May 2006 Mommies - Our Mayflowers are Blooming!

[May2006Mommies]

WELCOME TO THE 4TH TRIMESTER

For all those whose babies were born in or close to May 2006

CONGRATULATIONS
(Now the fun really begins!)

Please come and share your stories, post your questions and offer your insight.

Please check in by posting your stats in RED:

Baby's name
Baby's birthdate
Your user name
(optional) your name and age
(optional) DH/SO's name and age
(optional) name and age of other children

* Moderator Southlooper

Anyone else would like to co-mod, please PM me.

[May2006Mommies]

MEMBER LIST:


Nolan Grant
05/15/06
April1234
Me: 25
DH:33
DD: Lily 18 months

Teresa Laurel ("Tess")
May 24
AttyGrl74
Me: 32
DH: 34
DD: Nora - almost 2 (9/15/04)


Macey Elise
05/09/06
Bloomwood
Me: 33
DH: 34
Sadie, the lab, 2.5

Ethan Bryce
5-9-06
me: chandy, 26
dh: joel, 33
dd: Elliot, 2 in July

Chloe Denise
29 March 2006
crazycaro
Me: 33
DH:34
Other children: Ruby Elisabeth, 18 May 2004

Jack Thomas
May 25, 2006
Me: Emily, 26
DH: Mike, 26
Other Children: Chloe (4) and Roman (2) [Kitties]

Stephen Hunter (we call him Hunter)
5/17/06
fats
Stacey-37
Craig-35
Furbabies: Nola (Boxer 7 years old) Emmitt (Boxer 1 year) Sydney (cat 3 years old)

Kyle
05/04/06
Flyerwife
Me: 32
DH: 32
DS: 4

Tyler John
5/9/06
gagirl
me:31
dh:36

Elliot J.
04/18/06
Guinness
Me: 31
DH: 32
Guinness - 2.5, Kata - 3 (pups)

Rachael Elyse
May 17
jarm
Jodi, 28
Ray, 26
DDArlyn, 3

Kyle Robert
5/8/06
Jen1098
Jen-31
Paul-35
DS Josh 2 years

Margaret Elizabeth (Maggie)
4/28/06
Me: Lisa
DH: Jim
DD: Katie 4/16/04

Baby M
5-10-06
me: Karla, 26
dh: Scott, 27
dd: D, 8 years old

Lila Grace
May 2, 2006
Me:Kim, 27
DH:Max, 29
Other children:Ava (4) and Morganna (2 1/2)

Kaymen Lynn
5-16-06
kmfroggi
Keirstin- 26
Joel- 28

Ethan
04/17/2006
kristin9903
Kristin, 29
David, 28

Joshua Benjamin
May 14
lowcountrywed
Me: Melissa, 28
DH: Mark, 31


marchfamily
Me: 32
Him: 36
DD1: 1-9-05/EJM
DD2: 5-9-06/CLM

Ainsleigh
5/5/06
MMHinCA
Me: 28
DH: 30
Furbaby: Yellow lab, Bella, 2 yrs old

David Henri
5/6/06
Mrs. U
Me: 30
SO: 38
Furbaby: Spike the Chihauhau, 11 years old

Samuel
5/8/06
me: Nettie
DH: K

Gabriel
15th of May
Nettreefrog
Me: Jules
DH: Fabian
Other children: "The Cheese" age 12

Meghan
5/4/06
Me: Parrothead

Annabelle Liese
05/05/06
Petdoc08
Me: Rebecca 25
DH: Brandon 25

Joshua
May 14
shortcake
Me: 32
DH: 32
DD: Gabrielle, age 2.5


Jocelyn
5/12/06
Smiles33
Me: 29
DH: 30
Our "firstborn" furbaby is Scrappy

Marlowe Reese
05.05.06
Sneezy
me: Deb, 32
DH: Larry, 34

Sophia M.
06/02/06
Southlooper
Me: 35
DH: 35
Furrybaby: Boy: 11

Abigail Jane
May 12, 2006
Standrea
Andrea, 25
Stan, 25

[flyerwife]

Kyle
05/04/06
Flyerwife
Me: 32
DH: 32
DS: 4

[MMHinCA]

I was a April mom, but my DD was born in May... can I join?

Ainsleigh
5/5/06
MMHinCA
Me: 28
DH: 30
Furbaby: Yellow lab, Bella, 2 yrs old

[April1234]

Nolan Grant
05/15/06
April1234
Me: 25
DH:33
DD: Lily 18 months

[Bloomwood]

Macey Elise
05/09/06
Bloomwood
Me: 33
DH: 34
Sadie, the lab, 2.5

[nettreefrog]

Gabriel
15th of May
Nettreefrog
Me: Jules
DH: Fabian
Other children: "The Cheese" age 12

[Bloomwood]

The fourth trimester...so true

She's sleeping so I will take advantage and try to capture an update!

MMH - I love your avatar. Bella seems much braver than Sadie who likes to be a cautious distance from Macey's flailing arms and legs - not mention her wails.

Sleeping - the nights aren't that bad. As I said in the other reply, she starts in her bassinet and then I bring her to bed at her first feeding. It only gets bad when she gets gassy or in general just decides to grunt and groan. It has forced DH to the guest bedroom a couple of times. I think it is also just my perspective that the nights aren't as bad because I was warned that they would suck - I guess I just accept that night sleep is fleeting for the next couple of months.

My big sleep issue is getting her to sleep during the day. She is SO stubborn (not at all like her mother...haha:rolleyes: ), she doesn't want to miss anything, so not only will she fight sleep, but then she sleeps super lightly and wakes up to check out whatever is going on. Also, 99% of the time she will only fall asleep on me or nursing and then awakens easily if I try to move her to her bassinet, her swing, her vibrating chair, etc. It is so frustrating! That said, the last 2 days I've been able to get her to sleep by bouncing on my exercise ball and have successfully moved her to either her chair or swing (where she's sleeping right now...hallelujah!). I'm sure tomorrow it won't work and I'll have to come up with something else.

We are also giving her a formula bottle once in a while so that I can pump (otherwise, I can't keep her off me long enough to get something to pump). Well, the formula we gave two days ago has constipated her and we are now on day 2 of no poops. She is not happy. We have our 1-mo WBV tomorrow, so I'll see if they have any ideas.

Generally speaking, I am just counting the days/weeks until we hit week 12. Tomorrow marks week 5, so I've got quite a ways to go!

[kristin9903]

Ethan
04/17/2006
kristin9903
Kristin, 29
David, 28

Thanks for the new thread, Southlooper!

Sleeping We're finally getting settled into a routine, sort of. He's usually down by 11 at the latest, and sleeps until 5-6 AM. It's nice...but he's just started doing that in the last week or so.

Sleeping in the day We're not following the Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child philosophy completely, but Ethan usually goes down for a nap every 2-3 hours. As soon as I see a yawn or a half drunk look on his face, it's time for swaddling and nursing followed by a nap in the swing. Works great for us and gives my boobs a chance to make some more milk.

Ethan turned 8 weeks old today!!! It's amazing how fast time is flying...I feel like I was just in the hospital!

[Guinness]

Elliot J.
04/18/06
Guinness
Me: 31
DH: 32
Guinness - 2.5, Kata - 3 (pups)

Thanks Southlooper for starting our 4th trimester thread. My Mayflower was born in April, but I have/and will continue to follow here.

Update:
Elliot turns 8 weeks tomorrow

Night Sleep - well this we are really good at and have luckily been so since the begininning. Last night he went to sleep at 8:30pm, and I woke him up at 6am because I thought I might die from breast explosions :eek:

Day Sleep - Again he is pretty good, but if he sleeps hard he doesn't necessarily wake up to eat. He is taking 2-3 naps a day usually 2 hours or so.

Feeding - This is going well, but a little worried. He literally is eating 5 Xs/day which doesn't seem like much at his age. He is also only doing 10 minutes/side. . . I guess he is getting to the efficient eating phase fast :confused: He is all chubs though, so I am not worried he is starving - we see the Dr. fri, so I will be sure to ask.

Me stuff - Well I have lost 30 of the 40 preg lbs, but have lots more to go after that. I am realizing I am not a benefiter of BF momma on that stage. We are running daily and trying to make healthy food choices. We are quite the site running with the jogging stroller and 2 dogs. Other than that feeling pretty good. I should be trying to get some work done at home, but mostly I just stare at my little one. He is a crack up. The smiles, giggles and flirts have begun and it is so gratifying. A new man making my heart flutter ;)

Can't wait to follow along with everyone on this end of motherhood. Sorry for the long post, but he is out and I thought I would take advantage.

QOTD: Anyone else notice their DC sleeps better on their tummies? I know we aren's supposed to, but I have a tummy time mat and DS falls asleep for long periods when I put him on it.

[Standrea]

Abigail Jane
May 12, 2006
Standrea
Andrea, 25
Stan, 25

So glad that we all have our babies now!!

[Kim]

Lila Grace
May 2, 2006
Me:Kim, 27
DH:Max, 29
Other children:Ava (4) and Morganna (2 1/2)

[nettreefrog]

Guinness did a great job with her posting...so I'll follow her format:

Update:
Gabriel is 4 weeks today!

Night Sleep - Ugh...so erratic. There have been a few nights when he slept more than 5 hours, but generally he is up every hour or two to eat.

Day Sleep - Unfortunately, his schedule here is erratic too. One day he'll nap well --and the following day he'll be fussy and not sleep much.

Feeding - Constantly! He is gaining weight and growing like a weed --It is hard to believe, but I think that his growth spurt has continued since birth. I feel like a cow...

Me stuff - The weight loss seems to have stopped a bit. I would love to exercise, but my doctor wants me to wait for my appointment. Seriously, I want to do leg lifts and crunches...and go to the beach!

Anyone else notice their DC sleeps better on their tummies? Gabriel does not seem to like being on his tummy at all. Of course, putting him on it means that he will lift up his head look around --and at times turn over on his back.

[Kim]

Sleep-No real schedule here. Night time is great since we cosleep. If Lila wakes during the night I pop her on the boob and she goes right back to sleep. During the day she's not a great napper. My other kids weren't really nappers either until they were a bit older. Honestly, I'm just glad she sleeps well at night. The naps we'll work on. :)

Gotta get a hungry baby!

[Em7.31.04]

Jack Thomas
May 25, 2006
Me: Emily, 25
DH: Mike, 25
Other Children: Chloe (4) and Roman (2) [Kitties]

BFing is still a real challenge for us...Lately he gets upset when he first latches on, and pulls off in frustration. I'm guessing I have a heavy let-down based on what I've observed while pumping. We have our first appointment tomorrow with a lactation specialist...Latching is still really painful for me too, particularly on my right side. We've started feeding a formula bottle at night before putting him down, so I can pump to freeze at that feeding time. I'm going back to school on 6/26, and I want to have enough frozen for DH to feed breast milk on those days.

I've lost my baby weight, and interestingly enough am now 10lbs under my pre-pg weight. I'm not doing anything intentional to lose the weight, so maybe it's just luck combined with BFing?? Whatever the cause, I'll take it. :)

[Standrea]

Update:
Abbie is 1 month today!!

