March Moms 2006 - Year One

[phart]

Maura's check-up was last week but...

13# 7ozs (6# 11ozs at birth)
23 1/8 "
40.5cm

IUA~~How many naps a day does he take? Usually as the number of naps decreases the lenght increases.

[JennW]

Wow, WBV all over the place. Lots of growth!:)

tuni - She is just ADORABLE. So sorry about the skin issues. Hope she is feeling better soon!

[MarchMoms2006]

Updated to here. :)

[tunibell]

Sooo...apparently getting an appointment to see a pediatric dermatologist is about as easy as getting a table at Nobu. Next appointment? October. The receptionist recommended that I call twice a day to check for cancellations. Yeesh.

mom - Thanks for the eczema empathy! I'm going to try cutting dairy out of my diet (again) to see if that makes any difference. Oh, and I just saw your question a few pages back re the Moby Wrap...honestly, it's a tough call. I definitely still use it and love it, but I'm feeling every one of Piper's 15 lbs, and she's only gonna get heavier! I'm not sure how much use you'd get out of it at this point. Miss Phoebes has some beautiful peepers, by the way. :)

lost - I am sooo jealous of all Mackenzie's hair! (Oh, and her daddy's funnel cake, too. Mmmm...funnel cake.)

[kat]

Sooo...apparently getting an appointment to see a pediatric dermatologist is about as easy as getting a table at Nobu. Next appointment? October. The receptionist recommended that I call twice a day to check for cancellations. Yeesh.



I originally was going to see a ped dermatologist for DS's eczema, but it cleared up last time with vaseline (after spending a fortune on Mymix, which didn't work as well as vaseline....I should've known, because *my* dermatologist tells me to use vaseline on *my* eczema, after soaking in vinegar & water, FWIW).

ANYWAY, it took just as long here - but they told me at several of the offices I called that if the pediatrician's office called to set up the appointment, they could get me in sooner. So you might want to try that. Good luck! Eczema SUCKS (I have a horrible outbreak of it right now on my neck, with no time to treat it properly).

[losthoosier]

TuniBell don't feel jealous. It is falling out by the handfuls. Everytime she leans up against me I get tons everywhere including my mouth. I brush it all day long trying to get most of it out. My hair is always falling out but not as bad as hers. I was born with tons of hair just like hers mine fell out and grew back blond so I am thinking hers might lighten up like mine did. I am going to try to scan a pic. Its amazing how much she looks like me. Except she has her daddy's eyes

[Kellymb75]

Hey all!

We're home from the hospital. Ben's surgery went so well. In case you all forgot, he had open heart surgery to repair his tetrology of fallot. He was only in the hospital for 5 nights. That just amazes me because if it were one of us we'd be there a lot longer, babies are so resiliant!!

Obviously I'm way behind with the thread. I hope to catch up soon. Hopefully everyone is doing really well.

[phart]

That's great news, Kelly!

lost~~Same thing happened to Aiden...born with dark hair then it all fell out and came in blond. My husband and I were both blond as kids so I'm intrested to see if Aiden gets to keep his after puberty:)

[ajb524]

Kelly- That is wonderful news! I'm glad everything went smoothly.

Tuni- Sorry to here about the ezcema. Hope it clears up soon!

Well, we tried rice cereal for the first time Sunday and Sean hated it! I think I'll probably wait another couple of weeks (when he's 6 months) to try solids again. I got a few (funny) pictures of him though ;)

http://images1.snapfish.com/347646282%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3233%3E869%3E695%3E232486 9786%3A%3C8ot1lsi

http://images1.snapfish.com/347646282%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3238%3E49%3A%3E794%3EWSNR CG%3D3233956876%3A%3B%3Cnu0mrj

http://images1.snapfish.com/347646282%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3233%3E865%3E858%3E232486 5949365ot1lsi
and we stopped after that. I doubt he swallowed more than one of those little baby spoonful's. He hated it!

[tray622]

kelly I am so happy to hear that Ben is doing well!! Does he require furtehr treatment? Hang in there :)

[IUAlum]

phart- He takes about 3 naps a day, sometimes an extra catnap in the car on the way home from daycare.

Did anyone else whose baby went to the Dr. yesterday have to deal with a crankypants all night long? He had his 2nd round of a few shots and he was up A LOT. Bed at 7, up at 11:30, 2:30, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30!! Mommy is tired today!

[klm2klh]

Did anyone else whose baby went to the Dr. yesterday have to deal with a crankypants all night long? He had his 2nd round of a few shots and he was up A LOT. Bed at 7, up at 11:30, 2:30, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30!! Mommy is tired today!


My boys had their 4 month shots on Tuesday last week and were up all that night needing to be cuddled and on Wednesday were probably the crankiest they have ever been. They screamed, I cried and I finally had to resort to vacuuming so that I didn't have to listed to the screaming. DH called me in the afternoon and I bawled on the phone to him. He ended coming home early from work, but of course by then the babies were back to their usual selves. I think that was probably the worst day that we have had since they were born.

Since I am here I will update with their 4 month stats:

Nicholas:
weight: 13 lb. 13 oz.
height: 23.5 in.

Campbell:
weight: 14 lb. 0 oz.
height: 24.5 in.

[JennW]

kelly - So glad the surgery went well. What further treatment will he need? So happy for you to get over the surgery hurdle. You must feel so relieved!:)

Andrea - He is SO cute! OMG. Those pics made me laugh. He looks so mad about the rice cereal! Ha! I couldn't believe when you wrote that he will be 6 months old in a few weeks. Are our babies really growing up so fast? WOW, time is flying!

Hope everyone is having a great day and staying cool. It is HOT here!

[aprilshowers]

Kelly, I am so happy to hear that everything went well with the surgery. I hope that the follow-up care is not too difficult and Ben is "back on his feet" very soon!

We tried to take DD swimming the other day but she was having none of it. As soon as her feet hit the water she'd lift them up and start screaming. Poor girl! It was too cute though.

[losthoosier]

Kelly~Glad to hear the surgery went good and it was a fast recovery.

Mackenzie didn't get her 4 months shots yesterday. She will not get them till next week. Because her 2 months shots were not given on her 2 month birthday but a week later they want to wait 2 full months until they give them to her. I was upset at first as I had given her tylenol before hand to help with the pain, but instead she just got it for nothing. She did sleep yesterday a lot and I think its because of the tylenol.

We have her baptism this weekend and we are having a pool party. I have been doing little things all week to get ready today is cleaning... oh how fun.

[kdotp]

Kelly That's wonderful news!

G's still not rolling over. He's close, but just not quite there. The Ped wasn't worried when we had our visit last week and thinks it is due to his size. His cousin (who was/is also a big baby) didn't start crawling until 10+ months and didn't walk by herself until last week at almost 17 months. He has found his feet though and giggles and makes the funniest squeaks and squeals!

I want to take him to the pool some time, I should check and see if the pool near us has any Mommy/Daddy & me swimming classes.

[heidi0622]

kelly: glad to hear all went well with the surgery. you're in our thoughts!

phart: thanks for the advice about solids - I've checked out the WHO weight chart and he does seem okay for that chart. So for now, we're holding off on solids. I'm doing a dream feed before I go to bed to give him some additional calories...we'll see how that works.

lost: such adorable pictures! Good luck with the baptism party this weekend.

tuni: argh, I didn't realize getting an appt at the dermatologist was so difficult! Piper is a cutie though!

kdotp: Ben rolled from belly to back twice in one day and has shown zero interest in doing it again. He's trying to roll from back to belly, but once he gets on his side, he remembers how much he hates his belly. Ben doesn't even those adorable baby rolls on him to blame - I'm not concerned - I think all our babies develop at different rates.

Its my last week at home. I keep getting teary eyed at the thought of going back to work next week. It really has been a wonderful 19 weeks at home and I'm so glad I was able to take the maximum time I could. We went to the daycare yesterday and met with his teacher. The babies were happy and well adjusted there. The teachers are relaxed, caring and very comfortable with the babies. That made me feel a lot better. I figure the first few weeks will be really tough and then we'll get used to it (well as used to it as we can).

[Elenitsa]

Hi all. Just wanted to check in. We have teeth. Two bottom teeth have sprouted out past the gums. The last few nights have been difficult. Her demeaner is great in the day, but everything seems to hurt at night -- poor thing.

[MrsCantDecide]

Hi Girls!
Kelly, glad to hear the surgery went well!

Lucas had his 4 month appt ummm a couple of weeks ago (after 4th of July :o ) and here are his stats:
15 lbs 1 oz
25.5" long

He's 75%-ile for both.

He got his shots like a trooper, but then the doctor said she thought he was low in iron and wanted me to supplement with formula. But first we were supposed to get his blood drawn at a lab, and the lady there tried 3 times unsuccessfully! We were mad and so was Lucas. It was almost impossible to calm him down after that. It was horrible. :(

Needless to say, we haven't gone back, and we'll start trying to give Lucas cereal a little earlier than planned. We're going to start at 4.5 months, which means this Friday. :) We bought some Poly-Vi-Sol to get him the iron, but he spits it out. It's pretty funny actually.

He still hasn't rolled over, and still no teeth.

[JennW]

heidi - Don't worry, that first week back is the worst. After that you will feel MUCH better!:) Good luck.

lost - Hope you have a good party this weekend!:D

elenitsa and MCD - Sorry about the pain from teeth and doctors!

[JennW]

I have been meaning to ask this for days now, for those who have not yet started solids, how often are you little ones eating? Is mine the only one still wanting to eat every two hours???

[JennZ]

JennW,
Graham has been eating every 3 hours 'round the clock. No bottles. No solids. Just me. Very tiring. But the big news is....

We actually just started him on cereal this week (20 weeks) because I came down with a horrible case of strep throat. He was having a bad reaction to the antibiotic I was taking, so we decided to go ahead with the cereal in an effort to get him to nurse a little less. I wouldn't say he loved it, but he has had several spoonfuls for a couple days now. I had forgotten how messy the first feedings are! :)

Kelly, So, so glad everything went well with the surgery. What a relief for you and your family!

lost, Cute pics!! Have a great party!

heidi, Good luck with work next week! Good news is, babies are very adaptable. Just take it one day at a time!

kdotp, I think Graham and Grant are similar in size right now. Graham just started rolling from his back to his tummy- but not the other way yet. Since he doesn't like to be on his tummy, it has actually become a little high maintenance!! :D The second you lay him down on the floor, he flips over to his tummy and starts fussing. I guess they don't have much common sense yet, right?

4 month shots, We had such a hard time with his 2 month shots that our ped gave DS some Motrin right in the office. It really helped to have that first dose in him right away. He did run a fever with both his 2 month and 4 month shots.

Andrea, He is really, really cute! How funny with the cereal!!

Well, no teeth yet, but chewing on everything in sight, so maybe soon?

Also, no hair on the top yet, only in the back. I'm starting to wonder if it is ever going to grow on top.....

[phart]

I have been meaning to ask this for days now, for those who have not yet started solids, how often are you little ones eating? Is mine the only one still wanting to eat every two hours?

