July 2006 Mommies - Our little fireworks are here!

[rande]

ohhhh, I so need some help! We seem to be the worst off of the bunch. Olivia wakes every 2 hours at night and only sleeps from 11 until 5 or 6 and takes 1 or 2 one hour long names during the day. We have been keeping a sleep long because the ped. doesn't believe us but she is only sleeping 8-9 hours each twenty four hour period. Sometimes, she falls asleep in her swing and looks so peaceful but wakes screaming 20 minutes later. Any advice???

She is on Prilosec but is still super gassy and always seems to wrench in pain. RO's-do your babies nap in the same room as their older siblings who are playing or do you bring them somewhere else when they show signs of tiredness?? Andrew always seems to wake Olivia who is a light sleeper and startles easily. The only place that she will sleep at all is in her swing due to the reflux. Anyone's baby sleep to a music cd? I really could use some ideas/suggestions. I am exhausted.

Adorable babies, everyone!!!!!!

Mia's Mama-Do you put sunblock on Jackson when you bring him in the pool?????

Oh, for naps and bedtime, how does everyone get their little ones to sleep? Do they fall asleep on their own? Rocking? Eating? Pacifier?

[mkvh]

rande--I am SO sorry! {{{HUGS}}} I have little advice since Clara is narcoleptic. :rolleyes: Just like her daddy (hee hee!). I just noticed in the last couple of days that she isnt' falling/staying asleep where there is stimulation (noise, light, activity), so I have started rocking and nursing in the nursery with the hall light on and the door partially to mostly closed. That seems to work best. She is a nosy child and will force herself to stay awake! Can you use a bouncy seat or something like that in a darker, quieter part of the house?

mmisabel--I can't wait to hear how big Nathan is, either! I'm so excited for our babies' 2 month WBVs!!!

[Lizard]

rande - If I were to guess, I'd say the lack of sleep is because she's so gassy and uncomfortable. Does she sleep better after a BM? I know DD does. :D We had the same issue and I eliminated dairy from my diet. It took about 10 days but it's like DD's a different baby. Not only did it cut down her fussiness, but her sleep habits got SO much better. I don't know if it was truly the dairy elimination that did it, but if it wasn't it was a big coincidence. If you're doing formula you could try a different one (I forget if you're BF or FF).

Sleep, naps - DD basically falls asleep on her own now. We've been trying to get in the habit of having a little playtime after she eats, so she doesn't always associate eating with sleeping. But if she's super tired while she's eating I don't fight it, and just let her sleep. We do naps in the swing or bouncer, and at night she sleeps in her crib, albeit in her car seat. I'm still a little worried about having her sleep on her back because of the reflux. We tried it the other night and she woke up screaming. So we're just taking it slow. I think she likes the coziness of the car seat.

I felt a little bad about her always napping in the swing or bouncer, but at my Baby & Me group yesterday there were several 4-6 month olds that still nap that way. So now I don't feel so bad. :)

Speaking of months... Dorla's 2 months old today. I can't believe it! Somedays I'm still in denial that I'm a mom, LOL.

[maybebaby]

Rande Anya usually falls asleep to an ocean sounds cd. It seems to help. We have Baby Mozart too. Hang in there.

[rande]

Thanks, girls.

She is exclusively bf. My ped had me eliminate all dairy, tomatoes, broccoli, chocolate, cabbage, cauliflowe, strawberries, etc.three weeks ago and it has not helped. Every fifth day or so she will sleep all day seemingly out of sheer exhaustion. Drew also had reflux and only slept in the swing until 6 months. She will not sleep at all in her bouncy chai or bassinet, just the swing. If she does fall asleep, she wakes twenty minutes later frantically shrieking for me.

[mkvh]

My ped had me eliminate all dairy, tomatoes, broccoli, chocolate, cabbage, cauliflowe, strawberries...

NOW I know what Saturday night was all about! Who knew that strawberries would cause so much chaos!

[Wrighty26]

Oh Rande-- I'm sorry you're having sleep issues! I think I read in either Weissenbluth's book-- or the Sleep Lady's book that one of the reasons they wake up screaming in their swing/carseat/bouncer is because the motion of causes them to habituate instead of really sleep. Whichever book I was reading (everything is blending together) said that when a baby habituates they are focusing on shutting everything off around them, instead of getting quality sleep. Of course, I have no idea if this is actually true :)

Braeden is pretty good about going to sleep on his own at night (we have a routine where he eats, bathes, and then we swaddle and read to him-- usually he's out in 10 minutes)-- but during the day he definitely fights it. It's gotten better since I covered his window with a towel. In the morning, I will put him in his swing and let him get drowsy--then I'll move him into his crib. We have a sound machine I bought at Bed, Bath, and Beyond that makes a "waterfall" noise that sounds just like white noise, so I'll pop that on and he usually goes right to sleep.

His afternoon nap is a little trickier-- and it's hit or miss. I have no secret for getting him to sleep then! Sometimes swaddling him, putting him in his crib, and then gently rocking him (with the white noise on and a paci in his mouth) works. Sometimes I do that and he just looks at me with his big eyes and grins like he wants to play!

Wow Smurf! I can't believe Kate already rolled over!!

Nuhmah - Yay! Your hubby comes home today!

mkvh - I can't believe Clara is already in size 2 diapers! Braeden just moved into his size 1s. He's my long and lean guy :)

I'm onto day 2 of work--but my first long day (I only work 2 full days on Tuesdays and Fridays). I've been here since 7, went home for lunch, and I'm leaving in about an hour. It hasn't been TOO terrible--but I am dying to know what my boys are up to! I've been trying to be good and not bother them. I don't want my DH to think I don't trust him. I will say that when I went home for lunch B had taken his morning nap, my hubby had cleaned the house (with the exception of vaccuming--which he was about to do), and B was just about ready to take his afternoon nap (I put him down after he finished eating). I think my DH is a better housewife than me :D

[mia's mama]

oh, rande I'm sorry that you are getting so little sleep! Poor Olivia, and poor you! I do let J sleep in the playroom- in his swing sometimes or the bouncer. He sleeps best in his co-sleeper though, which I have in a different room. Both of my kids sleep with noise machines b/c our house is fairly small and the hardwood floors tend to make it a little noisy. Thinking of you...

Swimming- I can't find swim diapers small enough for J. I just put him in a regular diaper and baothing suit, but let me tell you, that sucker was HUGE when we took him out of the pool! I think they do make plastic diaper covers in small sizes, I just havn't found any. I did not use sunscreen...we waited until 4:30pm to take him out to avoid the intense sun and only took him in for 10 minutes...then back to the shade! I have heard mixed things about sunscreen before 6 months.

[Amaye]

Just popping my head in to say hi but wanted to say that Rande, I feel your pain.

DS only sleep about 9-10hrs a day and there doesn't seem to be a reason why!!!! For example today, she woke up around 6.30, nursed off and on till about 7.15 and then slept till 10am. Since till 10am till now (5.30), she still hasn't slept!! I have no clue what to do. I have nursed her, changed her, burped her, rocked her and nada. She might cat nap for about 15mins but wakes up quickly and cranky. She just fell asleep in Grandma's arms and when we put her down, she woke up again. I have no clue what to do. I spent last weekend awake all night for the entire weekend.

Any advice? I have cut out all dairy. I haven't eaten any broocoli or cholocate or gassy foods for a long while now and she is not uncomfortable. The only thing is that she still has thrush but we are still treating now.

It's really starting to kick my butt now.

And oh, another question. I am 5weeks post partum and for the past couple of days, my discharge has become more red. Is that normal? Did that happen to you?

Hope everyone is doing well. Hugs to all the ladies dealing with lack of sleep/crankiness.

Here is a pic of the little one - I haven't posted her pics here before.

The day we left the hospital - 2days old!
http://static.flickr.com/91/228623503_0c696e1080.jpg?v=0

Her first bath! :)
http://static.flickr.com/68/228623501_3cd85e1249.jpg?v=0

[smurf]

Kate rolled from front to back. She hasn’t done it again today. I think the reason that she did it in the first place is that she hates tummy time so much. She made herself mad enough that she just rolled over! Thanks for the bc recommendation, MKVH. I don’t know much about diaphragms, I’ll have to look into that.

I’m so sorry to hear about your sleeping woes, Randy & Amaye. I hope things get better for you guys soon!

I’m glad work is going well for you, Wrighty. I think it’s great that your DH’s schedule allows him to watch Braeden while you work. Can your DH come to Texas and teach my DH how to clean the house? DH would be perfectly comfortable living in a dump. I feel guilty on the days that he gets home and the house is a wreck, but he doesn’t even seem to notice.

Amaye—I remember noticing more red discharge at about 5 weeks PP. I asked my doctor about it at my 6 week check up and he said that it’s not unusual.

[Wrighty26]

Why has my son been asleep since 7pm? I have a feeling it's going to a long night ladies! I know the minute I lie down he'll wake up. I'm so tempted to pump and then go to bed-- and let me hubby take care of him b/c I am so exhausted-- but I missed him SO much today. I got in all of 45 minutes of him (not eating) when I got home today too. Grrrr...

[hokiegirlie]

This thread moves pretty fast!

At 7.5 weeks, Matthew is sleeping longer~4.5 hours on saturday night and 5 hours on sunday night. Last night wasn't so great and he was up from 2-4, which sucked for mom. I'll take what I can get, though.

We ran all over the city yesterday so we're gonna lay low today. I hate to keep him out so long b/c he sleeps almost the entire time, whether he's in his carseat or the stroller. I feel guilty that he's sleeping so much, although most people keep saying to take advantage of it. What do you girls think?

[lindybug]

sleep ~ I can feel rande's pain. (Which is why I haven't been in here in so long!)

We try to put DS to sleep sometime between 9:30 and 11pm. His first stretch is usually 3-4 hours, then it is SO HARD to put him back to sleep. He'll eat, burp, and I'll rock him back to sleep (this all takes about an hour). Then, when I lie him back down in his crib, sometimes he wakes up right away. Sometimes he'll seem to be sleeping, but wake up crying 15-30 minutes later. By the time I soothe him back to sleep, he wakes up in another half hour to eat again. So, I'm usually pretty much up from 3:30am on, with a few cat naps. Around 6am when he wakes, I'll bring him in bed with me to nurse lying down, then we'll get in a nap together for about an hour or so.

When I see him starting to yawn around 9-10 am, I swaddle him andtry to rock him to sleep. Then I'm able to put him in his swing where he sleeps for 1-2 hours. His second nap of the day is usually in the carseat or sling because we're out and about, or in my arms/on my chest. Sometimes I can get a brief third nap out of him too.

I just feel so exhausted! I thought this was completely normal, then I come on here and see all these great sleepers and it really gets me down. Any tips would be great! Are you sleep training already? How do I get him to sleep longer... Do I just need to rock him a bit longer before laying him down?

I guess I just feel like it's been 7 weeks now and we should have some sort of schedule. But really, it's different every day.

[a_spark]

lindybug Maybe he feels like he's "rattling around" in the crib because it's so big? Do you have a sleep positioner or something that would help him to feel more secure in there? I ask because you said he sleeps well in the swing and carseat. It's possible that he wakes in the crib because he's not being touched by anything. Ava wakes up in her crib all the time but sleeps like an angel cuddled into in her swing and bouncy seat.