Night Sleep - Usually wonderful. Bed by 11 latest, sleeps until 2:30 or 3, eats and goes right back to sleep, until around 5:30-6. Then is up for the day at 7:15 when daddy wakes her up.

Day Sleep - Awake from 7:15 -10:30-11, then sleeps until 1:30, eats and naps again until 4. Is up until 5, then sleeps until 8. She is then up until bedtime.

Feeding - We are feeding on demand, but its usually every 3 hours or so. Sometimes a little less then that. When she is on the boob, its usually for about 20 minutes or so. If she is eating (BM) from a bottle its about 4 oz.

Me stuff - I left the hospital about 10lbs below my prepreg weight. I dont think i've lost anything since. I'm starting to diet this week though. Now that she's 1 month, i think it should be ok. I also went and got a pedicure today, which was fantastic because i haven't gotten one since the week that Abbie was born. I used to get them weekly when i was pregnant!!

Anyone else notice their DC sleeps better on their tummies? During tummy time today, she fell asleep. I think she likes sleeping on her side the best, since she will roll on it from her back.


I hope everyone is having a great night!

[jarm]

Rachael Elyse
May 17
jarm
Jodi, 28
Ray, 26
DDArlyn, 3

[chandy]

Can I join this thread, even though I didn't join the pregnancy thread?

Ethan Bryce
5-9-06
me: chandy, 26
dh: joel, 33
dd: Elliot, 2 in July

One nice thing I noticed about the second baby is that routines seem to develop so much easier this time. He just follows big sister's routine for much of the day. (Luckily he sleeps more!) If I can get them to nap at the same time, it's a good day!

[Mrs U]

David Henri
5/6/06
Mrs. U
Me: 30
SO: 38
Furbaby: Spike the Chihauhau, 11 years old


Anyone else notice their DC sleeps better on their tummies? David has been a tummy sleeper since birth. We've noticed that he tries to 'crawl' when he is in bed with us- actually 2 nights ago he turned himself 90 degrees and woke me up trying to get to my boobies with his arms and legs flailing.:rolleyes:

Weight I still have those dreaded 10 lbs to go. BF isnt burning off the extra calories.

taken on Friday:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b229/s1975/92fa868e.jpg

[MMHinCA]

Anyone else notice their DC sleeps better on their tummies? My DD has been sleeping on her side since 1 week as suggested by her pediatrician (for head shaping). The last couple of nights I have been sleeping her on her back since she seems to be liking that better. She has never been a stomach sleeper.

Weight I am 4lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. I would look to loose those plus another 4-5lbs by July 20th when I am in a wedding!

[Standrea]

Just a quick little note. Miss Abigail went to bed at 11 last night, and we woke up at 6:30. I hope im not jinxing myself by writting this, and this becomes the trend!! :D

[Em7.31.04]

Turns out there is a reason for my excruciating BFing pain....We have ourselves a case of thrush! I hate that we have it...But at the same time it's so nice to know that there is a definite cause and treatment, along with an end in sight (for the pain). Jack is just starting to have a minor diaper rash, but otherwise he has no other symptoms (i.e. white spots in mouth, etc). My only symptom has been the burning pain (while BFing and also while not BFing..so basically, all the time!)....I cannot wait to start feeling better!!

[Standrea]

Em-
I'm osrry about the thrush! You know, i didn't know that diaper rash is one of the symptoms. Abbie has a bad one, and i have had painful nipples, both when she latches and when she's not attached to me. Her 1 month Well child appt. is today, so maybe they'll find it...not that i want them too...:rolleyes:

[Em7.31.04]

Standrea: I really hope you don't have thrush too!! TMI question for you...Are your nipples red? That is a symptom for you, along with the pain while not nursing. Sort of a burning pain, right? Fun stuff.

But, make sure to ask about it at Abbie's appt. My lactation specialist told me that a lot of pediatricians won't treat the baby if he/she shows no symptoms, and some doctors won't consider a diaper rash to be a symptom. Go figure. But, both of you will need to be treated or you'll just keep giving it back and forth. What a deal! :eek:

Keep me posted...

[Standrea]

Em-My nipples are not red. And it doesn't appear that she has thrush, although, the dr. that we saw today I'm not 100% confident with. With that said...



Abbie's appointment this morning was ok. Apparently, she has a hernia. WE KNEW THIS, and when i mentioned it at the last appointment, she said no, and what we saw were normal. We are internet junkies, so we have really researched everything. Her diaper rash is fine, and we just need ot let her air out more. Last night i bought waterproof pads, and we laid her out on one for an hour. It really helped. She had a "bug bite" under her armpit. Thats what it looks like anyways. The dr. didnt knwo what it was, so she called in other doctors. They all seem to think its an absese, and asked me to hot pack it and put her on an antibiotic for it. We have to go back on friday. DH thinks they just like our copay:rolleyes: .


Otherwise, everything is great! We slept until 415am, then went right back to sleep and slept until 830! :)

[Bloomwood]

Standrea - poor Abbie. A hernia? That's crazy. Sounds like she's doing okay otherwise.

Just a quick flyby as today's the last day with the doula, so I'm trying to get lots done while she's with Macey.

We had her 1-mo. WBV yesterday. She wailed most of the time we were there so I didn't get to have a good convo with the dr, but he did get to see how fussy she is. Ugh. I keep telling myself I just have to get to week 12. I am now on week 5, so almost there. I've given up the dream that someone - the doula, the dr., anyone - is going to have the "magic bullet" to make her suddenly a content happy baby. At least that's progress. :rolleyes:

Anyway, she is up to 8lbs. 15 oz. from her birth weight of 7lbs. 5oz and discharge weight of 6lbs. 9 oz. I'm so happy she is getting pudgy from my milk (and a couple of formula bottles to give mom a break).

[karlatta]

Baby M
5-10-06
me: Karla, 26
dh: Scott, 27
dd: D, 8 years old

DS is doing really well. Last night he slept from 11:00 to 6:00. I was amazed (and a bit worried). He's gaining weight and developing well, though, so I'm not worrying too much.

The most fun thing is watching him start to play. He bats at toys ocassionally (I'm sure it's all accidental), and he loves staring at the navy stripe we have painted around his room above his changing table.

[nettreefrog]

[COLOR="Red"]
The most fun thing is watching him start to play. He bats at toys ocassionally (I'm sure it's all accidental), and he loves staring at the navy stripe we have painted around his room above his changing table.

I know what you mean...Gabriel bats at a few toys --there is one in particular that he really enjoys though. http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/www.digitalriver.com/v2.0-img/operations/manhatoy/image/2/0/0/200980_lg.jpg

He also loves to stare at the window... I keep wondering what he is looking at.

[kristin9903]

Em7.31.04 Yea! An end in sight to the pain!!! Hope the thrush lets up soon!

Bloomwood Sounds like Macey is growing really well! Hang in there!!

I'm jealous of those of you that are getting your babies interested in toys. I try daily with Ethan and for now all he likes are ceiling fans, mini blinds, and light fixtures. I swear I have a future Home Depot employee on my hands...

[Standrea]

I swear I have a future Home Depot employee on my hands...

Kristen that is funny! I think I must have a future interior designer, because Abbie L-O-V-E-S curtains! Especially the shiny red ones in our dining room.

Nettreefrog-what kind of toy IS that?! I like it!

Karla-I'm glad ds is doing so well. Isn't it exciting when they get alot of sleep?!?!

Bloomwood-I hope you got the stuff done that you wanted to before the doula left. Abbie's hernia doesn't seem to bother her, beside the huge OUTTIE belly button that she has, that gets really hard when she needs to poop:rolleyes: . She seems happy and content, and she's really a good baby...


Here's a question. Do your babies look at you when you are talking? Like, do they acknowledge that you are talking? I'm worried about abbies hearing. She did fine for her hearing test at the hospital, but noises dont startel her, and she doesnt turn towards us when we are talking. It really worries me for some reason...

[nettreefrog]

Nettreefrog-what kind of toy IS that?! I like it!

Here's a question. Do your babies look at you when you are talking? Like, do they acknowledge that you are talking? I'm worried about abbies hearing. She did fine for her hearing test at the hospital, but noises dont startel her, and she doesnt turn towards us when we are talking. It really worries me for some reason...

On the toy --check out: www.manhattantoy.com --It is the Skwish

Gabriel does look at me when I am talking... He generally stares into my eyes --and is startled when there is a loud noise that affects him. The doctor did a hearing test on both ears at our first visit. If you are concerned, I would ask the doctor to do something similar. I did find this link that I thought might be helpful too: http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/screened.asp

[karlatta]

Here's a question. Do your babies look at you when you are talking? Like, do they acknowledge that you are talking? I'm worried about abbies hearing. She did fine for her hearing test at the hospital, but noises dont startel her, and she doesnt turn towards us when we are talking. It really worries me for some reason...
We had a nurse get very worried because DS didn't flinch at any loud noises. Didn't blink when she clapped in his face, didn't turn his head to listen to me, nothing. But DS is a stubborn child and does what he wants. She finally let off when I told her he responds to his white noise machine. If it turns off unexpectedly, he starts crying, so I know he can hear.

Sometimes DS turns to us when we're talking and sometimes he doesn't. I think it depends on how distracted he is (and how fascinated he is by whatever he's looking at). Our house is very loud - dogs, a 8 year old who always seems to have a friend over, phone calls, etc. I think sometimes DS just tunes it all out and does whatever he wants. (And sometimes I really wish I could do that!) He does respond if he's crying and I just say his name, so I know he can hear me just fine. He's just selective.

[Jen1098]

It's taken me forever to get here.

Klye Robert
5/8/06
Jen1098
Jen-31
Paul-35
DS Josh 2 years

Thanks for starting a new thread Southlooper

Well I survived my first two nights home alone with the boys. It wasn't to bad but my house didn't get cleaned at all. Maybe I can talk dh into getting a cleaning lady 2x a month.:D

Kyle's doing great. Sleeps alot during the day still but still waking ever 2-3 hours at night to eat. I think last night might have been 4 hours though. He does eat every 2 hours during the day though.

Kyle does respond to noises and such but my first son never did. But then again Josh has recently discovered the joy of screaming. Ugh.

Sorry so short but I've got to get in a shower-It seems when ever Kyle spits up/throws up on me it's always down my shirt.:rolleyes:

[Em7.31.04]

Had my 3-week postpartum visit today and things are looking good. My stitches are still healing and causing some minor discomfort, but I'm otherwise healed. I'm cleared for exercise and yoga, yahoo! I got a prescription for birth control, which I plan to start in two weeks.

Still dealing with the thrush. Jack's diaper rash is pretty much cleared up, thanks to the Lotrimin AF cream. My nipples are still basically raw and burning at all times. Today I got a prescription for Diflucan to take for three days, in addition to applying Lotrimin AF after every feeding. I'm to the point where I can no longer BF without breaking down into tears, so until I'm feeling better, I plan to exclusively pump and bottle-feed Jack.

I also am dealing with a low milk supply, and saw a lactation specialist earlier this week. I am supposed to be BFing and then pumping every 2-3 hours (waking Jack at night if he sleeps longer). But, I feel that I need to take care of the thrush before I can think about increasing my milk supply. For my well-being I just need to deal with one thing at a time, you know?