Nope, Maura still pretty much nurses every 2 hours. Not overnight, thankfully, but definitely while she's awake. I don't think solids will change that since they don't have as much nutrition and calories as breastmilk or formula. And it didn't change it in Aiden:)

[ellybella]

jennz we are still eating every 2 hours during the day, and until recently he was sttn or up just once.

is he getting enough?:confused: :confused: we've been in maine for a week at my mom's and since we've been here he's been up 2 or 3 times a night! needless to say my vacation isn't turning out to be one. i thought i'd get lots of rest and help, but since he's up so much in the night i'm EXHAUSTED! i tried transporting some of my frozen supply, but it thawed overnight at the hotel on the way up. i did bring my pump, but since he's eating around the clock i don't have any extra to pump. is this a growth spurt? or because we're travelling? should i supplement with a bottle of formula before bed? we leave sunday, and at this point it won't come soon enough! :(

we have our 4 month wbv on tuesday so i'm hoping for some guidance!

solids? for those who have started or are starting soon what brand are you using?

water/pedialyte? when can i offer some in a sippy cup?

elenista congrats on the teeth, sorry for the rough nights. i feel your pain.

kelly glad the surgery is over and he's doing well.

mrs yikes, that sounds like no fun at all. how did the dr. tell he was low in iron? have you introduced the formula yet? how did he like it?

jennz james is vigorously chewing on everything, i keep thinking there should be something happening. has the cereal slowed his nursing at all?

rolling james rolled from his tummy to back at 12 weeks, this caused some night wakings for a little bit. then he rolled from back to tummy at almost 14 weeks. now that he has the hang of it he rolls a lot, often times right off his playmat! now if he could just sit up ;) .

[yby1]

Mattias eats every 2-3 hours. In the past two weeks, he went from practically STTN to nursing 2-3, sometimes 4 times a night. He's also been spacing out his daytime feedings a little more this week, so I'm going to try to encourage him to feed more during the day somehow. It's been pretty hot and humid here, so I don't know if that has anythng to do with it. :confused:

[tunibell]

kelly - So glad your little guy's doing so well!

eating - We're still doing every 2-3 hours too, and that's round-the-clock. I don't think this kid's gonna STTN until she's 12. :rolleyes:

rolling - Piper's been rolling from back to side for ages, but has only recently warmed up to being on her tummy at all.

feet - Pip has started to discover her feet, but it's not quite the mad love affair she had with her hands.

Question - Anyone's DC still have those dark blue/grey newborn eyes? Piper's have changed very little since birth.

[kat]

Drive-by:

Twins eat every four hours, four times a day (first feeding is usually around 6 AM and last around 6:30 PM). No solids 'till after 6 months, and no nighttime feedings. Occasionally they'll need another "snack" bottle somewhere during the day, but that's pretty rare. Bottles are close to 8 oz. each.

Edit to add: that's the schedule they gave *me," not one I gave them. :)

[ajb524]

Sean still eats every 3 hours during the day (5 1/2 ounces). He is usually out for the night around 8:00-9:00ish, but DH stays up till 11:00 or so and gives him another bottle so that he'll STTN. He's usually pretty drowsy so he'll only take about 3oz, but it helps get him through the night. We did try rice cereal this past weekend and he hated it. I'm going to try again this weekend. I want to go ahead and get him started b/c he goes back for his 6 month WBV in 3 weeks and if he's having any issues I want to know before then so I can address it at that visit.

[aprilshowers]

elly, is she definitely hungry when she's up at night? We've tried just soothing or changing DD and putting her back in the crib and she will usually conk out without food. Have your DH go to him so he doesn't smell you and maybe he'll be content without eating?

eyes, still bright blue, just like Dad's

feeding, she'll go 3-4 hours during the day except towards the end of the day when I'll feed her after her last nap and then again before she goes to bed for the night. She'll then go 'til 4 or 5 in the morning.

solids, holding off on this as long as possible since it sounds like a pain in the tushie.

feet, oh yeah. Yummie.

rolling, regularly does front to back. DH saw her do back to front once but as far as we know that was the only time.

ETA: had my backs and fronts mixed up!

[losthoosier]

Mackenzie is eating every 2-3 hours including during the night which I am dreading because I go back to work in 2 weeks. She only drinks 2 oz per feeding during the day and 4 oz at night

feet: She Loves them, but she is still trying to figure out how to fit the bottle and her hand at the same time

rolling no interest here she gets to her sides and then sits there with her head down. She hates tummy time. She will support her head then just gives up when she doesn't go anywhere.

She can however sit by herself for a couple seconds. Then she gets excited and falls. Her favorite thing to do is stand her legs are strong. she thinks she needs to be standing all the time.

[losthoosier]

Solids: I Tried rice cereal and she was having none of it.

I had a little EBM the first time and she seemed to like it better then with formula or water. We have decided to wait another month or two. She is really into food but only if its sweet.

I am in no hurry, I just felt bad that she is always checking out us eating.

I am planning on making all her baby food. I bought a new food processor and some new ice cube trays. I ordered two books and they plan on arriving today. So will see what they have to say.

Everyone thinks I am crazy, but I think its easier if I make all the food on Saturdays for the week and then just put it in a plastic bag and send to my MIL with her

Question: has anyone else looked into baby signing I ordered a book so we will see

[dec27bride]

Hi girls-
We had a great trip to San Antonio/Seaworld, Arleigh was a very good traveller!
Here is a pic of her first time swimming (in the hotel pool, and no, it did not look that green in person ;) ).
http://images1.snapfish.com/347667763%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3237%3E682%3E%3B97%3EWSNR CG%3D323396%3C987498nu0mrj
And at the Shamu show.
http://images1.snapfish.com/347667763%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3237%3E682%3E%3B97%3EWSNR CG%3D323396%3C9874%3A4nu0mrj

And this is just a cute one I took today.
http://images1.snapfish.com/347667763%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3237%3E682%3E%3B97%3EWS NRCG%3D323396%3C987496nu0mrj

Solids-Arleigh LOVES her Oatmeal with Banana Cereal! I'm only giving it to her at night (doesn't help in the slightest with sttn :rolleyes: ), but she sure does enjoy it!

Kelly- I'm so, so glad everything went well with Ben's surgery. I'm waiting to hear from A's urologist regarding scheduling her kidney surgery, and I am just so ready to get it over with!

Gotta go, someone is having a meltdown...

[Bernie]

Dec27 - Arleigh is adorable! I love her outfit in the last picture!

Kelly - so glad to hear it all went well!

My guys are generally going about 3 hours in between feedings during the day - and they usually eat about 5-6 ounces. They usually eat for the last time between 6:30 and 7:30, and then either sttn or get up once for a quick snack between 2 and 3. Lately they've been getting up for the day between 5 and 6, which hasn't been too much fun. Has anyone found a way to push back their wakeup times a bit?

We still haven't started cereal yet, but I think we are going to start this weekend. I'm not sure if they're ready - but it should at least stop my MIL's nagging for a bit!

[JennZ]

dec27bride,
Did you guys drive or fly to San Antonio?
Where did you stay? We're thinking about going in September for a long weekend, but DH wants to drive and I want to fly!
I think we're going to stay at the Hyatt Hill Country- on the advice of several friends.
Arleigh is adorable!! Love her pretty eyes!!

[dec27bride]

JennZ-We drove, and there were accidents both ways, so it took about 4 1/2 hours each way (it would have been about 4 w/out them, it's 300 miles). If 35 had more than 2 lanes :rolleyes: , it would be a lot faster...Halfway through the drive, we thought flying would have been better! We stayed at the Marriott Rivercenter, and it was great. The hotel was attached to the mall, you could walk right out the door onto the RiverWalk, and the Alamo was across the street. I'm not sure exactly where the hotel is you're talking about, but I do know that it was very nice to be right off the Riverwalk, so that if A needed a nap, or to cool down, we were right there. I had almost booked a hotel out by SeaWorld, and there was not much around there, at all! So I guess depending on what you want to do, staying outside of downtown might work, but for us, it was a lot more convenient to be right there.

Thanks for all the compliments on the pics, I think she's pretty darn cute myself!

[klm2klh]

My boys generally go about 4 hours between feedings during the day (8, 12, 4and 8) and wake at about 4:30 a.m. to eat and then go back to sleep until about 7:30. They generally eat about 6-7 oz.

I am in no rush to start solids - it sounds like a big pain. I have a pretty good system for feeding both babies at the same time and I know that is going to go out the window once we go to solids.

My brother and sister-in-law are visiting with my neice and nephew (who are 3 and 18 months) so Nicholas and Campbell got to meet their cousins for the first time which has been fun.

[Christy5599]

Hi everyone! I wanted to check in and say hello... I'm actually
back to work and have been for a little over a month now. Things
are going well, I'm enjoying being back and Patrick is doing well in
daycare. He's enrolled at one we had picked out before I was laid off last year so we slid him right into his open spot. My company has a wonderful mother's room too which I'm very thankful for!

I am looking for some advice though as Patrick is having issues with
night wakings. He's 4 and a half months now and he goes to sleep
around 6:30 or 7 very well and very easily. He's definitely tired
at this point so I wouldn't want to delay that at all. He is still
waking twice to eat at night about every 4-5 hours (at which time he
goes back to sleep very well) and once or twice in between
feedings. My problem is that he's very difficult to get back to
sleep in between his feedings. His pediatrician said that we should
just let him cry and self soothe if he wakes sooner than 4 hours
since his last feeding. Last night he was up crying for almost 2
hours on 2 different occasions and I really don't know if we're
doing the right thing by letting him cry. Then again, the
alternative of nursing him to sleep on every occasion that he wakes
doesn't work for me either. The other problem is that he still uses
a pacifier when he sleeps so he always spits it out when he cry's
making the spells longer I think.

Any advice? Granted, it's just been one night so maybe we just need
to get through another couple nights and we'll see improvement. I'd
appreciate any thoughts or encouragement would be helpful!

[Bernie & Matt]

Is Patrick doing anything new or getting ready to? I noticed with Adrieanna, who just learned to roll over really well two days ago, that she's been waking a little more than normal. She's usually closer to your DS's schedule, but last night and the night before it was more like 2-3 hours. At this point, it's just been easier to nurse her back to sleep since she goes right back down and it's little effort. I had the same approach with DS and then did the fussy/CIO thing when he was around 8-9 months. At that point, he could find his own paci and was a little more mature to handle things. Just another point of view. Good luck!

[tunibell]

I thought those of you who are experiencing sleep changes with their little ones might be interested in this blog post on 4 mo old sleep regression (http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2006/02/qa_what_are_sle.html).

[Christy5599]

Tuni, that article is great! I read the tummy time article too and while it tends to be for kids a little older, I'm sure the recomendations will come in handy soon.

Thanks for the input, Bernie... he is just starting to roll from back to tummy, maybe that's it?