[smurf]

Wrighty--hope Braeden didn't keep you up all night.

Hokie--I used to feel bad about Kate sleeping all day during our outings, but it really didn't seem to affect her sleep at night, so now I'm fine with it. I figure if she's sleeping, then she's tired and needs it. If she's not tired, she won't sleep. I wouldn't let it bother me if I were you.

Lindy- I'm so sorry that you're going through the same sleep deprivation at your house that we are at ours. I thought it was normal too until I came in here and read about how great everyone else's kiddos are sleeping. Honestly, I think it is normal and we just have a bunch of over-achieving babies in here!!

The weird thing about DD is that she is a great napper during the day. All I have to do is lay her in her crib, pop her pacifier in, and turn on her ocean sounds. She'll put herself to sleep and stay that way for a couple of hours. Same thing happens when I put her down the first time at night. It's the middle of the night wakings that we have a problem with. She wants to eat every time, and I know she can't possibly be hungry when I just fed her 1.5 hours ago, but she gets really mad if I don't give her the boob and offer her the paci instead. I just don't understand why she can't do the same thing at night as she does during the day.

[klav]

2 month check up and Shots!!
All went well Liam took it like a champ cried for about 2 min then it was over I think it was just the feeling of the needle pinch. the only thing I'm a bit upset about is that I was told 4 shots which it was but it was 6 vaccinations not 4 which I was ok until I read that one needle had 3 vaccinations in it. Liam sleep from 1 to 7 ish when daddy got home. I was attributing this to the vaccinations and he slept from 11-4 last night. I nursed him at 10:30 and he went right to sleep. So I think I'm going to call the DR. for next time and ask that he only get 1/2 of his vaccinations and then go in another month to have the other half. Am I loony for thinking this way? I just think it was allot for him to take. but today he got up at 8 after his 7ish feeding daddy got him up and he then went down at about 10:30 and is still sleeping now. I'm trying to do more tummy time the Dr mentioned his head was a bit flat so now I'm trying to have him sitting up or on his tummy while I keep and eye on him of course!

[Lizard]

rande - Dang, I was hoping I had new ideas for you but I guess not. :( Hopefully it's just a phase and your little one is sleeping well again soon.

Amaye - I had the same thing happen... my discharge pretty much went away, then it started back up very red around 4 or 5 weeks. By my 6 week PP checkup it had pretty much stopped. I was worried that it was a very early AF, but my OB said it was likely more lochia flow.

Your daughter is gorgeous by the way!!!

We had a weird night... DD was whiney all day yesterday and pooping like, constantly. So I was worried that she was sick. I fed her at 4:00, DH got home around 4:30 and I went to the gym. Got back about 6, and he was giving her a bottle because she was acting hungry. After that bottle she was still whiney, so I put her on my chest around 7 PM and she fell asleep right away. Around 10 PM she still hadn't woken up (Yes, she laid on my chest for 3 hours, phew), so I moved her to her crib... she didn't wake up until 12:30 AM! :eek: Then again at 4:30 AM, then she was up for the day as usual around 7. It was so weird for her to sleep that long, and so early, since her usual feeding time before bed is around 9 PM and she'll sleep until about 1:30 AM usually.

We're having beautiful weather here today - I'm hoping we can get out for a long stroller ride.

[mmisabel]

Nathan had his 2 month well baby today, I can't believe it!!

He is 10# 1 oz and 23.5 inches. He is long and lean, it the 10% but on a steady curve for weight and in the 50% for height, but also on a steady curve. He did great with his shots and has been sleeping ever since. I need to wake him to feed, I want him to sleep tonight.

sleeping - Nathan was up 2x last night, so it totally varies. I don't think any child can sleep too much. I also don't think having them sleep in the swing, etc. is bad either. I still consider us in "survival" mode. You can't really form bad habits at this age.

klav - the DTaP is the shot that covers 3 diseases - diptheria, tetanus and pertussis. It has been given that way for a long time. Most kids tolerate getting all the shots at once, their immune systems can handle it. If you were concerned with DS reaction, then consider splitting them. If N does OK I won't bother, I almost think it's worse going back so frequently just to get stuck again.

[ShelbyMay]

sleep: L is doing much better lately. Last night, she slept from a little after 10pm to 4:30am, then from about 5am to 7:30am, then I brought her to bed until we got up just before 9am. I don't know why I still feel so exhausted!

The challenge with L sometimes is getting her to sleep in the first place. She pretty much always has to nurse until she is either asleep or almost asleep. She also has to be swaddled, and often rocked in the glider.

She takes one big nap during the day (about 3 hours), but she fights it pretty much every day. I am trying to stick to the "awake for 2 hours" guideline, so if it has been 2 hours and she is not drifting off, I stick her in the sling. She falls asleep really well in there, but then I am usually stuck wearing her for the next couple of hours. Sometimes I can wiggle out of the sling and put her in her crib, but often she will wake up 10 minutes after I put her down. Her second nap of the day is always shorter, and she usually takes it in the swing.

music: We still use the Mother's Touch cd when she seems fussy and tense. It is not a guarantee, but it seems to calm her some and blocks out some of the household noise.

birth control: I am thinking about the IUD, but we are just using condoms for now. DH is so glad to be back to doing it at all that he doesn't complain about the condoms. :p My doctor said I can get the IUD whenever I want -- Did your doctors say why they want you to wait until AF returns?

dtd: It's been 3 times now, and it has gotten a lot better. Still far from normal, but a lot better.

work: I've been back for a week now. I telecommute half the time and bring L into the office half the time, which is great, but also hard. I can only get things done while she naps or in the small amount of time that she is awake but happy. Needless to say, I am not getting a lot of paid hours so far.

QUESTION: How do those of you with involved DH's do it? How do you get them to bond with each other? My DH loves L, but he is convinced that she just doesn't like him. She screams whenever I hand her over to him. She screams when he holds her, screams when he talks to her, screams when he sings to her, screams when he gives her a bath. :( So he hands her back to me, and she calms down. It is really frustrating for me, and I know it hurts his feelings. She does tolerate him when he gives her a bottle, but I don't pump much because she still nurses really frequently (at least every 2 hours when she is awake, sometimes more). I can't blame him for not helping out more when she acts like this. Is there anything we can do, or is she just going to be a total Mommy's girl?

[makena32204]

I just feel so exhausted! I thought this was completely normal, then I come on here and see all these great sleepers and it really gets me down. Any tips would be great! Are you sleep training already? How do I get him to sleep longer... Do I just need to rock him a bit longer before laying him down?

I guess I just feel like it's been 7 weeks now and we should have some sort of schedule. But really, it's different every day.

My feelings exactly! Amelia is 6 weeks old and there's no schedule in sight. She'll usually sleep for an hour or so in the morning and take a long afternoon nap. But, there are days she doesnt do either. She'll sleep off and on in the evening, but that changes everyday! Should I be sleep training? how??? She's also still feeding about every two hours. Should I work on extending the time b/n feedings? She wont take a pacifier and will scream on and on if I dont feed her. She is hungry at these times since she eats a lot and is not doing any non-nutritive sucking.

There are times (a lot lately since we've been having problems sleeping at night) when I just feel clueless as a mother!

[a_spark]

rande I'm so sorry, I wish I had some magical solution for you! Hopefully someone does :)

amaye Your DD is so CUTE!

shelby I was having the same problem with DD and DH and really, there's still a bit of an issue. She just calms better with me and I know it hurts his feelings and makes him feel left out. It's gotten better since we've been medicating her reflux, and I just hope it'll continue to improve. I feel your frustration!

[ShelbyMay]

Has anyone else had cramps? I started getting some lower-back cramps last week. I thought it might be AF coming back early, but no other signs of her yet. The cramps come and go, but they are really bugging me this afternoon. Any idea what this is?:confused:

[nuhmah]

Shelby - yes, I have cramps. They started yesterday and haven't gone away. I was wondering what it was, too - I just thought I ate something bad, but my body hasn't reacted in a way that would support that theory.

[hotmama]

i've been receiving formula coupons like crazy. since we are exclusively BFing, and it's going really well, we won't need them around here.

anyone interested? please let me know via e-mail, b/c i rarely get a chance to check in here. first come ... first receive. i'll mail them out.

similac - 2 $5 coupons

good start - 2 $11 coupons, 1 $8 coupon, and 1 $1 coupon

enfamil - 1 $7 coupon

e-mail me at samanthapregenzer @ cox.net

[klav]

hotmama iI'm getting the same coupons but my name was on the thought i coul not give them away for some one else to use? I feel bad if some one can use them... an someone else use them even though my name is one them?

[rande]

Hi girls,
Thanks for all the support. I really do appreciate it! We go back to the ped. early next week so we will see how it goes.

Quick questions:

We are having a problem with diapers leaking, I think because Olivia is pretty petite. Anyone have any suggestions? What is everyone using?

Nursing Bras-Anyone have one that they absolutely love? I am less than thrilled with the ones that I have.

Thanks!

[Wrighty26]

QUESTION: How do those of you with involved DH's do it? How do you get them to bond with each other? My DH loves L, but he is convinced that she just doesn't like him. She screams whenever I hand her over to him. She screams when he holds her, screams when he talks to her, screams when he sings to her, screams when he gives her a bath. :( So he hands her back to me, and she calms down. It is really frustrating for me, and I know it hurts his feelings. She does tolerate him when he gives her a bottle, but I don't pump much because she still nurses really frequently (at least every 2 hours when she is awake, sometimes more). I can't blame him for not helping out more when she acts like this. Is there anything we can do, or is she just going to be a total Mommy's girl?

I find that if I am in the same room as DH and B then B gets really fussy with my DH. If I leave them alone (and since I've gone back to work, they are alone a lot!) he reacts differently. He definitely has a preference for me, but it's kinda like outta sight, outta mind. I do think that DH giving him a bottle helps a lot. It's funny how much they associate things with food right now. Before I went back to work he took one night feeding a day--could that be something you DH does ShelbyMay?

Cramps/Spotting - No cramps, but I randomly started spotting bright red last weekend (at 7 week pp). It happened twice in a 48 hour period. So bizarre. At first I definitely thought it was AF, but I think it's just part of the recovery :rolleyes:

Diapers - Braeden is solid, but he is long and lean. He was still wearing newborn Pampers until last week. The size 1s don't really fit him right (they are a little too big!), but he was leaking in the newborns. Why type of diapers does Olivia wear right now Rande? I've heard some diapers are better for boys and some are better for girls--but I don't know if that's true. I will say that we had a lot of leaks in the newborn Huggies.

Lindybug/Makena - B's schedule is getting better every dayI have seen a HUGE difference in behavior/sleep patterns this past week. It's amazing how different things can be in just one week, especially since he's past the 6-week mark. Hang in there and don't stress out--things will settle naturally. I've found that the more I worry about his sleep/setting a schedule the more things go haywire.