[fats]

It's taken me forever to get here too - I don't think I ever saw the old thread close. Hope I didn't miss too much.

Stephen Hunter (we call him Hunter)
5/17/06
fats
Stacey-37
Craig-35
Furbabies: Nola (Boxer 7 years old) Emmitt (Boxer 1 year) Sydney (cat 3 years old)

Hunter was 4 weeks old on Wednesday and he's been a great baby (knock wood). We had live in help with us for the first 3 weeks so this has been our first week alone with him and it's been a bit more challenging, but having Angela here was amazing - she taught us everything and she was great with him. Craig goes back to work (he had 4 weeks paternity leave) on Monday and I'm kind of nervous about having to take care of the baby all alone, but it's got to happen some time.

He's pretty much been on a schedule - eating every 3-4 hours and sleeping in between although he's had a bit more awake time lately and really enjoys the Gyminee mat. It's so much fun to see how alert he is already.

I've been getting so much sleep I feel guilty about it. Craig gives him a bottle (breast milk) around 8 or 9pm and then he gets a bottle of formula around midnight or 1am (my milk took a long time to come in so we started supplementing and we've just kept it up since it keeps him fuller longer at night). Angela was doing that feeding and now Craig does it. So I don't get up until the next feeding around 4 or 5am. I think that may change now that Craig is going back to work but we'll see.

The biggest problem we have with hims is getting him to go down after a feeding. He usually falls asleep during/after a feeding and then we'll put him in his bassinet. Sometimes it's not too difficult, but sometimes he just wakes up as soon as he hits the sheets and then it's hard to get him to sleep again.

Today he's developed a cough out of nowhere. It sounds flemmy so at first I just assumed he'd swallowed some milk funny but he's had it all day throughout the day and he's been really fussy, which is rare for him, so we're bringing him to the pediatrician tomorrow. I hope it's something that's easy to cure. It's so sad to see him feeling so uncomfortable.

As for me, I feel good. Recovering from a c-section was easier than I ever expected. Unfortunately, BFing is not helping me lose any weight and I've only dropped about half of the 50 pounds (!) that I gained during the pregnancy. And most of that was a result of the actual birth. I can't exercise yet and honestly, I haven't been watching my diet so I think after my 6 week appointment I'll have to get on the ball. Although, I don't even know when I'd ever find the time to exercise even if I were allowed! I think I'm going to have to get a jogging stroller and find some trails around here.

I'll try to remember to check in more often now that I know this thread is here!

[flyerwife]

Yesterday marked 6 weeks for Kyle, so today was my appt. Everything looked good and I was down below pre-preg. weight, which I was thrilled about. Not that that means much since I was heavy to begin with, but even so I was happy about it. I asked about exercising, etc and he told me to just listen to my body and if it hurts to stop. I must say this pp appt was so much nicer than with my first. The doctor makes all the difference!

On a different note, if you haven't added your child to your insurance make sure you do so quickly and if you have make sure it was done correctly! My husband added our son, but apparently all he did was list him, but not give him benefits, so now everything is getting rejected for him and now we are past the 30 day window to add him. since they can see that he added his name and info prior to 30 days I think they will give him the coverage -- I hope and pray that they do. Anyway, just a heads up to everyone else.

Kyle has been sleeping pretty well...now if we could get the 4 yr old to settle life would be good. However, I did tell the doctor today that we were done and not having anymore. He gave me cards to give to my husband and suggested ways to nudge him along (and yes I did mention that is what I wanted) to get snipped.

Better get some things done and some sleep before Kyle gets up in a few hours. Have a good weekend.

[Jen1098]

It's quiet in there. Guess we're all pretty busy now huh.:D

Had my 6 week pp visit today. Everyone looks good-I'm still 9lbs from my pre pregnancy weight. Oh well, guess I'd better start working out. Got my RX for the mini pill.

Em7.31.04 I hope you're feeling better and the thrush is gone.

Fats I hope Hunter didn't have a cold. We sometimes have the same problem with Kyle waking up as soon as we put him down. I try to leave my hands under him for while then slip them out, sometimes it works sometimes doesnt.

Here's a couple of pictures.

Kyle and bb Josh
http://images1.snapfish.com/347396%3A%3B%3B%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E693%3E5%3A 9%3EWSNRCG%3D323384%3A86567%3Cnu0mrj


Chilling in the bouncy seat
http://images1.snapfish.com/347396%3A%3B%3B%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D323%3A%3E693%3E5%3A 9%3EWSNRCG%3D323384%3A86%3A435nu0mrj

[Southlooper]

HI Everyone -

Sorry for being AWOL I've been lurking but not enough time or motivation to post.

I feel like I'm back in college and it's finals week, except finals will NEVER end!! ;) :eek:

I tried to update the thread yesterday then I pressed the wrong key and lost everything. I walked away from the computer after that...

DH went back to work today, so it's mother and daughter's forst day alone together. Anyway, Sophia is generally doing well. She's having digestion problems and this week projectile vomited 3 times. The doctor showed us a new way to burp her and she is doing much better. Now she has developed a rash on her face that my mother and aunt (a RN and Doctor) said was prickly heat , but I'm taking her to the doctor tomorrow just to make sure. Lastnight she got very clingy and refused to sleep in her crib and was pretty much up from 3:30 - 5:30 am. Finally I put her next to me in bed and she was out in a few seconds. She woke up again in time for us to see DH off to work, then we took a 2 hour nap (again with her sleeping next to me.) I put her down again for another nap in her crib, hopefully this will last for atleast an hour.

Yesterday during our father's day get together with the extended family DH's Aunt started in on "when you have yur next baby..." I had to leave the room. :rolleyes:

Here is a pic of "princessa"

http://images1.snapfish.com/347396%3B55%7Ffp346%3Evq%3D3237%3E%3A%3C7%3E948%3E WSNRCG%3D32337%3B9787665vq0mrj

Hope everyone had a great father's day!

[Jen1098]

Southlooper Cute picture-look at all that hair. When you have time do you mind sharing the new way your Dr. told you how to burp dd. I don't always have success with Kyle so maybe if I tried something else.
I know when I stand up with him I usually get a good one though.
Thanks.

[Em7.31.04]

I just got back from an appt with a lactation consultant. Jack has gained 12oz in the past 6 days....He's up to 8lbs, 12oz now. Finally, he's back over his birth weight! Whew. Still dealing with the thrush...in fact, I had to call my midwife today to get another Rx for Diflucan since the first one wasn't for enough days and I'm still in pain/having symptoms. BFing is better, but still unpleasant. I'm going to continue alternating BFing with pumping and bottle feeding until the pain goes away. Did this for the past week and he seemed to gain just fine!

[nettreefrog]

Just some really quick thoughts and questions... Oh and a belated HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the new (and repeat) dads!

Gabriel is doing amazingly well... He was 12 pounds at his one month appointment last week. I am only BFing too--and actually bought a pump (Medela PIS Advanced) this weekend so I need to learn how to use it.

1. Are your baby's eyes still blue? Gabriel's are --but I am not sure if/when they will change.

2. If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? (Just want opinions...)

3. How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? Everyone keeps asking me this --but I have not figured out a day because I love spending time with the little guy!

4. How much weight do you have to lose? I gained 44 pounds --but have 17 left--. I have not gone back to the OB yet for my 6 week PP exam--but am hoping that the pounds start to come off so that I can get back in my regular clothes.

[MMHinCA]

1. Are your baby's eyes still blue? Yes. Both DH and I have blue eyes so I don't think they will be changing.

2. If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? I did!

3. How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? I am planning on going back to work August 7th. I work from home 3 weeks a month and work in our corporate office 1 week a month. My first week back I will be in the office. I am not looking forward to it! :(

4. How much weight do you have to lose? I have about 3-5 lbs to loose. I would like to loose another 10 lbs total.

[Em7.31.04]

1. Are your baby's eyes still blue?
Yes...But he's still pretty new. Will be a month on Sunday. Can't wait to see how they change.

2. If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? (Just want opinions...)
I'm still working on our announcements...But yes, we still plan to send them.

3. How much longer are you at home before you go back to work?
I'm going back to school this coming Monday, and I can't wait! I'll just be in class two mornings a week for eight weeks. DH will be home with Jack (he's a teacher and today is his last day of work for the year!). I seriously am so ready to have some "me" time away from Jack and the house. As in love with Jack as I am...It's time for me to get back into my routine.

4. How much weight do you have to lose?
I ended up gaining 20lbs during my pregnancy. I'm down 35, so I'm below my pre-pg weight. Not sure how...But I'll take it! But my body looks so different to me...My tummy is back to its normal size, but is so soft and has a pooch now. Not to mention the stretchmarks...

Is anyone else experiencing back pain? I am having aches and pains in my mid- to lower back, and have been since giving birth. I'm not sure if its from:
a) epidural (especially since it took 4 tries to get it right!)
b) lack of core/ab muscles, so I'm using my back for everything
c) lifting and carrying Jack, his carseat, etc...
Any ideas?

[flyerwife]

1. Are your baby's eyes still blue? Yes. DH are blue, so they might stay that way, but I'm guessing they will switch to brown.

2. If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? I will if I ever get them out...just another thing I'm behind on.

3. How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? I'm a SAHM, so I'm not going back. Although I'm thinking about finding a part time job soon.

4. How much weight do you have to lose? I need to lose lots, but as far as pregnancy weight I lost it plus a few lbs, although I'm not sure how. I hope to lose more and went back to the YMCA for the first time on Saturday since I had my 6 wk appt on Friday.

Back Pain -- it really could be from any of those options. Definately mention it to the doctor I don't know if they can do anything if its from the epidural or not, but it's worth a shot. I know that mine hurt plenty when I had my first son since I wasn't used to carrying a baby around. I know my mom complained that her back was hurting after carrying Kyle around on saturday.

[jarm]

1. Are your baby's eyes still blue? Yes. I'm hoping they stay.

2. If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? Not sending announcements

3. How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? - I'm doing work...just not at work. I will go back in August when the new school year starts (greatest thing about being a teacher and taking leave at the end of the year)

4. How much weight do you have to lose? I've lost all that I gained with Rachael. Still trying to lose some from when I was pg with Arlyn.

[smiles33]

I'm finally making it over to the new thread (and yes, it's 1 am--I just fed her!)

Jocelyn
5/12/06
Smiles33
Me: 29
DH: 30
Our "firstborn" furbaby is Scrappy

And a photo of her from Sunday, when we dressed her up in a cute Gymboree dress for Father's Day:

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f274/joceysmom/IMG_6444.jpg


QOTD:

1. Are your baby's eyes still blue? ]Nope, she's always had dark brown eyes (we're Asian).

2. If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? Nope. We only sent them out to family members and my ILs sent them to their friends.

3. How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? I'm back in early September, when my students get back to campus.

4. How much weight do you have to lose? I have 13 pounds to go (already lost 17). Haven't been trying to lose weight at all, though, since I'm always starving since I'm BFing so I've actually been eating quite a bit.

