bangs it around.

Car seat- No matter the car seat any child under 1 yo must be rear facing. then after 1 year AND weigh over 20 pounds, they can face forward. WE got a Cosco version. why do they make these things so difficult.... I hagve figured out how to get the seat in and out my my SUV and my husbands Explorer.

Teeth- Oh crap we are busting the top two at the same time. It has been a crying house today. his schedule is so off...

Standing- pulls himself up on everything. falls and bumps his head. we lowered the crib two weeks ago after he stood up in the pack n play.

crawling- Harry has the nag of this now. I have to get gates up for the stiars and keep the bathroom door closed.

Childproofing- what to do? I have outlet covers and drawer things but what else??? I need a cord wrapper for the blinds in the living room.... where do you get those?

[kmack]

I need a cord wrapper for the blinds in the living room.... where do you get those?
I just got them at babiesrus. i also bought some straps to keep big pieces of furniture from falling over, b/c DD has already tried to pull up on the CD and DVD holder. the straps at BRU are pretty thick so i think they are meant more for heavier pieces, but for now they will do the trick.

i bought a sippy cup a while ago but she never got the hang of it. i think it's buried in my cabinet somewhere, guess i should pull it out again! she is all about drinking from my poland springs sport bottle though.

[Kasia216]

Here's a recent picture of my Boo in his Exersaucer...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/cheryl216/Jackson8months.jpg

Sippy Cup - We started with the Avent but then we switched as my friend suggested the First Years disposable type and he likes it much better - it's smaller and easier for him to maneuver. I also let him sip out of a small juice glass and he seems to like that as well. I'll put either diluted fruit juice or water in his sippy cups.

Crawling - Still not crawling yet. He's been sliding all over the place but still no active crawl. Does not really pull up on anything yet either

Question
I started to give DS Yo Baby yogurt. He loves it! Has anyone else given this to their baby - please tell me I'm not alone :-)

[NYN]

December: sorry if i sounded a little crazed. it is just that you were the second person this week who thought their baby was weaning and it threw me into a panic, lol. i also have a friend who FF's and her baby is refusing a bottle so it seems to be every baby at once.

sippy cups: DD learned how to use the sippy early. i started her on it at 5.5 months and she pretty much learned it by 6 months. she doesn't really get it very often. i will let her sip a little water if she has some solids and i give it to her when we are at the dinner table (she sits in her high chair) but she will sip it and then play w/ it. anyway, we started off w/ the NUBY cups and now i will occasionally switch to a playtex sipster but she still uses the nuby's the most b/c she is able to hold them herself (since they are shaped like a bottle). she just hasn't mastered the handles on the other sippies. we are now moving onto straw cups but are not having any success so far. i'm going to start getting more aggressive w/ it this week.

since we never really bottle fed her i figured i would just switch to a sippy cup as soon as i could. my goal is to have her on the straw cup by 1 year (i am going to continue breastfeeding but since she will be going to daycare at this point i'd like her to know how to drink liquids out of a cup). i might be wrong but i think i remember jki saying that she went straight to the straw cup w/ cassidy. might be an option for some of you if the sippy isn't working.

childproofing: one good thing about having a lazy baby is that we haven't had to worry about this yet. :D

yogurt: i gave it to my DD once and she liked it but she also likes plain yogurt and since she barely eats anything it is not worth it for me to buy the yobaby tubs (i just buy a big tub of plain yogurt and give her a tablespoon or so a day.)

[July05Mommies]

i updated up until here. i guess doco is not re-joining the thread so if someone else would like to help me moderate, please let me know. post it here or PM me (NYN). thanks.

[newyorkgirl]

yogurt - same as NYN. I just give Bennett plain yogurt - either Seven Stars or Brown Cow organic whole fat or I'll give him Total Greek yogurt, which he just loves. Sometimes I'll mix in a little pureed fruit, but he willingly takes it plain, which is perfectly fine to me. I read the label of the YoBaby yogurt and it has added sugar, something I try to avoid where possible.

QOTD - is anyone else making the transition to table food/finger foods? Our ped said at our 8-month WBV that I should start giving him finger foods as well as start to transition him to table foods. I ended up having two problems. One, Bennett is fine picking up puffs and Cheerios and tiny cubes of soft cheese (I just cut up half a thingy of string cheese, and eat the other half myself), but anything else that is the least bit slimy, he refuses to use his hands - peas, diced carrots, cooked chicken, etc. He eats it fine if I feed it to him, he just doesn't want to pick it up. Does anyone have any good ideas to give him a little more variety in finger foods - I don't want to just be limited to puffs and cereal. Two, I am worried that I got a little over eager on feeding him finger foods because I think he may have had a mild allergic reaction - he's had a bit of a rash around his mouth (that seems a bit worse than his normal drool-related rash) along with a couple rashy/dry patches around his knees and calves. Or it could just be that the weather's turned from cold to warm back to cold & windy recently. What does a food allergy rash look like?

[jki]

Crawling: No real crawling here yet, either! She can sort of drag herself around in circles pretty well. However, she seems to LOVE standing up against toys - her brother's train table, the Leapfrog Learning Table, etc.

Lowering Crib: Our crib has been at the lowest setting for months! Of course, DH is lazy and refused to lower it multiple times. So, once Cassidy could sit up, he just lowered all the way down!

Teeth: We finally have two bottom teeth! :)

Sippy: Yup, NYN is right, we started with a straw cup at about 4 mos. I just let her play with the straw and once she started sucking on the straw, I gave her the straw cup. Now, she can use a sippy with no problems as well. She likes the First Years disposable cup but they leak too much for my taste so I tend to give her the Avent sippy. Nanner, I'm sure he'll figure it out soon enough - just keep letting him play with it!

Yogurt: Cassidy eats about 1 oz. of YoBaby twice per day. She loves the stuff but I hate the sugar content! It's the second ingredient!! I tried plain yogurt with fruit mixed for weeks in but I couldn't get her to take to it.

[jki]

One, Bennett is fine picking up puffs and Cheerios and tiny cubes of soft cheese (I just cut up half a thingy of string cheese, and eat the other half myself), but anything else that is the least bit slimy, he refuses to use his hands - peas, diced carrots, cooked chicken, etc. He eats it fine if I feed it to him, he just doesn't want to pick it up.
LOL. OMG - Cassidy is the same way. She will pick something up, if it's slimy, she will immediately drop it in disgust.

I usually put slimy items into her mesh feeder and she will eat them. I figure she can get used to the taste first and eventually, she will get over her fear of slimy items.

Cassidy eats a ton of finger/table food - she eats a tiny bit of almost everything we're eating...... she eats cream cheese sandwiches on ww bread, all snacks her brother eats - goldfish, graham crackers, regular crackers, etc., pancakes, waffles, scrambled egg yolk, etc. She's a pretty picky eater and eats very little.

What does a food allergy rash look like?
My only experience with a food allergy was giant, massive, red, all over the body, raised hives. Are the patches on his legs excema like? To see if it's a food allergy, you are supposed to eliminate the last few items you fed him, wait 2 weeks, and add each item back one week at a time, without adding any new food items.

[msmarieb]

Hey Ladies!

Sippy cups: we also started at 5 mos...at first we just let him play with it, then we put juice in it for some motivation. I'm going to start subing the cups for bottles...I held it in his mouth a couple of times...without the stopper once he realized that juice came out of the spout we put the stopper back in. He does much better with the two handle one...

I haven't tried the Yogurt yet.

Table foods: we started with breads, toasted bread then softer breads. He also eats cheerios, he seems to be less and less interested in babyfoods alltogether.

[Nanner]

sippy cup:

i might be wrong but i think i remember jki saying that she went straight to the straw cup w/ cassidy. might be an option for some of you if the sippy isn't working.


This is actually a great idea. Whenever we're at a restaurant and I have a glass with a straw, he is always reaching for it and putting the straw in his mouth. He's even sucked it up a couple of times. I will try this.

baby proofing: We covered all of the outlets, and that's all we've done so far. We really have to anchor the tall shelves to the walls, especially since some of them are in his room. (He shares a room with our china--how scary is that???)

table/finger foods: We're really basic on this so far. I give him banana, sweet potato, the wagon wheels and puffs, and that's about it so far. We really need to step up the solids a little more. He's only been getting one meal per day, just because bottle feeding is so much easier! But I guess like anything else, we have to take the time to help him learn.

QUESTION ABOUT YOGURT/CHEESE: I thought cow's milk was supposed to be delayed until after 1 year? My understanding was that it can cause allergies. But is it more that it doesn't have the nutritional value of BM or formula? Those of you that have offered cow's milk products, how do your children seem to do with them?

Lowering crib: We lowered Sam's crib last weekend. He's just now getting more mobile and pulling himself to standing. We're definitely using the changing table more often now! Before we always just used the crib, and the changing table sat there unused. We're finally getting our money's worth. :)

[newyorkgirl]

QUESTION ABOUT YOGURT/CHEESE: I thought cow's milk was supposed to be delayed until after 1 year? My understanding was that it can cause allergies. But is it more that it doesn't have the nutritional value of BM or formula? Those of you that have offered cow's milk products, how do your children seem to do with them? Both - babies can be sensitive to milk proteins (but also remember that most formulas are cow's milk based). Whole milk is also less calories/oz than either BM or formula. In yogurt/cottage cheese/regular cheese, the proteins are broken down somewhat or have agents that are synthesizing them somewhat (like the bacteria in yogurt) - I don't know if that's the technical term, but it's something like that. HOWEVER, if you are on soy formula or are eliminating certain things your diet while BFing, you want to wait a bit and get an okay from your ped before introducing things like wheat or dairy to baby's diet. Babies with more sensitive guts may need a little more maturing before they can handle such foods.

That said, Bennett didn't have any problem eating yogurt or cheese and that's after having had a mild sensitivity to dairy and soy very early on (I eliminated those from my diet until around 5 months). and the changing table sat there unused. We're finally getting our money's worth. That's so funny! We are finding the changing table less useful now because any session on the changing table is like a round of WWWF Smackdown. :) He squirms and flips over and generally refuses to be diapered so we're afraid that he's just going to fall off the changing table one day. I had to pull an ottoman into his room to use as a diaper changing surface. And even then, I have to give him a toy or something to occupy him while I change his dipe as quickly as I can.

[maggieb]

One thing that might help with the slimy food issue and baby not picking them up is to crush some Cheerios and then roll the slimy food in the Cheerio dust. I tried this with bananas and pears and it really helped Marisa be able to grasp it.

Table foods: I finally just totally stopped trying to give Marisa baby foods. She refused them everytime. So far I've given her Cheerios, bananas, pears, rice, tortillas, green beans, carrots, and whole wheat bread. She really loves to feed herself. Soon I'm going to try pasta, meats and diced potatoes.

sippy cup: We started giving the sippy cup to her at about 6 mos and she does well with it. Not perfect, but she manages to get some in her. I have been giving her water and if I happen to pump on the rare occassion and have some bm leftover I will give that to her. We have the two-handled sippy and that seems to work for her.

I'm holding off on giving her yogurt since I'm fairly certain that she has a dairy intolerance.

Ack, big sister is crying. BRB.

[Nanner]

That's so funny! We are finding the changing table less useful now because any session on the changing table is like a round of WWWF Smackdown. He squirms and flips over and generally refuses to be diapered so we're afraid that he's just going to fall off the changing table one day. I had to pull an ottoman into his room to use as a diaper changing surface. And even then, I have to give him a toy or something to occupy him while I change his dipe as quickly as I can.


He squirms a little, but he has discovered his penis, so that keeps him pretty occupied. :)

Thanks for the milk info! We've been on lactose-free formula since he was about 2 months old. I guess I will give the yogurt and cheese a little try, and watch and see what happens.

[NYN]

can you guys post detailed info on how exactly you started table foods? i have an irrational fear of catie choking. if i give her something that isn't in a puree i watch the poor thing like a hawk and confuse the hell out of her. plus, i tried giving her some puffs and i cut them up first b/c i though i had to do that and my DH started saying that she could choke on them anyway. my pediatrician told me to wait until 9 months to do cheerios and things like that. also, lately i have stopped giving her those biter biscuits b/c as soon as she puts it in her mouth she bites a big chunk off and i run to pull it out of her mouth. should i just let it be? i never leave her unsupervised while she's eating.

catie did well w/ yogurt as well. i am going to try giving her cottage cheese later this week and see how she takes to it. here is a good link on why babies can eat milk products but are still too young to drink milk:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/dairy.htm

[Nanner]

can you guys post detailed info on how exactly you started table foods? i have an irrational fear of catie choking. if i give her something that isn't in a puree i watch the poor thing like a hawk and confuse the hell out of her. plus, i tried giving her some puffs and i cut them up first b/c i though i had to do that and my DH started saying that she could choke on them anyway. my pediatrician told me to wait until 9 months to do cheerios and things like that. also, lately i have stopped giving her those biter biscuits b/c as soon as she puts it in her mouth she bites a big chunk off and i run to pull it out of her mouth. should i just let it be? i never leave her unsupervised while she's eating.


I started with small chunks of banana. They're soft and mushy, and won't get lodged in her throat unless it's a big piece. You can also used soft cooked vegetables, like potato, sweet potato, carrots, green beans, etc. Just mush them up a little at first, if you want, so that makes them easier to swallow, esp. if she doesn't have teeth yet.

I also used the wagon wheels and puffs. They also won't cause choking because they start disolving as soon as the saliva hits it. That also makes them gross. :) Like you, I'm waiting a while for cheerios, since they don't disolve the same way. I want to wait until he has more teeth.

The biter biscuits--I think you were right to stop giving them. Since they're thicker, they don't dissolve as easily, so she can choke on a bigger piece like that. Sam just gnaws on them.

[elnelson]

Hi! Is there room for one more? I'm a July mom too and lurked occasionally in the old thread but was too intimidated to post. Here are our stats:

elnelson
Me: Erika, 32
Married: 6/14/2003
Andrew Axel
7/27/2005
1:31PM
6lbs 14oz
18.5 inches

Teeth: None! Though we've blamed the excessive drooling and occasional fussiness ever since 3 months on teeth - ha. :rolleyes:

Solids: We've been trying since 6 months and have been able to get in at most about 5 bites a day. He is way into grabbing the spoon and flinging food across the room but not so much into eating. We did try lumpy bananas as finger food the other day with greater success so he may just be a puree hater...

Car: We actually did the reverse of most - started with an SUV and just bought a family sedan! We have a ford explorer and a toyota prius - possibly the worlds least and most fuel efficient cars. They both work pretty well with the car seats though I do love having the ability to change diapers in the back of the explorer..

Got to run - more later! Looking forward to getting to know everyone!

[lil_nance]

any session on the changing table is like a round of WWWF Smackdown. Wish these guys would stop copying each other. My friend gave us a small cow that moos. I use it to distract him while I change him. Sometimes it works.

table food I started with veggie puffs because they melt right away. As I saw he was chewing them, I tried Cheerios broken into smaller pieces. I've also given him small bits of bread and pancakes.

We've started adding lunch this week so he's getting 3 meals.
For those of you FF, how much does you child generally take per bottle. I'm replacing some nursing sessions and want to make sure he's getting enough.