Rande - What kind of bras do you have? I love my Bravados. The girls have never looked so good in a bra-- they have really made me reconsider my bra choice as I stop breastfeeding! The only thing I'm not crazy about for the long term is the sports bra back--although it works for right now. I'm thinking about buying a few of those Elle McPherson ones once I've been BFing for a while.

It's crazy to me that my boy will be 8 weeks tomorrow! Where has the time gone? My friend lent me her Bumbo seat (her 7 month old just outgrew it and is sitting up on her own--so perfect timing!) and I tried it out yesterday. He loves it (he was a little confused at first)! He's such a big boy now:

*image removed*

[Soulmate]

Just popping in...my little man gives me little extra time...

Diapers leaking I found that going up a size helped with leaking...even as a newborn. Logan pees so much that the extra surface area helps retain the extra moisture. He has been in Pampers Swaddlers size 1s since about 2 weeks old and they were gigantic on him. Huggies suck big time. The leg holes even on the NB size were so big!

makena & lindybug DS is an excellent sleeper but he had the same problem with eating every 2 hours still and 3 hours at night. I don't know if you BF, but I started to really increase the # of ounces he ate during the day and he seemed to automatically drop the midnight feeding and spred out his day feedings to every 3 hours. Once I increased the ounces, I would also try to see if he was crying for non-hunger reasons and found that he would cry around the 2 hour mark but was actually tired not hungry. Try soothing him once the ounces increase a little longer to see if he calms down. I would not try this before increasing the ounces. We are FF so it is easier for us to do this. For example, around 6 weeks DS was eating ~3.5/4 ounces and at 8 weeks is at 5 ounces and pushing 5.5. Do not force this though at all. I don't know how this would work BFing but that is the jist...maybe a BFer could chime in more.

2 month appt The one benefit of having a colicky baby is that it is not so traumatic for us when he got his shots. I've heard him cry a lot louder and longer than when he got his shots. He got 5 separate needles and only cried for about 3-5 minutes. He slept a whole lot and his appetite decreased a lot that day but he is back to his normal self now! And no fever :D

Wrighty DS was a little confused with his Bumbo at first too! ETA: The bumbo is awesome for our refluxy babies who cannot really tolerate tummy time well!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/twinkiestuff/IMG_0293Custom-1.jpg

[maryanne]

cute pic soulmate!

until what age can babies use the bumbos?

[nuhmah]

diapers - I hated the Pampers.... that is what he was in in the hospital, and I tried to use them here at home. Forget it! The men in DH's family all have long, flat butts - and he must have one, too! LOL He would leak out the back of them. We switched to Huggies and have had no problems (they are a longer diaper, IMO). I take that back - we had problems with one random pack of newborn diapers that didn't have the special blue leak guard on the side. We are now in size 1's and haven't leaked yet.

bumbo seat - I think they can use them until they can't fit anymore. At least, that is the impression I was under. Some people say their kids outgrow them at 6 months, and others say 9 months.

[Soulmate]

The box says 3+ months but if you supervise them while they sit in it and are there when their heads fall to the side or forward I don't see a problem with using it earlier. I think that picture was taken at 6 or 7 weeks and he was able to hold his head up for quite a while. The first time using it he was floppy, but once he knew what he was sitting in and what to do he was much better. If DS did not have reflux I could probably wait but tummy time sends him shrieking for hours sometimes.

[Wrighty26]

Oh my gosh Soulmate - Logan is SO cute! Braeden gets that exact look on his face sometimes!

Maryanne - I don't know if there is a specific age you can use the Bumbo till-- but my friend's baby started to get frustrated when she put her in it around 6-7 months. She'd rather sit up on her own now (much to my friend's dismay--since the Bumbo was good a containing her!).

ETA - (Since we were all posting at the same time) I definitely wouldn't have put Braeden in the Bumbo if he couldn't hold his head upright. I honestly can't imagine waiting until 3 months to put him in there either though! That's just my opinion, of course :)

[maryanne]

thanks nuhmah, soulmate and wrighty...I have been trying to decide if we should get one.

[Soulmate]

Thank you maryanne and wrighty! I took his 2 month pics the other day using his boppy and some extra fabric I have:

**Pics removed for privacy, I figure anyone who wants to see them already have :D **

I love lurking in here and seeing everyones cuties and how great everyone is progressing!

[maryanne]

love that fabric soulmate! and the kid ain't half bad either!

I never thought about using the floppy as a stage...which reminds me, I have been meaning to share this shot-it was done in her car seat.

http://www.onetruemedia.com/media/7/14afd28cd1f54a5b/da87d6e947c20f40_large.jpg

I have been working on a video montage for Josh's birthday, (which was last week--ooops!), so I have been doing lots of photo shoots to use in it. Hopefully I will finish it tonight while josh is at a concert. I can't wait to show it to him AND you guys!

[Amaye]

Liz/A_SparkThanks! I think she is pretty darn cute too but then again, I'm slightly biased!:D :D

Soulmate That's a beautiful picture of Logan!

Nursing Bra I like my bravado bra but LOVE LOVE my medela nursing bra. It's very soft and comfortable and still holds the girls up pretty well. I plan to get another one.

DiapersWe have been using Pampers Swaddlers from get go and we really like them. We moved DD up to Size 1 a couple of weeks ago and they fit right. Must say that we have had some serious blow outs with her though. She moved from pooping 6-8times a day to 1-3 times a day or none at all. So it seems when she does poop, it's a LOT of poop. For example, she had been trying to poop all day and night yesterday. This morning, I fed her and was trying to burp her on my shoulder. She kept on making grunting noises so l knew she was trying to poop. I heard the poop coming out and was still holding her. All of a sudden, I felt something wet on me - it was poop leeking from her diapers all over my top!!:eek: :eek: :cool: It even got between my boobs! MIA!! lol! I had to take a shower immediately.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who has experienced the diaper blow out!:o

[maryanne]

luckily no blow out between the boobs, but Melody did have one that was all over her car seat...somehow including the straps!!!

[ShelbyMay]

diapers: We started out with Pampers Swaddlers and they worked really well for us. We got a lot as gifts and kept using those until they were gone. After that, we tried Luvs, which worked well -- but I don't like the blue edges peeking out from under her outfits. It clashed. :p My current favorite are Target brand. They are very soft and cushioned, a lot like Pampers, but much cheaper. And they have CareBears on them. :)

Huggies did not work for us. They leaked around the legs every time we tried them. I actually took all of our unopened packs back to the store and exchanged them for other brands.

We haven't had any major blowouts yet, but she did spit up all down my back today. Nice. :rolleyes:

bumbo: Thinking about ordering one of these, too. Found this code online: Use code TRULEG20_3XjKrfoXSCr for 20% off one item at BRU.com

ETA: Oops, Bumbo not in stock at bru.com.

[lindybug]

Thanks ladies for the sleep advice. We have a sleep positioner, and use it at night, but figured I would try without it, since he doesn't sleep all that great at night either. LOL I added up the hours and yesterday DS slept for 10 hours total in 24 hours. And that was one of our good sleep days! I thought they were supposed to be sleeping more like 17? Is this true?

I just tried to put him down in his crib for a nap:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQx-t9vUgXE

*sigh* Remind me to watch that when we're considering having another baby. ;)

[maryanne]

oh lindy...that looks so frustrating (and familiar).

[a_spark]

lindy Awww, poor little guy! Is it possible that he has reflux or something? I know that's a major factor affecting sleep- reflux babies are really uncomfortable in a reclining position and have trouble sleeping. Have you talked to your ped about the lack of sleep? I hope you get some relief soon! :)

[Lizard]

Diapers - We are using Pampers. We had some samples of Huggies and Luvs, but with EVERY sample diaper she leaked out through the legs. She's rarely leaked out of her Pampers. So, we'll stick with those. She's in size 1's, but I think after the current supply is gone we're going to move up to 2's.

DH's involvement - We haven't really seen a different in her reactions to DH compared to me. Sometimes DH can calm her down better, I think because she smells milk on me and it gets her agitated. He does a lot of contact... when he gets home from work he holds her and plays with her for quite a while, and on the weekends he really takes over and does almost everything. I'm still breastfeeding but we do a formula bottle every few days, and he always handles that. I've read that it's common for infants to want to be with Mom more (food source), and once they start being able to play and have fun, they want to be with Dad more.

Bumbo - I want one REALLY bad... I might have to grab one now that I see you guys using them successfully. :) I was thinking it was a little early, but she does have great head control.

Dorla slept from 8:30 until 3:30 last night! It freaked us out. DH even went in to check on her at 12:30 because he didn't trust the monitor. :) The crazy thing is that her last feeding was at 6:30 PM, so she went a LONG time without food.

Her 2 month checkup is Tuesday, and then next weekend we're going up to northern Iowa to attend a wedding on DH's side. We have to stay in a hotel because it's a 5:00 wedding and the drive is about 3 hours. Hopefully she's a good girl - this is practice for the big 8 hours drives we're going to have to do to visit my family....

[lindybug]

Thanks for the sympathy, ladies! LOL I did finally get him to sleep swaddled in his swing at 10am. It's not 10:23 and he's crying again. I am assuming he's hungry, because he last ate at 7:30am. And so it begins again... :rolleyes:

[Wrighty26]

Lindy - Awww--poor guy (but he is SO cute!) Do you swaddle? If we didn't swaddle, it would definitely take us 15 years to get Braeden to go to sleep. I KNOW he can fall asleep without being swaddled, he just prefers to be wrapped up.

[Sophia]

Oh my gosh, all the babies look so cute! :D

I really need to take more pix of Lili. I tried using the boppy once, but I didn't have a large enough piece of fabric in a neutral color, and the blankets were too small. The ones maryanne and soulmate posted look like pro shots.

Lindy: awww, poor little guy. :( (And poor you, too.) That reminds me of some video I have of Lili from almost 4 weeks ago.

Diapers: I LOVE Huggies. I bought some Pampers once because Target was out of Huggies in size 1, and I hated them with a passion (HATED!!!). They fit horribly (too low in the back, too wide in the crotch, too tight in the waist, too small around the legs) and she had two HUGE blowouts in them--her only blowouts, btw. I switched back to Huggies but now have 3/4 of a Jumbo pack of Pampers I don't know what to do with. I might see if DH's cousin's baby uses Pampers and is still in a size 1. Otherwise I might donate them to a women's shelter.

DH's Involvement: He's great. He gets home from work & changes clothes, then takes her for a feeding while I pump. He usually does the last feeding before bedtime while I pump again. He's really good at calming her down and also at getting her to sleep at bedtime (he has a magic technique I can't quite duplicate, and sometimes my own tricks don't work). Even though I'm exclusively pumping and all her feedings are from bottles, it's BM, and I know she can smell the BM on me, so I think that riles her sometimes. I think part of the reason he's so good with her is because he was on summer vacation for about a month after she was born, so he got to know her likes and dislikes before school started up again.

Spotting: I had some spotting over the weekend, just after 7 weeks PP. I guess it's common. It hadn't been bright red in so long, though, I thought it was AF except it turned out to be so light and went right away.

I managed to get a shower and paint my toenails during Lili's morning nap (!!!), but I hear her stirring. I want to try to get out of the house today. Maybe go check out costumes and/or go to the fabric store.