[crazycaro]

Chloe Denise
29 March 2006
crazycaro
Me: 33
DH:34
Other children: Ruby Elisabeth, 18 May 2004

[Standrea]

Abbie is doing great. We go back to the doctor today because of the absese under her armpit. It seems to have "popped" a little, so i think that's a good thing. She decided that she didn't like naps anymore, nothing we could do could get her to sleep during the day over the weekend. She went from 8am to 4pm on sunday! Saturday was even worse! Yesterday she seemed back to her old self!


QOTD:

1. Are your baby's eyes still blue? ]Yes, and we are hoping they stay that way...they are actually a beautiful grey color. DH has green eyes and I have brown:rolleyes: .

2. If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? Haven't decided if we are going to send out birth announcements yet. I know, its getting a little late.

3. How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? I am back to work! I'm a stay at home mom! I gave my notice to my job the week i was born. Now we are having some issues with HR where i have to go back and work my 2 weeks to be eligible for rehire. I dont see how that's a possibility.

4. How much weight do you have to lose? I'm down around 10 from PP weight.
However Haven't been trying to lose weight at all, though, since I'm always starving since I'm BFing so I've actually been eating quite a bit. This is so true. I just can't stop, because i'm always starving! It's so pathetic!

[Standrea]

Whoops! Forgot to drop these off!

Her 1 month old shot (we are going to take her picture here everymonth)
http://images1.snapfish.com/347329987%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D3284%3E283%3E556%3EWSNRCG %3D3233828%3A92466nu0mrj

And I love this picture...sorry its sideways!
http://images1.snapfish.com/347329987%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D3284%3E283%3E556%3EWSNR CG%3D3233828%3A92%3C%3B9nu0mrj


Ok, screaming baby...i think she needs to eat!

[Guinness]

We had our 2 month visit with shots yesterday. Poor guy is cranky today with a temp.

Stats:
Weight: 12lbs 13 oz :eek: (7 7 at birth)
Height: 23 1/2 in (19 at birth)

Needless to say he is growing great. We are one of the lucky one's as Elliot is sleeping 9-10 hrs consistently at night and has been for several weeks. I was worried he wasn't getting enough food, but the scale shows that is not the case.

QOTDs:
1. Are your baby's eyes still blue? Yes, and hopefully they stay. DH has light green eyes and I am hazel. Both my parents are blue and so is DH's mom.

2. If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? I sent announcements to everyone, and we are still getting presents (yesterday 4 packages came). I feel very guilty, but I am so SICK of writing thank yous. Lots of gifts are coming from parents friends, and I swear sometimes it is a treasure hunt trying to figure out who sent things. We are grateful to get gifts, but literally for the last 2 months we get 1-5 packages a day - it is crazy.

3. How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? I will head back at the beginning of Aug, although classes don't start until the end, so I will be sparse. I am sortof working from home and pop in here and there. I am a professor, so I have to make sure my Grad students are continuing to make progress and get papers out for us ;)

4. How much weight do you have to lose? I have about 8 to prepreg weight and then several more after that. I am working hard to think of lifestyle change with a goal of a pound a week. So far I have met that. We run almost everyday and I think my main prob is not planning out meals, so not eating enough at times (and probably too much at other times).

No pic updates because DH 'fixed' our computer this weekend, which of course means it won't be the same for weeks - ooops.

[kristin9903]

We had our 2 month WBV yesterday, too! He handled the shots like a champ...he was smiling within 20 minutes of getting them!

Stats:
Weight: 12 lbs 4 oz (7 lbs 7 oz at birth)
Length: 22 1/4 in. (20 1/4 at birth)

He's in the 50th percentile for height and the 70th for weight!!! It makes me soooo happy since we were struggling with a low milk supply for a while. Thank God for that vile lactation tonic my lactation consultant makes me take!

QOTDs:
1. Are your baby's eyes still blue? Yes, and they're gorgeous!!!! I have blue eyes and DH's are hazel...so I'm praying they stay blue. DH's eyes stayed blue until he was 3 years old, though....so it will be a while before I'm confident he'll stay blue eyed.

2. If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? I sent announcements to family primarily, whether they sent a present or not. If I got gifts from people, they got an announcement, too. I still have a few more to send out, truth be told.:o


3. How much longer are you at home before you go back to work?
The middle of August is when school starts back up for me. Truthfully, I'm excited at the prospect of being able to have some meaningful conversations with grown ups.

4. How much weight do you have to lose? I am 15 lbs below my pre preg weight right now, but was overweight to begin with. I still have a lot more to lose, but the constant hunger that comes from breastfeeding is making that a difficult prospect!

ETA:

Smiles33 Your DD is just beautiful!!! :)

[Bloomwood]

1. Are your baby's eyes still blue? Yes. DH has brown and I have green/brown hazel, so we're sure they're going to change.

2. If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? Yes! I was floored at the number of gifts we got in general, but also how many sent gifts just off of DH's email blast.

3. How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? SAHM for the forseeable future

4. How much weight do you have to lose? I have 7.5 to hit prepreg weight, but that doesn't include my "Irish 5" (the five I gained on our vacation to Ireland), so about 13. I'm focused on the first 7.5 then I'll think about the other 5. I can't wait to fit into my old clothes. I've bought some stuff in the size I wear now - 2 sizes up - but can't wait to ditch it!!

Em - I have shoulder/upper back pain from carrying Macey.

smiles - what a cutie!

standrea - good luck at the doctor! She is a cutie pie too!! What a gorgeous dress!

Guinness - you are lucky indeed! Can Elliot send any of that sleepiness our way??

kristin - glad mom's milk is making him so healthy!

All's kinda well here. I started a thread in parenting about normal behavior and what I'm going through with Macey. Today marks 6 weeks - what I hear is the height of the fussies, so I'd love to think it is going to get better now. When she is in a good mood, she is such an angel. And, when she's crying her head off, I just feel so desperate - especially now that she's starting to make tears. It breaks my heart.

I am interviewing a temporary part-time nanny tomorrow to help me while I find a permanent part-time (10 hours/week) nanny. I'm so grateful my DH is supportive of giving me a break.

DH's mom was in town this weekend and we got to go out for a "Date Night" (a 2 hour dinner). It was absolutely fabulous. MIL didn't have as good of a time as macey was crying the majority of time we were gone. :(

Ala Standrea, we are also taking monthly photos of her next to a lovey from her grandparents. I think this was the height of her baby acne; it is finally going away:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g132/bloomwood/IMG_0579_2.jpg

[Em7.31.04]

kristin9903: Please tell me more about the lactation tonic you're taking. I'm also struggling with a low milk supply, and am willing to try most anything to increase it. Thanks!!

[chandy]

I'm glad to read that I'm not the only one who is noticing that the 6-week mark is an especially fussy time. Ethan wants to nurse and be held all.day.long. That's just not always practical with a 2-year old in the house! He spends a lot of time in his Bjorn, thank goodness for that invention! But luckily I think carrying him around all day is contributing to my weight loss. According to our bathroom scale, he is 15.5 pounds now (up from 10 lb at birth)! Pretty big kiddo...

Can any of your babies really hold their heads up well on their own? He's still pretty floppy.

And how about playmats? Are your babies interested in those yet? I'm looking forward to being able to put him down for a minute!

[kristin9903]

Em7.31.04 It's called Mother's Lactation Tonic and it's made by HerbPharm. It is tonic made from organically grown Chaste Tree Berry, Fenugreek, Caraway, Fennel, and Anise. I take it 3 times a day in between meals. It tastes awful, but man does it work. My milk would dry up at around 4 or 5 in the evening and now I can keep Ethan satisfied all the way to his 10:30 bedtime. I bought mine at a health food store, but you can buy it from them directly at www.herb-pharm.com. Hope it helps!

Here's a picture my Ethan at 2 months...still trying to get him to smile for the camera!!!

http://images1.snapfish.com/3473%3A95%3A%3A%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D327%3A%3E64%3A%3E%3 B%3A%3B%3EWSNRCG%3D323385%3A2%3C3497nu0mrj

[kristin9903]

Caught him!!!

http://images1.snapfish.com/3473%3B373%3B%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D327%3A%3E64%3A%3E%3B% 3A%3B%3EWSNRCG%3D323385%3A5364%3B9nu0mrj

http://images1.snapfish.com/3473%3B373%3B%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D327%3A%3E64%3A%3E%3B% 3A%3B%3EWSNRCG%3D323385%3A4%3C%3A%3B28nu0mrj

[Parrothead]

I want to join!

Baby's name: Meghan
Baby's birthdate: 5/4/06
Your user name: Parrothead

QOTDs:

Are your baby's eyes still blue? Yup! I hope they stay that way. DH has blue eyes and I have brown (but my dad has blue eyes so I am a carrier!)

If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? Yes.

How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? I am a SAHM until at least October.

How much weight do you have to lose? I was 2 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight at my 6 week checkup. But, I am definitely squishier and need to get some workouts in ASAP :)

[smiles33]

Dropping in to report Jocey now likes her Tiny Love playmat (the red, black & white one for newborns) and even seems to like her Ocean Wonders swing! Hooray! I get to eat now and even surf the net when DH isn't here. :)

[Bloomwood]

What a cute happy baby Ethan is!

smiles - glad he likes his playmat. Macey loves hers too; she is also a big fan of her Symphony in Motion mobile. She gets so excited about it. I do too as I can do things like go to the bathroom! ;)

QOTD: What's everyone's take on wine and drinking while BFing?

I've been having about 3 glass a week (only one glass each time) and not really considering the effect on BM. But, I went for a new moms talk today and the nurse leading the session said to drink after feeding and then wait 2 hours. Uh, well...the other day, it was really nice out, so we went to a beer garden. Macey started fussing, so I put her on the boob WHILE drinking my beer. :eek: (so, I NIP with a beer, but didn't get any looks or anything. Maybe because the clientele was mostly middle aged men drinking 40s :rolleyes: )

Also, the nurse recommended a bunch of childcare books, but also recommended Mother Shock (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580050824/sr=8-1/qid=1150927944/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-0067010-8485742?%5Fencoding=UTF8). I picked it up and am loving it. The author equates her adjustment to motherhood to a tourist adjusting to a new culture (culture shock). The introduction is exactly how I've been feeling. Anyway, just thought I'd share.

[Guinness]

QOTD: What's everyone's take on wine and drinking while BFing?
I have been partaking and BF too. I find I don't drink as much as prepreg(i.e., one beer may not get finished, but other times I may have 2 glasses of wine). Prepeggo I would have had lots more without a problem, just gets to me quicker and doesn't taste as good. My take is that it is going to be very little to the kiddo anyway, and heck it may calm them down ;-)

Adorable baby pics everyone!! We have some cuties in here :D

[Standrea]

I agree! Everyones babies are beautiful!