Last night was WONDERFUL! It could have just been a fluke, but we put Patrick in his crib instead of his co-sleeper. Earlier in the week we detached the co-sleeper from our bed and put the side up so we could use it as a bassinette in our room. I thought that would be enough but perhaps he just needed more space without Mom and Dad disruptions? He went down at 7pm, woke at 11pm and 3am to eat and then woke at 6:30am for the day. I'm scared that tonight will be another terrible night but at least we had one good one with no crying! Progress is progress!

[red_canuck]

[b]tuni[b], thank you thank you thank you for posting that article! you just saved my sanity!! (what little I have left that is :p lol)

Had a big week appt wise for my guy. Tuesday was his 4 month WBV.
My sweet little baby boy...is not so little anymore! Mr. Man is topping the scales at 17 big uns! (16 lbs 15 ounces to be exact). Not to mention a whopping 27 inches. He's in the top 10 percent. Hello Mr. Incredible!! yey boob juice :D No wonder we've moved completely into our 6-9 month clothes. I was so sad to pack up yet another wardrobe. Wasn't it jus tyesterday he grew out of his 0-3?

Logan doing well with his milesstones, has been rolling from his back to his front since 2 months, and has been going front to back for the las tmonth. It's crazy - you can't put him down with him rolling away. I miss the days you would find him where you left him!! Not sittin gup yet, but boy is he trying. All he wants to do is stand, crazy kid :p

Then on Wednsesday we had the pediatric Urologist appt for Logan's enlarged and blocked kidney. Logan's Pediatric Urologist appt went really well :D He was great during the ultrasound, and the results show that although his kidney is still enlarged, it is growing only *with* him at this point. Does that make sense? It was 63% bigger than his other at 6 weeks old, and it's still in the 60% range. So, now we have a 4 month reprieve before we have to go back for his next checkup. The urologist thought we might be able to get away with not doing the surgery until he was at least a year. WOOOO!


Logan is still easting every 2 hours during the day,and has just started eating again during the night. bah. SO hard to get up the next day!! We won't be starting solids till after 6 months, not too sure as to when. I'm not looking forward to the extra mess and work, so might just delay even longer. I'm in no hurry.

I've been dealing with some PPD for about 2 months now, so some days are better than others around here. I'm not on any meds, but am seeing someone. I won't get into it anymore, but I'm wondering if anybody else has been diagnosed with PPD? I'd love to chat. I'm feeling pretty isolated at home with no momma friends, so every little bit of contact helps!

Gotta run, it's nummy time ;)

[kristine80]

Hello Ladies! This thread grows so fast I just don't have time to keep up! Julia had her 4 month checkup a few weeks ago and weighed in at 14lb 14oz, and was 27in long! Here is a few recent pics...
http://images1.snapfish.com/347689%3B43%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3236%3E992%3E6%3A%3B% 3EWSNRCG%3D32339762%3B%3A%3C%3A7nu0mrj

http://images1.snapfish.com/347689%3B43%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3236%3E992%3E6%3A%3B%3E WSNRCG%3D32339762%3C7956nu0mrj

I appoligize if these topics have already been brought up, but I haven't had time to catch up lately! ;) But has anyone else been getting night sweats?? I think I remember going through this after I had Natalie, but didn't remember how long it lasted... I thought by now they would be gone!

Also, has anyone's little one been waking up in the middle of the night and wanting to play??? Ugh, Julia will wake up occasionaly and after we feed her she just doesnt want to sleep! She isn't still hungry, she just wants to play, and not in her crib! This is really frusterating for hubby and I since I work early in the am (5am!) and he works swings and doesnt get home till about midnight, and then Natalie is up by 6. So this isn't helping our sleep at all! :p We have started giving her rice ceral at nighttime, but she was doing this before that...When she is being good and going back to sleep after eating she normally sleeps from 6-8 hours before waking. It isn't constant just some nights, but very exhausting for us! Anyone have any ideas/suggestions to help???

Well, my break is over so back to work I go! TIA ladies!

[tray622]

Not much time, so just catching up with this page :)

red I had mild ppd with my oldest and have been having an incredibly difficult time of it this time around. It does help to know I am not alone. Right now it is sort of a taboo topic with my family since they dont "get it." I mean who really does? It is just that they would rather ignore than talk about it. Hang in there and I would love to chat!

kristine She is BEAUTIFUL!

some ramblings...

Jocey is 5.5 months and doing so well! We had a follow-up with her GI doctor and she was given a clean bill of health exept for the reflux. That is big, great news! Sleep for us is still good, cross my fingers. She goes down around 6, sleeps until 4 or so, eats, and sleeps until about 7 or until her sister wakes her up. Does anyone still feel like their kid is sleeping TOO much?? I am getting kinda nervous. She easily gets 12 hrs at night and still takes about 3 two hour naps. That is about 18hrs day give or take and hour or so. My oldest was a great sleeper too but I dont think she slept that much. I am going to ask her ped this week. We are sctually going on Wed. for her official 4 month visit, very late. We have been in often for her GI problems so they told us it was fine to wait a bit since we are delaying some vax anyway. I am getting nervous about starting solids. I find it hard to find time in the evening to bathe both kids much less feed them! Off to bed...

[tgal]

Just wanted to stop by, so I didn't get too far behind. Once again all the pictures are simply adorable!

eyes: still dark brown
feeding: She is totally random. When I am with her she cluster feeds in the morning, every two hours then after 9am she is on a 3 hour schedule. When dh has her it is every 3 hours.
solids: we will start Aug. 16th on the nose. I am planning to start making food this coming weekend and freezing it. Mainly veggies and fruits.
feet: she has been eating them for about a month now. TMI, but had a nice blowout yesterday while she was holding them up to her face while sitting on the couch. DH and I nearly wet our pants laughing so hard.
rolling: she started this all of the sudden and won't stop now. We are having a horrible time trying to get her to sleep in her crib. As soon as we put her down, she rolls into the rails and won't seem to roll back the other way. So, she ends up screaming until we rescue her. Once we reposition her, we have the same episode!
tuni: Thanks for the link, I need to read that when I have another spare moment here in the office.
Red: I am so glad to hear logan is doing well. I hope you are doing well. I know I had major baby blues early on and like tray mentioned people just ignored me rather than talk to me, so it will be great for you to talk to people who are going through the same thing.

QOTD: I am curious if anyone has sought out a mom's group with or with out your dc? Or simply what do you do when you are home with dc? I am getting cabin fever really bad on my days at home and have become a major shop a holic as a result of the need to just get out. Any suggestions or examples of your daily/weekly routine would be great!

[tray622]

tgal I found a play group through www.matchingmoms.org. The groups are setup on meetup.com. I love it since there are tons of mommy/baby things and also Moms night out to scrapbook, see a movie, etc.

[JennW]

Owen had his 4 month WBV today (even though he is 4 month, 1 week old).
His stats:

Birth: 6lb. 14 oz.
19 inches

4 months: 13lb. 8 oz.
25 inches

[losthoosier]

I do not know if anyone is interested I had a major blond moment and bought two of the same book one on amazon and another on ebay. I forgot that I had bid on the one on ebay before I purchased the one on amazon so I am looking to just sell the ebay one for what I paid for it.

http://i20.ebayimg.com/05/i/07/aa/e2/99_2.JPG


I paid 9.50 this includes shipping so if anyone is interested let me know. The seller said it was slightly used but looking at it you couldn't tell.

PM if you are interested Thanks

[JennZ]

Hi girls....

In case you didn't know,
Amazon.com carries Pampers in bulk (like Sam's)
They have a $10 off code- GROCERY2, plus free shipping over $49.
So if you order two boxes of diapers, with the coupon it ends up less than Sam's. (Especially since we don't pay sales tax from Amazon)
Anyway, I stocked up since I have two in diapers. Thought I'd pass along a good deal! :D

lost- That is a good book. I've had it since DD, and I've really enjoyed it!

kristine- Julia is gorgeous! And she looks exactly like I would imagine a Julia would look!! Precious!

red- I'm so glad to hear from you! I was actually about to put out a bulletin to see if anyone had heard from you! Sorry you are having a tough time. But remember, you are an incredible woman and a magnificent mother and you are strong enough to get through anything! I'm thinking about you!
Your wit and humor have been missed on this board the past few weeks! :)

Graham has successfully taken one bottle of EBM a day for the past week!
We may have turned a corner! It ended being the Dr. Brown's bottle that he has been taking consistently.

Anyone that uses Dr. Brown's bottles- do they have a bigger nipple? And when would I need to start using the next size? I of course have hundreds of dollars of Avent products that DS won't touch with a 10-foot pole! :rolleyes: Fortunately my new niece seems to like the Avents!

[dec27bride]

JennZ-Dr Browns makes 2 larger size nipples (than the ones they come with). I started on the next size up when A started getting irritated that it wasn't coming fast enough...And thanks for the heads up on the diapers, I'm going to have to check that out...

[ajb524]

Jenn- Yes, they make a level 2, level 3 and a Y-cut nipple. We've just started using the level 3, but he's on a really thick formula. Definitely give the level 2 a try. Sean had a much easier time when we switched to it.

[Kellymb75]

Carnation and Similac checks up for grabs. First one to PM me will get them. Thanks!

[mom2amelia]

I also have Similac checks. Two $5 ones. First two people to PM me can have them.

[ellybella]

3 months
http://images1.snapfish.com/3476%3B6%3A86%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3235%3E8%3A5%3E989%3E WSNRCG%3D3233994875%3B54nu0mrj

4 months
http://images1.snapfish.com/3476%3B6%3A42%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3235%3E8%3A5%3E989%3E WSNRCG%3D3233994884736nu0mrj

his stats at our 4 month wbv yesterday:
height - 25.5"
weight - 15lbs 15oz

well, the last two nights he's been waking just once, thank goodness. i'm almost positive he was going through a growth spurt while we were away because on july 14th we made a visit to my old pediatrician and he weighed 14lbs 14oz so he gained 1lb and 1oz in 8 days!

[losthoosier]

Just wanted to drop off some pictures from this weekend baptism. It went wonderful despite the 100 degree heat. Poor baby was so hot. The dress was beautiful but she could only wear the bottom dress and not the over coat or bonnet it was way to hot

This is with her godparents my sister and his brother
http://images1.snapfish.com/3476%3B7445%7Ffp347%3Enu%3D3238%3E2%3B%3B%3E%3A74% 3EWSNRCG%3D3233989569537nu0mrj

and with mommie and daddy
http://images1.snapfish.com/3476%3B7439%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3238%3E2%3B%3B%3E%3A74% 3EWSNRCG%3D323398956%3A3%3A5nu0mrj

Here is my favorite part of the whole day her cake. She loves the song Jesus loves me. When she is screaming its one thing that can calm her down.

http://images1.snapfish.com/3476%3B7445%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3238%3E2%3B%3B%3E%3A74% 3EWSNRCG%3D323398957%3B%3A57nu0mrj

and just because she is so happy
http://images1.snapfish.com/3476%3B7445%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3238%3E2%3B%3B%3E%3A74% 3EWSNRCG%3D3233989586349nu0mrj

[ellybella]

lost that cake looks YUMMY! all of the smiles are so much fun! check is in the mail!

cricket...cricket...chirp...chirp....hello? is anyone out there? has everyone melted?