[newyorkgirl]

jki - thanks! I also called my ped this morning - from my description, he seems to think it's just weather-related dermatitis. All the same, I'm not going to introduce any new foods for a couple weeks and see how it goes.

elnelson - hello! Did you have the same username on the other board? I seem to remember that maybe we had a wedding vendor or something in common - was it the photographer? ;)

finger/table food - we went from purees to thicker purees to mashes to chunky mashes than to super-tiny-diced foods. Somewhere in there we also introduced puffs, but at first it took Bennett a while to get the hang of it, so I would watch him the whole time. Now, puffs and wagonwheels are the only two foods I let him eat unsupervised. You can also try watermelon or the innermost part of melons like honeydew and cantaloupe - Bennett absolutely loves these. He also likes waffles and pancakes - we go out to eat breakfast every Sunday and he always gets some of mine - he ate nearly a quarter of my Belgian waffle two days ago. My downstairs neighbor (with a one-year-old) said she also took the peas, diced carrots and potatoes and chunks of meat out of canned soups and used those because they were softer (and tastier) than the frozen bags of veggies you can cook up. But I still sit right in front of Bennett when he eats anything. So there are probably a lot of foods you can safely give Catie, but I still would caution against letting her eat unsupervised.

About the huge chunks she can bite off - it probably depends on how big. If it's pretty big, I would just let her gnaw on it. If you need to, you can always fish it out of her mouth. If it's smaller, i.e. larger than a pea, smaller than a nickel, I would take it away. I don't give teething biscuits anyway, but not because I'm worried about the choking hazard - I'm more concerned about the mess! :)

[heatherlynne]

December-It was great meeting you and Parker too!!! I am still working on getting those pictures for you, but I promise that it won't be long.

Sippy cup-Sarah has been using a sippy for a while and seems to do well with it.

Solids-Sarah eats cheerios, fruit/vege puffs, and usually whatever else we put in front of her. She isn't picky. She does eat yogurt, but I haven't started her on cottage cheese yet-I just bought some.

Breastfeeding-Sarah has started to drop a feeding during the day. It is usually the noon one and she is just too interested in everything else to nurse. I plan to give her milk for that feeding and see how she does.

Springtime-Is anyone else having their baby wake earlier because of the sun? Sarah has been waking over an hour earlier and I think it is because her room gets brighter... Must get heavier curtains!!!!

[elnelson]

newyorkgirl - yep - that's me - good memory! I think the connection was that we both had winery weddings? Or maybe just that your were another N. Ca bride with great taste - I think I remember stealing some ideas from you - thanks!

Man - reading these posts makes me realize we're pretty slow on the solids thing. I may just have to go out this afternoon and pick up some yogurt and give it a shot. My in-laws are coming in this weekend and since like 2 weeks of age they've been dying for baby A to eat solids. I can only imagine how bummed they're going to be that at 8 months he's far more likely to eat a stack of post it notes than a bowl of sweet potatoes. Why is it that our parents generation is so obsessed with solids anyway??

Crawling - I think we're almost there. Andrew's got the scooting backwards thing down pat and in the past couple of days he's been able to lug his full body forward a couple of inches.. We haven't baby proofed so i'm thinking I had better get on it soon!

Question - has everyone here taken an Infant CPR class? I haven't and have recently started to feel a little bit of panic that I won't know what to do if we have an incident.. We covered infants during high school CPR but that was - um - like 15 years ago. Yikes.

[kmack]

can you guys post detailed info on how exactly you started table foods? i have an irrational fear of catie choking. if i give her something that isn't in a puree i watch the poor thing like a hawk and confuse the hell out of her. plus, i tried giving her some puffs and i cut them up first b/c i though i had to do that and my DH started saying that she could choke on them anyway. my pediatrician told me to wait until 9 months to do cheerios and things like that. also, lately i have stopped giving her those biter biscuits b/c as soon as she puts it in her mouth she bites a big chunk off and i run to pull it out of her mouth. should i just let it be? i never leave her unsupervised while she's eating.

i was just going to say that i haven't given DD any finger foods yet b/c i thought since she really didn't have any teeth she couldn't chew them. so i am paranoid of her choking as well. and she also sucks on those teething biscuits for so long that big pieces break off and i have to pull them out in a panic.

where do you buy these puffs thingys? i haven't seen them.

[jki]

can you guys post detailed info on how exactly you started table foods? i have an irrational fear of catie choking.

NYN - I started out with putting a lot of food in the mesh feeder. I am sure this taught Cassidy how to 'chew' her food.
http://images.rightstart.com/global/images/thumbnail/472.jpg

Then I started giving pieces of banana, apple, etc. Have you taken infant first aid? That might give you a bit of peice of mind as far as choking. DS used to gag/choke on EVERYTHING..... DD NEVER chokes - I can't figure out what the difference is, besides the mesh feeder. I would fish the chunks of biscuit out - those things are really hard and definitley a choking hazard!

elnelson: Welcome!

Infant CPR: Yup, we took it before Cassidy's brother was born. I also made my parents and sister take the class.

Springtime: Oh yes.... we've been getting 6am - 6:30am wake up calls! :( I was getting used to waking up after 7am!! I am looking forward to Daylight Saving!

lil_nance: Cassidy takes a max of 6 oz. per bottle, she gets 4 bottles per day. She was 16+ lbs. at 6 mos. DS took 8-9 oz. per bottle but he was a bigger eater and weighed 21+ lbs. at 6 mos.

[Tray85]

Classes - We took an infant CPR class while pregnant. Now I feel like I need a refresher class.

Sippy - I let Katie take sips of water every day and she thinks its really funny. When I put the stopper in, she doesn't quite know what to do with it and just chews on the spout.

This will make everyone feel better - My Mayo clinic book said that only 25% of babies know how to use a sippy cup by 9 months old. :p

elnelson - Don't worry - I'm right there with ya! I have only given Katie purees so far. She loves them. I am so worried about food allergies because we have a family history. I went to get the Gerber puffs the other day, but didn't buy them because they contained wheat and strawberries. The charts I see say to avoid those items for a while. I tried to get adventurous and bought stage two green beans and potatoes. Even though they were organic, I noticed that they contained milk and butter when I got home! Hello! How is that a stage 2 food? Maybe I'm too worried about this stuff.

Spring - We just put up curtains on top of the blinds in the baby's room this past weekend. It has helped a bit.

[Nanner]

where do you buy these puffs thingys? i haven't seen them.

The ones I get are from Gerber, and they're just at my regular grocery store. They're in the baby section along with the teething biscuits and Gerber "Graduates" meals. They're in tall hourglass-shaped plastic containers.

[newyorkgirl]

i thought since she really didn't have any teeth she couldn't chew them Even if the babies did get their first couple of teeth in, it really doesn't make a difference wrt their ability to chew. It's the molars they would need teethwise to chew anyway and I don't think they get those for a while, no? I know Bennett just mashes stuff between his gums and that seems to work fine.

[NYN]

that is actually a great idea to try the mesh feeder. i kept meaning to buy one. i just have a feeling that it will go in her mouth and then right to the floor. the only thing she likes to "eat" are those biter buscuits (and i bet it's b/c they taste sweet). i assume she will eat one day right? she will have to stop exclusively nursing before kindergarten. :D

elnelson: welcome. you are not too behind on foods. we don't even offer solids on most days. i know it's little consolation but i'm glad we're not alone, lol. oh, i added you to the roster.

infant cpr: we have had trouble finding a class to take but we have been meaning to take it. i bet it would ease my fears. i never leave her unsupervised but i am so NOT relaxed that she ends up looking at me like "what's wrong?" instead of eating her food.

wake time: yes, catie wakes up 1 hour earlier everyday. she has been sleeping terribly for two days now, fighting me for every nap and up every two hours at night. yesterday i didn't get any sleep until 4:30 and then she woke me up again at 6:30. thankfully my DH was home and took her to the living room with him. tonight was another day of terrible naps to the point where i just couldn't deal w/ putting her to sleep so DH did it. i just pray that she sleeps okay today b/c it just breaks my heart to see her so tired but fighting it.

oh, what are wagon wheels? i've never seen those.

[kmack]

thanks for the info on the gerber puffs, i was at target right after i posted that and saw them so i bought two cans. she loves the veggie ones! and it was funny b/c it was like she was chewing them w/ her 2 front stubs, somehow she knew exactly what to do with them. i feel like i am really behind on feeding solids as she is going through a bit of a strike right now.

infant CPR i have been meaning to take a class but we never signed up. i had a really bad experience last year where a man in our office had a heart attack and no one in the office knew CPR so they were running around frantically looking for someone to help. i had taken a class 7 years ago so i tried to help but i was preggo at the time and was so shaken by the whole incident that i could not really remember what to do. and this was a man who i didn't even know, so i could only imagine how i would be if it were my DD. i have since taken a real CPR class but tell myself that if anything were ever to happen i will call (!! and have them walk me through it. it makes me shudder to even think that i ever might have to use it again.

[Kasia216]

Infant CPR - Took a class when DS was about 2 months old. They handed out a magnet with instructions that i have on my fridge. It's good to glance at every once in a while to make sure I understand what I need to do in case of an emergency.

Finger/Table Foods - Don't really give him food from the table often. I've given him toast, veggies from my soup and baked potatoes. Glad to hear that you girls give yogurt (was worried about doing that...). I really need to explore more foods.

elnelson Welcome

Wake Time I still have a terrible night sleeper. He's up 2x night still :( and I don't know what to do about it. He sleep's till about 8:ooAM most mornings and I get 2 decent naps a day.

[elnelson]

Hi all! Thanks so much for the warm welcome. Also for the solid advice and support - glad to know i'm not the only one! We did try yogurt last night and it was really funny - he seemed to like it as he ate more than two bites (very good sign) but every bite was accompanied by a look of total shock - like what in the heck IS this stuff???? :)

Wake Time - funny because for us 6am is a GREAT wake up time - much better than our frequent 5 or 5:30s! The last few days have been 6 which feels like pure luxury. kaisa - Andrew's typically up 2x a night as well so I feel your pain. Weissbluth says this is pretty normal up to 9 months so i'm holding out hope that things will get better in a month..

Bottles - Andrew typically takes 3-4 6oz bottles a day when we're apart. Sometimes he'll down the full bottle and other times he'll start with 4oz and finish the other 2 later.

Classes - I think someone asked about classes before - we've been taking Music Together since Andrew was 8 weeks old and he absolutely loves it. The classes are a great way to meet other moms and they're really fun and interactive. Andrew "dances" literally the entire class and lights up when it's time for his favorite songs. Too cute. I've been thinking about signing up for Gymboree as well - has anyone taken their level 2 class?

[NYN]

my DD wakes twice a night too (and she really nurses - like very aggresively and for a long time). she started doing this at around 16 weeks and i think there were only two or three nights since then where she slept through one or both of those wakings. like elnelson said though, i'm not too worried b/c i've read that this is normal in many babies until 9 months.

[maggieb]

Marisa wakes usually one time at night and sometimes two. She generally nurses well at these times, so I'm not quite ready to night wean her. Also, when I night weaned Helena my supply really tanked and I'm not ready for that to happen yet. I don't mind getting up to nurse her as long as she goes right back to sleep and isn't expecting a party. I think I'll try to night wean her at about a year.

Well, I tried yogurt, even though I suspect a dairy intolerance. So far no major symptoms noticed. She did have red cheeks and really stinky toots, but nothing else. I'll take that. I tried it again this morning. It's weird. She doesn't like baby food, but ate yogurt. I'm gonna try diced meat sometime soon.

[NYN]

I don't mind getting up to nurse her as long as she goes right back to sleep and isn't expecting a party. I think I'll try to night wean her at about a year.

She doesn't like baby food, but ate yogurt. I'm gonna try diced meat sometime soon.

same here on both accounts. i was planning on trying to give her a meatball tonight. we tried peas yesterday but i think she was swallowing them whole.

[kmack]

i know this is probably a stupid question, but what exactly does it mean to night wean - that you don't BF at all during the night? or just cut out one feeding? if i started to supplement w/ formula at the night feeding (right before bed, but if she wakes during the night i would BF), does this mean i am night weaning at all?

i just visited my mom in NY for 3 days and DD slept horribly. last night she woke about every 2 hours so i am ready to collapse right now. i think her teeth are really bothering her, but nothing i give her seems to help (hylands tablets, motrin, tylenol, etc.). she hasn't been sleeping great for some time, but like maggieb said, i was starting not to mind it so much as long as she went right back to sleep. and slept more than an hour and a half after the last feed!

[lil_nance]

kmack I believe night weaning means no BFing (possibly no feeding?) at all from when they go to sleep until the next morning. I know my DS can go all night if he wants to. He's done it before, slept for 10-12hr. Usually, he wakes up after 7-8hr, eats, and goes back to sleep for a few hr.

[maggieb]

nightwean: To me, night wean means that the child does not eat at all, whether from breast or bottle, from the time he/she goes to sleep until they wake up for the day.

[newyorkgirl]

Update: I don't think Bennett had a food allergy - I slathered on the Aquaphor and most of it seems to be going away. The only red patches I can't get rid of are the ones around his mouth and on his left thumb (the one he sucks). :)

QOTD: Just curious - does your DC favor one hand over the other? For a while, our ped told us to make sure that DS was more or less ambidextrous, but I think he might be starting to favor his right hand.

[myshel]

Yay! We finally have teeth at our house. Luka's front bottom teeth are coming in.

Thanks for all of the posts on feeding solids. We've been working our way through solids, but have had a recent long stop in Stage 2 foods. Luka will not eat anything thicker. He loves Puffs and will gobble those things up, but if you try a Stage 3 food on him, he spits it back out. Maybe a mesh feeder is in our future.

QOTD: Luka does favor his right hand over his left. He does use both, but always seems to grab with his right first.

I apologize for being in and out so muh these days. I am buried under school work and have been traveling a lot due to my MIL. Things are looking up though-- both in terms of school and my MIL.

[dizylizy]

QOTD-Harry sucks his right thumb. but he seems to reach with either hand at the moment. I catch him using his right a lot more for Cherrios...

Teeth-Harry's top two should be popping out any day. He has been so fussy the last two days...

Falling-Harry loves to stand but I am so nervous about him doing it. He wants to stand at his intellinliner activity toy. but he falls backwad and hit his head. he screams so loud. He did it yesterday and I was almos ready to take him to the ER. He cried and cried for 10 minutes... I have moved the intellliner onto the carpet... poor guy. I hope he gains his balance soon.

[lil_nance]

Is anyone else's kid "eating" them? Connor has recently start grabbing my clothes and trying to eat them. It's not just teething because he doesn't necessarily want a substitute. He's not doing it out of hunger. I hope this phase ends soon. I'm not crazy about having my top yanked around in public. The wet spots he leaves on my shoulder, sleeve, knee (whatever he got a hold of) are oh so attractive. :rolleyes:

Liz Can you put some pillows behind Harry when he's standing? That way he'll have a softer landing. I put a folded comforter on top of the carpet when Connor was first sitting so that it cushioned those tumbles. He hasn't started pulling up yet but I'm sure he will soon.

[NYN]

QOTD: catie definitely favors her left hand. so much so that i have to remind her to use her right hand. someone gave her a leap frog learning drum and she uses both hands to bang it and i notice is has helped her use both more often.

solids: i began trying finger foods w/ catie. she started feeding herself puffs though it took a few tries. i've also started giving her toast w/ cream cheese which she does well with. i also put some shredded mozarella cheese on her tray and she fed it to herself. my main concern now is that i am offering too much dairy so i bought a mesh feeder. i don't know if i am really dumb or what but i have been trying to open it for over an hour w/ no success.

still no teeth, crawling or standing though she has learned how to lift her butt while on her stomach. progress, slowly but surely. ;)

[myshel]

... so i bought a mesh feeder. i don't know if i am really dumb or what but i have been trying to open it for over an hour w/ no success.


I just bought two today too in an effort to get Luka interested in some more solid foods. On one side of it, there is a latch (the whole top is a hinge). You kind of have to pop to latch up and it should open. They are not easy to open.