QOTD-drinking while breastfeeding-
I was at a breastfeeding support group today (I go everyother wednesday), and the Lactation consultant said that drinking is fine. Its one of the only things that equals itself out in your milk, and the amount of alcohol in the milk is extremely minimal that it doesnt much make a difference. With that said, she also said, she wouldnt suggest going out and doing keg stands...:rolleyes:

Funny a book was suggested to you today Guiness! I was told that I NEED to read Brooke Sheilds book today by one of the other mothers. She said it was a wonderful read, and that it will make me feel better about the way i have been feeling. I think I'm going to see if the library has it tommorrow.:)

[petdoc08]

Hi ladies, I never joined the pg thread but I am hoping I can join the new mom group!

Annabelle Liese
Birthdate: 05/05/06
Username: Petdoc08
Real name/age: Rebecca 25
DH name/age: Brandon 25


Here are a couple of pics of DD:
http://images.photo.walgreens.com/3473%3B64%3B3%7Ffp3%3Enu%3D3239%3E667%3E562%3EWSNR CG%3D32324885%3B5%3A44nu0mrj on her birthday
http://images.photo.walgreens.com/3473%3B6887%7Ffp4%3Enu%3D3239%3E667%3E562%3EWSNRCG %3D32324%3B35%3C8768nu0mrj one month old

QOTD
Sleeping: She is a champ at night! She has been sleeping 6 hours a night from 3 weeks on. A bad night is a 4-5 hour span. During the day naps are harder to come by, but I am ok with that as long as she is sleeping through the night

How much weight to you have to loose: 3 more pounds to pre-preg weight but 30 more to go before I get to the point I was before I moved from Chicago to Iowa. When you don't walk everywhere and make no change to eating habits the pounds pack on very easily.

How much longer before returning to work: School starts Aug. 22 but I am talking with my advisors about taking a year off. I cry everytime I think about daycare. Maybe I will feel different by Aug.

Drinking while BFing: I havn't tried had a glass of wine yet. I am waiting for some "special occasion" for some reason. We have a friend's BBQ to attend this weekend so I plan on having a drink or two there.

[MMHinCA]

QOTD: What's everyone's take on wine and drinking while BFing? I have had a glass of wine / margarita / beer several times since BF DD. I have never had more then 1 or 2 beverages at a time so I am not too concerned with the affects on my BM. I also try to drink a lot of water between drinks and after.

[Parrothead]

QOTD: What's everyone's take on wine and drinking while BFing? - Wine is the ONE thing that I missed while pg. I have maybe 2-3 glasses/week now. I spluged on a rum & diet coke last week, too. I really doing think that she's going to get much alcohol from me having a drink here and there.

BIG NEWS - Meghan rolled front to back today! At first I thought it was a fluke, but then she did it two more times :D

[May2006Mommies]

- UPDATED (Finally :) ) -


Welcome to all our new and returning moms!

[Southlooper]

My mother arrived this afternoon and will be staying for a week. She walked right into our place and took the baby and I haven't seen her since. :p

Lastnight DD woke up at 2:30 am and would not go back to sleep. Everytime I would try to put her down she would scream. Finally at 4am I woke up Dh to take her as I was so frustrated I wanted to shake her. DH had asleep in 5 minutes. I cried for an hour before I could sleep. Also, DD will only sleep during the day if you hold her. If you put her in her crib she wakes up after 5-10 minutes. It's impossible to get any sleep or get anything done. Is this normal? Anyone else go through this?

QOTDs:

Are your baby's eyes still blue? Eyes will not change (we're Asian too!)

If people have sent you presents already, are you still sending them a birth announcement? Yes.

How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? I'm officially a SAHM. I'm looking for a part time job, hopefully something that will allow me to work from home.

How much weight do you have to lose? I am at my pre-pregnancy weight, but I still look like I'm pregnant. My stomach is shrinking, but my skin hasn't caught up. Hopefully this will resolve itself. I'm ready in find a plastic surgeon!

Drinking and BFing: Our pediatrician told me that it's ok to drink just pump and dump the first batch of breastmilk afterwards.

Jen/Burping hold: It's the football hold. Hold the baby stomach down like a football with his/her face resting on your forearm and stomach/butt supported by your hand. DH has great success with this.

[MMHinCA]

If you put her in her crib she wakes up after 5-10 minutes. ~ I am going through the same thing. She will not go down in her crib or bassinet unless I have rocked her completely to sleep. If I try to put her down before she is completely asleep she will wake up w/in minutes crying. I don't know what to do... Should I go in and pick her up? Should I let her CIO? I am lost! I don't want her getting used to or only be able to fall asleep with being rocked. But I also hate hearing her cries.

Last night she was clearly tired at 9pm. We tried from 9:30pm (after nursing) to midnight to get her down. She would go down for a couple minutes and then wake up. I was about to loose it!

[smiles33]

petdoc08 you are SO lucky your DD sleeps so well! Mine is still waking me up almost every 2 hours at night to eat!

Parrothead that's so cool she rolled...has she done it again?

Southlooper and MMHinCA, we have the same thing w/my DD, in that she fusses for the first time she's placed in the crib (usually around 10 pm), so we actually place her in her FP Ocean Wonders bouncer. Then at the midnight feed, she goes down in the crib without a problem. It's probably not the best solution, since she's going to outgrow the bouncer, but it's the only thing that works, other than holding her until midnight.

Sorry, no time for more shout-outs, DD is fussing. I guess the swing is only good for 20 minutes at atime!

[MMHinCA]

smiles33 When I need to I do the same thing with DD swing. That will usually put her to sleep after awhile (she fights falling asleep). I am trying to break this habit so she doesn't get used to it. But when something helps so much it is hard to stop.

[Bloomwood]

southlooper and MMH - I have the same issues. I usually get her down in the crib at night because she falls asleep on me during tv and then an hour or so later I put her in the crib. After her first feeding/waking, she goes back down without a problem. After the second waking, I bring her to bed and co-sleep/nurse her there.

Naps kill me. I started trying to get her down at 11:30 today. It is now almost 3 and she is just now asleep - in her swing. Granted, I had a friend come over at 1 pm, so I stopped trying for 1 1/2, but I feel like such a failure when it comes to daytime sleep. She just fights it, gets over-tired, and then ultimately just crashes for 3 hours or so. I'd rather she took more frequent shorter naps than this one biggie.

The whole put her to sleep drowsy but awake is a crock. It'll work once in a while, but not at all consistently.

CIO
Also, MMH, I asked a nurse about the earliest you can let them CIO and she said 12 weeks. I let her cry now for a minute or two while I brush my teeth and feel super guilty that that is CIO. I don't think it is though. I just don't know what to think because she will get stimulated in the car, fight sleep, then cry for about 5 minutes and then pass out asleep. Isn't that CIO? Can I do that at home? Ugh!

[marchfamily]

Eee-gads, I'm behind.

Me: 32
Him: 36
DD1: 1-9-05/EJM
DD2: 5-9-06/CLM


QOTDs:
Are your baby's eyes still blue? Yes, and will probably be blue or green.

How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? I start my new job when CLM is 11 weeks old.

How much weight do you have to lose? 5-6 pounds (I've lost around 50 pounds already). I'd like to lose an extra 5 so my pre-first pg pants fit correctly.

BF/Drinking - I keep it to a minimum. Anything more than 2 drinks I would pump and dump.

[kristin9903]

naptime DS is 9 weeks, and he still naps in his swing. The best way I've found to get him down for a nap is to swaddle, nurse, and then put him in the swing when he's pretty much out. It used to be that the swing had to be on to get a good nap, now he just needs to be in it. I figure that if it works, it's obviously what he needs. Bad habits, schmabits. :)

[jarm]

Rachael sleeps pretty much all day still. She'll sleep pretty much anywhere we put her. She will sleep for such long stretches at night. We'll usually feed her anywhere between 10 and 11 and she'll sleep until anywhere between 5:30 and 7:30. She's such a great sleeper! Arlyn was too, so we've really been blessed.

[Standrea]

Naptime-Abbie was a good napper, but things seem to have changed. She usually goes down for a nap between 10 and 11 and sleeps until 1, and then would sleep between 2-4 then 6-8. She goes down for the night between 10 and 11. She now fights all her naps, which makes it terrible because she looks so sad and tired, but wants to make sure she doesn't miss anything.

Lastnight DD woke up at 2:30 am and would not go back to sleep. Everytime I would try to put her down she would scream. Finally at 4am I woke up Dh to take her as I was so frustrated I wanted to shake her. DH had asleep in 5 minutes. I cried for an hour before I could sleep. Also, DD will only sleep during the day if you hold her. If you put her in her crib she wakes up after 5-10 minutes. It's impossible to get any sleep or get anything done. Is this normal? Anyone else go through this?
Southlooper-I went through this same thing when Abbie was your DD's age. She didn't want her swing or bouncy seat, her crib or bassinett. She wanted to play, but on my lap. she wanted to sit up, not lay down. She was up from 1am, until 6:30 when i woke up dh crying. We honestly thought it was colic. It went away the next night. It only happened 1ce more since then (Knock on wood)...

QOTD-
Has anyone "missed" any milestones?
2 weeks ago, i ran out to Duncan Donuts to get breakfast, and DH called to tell me that Abbie rolled over. I didn't believe him, and when I got home, she did it again:rolleyes:
I also missed her first tears. It broke my heart when I saw them though!:(

Another question-
Does anyone have the Bumbo? I want to buy one for DD, she's holding her head up and i think it would be great for her. I want to know if anyone has it and has used it yet?

[ga girl]

I finally have time to actually catch up on this new thread!

Tyler John
5/9/06
gagirl
me:31
dh:36

Southlooper- We had the exact same thing happen with Tyler but luckily once he reached 10+ lbs he went to sleep much more easily- I think he was about 4 weeks. He's still not a good napper and isn't on any nap schedule, he wants me to hold him most of the day which is very frustrating. I tried the baby bjorn but he hates it- I know how you feel!
I go back to work in 5 weeks so I really need to work on his sleeping. He goes down at night by 11 and some nights he'll go 6 hours but others only 3 at a time.

QOTDs:
Are your baby's eyes still blue? Not really, they're more hazel like mine. His eye shape is the only trait of mine he has!

How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? 5 more weeks.

How much weight do you have to lose? 13 lbs but bf didn't work out for us so it seems to be taking longer than I hoped.

BF/Drinking - Not bf, long story but it was a horrible experience for us.

Here's a question I have- When do you start putting them down to bed at an earlier time? When I go back to work I would like to put him down by 8 or 9 but I don't know when to make that transition.

[nettie]

Samuel
5/8/06
me: Nettie
DH: K

sleeping I'm glad to see that my problems are not just the result of my crappy parenting as others seem to have the same issues. Sam will sleep wonderfully all day and night as long as he is being held. At night, this means he's been taking his first long stretch on DH's chest, then we can usually get him to sleep in the cosleeper, somtimes not. During the day, I can hold him while he's napping and walk around the house, he'll stay asleep. I do try to put him down for naps a few times everyday. Sometimes he'll sleep for about half an hour, wake up crying, I'll pick him up, he'll go back to sleep. Sometimes, my efforts to put him down result in an overtired cranky baby. It's sweet that he likes being held, but it's driving me a bit batty.