[kdotp]

I'm too hot and tired to post anything! :p

I am seriously struggling with bedtime. I cannot, for the life of me, seem to get G to go to bed easily. Last night I fed him, read his books, sang our songs, rocked and it seemed he was getting sleepy (rubbing eyes, etc..). Put him down in his crib with the Flutterbye dreams thing and he was having none of it. He wasn't screaming or crying, in fact he was smiling and squealing, he just didn't want to go to bed. Kid is going to be a night owl, just like his parents. Finally, DH came home from his softball game at 11pm and had G sleeping within 20 minutes. Of course, then G woke up at 2, 5 and 6. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I cannot get him to sleep! It doesn't help that it's so hot in our house I can barely sleep myself.

I think we can finally say G pretty much rolled over back to front this week. His hips were all the way over and his chest was *almost* over, he just got stuck on his one arm. And oh boy, do we have giggles! He gives himself the hiccups when he laughs, it's so cute I can't help but laugh with him.

[IUAlum]

I've now been accused of being one of "those" people, but I don't care!
The past 2 weeks we have taken Seth out for dinner and we've been out over an hour past his normal bedtime (between 7 and 7:30). Both times, he woke up an hour EARLIER as a result of messing with his schedule.
So I declared an end to outings that keep Seth out of the house past 7. If people want to see us, they can come to our house. Or we need to get a sitter.
I'm the one who is stuck waking up at 4am if he doesn't get to bed on time, so I feel ok about putting my foot down. DH is with me on it too.

Rolling over- Stil nothing. He's come close a couple of times, but not really. He rolls onto his side from his back all the time, but not all the way over in either direction.

Solids- We tried rice cereal a couple of times. He's not so interested, though he's diggin' the high chair! :D

Loving everyone's pictures.

[ajb524]

I've had a rough couple of weeks. For those of you with kids in daycare do they seem to picking up everything that is going around???? Sean is now on his 3rd round of antibiotics in a month and a half.

He had an ear infection 3 weeks ago and was on amoxilicillin for 10 days. Tuesday the daycare called and said he had a rash that had spread from his tummy to his back since I left him that morning. So I went and picked him up and DH took him to the daycare yesterday. Apparently he picked up a virus and it's harmless, but it causes a rash. He also checked his ear and it is infected again so he's on antibiotics again. He goes for his 6mo WBV in two weeks so the doctor will check it again then.

I know the daycare does as much as they can to prevent germs. No one is allowed to wear shoes into the infant room without those shoe cover things like they use in hospitals. You also have to wash your hands as soon as you come in and they always wash his hands when he gets a diaper change. I'm just so frustrated because I have no sick leave time and I"m having to dip into my vacation time now. And believe me I desperately need my vacation time.

I do have a few cute pics of him though :)
http://images1.snapfish.com/347725392%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3233%3E898%3E574%3E232489 8665769ot1lsi
He is constantly making himself gag because he tries to eat all of his fingers at once

http://images1.snapfish.com/347725392%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3238%3E49%3A%3E794%3EWSNR CG%3D3233989537%3A3%3Anu0mrj
I'm ready for vacation too mommy!

Oh yeah, he is officially 10lbs over his birthweight now. He was 15lbs. 6oz yesterday!!!

He is a total swing addict and I think he's getting too big for it now. Yesterday it would barely swing him. I don't even want to think about what that means because that is the only way he'll nap in the afternoons when we're home. He has also officially outgrown the bassinet now. I'm going to try to move him to the crib this weekend. Wish me luck! He did sleep Saturday night unswaddled from the miracle blanket from 11:00pm-7:00am.

[ellybella]

kdotp how long has g been doing this? maybe he's going through a little growth spurt like james? he woke 2-3 times a night for 11 straight nights:( .

abj good luck with the crib transistion!

iualum glad to hear things are going well with you! look at all of that hair. that's great that he's sleeping almost through. james is waking once a night these days.

[dec27bride]

Hi Girls-

Question-Has anyone traveled by plane yet with their little ones? I just booked a trip to San Diego for my cousins wedding, and DH didn't want to go, so it's just me and Arleigh. I'm not worried about the hotel or the car rides, but I am very nervous about the plane ride! Luckily on the way out, it's just her and I on the side that has only 2 seats, not that that's going to help if she's screaming, but on the way home the only seats left were right next to someone on the 3 seat side, hope they like babies! :) I'm going now to study up in the Master Travel thread in Parenting, but if anyone has any helpful hints, send them my way!

[tunibell]

dec27bride - Hmm...we took Piper on a 6-hour plane ride to visit the folks back East when she was almost three months. It was incredibly easy, but that was a few months before I became her personal pony. :) Are you breastfeeding (I can't remember)? If so, I recommend doing that as much as possible. It leads to sleep which leads to silence!

[losthoosier]

Dec27bride: I flew with Mackenzie at 3 months and she slept almost the entire time. I upgraded to first class so I would have the extra room. It wasn't that much to upgrade. They say that feeding them on take off and landing helps with the ear pressure, but DD was sleeping on both so we couldn't but they do say it helps. Hope the trip goes well

[lovin'it]

Hi Girls-

Question-Has anyone traveled by plane yet with their little ones? I just booked a trip to San Diego for my cousins wedding, and DH didn't want to go, so it's just me and Arleigh. I'm not worried about the hotel or the car rides, but I am very nervous about the plane ride! Luckily on the way out, it's just her and I on the side that has only 2 seats, not that that's going to help if she's screaming, but on the way home the only seats left were right next to someone on the 3 seat side, hope they like babies! :) I'm going now to study up in the Master Travel thread in Parenting, but if anyone has any helpful hints, send them my way!

My DH and I flew with our babies from UT to MI over the 4th of July. It was a super smooth ride. We were prepared as well. Here is a link to a twins message board where I got my many tips. The tips are for twin mammas but, you can get an idea!

http://forums.twinstore.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/20060019...10812431#53210812431

Below is a pic of how we carried the babies. Wearing a Moby Wrap.

http://tkfiles.storage.msn.com/x1pDAdBWuDJe4WhLgueUWyWi0KGS7xBtFZ6ERfRQ2pXjpSPfli QcgjUstCyjymk_sVw6-VAombaWVXb9kbUxjpajbGxfj4NvQ_FymBbxczEg-eVWhDWURmSc2BsKPchOmaMqK9ga8vJ3KY

[jordan]

dec27bride: Nathan's already become quite the traveler, to Florida twice and Michigan once. The one thing the Dr. reccommended was a dose of tylenol 30 minutes before take off to help with their ears. I've forgotten to do this once and he screamed during landing, but this was on the second leg of a connecting flight so I don't know if that had anything to do with it. When I flew alone the flight attendants were nice enough at check in to always move me so I had my own row or a seat next to me. We just got back last week from a trip and DS was moving quite a bit more, but he was perfectly content looking at all of the people.

[JennW]

All our babies are so cute! Glad everyone is doing well!:)

[dec27bride]

Thanks ladies, you're making me feel better already! Last night I told DH that if the trip out didn't go well, I wasn't coming back ;) , I was just going to have to live in San Diego.

[heidi0622]

dec27: sounds like you've gotten good advice already. If you can, nurse or keep a pacifier in during take-off and landing. Ben is a fast nurser, so I wasn't able to time it too well, but we held the paci in and that seemed to help his ears. Also, there is NO room to change a diaper in the bathroom -if you have the changing pad with the pockets, put diapers and wipes in that and just take that to the bathroom - there is NO room for a diaper bag. Pack toys in little ziploc bags. They are easier to keep out rather than reaching down into your bag for more toys. The Travel Master thread does have a lot of good advice.

Cute pictures of babies everyone.

Its the Friday of my first week back at work. So far it has gone alright. Ben is adjusting pretty well to his new daycare. I love that I am able to go over there at lunch. Pumping is going well so far too. I've been able to get about 20 oz a day and he is only drinking about 10-12 oz at daycare. I'm a little concerned about the low amount he is drinking there, but that is a question for another thread.

ajb: so sorry about Sean being sick. I worry about that too. They take the same precautions at our daycare, but I still see kids with runny noses, etc. My little guy has never been sick - I really dread when that starts happening. Hope Sean is doing better soon!

IU look at that head of hair!

[kdotp]

I have two Similac coupons available, PM me.

Hopefully the Night of No Sleep was just a one-time thing. Last night DH put G to bed and he slept from about 10:30 to 5:30. I'm making DH be the one to put G to bed from now on!

Love all our darling babies!!

[trm98]

Hi moms! Sorry I have been MIA for sooo long. We moved and then I started a course online. We now have dial up:p . So, what little time I did have to be online, I was doing my course. But, it is now over and I hope to be in more often.

Things are going well with Kaden. We are still breastfeeding exclusively. We had been STTT, but he has been up at 3am again twice this week and tghe naps are bad in the daytime. He has been really, really cranky as well. But, he is adorable and I love him to death!

eyes: still blue
feeding: every 3 hours.
solids: we will start Sept.1
rolling: he started this about a month ago. He keeps getting all the way over but his arm gets stuck under him. Today he actually got it out and then started trying to scoot (semi crawl)! His butt was in the air and everything!

Current stats:
Birth :8 lbs. 2 oz
20.5 inches
4 month: 14lbs 5oz
28 inches

Everyone has beautiful babies! Here are a few recent pics:
http://images1.snapfish.com/347736238%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3239%3E345%3E452%3EWSNRCG %3D32339%3A36826%3B9nu0mrj

http://images1.snapfish.com/347736238%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3239%3E345%3E452%3EWSNRCG %3D32339%3A3682777nu0mrj

http://images1.snapfish.com/347736238%7Ffp348%3Enu%3D3239%3E345%3E452%3EWSNRCG %3D32339%3A36827%3A%3Bnu0mrj

Quick question...Has anyone still not had a visit from AF? Just wondering b/c all my friends that had babies before me had by this point. I am starting to get nervous!

[mom2amelia]

Boy do we have some cute babies here.

Quick question...Has anyone still not had a visit from AF? Just wondering b/c all my friends that had babies before me had by this point. I am starting to get nervous!

Raising hand. AF still hasn't returned for me, which is surprising because we are breastfeeding, but not exclusively. Some of my friends who've EBF'd though, have gone as long as 21 months without AF, so I wouldn't worry about it at all.

[lovin'it]

My AF hasn't visited me yet either! I am still nursing my twinnies...