[dizylizy]

nance-
Thanks for the idea of the comforter. I was putting some of the couch pillows down but the little guy found the "crack" this morning between them... I am going to get one of the blankets out of the closet and add some padding....

mesh feeders- I have two types- one the twists and one that has two yellow "buttons" that need to be pushed together so that then you twist... always takes me a bit to get it apart.

[myshel]

Well, operation mesh feeder was a bust tonight. Luka had zero interest. In fact, he ate pretty poorly anyway. I did smash up some peaches and he ate those.. sort of.

For those of you who have tried yogurt with your baby, what kind did you use? Did your DC like it? I almost bought some Yo-Baby today, but wasn't sure about it.

[NYN]

myshel, thanks. my dad finally had to come over and figure it out for me, lol.

regarding the yogurt, i just buy plain yogurt and sometimes put my own fruit or veggie mixed in there (i made a bunch of baby food and i have it in my freezer in cubes but you can mix it w/ jarred food as well). i honestly only do this b/c it is more economical for me since Catie would never eat an entire thing of the yobaby tubs but i plan on giving her those when she is in daycare (so that i can monitor how much she ate or whatnot). some people don't like yobaby b/c it has refined sugar in it (it is organic if that matters to you). it depends on what your feelings are about giving refined sugar.

[December27JJB]

Hey y'all!

It seems like our babies are getting more active/going through a growth phase. We certainly are! DD is becoming more and more aware of her surroundings. When she cries or wants something she kinda hits me or taps me. Today we were sitting on the floor and I was feeding her, I was looking at the tv and she wanted more, she pulled my big toe. She signs 'milk' and 'more' now. Sometimes she sees me sign it and doesnt sign back but whines as her way of responding she wants whatever it is. The only thing that drives me crazy me, she can get really really whiny. Sometimes when I am feeding her, if I am not feeding her fast enough she starts fussing then screaming and she bangs her hands on the high chair tray really hard. I wonder if she is extra-fussy now because shes teething? She has 2 teeth now.

QOTD: Parker uses both hands but she seems to prefer her right hand over her left.

NYN Congrats on Catie lifting her butt while on her stomach!

[msmarieb]

QOTD: I haven't noticed a preference for either hand yet. Lex seems to use both hands equally. Actually sometimes it looks like they are fighting over toys.

I don't know if I asked this yet I could have very well forgotten, but how do you ladies feel about flying with baby? Some people are adamant about buying a seat (like DH) others aren’t. I don't know what to do. How much is a seat for an infant anyway?Do/would you buy a seat or just hold your baby? Does anyone have one of these:

http://www.onestepahead.com/images//product/family/6448_v.jpg

I'd like to hear your opinions even if you haven't flown yet. We have a busy year ahead of us travel wise and I'd like to make a decision on this issue.

[Nanner]

Well, we flew with Sam, but he was only 2 months old at the time. But we held him. It wasn't any big deal, because he slept most of the time, and he was light.

That little contraption you showed is interesting. Never seen one of those before!

I think buying a seat is the same price as a regular seat--or at least a child's seat, if that's cheaper. But I'm not really sure. Just guessing.

Where are you going? Vacation?? :)

[NYN]

i didn't realize people were so adamant about buying baby airplane seats until i came on these boards. i guess i can't answer properly w/out knowing what "the other side's" reasons are. i never thought about buying her a seat but i am also one of those people that can't understand why anyone would be afraid of flying...i use the "you have more of a chance of getting run over by a truck" statistic all the time, lol.

that said, we are flying to europe in june. we didn't buy her a seat and we are paying 10% of our ticket price for her + taxes.

i forgot to mention last time that catie has learned the most important parlor trick of her childhood: since last week she claps her hands! as an added bonus, she claps them while she's sleeping and wakes herself up several times a night too, HAHA.

[lil_nance]

We're travelling in a few weeks. We bought a seat. It's costing a bit more than half an adult fare on Continental.

[newyorkgirl]

We've flown three times with DS and each time, we didn't buy a seat for him. I think each airline has a different policy on how much a seat for an infant would cost. We are also traveling to Asia in less than a month and DID buy a seat this time. I think it's generally 10-20% of the adult fare, but for some reason we couldn't get it, so we had to pay full price. Whatever. It's totally worth it for the extra room and not having to hold DS the whole way. (For us, it's more of a convenience and space issue than it is safety. I think if the plane goes down, it's not gonna matter whether baby is in your lap or in the seat next to you.)

[msmarieb]

NannerYes! Nashville (for friends) in May, Chicago in june, Maine/boston in aug... It will be nice to get away from this routine!

NYN People don't understand why you would strap your child into a car but just hold them on your lap when your on a plane, safty wise..that's the argument I've heard. DH says something like HOLD on let me get a five point harness for a car, but oh we're getting on a plane and flying? Naw just sit on my lap. hee hee it's funny all typed up. I'm trying to find a middle ground...

...plus if it will make me more comfortable...

lil_nanceThanks for the info...

[December27JJB]

DD has flown 3 times. The first 2 times we bought her a seat. 1st time-DH and I were worried about her safety. 2nd time- we brought her big-a$$ britax boulevard carseat because we were driving home in our new car and we didnt want to check it in because it would get ruined. #3 I flew alone with DD, and didnt purchase a seat. Luckily the plane was almost empty so I was able to have a whole aisle to myself and DD. I laid her down over 2 seats when she fell asleep! :D Although, on the way back home the flight was full but DD was so good (knock on wood.)

[kmack]

msmarieb i just bought that baby b'air vest b/c we are flying to FL on Thurs. i will let you know how it works out. you aren't allowed to use it during take-off or landing though which i thought was weird - i guess they are concerned about someone crushing the baby but it's got a strap on it so it's not like they are attached closely to your chest(like a bjorn or something). and if they aren't wearing anything, they are just going to be thrown around the cabin so why risk that? i dont' get it. did you read through the master travel thread? there is a lot of info in there. also, a friend of mine said when she doesn't buy an extra seat she goes really early and if there are empty seats she is able to strap the carseat in (and not have to pay for the seat). we are going to try this but i already know the flight is full on the way down.

[msmarieb]

msmarieb i just bought that baby b'air vest b/c we are flying to FL on Thurs. i will let you know how it works out. you aren't allowed to use it during take-off or landing though which i thought was weird - i guess they are concerned about someone crushing the baby but it's got a strap on it so it's not like they are attached closely to your chest(like a bjorn or something). and if they aren't wearing anything, they are just going to be thrown around the cabin so why risk that? i dont' get it. did you read through the master travel thread? there is a lot of info in there. also, a friend of mine said when she doesn't buy an extra seat she goes really early and if there are empty seats she is able to strap the carseat in (and not have to pay for the seat). we are going to try this but i already know the flight is full on the way down.

Thanks Kmack that is very helpful, will you come on and tell me how you liked the vest after your trip. Wow I didn't know that about the carseat. I think we might just do that. Althought the thought of carrying the alpha omega through the airport isn't pleasent. Are you not allowed to use the vest during take-off by the airlines or is that a manufacture's suggestion? I'll find that master thread thanks!

[kmack]

Are you not allowed to use the vest during take-off by the airlines or is that a manufacture's suggestion?
on the tag on the front of the vest it says 'not approved by the FAA for use during take-off and landing". so if the airline doesn't read this tag and isn't familiar with the vest they might let you use it, although i have heard most airlines make you take off a bjorn/sling so i would assume they would make you take it off. and it's kind of hard to hide since it's bright red!! i'll let you know how it goes.

one other thing, when i was reading customer recs before i bought the vest one or two people said their airline wouldn't let them use the vest at all - if that happens baby b'air will refund your money plus $20. but if you point out the FAA tag they have to let you use it i would think.

[newyorkgirl]

I was just thinking about this last night - does anyone know when the next big growth spurt is? I know a big deal is made about the 3 week, 6 week, 3 month, 6 month growth spurts, but what about the spurts that happen after that?

[NYN]

so i did a little reading last night regarding airline safety and yea, i guess those are valid points for a seat. i still think that getting into my car everyday is a million times more dangerous but i can agree there are some pretty valid safety issues. that said, i think the most convincing point i've heard so far was newyorkgirl's about needing more space.

growth spurts: i have no idea but catie has a cold right now and she has been nursing non-stop so i keep joking that she is going to be 32" and 25lbs when she comes out of this one. :) seriously though, i remember reading somewhere that kids grow when they're sick and when they're sleeping - don't know if that is myth though.

[lil_nance]

Argh, I had a post typed and it disappeared! Ok, trying again....
I think Connor was eating me because he was teething. We got tooth #2 today. I bought him the Little Tykes 2-in-1 Snug Secure Swing. He LOVES it! He was laughing his head off.

I had a friend who is 3mo pregnant over for dinner. It was such fun passing on my "vast" amount of knowledge. :)

[DanaLynn]

Teething - Any babies with teeth?? No teeth here. I swear my son had teeth by 6.5 months. Emma has none.

Shots - Emma got her 6 month (a little late) shots yesterday and I swear she is a totally different child. Anybody else notice a change?

[msmarieb]

Teething - Any babies with teeth?? No teeth here. I swear my son had teeth by 6.5 months. Emma has none.

Shots - Emma got her 6 month (a little late) shots yesterday and I swear she is a totally different child. Anybody else notice a change?


Lex has 4 two top and two bottom...

I noticed a change after the 3 mos shot b/c they made him sick he had a fever but he took the 6 mos shots like a champ...either way she should be back to normal in a couple of days

[maggieb]

teething: Marisa still doesn't have any teeth either. She does have one about to pop through on the bottom though. Any day now. Helena had 4 teeth by 9 months!

QOTD: What is your DC's nap schedule?

Marisa usually takes her first nap at about 8:30AM and it usually lasts for about 1-1.5 hours. She then takes another nap after lunch at about noon and that one will sometimes last 45 min and sometimes 2 hours! I strive for the 2 hour ones!;) If she takes a short afternoon nap, then she'll take an early evening nap at about 4 for about 45 min and if she takes a long afternoon nap, then she usually skips the early evening nap. I think she's trying to transition out of that third nap, but she needs to be more consistent about taking a long afternoon nap.

[NYN]

which are the 6 month shots? so far catie hasn't reacted to any of her vaccinations but she has only had one at a time and she hasn't had that many.

teeth: still no teeth and no signs of any. my hubby and i both got our teeth after 10 months. wonder if it's hereditary? something freaky and really interesting that i learned from a friend w/ a preemie is that teeth grow according to chronological age. i thought that was so weird.

naps: catie naps everday at 9am, 12pm and 4pm religiously but the length of each nap varies and i sing praises if it lasts at least 45 minutes b/c most days it is just half an hour. although i notice that the older she gets, the better naps she has. and also, since we started putting her to sleep on her stomach she has been sleeping much longer stretches at night.

[myshel]

teeth: The two bottom ones are starting to poke through. It's kind of cute to watch them come in.

Naps: We're not on a super consistent schedule around here. Since Luka stays home with my dad, things aren't very regimented in that sense. Usually, he will get up and have a bottle, going back to sleep in about an hour. Other mornings, he will get up and stay up fora few hours and then go down for a nap. In the afternoon, he naps anywhere from noon to 2pm. The nap length varies depending on what he's done that day.

DH and I went to visit the daycare that we'll be sending Luka to in the fall (my dad is moving out on his own this summer and wants a bit more freedom, so he won't be watching Luka). The daycare was nice, but so many aspects of it freak me out. The whole sippy cup and self feeding of table food (see my sippy cup thread in paenting) are just the tip of the iceberg. There's only one schedule nap time for 1 year olds. Yikes.

Obviously, most of my trepidation comes from the fact that Luka has spent so much time at home that I'm worried that adjustment to daycare won't go well.

Back to reading research papers. I only have 8 more before I'm done for the year! Yay!

[newyorkgirl]

teeth still no teeth yet. no signs of it either.

naps Bennett is currently transitioning down to 2 naps from 3. Most days, he'll take a nap at 8:30-9 am, then around 12:30-1 pm. Depending on when that 2nd nap ends, he'll take a third one, usually around 3-3:30 pm. On good days, his naps last 1-1.5 hrs and on bad days 45 minutes. But he totally surprised me this morning and slept for 2.5 hours! He might have kept on sleeping, too, but the neighbor rang the doorbell to tell me her granddaughter was born this morning.

I usually go to a playgroup on Fridays with a bunch of moms and babies ranging from 4 mos to 10 mos. We missed last Friday because it was moving day. Well, it turns out that one of the babies was just getting the chicken pox last Friday (and her mom didn't know it yet at playgroup). So now all the other moms who went are on pox watch! What a stroke of luck for us! What annoys me is that on Monday, the pox-y baby's mom notified the moms who were there that her baby had had the chicken pox, and at baby yoga on Wednesday, I saw a couple of the moms who were at the last playgroup. And since I didn't know anything about the pox episode yet, Bennett was happily playing with their kids. I can't believe the moms didn't say anything to me. Grrrr. Now I have to wait and see whether their kids develop the pox. Then watch out for Bennett. Does anyone know what the incubation period for chicken pox is?

[lil_nance]

naps Connor takes 2 naps. The first is usually around 10am and lasts 1-1.5 hr. The second is anywhere between 2 and 4 and usually lasts 1-2hr. Some days we have MOMS Club and things get tweeked a bit. Sundays are always a pain because church is at 10am and we don't get home until noon or later so he's usually super cranky and tired by then.

He's STTN for 3 nights in row from 7-ish bedtime until about 6:30am. Hope this continues.

[Nanner]

Naps: Sam generally takes two. One around 11:30 or 12:00, then another around 4 or 4:30. It's interesting, I never consciously put him down for naps at those times--it just happened naturally. In fact, it took me a while to even notice the pattern! What about the rest of you? For those kids who nap regularly, did you establish a nap schedule for your child, or did he/she establish it themselves?

I must say that I am ecstatic over Sam's sleeping habits. He goes to bed around 8:30 or 9, sleeps until 7:30 or 8, then naps twice. And he hardly ever wakes up during the night--the few times he has in the last several months, he's gone back to sleep without my help.

Teeth: Sam has his two front bottom teeth, and as his ped. said regarding his top ones, "He's thinking about it." I suspect they'll be coming through in 2 to 3 weeks.

Last night, I realized that, for all of the new and exciting things that are happening with Sam, I'm really missing the little things that he's outgrown. Like sucking on his toes and staring at his hands, and kicking his little feet. He'll never do that stuff again. :(

[elnelson]

teeth none yet - and no signs of any any time soon!

naps Andrew typically naps around 9:00 for 1 1/2 hours and 1:00 for the same. His morning nap is pretty reliable but afternoon can be touch and go depending on what we do after his first nap. If he happens to nod off in the car - even for a second - he seems to think that's his nap and we're done for the day!

[myshel]

What about the rest of you? For those kids who nap regularly, did you establish a nap schedule for your child, or did he/she establish it themselves?

Well, it's tough for me to say because I'm not home with Luka during the day, but I think he just sort of put himself on a schedule. That's what I've noticed on the weekends. As I type this, Luka is napping. He was just a tad crankers, so I gave him a bottle and off to snoozy land! Right on schedule.

[jki]

Teeth: We finally have two bottom ones!

Naps: Cassidy typically naps from about 8-9:30am and 12:30-2pm. Some days longer, never less than an hour. She's been resisting her third nap lately and refuses to take it, so I've been putting her to bed between 5 and 6:30pm. One night she slept 13.5 hours straight. It was great. I'm surprised she can go that long without eating because she's a pretty light eater.

Crawling: Still no real crawling. She can sort of lunge around and propel herself forward so she's mobile and I can't really leave her unattended.