I'm also getting "advice" from other parents that I'm setting up some pretty awful habits. I realize that, but given that we can't let him cry how can I possibly break him of this? Next time some tells me that I should be putting him down for naps, I'm inviting them over to give it a shot. My mom will probably take me up on that. :)

[petdoc08]

smiles33 I know I am sooo lucky she sleeps so well. I'm waiting for her to start teething and have all hell break loose.

StandreaWe havn't bought a bumbo yet, but "tried one out" at target yesterday. She seemed to really like it, but I am nervous it is too early to start using it because the package says 3 months + . Here is a tiny pic
http://images.photo.walgreens.com/347426457%7Ffp5%3Evq%3D3239%3E667%3E562%3EWSNRCG%3 D323252%3B6%3B7%3A54vq0mrj

qotd
has anyone missed any milestone Not yet, unless you count her first trip to a hair salon. :) I have only left her for two hours while taking a final exam I missed because I went into labor. We have no family in the area so my mom came to visit so I could take my exam and got her hair done while I was taking it. She took Bella with her.

When do you start putting them down to bed at an earlier time? I don't know the answer to this yet. If I go back to school this year we might start in early August so she is used to it by the time I go back.


We are headed on our first "family vacation" tonight. We are headed to the mall of america for some serious retail therapy! It is just for the weekend but we need to get out of Iowa for a while and home (Chicago) is to far for our first trip.

[Parrothead]

smiles - I haven't tried since yesterday. But, she did it 3 times yesterday. I was even able to catch it on video so that DH could see :)

[Bloomwood]

Oh man! Macey slept pretty much from 5 pm until 8 am. I woke her twice to feed her - once at 8 and again at 10. I fed her at 3 am when she awoke and then tried putting her in her bassinet, but she was making tons of noise, so I brought her to bed. We nursed and slept until 8 am. I am a happy mommy with hopefully a happy baby!

[nettreefrog]

BUMBO - We've got a lavender BUMBO. Actually, it is right next to me on the computer desk. Gabriel is not a big fan of it thus far. He can hold up his head--but he is not yet used to sitting up on his own. And of course, he always wants to be held.

When do you start putting them down to bed at an earlier time? I think it really depends on a lot of factors, but I think that simple routines at specific times help. Like, a bath at 8:30 pm followed by swaddled feeding at around 9:00 pm --and rocking if necessary has been putting Gabriel out.

Has anyone missed any milestone? Not as far as I know--but we've been virtually inseparable thus far.

Naptime - I think Gabriel might be going through a growth spurt because he has been taking some great naps --both yesterday and today. This is definitely new as he was putting forth major grouch fests when I even suggested naps a few days ago.

BF/Drinking - I have not been in the mood for anything besides juice. It is amazing how much juice I can go through...

New QOTD: When are you going to start using the older stroller? I posted a thread about which stroller I should buy because I looked at some yesterday but was not sure. My DD and DH seem most interested in the Maclaren Techno XT (which was confirmed by people here on CC)--but my DH was wondering how long until we use it.

Oh and lastly, Nettie --I disagree with those people who suggested CIO. It is too early for that.

[ga girl]

When are you going to start using the older stroller? - When he outgrows the travel system carrier, we usually only use the stroller when we drive somewhere and it's easier to leave him in his car seat then snap it onto the stroller. I'm expecting it to be around 5-6 months, I was just out to lunch w/ 3 friends that have 1-2 year olds today and they all said they love the Combi- if that helps at all!

[Em7.31.04]

Yesterday I took Jack in for a weigh-in with my lactation consultant. He weighed 9lbs. He's still behind for overall weight gain, but is finally on track re: expected ounces/day, etc. Finally!

We are still in the throes of thrush though, which just sucks to put it bluntly. I'm taking a 2-week Rx for Diflucan, and still applying diluted vinegar and Lotrimin AF to my nipples after each BFing/pumping session. I'm going through breast pads like there's no tomorrow, too, because I have to change them after each session too. Luckily Jack's only visible symptom has been a diaper rash, which is clearing up thanks to us applying Lotrimin AF at each diaper change. We got an Rx for Nystatin today at Jack's WBV, so that should help speed our recovery even more.

BFing is still really, really painful but I'm still trying to do it. I honestly dread it though, which doesn't exactly help my motivation to continue trying it...But anyway, I try to BF one or two feedings a day, and then pump for the rest of the feedings while Jack gets a bottle of either BM or formula. I've already used up my freezer stash of milk (I had started freezing before getting thrush), and I can't freeze any right now because of the thrush. :mad:

Jack had his two-month WBV today. He weighed 9lbs, 1oz according to their scale. Got his 2nd Hep B immunization. He has been uber-cranky all day today, so of course the Dr. visit and immunization didn't help!! He's finally asleep in his swing right now, but we'll see how long it lasts.

He's sleeping about 3-4 hours at a stretch at night...Although last night he was awake for 3 hours which was so frustrating! He was really fussy and we had tried everything during the 3 hours to calm him down. We fed him a bottle of BM while I pumped, changed his diaper, swaddled, rocked, music, movement, etc...You name it. Well, DH finally suggested I try BFing him even though I had just pumped and I didn't think I had anything left in me. Jack latched, took a few gulps, and immediately fell asleep. Typical male...always wanting the boob. :p

DH is done for the school year (he teaches), so he's been around this week. It has been SO nice. But of course he leaves on Sunday for a 4-day-long football camp out of state. My mom is coming to stay with me, because I also start school on Monday. I am going to miss DH, of course, but I'm really going to miss his help with Jack!!

[missy329]

Sorry I haven't been on to join yet!

Margaret Elizabeth (Maggie)
4/28/06
Me: Lisa
DH: Jim
DD: Katie 4/16/04

Maggie is doing great! She is now 8 weeks old. We have our 2 month WBV on Thursday so I will know her weight then. She seems to be growing just fine however. Our older (2 year old) daughter has adjusted well to the new baby- I don't think she remembers life before Maggie- or Mynee baby as she calls her. Sleep is getting better. She will not go to bed before midnight but then sleeps until about 8am with one feeding around 5am. I am really enjoying being home with my girls on maternity leave.

OK, some QOTD's:

When do you start putting them down to bed at an earlier time? As you can see above, we are still working on this one.

Has anyone missed any milestone? Nope- but I have forgotten to write them in the baby book!

When are you going to start using the older stroller? With my 1st DD, I think she outgrew her bucket car seat at about 4 months so that was when we started using her travel system without the car seat. But, we still used that stroller until she was about a year. By then I was tired of hauling the big stroller everywhere and we bought a chicco stroller.

Sleep I don't want to come on here and give advice- don't want to be one of "those" moms. But, remember (in my opinion!) our babies are still so small. They are not really ready to CIO or be on a perfect schedule yet. I was so proud of myself with my first daughter because she started sleeping thru the night at 10 weeks. I thought for sure I had done everything "right" and that was why she was sleeping. But, at about 16 weks she stopped sleeping thru the night and woke up every night until she was two!! I guess I just want to say, do what you feel is best for your child. If they want to sleep in a swing, let them. If they want to fall asleep on your chest, let them. I promise they will not go off to college needing any of those things!!


Hope everyone has a great weekend!

[Guinness]

We have the Bumbo, and DS will sit in it happily even though his head control isn't perfect yet. He sits while I work on the computer, watched me make cookies, and we even took a bath together with it (we had a bodily fluid explosion, so both needed a bath). Here's a pic - I call this Stewart imitation, he looks like a truck driver:p
http://images1.snapfish.com/347438%3A7%3A%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D325%3A%3E237%3E983%3E WSNRCG%3D3233836%3A92987nu0mrj

When do you start putting them down to bed at an earlier time? We have been putting DS down at 8:30 or 9pm since 4 or 5 weeks. For us that worked and he slept for 5-6 hours, now he has stretched that out to 8-10. Doesn't help if I put him down later - he gets ridiculously fussy after 9pm.

Has anyone missed any milestone? No but like Missy, terrible at writing them down :(

When are you going to start using the older stroller? We don't have a travel system, so DS has been in the jogging stroller bassinet since the beginning. I tried to sit him up, but he is still too little, not sure when we will really need to sit him up.

Sleep We are lucky, DS is a good sleeper. He is on a schedule, doesn't need to be held to fall asleep, he lays down awake and just falls asleep on his own. There was only one time at 4weeks where nothing would soothe him after an hour of trying, so I laid him in his paypen just sort of fed up, and he fell asleep in about 3 minutes. That was the closest we have had to come to CIO, and I honestly was shocked he fell asleep. Sometimes I feel like he is sick of me touching him and just wants to be left alone :o

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Off to get coffee while DH and DS snuggle - so cute :)

[karlatta]

How much longer are you at home before you go back to work? I am a SAHM.

When do you start putting them down to bed at an earlier time? Hard to say. Right now he goes down after DD's bedtime (she's 8 and goes to bed at 9:00), and it works out well. Hopefully we can flip that around when school starts and put DS to bed first.

Has anyone missed any milestone? I don't think so, but I do tend to not realize they're happening.

When are you going to start using the older stroller? I love the stroller that's part of my travel system (Graco Mosaic). I took DS out the other night on a short walk in it sans carseat, and I was really happy with it. DS is teensy tiny (and his sister is also really petite), so I think he'll be in his bucket for quite a long time.

Sleep DS is developing a pretty good sleep schedule. We put him down for the night between 9 and 10. He typically sleeps until about 4, then gets up to eat, then sleeps again until about 8 or 9. During the day, he naps after every feeding still. Some days it just seems like he's asleep all day!

[kristin9903]

Em7.31.04 Glad to hear Jack's back on track! Hope the thrush lets up soon!

When do you start putting them down to bed at an earlier time? DS's still going down fairly late (10:30ish). He's been acting tired earlier...so maybe it's time to start the process a little earlier.

When are you going to start using the older stroller? We have the P3 with the matching carseat. I love using the stroller with the carseat right now because I can move him around without disturbing him. So, we probably won't use the stroller itself until he's too big for his infant seat.

Bumbo We have one, and Ethan seems to tolerate it for now. He much prefers being held so far...

http://images1.snapfish.com/3474434%3C5%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D327%3A%3E64%3A%3E%3B%3A %3B%3EWSNRCG%3D32338693%3C7%3C2%3Bnu0mrj

Hope everyone's having a good weekend!

[May2006Mommies]

- Updated -

Welcome new members!!

[Em7.31.04]

Mod: Can you please change mine and DH's age from 25 to 26? I spaced and listed the wrong ages!! :rolleyes:

[May2006Mommies]

updated

[Parrothead]

When do you start putting them down to bed at an earlier time? I wake DD to eat every 3 hours all day. Once I hit her feeding that is in the 7pm - 8pm range, she goes onto a demand schedule. So, I make her bedtime be after her 7pm - 8pm feeding (so, around 8pm or 9pm). For me, that means that I give her a little massage, change her into her PJs, read her a couple of bedtime books, and keep the lights in the room dim and our interaction very calm (i.e., no playtime).

Has anyone missed any milestone? I don't think so.

When are you going to start using the older stroller? I am guessing when she outgrows her bucket.

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? I am totally confused by that concept. People say "my child slept 'through the night' from 10pm to 6am and he/she is 8 weeks old." However, they usually don't mention how many times they woke to eat during that period. At that age, it is my understanding that they can/should wake 2-3 times at night to eat. So, what does "sleeping through the night" mean to you and how many feedings, if any, are during that time period?