[makena32204]

bumbo- Add me to the list of ladies who want one! My cousin swears by it. The only reason we havent gotten one yet is b/c my DH thinks his parents are buying us one. We will see them next week, so if they havent ordered one, we are going to!

Diapers- I'm a Pamper's Swaddler's fan. I have an assortment of brands from my shower, but the Swaddlers have worked the best for us.

DH's involvement- My DH is wonderful w/ Amelia. Sometimes, he's better than I am at getting her to sleep. The other morning I tried to get her to sleep from 3:30 until 6:00 a.m. Once my DH was ready for work, he walked her for 10 mins and she was out like a light. I agree with the PP's...sometimes Amelia can smell the breastmilk and just wont settle down. In that particular instance, she was continuously shaking her head from side to side or back and forth like a chicken! She was so agitated and I just couldnt calm her down.

lindy- I think I could have taken a similiar video!

Well, last night went okay for us. Amelia fell asleep in her bouncy chair around 8:30 and slept there until 11:30. She woke up again at 3:00 and then 5:30 for the day. I tried to get her to go back to sleep, but it just didnt happen. Oh well. Of course, she's slept off and on for most of the morning now since she got up so early. Who knows what tonight is going to bring!

[mmisabel]

Ugh. Nathan was up every 2 hours last night to feed. He was also just really restless the whole night. I got so frustrated by the morning that I rolled his bassinett into his room. When DH got out of the shower he was like "where's Nathan?" He got his shots yesterday and slept ALL day, so I'm attributing it to that (I hope). I really feel everyone's frustration with colicky babies/ bad sleepers, you really get at your wits ends.

lindy - that's so sad, poor Ryan. He is super cute though!

wrighty - Braeden's adorable. Loving that bumbo!!

diapers - we're in the Pampers court (swaddlers size 1), although I don't really love them either. We had major leakage problem with Huggies. Nathan's kind of long and lean, so he kept peeing out the gaps that were too loose around his thighs. I think different body types work with different kinds of diapers.

blow outs - I forget who posted but you're so not the only one. Nathan's had them while I've been feeding him staining the boppy, at my Dad's work, the 1st time my mom watched him alone, etc. The kid has impeccable timing!

Oxybaby - Just wanted to give this stuff a plug after remembering the blowouts. It works great to soak stained clothing, boppy covers, sheets etc. You can soak stuff in it and even dump a few scoops in the wash. BRU and Target carry it. At our Target it's with the baby detergent.

Bumbo - I want one too! I thought Nathan was still too small, but seems like it should be fine. Our BJ's has them for $35 instead of $40 at BRU. I'm going to maybe get one today!!

[mkvh]

Hey gals!! Clara's lounging in her swing right now.... the morning nap was not a particular success. Eh, you'll have that!

Diapers--I really liked the Pampers Swaddlers in the Newborn size, but I have to say I am a HUGGIES fan, particularly the Supreme ones. Clara is the queen of blow-outs, and the bands in the back of the Huggies really keep them in. I HATE the WalMart brand, though I have to agree with Shelby that the Target brand is pretty good. I do recommend moving up to the next size earlier like Soulmate said--the size 1s started leaking/blowing out like crazy but we've been MUCH better since we moved to the size 2s.

DH Involvement--My DH is VERY involved and often is better at consoling her than I am! If she wakes in the middle of a nap, he puts her pacifier in and rubs her belly, and she's out. She LOVES her daddy and gets all excited when she hears his voice, trying to find him. One thing I think makes a difference is that my DH is VERY comfortable with all babies and never has been nervous around her. Not from the very beginning! So she "trusts" him, I guess.

Bumbo--We haven't broken ours out yet, but friends of ours have bought them because they've tried Clara's! I'm thinking she's about ready judging by how well she holds her head up.

Liz--Woo hooo on good sleep last night!

Sophia--Yay for some personal pampering!

Lindy--Poor Ryan and poor you! Thinking of you guys...


Nothing much to report here! Work went well this week, and Clara did well with Grandma and Grandpa. I think it's helping her to settle into some kind of schedule, but we shall see. Clara seems to be fighting her naps the last 2 days while I'm home. My mom says that it's probably because she senses that I'm around. Because she slept like a champ the 2 days I was at work.

I'm trying to work out a parttime arrangement on a permanent basis. I'm hopeful...but nothing is set in stone yet. Hopefully, I'll know something by the end of next week.

[jewamese]

I didn't think about it before, but I guess you can count us in as sleep deprived. Avery will be sleepy but won't sleep (maybe 15 min cat naps) from 630am-330pm. Then, she'll sleep for about 1.5-2 hours. Be sleepy again, but won't sleep until about 1030pm. I might get two 2-hour stretches, then it's ...rinse & lather.

Thrush--can those who have dealt with it tell me what they used, please? Avery's on Nystatin and it looks like it's getting worse! I see a big pustule in her mouth. And, it looks like it is finally showing up on my breasts! Please help a momma out if you can.

Bumbo--love ours! I bought it a few years ago when you can only get it direct from S. Africa. Shipping was a LOT, but all well worth it, IMO. Avery is still a little floppy in it, but we prop her w/ a little towel sometimes so that she can sit at the table with us. It makes for a great booster chair when the babes are a little older, too. My 2 year old can still fit into it. Looks funny as heck, but of course she wants what Li'l Sis has

[Can't_Wait]

Klav About the shots... I do think that the immunization schedule is too much for babies. Many do okay w/ all of them but some do not. For this reason we have chosen to delay our immunizations all together & then when we start them we are going to give them separately.

DH's Involvement My DH does well to soothe DD unless she is hungry & then he passes her over to me. I think the key w/ DH doing so well is letting him figure out ways that he can soothe her on his own & not coming to the rescue as soon as she starts fussing. It helps if you can stay out of the room while he is trying to figure this out. Some suggestions of what works for you might help him.

[klav]

Diapers- I'm a Pamper's Swaddler's fan. but I must say I do like the huggies! the only issue i have with pampers is that liam gets blow out up his back more than anything and i think he's done it in the huggies too?

[a_spark]

bumbo seat These are so cute! I'm not sure what they're for, though- is it to help with gaining control of neck muscles (so, like tummy time)? They look like fun!

I got out for lunch with Ava today and she slept the whole time! She really is a different baby on the Zantac, thank god. My confidence is growing and it's just so nice to not be afraid of her waking up all the time. She used to wake up shrieking and now she wakes up smiling :)

She's developed this habit of accidentally yanking her pacifier out and then crying out for it, though. DH and I are on constant binkie-watch when she's got one in.

DH's involvement I need to give DH more time to figure her out- I tend to try and jump in (I can't help it!) and I need to give them more time to figure each other out. I'm thinking that I may try and go for a run this evening when he gets home from work. That way I can get some (much-needed) exercise and they can hang out alone without my meddling.

I had my 6-week checkup on Tuesday and I'm all clear for DTD and exercise. I have 12 more lbs to lose and I'm all excited for the exercise, but I have to say, I'm not feeling up to DTD. DH says he understands and that it's up to me when we do it again, but I feel bad for him. I know he really wants to. Maybe this weekend we'll go on a date and I'll try to get myself in the mood :/

sleeping This had to have been a fluke, but Ava slept from 10pm-4:45am last night! When she finally woke up, I was worried that I'd slept through her "hungry" noises for a couple of hours or something. We shall see if it lasts, not likely. (I hope this doesn't make anyone feel bad, I just had to share!)

[Amaye]

Jewamese here are all the suggestions i got. I got diflucan from my doctor and just started acidophilius, Nyastatin is not working for us either.

http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?p=941459#post941459

[Mystikal]

Diapers Pampers Swaddlers all.the.way. Huggies leak all the time. Luvs just don't seem to fit right. (Knock on wood) we've never had a blowout.

DH's Involvement he works 15 hours a day (unfortunately) so she's asleep by the time he gets home at 11:00. He tries to get up with her for her middle of the night feeding, and now that I'm back at work he has her from 7:30-3 every other Friday. Well, tomorrow is the first day. We'll see how he does. On weekends he spends as much time with her as he can. We are lucky to have a really happy baby, so really the only time she cries is when she's hungry so he hasn't had to soothe her yet. She does love her daddy, though.

Sleeping we had about a week where she was sleeping really well - going down between 9 and 10 and sleeping till about 4, but now she's out around 8:30 or 9 and sleeps until 2, then is up again at 5:30 or 6. Still not too bad, but now that I'm back at work it kills me. As a matter of fact she's sleeping right now. I gave her a couple ounces of her bottle and she fell asleep on my shoulder. I figured as soon as I laid her down she'd wake up, but she's been sleeping for about 10 minutes now. I'll have to wake her up soon so she sleeps tonight.

Her two month appointment is Tuesday at 9am. I'm taking her to a new doctor who I've never met before, but my mom takes my youngest sister (9) to him and has since she was five years old. Supposedly he's really great. She'll get her shots, which I'm not looking forward to, but I can't wait to see how much she weighs and how long she is. :)

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Diapers- I haven't found a type that I LOOOOOVE. but I know that I do not like the Huggies Baby Fit. Collin just blew out every time we put them on him and they were so stiff compared to the swaddlers or Sams Club ones.

Bumbo- I don't have one yet. I keep eyeballing them and hinting to DH that I want one. I just haven't been able to justify it to myself yet. Collin just sits up on our laps all the time. I'm sure it would be great for when we start feeding him.

DH's involvement- DH is very hands on with Collin. I am actually happy that he is the one staying home with him during the day because he is just so great at getting him out and playing with him. When I was on leave all I wanted to do was sit around and cuddle him all the time. DH takes him to the park a couple times a week, he does lil art projects with him, you name it. The only thing with DH isn't that much of a soother. He gets easily frustrated when Collin gets fussy and also he doesn't sleep when Collin does which makes him even grumpier and easily frustrated.

So I went home from work early today after my milk fiasco....
I went up in the conference room and I start pumping and it looses suction. So I take the pump apart and to try to examine whats up. I glance down and notice that my boob is still spraying all over my pants and the table. Not just a drip but imagine Austin Powers Fembot style shooting!!! Then I go back to my desk after everything and I start talking to one of my sales reps thinking that I will just run home and change pants... Until I run my fingers through my hair and realize that I somehow sprayed milk into my hair!!! HTH does that happen???
I am still in shock and so embarassed! I am so getting a new pump!

Anyways I have a new picture of Collin. DH's sister was in town and took some adorable shots of him.... I just love his tummy time because he is such a lil grunter and squealer. I am telling you he has gotten so much more fun in the last week! He now smiles and flirts with my coworkers.... Tooo Cute.
http://myspace-814.vo.llnwd.net/01101/41/86/1101276814_l.jpg

[hokiegirlie]

Matthew was 8 weeks on wednesday...I just can't believe how fast time flies by! I finally found a babysitter who I think we're going to really like and I'm all set to go back to work on september 12th. I'm going back PT--20 hours a week. My boss wasn't thrilled with the idea, but is working with me, so I'm thrilled!

Diapers We've only used Pampers and dont have any real complaints. Our porker is already in size 2, though. We had one blowout in size 1 but that was right before we went up a size.