[JennZ]

No AF here yet, still exclusively nursing DS (5 months old today) :eek:

dec27bride, We've travelled quite few times with our kiddos at all different ages. And I really think this is one of the best ages to fly with them.
Mainly because they are not mobile yet! We had such a hard time once they could walk, or even crawl.
When DS1 was 6 months old, we flew to London. I had him on my lap and DH was in the seat in front of me with DD. I was scared out of my wits! The flight was packed, so there was no extra room at all. So DH and I basically switched off holdng one child or the other for 9 hours. But, believe it or not, it really went well. I just cooed and talked to DS, read a few books to him, and he was fine. I did have to stand in the back a couple times to rock him to sleep, but he didn't cry or scream once. I was so relieved!
Like you, I told DH we would have to stay in London if the flight was a total disaster!! :D
Also, it sounds like you have a seat for her, so that is GREAT!!

trm, What a cutie-pie!

[kristine80]

AF~ I just got AF back this week :( But with Natalie it was about 6 months till AF returned and I had stopped nursing with her at about 4 months...
Rolling~ Jules has been rolling over both directions since she was about 2 1/2 months... AND she has started to crawl already!! I can't believe it, she will get up on her hands and knees and kinda shuffle forward!! Natalie was about 10 months before she started crawling so this is much earlier!! :eek:
Solids~ We started rice cereal when she turned 4 months and she loves it... We will start baby food when she is 6 months...
Teeth~ She just cut her first tooth yesterday! Her bottom right.. She had been really fussy the last two days and I thought that was it since she has been drooling a TON lately and putting anything and everything into her mouth!

Well, I think thats about it... My parents(who live in Spokane) have taken Natalie(our 2 year old) for a few days to go camping with them so it has been nice to have one-on-one time with Julia... I kinda feel bad sometimes that I can't give her the kind of attention that I gave to Natalie, but I guess there is no other way around it when you have a second child. It has also allowed me to get some things done around the house (yay!) and take some naps too (BIG yay!!) but I still miss my baby!

[phart]

I didn't get AF back until Aiden was about 13 months and he was exclusively (no formula) breastfed. I'm hoping for about the same or longer this time around:-)

Cute, cute babies!!

[ajb524]

kdopt- FYI, you can take stuff back to Target without a receipt. As long as you used your debit/credit card or a check to pay they can look it up using that info. I've had to do it one time and had no problems.

[kdotp]

kdopt- FYI, you can take stuff back to Target without a receipt. As long as you used your debit/credit card or a check to pay they can look it up using that info. I've had to do it one time and had no problems.
Thanks, I didn't know if they could do that or not. Either way, my sister and I worked something out. :) I keep forgetting that her little peanut is still in 3s, even though she'll be a year next month.

[ShannonGH]

Hi ladies. Long time no post. I am reading and following along with everyone though.

Noa's 4 month stats:
Weight 12lb 15oz
Height 24.5"

Both are in the 90th percentile for the Down syndrome charts.

As of a few days ago we were still battling colitis (mucousy stools with blood). It had been going on for about a month, even though I was cutting out all dairy. This past Weds we (her ped and I) decided to put her on a trial run of hypoallergenic formula (Nutramigen). Within 2 days, her poops look more normal, thank goodness.

Poor baby has been through a lot lately. Last monday I had laparoscopic surgery so I couldn't be home to bfeed her. At the time she was still refusing a bottle, despite our exhausting attempts to get her to take one. Little thing held out 9 hours that day while I was away before finally giving in and taking one. Now, a week later, I had to toally ween her for the sake of teh formula. And if that isn't change enough for her, this formula that we have to feed her is so stinky. Dh says it smells like dogfood. Noa just looks and me like what is this stuff you're feeding me?! But it's for her own good health and that is what is most important.

I had originally thought I would continue to pump during the 2 week trial on formula with the hopes that she could go back to EBM but now I'm rethinking. I'm exhausted and run-down. I think I could use the break. At the same time, I feel like I'd be giving up though and feeling guilty because of it.

AF-Still no AF at 4mos pp
Solids-we'll be holding out until at least 6mos, especially because of the whole food allergy issue
Sleeping-Noa will sleep from about 9pm to 5am, feed, and then sleep till 8am. My problem though is that I think I'm not getting restful sleep at all. I sleep so lightly because I'm so in tune to hearing her wake up. Plus, oftentimes, I'll wake up on my own around 4am in anticipation of her waking for her feeding and then I can't get back to sleep. I think this is why I'm feeling so run down.

[amychris03]

I'm back!!! We just arrived home Thursday from our month long vacation.
It was a crazy month... We had Sam baptized, met tons of family for the
first time, vacationed with my family at the beach, hung out with Chris's
family. It was a good time but Sam decided that he hated his pack and
play mid trip and was not sleeping for more than 2-3 hours at a time. It
SUCKED. Chris's parents bought a crib for their house when we went there
and he was back to sleeping like nothing had ever happened so it must
have been the pack and play. He finally got the hang of rolling back to
tummy while we were gone but still has a hard time going tummy to
back because of his big ole belly :). He also had an ingrown toenail
why we were gone:( Had to do epson salt soaks a couple times a day and
put neosporin on it. Luckily this did the trick and we didnt have to get
it cut out.

AF Not yet!!! I was never regular in the first place, but I am also
still EBF.

Solids Not yet. Im in no big rush, but Sam is very interested in
what we eat. Perhaps because Chris gave him a taste of raspberry
sorbet while we were on vacation... Im not sure when we'll start
but since he has such tummy trouble with dairy and things that I eat,
Im guessing we'll wait until 6 months.

Shannon
Don't feel bad. Hey if the Nutramigen worked that quickly, Noa must
have needed it. She'll get used to it i'm sure.

[kdotp]

AF Since I stopped BFing at 8 weeks, AF came back at the beginning of June. My cycles returned to normal fairly quickly, I started my third cycle since G was born on Tuesday. BC for right now is condoms as I don't get near enough consecutive hours of sleep to temp and chart.

[losthoosier]

I just got back from target and wanted to let everyone know the big boxes of diapers and wipes are on clearance and if you have coupons its makes them a nice buy. I bought two big boxes and a box of wipes I had coupons so it helped I will not need diapers for a while.

Shannon glad to know that switching her to formula has helped her tummy issues. I know how hard it can be to not BF but we have to remember whatever is best for the baby

AF: I got mine back 9 weeks PP but its all crazy. I never know when its going to return. We are currently using codoms and it scares me as I am so afraid of getting pregnant again so soon.


I go back to work on Friday and am so sad. I don't want to leave her. She is going to my MIL but I have a long commute and have not been away from her for more then 3 hours and that was at night and she was sleeping. I know she will be ok but its more for me then for her.

I hope everyone has a great weekend

[ajb524]

Shannon- I have to agree with you about the nutramigen. It smelled like rotting cheese to me. Thank goodness he's not taking that anymore! He threw that up on me once and I swear I could still smell it even after taking a bath!

[Tracie]

Hi everyone! Seems like everyone is doing well, and we certainly have some cute babies! :D

AF Got AF I think at about 3 months post partum. But I'm not breastfeeding, unfortunately.

Solids Not yet. I'm getting anxious to start, but I think I really should wait until 6 months.

Rolling He's been rolling belly to back since 6 weeks, but has not gotten back to belly yet. He tries so hard, but can only get to his side.

Teeth None yet. My MIL says she thinks he's teething, but she's been saying this for about a month now. :rolleyes: If that's the case, where are the teeth?

Sleeping DS usually goes down around 8:30 and sleeps until about 5. At which point we pull him into bed with us and he usually goes back to sleep until about 6:30. We are not morning people around here.

[Bernie]

Everyone's babies are so adorable!

Still no AF here, and I'm not exclusively nursing. But I wasn't regular before, so that doesn't mean much.

ajb -- I completely sympathize with you! Since we've started daycare, Max has had 2 colds, 2 ear infections (although only 1 needed antibiotics), and pink eye. I think I've left early to take him to the ped the past 3 mondays. Thankfully, Mia has been fine (knock on wood). And both grandmothers have been able to babysit in a pinch this summer. But my mom is a teacher and will be heading back to school soon, and DH's parents will be moving to Florida over the winter -- not looking forward to that at all!

We started rice cereal last week around their 5 month birthday. Despite my misgivings about starting, it's been fun - they just look so darn cute while they're eating. I'm still not sure they are actually getting any of it into their tummies, but they've started to open their mouths when they seen the spoon coming!

[trm98]

Thanks ladies for reassuring me about AF. I am still exclusively BFing. Plus, I am on birth control pills. I just got nervous when my three friends had already started by now and they BF as well. Plus, my SIL has two kids that are 13 months apart. She was exclusively BFing but still got pregnant. I feel much better now.

Kaden has been having issues. He has had a stomach virus and ever since he will NOT go to sleep during the day. He crys the whole time. If I hole him, he falls asleep. At night, he can go all by himself without rocking or a pacifier. It is just during the day that he can't/ won't go down. Any suggestions?

[mom2amelia]

Plus, my SIL has two kids that are 13 months apart. She was exclusively BFing but still got pregnant. I feel much better now.


I just wanted to mention that generally you will ovulate BEFORE you get AF again, so you could still get pregnant while BFing, even if AF hasn't returned. My OB reminded me of that, about 10 times! The Pill will probably prevent that from happening, but I'm just throwing that out there.

[Bernie & Matt]

Don't mean to throw a monkeywrench in your hoping, but AF already returned twice for me and DD is 4.5 months and has always been exclusively BF'd. And to make matters even weirder, AF didn't return with DS until he had been on solids for a couple months, so he was probably 7 or 8 months. :rolleyes:

[amychris03]

We had Sams 4 month WBV today (actually its 4.5 month since
we were out of town;) ). He definitely is a lot more irritable
from this set of shots. I feel so bad for the little guy. Anyways,
here are the stats for my BIG boy:)

Samuel Duncan
Birth-6 lb, 9 oz; 18 1/2 inches
1 month-9 lb, 13.5 oz; 21 inches
2 months-12 lb, 13 oz; 22 1/2 inches
4 months- 17 lb, 2 oz; 25 inches

Now- back to comforting my little man :(

[kat]

AF returned for me exactly 28 days after the last day I pumped any BM. Odd because I was barely getting anything at the end (the twins were 8 weeks old), but apparently my body knew exactly when I stopped. Figures. It always has known when to give me AF (like clockwork), but couldn't figure out how to get pregnant. :rolleyes:

Kids are huge and adorable and very, very good...........but they no longer like bouncy chairs (or any chairs, really) and want to stand and jump all the time. That'd *maybe* be possible if I only had one, but not so much with twins. My arms sure are tired, though! :) I'm hoping the extra muscle mass I'm developing in my arms is the reason I am now three pounds HEAVIER than I was at my 6-week PP doctor visit. :rolleyes:

[trm98]

I just wanted to mention that generally you will ovulate BEFORE you get AF again, so you could still get pregnant while BFing, even if AF hasn't returned. My OB reminded me of that, about 10 times! The Pill will probably prevent that from happening, but I'm just throwing that out there.

I know! That is exactly what happened to my SIL. She was not using any form of BC though. I am back on the pill and have been since week 4 pp. But, I was just getting nervous I guess.

Bernie- That is strange! I guess every pregnancy and PP is different.

Amy- You do have a big boy!