[December27JJB]

Teeth We finally have 2 bottom teeth. They didnt appear until she was about 8 1/2 months old. Those things are so sharp! Yesterday DH was feeding her pieces of veggie hot dog and she bit his finger really hard that it bled! He made a big deal about it and I reminded him I still b/f her ;)

Naps She takes a late morning nap around 10 then another nap around 2. But it all depends on how well she sleeps at night. If she has a terrible night, she will take an early morning nap, and a nap around 12 and 4. But lately it seems like her naps are shorter and she's taking 2 instead of 3 naps a day.

STTN She was so good but somehow it got jinxed. I dont know why or how but I believe its because she's teething. When we put her down at night we put her in her crib then she cries to be taken to our bed anytime around 1-3 am. She likes to b/f while she is 1/2 asleep in our bed. ;)

Are any of you still using your swings? We are still using our Aquarium swing. DD loves it to death. But lately I've noticed she hangs off to the side and I am afraid she'll fall out.

[Tray85]

Naps - Katie does two. The first one is usually around 10am and the second one around 1ish. At daycare, she naps very poorly. At home, she's very unpredictable. Some days she'll do 3 hours in the morning and other times, it is 45 minutes. The 3 hour thing is a bit of a fluke. Must be a growth spurt? Afternoon nap is usually an hour. She used to STTN religiously and now doesn't. Grr! She gets up at 2 or 3am for a feed.

Swings - I stopped the swing because my adventure girl kept trying to do a head dive out of it...even though she was strapped in. Its so sad to see baby equipment retired. :(

Biting/BFing injuries - Currently, I am "nursing" an injury caused by very sharp little teeth. I am keeping her off of that side (thankfully, it is my "tiny amount of milk" side) and putting Lansinoh on the cut. Anyone else experience something similar?

[NYN]

The daycare was nice, but so many aspects of it freak me out. The whole sippy cup and self feeding of table food (see my sippy cup thread in paenting) are just the tip of the iceberg. There's only one schedule nap time for 1 year olds.
myshel: catie will be starting daycare in september and i am worried about this stuff too, specifically the nap issue. it is annoying to me that there is only one nap hour and that if she doesn't take it then she doesn't nap. how can that be???

nap schedules: catie established her own nap schedule (once i learned how to read her tired signals b/c before that i was thinking "wow, she is really wild." LOL).

swings: we still use our swing. catie loves it. we have the take-along one though and i think the weight limit is higher on it b/c whenever i put her in my friend's daughter's swing it creaks (and does the thing w/ my friend's daughter who is only 17lbs). both of us have the fisher price aquarium ones. my other friend had to stop using the swing at 5 months b/c her son was so mobile he would try to get out of it all the time.

she loves swings in general. the one we have at home is where she relaxes. my dad put on up in the backyard for her and she loves it. we go to the park whenever it is nice out. the picture in my avatar is of her in a park swing. she goes crazy.

biting: catie doesn't have any teeth yet but she went through this stage where she was biting me and she terrified me. has she continued to do it? here are some good tips on how to stop it that worked for me: http://askdrsears.com/html/2/T029900.asp

[newyorkgirl]

swings We packed up the papasan swing when we moved - he tries to sit up and twist around and everything when I put him in it, so there's really no point in unpacking it now. :)

Recently, Bennett has started to reject certain finger/table foods. I'm not completely sure why. I give him bits of bread, Eggos, pancakes, etc. and he eats those fine. He'll eat scrambled egg yolks, mozzarella cheese (I gave him a little ricotta salata until I realized it was really salty), even bits of chicken. But the squirt won't eat vegetables! I've given him peas, green beans, carrots and broccoli and he picks up a couple pieces but once he realizes what he's eating, he stops picking them up. Then when I try feeding them to him, he starts crying and carrying on. So I go back to the foods he likes, but he's too upset to eat anymore and thinks that all solids are yucky vegetables.

Now if I feed him the same vegetables in puree form, he totally eats them up! So I'm thinking that it may be a texture thing? I don't know. I steam the vegetables until they can't be any softer, but it doesn't seem to help. Argh! Any suggestions?

ETA: NYN, LOVE your new avatar!

[Tray85]

NYN - Thanks for the link! She does it every few days. I did yelp the last time and told her no. She just stared at me...and then smiled. I tried my friend's trick and pinched her nose gently. She let go and was a bit baffled. It sounds so mean - but when your baby has a death grip, it doesn't seem so mean in the moment!!! :eek: I'm going to have to end feedings until she gets the clue that she has to be nice. The other problem is that during normal nursing, the little teeth scrape me and cause irritation. Anyone else feel those little teeth?

[dizylizy]

naps- Harry has two. one in the morning and one in the afternoon. about 10-12 and 3-5ish. love it. allows me to get the house cleaned in the morning and look for a job in the afternoon. (not looking very hard but need to look harder now that DH's job is changing...)

Biting-Harry has bit me a few times. nothing to draw blood. and basically a nip. like "hey I wonder what happens when...." I yelp and pull him off!

Swing- but away a long time ago. Harry wasn't a really big fan. plus ours was a bit off balance. then once he started to sit up and wanted to lean forward I got nervous it would tip over....

Stressed-we are a bit stressed over here... we are not sure where DH's job is headed. he basically got a demotion the other day and a decrease in his salary. sucks big time. so should we move now? should we stay one more year? wouldn't it be easier without me working now to move? we eventually wanted to be in CO. we were thinking of moving next spring (May 07) but now maybe better. we just aren't sure. where to live? where to work? augh...

[December27JJB]

DizyLizy- I am sorry about DH's job. I hope things get better for you guys soon.

I took DD to the doctor for her 9 month checkup today. She actually had lost some weight. She weighted in at 19 lbs 12 oz and measured 27 inches long. The doctor said he wasnt worried about it at all since shes eating very well. But if she starts shedding more pounds, I am going to take her back to the doctor.

ETA: I know this has been discussed before but some people change may have changed their minds. For these of you who are planning on TTC #2 when are you planning on TTC? DH and I are thinking not this coming September but September/October 2007 for another June/July 2008 baby (just in case its a girl again I can recycle all of DD's clothes lol)

[Nanner]

I realize this is probably a dumb question, but can you use diaper wipes on a baby's hands and face? I don't know what's in them, so I don't know if they're appropriate for just butts, or what. If I wipe his hands, then he puts his hands in his mouth, what might he be ingesting?

I can get the official Wet Ones if I have to, but if the diaper wipes are okay, I'll just use those.

[Tray85]

Dizy - So sorry about DH's job. Uncertainty is so stressful. But, it will work out for the best. These things always seem to work out that way.

Nanner - The daycare folks do this all of the time. I tend not to, but its probably OK.

[kmack]

we just got back from FL yesterday and DD and I were sick the entire time :rolleyes: it was probably the worst vacation i have ever been on! of course it was gorgeous there, we got in on Thurs. morning but i didn't get out of bed until mon. DD had her first real sickness, she had a fever of 102 at one point and still has the sniffles and a cough. she did pretty well on the flight down there but fussed and cried the whole way home - DH and I wanted to jump out the window!!

anyway, msmarieb we used the baby b'aire vest and i wasn't thrilled with it. it is only good if DD sat on my lap, facing outward and didn't move much which wasn't the case most of the time. it was hard to maneuver her to nurse her, and then my seatbelt actually came unbuckled twice b/c the strap got caught on it and she moved - during pretty bad turbulence too!! the flight attendants didn't even comment on it though, so we could have strapped her in during take-off and landing but i didn't b/c i was nursing her. on the flight home we had an empty seat next to us so we brought the car seat on but she was so fussy she wouldn't sit in it so that was a waste. DH and i alternated holding her in the back of the plane most of the time - finally she fell asleep with 1/2 hour left in the flight! traveling with an infant makes for a very stressful trip!!

teeth her two bottom ones broke through the gums several weeks ago, no sign of any others.

naps she usually takes 2, one between 9:30 and 10:30 for 45 min- 1.5 hrs, and then the afternoon one is anywhere between 2 and 4:30 for a shorter stretch.

diaper wipes i don't usually use them on hands/face b/c i figure the chemicals in them might not be great for babies to ingest - but i did just do it while we were on vacation b/c it was easy.

swingDD never really liked it so we retired it a while ago. she has started to like her bouncy chair more lately, but i have to watch her closely b/c she likes to lean to the sides and i am afraid it will tip.

biting yup, she just started this!! luckily she hasn't broken the skin, but man does it hurt!! i yelp when she does it b/c it totally catches me off guard, then i say 'no' sternly and DD starts crying b/c i think i scare her when i flinch/yell.

newyorkgirl no idea about the chicken pox incubation period. i can't believe no one told you!

[myshel]

Liz: Sorry about the job thing. It must be stressful have things so up in the air. DH wants to move too (CO actually) but hasn't really put a time table on things yet. So frustrating.

Diaper Wipes: I use wipes on the face and hands all of the time. We get the "Sensitive" ones, so I'm not too worried about it. I feel guilty though, because I never thought it was too harmful.

TTC#2: In a perfect world, we would probably be looking at Aug/Sept/Oct 2007 to TTC again. Because I teach, I'd like a baby toward the end of the school year or very early summer. The biggest hurrdle with this though is the fact that I needed Metformin to get pregnant with Luka, so I might need to use it again.

I feel so bad... I just realized the other day that I haven't been taking my BCP since my MIL had her accident. ARGH! That is so not good.

[NYN]

tray: i am laughing so hard right now at the thought of you pinching katie's nose, lol. it never even occured to me to do that. for me, if i push her head in towards my boob it works (b/c it causes her to open her mouth more). at my LLL league meeting today i was talking to this girl about biting/what she could do about it and Catie bit me, little bugger! i swear she can understand me.

dizy: i too am sorry about your DH's job situation. i know how tough that can be.

december: i wouldn't worry too much about the weight loss as long as she is still nursing as often as she should (4-6 times a day...9 months right?) it is totally, totally normal for breastfed babies to drop in the percentiles at this age.

kmack: oh great, i am really looking forward to my trip now, lol.

----

TTC#2: funny you should ask b/c we just discussed this and decided on November of this year. i would have liked to be TTC right now but we just can't afford another baby while DH is in school. in an ideal world i would be 4 or 5 months PG in may 2007 when DH graduates.

wipes: i am probably not the best person to ask as DD grabs at them and eats them while i am changing her, lol.

----

catie had a little cold last week. then it kind of went away. all of a sudden she started coughing (like a hacking cough) and she has a runny nose all the time (the kind that you can't suction b/c it's literally running out of her nose all the livelong day). i feel so bad for her though she seems fine. the doctor says it is probably allergies but who knows.

[newyorkgirl]

diaper wipes I use them to wipe off just about anything and everything! Is it really that bad? We use Pampers Sensitive and I use them to wipe off the high chair tray, his hands and his face after meals. I use them when we're out and he touches something he shouldn't (I also squirt a little antibacterial gel onto the wipe), on my own hands, to wipe of restaurant and cafe table tops...

[msmarieb]

Wow you guys are talking up a storm!

Diaper wipes: Yes, if I wipe his face with one though I use the Lansinoh wipes b/c the are natural and seem to do better with his sensative skin.

biting: ouch! Honestly he's bit me a couple of times both times I've yelped and scared him and he's cried. I find that I get bit if he isn't really hungry so as soon as he's done activly sucking he's off, and also he's more likely to bite if his nose is stuffed. I generally avoid those two situations and avoid making him laugh, b/c then his teeth rub on me.

Naps: I am very thankful that he takes 2 naps a day for 1.5 hours one in the morning 9ish 10ish and one in the afternoon 3 or 4. If we are relaxed at home I might get a third.

Swing...no more swing:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10/msmarieb/100_3306.jpg
and that was at 5 or 6 months!


KmackThanks for the update I figured as much...as far as the stress goes. We'll try it solo and see how everything works for us.

TTC#2: Probably at the end of this year? With any luck We'll have an aug/sept 07 baby

Is that everything? Oh he had picture day at school this week! It was really exciting he also glued some cotten balls on a piece of paper, his first "Project"! How they got him to do it boggles my mind but I was just thrilled to see construction paper with his name on it in his daycare cubby...

[dizylizy]

Thanks, Ladies. I needed some support. It is hard and I am having a bit of anxiety about it. I know it will work out.

Myshel-How funny! WE decided after harry was born that we needed a date to work for. Then we knew it would happen. sooner rather than later type of thing.

9mo WBV- Harry weighs 20p, 12 oz. 29" long. He was perfect. healthy. need to start on vit drops for Vitamin D but we don't have to force him to drink formula which he just pushes away... His ear drums were a bit red but he didn't appear to be sick. He was a bit cranky since it was almost his nap time. but a good visit. no shots!!

Diaper wipes- I use them on everything! one for the bum and one for the face. I clean up spills, spit up, food, tray, toys. anything.

TTC#2- well, we thouhgt we would start in July again. but now we may wait a bit. I was thinking about December/Jan to start again. I know this puts my pg during the hot months but it will be fine.

[Nanner]

TTC #2: We most likely will not have another child, though I'm not 100% sure. As much as we'd like to give Sam a sibling, I am terrified of being stretched too thin and losing patience. I want to be a happy mother, not a grouch. Who knows, one day I may feel that I can totally care for two and not get stressed out beyond belief. But today, I don't feel that.

QOTD: Who has started thinking about the 1st bday party? Are you doing just a small family gathering, a huge blowout, or something in between?

[lil_nance]

Liz Hugs. I know how stressful job stuff can be. DH's co. has had so many layoffs in the past few years. I get nervous whenever I hear about more changes.
biting I've had a few tiny nips but luckily nothing serious. So far he only has his 2 bottom teeth. I'm not looking forward to the top ones.
birthday I've been lurking on the 1st b-day thread. Some great ideas there. I love cakecentral.com although I'm not sure I have the artistic ability to decorate a cake. I'm leaning toward a frog, duck, fishy related theme. Maybe "Party at the Pond". DS loves ducks and fish & I've been obsessed w/ frogs lately. It will most likely be a small gathering. Some local friends & some of DH's family. My family is in CA and too far to travel, plus we may go out to CA in late summer.

We are traveling to SC next week and meeting up with my parents. Looking forward to it but nervous about the flight, meals in restaurants, etc. I'm so used to it being just DS and me at home during the day. We get out but not every day. I don't want him having major meltdowns due to missed naps etc. I guess the good things is there will be extra people to help deal with him. Other than that, I am looking forward to the trip a lot. I LOVE Charleston and can't wait to see it again with DH & DS.

[Tray85]

Nanner - OMG - that is exactly how we think. Maybe I am just less capable than other women, but I feel like I can only deal with one. We are 35, so maybe that has something to do with it? (absolutely no offense meant towards anyone this age+ who has lots of energy) I am exhausted. I couldn't even begin to think about pregnancy again (I was so sick).

QOTD - My husband wants to have a huge BBQ and invite everyone we know. I want a small family gathering because I'll end up doing ALL of the work if we go with his grand plan. Simple dinner, simple cake...done. :)

[kmack]

Maybe I am just less capable than other women, but I feel like I can only deal with one
OMG i have been thinking the same exact thing!! i always thought i would want to have one baby right after another - but i honestly think that would send me over the edge! i am so glad to know that i am not alone (and i am 35 too, interesting...)that being said, i know DH and i both want more children. we haven't talked about another one lately so who knows. we are currently in an apartment now but we bought a summer house right before DD was born. sometimes i wish we hadn't bought it so we could buy around here instead, b/c i am getting tired of tripping over all the toys and am dying for a big bedroom and kitchen, and lots of closet space! unfortunately the town DH wants to live in (where he grew up) is so damn expensive and you get nothing for your money. i can't imagine having 2 kids in this apartment.

first birthday DD's bday falls on a Friday and my sister's 2 kids' bdays are the following week so they are coming up from VA and my mom and brother are coming too so the plan now is to hang at the summer house and do something low key.