DH's Involvement I really feel like it's 50/50 around here. Well, I shouldn't say that, because I'm with Matthew all day long, I feed him, and I'm up with him at night...so I take that back :) My husband is great with him and they spend a lot of time together. As soon as he gets home from work, he takes the baby while I exercise and then make dinner. He basically has him for the rest of the evening before bathtime, which I do. I feel really lucky that it has worked out so well for us. There are times, however, when nothing will do for Matthew but mommy and I think that hurts DH's feelings a little.

Sleep Last weekend, Matthew slept 4.5-5 hours his first stretch. Tuesday and Wednesday nights, he slept 3.5 hours and then was up for 2 hours in the middle of the night. He was just smiling and laughing and wanting to play. Last night was better, though....he slept 3.5 hours, was up for about 40 minutes, slept another 2.5 hours, was up for 20 minutes, and is now working on 4 hours (it's 9 am). I wish he'd get that big stretch in at the beginning.

[a_spark]

I went running yesterday evening! Well, I TRIED to run. My body is SO weird right now. It feels heavy and stiff and unfamiliar. I swear I could hear my joints creaking when I first started running, as they unfolded and unkinked. I basically ran two blocks, walked two blocks, because I felt like it'd be really easy to hurt myself when I was running, though it did get easier each time. It felt amazing to get some exercise though. I'm sure it'll get easier and easier.

DH involvement I mentioned before that DH is good with her, etc... but I do have one complaint. When he takes her from me in the evenings, he's always asking me to bring him stuff- the remote, the burp cloth, etc.., so I feel like unless I leave the room or the house I don't really get a break because now I'm getting stuff for him! I'm not sure why he feels he can't get things for himself (I think he's afraid he'll disturb her if he moves around a lot while holding her), but I think I just need to stay out of the room so that he can get build more confidence and realize that he can hold the baby AND find the burp cloth at the same time.

[Lizard]

I went running yesterday evening! Well, I TRIED to run. My body is SO weird right now. It feels heavy and stiff and unfamiliar. I swear I could hear my joints creaking when I first started running, as they unfolded and unkinked. I basically ran two blocks, walked two blocks, because I felt like it'd be really easy to hurt myself when I was running, though it did get easier each time. It felt amazing to get some exercise though. I'm sure it'll get easier and easier.

I'm glad you brought this up because I was just complaining to DH about it yesterday. :D I started exercising again at 6 weeks, and it's starting to get easier but I am SO stiff. Especially in the hip & thigh area. I stretch really good before and after, but it doesn't help much. I assume it's from the hormones trying to get back to normal, since your body produces relaxin during the pregnancy to loosen your joints. So I'm trying to be patient about it, but it sure is frustrating! The exercise does feel good though.

Lil_Mrs_0702 - You have a ladies man there! :D Such a little cutie.

[hokiegirlie]

a_spark & lizard It is hard to get back into exercising. I exercised up until my 36th week and started again at 6 weeks pp...so that's 10 weeks of no exercise. Really, that's a long time when your body is used to exercise. I've been walking for a good 2 weeks now and it's definitely getting easier, so there's hope. I'm still not where I was before the baby, but I'm okay with that for now.

[mia's mama]

I hear you ladies on the exercise thing...I have been going out for "power walks" with the kids a few times a week since 4 wks PP, but I hit the gym as soon as I hit 6 weeks pp and felt very stiff and almost akward! Yesterday I took a pliates class which was awsome, but I noticed I had SO much less core strength- a lot of the poses were REALLY hard for me, even though I've done pilates quite a bit in the past. Gotta stick with it, I guess. I'm still about 6-7 lbs over my PP weight, and a dress size larger. The weight doesn't bother me at all actually, but it'd be nice to get back into my pp clothes pretty soon.

all of the baby pictures are adorable!

Jackson slept from 10-3am last night! Woo Hoo! That's the longest stretch he's ever had. He was then up at 5:30am and 7:30am, which is fine since I got the 5 hours at the start of the night.

[Wrighty26]

Re exercise -- I went back to the gym a few times last week-- and it was SO much harder than I thought it would be! I did the same workout that I did while pregnant and a spinning class and I kept thinking-- how the hell did I do this???

BBL for more...

[emmjay]

Well we had a horrible night - Seamus wouldn't sleep in his crib so I took him into bed with us for the first time since the first week we were home. He was on my chest and we fell asleep, and then he startled and rolled off my chest onto the bed and then onto the floor! Actually his Moses basket was there so he fell onto the side of that then rolled onto the floor, which ended up being better because it broke his fall. And he fell onto a rug not hardwoods. Anyway, I woke up as he was rolling off of my chest but I couldn't grab him in time to keep him from going over the side of the bed - it was the worst feeling I have ever had in my life to see him on the floor screaming. We called 911 and had some paramedics come - they said he looked OK but we took him to the Children's Hospital ER to be sure. They said he was completely fine as well - he didn't have any bruising, he was focusing his eyes and was alert, and he even smiled at DH for the first time while we were in the hospital (he just started smiling 2 days ago).

Anyway, now he is happily laying on his Gymini and kicking his feet and smiling/cooing so I feel that he is OK, but it was terrifying to think of what could have happened. From now on he is staying in the crib, no matter how much he doesn't like it.

Moving on...

Exercise: we go for a walk every day for 45 minutes and once I get past 6 weeks we're going to do a stroller class. Right now we're debating on whether I should buy a season pass for the ski resorts here - I think I'm going to do it because I basically missed all of last season and it will be a fun thing to do on the weekends. Plus they all have daycare at the resorts anyway.

Diapers: we use cloth, except at night we use disposables - Pampers Swaddlers.

[MMK]

Holy crap emmjay, how scary!!! Dh always tells me I shouldn't fall asleep with the baby on my chest or even on the bed beside me. I've always just laughed at him but now I'll take him MUCH more seriously. You must have been horrified!!

a_spark: YES!!! Dh, constantly asks me to get him stuff when he's "in charge" of the baby. I always feel like asking him who he thinks get me stuff all day???? SO annoying.

dh involvement: I have no doubt that dh loves Drew but I definitely feel like I am completley the primary care giver. He takes him in the evening and is great with him but I'm just starting to see how different being a mom is versus being a dad. It's like my life is so totally different and his has only moderately changed. I don't know if that makes any sense.

diapers: we were having a lot of poop up the back incidents with both pampers and huggies. Just moved up to size 2 however and so far so good. I also think I wasn't pulling the diaper tight enough around the middle or pulling them up far enough in the back. Rookie mistakes.

exercise: I had put my gym membership on hold until this month and I just saw in my bank account that my dues are once again being withdrawn. I'm having a hard time finding the motivation to get back at it even though I know that once I do I'll feel great. Good job to all of you already back into it!

mental note: DO NOT eat ice cream, drink a coolata, have milk in cereal and cheese on sandwich all in one day! My poor little man had his longest sleep stretch yet (9:15-3:15) and then was up the rest of the night grunting and flailing about. I felt so bad for him. He was being a trooper and not crying but I could tell he was miserable, thus I was miserable! Finally pooped around 7am!

[Sophia]

emmjay, how scary! I'm so glad he's ok!

[nuhmah]

emmjay - how scary, and I am glad to hear he is ok. I did something similar a week ago, and never confessed it because it still brings tears to my eyes to imagine the thump and see my baby laying there. I was putting him in my sling in a back hold - I have done this about a dozen times - but this time he was squirrely. I was on my knees above a carpeted floor, parallel to the floor, and about a foot from it (I will see if I can find a picture to describe what I am talking about). I put him up there, and was bringing the sling over his back when he pulled his head up and flew off my back. I cried soooo hard and I felt so bad. I was home alone (DH was in Ireland) and Jamie seemed fine. I think it shakes up the mommy more than the baby. :) I beat myself up something silly for days, and I am just now starting to not cry as much when I think about it.

I was like this
http://www.wearyourbaby.com/HowTo/bwcTinyEllaKneeling/2spreadcummerb2.jpg

[emmjay]

MMK and Sophia - thanks! I never thought he would fall off since he is only 1 month and he can't even roll yet. It is still kind of a blur because it happened so fast. I won't be sleeping with him on my chest anymore for sure, or even in our bed at all. He will definitely be transitioned to his crib much quicker in any event. I'd rather have him crying than falling off of furniture!

Also, I'm glad I called 911/went to the hospital. Better safe than sorry, and it was reassuring for me to have so many people examine him and tell me he was fine (4 firemen, 2 paramedics, a nurse, a resident, and the head doctor).

I think it shakes up the mommy more than the baby. :)
I think you are right and I'm glad Jamie is OK too! Don't beat yourself up about it - I know exactly how you feel but it wasn't your fault. It was an accident and they happen, although I still feel horrendously guilty myself. Anyway, I found out today that my niece fell off of a dresser w/ a changing pad on top when she was 3 mos old, my friend's baby and a friend's neighbor's baby each fell off a kitchen counter onto tile floors when they were less than 6 mos old, and I myself fell off of a changing table at 3 mos onto my head and got a concussion. I knew about that last one - that was the only reason I wasn't completely hysterical this morning because I knew I turned out OK. Anyway, the doctor told me it happens quite a bit and apparently she wasn't kidding!

Moral of the story: Everyone be careful if you are sleeping w/ your babies!

[maryanne]

well, I have good news and bad news from the doc's appt. It seems very likely that I am going to have surgery on both hands. I am scheduled for a nerve test next week that will confirm it is CTS and not stemming from a neck injury...and then we will wait until 3 months...if it hasn't improved, he is going to schedule me for sirgery on one hand. It will take six weeks to rehab and then we will do the other.

So this saga is going to continue for another six months!!! Thankfully he is writing me out for disabilty the whole time...I just need to be approved again since it was originally listed as pregnancy related.

I asked him about physical rehab but he said that it doesn't help that much..he also said that it will be much worse if I get pregnant again...(which believe it or not we have actually been discussing!!!--not brittney style but atleast two years in between.

for now, $$$ will be tight if we just continue on josh's salary and my disabilty...but at this point, there is not alot I can do if my hands are still hurting that would make sense considering I would have to pay for daycare too.

*****
So, I am starting to cave in some....Between reading about how other new moms are doing here on CC and hearing ALL that josh's family has had to say lately, I have really begun to question how and what I have been doing.

I have been giving Melody my all. I have approached her upbringing with the philosophy that I am blessed enough right now that I can follow her schedule. I feed her on demand which is constantly, I let her sleep when she needs to. We have brought her on many many adventures and she has met alot of people.

A couple of weeks ago, I was very proud when the nurse said she was very socialized for her age..and thrilled at the bond that was growing between Melody and Josh and me.

The last couple of weeks have been challenging...but until the last couple of days, I thought it was just par of the course.

On a normal day...

Melody is never more than two feet from me or josh. She will ONLY sleep in our arms or snuggled next to me in bed on on the couch (or in her carseat while moving) She hates being in the bassinett or crib. She doesn't like being flat on her back. I used a sleep positioner with her. Her favorite sleeping position is nestled between my legs while I am sitting indian style.