Kaden is sleeping much better today. Turns out that he had a stomch virus last week. Maybe that was throwing him off. He wouldn't go down yesterday and I gave him his "Lovie" (small blanket with a stuffed animal on top). He went right to sleep. Everything I have read says not to give this to him until he is 6 months, but I figure 5 months is ok. I only give it to him during the day when I can go in and check on him.

I'm going to go hit the treadmill while Kaden is napping. Have a great day!

[aprilshowers]

Everything I have read says not to give this to him until he is 6 months, but I figure 5 months is ok.Whoops, we've been using one since DD was maybe 4 months old? She's able to move stuff off her face (one of our favorite games is peek-a-boo where I put a washcloth over her face and then she pulls it off) so hopefully it's okay?

[MrsCantDecide]

AF ~ Not yet, but pumping and nursing exclusively.

Solids ~ Started Cereal last Friday... scared to try it again though, he had a tummy ache for 2 days, on Sunday and Monday. Don't know if it was the cereal or something I ate. He had the green poops and everything.

Rolling ~ Lucas finally rolled! He did back to front on Friday and front to back on Sunday. Pretty cool. Now when I put him on his back, he flips right over to his tummy, but of course seems to have forgotten how to flip again. He also started the scooting thing.

Teeth ~ Not yet, but I think I felt edges today. He's been drooling a lot what seems like forever. His nickname right now is Slobbers.

Sleeping ~ Goes down around 8:30 or 9, sleeps until amost 7, and on the weekend sleeps in bed with me for another 2 hours.

Lovey ~ Lucas cuddles one in his arms too at night. He can take it off his head too, so I'm not too worried, although, sometimes if he goes down too easily, I'll go check to make sure it's not covering his face.

All in all, Lucas is doing great. Sunday he was SUPER fussy, be we figured out it was from his tummy hurting. He kept screaming. He's still a happy smiling little baby. What a chunk though! At 5 months (on Saturday) he'll probably be breaking 17 lbs! His thing right now is learning to sit.

Here's him trying to sit yesterday:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y68/stef842/sitting81.jpg

[losthoosier]

Today is my last day at home and I am having major seperation anxiety. I know my DD is going to be fine I think its more me worrying. I have a long commute and she has these screaming fits and I am just afraid its going to happen.

The only good thing is another co-worker who had her baby in may is coming back the same day. She is a good friend and we planned it this way. She opted not to take the extra time off 6 weeks unpaid as she can't lose the health insurance as her baby was born with kidney problems. Luckily I was able to get by without the insurance I opted not to purchase cobra and paid cash for her 4 month appt. But it is nice to know that insurance will be back on Friday. My coworkers daughter is 7 weeks younger then Mackenzie but weighs the same. Putting them next to each other is cute as they look pretty much the same age except Mack is taller and thinner

Mackenzie sat up by herself yesterday, and then got to excited and tumbled down. She is so much fun and has such a personality. We are going to try the crib this weekend. I will be sleeping on the futon as DH has to work nights.

Mackenzie sleeps with a recieving blanket for part of the night and when I go to bed I take it off of her. She ends up Co-sleeping half way through the night and we share a blanket.

I hope you all have a great weekend as I know going back to work will cut my CC time

[JennW]

All our babies are so adorable around here. They are all getting so big!:)

I am trying to get rid of a mesh breathable bumper I bought. It is in great shape and was only used for about 2 weeks and just didn’t work out for us. I’m looking to sell it for 20 bucks or so, which is a little less than I paid for it. PM me if interested. I got it at BRU online but the brand is escaping me right now… Hope someone can use it!

lost – Good luck going back to work. It will be OK! The first day is the worst and then it just gets better!

[amychris03]

Sam got his first tooth!!! Im glad to know that there is a reason why
he has been a grump and waking up constantly from naps and at night.
For those who already have teeth, how long will this behavior last? I
think his other bottom front tooth is right behind this one, it looks like it
is close to the surface too... I can't handle these sleepless nights now that
Ive been spoiled a bit.

[ellybella]

yay sam!! i wish this was james' problem. his little growth spurt has come and gone and we're still waking 2 and 3 times a night with the exception of a few nights. when i get him he roots around vigorously and eats. i've posted my issue in the bf support thread so hopefully i'll get some advice. i'm tired!!

[heidi0622]

Less than 2 weeks into daycare, Ben has already developed a cold.:( Poor little guy - I hate to hear him sniffling, wheezing and coughing. I knew the first year of daycare would be tough...I just didn't expect him to get sick so soon. He woke up a few more times last night, but seemed okay once we held him up for a few minutes to help clear up some congestion. Poor little guy - we were supposed to go to a graduation party today, but I don't think I'm going to expose him to even more germs...plus there will be another newborn there - its not very fair to bring my sick baby around him.

amychris: wow, a tooth. Glad to hear you do have an explanation for it all. I understand about it being harder to get up again at night. Ben has decided he's forgotten how to sleep through the night as well. He's up 2-3x per night.

lost: hope your first day back at work was okay. I hear it gets better with time...I'm hoping that's case - this whole work-life balance is HARD!

MCD: cute little guy. Love the picture!

AF: no sign here yet. I'm wondering if now that I'm pumping more than nursing, it will come back?! She can stay away for a while longer though - I don't miss her too much!

[ellybella]

heidi poor little guy. have you tried elevating his crib mattress or crib to aleviate his congestion? a friend of mine put a book under each leg at one end of her crib to help w/ her son's cold. i would suggest a humidifier, but it's been pretty humid around here lately so that shouldn't be an issue. i think it would be fine to take him to the party if it's outside and just don't pass him around. it might do him so good to be out in the fresh air and warm sun? not that i know, but just some thoughts.

lost i got my book, thank you! i hope your return to work was ok. i can imagine it was heart breaking to leave.

mcd looks like your little guy is o so close to sitting! what a cutie and how exciting. when james is in that position he's bent right over. i can't imagine that it feels very good.

af nothing here, but we're still ebf.

we had our prof. pictures done while we were in maine. here's my favorite..
http://wildeworld.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/jill1_1.jpg

[IUAlum]

wow, ellybella, that is a GORGEOUS picture!

Seth is sick as well. I think he's finally reaching the end of his cold. It's been about a week. He's been waking once a night for a week now, I think his cough wakes him and then he realizes he's hungry.

So, how long is this PP hair loss thing going to last? Sheesh, it's rather disgusting. And it feels like it's been forever already!

He came really close to rolling over this morning, but changed his mind. Silly boy!

Anyone else dealing with a scooter at night? Seth scoots himself around in his crib and then starts banging his legs against the side of the crib, which also wakes him up. Sometimes he just keeps scooting and falls back asleep, other times he just bangs and bangs until he starts to get upset.

[ShannonGH]

So, how long is this PP hair loss thing going to last? Sheesh, it's rather disgusting. And it feels like it's been forever already!
I'm right there with ya. Still tons of hair loss. I'm getting to the point where I'm a little scared that I'm going to have noticeably less hair! My hairdresser says it can last up to 6 mos. :(

Ellybella, LOVE the pic!!!!

[losthoosier]

Thanks too all for your thoughts as I return to work. Friday went ok there were tears on my part. She didn't really seem to notice I was leaving but when I got home she wanted mommie and wanted her all night.

Next week will be a long week but at least I got back into it.

There is a good chance I will be able to work from home in the next 6 months. I have to get retrained as we were bought out in the process. I am talking to manage ment to see if I can make it happen sooner rather then later.

Ellybella I also got the check thanks.... also the picture is beautiful...

Hiedi~ Sorry to hear that your little one is sick. My nephew was sick the other day and my sil knew the baby was going to be at my mil house yet she still brought her son. So my night out with my sister ended as I wasn't going to leave my daughter there so we took her with us.

Oh well I am off to bed

[tgal]

Elly: That picture is gorgeous. How did you find a photographer?

IU: We had to put the bumper in the crib for dd because dd's legs got stuck between the rails. She would turn in circles throughout the night, which would totally freak me out. The bumper has nipped that in the bum.

[yby1]

I resisted buying Mattias an exersaucer for so long, because I didn't think he needed it. But we visited some friends last weekend that have a daugther born in February and they had one. So we tried it out and Matty loved it! We went to BRU and bought the mega-circus exersaucer. I'm so glad we have one now.

http://static.flickr.com/96/208646101_034d6cefab.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sumama/208646101/)

Mattias was not sleeping very well, but he finally is able to coordinate going from back to tummy and then tummy to back, so he can roll around all over the living room. :rolleyes: ;) Now he's back to STTN again.

[ellybella]

is this new format loading slow for anyone else?

yb1 mattias looks so happy in it! is that the backyardigans in the background? that show is so cute. we just discovered it while my bf and her kids were visiting from TN.

thanks for the compliments on the picture ladies. i love it. this was one of the last shots we took and i believe (i haven't seen all of them yet) the only one with that big smile of his. dh doesn't know we had them done. our anniversary is next month and i think this one will be framed for him.

tgal the photographer is actually from my hometown in maine. i saw her pictures in a cafe over xmas and loved her work. she just happened to be in town staying with her parents and taking senior pictures while we were home and was able to fit us in. i really want to connect with her this fall for family shots. it's tough because she's about 4 hours from us, and we have to pay mileage for anything over 30 miles. so not sure if that will work out.

[phart]

Still around...still reading along:)

How about a QOTD

Who is riding in their convertable car seats these days?

Maura has taken to trying to *sit up* in her Snugride so I think we'll be moving her to her Roundabout shortly. I looked and we moved Aiden to the Marathon at 5 months too. We're taking a 12 hour trip in a few weeks and I want her to be as happy as possible. But then I think about how convienent that Snugride is for cat napping at restaraunts and think I might wait to switch her until we get back. I just don't know!

[yby1]

QOTD - We have a Truimph that we've been using since Mattias was 3 months old, it's been great. We use it in DH's car. We still use his Combi infant seat in my car, but it's a real PITA to use now because he's so big and heavy. We're probably going to upgrade to a Marathon, Decathalon or another Triumph (for my car) later in the month.

ellybella - That is the backyardigans in the background! I'm trying to get myself familiar with all the different cartoons. :p

[kat]

Oh, elly and yby, what gorgeous babies you have!!! Great pics of the little ones!

We sold our house....scheduling showings with two five month olds SUCKED, big time (although it was nice to have a clean house, I got VERY tired of loading a bunch of baby crap -- and the babies, of course -- into my car). It was too hot to take them for stroller rides during the showings, so I've been driving like mad. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy that the house sold in less than two weeks; I have no idea how much longer I could've taken the interruptions to their routines.

Now we just have to find a house to move into. :)

Kids are great (gosh this is a fun age!). STILL not very interested in rolling (anyone else?) -- I think I've seen DD roll over about five times total, in her life (and only once from back to tummy). DS rolls a bit more often, but never intentionally, and I've never seen him roll from back to tummy. I wasn't very worried about it until I read in one of my books that they should be rolling over regularly by seven months. I should know better than to read. :D

QOTD: we just bought our convertible seats (Roundabouts), because A.J. is nearing the weight limit on the Snugride (he was 19 lbs. at 5 months and starting to outgrow it height-wise, too; she's not that far behind him). I am in NO HURRY to move them to the Roundabouts, though. I am so exhausted after putting them in their Snugrides *in a nice comfy house* that I am dreading the day when I have to put them both in their carseats *in the car*. I'll be too tired to drive anywhere. :)

Plus, I am reeeaaaaaaally going to miss the double Snap-n-Go.