[Nanner]

i am so glad to know that i am not alone (and i am 35 too, interesting...)

LOL! I'm 36! Maybe that's it. I'm just not as sprightely as I used to be. :)

[myshel]

Guess what? In one week's time, Luka has started holding his bottle himself and started crawling. Holy milestone week, Batman! Needless to say, we've been chasing him around. Luckily, our house is semi-baby proofed!

1st Birthday: I still haven't decided what I want to do yet. The big hurdle for me is where to have the party. I basically have three options:

beautiful city park near our home-- tons of stuff to do, no a/c
Our house--small, but a nice driveway to spread out in and a/c
my sister's house-- larger, backyard, a/c but park isn't close

As you can tell, the big issues are size and a/c (we live in Iowa and July can get damn humid and hot. We brought Luka home from the hospital on the hottest day of last year.) I'd like to have people at my house because not many people have seen it in my family but...

The other thing is who to invite. We obviously will invite brothers, sisters, grandmas, grandpas, and cousins but that right there is pretty close to 35 people. We also have some close friends in our town that I'd like to invite, but I think they might feel weirded out being around so much family. Who knows?

The one thing I do know is that I'm having a fellow CCer (kdotp) make my invites. I live a few blocks from her IRL and she's a wiz at making announcements and invites. Phew... at least that is covered.

[Tray85]

Myshel - Katie came home on the hottest day of the year too (since her and Luka share birthdays & we both live in the midwest - that's not surprising). Good luck deciding on b-day plans. We have a big patio in the backyard, so I think I'll have a small BBQ for fam.

Katie had her first Easter egg hunt! Even though it was 35 degrees out, she was a trooper and picked up eggs and 1) tried to eat them and 2) put them in her bucket. I'll post pics when I have a chance.

[msmarieb]

First birthday: In between, forth of july theme, not to too many people...I think. I do have the date set though. LOL I'm not sure where we'll have it. I def want some activities for the kiddies. I don't know...

[December27JJB]

Birthday Party We will be doing a Pink and Green theme. Im inviting maybe 30 people but I highly doubt everyone will come.

[char473]

1st Bday: We will hopefully be settled in after relocating, so we will have tons of family around. I'm not sure on themes yet, but I am sure it will be girly:)

December: Parker is beautiful!! I love that pic:)

[heatherlynne]

Hi ladies! I have some crazy news for all of you. I know I don't post much any more, but you were all so wonderful through my pregnancy with Sarah that I wanted to let you all know that I am now a December Mommy. I just found out that I am pregnant and the baby is due on December 20. It has been wonderful spending the past 1 1/2 years with you and I hope to be able to check in often, but I think you all have beautiful babies and I wish you the very best!!!!!

[December27JJB]

Char- Will it be a 'big' move? I am sure you can have a great party even after you relocate!!

Heatherlynne- Congrats again!!! I hope you are feeling ok! Hope to see you and Sarah soon! :D

[dizylizy]

Heatherlynne- congrats! so exciting! Good Luck and keep in touch!

First b-day - I am thinking of a duckie-frog-fish theme too. not sure though. I want something fun. low key. famliy, neighbors and close family friends. need to decide...

moving- still up in th air which will play into the party... so no plans can be made yet...
Have a Happy Easter!!

[NYN]

omg heahterlynne, congratulations, that is excellent news! i hope you can still check in from time to time.

first b-day: we are doing a ladybug theme. we're doing a very small gathering w/ a few kids who were born around the same time as my DD in our backyard. i couldn't invite all the kids in my family b/c if i do that i'll never be able to enjoy myself (there are A LOT of them, a lot of different ages, etc.) and DD will probably go nutso. i'm struggling w/ whether or not i shoudl do it from 1-4 or from 2-5 b/c her afternoon nap has gotten so long, i don't want her to miss more than an hour of her party.

[char473]

December: Not too big of a move, about 4 hours north of where we are now. But it's back home, and I will be near my family so it's a good move:)

Sydney had her 9 month visit on the 10th. Everything is great. She is 22lbs! She is also very very tall, but I can't think off the top of my head what her inches were. Her ped said she would be average for a 15month old:eek: She is doing so good. Sleeping like a trooper, crawling everywhere, pulling up, standing and walking with help. In addition to her 2 bottom teeth, she is getting 3 top teeth, but I hate odd numbers, so this is bothering me!! Maybe the other one will pop up soon and soothe my OCD;) She also says Ma ma, Da Da, Na na (however I don't know what this means), and babbles all the time. I had her and my oldests Easter pics taken last weekend with real live bunnies and they came out so good. I'll try and post some when I get them in. I hope everyone is good. Our babies are getting way to old!!

Heather - Congrats:)

[NYN]

Happy Easter/Passover/Spring everyone!

we went to a farm yesterday (yes, we do have one in Queens, HAHA) to an Easter Eggstravaganza event. Catie did a lot of crying. She hated (in this order) billy goats, ducks, pigeons (only in NYC do you find pigeons co-habiting w/ sheep), roosters, chickens, swans, lambs, etc. etc. she also REALLY hated the easter bunny. the only thing that made her happy was being in mommy's sling w/ her hands wrapped tight around my neck, hee.

anyway, hope you are all enjoying and that the weather by you is as great as it is here. ;)
http://static.flickr.com/46/129595250_49b021a652.jpg?v=0

[Kasia216]

NYN - you had me laughing out loud about your "Farm" experience! Sorry Catie hated all the animals :( I must admit I can't stand Pigeons.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter or Passover!

Jackson went to his 9 month WBV today (little early as he had an ear infection a few weeks back and the doctor wanted to see him back so we made it his 9 month visit). Surprised he does not see him back till he's 1 year!

His Stats:
Weight - 18.5 lbs (50th Percentile)
Height - 29 inches (90th Percentile)
HC - 17 3/4

Went to Miami, Florida a few weeks ago so I thought I would share 2 recent pictures. The ones I took from Easter are still no downloaded from my camera.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/cheryl216/DSC_0228.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/cheryl216/DSC_0178.jpg

I'm starting to think about 1st birthday party ideas. I'm not sure I'm going to do a Kiddie Party, Adult Party or a Combo Kiddie/Adult. I'm sure it will be here by the time I know it!

heahterlynne - Congrats on #2~

TTC - #2 - We're not sure we want to have another. If we do decide, it will not be for another 3-4 years unless an accident occurs but I'm safeguarding :p

[dizylizy]

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter. we did.
WE decided to go to the Saturday evening service, which is longer, but we expected Harry to sleep through it. He was so tired. nope. cried 2/3 of the way through. would not sleep. screamed whenver I put him down. Made a nightmare of the evening. I told Pete we were staying b/c we didn't have time in the day on Sunday to come again. Plus, we were already there-I didn't want to leave and come back... poor Harry. I finally got him to sleep in the little library by laying him on a chair and standing by the door (like I would do at home.)
Sunday was fun. breakfast at my parents house. than dinner at Pete's aunts house. Pete's parents aer in from CO. Pete wanted to get Harry't hair cut a bit. I wasn't so sure. MIL said she coudl do it. I was so afraid to do it myslef. She did fine. Now Harry's hair isn't in his eye's or curling over his collar. :) My baby had his first hair cut at 9.5 months old!

[jki]

Cassidy's 9 Month Stats:
Weight : 19 lbs. = 50th percentile
Height : 29.5 inches = 97th percentile

Here she is on Easter Day in her new favorite toy:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/jki/1b3291e0.jpg

NYN: I love that dress - I just tried to order it for Cassidy but they were all out! I'm sure Cassidy would hate the Easter bunny as well, so I didn't even try!

heatherlynne: Wow! Congratulations! :)

December27JJB: Parker is so beautiful! Great picture!!

First Birthday: Ugh - I am dreading it as we had to have 2 separate parties for Cassidy's brother. One for friends and one for family. This year, I want to have a joint party for both kids and I'm afraid it's just too many people for our tiny house.

QOTD: Is your baby crawling yet? When did DC sit up on his/her own? Our ped is concerned that Cassidy is not crawling yet as she was sitting up at around 6 months and thinks she should be crawling.

[NYN]

jki: my pediatrician gave me the same shpeal - that catie should be crawling and pulling herself up. she is also worried b/c she was slow to roll and still really doesn't. BUT she started sitting at 5.5 months and loves to just sit there and watch. she also doesn't like to stand up. if we try to put her feet on the ground she bends her legs to sit. i honestly wasn't too worried. then i started thinking about it and i started to panic. then i started to research it and now i am back to not worrying about it. babies aren't even supposed to start crawling on average until 9 or 10 months. here is a good link w/ some milestones that made me feel more comfortable: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/firstyearoflife/firstyeardevelopment.html

i am really mad w/ my pediatrician about this b/c i feel like she is just trying to cover her own ass. plus, i feel like she is totally ignoring the fact that catie is really advanced verbally compared to other kids her age. she was recommending physical therapy for me but i am going to wait until i come back from spain to look into that (she will be 11 months).

eta: i meant to comment that cassidy has the best smile. :D

[Tray85]

QOTD - Katie just started crawling the last few days. That is SO annoying about pediatricians. You would think that they would realize that the charts are guidelines and not hard & fast rules. Her 9 month WBV is on Friday and I just know ped will be asking about crawling & pulling up. Katie tries to pull up, but is nowhere close to really doing it.

Anyone else's little one getting really clingy/temper tantrum-y? She only does it with me, but if I leave her and I am in her line of sight, she melts down. Of course, she doesn't do this at daycare or with grandma & grandpa (and less so w/ daddy).

[jki]

NYN: Yeah, we've been referred to a physical therapist and a neurologist as well. It takes months to get an appointment, so I'm making the appts and hoping she'll be crawling by then and can just cancel.

I think I read somewhere the average crawling age is 8 mos. 'They' always say that some kids skip crawling altogether but I've never known of anyone IRL who has done this!!

The thing that is freaking me out is that Cassidy's arms/legs are totally STRAIGHT and stiff when she tries to drag her body around. This stiffness is associated with cerebral palsy.

Tray85: Cassidy has always been really whiney/clingy. If someone else is holding her and I am in the room, she will push them away and scream until I hold her.

[NYN]

jki: that is a good point about the appointments. maybe i will get the information when i see the ped. on friday. she recommended early intervention since it is through the state (re: free). i'm sure california has a similar program.

oh and just to let you know, I was one of those freaks who never crawled! (although I started walking at 8 months so i guess that doesn't count).

regarding the CP, my little cousin has a mild case of it and is in a wheelchair but she was diagnosed way, way earlier than this. i'm sure cassidy is fine. if there were something wrong there would have had to have been other signs also, like no babbling or difficulty making certain sounds, leaning of her head (although Catie has decided to hang her head at random moments just to freak me out) etc.

anyway, like you said, best to make the appointments and pray that we never have to make them.

tray: catie has been whiney/clingy for quite some time now and i am literally w/ her 24/7. thankfully she is okay w/ DH.

[December27JJB]

NYN Omg I love the Catie story with the animals. I love her outfit and her pink converses!!!

JKI Cassidy is adorable!!!

Kasia Jackson is so beautiful. Beautiful pics!

dd isnt crawling or walking as of yet. BUT she is much better at tummy time I put her on her tummy one night and she loves sleeping on her tummy. This contributed to her not mind being on her tummy and she's starting to push herself back. (I guess you could call it crawling backwards but its more of sliding backwards) Hey, I am happy. She's 10 months old...the doctor checked her out and said he wasnt worried. So I am not. She can stand up if shes holding to something. I too heard that 10 months was the average age of babies to start crawling.

[lil_nance]

We were on vacation in Charleston all last week. It was so nice. We rented a condo near on the beach. The owner provided a pak-n-play, high chair, etc. My parents came out from CA and stayed with us. They hadn't seen Connor since he was 3wk old. The plane trip down and back went fairly well too. I think Connor's favorite things (besides Grandma and Grandpa) were the swings in the park and splashing in the fountain.

Tray Connor has gotten clingy in the past few weeks. He cries if I leave the room and will try to follow me. However, if he doesn't see me leave and is playing, he's usually ok (or at least until he realizes I'm not there).

Milestones We have 2 teeth on the bottom. They are taking forever to come all the way up. Connor army crawls like crazy. He's pretty quick. I wish he'd get his knees under him. His tummy is getting so dirty from the scooting. He's started pulling up. Currently he will only pull up on "Mount Mommy" or his rocker. His climbing on and over me is cute for the first of the 20 or so times he does it each day. DH can't understand why I'm no longer excited by it. Of course, he's off at work so stuff is new to him when he gets home.

[Nanner]

Crawling/pulling up: For the longest time, Sam couldn't roll over from back to front, couldn't sit up from a lying position, and definitely couldn't crawl. Within the span of about 2 weeks, around 9 months old, he did them all. Now I can't keep up with him. He throws everything he finds on the floor. I've stopped picking them up every time, and I just do a once over of each room after he's in bed. I hardly ever get anything done anymore!

He's also gotten really clingy and whiny. He's so excited about seeing and experiencing everything, he doesn't ever have "downtime" anymore. In the evenings, I can tell he's so tired, and I do our bedtime routine to relax him and calm him down for the night. But he just keeps crawling and playing and wiggling in my arms, regardless of how tired he is. So for the last two weeks or so, I've had to put him to bed in high gear like that, and of course, he cries like crazy. I just let him cry it out, and he generally falls asleep in 15 min. or so.

*sigh* I miss the quiet bedtimes.

We're going to South Padre Island for vacation in a couple of weeks, and I'm really excited. Sam's first swim! And in the gulf, no less!

[msmarieb]

Hey everybody! I hope you guys had a good easter.

Crawling: I actually know someones child who went straight to walking but they also walked really early 8 months. I think that the milestones are just a ball park figure like a bell shaped curve some will be sooner some later most about in the middle so I wouldn't worry.

Clingy/Tantrums: seperation anxiety is def set in at our house. He want's momma and nobody but momma. he is okay until I walk by then he is watching me and starts whining for me to come pick him up. He will stand there and call momma over and over again crying until I come back. He hasn't thrown any tantrums probably b/c I give in way to easy.:o He kinda grunts at us to let us know he isn't happy. I think he gets that from daycare.

__________________________________________________ ____________

We are doing well, I think SA has something to do with his sleeping habits being so poor the minute he wakes up and we're not around WAAAAAAAAAAAAA. It's very trying, I'm exhausted more days then not. We will be doing the sleep lady shuffle at the begining of next week. hope it works.

ETA: Here is a Picture from Easter

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10/msmarieb/100_3741croped.jpg


CONGRATS HEATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PaulsGirl]

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA.

Crawling: Not yet. She can stand when you hold her hands though.

Teeth: No teeth yet!

Clingy: YES. She definitely lets us know she does not like it when you leave the room for a moment or are having a conversation that doesn't include her. It's funny though.

Eating: Still only purees. She gags on anything will consistency. Have tried puffs (broken up) and she looks at me funny when I give them to her, and will still only play with the pieces...not put them in her mouth.

Bought way too many outfits for summer, and I can't wait for it to get here! Also can't wait to take her to the beach for the first time.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter/Passover. Looks like we all did!

[newyorkgirl]

Wow, lots to catch up on!

msmarieb - Lex is TOO cute! That outfit makes him look like a stylin' little man. :)

Crawling/standing: Bennett tears across the room now. Sometimes, his legs are faster than his arms and he does a face plant. Fine when the floor is carpeted. Not so good at my parents' home where it's not. He pulls up to stand all the time, and is getting better at cruising the furniture, although right now we're trying to teach him to go around the corners of the coffee table. He's not so sure he can do it, so when he hits the corner, he drops to the floor, crawls around the corner and pulls right back up.