Somedays she will nap/sleep for 3-4 hours in a spell; others she just cat naps...She dosn't get as many hours as most of the moms on this site claim their kids do...and that didn't worry me until the last couple of days.

Ever since we went to Boston two weeks ago, she has been a little off. She's been cranky, and extremely trying, restless and not wanting anyone but me. She is constantly wanting food, or to be held (which isn't the snuggly type of being held but the type where she is constantly in motion by being bounced or carried about). She spits up more often and constantly drools a clear drool.

One pleasure is that she has been showing us new sides of her personality. I love her sweet shy smile. She will turn away from others and just snuggle into my arms. As she does this, once in a while she will break into the biggest smile like she knows that she is where she wants to be.

But what happened to that socialized child of a few weeks ago? I mean honestly, she used to be content during the "pass the baby game". Anyone's arms would do. The only time I saw her react negatively was when the entire family swooped down on her as we entered the room. Now her grandparents just look at her and she starts screaming.

When we are alone, I can't put her down except for about 20 minutes in the swing without her getting upset, When and if she sleeps, she wakes up with a bloodcurdling scream that sounds like a seagull is being tortured (makes me wonder what she dreams about).

We will play, do tummy time and go for walks, as long as we are physically attached. Thank god for slings. She doesn't like her stroller anymore...she much rather ride in the bjorn.

I would like to take credit for her just wanting to be with me...but I think it's because she likes looking out and seeing her surroundings.

I took her to her grandparent's last night and she was in her high needs mode...she wanted just me and constant movement. She screamed every time anyone else was near her or even looked at her.

The rest of the family went back and firth between looking at me with pity and judgement...

Grandma gets flustered...greatgrandma gets annoyed and has a slew of ideas of what I am doing wrong--yet I am the one who can quiet her.

All I want is to bring up a happy, healthy, loving child. How does one know that they are doing that? I *think* that she is heathy. Her pediatrician says not to worry, but it is so hard when I see her get constipated, and gassy...or burping alot and spitting up too. I even think that she is starting tto teeth....I hate seeing her in pain.

I haven't been around babies so even though *I* think these are normal growing pains likle the doc says...how can I not doubt myself when everyone else says it isn't and more importantly she seems like she is in pain?

I get into an endless cycle of trying to make her happy and comfortable ...some suggestions work, others don't...sometimes she changed her mind of what she likes..lol!

Togethor, we (josh, mel, and I) have been doing pretty well. Sure I spend most nights up with her...but it works for us. I feel like we will eventually fall into the schedule that is best for us...but??? I keep blindly going about this all, trying to keep the faith that it will all work out...I just don't want to permanently scar her for life...ya know ;)

[jewamese]

maryanne--don't beat yourself up and don't listen to others. I think you're doing great following your instincts. Your baby is becoming more alert and more aware--and therefore, becoming overstimulated, IMO. and, when babies are overstimulated, they get fussy and want to be held. i went through the same thing w/ my ILs.

emmjay & nuhmah--i'm glad your babies are okay.

[a_spark]

maryanne I think you're doing a great job, too. No baby is a perfect angel all the time and each mother's experience is their own. Don't let anyone else make you feel like you're not doing a good enough job! People love to give unsolicited advice about how a child should be raised, but we all have our own instincts as to how to parent our child and we should be allowed to feel confident in those instincts. Otherwise, what do we have? Just a lot of differing advice to go on. ILs especially love to put their 2 cents in, and while I know they mean well, it makes me feel that my judgment and my parenting are being questioned and it drives me insane because it causes me to doubt myself. Grr. Hang in there!

emmjay and nuhmah I'm so glad your babies are okay! That stuff does happen all the time, but it doesn't make us feel any better about it! I actually put Ava in her carseat a couple of weeks ago and forgot to strap her in and DROVE. I still feel horrible about that and what could have happened keeps me up at night.

We had a SUPER rough day yesterday with Ava. It was like her reflux medication suddenly stopped working. She started screaming after her mid-morning feeding and screamed ALL DAY long. The only breaks were three short (total of about 2.5 hours) naps and about 10 total minutes when I took her outside in the bjorn. It was like the early pre-zantac days all over again and I had forgotten how hard those days were. She spend the day shrieking in my face, staring at me red-faced and stiffening her little body and clawing at my chest. She'd finally be comforted, only to start shrieking again 30 seconds later. Ugh. I called the doctor on call in the evening at DH's insistence and we're going in today. She said on the phone that she didn't think it was related to her reflux medicine (I was thinking that it had stopped working), but I'm not so sure. I hope we can get some answers today. That said, she finally passed out last night and slept like an angel, only waking once at 4AM to eat, and this morning she's happy as can be. Maybe she had a belly ache? No clue. But all day I was in tears, totally fried from all the crying, with a major headache and just feeling like such a failure because she was hurting and I couldn't stop it. :(

[Wrighty26]

Maryanne - HUGS! I think you and your DH are doing a great job-- the best you can do. Babies are unpredictable and no two are the same. You definitely cannot compare something you have absolutely NO control over. I definitely agree with a_spark-- you have to go with your instincts and screw the judgement of others. Even my pediatrician agrees-- momma knows best! OH-- and I was reading some comments in the "good sleepers born or made" thread and I think it applies here as well. Everyone has different expectations about how well things are going with their babies-- people mights say things are "going great" or the "baby is sleeping great"-- but how do you measure that? I found that the more time I devote to stressing out Iabout sleep and "the right thing" that my baby should be doing the more things seem to backfire for me! I think at this point, going with the flow is just the BEST thing you can do. We are still in survival mode! OH-- and I'm glad to hear that you are finally able to take action on your CTS. Sorry you have to have surgeries :( I hope that the disability stuff isn't too complicated.

Emmjay and Nuhmah - I'm so glad that your boys are both OK! I'm honestly surprised this hasn't happened to me yet. I'm just waiting for it because I'm such a klutz.

a_spark - Sorry about your rough day with Ava. Hopefully it was just a minor setback!

[maryanne]

...I guess I got a little carried away with my thougts posting last night...but sometimes those voices of doubt come out when posting...lol

it was just one of those moments where you become start to wonder,,,what if I am doing this a wrong?

but the amazingly good news is..last night in the depths of cc, I read that there are two positions for the papasan?!?? I adjusted ours and Meody slept in it for three and a half hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope Axa is feeling better today!!

happy hoiday weekend everyone!!! looks ike it is going to be a rainy one here---good for snuggling!

[maybebaby]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1/mrsfromage/mail-1.jpg

wanted to post a picture of our darling girl

maryanne I think all you can do is your best and you're doing great.

Emmjay, Nuhmah how scary! I think the lack of sleep is a big contributor to this sorts of accidents, and I have no doubt that they happen to most of us. Glad everything is ok, and try to cut yourselves some slack!

[Soulmate]

a spark It can be the zantac stopped working...ours did just out of the blue and our ped acted like that was normal. Until you find another medicine you can use 1/4 tsp of Mylanta every 6 hours. It doesn't help completely but can take the edge off. DS has been on it consistently since 4 weeks (7.5lbs) and the dose has stayed the same. I know how those days are and I'd hate for you to have to just bear it. I give it to him after feeding him but you can give it before. It might help make the feeding easier.

We might have napping success (not to jinx anything). I've been battle with DS to nap during the day. Lately he has woken up around 10am and not slept until 9/10pm. I tried all the tricks and every hour to hour and a half with the first sleepy cue he went down swaddled. Half asleep he'd be up there complaining (not happy coos) for 45 minutes sometimes. Today I put him in his car seat and turned on that CD Sophia recommended and he stopped complaining immediately and started to fall asleep. He has been asleep now for 15 minutes and is passing his normal feeding time!! Wish us luck *crossing fingers*. (Also I have been making sure to put him down at the same time each day based on his natural sleepy periods).

[maryanne]

yeah on the sleeping soulmate! I am having that same optimism right now...melody is in the swing again and TOTALLY out again. It's been an hour and counting!

(She was on my lap last night as I wrote that long post...maybe she understood it?!?!?! lol! this is her second long nap since I wrote it)

maybe I just had to fall into the pits of dispair..lol! I am throwing caution to the wind and celebrating :)

[mrst2b2003]

Hi Ladies-
I have been reading along when DS gives me a free minute to check e-mail and be online. I have to say that reading all of your points of view and experience thus far really help me feel like everything I am going through is normal. It has been great to come here and see that all of you are going through similar things with your babies.

Avery has started smiling more and more lately and has discovered his voice which is so cute. He now coos and grunts when he is hungry instead of screaming at the top of his lungs. He is more alert during the day and is getting better at sleeping at night. We put him down between 8-8:30 pm and he has been getting up at 2:00 and 5:00 am to eat which is great. I have learned though that it probably will change just when I get used to it.

I have a question. Avery's arms and legs are constantly moving when he is awake and alert and when he is feeding. Do your babies act the same? just wondering if it is normal?

We had some pictures taken of us at our house when avery was 5 weeks old

here are some of my favorites:

http://www.momphoto.com/proofs/tibbets/images/TIB_006.jpg
http://www.momphoto.com/proofs/tibbets/images/TIB_013.jpg
http://www.momphoto.com/proofs/tibbets/images/TIB_063.jpg
http://www.momphoto.com/proofs/tibbets/images/TIB_065.jpg
http://www.momphoto.com/proofs/tibbets/images/TIB_077.jpg
http://www.momphoto.com/proofs/tibbets/images/TIB_082.jpg

and if you want to see the rest of the proofs

5 week photos (http://www.momphoto.com/proofs/tibbets/)

[maryanne]

oops! I just cross posted over your great pics Amy. I love the footsie shot...and the one which was taken in the nursery. Avery is so cute!

[nuhmah]

Avery is so handsome! What great photos!

[ShelbyMay]

YES!!! Dh, constantly asks me to get him stuff when he's "in charge" of the baby. I always feel like asking him who he thinks get me stuff all day???? SO annoying.

LOL -- I was just saying today how it's amazing that I can manage to change diapers ALL DAY without needing a "pit crew", but DH has to call me in there all the time. Seriously, DD is 9 weeks old and he still hasn't figured out where we keep the extra diapers???



dh involvement: I have no doubt that dh loves Drew but I definitely feel like I am completley the primary care giver. He takes him in the evening and is great with him but I'm just starting to see how different being a mom is versus being a dad. It's like my life is so totally different and his has only moderately changed. I don't know if that makes any sense.

EXACTLY. DH still seems surprised every time I point out that I can't just hop in the car and go to the movies. It is really frustrating because not only has his life changed so little, but he seems to expect me to be exactly the same wife I was before DD arrived. Also, he wants to leave DD with my mom (or his mom, which is NOT happening) far more often than I am comfortable with. Just because my mom is willing to watch DD a few times a week doesn't mean we should take her up on it, you know? I feel like we need to suck it up and take responsibility for our DD, whereas he seems to think we should pass DD off onto anyone who is willing to hold her. :rolleyes:

[ShelbyMay]

I have a question. Avery's arms and legs are constantly moving when he is awake and alert and when he is feeding. Do your babies act the same? just wondering if it is normal?