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? This one, I can actually answer -- 4 hours.

[chandy]

QOTD #1: I've read before that "sleeping through the night" is considered 5-6 hours without waking during the night. DS has slept from 9-5 before, but it doesn't happen all the time. We stopped waking him to eat after the first couple of days. But since he's about 15.5 pounds right now, I think he can go awhile without a meal ;)

QOTD #2: 8 hours is the longest he's gone, but that was kinda a one time thing. Luckily, each night seems to get a little bit better! Maybe by the time I have to start working again, I'll be able to stay up until 10:00, instead of going to bed at 9:00 with him!

[Guinness]

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? To me this means sleeping through with no feedings, but maybe a reswaddle. Mine started 5-6 hr. stretches really from week 2 and I didn't wake up to feed - I didn't consider that STTN. Now he technically is because he consistently goes 8-9 hour stretches, however I put him to bed by 8:30, with the last feeding between 7:30 and 8:30, so 8-9 hours means he is hungry by 3:30-4:30. I usually reswaddle him and put his pacifier in once around 2. There are a dozen or so times he has slept through until 6am - 10 hours and I would consider that STTN. Now for me, I usually have to pump at 11pm, if I don't I am waking him up at 3:30 because I am dying. So while he sleeps good chunks I have yet to do it :rolleyes:

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? Really goes with above. 10hrs, but I may have stuck the pacifier in. I will say 8 if that doesn't count.

What size is your DC wearing these days? We are in between 0-3 and 3-6. I figure might as well wear as much as we can to extend the life of all his clothes.

What size Diapers if you use disposable? We are still in 1's, but bought a huge box of 1-2s (up to 15lbs) Really hoping we can finish the box, but worried he will outgrow

Related - Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? I can't decide. Early on it was definately Pampers, but since we got into 1s it is for sure Huggies. Pampers he blows out the top (bum side), and Huggies has elastic there. He does sometimes leak out the leg with Huggies so I tried Pampers - it seems that they are so absorbent that it actually leaks through the outside seams. DC is dry, but the blanket, me, or couch is a poopy mess :eek:

Sorry about the obsession with diaper talk - just wondering since I should've bought stock in Shout with all our blowouts. . . .

[MMHinCA]

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? I guess I should consider my DD to be STTN. She usually gets 5-6 hours in the first stretch and then another 2-3 hours for the second. Now if I could just get her to go down before midnight things would be better! :)

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? 6 hours.

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? She is still in some newborn but mostly 0-3.

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? We are in 1's.

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? We have always used Pampers so I don't really know if we would prefer Huggies. Until we have a problem with Pampers I think we will stick with them.

[kristin9903]

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? To me, it means sleeping the whole night without waking for a feeding, diaper change, etc. I think we're pretty close to STTN at this point. DS goes down by 11 and usually sleeps until 5:30-6:30. After feeding him, he'll usually sleep for another couple of hours after that.

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? 9 hours. From 11 PM to 8 AM.

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? Some newborns, some 0-3, and some 3-6. It all depends. :) The 3-6's are still baggy.

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? We're wading through a huge box of 1-2's that someone bought for us. I'm afraid we may be out of them before we get through with the box.

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? I prefer Huggies. We always had leaks with the Pampers...but he can go the whole night without being changed in a Huggies.

[Parrothead]

Thanks for all of your responses!

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? It's all over the place. Mostly 0-3 and some 3-6. Why, oh why, is sizing on baby clothes all over the place???

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? We are in 1's. They are getting snug though. Are 1-2's bigger than 1's? Or, is a 1-2 box a box that has some 1's and some 2's (like a multi pack). Sorry. Rookie question!!

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? Pampers all the way. I have tried Huggies and Luvs and neither can hold a candle to Pampers when it comes to DD. Huggies seemed to leak out the legs a lot. Luvs had no elastic in the fastening tabs so I always felt like DD was being constricted. Pampers and Huggies both have stretchy material in the fastening tabs. Very important, in my book.

Thanks :)

[nettreefrog]

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? I was reading something that said that sleeping through the night meant waking up every few hours to feed (so Parrothead I agree with what you wrote).

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? Good question. I think the longest period he has slept without waking to feed has been going to bed around 9 pm and waking up around 3 pm. But, honestly, I cannot remember much of anything these days.

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? Because of the heat and our long walks, I generally put him in onesies that are 0-3 months. Most outfits are that size too.

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? Size 2 Pampers. The size 1 were too small. I liked the 1-2, but most of the bodegas around here don't stock them.

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? We haven't tried the Huggies....

I hope you all don't mind me asking more questions (I love that there are other babies the same as mine -- it really does help)...

QOTD #6 Does your DS/DD babble/coo/grunt a lot? I can hear Gabriel doing this even in his sleep--but it can be constant at night keeping me up. He seems to be trying to communicate...

QOTD #7 What are your DC's interests? And what do you do to entertain him/her? Gabriel has been taking greater notice of his toys that he can bat--but he still seems to prefer looking at faces (especially when he can smile at someone who is smiling at him). We take a daily walk together, have tummy time, and take him on errands around the apartment explaining what we are doing as we go.

Today is his 6 week birthday!

http://moogit.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=1814&g2_serialNumber=2


We took this photo a few weeks ago --but I love it!

[jarm]

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? I always thought it was when they slept through the night...didn't wake up until the morning.

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? My kid sleeps! I think the longest was from 11p - 8a.

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? - 0-3 months

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? still in the newborn Pampers

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? I like the Pampers better because for our older DD, she leaked right out of the Huggies

QOTD #6 Does your DS/DD babble/coo/grunt a lot? - Grunting all the time...she's just finding her voice and so we have coos more often lately

QOTD #7 What are your DC's interests? And what do you do to entertain him/her? - She loves to look at lights. She's really not into anything yet...loves to watch her big sister make a complete fool of herself, though

[Bloomwood]

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? sleeping through the night without waking up.

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? From 9-3; it was last night. I doubt it'll happen again for a while.

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? - 0-3 months

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? 1

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? I've only tried Pampers, but we have huggies in the next size up that I'll try.

QOTD #6 Does your DS/DD babble/coo/grunt a lot? yes.

QOTD #7 What are your DC's interests? And what do you do to entertain him/her? Crying, nursing, crying. Seriously, she gets over-stimulated pretty easily and then I have her meltdown to contend with. Her activity mat and mobile are good for about 15 minutes before boredom/overstim happens and she loses it. Same with over exposure to new people. She's had enough of her swing...now she's crying, gotta run!

[Em7.31.04]

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? Like most others, I consider this a period of sleeping without waking.

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? Lately he has been sleeping from about 10pm-4am, give or take 30 mins. So, roughly 6 hours at a time. Makes SUCH a difference in my frame of mind and sanity!!

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? I just bought him some 3-6 months onesies today. He has been wearing newborn or 0-3 months, but his onesies are getting to be too short. They still fit in width, but he seems to have a long torso. Those are just the Gerber brand though...Other brands and outfits still fit for the smaller sizes.

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? Still in Newborn. I think we're ready to move onto size 1 after this pack is done. I stocked up on hundreds of size 1s before he was born, so I won't need to buy any for a while.

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? So far I prefer Huggies to Pampers for the newborn sizes. We also tried Luvs & the Target brand and didn't like either one. Especially the Target ones. You get what you pay for, I guess!! I have Luvs, Pampers, Huggies, and another generic store brand in size 1, so I'll have to see what the preference is then...

QOTD #6 Does your DS/DD babble/coo/grunt a lot? He is definitely starting to "talk" more and more! Especially when he's on his activity floor mat.

QOTD #7 What are your DC's interests? And what do you do to entertain him/her? He seems really interested in the fish on his aquarium swing, and in his activity floor mat. He typically falls asleep in his swing, especially with the ocean sounds playing. That can get us a good 1-3 hours during the day. He stays awake on his activity mat, but is only entertained for 30 mins max. He also seems to stare at curtains - especially our living room ones and the ones in his nursery. Both are red....But he can't see color yet, can he?

[Standrea]

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? sleeping through the night without waking up. With that said-going to bed around 9 or 10, and waking up around 5, quick "snack", then back to sleep until 7:30-I think that's sleeping through the night. The sun is up when we get up after all!!

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? 11pm-8am.

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? - 0-3 months

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? 1

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? I liked the Pampers Swaddlers for NB, but we didn't have them for size 1. I bought Huggies Supreme and LOVED them, she blew out of swaddlers size 1, then I bought regular huggies size 1 because the store didn't have supreme. HATED THOSE TOO. Now we are trying to use up the rest of the regular huggies so we can use the HUGE box of Pampers 1-2s that we bought before she was born.

QOTD #6 Does your DS/DD babble/coo/grunt a lot? yes. especially right when she falls asleep, or wakes up. I think its mostly because she's trying to poop. I love her little noises though! They are adorable.

QOTD #7 What are your DC's interests? And what do you do to entertain him/her? Abbie loves her swing. We have the FP Ocean Wonders Cradle Swing, and she loves the lights, mobile, and music. She loves her bouncy seat too...we just put the toy bar on it (again, FP Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer), and she really enjoys watching the lights and fishes, and kicks the toys that hangs. Tummy time is a favorite of hers as well, and she LOVES taking showers/tubbies...

[Bloomwood]

I'm back. She is asleep in her swing; bathed, nursed and swaddled.

However...this is not part of a routine or schedule. I had to come back to comment on how impressed I am that so many of you seem to have a routine down. I'm so curious how you all do it all OR what are you sacficing? Are you cooking dinner? Doing laundry? cleaning the house? Are your DH's managing the majority of the house?

7 weeks later, I feel like I am in survival mode still. Macey is so colicky and fussy during the day that I am constantly on alert - I need to run to her as soon as she starts fussing or else she has a complete meltdown and will take forever to soothe back to calmness. Right now, to write this and have a comfortably sleeping baby, I am sacrificing taking the dog for a walk. May sound trivial, but she has been such a major part of my life - my first baby - and it kills me that I can't get her walk in. the 3 of us went for a 3 mile walk - an hour long - today, but usually we do that plus another one.

The good news is that I am a big "outsourcer." We have cleaning people come every other week to do the big cleaning and I have a nanny starting tomorrow for 10 hours a week (5 hours a day, 2 days a week). That will give me a big help, but it doesn't change the stress level of when it is just me and Macey trying to work through the day. DH is doing more, but the bulk of everything still lies with me - laundry, figuring out dinner, straightening the house, etc. I guess it doesn't help that he also isn't that confident with her. When she starts to have her meltdown, he pretty much hands her off to me.

Sorry for writing such a novel. I guess I just needed to share!

ETA:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g132/bloomwood/MaceyBB5.jpg

[Standrea]

He also seems to stare at curtains - especially our living room ones and the ones in his nursery. Both are red....But he can't see color yet, can he?

I cut off my entry early because DD was being fussy. DH and I joke that Abbie will be an interior designer because she LOVES curtains. Anywhere we go, she is fixated on the curtains; but she particularly loves our dining room curtains which are red. So Em, I think they can see black, white, and red...that's what i've read somewhere anyways..