Teeth: Still no teeth! I'm not worried - in fact, I'm actually perfectly fine with it. I'd rather not deal with teeth for as long as I can.

Clingy: He was for a bit when we moved house about a month ago, but I think he may have gotten over it. We just got back from a trip to Singapore and lots of new people held him and he loved it - totally looking into people's faces and flirting with strange ladies on airplanes. In fact, on our last flight home, he was being fussy with DH while I was in the bathroom and one of the flight attendants came by and swooped him into her arms. I got back to our seats and was like, "Where's Bennett?" DH (darn him!) shrugged his shoulders and said, "Beats me." I'll tell you I definitely had a moment of panic and was about to wring DH's neck and then he finally told me that the flight attendant had him. Bennett's thing is - if there's a party and he's not invited, new people or not, he'll let you know he's unhappy.

Eating: Lots of table food when we were traveling. My mom made him a bunch of Chinese rice porridge. He ate broccoli, carrots and cauliflower, noodles, yams, chicken, tofu, spinach, watermelon, papaya, etc. Bennett would nurse, and then scarf down a ton of table food. It was truly unbelievable - my mother would feed him until you could tell his little tummy was SO full just by holding him. But she's wasn't forcing him to eat - in fact, he would start crying if we stopped giving him food to pick up. His favorite were mangoes - he went nuts for mangoes.

Animals: Bennett loves dogs. He just giggles when they bark and lick his hands/face. The dog parents are mortified. I don't mind really - I just make sure to wipe his face and hands right afterward. We also belong to a CSA farm that has dogs, cats, roosters (he loves these), chickens, turkeys (loves these too), peacocks and geese.

Beach/Swimming: Can I just say I love Baby Banz? Bennett seems to like them too. :) Here's his first swim...
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a387/anemone720/IMG_2777a.jpg

After getting accidentally dunked (fell off Daddy)
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a387/anemone720/IMG_2781a.jpg

Not so bad, after all!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a387/anemone720/IMG_2794a.jpg

Bennett has been STTN since we got home. He didn't sleep too badly while we were away, and he was mostly smiles and giggles to everyone who came into contact with him. (They think I have the most angelic, agreeable, eating/sleeping machine ever. My mother told my aunt, "If he isn't sleeping, he's eating!" And I swear he must know to put up a front for everyone else...) I'm thinking the STTN is just because he's exhausted, but part of me is crossing my fingers that he stays this way.

[newyorkgirl]

Oh, yeah, I think a couple people said they were making long plane trips soon, so if anyone would like tips re: international travel with a baby, here's what we did. (Moderators, if you think this belongs in the Travel thread instead, let me know and I'll move it there.)

1. Passport for baby. Not necessary, but I think it makes things a lot easier when it comes to saying this baby is mine and it's documented.

2. Seat for baby. Again, not necessary, but some people do it either for safey or for convenience. We did it for convenience. We also got bulkhead seating - a little extra legroom and we spread a blanket on the floor between us to let Bennett play. I was worried I might have to stow my diaper bag in the overhead, but I've discovered that for outbound flights, the flight attendants tend to be from the country you're going to and are not such a big stickler for those things, but on the inbound flights, the American flight attendants are a lot stricter.

3. When I got to our seats, I wiped down the armrests with antibacterial gel and a diaper wipe, and pulled off the little fabric flaps that were velcro'ed onto the headrests. On more than one occasion, Bennett clamped his/her gums down on the armrest and found that annoying fabric flap absolutely captivating.

4. I make mini diaper bags out of the Ziploc bags that "zip" up - they contain a small thing of antibacterial gel, one diaper, one disposable changing pad, a smaller ziploc (not the zip up kind) of 4-6 diaper wipes, and plastic shopping bag (to throw away the dirty diaper). When I have to change diapers, I just take the Ziploc bag with me into the lavatory. I had 5 of these on the outbound trip (30 hours) and used all of them, so I had 6 on the way back and used only 4. Also, when I got on a plane, I located the lavatory with the changing table, so I knew right where it was. (There is usually only one in each cluster of lavatories.)

5. Things that didn't seem to hold Bennett's attention - toys. We did bring a few silent ones, like board books, puppets and soft toys. Things that did hold Bennett's attention - the safety card in the seat pocket in front of us, the barf bag, airplane Dixie cups, the armrest buttons.

6. I didn't pack any books or knitting for the plane. I figured I wasn't going to need it. If I had free time, I slept.

7. The only thing I packed for me was two 1.5L bottles of water. I don't trust airplane water unless the flight attendant hands the bottle to me unopened. I drank all of that and bought more water during connections as well as supplemented with a few cans of soda water on the plane.

8. I used disposable everything and single use packets wherever I could. Pampers had disposable bibs. Huggies makes disposable washclothes loaded with baby wash. I stored pumped milk in Lansinoh bags instead of bottles. I filled used Gerber plastic baby food containers with baby food and Gerber puffs and dumped the containers when I was done. Earth's Best oatmeal comes in single-use packets. Medela makes great wipes to wipe down a breast pump when potable water isn't available. I use these to wipe clean plastic toys, food containers and spoons too.

9. I also packed all diapers, wipes and washes for Bennett. I didn't know if I'd be able to find what I needed in Singapore and I didn't want to take a chance. The downside is that we had an extra bag to check, the upside is that I had all this extra room on the way back to fill with my shopping loot. :)

[docoNY]

I can't believe I am so out of the loop and that I missed the new thread!!
can I rejoin?!?

docoNY
Me: Deirdre, 36
Married: 6/6/03
Orla Margaret
7/9/05
2:20AM
8lbs 6oz
20 & 3/4

Orla is a very good, happy baby & she was 19lbs 14oz & 28 inches at her 9m well visit on 4/10

she has 8 teeth – 4 top and 4 bottom – we haven't had any new teeth in a while now
crawling – nope – she does wiggle backwards but nothing yet – loves to stand

solids – she has a bit of oatmeal and goes to daycare with 2 jars – fruit/veggies, etc and we are working on the finger foods.. she can do american cheese, bananas, puffs, cheerios, chicken

formula - think we are at about 30oz now - its hard to judge.. some days she is having less and some more

this week she has gotten really good at waving and clapping and is even doing 'how big is orla/so big' though that is random when she will do with with me

she has flown 3 times – 2 times to Ireland and 1 time to TX and we are going to Hawaii end of next month. She is so good we are daring and we are most likely insane to do this! We have a friend that is married and has son there too and we are aiming to TTC #2 this summer so it would be the only opportunity probably ever to see Hawaii!

I have been working full time - M-Thu at the office and Fri from home and I can't believe how fast time is flying by! Orla has also had every possible bug pretty much every weekend this year!

I am on lj – same name and Klo is also so I guess that is where my online time has been spent and usually have more time on Fridays since I am home! Now that I know this exists I am subscribing and plan to check in more!!

I have to get a recent pic of Orla up – her eyes and cheeks are still big and we have learned to talk to a lot of strangers here in NYC - O loves the attention but momma is shy and has had to adjust :)

off to catch up on the rest of you!!

[docoNY]

Orla trying out her new sun hat on April 2nd

and trying kiwi with wheat germ (to make it easier to pick up) on Thu last week
she has got curly/wild hair - its hysterical - different every day!!

[kmack]

all the babies are so cute!! newyorkgirl wow, 30 hour flight?? sounds like bennett was a champ! we did not have a good 3 hour flight back from FL, i can't imagine anything longer! and DD (not sure why i am still calling her this!) started STTN when we got back from our trip and still is 3 weeks later(knock on wood).

DD had her 9 mos. well visit on friday and she is tiny! only 17 lbs 8 oz and 27 1/4 inches. i have been worried since i am BFing that maybe she hasn't been getting enough but the dr. assured me everything was okay. i am relatively small (5'3) but DH is a big guy (6'4 and about 240 lbs) so i figured she was destined to be on the tall side. i hope she doesn't get my short genes!
she also got a shot, i wasn't expecting one - it was the last of her hep b - did anyone else get one?

teeth still only has 2 bottom ones but the dr. says a top one is about to come through.

clingy not at all. we can pass her off to just about anyone and she does pretty well. that reminds me, when we were in FL at dinner she was fussing a bit so the waitress came over and took her from us so we could eat! she walked around in the room (within eyesight) but we thought it was pretty funny. DD didn't cry at all. it actually makes me a little sad that she doesn't always just want mommy :rolleyes:

crawling she is all over the place. crawls on all fours, pulls herself up and cruises around the furniture. she also walks behind some of her push toys, back and forth. she laughs hysterically when she does it too, it's quite entertaining. she can almost walk by just holding one of my hands too. it is getting exhausting following her around every step of the way!

talking she says Hi! and waves to everyone. we have a mirror on the back of the door in DD's room so it's at the end of her changing table. every morning after i change her she rolls over, sees herself in the mirror, waves and yells HI! and when we walk through the mall if one person waves to her she just starts waving and saying hi to everyone. and of course she says Daddy all day long :rolleyes: not sure if she knows what she is saying, but we got her to say hi daddy a few times. and she says 'ow!' too - i wear a rubber band around my wrist so i can put my hair up and she started pulling on it and snapping it so i said ow so now when i hold up my wrist and show her the band she yells ow!

animals she loves our dog and cat but that is all she has seen really.i am dying to get her to a zoo!

[heatherlynne]

Love all the new pictures ladies! I thought I would come and post one of Sarah from Easter. Thanks for all the congrats. I am so excited. :D

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B45%3B%3B%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3246%3E742%3E536%3E WSNRCG%3D32335%3B%3A9928%3A%3Anu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3B45%3B%3B%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3246%3E742%3E536% 3EWSNRCG%3D32335%3B%3A998%3B69nu0mrj

[docoNY]

all caught up in here and everyones babies are getting so big!! and so cute of course!!

so I am glad to hear that there are other non crawling/rolling babies out there! Orla is one of them! we are enjoying it - she does stand though and would stand all day long if she could

and she has the slime issue too and found the crushed cheerios have helped

congrats heatherlynne on your big news! very exciting :)

newyorkgirl great notes on travelling - we have had 3 shortish flights (compared to your trip) think the longest was about 7 hrs and we have done a few of the things you listed (ziploc diaper bags). I will use your disposable tips for our upcoming trip to Hawaii - if you survived your travelling maybe we will too!

*waving* to everyone - happy Monday.. it finally stopped raining here in NY

[NYN]

welcome back doco. you can add yourself to the front, HAHA. orla is so big! all of our babies are so cute. heatherlynne, catie and sarah have the same hair clips, lol. she wore her white one on easter.

newyork: thanks so much for the traveling tips. although i do think you need a passport. at least everything i have read says you do. our flight is only going to be 7 hours there but then we have a 6 hour layover in Madrid. ugh! it is so stupid too b/c we could drive home from there in less than 5 hours. but i guess beggars can't be choosers and we did get the cheapest flight, lol.

sleep: catie has been sleeping so well lately. i'm almost afraid to type this. putting her to sleep has become the most glorious activity of the day. we just lay her down on her stomach, hand her her paci, put her "music" on and close the door. we didn't train her to do this - it just happened. the girl literally fought sleep for every nap and every night for the last eight months so i'm not sure how this happened and i really can't fully enjoy it b/c i live in constant fear that it is going to stop, lol.

[Nanner]

Don't have time for an update right now, but can I just say how freaking CUTE everyone's kids are??? I love this age!

[Tray85]

Such cute babies!

Stats from Katie's 9 month check up: 19 lbs 4 oz, 28 1/4 " long. Her weight and height are 50th % and her head is 95th!

Katie has a double ear infection and is on Omnicef. It is making her more sick. She is literally up half the night. AND my husband is gone for 7 days on business. I slept from 1am to 4:55am today and that's it. :(

Also - I experienced a drastic supply drop over the past week and just realized it a few days ago. I can't even begin to describe how upset I was. I was trying to let my right side go dormant b/c I have a terrible cut that was just getting worse from pumping (I think the cut was from some strange dry skin thing there and then pumping). Well, the left side decided to quit producing when I did that! I have since started Fenugreek tablets, am making sure I'm drinking water & eating oatmeal. I also stayed home Mon & today to nurse Katie as much as possible. I wouldn't have had such a problem supplementing with formula if Katie's system weren't already a wreck from the antibiotics.

Wish me luck getting through these next 7 days. :confused:

[NYN]

tray: i'm so sorry to hear that but you sound like you are doing all the right things to get back on track. are you working w/ an LC or LLL? of course the fact that you aren't sleeping isn't going to help matters any. do you feel comfortable having Katie in your bed at night while DH is away? it'll help you get more sleep but it'll also bring your supply back up.

best of luck!

[Tray85]

Thanks NYN...I did put a call into a LLL leader and also sent an email, but I haven't heard back. I am seeing my OB about the dumb cuts tomorrow.

I had Katie in my bed just about all night b/c she wouldn't go down in her crib. Though after a while, I went into the guest bedroom b/c I couldn't sleep. Musical beds!

Today I gave her the antibiotics first thing in the morning - so she was wired ALL day and only took one 45 minute nap...but maybe she'll sleep better tonight? Who has ever heard of antibiotics making a child wired!??!

I called the pharm. and they said its OK to give Benadryl w/ this med, so that's what I'll do a bit later on. She may not technically need it (she's only a little stuffy), but it does make her sleepy.

I think the Fenugreek is starting to work a bit. I am now feeling let-down a bit, which had gone away about a week ago. Come on Fenugreek - do your magic!

[lil_nance]

Everyone's kids are SO CUTE!!! And a big congrats to heatherlynne!

Connor had his 9mo check up today. 21lb 8oz, 28 1/2" (60% & 50%), his head is 95%. He's pulling up on me and his rocker. Loves standing at his LeapFrog table. I'll be happy when he starts pulling up on other things. I get tired of being a jungle gym. Of course, I'm sure he'll end up getting into more and I'll wish he was back to just sitting on his butt. :D

[DanaLynn]

All the babies are just beautiful :)
Emma had her 9 month visit here are her stats

weight - 16lbs. 3oz.
height - 27 3/8 inches

No Vax's this trip. They just pricked her finger for an iron test. She did not make a peep. Her brother on the other hand was hysterical and nobody touched him. :rolleyes:

Congratulations HeatherLynne.

[heatherlynne]

Thank you everyone!!! :D I'm still beaming!!!!

NYN- Those hair clips are the BEST! Sarah hardly has any hair, and those things will stay in all day!!!! She is just getting to the point where she knows they're up there and wants to pull them out, so I have to distract her when I put them in.

Trey-good luck with the nursing!!!

Sarah's 9 month stats are 19 lb 2 oz and 28 3/4 inches. She has 5 teeth and eats stage three or table food. Because of the new pregnancy, I have weaned her down to two nursings a day- one in the morning, and one at night. She drinks whole milk out of a sippy cup the rest of the day.

Sarah's been standing and cruising for a while now. She will stand up right in the middle of the room, but isn't quite comfortable walking on her own. She will reach out for my hands if she wants to go anywhere. If she is really distracted, she will only hold one hand and just motor around, so I know she could walk if she wanted to...

The bad thing- Sarah has learned to climb. Yesterday, she climbed to the tip top of her bumbo chair and then made faces at me. She will also knock her toys over and then stand on them to get to the top of cabinets or sofas. I am waiting for a nasty fall, but so far, she has great balance, and I'm still pretty quick.

Sarah loves to crawl away from anyone coming to get her. She will laugh and laugh and crawl as fast as she can if you start to walk toward her. It is hilarious to listen to her giggle and her little pudgy legs hit the floor.

Sarah waves hello and bye-bye and says mama, dada, and will sign for milk. When she falls down, my mom always says, "whoa". Now Sarah goes around the house saying, "whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa..."