Oops - naptime is over.....

[tray622]

carseats We are still in the infant seat which is amazing to me since Zoey outgrew hers by 4 months!! We are moving to the convertible this week though since we had her 6 month visit. We have the Evenflo Triumph from Zoey and will use the same thing for Jocey. phart I would definitely use the convertible for your trip but we also keep our snugride in the trunk for those catnaps!

Well we had our 6 month WBV... Jocey was 17lbs 14oz and 26.5in long. This is exceptional for 2 reasons: 1 - She still has severe reflux which is under control with Prilosec and she has been weaned from Reglan from awhile. To weigh in the 90th % with how bad her reflux was is AWESOME!!! 2 - To me she is small. It is crazy I know but my first DD was over 20lbs at 6 months... no joke :p Things are going super!! We just noticed her first tooth today which is good since her sleep and temperment have been a little off this week.

[phart]

phart I would definitely use the convertible for your trip but we also keep our snugride in the trunk for those catnaps!


If my parents can fit the snugride in their car (we're staying together) then I think we might switch her over. If not, I'm just not sure:) I'll probably try it out this week for a short trip and see what she thinks.

[tray622]

I just applaud you for being brave enough to do a 12 hour trip ;) I bet it will be a fun trip though!!

[JennW]

QOTD - Owen uses his snugride in one car and covertible in the other. Like you guys said, I love the convenience of the Snugride but I think the other one is his preference!

hijack
Kat - Congrats on selling your house! We are also selling our house and it is a pain (but I only have 1 baby;)). And we found our new house already and the bid was accepted, so we're racing in the other direction to get rid of ours pronto. I'd rather be in your shoes and have NO houses than two.:)
[/end hijack]

[losthoosier]

DD has been in her convertible since she was about a month old. We had originally bought a travel system that ended up breaking. So we had to buy a new carseat asap. So we just went ahead and bought

Two of the Evenflow Triumph deluxe. DD hates it.... and Screams when we buckle her in

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0006NM09A.16._SCMZZZZZZZ_SS128_.jpg

Its a nice carseat and we just can't wait to turn it around we think that will help.

WE also bought a jogging stroller.

But I called evenflo and got a brand new travel system sent to me. As the one I bought was defective. So sitting in my bedroom brand new in the box is a travel system. We aren't planning on having any more kids for at least 4 years so we are trying to figure out what to do with it. I thought about calling a church and seeing if they know of a needy family that needs it. but I have been to lazy to do it.

Mackenzie has her first cold. She has a little cough that is too cute..... She is still happy just congested.

[jordan]

I've been MIA for a while again... I do read, just rarely have time to type.

QOTD: We just switch Nathan to his Britax Decathlon this weekend and he LOVES it!!! It's so much softer than the infant and I think he like being higher up so he can see out the windows easier. We'll use the infant seat in DH's car and MIL's car until he grows out of it, so in the dinner instance we'll probably try and take one of those cars.

I can't believe Nathan was 5 months old yesterday. Where has the time gone. I do have to say I LOVE this stage. He is just too cute and smiles so much. He loves solids and I like that time we have as a family feeding him. He goes to a baby sitter two days a week now, which I think is great for our relationship. I seems to get some more of the happy smiles when I walk in the door like DH always got. Plus I can get so much done when I have 8 hours straight to concentrate.

Everyone has such cute babies!!!!

[tgal]

elly: Yes, the new format loads super slow here in my office. That is fantastic that you found such a wonderful photographer! Her work is beautiful.

QOTD: Now that dd is 26 inches, I was wondering if it was time to make the switch. We actually need two more car seats before making the switch though. DH drops dd off at his mom's one day a week and since my mil watches her one day a week we need one for her car.

I have to say that I totally agree with everyone that this is such a remarkable age. We are having a blast with dd. She has been kinda throwing her arms up to each of us if she wants to be held etc., but last night was the real thing. As soon as I walked in the room, I got a huge smile/giggles and her arms went up in the air. After picking her up came the head dive into my boobs.

[phart]

tgal~~She's still safe in the Snugride if she has an inch of hard shell above her head.

[tgal]

Thanks Phart: So, the feet being over the bottom a little isn't a problem?

[phart]

So, the feet being over the bottom a little isn't a problem?

Nope. They're feet hang over the bottom of the convertable seats too. Or they end up bent which it totally safe and comfortable. They're limbs are so loose still.

[tgal]

[QUOTE][They're feet hang over the bottom of the convertable seats too./QUOTE]

Hmmm, where is my mind today! ;)

[jordan]

Just wanted to drop by with Nathan's 5 month pictures. He did great!

http://www.falconefamily.com/images/5mth/nate5mth1.jpg
http://www.falconefamily.com/images/5mth/nate5mth2.jpg
http://www.falconefamily.com/images/5mth/nate5mth3.jpg

[tgal]

Jordon: Adorable!

[kdotp]

So cute!

Grant was 5 months on Monday, so we took our photo in the rocker with Tigger (who seems to be shrinking each month!)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/kdotp/fivemonth.jpg

I think we're going to do pro pics at 6 months.

[amychris03]

Pictures are so cute ladies!

QOTD: I wanna make the switch soon, Sam is getting SO HEAVY
in the Snugride but we will probably keep it in the car for restaurants...

Phart You said you had a Marathon with Aidan but a Roundabout
for Maura, am I right??? Why no Marathon this time? Im trying to decide
which kind to get and we will most likely be getting one if those?

[phart]

Phart You said you had a Marathon with Aidan but a Roundabout
for Maura, am I right??? Why no Marathon this time? Im trying to decide
which kind to get and we will most likely be getting one if those?

We pretty much got the Marathon in the first place because it was on mega sale and the same price as the Roundabout at the time. We went with the Roundabout this time because it fits better behind the passenger RF. We have the Marathon in the middle with Aiden so that wasn't an issue (fit perfectly between the seats). And we figure if Maura grows faster than Aiden did (so far not) then he'd be out of the Marathon by the time she outgrew the Roundabout anyway. I don't have time proofread that so I hope it made sense.

[tunibell]

Some new pics of my little lady...

http://static.flickr.com/91/209497806_4cfd3369d2.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/85/209497990_93b68c6ff7.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/59/209499271_25931126d1.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/82/209499306_16f7ca6227.jpg?v=0

She's definitely developing an interest in sitting up, but I think she'll be about 10 before she voluntarily rolls onto her stomach. ;)

[losthoosier]

I don’t know if she is too young but I think my DD is having separation anxiety. Every night when we get home she will scream if I put her down or walk out of the room. Not a little scream I mean a blood wrenching scream. I know they say they will stop the screaming but I seriously think she screamed for 2 hours straight last night. I have put her in her crib and walked away and she is still screaming and never stops until I pick her up and calm her down. And she refuses to sleep anywhere but in my arms. She wakes up all night long. I am totally exhausted at work, and DH is working nights this week so its all me until he gets home around 12-1 then he will take care of her, but I am up at 430 to get ready for work. I am just looking for any suggestions as I need some sleep…………………………..

Mackenzie can sit up by herself, and when you hold her hands she takes steps she is ready to walk away all the time. But she is still not rolling. She goes from side to side but refuses belly time. You lay her on her belly she lays her head down and cries. She can also scoot (sp) around the living room on her back.

Tunibell- those are some gorgeous pics.

[Jen531]

I'm new here (somehow I was out of the loop about this place!), but I have a daughter, Emmalynn, that was born on March 2, 2006.

Like the PP, she has been having some crying fits when it comes to nap and sleep times. She used to be a great sleeper, but not so much anymore. She screams when I walk out of the room and she has been waking up at least twice a night now. I asked my pedi. about it and he said that babies tend to do this between 6-9 months. He suggested not picking Emma up, but letting her stay in her crib with me nearby (sitting in her glider, holding her hand, rubbing her tummy...).

:)

[Tracie]

Welcome, Jen! Your DD and my DS have the same birthday!

Sorry about the crying fits. That must be really hard. I don't have any advice bu t I know my DS likes his tummy rubbed to help him go to sleep.

[yby1]

Tunibell - Piper is gorgeous. :)

[ShannonGH]

Hi all!
Heading back to work (part-time) tomorrow after being home for 4.5 months. I'm really not dreading it like I thought I might be. I'm sure that's because I know it's only for 2.5 days/week. I honestly think it'll be good for both of us. ;)

Noa's open heart surgery has been scheduled for Weds, August 30. They will be repairing the 6mm hole between her left and right ventricle (called Ventricular Septal Defect, or VSD). As crazy as it sounds, Dh and I are kind of looking forward to it. Three other babies with Down from our therapy group have already had this same surgery and are thriving. So they have been an inspiration to us.

Noa has been on hypoallergenic formula for 2.5 weeks now and is doing wonderfully. Her colitis stopped immediately after the switch from breastmilk to the formula and she is now napping *much* better during the day too.

We had a full eval done at the therapy center where we attend and Noa is right on track with other "typical" babies her age, other than she has low muscle tone, a trait of DS. But with mommy-enforced tummy time and other exercises, she's slowly getting stronger!

We're doing the Buddy Walk in September and we're SO excited. Our team name is We Know A Noa. :) I think it will be a great way for all of our friends and family to celebrate Noa and Down syndrome. And we've already raised over $1000!!! If anyone wants to take a peek at our Buddy Walk webpage, PM me and I'd be happy to send a link.

Here's our latest pics:
http://images1.snapfish.com/3478752%3C4%7Ffp355%3Enu%3D3236%3E237%3E8%3C8%3EWS NRCG%3D3233%3A5%3A4336%3A6nu0mrj
http://images1.snapfish.com/3478752%3C4%7Ffp357%3Enu%3D3236%3E237%3E8%3C8%3EWS NRCG%3D3233%3A5%3A439%3C23nu0mrj
She loves making "tongue tacos"-
http://images1.snapfish.com/3478752%3C4%7Ffp358%3Enu%3D3236%3E237%3E8%3C8%3EWS NRCG%3D3233%3A5%3A434737nu0mrj

[trm98]

Those are great pics Shannon and Tuni.

Shannon, that is great that y'all have already raised so much money for the walk. Your outlook continually amazes me. You are one great mom!

Jen531- Welcome to the group.

Kaden has been having issues sleeping as well. He was STTN for about a month. He used to go to sleep at night no problem, but cry for 30 minutes or the whole nap time (1 hour) during the day. Now, he goes down immediately or within ten minutes of fussing at night and during naptime. But, he is no longer STTN. The past two nights he is waking up 2X per night. I know this is nothing for some of y'all, but he was sleeping from 7:30/8pm until 6/7 am. It seems like a few of us are having these issues. Any thoughts about what is going on?