[crazycaro]

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you?

At least 6 hours of straight sleep.

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth?

She has gone 8.5 hours two times! She is all over the place still really though, but we probably average a 6 hour stretch from her overnight. Last night she went about 7 hours.

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? She has just moved into 000's (I think that is 3 month sized clothing). She started in 00000's and has just started outgrowing her 0000 clothing.

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? We just moved her up into the second smallest Huggies (4 - 8kg).

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? We don't have Pampers here! We use Huggies, we did use another brand at first and they were ok, I guess we just love our Huggies.

QOTD #6 Does your DS/DD babble/coo/grunt a lot? She is just starting to coo now. She's not as noisy as she was (grunting etc). Thank God.

QOTD #7 What are your DC's interests? And what do you do to entertain him/her? She just hangs out and is pretty content. Bouncy seat, couch, playmat, it is all cool with her. She is interested in us atm. :) She likes us talking to her. We get lots of smiles now, because she was born early we only started getting smiles last week at 12 weeks! They were worth the wait.

[nettreefrog]

I'm back. She is asleep in her swing; bathed, nursed and swaddled.

However...this is not part of a routine or schedule. I had to come back to comment on how impressed I am that so many of you seem to have a routine down. I'm so curious how you all do it all OR what are you sacficing? Are you cooking dinner? Doing laundry? cleaning the house? Are your DH's managing the majority of the house?


Okay --now that Gabriel is in his cosleeper, I can comment :D We are lucky that he does not have colic nor does he cry/whimper much (aside from when he is hungry, wet, or gassy). If that were the case Bloomwood, I think that getting things done would be much more difficult. I will say that I create a list of what I want to accomplish for the day and try to integrate Gabriel into it --

Here are a few examples...I will:
-shower while he sits in his bouncer (he likes the sound of the water),
-pick up around the living room while he bats at his toy
-read online and type things out while he sits on my lap and BFs (ah the joy of one-handed typing)
-go on errands (laundry, grocery shopping, etc.) while he is in his stroller
-cook only when he sleeps or my DD watches him

When I cannot accomplish my daily tasks, I don't fret --but schedule them for the next day or that evening for when DH and DD will be around.

[smiles33]

Quick post just to say how SHOCKED I am that so many babies are sleeping so well! DD sleeps AT MOST 3 hours because she wakes up hungry. In fact, she's usually bawling suddenly at the top of her lungs, which is so WEIRD as one second she's peacefully sleeping, and the next moment she realizes she's hungry and screams!

The other night, she was up almost EVERY hour (sometimes just long enough to get me out of bed and holding her, then quickly falling back asleep). And she's a good sized baby (11+ pounds at her 1 month appt, but we haven't weighed her recently). She's already in 3 months' clothing (and some 3-6 month), and her Pampers 1-1 diapers are starting to seem small (we've had some blowouts).

Bloomwood, I'm right there with you feeling like I'm still in survival mode, but DH handles cooking, washes dishes, grocery shopping, and soothes her in the evenings. But it's all me during the day and that's tough because she can't sleep in her crib/bassinet in the day (she screams).

On the plus side, DH also gives her one bottle a night (she has antibiotics for her kidneys) so I can get in a nap, though lately I've had to stay up to pump as I'm so engorged. We haven't vacuumed or mopped or dusted since before DD was born and DH hates housekeepers (he feels like it's an invasion of privacy and that you have to "hover" to make sure they do the job right) so it's not getting clean anytime soon.

We have yet to take DD on a walk, as most of our time is spent on the couch holding her. I have ventured out w/her to BRU to pick up supplies, but that's about it. I even fell asleep while she was playing on her activity mat today.

Anyhow, no time to answer all the QOTD, gotta run!

[chandy]

I'm so curious how you all do it all OR what are you sacficing?

Bloomwood, the 2 main things I have sacrificed are my back and my expectations! If DS isn't napping in his swing, then he is either nursing, being held in my lap, or being carried in the Bjorn. I'm so amazed that babies are rolling over already, as I can't put Ethan down long enough for him to practice such a feat! But, thanks to the Bjorn, I'm able to get a lot done while he just hangs out. Do you have a sling or carrier that you like to use? They can take some practice, and the baby might not take to it right away, but it is so worth it. I wouldn't get through a single day without it.

And most importantly, stay in survival mode for as long as you need to and keep your expectations low. If the three of us make it through the day with dry pants, full tummies, and no injuries, I consider that a huge victory! Be proud of your accomplishments (a 3-mile walk? That's AWESOME!) and don't worry about any trivial stuff. I know it sounds trite now, but it really does get better with time.

[karlatta]

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? I've always thought it meant sleeping a six-hour stretch without waking.

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? 11 hours. He slept from 10pm to 9am one day.

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? DS can still fit in a few Newborn size onesies, but usually he wears size 0-3 months. And they're pretty big on him.

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? He can still fit the N size Pampers, but we just bought a box of Size 1's, so we're using those now. They fit decently, and they're cheaper per diaper, so they're what we prefer.

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? We haven't tried the Huggies, but we haven't had any blowouts or other problems in the Pampers Swaddlers.

QOTD #6 Does your DS/DD babble/coo/grunt a lot? Yes. All the time. I have to tell DD all of the time that DS isn't crying - he's just "talking."

QOTD #7 What are your DC's interests? And what do you do to entertain him/her?
He loves music. If music is on, he's a happy baby. He is just now starting to really bat at stuff, but he loves, loves, loves staring at faces and looking in the mirror.
Sadly, I don't do as much entertaining as I would like. DD (8yo) doesn't always do well with no longer being the only child in the house, so my attention is often split between the two of them. We try to play peek-a-boo, tell stories, take a walk, and do tummy time. It's been kind of hard balancing the two kids without feeling like I'm totally neglecting one of them.

[missy329]

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? Sleep without waking up- preferably close to the same hours I sleep!

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? Maggie seems to have just figured out this sleep thing- so now she sleeps 11pm-5am.

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? Newborn or 0-3months.

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? Another Size 1 baby here.

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? I tried all different brands with DD#1 and prefered Huggies so that is what I am using this time

QOTD #6 Does your DS/DD babble/coo/grunt a lot? She is just starting to coo and talk- it just melts my heart!

QOTD #7 What are your DC's interests? And what do you do to entertain him/her? She likes her bouncy seat, watching the fan, looking at lights, and she has recently found her hand and will stare at that.

I'm so curious how you all do it all OR what are you sacficing? I am doing all the household stuff. I do a lot when Maggie is napping. I also carry her with me to do some of it. The bigger challenge for me is my older daughter - in the throes of the terrible two's! We are also putting our house on the market on Monday so we are trying to keep it clean for showings and trying to pack up everything! Now that has been a challenge.

[MMHinCA]

QOTD #6 Does your DS/DD babble/coo/grunt a lot? DD babbles a lot when watching Baby Einstein or if someone is talking to her (face to face).

QOTD #7 What are your DC's interests? And what do you do to entertain him/her? DD really isn't interested in anything specific. I can entertain her in her bouncer watching Baby Einsteing for awhile. Or if she is on my lap and I sing or talk to her she can be entertained for a little bit. She is always content in her swing. She really isn't that interested in her playmat for more then a couple minutes. I can only get her to do tummy time for a couple minutes at a time becaus she is not a big fan of it.

[karlatta]

I'm so curious how you all do it all OR what are you sacficing? Are you cooking dinner? Doing laundry? cleaning the house? Are your DH's managing the majority of the house?

I am very fortunate in that DS is a very, very easy baby. He seriously has cried maybe 5 hours total his whole life. (And I'm not exaggerating.) If he starts to get fussy, he usually settles with a quick walk in the Bjorn, a ride in the stroller, or some bounces in the bouncy seat. All stuff I can do while accomplishing other things. I am able to "do it all" I guess. I cook, clean, keep up with my laundry, and run errands pretty much every day. In fact, there hasn't been a single day since DS came home from the hospital that he hasn't left the house. Like I said, I feel very fortunate that DS is so calm and able to go with the flow. I'm pretty sure my next baby won't be the same way at all!

[jarm]

I just need to vent...something that I haven't missed the past 11 months made her first appearance last night. So sad...

[missy329]

Sorry Jarm. She sure isn't a welcome sight is she?
I think I had mine last week but I am not sure because I had never stopped bleeding from the delivery, even with being on birth control for four weeks. Has everyone else stopped bleeding? I am still going and it's been 8 weeks & 4 days. I don't remember it being this long with DD#1.

[Mrs U]

Hi all!

My mom was here all last week and boy was she a help! She brought all sorts of toys and clothes as well as a car seat for David. I think he now officallly has more clothes than P and I combined!

QOTD #1: What does "sleeping through the night" mean to you? Sleeping the same hours as me.

QOTD #2 This is related to QOTD #1...what is the longest, uninterrupted sleep period your DC has had since birth? David slept 5 1/2 hours last night. My mom got him started sleeping longer when she was here :D

QOTD #3 What size is your DC wearing these days? 0-3months.

QOTD #4 What size Diapers if you use disposable? Size 2 (3-6 kg)

QOTD #5 Do you prefer Huggies or Pampers and why? Pampers cause they are the cheapst here at Toys R Us.

QOTD #6 Does your DS/DD babble/coo/grunt a lot?Too much especially when he sleeps.He finally started smiling over the weekend.

QOTD #7 What are your DC's interests? And what do you do to entertain him/her? The vibrating bouncy seat is this week's favorite along with the music playing worm my brother sent me. Also we have hanging over him on his changing table George the crazy haired monkey that he seems to love.

I'm so curious how you all do it all OR what are you sacficing? Are you cooking dinner? Doing laundry? cleaning the house? Are your DH's managing the majority of the house?
Thanks to the vibrating bouncy seat I can get more accomplished. I just bring the seat to the room that I need to work in and let him get his 'cheap thrills' as my mom calls it.:p Major cleaning P does on Sat and I do up keep during the week. P also does the grocery shopping since David tends to scream at the grocery store. Laundry I have only one day to get it done (thurs.) since we have to share the machine with the other tenants in the house. I also try to take advantage of his nap times. The only thing I sacrifice is the ironing (there is always tomorrow right?;) )

I think he's waking up. I hope everyone is doing well!:D

[Guinness]

QOTD #6 Does your DS/DD babble/coo/grunt a lot? DS is talking up a storm these days with lots of smiles and giggles. I have to turn the monitor down at night cause I think he babbles in his sleep too.

QOTD #7 What are your DC's interests? The ceiling fan is number 1. He is starting to look at toys, loves faces and the pups. Oh and lights. I am trying to get him to grab for things, but not much luck yet. No real rolling either.

I'm so curious how you all do it all OR what are you sacficing? Are you cooking dinner? Doing laundry? cleaning the house? Are your DH's managing the majority of the house? Well I have a house cleaner that comes every 2 weeks for the big stuff. Laundry is upped and I do cook dinner, but really hate having to decide what to eat, so it is usually simple. DS is a great baby and hangs out by himself happily. I have also made exercise a