L is pretty calm when feeding (and tends to get a death-grip on either my hand or my breast), but she is constantly flailing about the rest of the time she is awake. I don't think she would ever fall asleep without swaddling.

unsolicited advice: We're getting it here, too. MIL says DD spit up b/c I was "squishing her stomach" when I laid her across my lap to burp. A friend of the family says we're letting her manipulate us by giving in to her desire to be held, rocked, bounced, etc. FIL says we shouldn't be quiet during her naps because "babies are supposed to wake up". :confused:

clothes: What size is your baby wearing now? DD is 9 weeks old, 11 pounds, and wearing 0-3. I think she has another month or so left in them. I am trying to "predict" what size she'll be in future seasons. I wonder if the stuff I've bought on clearance is going to go to waste if I guess wrong...

BFing: Anyone else having trouble communicating the fact that your baby is breastfed? I don't think I've made this any secret, but our families just don't seem to entirely get it. They'll invite us to the movies on the spur of the moment and tell us to just leave DD with another relative -- and then look very confused when we tell them she'll need to eat. Or they'll tell us that we need to take a vacation and leave DD with them, or that we should leave her with them overnight so we can get some rest. I know they have good intentions, but how much do these people think I can pump?!? :confused: And people keep asking me where her bottle is... I am thisclose to making some off-color comment about how "I've got her bottles RIGHT HERE!" :p

I hope this doesn't come off wrong -- I mean no disrespect to those who FF or exclusively pump. It's just that we're not doing those things. Our baby is exclusively BF, and I don't get why that's so difficult for some people to understand. It's not like BFing is this new-fangled fad I just made up on the spur of the moment.

DTD: At the risk of TMI, it seems that the 4th try is the charm. :o I was upset at first by the way things seem to have "shifted" inside of me, but... Well, some things have apparently shifted for the better. Wow. :o

Anyway, I hope that can encourage anyone who is still putting it off out of fear or still dealing with the paind/discomfort. It can get a LOT better before too long!

[lindybug]

mrst2b2003 ~ Beautiful pics!

[mia's mama]

GREAT pics, Mrs2b! I LOVE that footsie photo!

New pic of Mia and Jackson in their shirts from www.babyonthebrain.com
http://static.flickr.com/80/233032636_206ef65f67.jpg?v=0

[Wrighty26]

OMG Mia's Mama-- They are just too cute :)

MrsT - Love the pictures of Avery!!

Was going to post more but the boy just woke up! He has been a sleeping MACHINE today!!

[mrst2b2003]

nuhmah ,maryanne, lindybug, mia's mama, and wrighty thanks for the complements on the photos.


Mia's mama that is an adorable picture of your kids. I love the t-shirts!

[maryanne]

Josh's parents have talked to us about opening an college fund for Melody. They wanted us to check out the Independent 529 program as an option; rather than just saving in a basic account.

Previously, I had heard about 529's only in relation to state and community schools. I didn;t want to limit her to having to choose in state, but this program is different. It has over 200 big name instititutions and would reserve tuition at about 5% less than the 2007 fee rather than the ridiculous fees that would be charged in 2024 (yikes! :eek: ).

http://www.independent529plan.org/co..._alphabet.html



My first concern was limiting her to specific schools, but it looks like we could switch the use of the money for any higher learning institution if we wanted to , we just wouldn't get the discounted rates.

We would only have to declare something like 6% of what is saved, if we needed to apply for financial aid. It is not supposed to affect chances of recieving aid, or scholarships

My other fear was wondering about the quality and variety of schools participating. ...but surprisingly they range from Boston University, MIT, Syracuse, Princeton to Carnegie Mellon and Berklee School of Music.

Infact I even applied to some of the schools on the list! My alma mater isn't there, but they say that more schools are being added each year, and we would still be able to get the 2007 rates...

If she decides that she doesn;t want to go to college or got a full scholarship (;) ) the money can be rolled over to another person for no charge or taken out at a nominal taxed fee.

Sounds good to me???? Have any of you had experience with this? What do you think?
__________________

[a_spark]

Argh! Just wrote a long post and it was deleted. Grr.

Cute photos, mia's mama maybemaybe, and mrst2b!, gorgeous kids :)

So we took Ava to the ped on Saturday and the doctor thinks that the problem sounded like her reflux- she mentioned that as they get older it gets worse. She had gained a pound since her last appointment (only 11 days before!) so her Zantac dosage was upped a little and we were also prescribed Prevacid to give to her (zantac nerutralizes the acids in her stomach and Prevacid blocks the production of them). She seems a LOT better today. It was so sad, she cried so much Friday and Saturday that she was hoarse yesterday. Poor baby. They also found that she has a scratch on her cornea in her left eye so we have to give her eye drops. Sheesh! She's only 7 weeks old and has a full medicine cabinet!

She's started cooing and trying to "talk" to us :) We got it on video. She's also holding her head up! This started on Saturday. I was holding her and suddenly realized that I wasn't supporting her head b/c she was holding it up! Good stuff.

Yesterday we went to a friend's pool and lazed around in the sun while Ava napped in her carseat in the shade. It was great to get out. Saturday night my mom babysat and DH and I had a little date. We had filet mignon with bearnaise sauce, frites, endive salad, champagne, and chocolate mousse. Decadent! I'm so un-used to going out that I left my purse at the restaurant. I'm used to a big honkin' diaper bag! :P

[Wrighty26]

a_spark - Sounds like things are going really well for you....yay! I'm glad the ped up'd Ava's dosage and didn't act like you were crazy or imagining it. Sorry to hear that it gets worse as they get older. Hopefully this is something she will grow out of!

Soulmate - Yay for your napping success! I hope it continues :D

maryanne - We are still trying to figure out what we want to do with the 529 programs. I'll have to look into the independant program-- I didn't know that existed! Has Melody been napping more?

I had a pretty good weekend-- Saturday night my mom came over to babysit Braeden. My DH and I joined a group of my coworkers for a birthday celebration that consisted of sushi (the best in town-- it was SO good) and drinks. We ended up having to leave early because of a shoe incident (Dan was wearing his Rainbow sandals and the bar we went to had a no sandals policy for guys apparently), but it was still a fun night.

Yesterday B was a sleeping machine and I'm not complaining! He is starting to take regular naps. The morning one is much easier to put him down for (actually, he pretty much just puts himself to sleep)...I'm still working on the afternoon nap. He gives me all of the cues that he's sleepy-- so I wrap him up, put him in his crib, and then he is suddenly awake. It's a game :rolleyes: Usually I just end up leaving the room with him still in the crib and he'll fall asleep, but not always (like today-- we've been playing the game for about a half hour now--he is SO fighting it!).

Like you said a_spark - he has started "talking". He coos at his toys and me/Dan and it just melts my heart! He is also looks like he gearing up to flip over. When he is on his gym mat he starts to kick up a storm-- and his new thing is to start turning his upper body to one side. I won't be surprised if he slips in the next couple of weeks. I'm not ready for that! I'm enjoying my non-mobile little boy :D

Hope everyone is enjoying their labor day. Takes on a new meaning this year-- doesn't it? :D

[ShelbyMay]

Sigh... today is a bad day. :( It started out pretty well, since L slept for 9.5 hours last night!!! She woke up around 6am and I fed and changed her. I put her back in the crib while I ate some cereal, but she was still wide awake with the hiccups 30 minutes later. I brought her to bed with us and let her nurse back to sleep. We alternated sleeping and nursing until around 9am, when we got up for the day. We went for a walk around 10:30, and she fell asleep near the end, but woke up the minute we walked into the house. I tried to put her back down in her crib, but she wasn't having it. I tried just checking on her every few minutes and putting the pacifier back in her mouth. Meanwhile, I decided to sterilize my Lilypadz on the stovetop. I had just put the pot on the stove when L started crying again. I got her out of the crib and took her into our bedroom, thinking that I could just lie there with her for a minute until she fell asleep.

You can probably guess where this is going.

I'm not sure how much time passed, but the next thing I knew, I woke up to the smoke alarm blaring. It actually took me a minute to figure out what it was -- I thought it was the house alarm, until I heard it saying, "Fire! Fire!". Of course, L woke up and was screaming her head off. I ran into the kitchen, where all the water had boiled down and my Lilpadz were now a flaming pile of goo. I took the pan off the stove and ran water over it to put out the fire. Then I had to go turn off the alarm. The smoke alarm is mounted up near the ceiling, so I had to go find the step ladder. When I got up there, I couldn't figure out how to turn it off. Meanwhile, L was screaming and screaming. I finally got it turned off (had to take the batteries out) and only then realized that the front of the house was full of smoke and my throat was burning. I shut L in the bedroom to keep some of the smoke away from her while I ran around like a mad woman opening doors and windows and turning on all the fans. I then realized that I needed to get L out of the house so she wouldn't breathe in more smoke.

So there I was, still in my grungy shorts and t-shirt, unshowered, smelling of smoke, and sitting in the backyard with my screaming, terrified, over-tired baby. I ended up having to nurse her right there in the yard just to get her calmed down. Hope the neighbors weren't looking out their windows. :rolleyes:

After the smoke cleared, I had to come inside and let L fuss in her crib while I cleaned up the ashes that had been deposited on every surface from the floor to the ceiling in the kitchen. I wanted to get it all cleaned up because I did not want to tell DH what had happened. I know it was an accident, but I feel SO STUPID and feel like I might cry every time I think about what could have happened if our smoke alarm had not been working. I didn't have any idea how tired I was, apparently.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go test your smoke alarm RIGHT NOW!

Anyway... L still had not taken a decent nap by 4pm, so I put her in the sling and am wearing her right now. She looks like she's asleep, but I know she will wake up the minute I take her out of the sling or try to get anything done today. I am exhausted, anyway.

[ShelbyMay]

I don't want to drag down the thread, but I could really use some advice if any of you have time. I posted here (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?p=955370#post955370) in ES. :(

[maryanne]

(((Shelby))) I am so sorry that you are having such a bad time of it lately. hang in there! and I think that I can speak for all of us hear--you should never feel that you are bring this thread down by sharing your experiences---that's why we are all here

************************************************** ************************************************** ***************

and with that advice here is my version of the obligatory " I'm a new mom and I am changing my life" post

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have been doing some reading and thinking (always a dangerous past time!) and I want to try to make some changes.

I haven't shared this because to be honest, I feel like I am failing my daughter. I was totally overwhelmed when I first started breast feeding. Miss Melody is a goumet grazer. She savors every drip and draws out the process for hours. She sips, and nuzzles, gazes, and slurps and then afterwards cries, pees and poops. This whole process lasts about 90 minutes and the it starts immediately starts over again. I had hoped to do BF exclusively but what I didn't realize was that it was going to take alot of coordination and strength..lol! holding her for that long is too just too much with my hands. My ginourmous boobs have a way of almost smothering her and no formation of pillows seem to work as a helper, so my hands have to support all her body weight and grasp the bottle. Couple that with the fact that with the fact that when we finish feeding, I usually end up carrying her because she *insists* (loudly and inconsolably) that she needs to be held.