[msmarieb]

Hey guys!

Is anyone else giving their baby whole milk? I asked the ped. on the 9 mos check up and he was absolutly against ANY dairy before 1. I had been introducing yogurt and stuff now I don't really know...

[newyorkgirl]

msmarieb - I too asked my pediatrician about the timing for whole milk at my last WBV at 8 months. He says that for normal, healthy babies, his patients can start the introduction process at around 10.5-11 months, but he normally doesn't do it earlier than that. What he means by that is maybe give baby liquid that is 25% whole milk, 75% EBM/formula for a few weeks, then move to 50/50, etc. so that eventually baby can go to 100% whole milk in a couple months. For any babies with a possible dairy sensitivity, he sometimes even holds off until 14-15 months.

Dairy products like yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese are different. They have been processed such that the milk proteins have been broken down or an agent is present (like acidophilus) to help break down the proteins, which is why they can be introduced earlier than plain milk.

Bennett had a dairy/soy sensitivity very early on, although he's done pretty well with yogurt/cheese/cottage cheese. I've got plenty of EBM in the freezer and I'm not in any hurry to wean him - in fact, I feel like I'm only just now getting into the BFing groove! - so I'm going to hold off on any whole milk until after his 1st birthday.

[myshel]

Tray: Sorry to hear Katie is sick. I bet with your DH being gone, this is a huge pain.

DH has been gone for over a week and will return home this weekend (gone 11 days total). Things have gone well thus far. I've been lucky because Luka has been an angel. We did have the issue with the yeast infection that at the world late last week, but that's clearing up nicely.

Of course, with DH being gone, we've developed a few "bad" habits. Before DH left, we had been putting Luka down awake at bedtime. To save my sanity, however, I've been rocking Luka to sleep. What can I say? I'm a pushover!

Luka crawls like a champ and has started pulling up on just about everything. He's even learned how to navigate the stairs. Unfortunately, this means that he's also rolled off the stairs. He hort nothing except his pride.

Luka's been eating well too. He's on to Stage 3 foods and some table food (yogurt, cottage cheese, green beans, hash browns, peaches, pears, cheese). He doesn't seem to be very keen on water though. He won't take it in a sippy or in a bottle. Argh! I don't want to give him juice, so I'm not sure what we'll do with this.

A recent picture of Luka:
http://static.flickr.com/40/125689133_8d89ad7d91.jpg?v=0

[char473]

What adorable babies!! I can't believe the big "1" is right around the corner!

Food/Milk: Her ped gave the ok to try whole milk, but she is on soy formula, so I was hesitant, and rightfully so. It totally constipated and hurt her tummy. So we will finish the formula we have, then maybe try soy milk. But I am in no hurry as I did not try milk on my oldest till she was 1. But she eats mostly table food now, and will try anything.:)

Speaking of one, I am starting to plan the party. I know it will benefit the adults more, but I can't wait to have her tear into her cake. We are going to have a princess theme, with lots of family and food at our house, BBQ and lounge by the pool!

And since I mentioned pools, We too just let her into it. She was hesitant at first, but now LOVES it. She has a floaty tube thingy with a shade and she just bops around. She is also so close to walking it is scary. Here are some pics:

Pool time:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e257/char473/Picture072.jpg

And this is what happens when you get 6 teeth at once!! (for a total of 8):eek:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e257/char473/Picture081.jpg

Take care!

[NYN]

catie's 9 month stats:
weight: 20lbs
height: 29.5 inches

she got her second DTaP vaccination and her leg is all bruised. my DH keeps making me take pictures of it but it actually looks a lot better. next month is probably the last time we are going to see this pediatrician and then we are moving to a new practice after we get back from vacation.

myshel: either i have not seen a recent picture of luka or he got REALLY big. omg, it is crazy how fast these kids are growing!

here is a picture of catie w/ my dog (the ONLY animal she likes. and she really, really likes him but anything else that is not human and moves? get it away from her. fast!):
http://static.flickr.com/53/135637425_5b973b90d8.jpg?v=0

eta: char we cross posted but omg sydney is such a big girl too! this is crazy!

[char473]

NYN: I know!! I think Syd might be one of the biggest so far, she is 22.6 lbs and 30 1/4 inches! Holey Moley my girl can eat:) Catie is so adorable, and already a fashionista;)

Anyone tried Baby Legs? I just ordered some the other day, and so far I love them! She crawls so fast that she gets carpet chafing on her legs, and these little things help big time. Plus they are so darn cute.

[msmarieb]

msmarieb - I too asked my pediatrician about the timing for whole milk at my last WBV at 8 months. He says that for normal, healthy babies, his patients can start the introduction process at around 10.5-11 months, but he normally doesn't do it earlier than that. What he means by that is maybe give baby liquid that is 25% whole milk, 75% EBM/formula for a few weeks, then move to 50/50, etc. so that eventually baby can go to 100% whole milk in a couple months. For any babies with a possible dairy sensitivity, he sometimes even holds off until 14-15 months.

Dairy products like yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese are different. They have been processed such that the milk proteins have been broken down or an agent is present (like acidophilus) to help break down the proteins, which is why they can be introduced earlier than plain milk.

Bennett had a dairy/soy sensitivity very early on, although he's done pretty well with yogurt/cheese/cottage cheese. I've got plenty of EBM in the freezer and I'm not in any hurry to wean him - in fact, I feel like I'm only just now getting into the BFing groove! - so I'm going to hold off on any whole milk until after his 1st birthday.

WOW! thanks for the info on the whole milk vs dairy! While i had no idea why they were difft. I instinctivly thought it was OK. But DH was at the visit and the doc's word is bond to him so he is freaking out about the yogurt! I had planned on slowly weaning him on to whole milk b/c I didn't see the point in weaning him on to formula then weaning him on to whole milk...shoot that's too much weaning! LOL


myshel Lukas face is looks so much older now then the last picture. People tell me that about lex but I can't see it. But I can def. see that he looks more like a toddler and less like a little baby.

char473 what a cutie! I too am planning a birthday blow out. I am bbqing as well, I've actually started working on the invitations...they are a bit labor intensive but worth it:D

NYN aww how cute is she??


Hello to everyone else, I can't believe I actually had time to do personals and quotes! go me!

[heatherlynne]

Milk-My ped had a different opinion of the whole milk situation. I was breastfeeding Sarah 5-7 times a day and then found out I was pregnant. During pregnancy, the breastmilk has the tendency to change flavor, and then at the end, turn into colostrum again for the new baby.

He (the ped) left the final decision up to me and my midwife, but told me that the amount of calories and energy that it takes to breastfeed and also to support the pregnancy would potentially drain me to the point of exhaustion. He said I wasn't doing either kid any favors by wearing myself out and that he would be fine with giving a limited amount of whole milk based on Sarah's situation. He also mentioned that it would be a pain to wean her twice (once from the breast, and then once from the formula).

I decided to try it because Sarah was already attempting to wean out some of her day-time nursings, is eating mostly table food, does not take a bottle anymore, and was already getting whole milk in a sippy cup in addition to the breastfeeding. Starting the next day, I just offered her whole milk when I would usually nurse her and it's been that way ever since. I still nurse her twice per day (when she wakes up and before bedtime) and that will continue until she is at least a year old, unless she drops those herself before that time.

The problem with whole milk is not only an allergy situation, but also that the whole milk does not give the babies that nutrition that they would get from breastmilk or formula. You have to find a way to supplement that nutrition and make sure the kid stays healthy if you are going to start whole milk. I really think it has to do with the kid and the ped, so check it out with the dr before you do it...

[newyorkgirl]

msmarieb I didn't see the point in weaning him on to formula then weaning him on to whole milk I agree with you there. We should only have to wean once! :)The problem with whole milk is not only an allergy situation, but also that the whole milk does not give the babies that nutrition that they would get from breastmilk or formula heatherlynne is correct, whole milk is not as nutritious. As it is, Bennett is starting to not be interested in nursing during the day and I am going to cut back on the table food so that he'll nurse more. He doesn't have weight gain problems, but he is on the smaller side so I want to make sure he gets as much nutrition as possible.

[lil_nance]

milk/dairy I was allergic to milk as a baby so we are holding off until at least 1yr. However, I have started to wean Connor to formula. So far I've had no problem. He still nurses in the morning and before bed. He has 2 bottles, one before each nap, for a total of 12-14oz of formula. I think he looks at formula as just another solid. He hasn't met a solid he doesn't like so far. ;) We are using Similac Advance which is milk based but I'm still holding off on the cheeses, yogurt, etc. I am thinking that I need to change the bottles to after naps so that he's not dependent on them to get to sleep. But at this point, I just don't want to mess with his sleep in any way.

[kmack]

wow, DD really is the smallest one so far (although i forgot to mention that her head is in the 95th percentile!). i hope she hits a growth spurt soon :rolleyes: anyway, i just realized i have not officially introduced you to her!

here are a few pictures of ava:

this was from xmas but it is still my favorite picture of her i think!
http://images1.snapfish.com/346946376%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3239%3E5%3C6%3E538%3EWSNR CG%3D323368%3B93663%3Bnu0mrj

more recent shot
http://images1.snapfish.com/346946376%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3239%3E5%3C6%3E538%3EWSNR CG%3D323368%3B8%3C9%3B95nu0mrj

Easter
http://images1.snapfish.com/3469462%3B7%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D3239%3E5%3C6%3E538%3EWS NRCG%3D323368%3B8%3C%3B833nu0mrj

9 month portrait
http://images1.snapfish.com/3469462%3B7%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3239%3E5%3C6%3E538%3EWS NRCG%3D323368%3B8%3B%3B3%3A3nu0mrj

i hadn't even thought of having to wean off the breast, then off formula soon afterwards to do milk. i have been thinking about cutting back on BFing so i can get my period back in time to TTC (although heatherlynne it looks like it happened for you anyway!). i'd like no more than 2 years in between siblings but we are also cramped for space where we live. plus, i am not getting any younger and i am dreading all the tests they will want to do now that i am over 35.

can you continue to do formula after 1 year?

[lil_nance]

kmack Ava has the most beautiful eyes. Yes, I believe you can continue formula beyond a year. I plan on weaning over to milk between 12-15mo if all goes well. And the tests for over 35 while recommended are not required. I turned 35 about 2wk into my preg. I opted not to have the amnio as I felt the risk outweighed the benefits. I had the most comprehensive blood tests and ultrasounds I could since they were not invasive procedures.

[kmack]

thanks for the info lilnance. we did not do any testing before ava was born since i am such a worrier i did not need the added stress, along with the fact that i knew 3 people who got positive results on various test and their babies turned out fine. i don't think i could get an amnio, i hate needles so i would probably pass out during the procedure! i have a hard enough time getting my finger pricked. we will probably do more testing for the next one though just to be safe, but i know it will cause a lot of worrying.

and luckily ava got her dad's eyes!! mine are brown and i was crossing my fingers that hers would be blue :D

ETA: do they automatically send you for more ultrasounds if you are over 35? we probably had 6 with ava b/c she only had 2 vessels in her umbilical cord instead of the normal 3 so they wanted to make sure there were no other 'defects' and that she was growing well. then she got really big so they continued to do them to estimate her weight - they thought she was going to be close to 10 lbs! and look at her now, she is just a peanut.

[Nanner]

ETA: do they automatically send you for more ultrasounds if you are over 35?

This was the case for me. I turned 35 the month we conceived, and I had two u/s by week 10, one when I had my nuchal translucency screening, the "big" one, and then one toward the end, around 35 weeks. That makes 5. I also had had a large fibroid in the past, as well as GD, so those both put me at a higher risk as well, so that might have been a factor too.

kmack, my little boy is pretty small, too! At his 9 month checkup, he was 17.5 lbs (25th percentile), and his head was in the 10th percentile! I jokingly asked if I need to be concerned about intelligence. :)

[msmarieb]

HEY everybody!!!!!!!! Kmack she is so cute what a doll!

Milkmy answer came in the mail! I got a package from enfamil of this new "next step" formula for babies 9 to 24 months, it has all the vitamin D of whole milk but with the iron, and other things that you need to get from formula. I think I'll go with that and then transition to whole milk when I feel like it...

[docoNY]

I turned 35 a couple weeks after I got pg too and turned down the amnio and the AFP test (think that was the name of it). I did do the nuchal/u/s but then never got the blood test part results (and decided to not chase them down)

we are going to TTC#2 soon and I don't plan on doing the amnio/testing again.. maybe if I was 40 something I would be more concerned.. and I don't know what I would do with the info anyway.. I think the tests freak us out more than help!

I can't remember how many u/s I had but it was more than 2 - had a lot of NST at the end too due to bp

love seeing all the pics!! soooo cute!! :)
TGIF

ETA milk - our ped said to start phasing O to whole milk shortly before her bday - she is on similac advanced which is milk based and we have been giving her american cheese & yogurt and she seems to have little bumps on her cheeks so currently experimenting - no dairy other than formula for a few days, see if it clears up and then give her cheese again to see if it comes back.. she loves the cheese so I am hoping she doesn't have issues :(

[char473]

Well we are now in the middle of our first gastro bug:( My poor baby girl started the day puking and puking and puking, and then went to pooping and pooping and pooping. She feels so bad:( I finally got her to sleep but I know I will not sleep a wink tonight due to the fact that I will be checking on her every 5 mins. So not a fun thing this little bug:mad: Hopefully this will fly by and tommorrow she will feel all better!!

[Tray85]

Char - So sorry about your daughter's illness. Sounds like that roto virus (sp?) thing that went around our day care like wildfire. I'm sure you are watching for dehydration. If it is that virus, just a head's up - the parents said that they thought the baby would be getting better and then there would be a 2nd phase of it! Not to worry you, just want to pass along what I heard.

Thanks for the well wishes everyone. Katie is doing better now that her daddy is home. I'm doing better as well. Turns out a lot of my problems were caused by yeast! Ugh!

In desparation, I tried formula on Friday. She BATTED the bottle to the floor and grimaced. She would NOT take the bottle again. So much for that. Come on one year!!

[char473]

Thanks Tray:) Glad your DH is home!


Thankfully one of my good friend is a pediatrician so he gave lots of helpful hints. She it doing 100% better. We think it was Roto. I hope I didn't bring it home from work. I always try so hard to stay "clean" and never bring my work clothes past the laundry room:( Though she was close to going to the ER, she thankfully stopped vomiting sat. evening, and was able to keep down some pedialyte. But it took it's toll on her little body and sunday she just wanted mommy to hold her:( And today she is my little spitfire motion girl again:) But ugh, my heart was breaking for her.

[NYN]

sorry for butting in w/out reading....i have a question WRT naps. how are your DC's napping? Catie seems to be napping ALL THE TIME. i feel like we never go out. i have a feeling she is trying to drop the third nap (yes, she is still napping 3 times) but she isn't sure how to do it. typical day for us is:

-wake up at 7am.
-first nap at 9am
-wake up at 11am
-asking for another nap at 1pm
-wake up at 3:30 or 4pm
-asking for another nap by 5:30????

this last one is the one that kills me. i feel like we can't enjoy the day b/c she is always napping. i tried forcing her to skip it yesterday (by giving her her bath earlier) but that put her in bed at 6pm and she slept until 7:30 this morning!

any ideas?

[char473]

NYN: Syd has a pretty set schedule.

6-7 am wake up, get a bottle then play

8:30-9:00 - breakfast

9:00-9:30 - 1st nap This is the most important one, and the one we try to not skip, or she will be cranky!!

11:30-12:00pm up for bottle and play

2:00-2:30 pm Lunch

3:00-3:30 pm down for 2nd nap, but does not need to if we need to run out
and she is usually up by 4:30 or 5:00 to play.