[ShannonGH]

Aaah, Thanks trm! That really means so very much. I will admit that it's not been an easy journey but one that we're getting through with the love and support of those around us, and God of course! I've prayed more in the past 5 months than I have my whole life. ;)

[JennW]

Noa and Tuni are so cute!:) Shannon - Good luck with the walk. That's great that you have raised so much already!:)

---

Owen is so not himself. He is so whiney and in pain and I just know the poor thing is teething hardcore. I wish I could make him feel better. Poor guy. How long does it take for a tooth to fully come in? We're doing teething gel, Tylenol, teething rings, etc.

Any advice? What are you all doing?

[ajb524]

Birth:
5lbs. 6oz
18 3/4 inches long

6 months
15lbs. 15oz
26 1/2 inches long
http://images1.snapfish.com/347888666%7Ffp352%3Enu%3D3238%3E49%3A%3E794%3EWSNR CG%3D3233%3A5%3A5775%3A7nu0mrj

http://images1.snapfish.com/347888666%7Ffp347%3Enu%3D3238%3E49%3A%3E794%3EWSNR CG%3D3233%3A5%3A573%3B87nu0mrj

http://images1.snapfish.com/347888666%7Ffp349%3Enu%3D3238%3E49%3A%3E794%3EWSNR CG%3D3233%3A5%3A587569nu0mrj

Sean had his 6 month WBV on Friday. He has grown so much! Poor baby also has eczema :(. The doc told me some things to do for it so hopefully he will be clear soon.

His first tooth is also trying to come through. About a week and a half ago a little dot popped up on his gum. It's getting bigger and bigger and I think the tooth is about to emerge (thank goodness). We have to give him tylenol in the evening and sometimes they have to give it to him at daycare, but I try to get them to use teething tablets and chew toys.

He did find a very interesting chew toy when I had him on the bed the other night. I was putting up my clean bra's when I turn around to see this-
http://images1.snapfish.com/34788873%3B%7Ffp354%3Enu%3D3238%3E49%3A%3E794%3EWS NRCG%3D3233%3A5%3A5%3A465%3Anu0mrj
I almost died laughing.

He also rolled over from back to tummy for the first time last week, but hasn't done it since. It's like he showed me he could do it and now he doesn't want to do it anymore.

Sean has been on solids for about 2 weeks now. Squash is his favorite. He even ate the whole jar Sunday. I let him try banana's this weekend and he didn't like them. So far he's only had Sweet potato's, squash, banana's and apples (mixed with rice cereal). I've decided not to even do Rice Cereal b/c he doesn't like it so there is no reason to even try with it anymore. I haven't been giving him solids every day (mainly b/c of time issues), but the doctor said that was fine.

I'm loving all these baby pictures!!

Shannon- That is wonderful that you have raised that much money!!

Jenn- We're doing pretty much the same things you are for teething. I hate having to give him tylenol, but honestly it works better than anything else. I try to just give it to him at night. Another thing you might try is letting him chew on a damp wash cloth.

[Tracie]

Shannon That is wonderful that you have raised so much money for the Buddy Walk. Noa is looking gorgeous, and BTW, we have the same pool. The middle thing popped on us though.

ajb So cute! Love the bra picture. That's just classic!

[tunibell]

He is so whiney and in pain and I just know the poor thing is teething hardcore.

I was actually going to ask if anyone else's little one was whining up a storm during this teething process. I was starting to worry that maybe my kid was just a major complainer. We too are doing the whole Tylenol, teething gel, etc thing. I tried Hyland's, which some folks swear by, but they didn't do much for Piper. I also have found the Tylenol to work better than the Motrin, and that seems counter intuitive, since the Motrin helps with swelling too. Ah well, who knows. Pip's about to cut the top two and is so miserable that I'm doing Tylenol around the clock. I've also had to start doing the crib-as-sidecar thing instead of having her in the bed with us, since she wants to nurse all night long, and she doesn't care what part of my bb she gets! (I actually have hickeys.)

ajb - I can't believe our thread's first baby is 6 mo old!! That's craaazy! Love the bra pic. Piper is also gnawing on everything. She actually bit DH the other day and broke the skin! What did your doc say to do about Sean's eczema? We finally get to see a pediatric dermatologist about P's eczema tomorrow.

Shannon - I gotta say, Miss Noa's muscle tone looks pretty darn good in that tummy time pic! Miss P is still mostly eating carpet in that position.

Thanks y'all for the pic compliments. Here's a few funny ones:
http://static.flickr.com/88/216399897_57a49398b1.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/71/216399894_240caa3ba5.jpg?v=0

[amychris03]

Tuni
LOVE the chubby cheeks! Sams got a pretty nice set going on too!

ajb524
Love the pics- Sam has that same blue onesie! That's too funny that he was chewing on your bra!

Shannon
Noa is absolutely adorable. That's great that you've raised so much money
already! I'm sure that open heart surgery will be a breeze and Noa will do great!

Sleep issues: Yep- it really varies. Some nights its normal, others it
SUCKS. He has two teeth now, so since those popped through we are starting to get back to normal.

teething: We've been doing the tylenol and hylands teething tablets. Neither are miracle workers but they seem to make him tolerate the pain better. He hates frozen teethers. Actually what he seems to like best other than our fingers are cold wash cloths or his bib to chew on.

---
Sam is 5 months old today! We had a major scare on Sunday. My fault completely. I didnt have his seat belt on him in the swing, because he's never needed it in the past and just sits there usually. His tray was latched on which is typically plenty to keep him put. Not Sunday. Somehow he pushed himself forward such that it knocked off the tray (not easy, the thing is pretty heavy because it has an activity thing that goes on top) and fell while I was maybe 6 feet away folding clothes. Totally hit his head. I felt
(and still do really) like the worlds worst mother. He cried instantly but calmed down after I nursed him. The dr said that since there was a hard bump and he cried right away that he would probably be fine, and he was. Just a bruise and it doesnt seem to bother him in the least. It was the scariest thing Ive ever experienced though, and I was shaking for about an hour afterwards. It was a wonderful wake up call that this boy is getting more mobile every day and that we really need to watch him like a hawk.

[ajb524]

What did your doc say to do about Sean's eczema?
He gave him a prescription for hydrocortisone cream to use for about 5 days until it clears up. Then he told me some OTC creams/soaps to use to help prevent it. I've been using Johnson & Johnson's bath, but I'm switching to all aveeno to see if that helps.

[losthoosier]

Its hard to believe our first baby is 6 months olds...... I am still amazed how fast time is flying.

Shannon~ great job on raising the money. I am in agreement with the others that you seem like a great mother.

Andrea sorry to hear about the teething issues. Your son is adorable.

Mackenzie is too dealing with teething issues no teeth have broken through, but she is fussy and its only time.

[JennW]

Andrea - Sean is so cute! I can't believe our first baby is 6 months old! Wow! They will all be one year old before we know it. Time is just flying!

[tgal]

All these little ones are just adorable! :D I wish I had pictures uploaded, but with the new camera, I completely filled our 7 year old computer's hard drive and our new one just arrived, so dh needs to get everything put together and get us connected!

We didn't send out regular announcements because of all the complications and her early arrival. So, we decided to do one at six months. I also added little thank yous inside the card with pictures of Eva with or wearing all the gifts she received after she was born. A big project that I will be glad to mail and be done with today!

http://static.flickr.com/86/210976045_7e2dc98769.jpg?v=0


I can totally relate to the teething issues. I constantly have her in bibs from all the slobber, she is fussy quite a bit and impossible to get down for her naps. Despite all this, she is so loveable right now. I am loving this phase so much. She is sitting up completely on her own and when she falls forward (not on her back) she is able to pull herself back in a seated position, which is new this week along with being able to put her pacifier in her mouth on her own (the right way). My mom is coming in this weekend for the solid food show. We are starting with avocado, not sure that is a great choice, but thought it would be easy to whip up since we are making our own food. At 7 months, she will be able to eat stuff out of our family garden, so we will be good to go on purees. I don't know why, but I am all excited about her eating. Just seems like fun (until we get to the pooping part, I'm sure). Alright, just had my coffee, so I could go on and on here. Take care ladies! Enjoy every moment!

Shannon: Little Noa will be in my prayers!

Tuni: Does dd already have her bottoms in??? Wow!

Amy: You are not a horrible mother. I forget to leave dd belted into stuff all the time. Glad to hear that Sam is alright.

trm: The sleeping through the night was a huge tease for us. We had a sleeper for about two good months then all the sudden she woke at 3am regularly. Now we are lucky if it is 4am, but she hasn't been back to the 6am sleeping for about a month now. Frustrating, but all I can think of is that it has to do with teething.

Jen: We did everything you mentioned, but nothing really worked. Something she did enjoy, but again is only temp relief was freezing water in nipple. For some reason she liked that more than the teething rings or frozen wash cloth. You have to be strategic with it in the freezer due to the holes in the nipples. I've even thought maybe it would work using the pacifiers that look like bottle nipples, but haven't tried that yet.

[ajb524]

FYI- I bought Sean a Britax Roundabout from here http://www.specialtybaby.com/britax.html yesterday for $179.99 with free shipping and no tax :). Just wanted to pass that along. They also have some Marathon's on sale too, but I decided not to get one since I don't have a very big back seat.

[amychris03]

ajb
Thats funny, I just got the Marathon from them:)

tgal
The announcement is so cute! Have fun with the solid foods! I cant wait either, though Im sure I'll regret saying that ;)

Question:
Everytime I try to take a sip of my drink with Sam in my arms, he gets excited and tries to take it. I was thinking of giving him some water in a sippy cup. Have any of you tried this? When is it ok to start?

[yby1]

ajb524 - Thanks for the link. I just ordered the Boulevard they had on sale. :cool:

[tgal]

Amy - We started a sippy cup at 5 months with bottled water, but Eva still goes for our cups. DH told me Monday that she actually drank water from his cup, so we just assist with whatever she is ready (within reason).

[losthoosier]

Amy~ Just wanted to chime in. We haven't given her a sippy cup but she drinks water from our cups all the time. She loves ice water..... If I would let her she would drink a whole cup.

She also likes to drink out of bottles. she knows exactly what to do with them its too cute.

[Jen531]

I think Emma is teething also. She has some white on her gums and has been very fussy lately. Her naptime and bedtime crying fits ahve gotten a little better.

We have given her a sipy cup, but all she does is gnaw on the spout. Hopefully she'll get the hang of it soon.

She has been through all of the Stage 1 Gerber foods and eats Oatmeal since the Rice upsets her tummy. She does NOT like peaches, but loves sweet potatoes, squash, pears, and applesauce the best.

She can sit up on her own and just started getting herself into a sitting position on her own, yesterday. She is scooting all over the place and I found her trying to pull herself up on the crib today. I have a feeling she is going to be a handful!

I love seeing everyone's little ones and hearing about their milestones!

Jen
_____

Emmalynn - March 2, 2006

[kdotp]

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