5:30 pm - Dinner then playtime!


7:00 pm - start bath then bedtime.

Sorry for mapping it all out, just thought I'd relate the day to you. Sorry you are having nap happy issues:( I really can't think of any ideas except maybe to find a "regular" afternoon ritual to help replace the last nap (she may be cranky at first but maybe she will get used to it), then when she is used to not napping, you can free up that time for anything?? I hope you can find something:)

[newyorkgirl]

Wait, NYN, you are complaining because Catie is sleeping??? ;)

Bennett dropped his 3rd nap between 8 and 9 months - or, rather, I started to transition him to 2 naps only. For a while, I had to put him to bed earlier - he was going to bed at 6-6:30 every night and getting up at about 6:30-7 am. After we got back from our trip, he shifted to 7-7, often waking up between 7:30-8 am. And now he takes 2 solid naps, one around 9-9:30 and another one sometime around 1:30-2 pm. The morning one lasts longer (usually 1.5-2.5 hrs long) and the afternoon nap is more of a crapshoot and is maybe 1-1.5 hrs long. I usually try to push the start of the afternoon nap closer to 2 pm because it's shorter. As for going somewhere, I generally stick around home until after his morning nap. If we have to be somewhere, best case scenario is that I run my errands in between the morning and afternoon nap. But if that's not possible, I'll either sacrifice his afternoon nap or try to get him to take it in the car. We do lots of walks between naps too. But as you know, my DS loves his sleep, so I don't skip naps often! :)

[dizylizy]

Augh- so I had an interview today. not sure I will get it but it does sound interesting. I want to be a SAHM but we need a bit more money. ANd we want to move to DEnver soon. so any job I take here will not be for long (I hope) but then I don't want to work either!
Any one else in this crazy prediciment? I love staying home with Harry but I worked so hard for my degree that it seems a waste to not work. But then again, I have done everything I wanted to do when I left college.... decisions, decisions. I should stop fretting, I haven't been offered the job yet...

Naps-HArry has been napping so weird. He will wake up at 6:30 screaming for food, so I nurse him in bed, we play for a bit then fall back asleep until about 9am. then he wakes up. Nap at 11-11:30 for 90+ min. then up for 2+ hours. so nap at 3:30-4. for about 90min-. then bed about 8pm. Does this seem odd... SHould i keep him up at 6:30 am, then nap at 9? then another nap at 1:30ish.... bed at 7pm...

I also try to run errands between morning and afternoon naps. this pushes #2 nap and bed time I try to keep at 7:30-8pm.

[NYN]

thanks for your responses.

we never go out until after her morning nap is over (except for today b/c we have LLL). but i don't have those issues w/ Catie in the sense that she will sleep wherever she is. i can't tell you how many times she napped during playgroup despite other kids screaming and attempting to crawl on her. in that sense we have always been lucky.

i did put her to bed at 6pm one night but i didn't want to keep doing it b/c, honestly, i am always alone (DH gets home so late) and i get so bored without her. i would really like bedtime to be between 7 and 8 if possible but i guess i should just suck it up and do this for her.

anyway, thanks for your advice.

oh and dizy, i don't know the correct answer but i can tell you that catie and i used to have a similar schedule for the longest time. she would nurse around 6ish and then we would "sleep in" until 9am. it was glorious, lol.

[newyorkgirl]

NYN, the early bedtime won't be forever - probably only a month or so while she adjusts from three naps to two. And she'll be able to go longer stretches between sleep, so you will have longer periods of time to be out and about.

[char473]

Anyone else 1st birthday obsessed? I have decided to do a Luau theme (a girly Luau, mostly pink ;) ). We'll grill some burgers and dogs, I'll lay out an hor d'hoerves spread, and or course we will have CAKE!! I have been shopping for goody bags for the kids, and am loving orientaltrading.com. My DH thinks that I'm crazy, but I am really looking forward to this. Plus family will be here. Just curious if anyone else has gotten the birthday bug:)

[dizylizy]

Oh, yes. I am planning arubber duckie theme. should be cute. I love looking and finding new ideas. If our cardds go right, this might be one of the early birthday's where my parents will be here. (we may be moving to DEnver) so I want it to be memorable for us.

Moving- Had a great interview over the phone with a great firm in Denver. I amcrossing my fingers. now to get my portfolio digital and references....

[myshel]

We just got back from our 9 month WBV. Here are Luka's stats:

Head: 44cm (25th percentile)
Height: 28" (50 percentile)
Weight: 16 lbs 12 oz (5th percentile)

Luka's still a skinny dude, but as always, the ped is totally not concerned. I guess I need to just get off my kick about being freaked about his weight. Before his appointment, Luka ate 9 oz of Stage 3 foods and has had about 12 oz of formula today. When he's hungry, he eats. When he isn't, he doesn't eat. I don't know.

Yes, I've been tossing around 1st birthday ideas. I'm still not feeling any one idea over another. I keep going back and forth between something in Winnie the Pooh or just doing a farm animal type thing. I guess we'll see where this goes.

[lil_nance]

birthday Yup, I'm obsessed. It's kind of silly because it will only be 15-20 people max and only a few kids, mainly adults. My family won't be here because the live in CA. I'm kind of bummed. My parents have been travelling a lot. We saw them before Easter. They basically said they are just travelled out. Plus we may go out there in Sept. I understand but I'm still not happy about it. DS is their only grandkid. Anyhow, I'm planning a pond theme incorporating ducks, frogs, and fish. I'm thinking of getting this outfit
http://www.pumpkinpatchclothesandgifts.com/images/LIL%20J%20FRNB.jpg
And birthday ducks
http://www.goplanetearth.com/art/toys_rubberduck_birthday.jpg

[PaulsGirl]

Hey everyone!

Birthday Party I've got it pretty much planned. I love my cake lady so I actually booked her a couple months after Ava was born...:o
The cakes she does are so beautiful...I'll post pics if anyone wants to see.

MIL is making her dress....I have to find fabric. Also we're motivated now to fix up the backyard somewhat...

FoodsI'm ready to move on to bits of food, diced chicken, chunks of avocado, ground beef, cooked diced veggies, etc. I tried about three weeks ago and she was still gagging, so hopefully we'll have better luck this time around.

I hope everyone's doing well!

[NYN]

well, catie's naps are still confusing me. today we were practically out all day and she didn't really have a solid nap other than her morning one (and then dozing off in the car and again in her stroller at the park) but she begged to go to bed at 7pm (we came home and a little late and i tried putting her in the bathtub but she just wanted to nurse and sleep). oh well, we'll figure it out soon enough. and then of course we'll go to spain for a month and have to figure it all out again, lol.

birthday party: we are doing a ladybug theme. small party in our yard. i pretty much planned it all out already.

finger food: catie never did the mashed food and she has been doing finger food for about a month now in really small quantities. she loves feeding herself and she is a big fan of chewing (and showing you that she is chewing, lol). she is slowly learning. i am still not offering her a lot of food. she basically eats small quantities of whatever i am eating. lately i have to be very careful b/c she shovels things into her mouth. like if i give her a piece of banana, rather than gum it she shoves it all in her mouth.

also, i have been freezing chunks of fruit for her and giving them to her in her mesh feeder. she LOVES this. she also loves plain ice.

[lil_nance]

finger foodsI tried about three weeks ago and she was still gagging
I read somewhere that if they are coughing and making that hacking noise it's ok. As long as they can breathe and aren't actually choking (ie can't make any noise, lips turning blue). The coughing is part of learning. It teaches them about how far they can put things into their mouth and how much. I thought it was really interesting. I still watch DS VERY CAREFULLY though.

[Tray85]

How many ounces of EBM or formula does your baby drink? I notice that at daycare, a lot of the babies have these giant 8oz bottles and here I usually give Katie 4 oz of EBM at a time. She is usually too distracted to eat more than that.

[lil_nance]

Connor nurses twice a day. He also gets 2 bottles of formula. The bottles are 6-8oz.

[jki]

How many ounces of EBM or formula does your baby drink? I notice that at daycare, a lot of the babies have these giant 8oz bottles and here I usually give Katie 4 oz of EBM at a time. She is usually too distracted to eat more than that.
At Cassidy's 9 mo. appointment, my ped said the absolute minimum should be 24 oz. per day. Cassidy usually has 2 8oz. bottles and 2 6oz. bottles. Plus 3 meals and 1 snack per day.

[dizylizy]

My ped said the min was 16-20 oz. I am not sure how much Harry is getting. He nurses at least 3 times a day. some days 5. I shoot for 4 plus meals. HE is getting way to distracted to nurse. If other people are in the room making any noise, he pops off and wants to see them. so I am debating on weaning in the next 6 weeks. by his 1st bday. Plus, he is experimenting with his four teeth. likes to take little nips at me.... silly boy...

[myshel]

Luka drinks two 8 ounces bottles per day-- one in the morning and one before bed. Then he usually drink two to three 4 ounce bottles during the day. These are usually after a meal. Luka also eats two solid meals per day. I'm trying to get my dad to add in breakfast, even if it's just yogurt or a few cereal squares.

[lil_nance]

NYN Check this out! They have a Catalina shirt. I totally thought of your DD the minute I saw it. http://shopping.netsuite.com/s.nl/c.575156/sc.5/category.72/it.A/id.659/.f It's on sale this week 50% off. Info is on the FYI Sale thread in parenting.

[NYN]

lol, that is too funny. it's super cute too.

[kmack]

those are cute clothes! speaking of which, i am having the hardest time finding pants for DD. every store i have been in is selling only shorts and capris. do children not wear pants in the summer?! it's so frustrating! it's not like i am looking for cordouroys and dark colors - light purples, pinks, white will do! i wish i had thought ahead and stocked up on some of these things...

We only do bottles here and there, but it seems like she barely drinks 4 oz at a time.

[newyorkgirl]

kmack - just an idea, but I know of at least one mom who had pants made for her DS by Funky Giraffe (http://www.funkygiraffe.com) by just using regular fabrics for her PJ bottoms. (Full disclosure - Funky Giraffe is run by Marisa.) But she was fed up with the fact that all baby boy pants seem to be cargo pants with all sorts of crazy zips and pockets and all she wanted were plain pants. So she had Marisa sew up some plain pants for her.

When I was in Singapore, I purchased a couple pairs of lightweight pants. They were fantastic! I'm so bummed I didn't buy more, but my mom is coming sometime at the end of May, so I'm going to have her bring a couple more pairs.

What I'm looking for is a plain white or khaki lightweight cotton sun hat with a big wide floppy brim. The best I've been able to find is the Old Navy sun hat, but the fabric is pretty thick and it's also sold out of the 6-12 mo and the 12-18 mo size.

Bennett had his 10-month WBV yesterday. He's only about 10-15 percentile in weight and his head and length are around 25-30 percentile. Which makes me a little worried because he started off around 50 percentile. But I guess there's not much I can do if it's genetics, right? I'm pretty petite and my DH isn't super tall, either. I just want to make sure that my BM and the food I give him isn't the limiting factor to his growth, KWIM? Ped says he's developing well and FWIW, he's not worried about Bennett's growth. He had his blood drawn for a couple lab tests and they did the TB test.

My ped also warned me that at his next WBV at 12 mo, Bennett would probably get his MMR and chicken pox vaccines. Apparently, it's a combination shot. I'm pretty comfortable with my doctor's assurances that studies haven't conclusively linked vaccines to autism or whatnot, but I'm still a little wary that Bennett is getting these shots so soon. For some reason, I thought that MMR and chicken pox weren't given until at least 18-24 months. Am I wrong? And while my ped is fantastic in pretty much every way, and he did spend the time to tell me about the studies done on vaccine reactions, he seemed to take it as a matter of fact that all babies would have these vaccines on their first birthday. What is everyone else doing wrt the MMR and chicken pox vax? I will likely talk to the ped again before letting Bennett get these shots - with the hopes that he might be willing to space these two out. Even if they have been shown to be mostly harmless, there seems to be enough fuss over these two vaccinations to treat them with a little more gravity than the other vaccinations that we've done up to date (which, for the most part, I've let the ped do on his/AAP's schedule).

I don't mean to start up a vaccinate/don't vaccinate debate. I just wanted to get a little more information on these two shots.

What else? We can start milk now. I originally didn't think I was going to start milk until 12 months, but I am feeling conflicted about how much breastfeeding has taken out of me, physically and emotionally, so I am ready to start transitioning to milk. I'll do it slowly and I'm not starting the weaning process until 12 months, but it makes me feel just a tiny bit better to take off a little bit of the pressure of nursing.

Bennett learned to climb the stairs in our home a couple weeks ago and has no problem climbing up onto the hearth of our fireplace or the raised bathtub in the master bath. So we are teaching him to go down steps/stairs on his tummy. And we have a babyproofing service coming in next week to install the baby gates on the stairs. (We have a complicated set-up - the pressure-mount gates aren't appropriate and we don't want to drill into the bannister.) He also opens up all the cabinets and stuff. We moved all the dangerous items out of the way right from the beginning, but he can still make a mess of my Tupperware cabinet.

Still no teeth, no talking or walking. But he loves to do a couple poses from our Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tots class, and will fake-cough when we say, "Bless you!" He will raise his arms over his head when we say, "Ssttrrretccch!" and tries his darndest to wink back at us when we wink at him. I'm currently also trying to teach him to "Kiss Mommy" but he doesn't stay still long enough for me to show him how.

[myshel]

i wish i had thought ahead and stocked up on some of these things....

I am in the same boat. Because I've tried to be very careful about not buying too much ahead, I end up missing out on "transitional" clothes. I almost went nuts trying to find long sleeved shirts for Luka in March and April because all of the summer stuff was already out and I hadn't really thought to buy up in sizes.

I'm scared of doing that this summer too. I have some 12 month stuff which Luka wears now, but haven't really started buying 18 month stuff yet. Argh... this was seriously much more fun when he was a little tiny baby.

[NYN]

kmack: have you checked target? my target had the cutest pants for girls for so cheap.

that said, i personally rarely wear pants in summer (skirts and dresses for me) and if i do, i wear capris, so i stocked up on the same for catie. it is just too humid up here for anything else IMO.

sizing: i just bought catie a lot of stuff in 12-18 months for summer b/c i figure at this point she is not going to grow as rapidly and that is what she is wearing now. i have to buy her 18-24 month size for pants though b/c she is too tall for her size which is annoying and also, since we cloth diaper, her 12-18 month pants don't fit her big butt!

percentiles and whatnot: i know i have said this before but first off, it is COMPLETELY normal for the breastfed baby to plummet in the percentiles w/in the first year of life (Catie went from the 95th to the 50th in one month) and even for them to fall completely off the charts after their first birthday. this is completely normal. those charts are based on white, midwestern, formula-fed babies. even the WHO has recognized that those charts don't apply for breastfed babies, or even formula fed babies in the inner-city, etc. here is a good article that talks about the changes: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2147863,00.html

vaccines: i too was under the impression that even the CDC recommednation for the combined MMR was 18 months. the CDC definitely recommends the chicken pox vaccine at 1 year and i have heard of people starting the MMR at 12 months when they split it into three vaccines (Measles at 12 months, Mumps at 18 months, Rubella at 24 months).

I personally am not giving the MMR until 24 months and I am not doing it combined. I am not giving chicken pox until kindergarten if it is still a requirement for public school entry at that point (the daycare center does not require it but they do require the MMR before age 2.5).

weaning: god, i am so completely freaked out at how old our babies are getting. i am not planning on weaning catie anytime soon and i also don't plan on introducing cow's milk although i do give her a lot of dairy products (yogurt, various cheeses, etc.)

mobility: catie has finally gotten very mobile and has started doing a belly crawl.