Knowing that my hands would never heal this way, I knew there was only one solution that I could do, I totally hate to admit it but we have been supplementing with formula about 1/4 of the time. Finding time to fit in pumping into the cycle proved virtually impossible and trying to execute pumping on one breast while feeding her with the other is a feat that my clumsy self just has not been able to master.

But now, I am seeing that I might be able to things differently. I am seeing a window in the afternoon, where she has taken a nap in the swing for the last days, that will allow me to pump once (maybe even twice)! I am going to try to use that time to pump and also to catch up on some well needed zzz's. By adding this pumping session(s), hopefully I will be able to EBF but for now, I will settle for dropping one, maybe two bottle feedings.

I also want to start eating healthy and working out again. I am going to go to my spa and ask the owner if he will be gracious enough to still let me work out there for free twice a week, even though I am not officially working. This will let me use the machines for stregth training and toning.

I have been eating like crap since Melody arrived. Most days I don't make time to eat until late afternoon and then I binge on something *easy*---a prepackaged pizza in the fridge, or crappy junk food. Even though I am still below my preprggers weight, I have watched my weight climb some (plus 4)in recent weeks. That is so unacceptable, since truthfully the scale needs to go in the other direction. Hopefully, with some discipline , I will continue seeing results like I saw before I got married/pregnant

I also want to take long daily walks with melody every day. I have no more excuses (at least until the snow starts--haha!) After mel was born, for first month or so , the weather was in the high 90-100's,and it was way too hot and sticky for a newborn (or any other creature) to be out but now it is Fall...and the weather should be nice for a while.

I also plan in January, to join the mommy and me water class at the Y. I am so excited about it, since it is supposed to be fun and a decent workout and it will help get melody used to water (since the grandparent's have a pool, it will be a good precursor to next summer).

we are hoping to go to Josh's aunt's wedding in mexico in March and I would love to be looking bathing suit good by then...not to mention for all the weddings that are happening later next year.

Which brings me to some really big news...Alex (funkweee) who was one of my BM's and who posted in my WC journal GOT ENGAGED!!! I am so thrilled for her. They are hoping to set a date for next year!

So that means that our best man, maid of honor and bridesmaid are all having their weddings within months of each other! It's going to be a blast!

[MMK]

Sorry, I'm going to be totally self-consumed with my own issue right now and not do any shout-outs. I also hope not to make anyone dealing with a baby who won't sleep feel bad at all but....

Question: my baby has been a sleeping machine this morning. We got up around 7am. We took the dog for a quick walk and he was alread back asleep before we got back (around 7:30). Slept to about 8:15, woke for a 1/2 hour or so and now has been asleep since (now almost 11). My question is, should I try to wake him to keep him on a schedule? Or do I just assume he's only almost 8 weeks so if he's sleeping he needs it? How long should a "nap" last? How long should I try to keep him awake between naps? Any advice apprecitated!

[mkvh]

I say let him sleep, MMK! Clara has days where she only catnaps and then days where she sleeps ALLLLL morning like that. At this point, he's big enough to go longer and unless the ped has said otherwise, we don't need to worry about weight gain. And I think the awake rule is a max (2 hours) rather than a minimum.

Shelby--I am SO sorry that you are going through this with your DH. I have a friend who was very candid with me about these feelings when I was pg (she had just had her daughter). It's totally normal. And I think you need to tell your DH, no holds barred, what you need from him. It takes two, and I don't know how I would survive without my DH. {{{HUGS}}}

Oh, and while the fire had to be extremely frightening, I couldn't help but laugh at the melted Lilypadz! I'm glad you guys are okay.

maryanne--Good for you for confronting your feelings head on and making a plan! Keep us posted!!

Wrighty--Woo hoo for getting out and regular naps!

a_spark--Hope the Prevacid and increased Zantac does give Ava (and you!) some relief!! And yippee for a date. Yours sounds fantastic.

Great pics, mia's, mrst2, and maybe!!




Here's a picture from BIL's annual Barn Bash party. (Yes, we dress for the theme...) Clara is 7 1/2 weeks old.

http://images.photo.walgreens.com/347%3A6965%3B%7Ffp6%3Enu%3D323%3B%3E287%3E%3A%3C2% 3EWSNRCG%3D32325%3A674%3A%3C7%3Bnu0mrj

It really is amazing how quickly they change. She's cooing like mad and smiling up a storm. She even "talked" to my mom on the phone yesterday, which got her ALL excited. She was smiling and cooing like crazy. My mom was thrilled because she hasn't seen her in a month.

We've had some gas/tummy issues for the last couple of days. I'm thinking it was the coleslaw they served with the pig at the Barn Bash! Or ice cream. Which would be a crying shame. I'm going to try to be good today so that she gets some relief! Last night was a rough night getting her to sleep, but once she was asleep, she was fine. She REALLY was more comfortable on her tummy--but we rolled her over after she was asleep. Anyone breaking the Back to Sleep rule yet??

[klav]

well to day is my first day back at work... and yes, I did cry a bit this am. Thank goodness DH dropped him off this am and not me....
got a call from DH when he got dropped off and My girlfriend called at 10ish to tell me he was sleeping and everything was fine and see if I was OK. so I'm surviving the first day. and it's almost noon here.

[a_spark]

shelby My heart goes out to you. This is such a hard transition to make and sometimes our DHs don't see that clearly. I agree with the others on the ES thread that you should let DH take care of DD all day one day with no helpers so that he can see what it's like. Maybe walk him through everything you do so that he knows how to soothe her, etc.. and then just let him sink or swim. I think it's really hard for them to see how much goes into caring for a baby all day. I'm so sorry you're having a hard time and don't feel bad about the fire incident! These things happen and everyone makes mistakes. You handled it beautifully and what's important is that you guys are ok. {{{HUGS}}}

maryanne Don't feel bad about a little supplementation! You're doing your best :)

mmk I was looking that up yesterday because Ava slept most of the day! From what I read, it's totally normal and babies should be sleeping for about 6-7 hours total during the daytime. I think 2-3 hour naps are totally okay (and probably welcomed!), but I could be wrong.

mkvh What a cute picture!! I love it.

klav Good luck on your first day back! :)

Ava seems to have improved a little on her increased/added meds. The doc said it takes a few days for the prevacid to kick in so we're seeing gradual improvement. The problem now is that every time she cries, we automatically think it's her reflux and get all nervous that the meds aren't working. I'm trying to step back and differentiate between her reflux cries and her other cries, but there are times I get confused. And sometimes when I think it's her reflux, just feeding her makes her happy again, but not sure if that's because she was crying to be fed (I tend to doubt this at these times because it'll only have been an hour since she ate last), or because feeding makes her feel better. This is all such a challenge. And then there's the spacing of the meds. Both need to be given about 30 minutes before she eats and both need to be spaced at least 4 hours apart from each other. So as you can imagine, I'm running around all day trying to anticipate feeds 30 minutes in advance while making sure the meds are spaced and trying to read her cries to make sure it's all working. It's quite an adventure. I worry about giving her so many medications but I don't want her to be in pain and the doc assures me they're safe.

Ava woke at 5am and decided it was time to get up for the day. I got her to fall back into a light sleep and continued to doze myself, but had to wake every 15 minutes to put her binkie back in her mouth or to shush her grunting. I'm exhausted!

[nuhmah]

Had my first symphony rehearsal last night - it was the longest I have been away, and I think I fared better than my baby! LOL DH said he cried and cried all night long - not shrieking, just upset. He tried everything - car ride, bath, snuggling, swaddling, everything. Finally he just fed him and the kid passed out from exhaustion of crying so long! My poor baby... and we have to do this 4 more nights! In some ways, this is excellent because now DH has to spend some time with him and find a way to get him to stop crying without me. They seem like best buds today, which is nice.

We have our 2-month pediatrician appointment... where is the time going?!?! I will do SO's later when I get back.

[Lizard]

clothes - DD's starting to transition into 3-6 month items. The used 3-6 that we got, she mostly fits into (probably because they've shrunk a bit with washing). New items are still a tiny bit big... basically like the 0-3 was when she was born. So I imagine she'll be solidly into 3-6 in a couple weeks.

unsolicited advice - Yeah, I get it constantly from my mother. I'm becoming very good at saying "Thanks, but we're doing it this way". But basically I've made it known that any decisions about raising DD will be strictly between myself and DH.

mrst2b2003 - What cute photos!! I really want to get some nicer photos done, but DH is hesitant to do anything until Xmas. I'm so tempted to go do it without telling him, heh.

maryanne - Kudos to you for getting some plans together... as much as we are dedicated to our little ones, we have to make sure to take care of ourselves. :) We have to look at 529 plans as well... we did open a savings acct. when we got her SS #, and are using that for any gift money she receives as well as change we find around the house. Once we get up to round numbers in there, I think we're going to transfer it to CD's.

ShelbyMay - OMG, that is so scary! I am always afraid I'm going to do something like that, especially in the early morning when I'm especially tired. Several years ago I burned tomato soup on the stove when I fell asleep, and set off the smoke alarms in my apartment... man that was a mess.

MMK - I would let him sleep too. Dorla sleeps anywhere from 1/2 hour to 4 hours at a stretch, depending on how tired she is. I have woken her up before and she ended up being super cranky. So I just let her do her own thing.

klav - Glad your first day is going pretty well. Not too much longer and you'll be seeing him!

I hope all you ladies with sleep, reflux and colic get some relief soon. I posted about our issues with all 3 for quite a while, and they SEEM to have passed. The reflux is still there to a degree, but it doesn't seem quite as bad (or she's tolerating it better). I really really wish the same for you - it is such a relief to have things back to "normal" now.

------------------------

Not much going on here. We did next to nothing this weekend, but it was nice. Yesterday was gorgeous so we took Dorla out to a nearby lake to walk around the bike path. We didn't realize the path was 5 miles... luckily she slept most of the time. DH and I just talked and really enjoyed the day.

She has her 2 month WBV in a couple hours - hopefully she tolerates her vaxes OK. We also need to schedule her hearing test while we're there... because her bili level got so high, she needs to be re-checked to make sure she doesn't have hearing loss. She seems to hear fine, so I'm not (too) worried about that.

My parents are downright begging me to bring her home to visit. They live 8 hours away. Has anyone done a long trip like that yet, or plan to? I'm curious how much time she's going to add to the trip, with feedings, stretching and changing time, etc. I could fly, but then I'd have to check so much crap. :(

Here are a few recent pictures of DD.


Happy smile:
http://members.cox.net/lcruver/cutedorla1

Looking like a big girl:
http://members.cox.net/lcruver/cutedorla2

Among her random gang signs, she did an "I love you" :)
http://members.cox.net/lcruver/cutedorla3

[Wrighty26]

Don't have much time since I am posting from work- but Braeden has his 2-month WBV today. He was NOT very happy about the shots, but I nursed immediately after and he feel asleep. I have a feeling he will be like that for a while. Lucky for DH-- it's my long day at work.

Anyways-- all is well with Braeden. I don't know percentages (trying to figure them out still) but B was 12lbs 4oz, 23.5 inches long, and his head circumference was 15.5 inches (39.4cm). He's up 4lbs 7oz, and 2.5 inches from birth!

Dr. had some recommendations for cradle cap and suggested I clip his nails EVEN THOUGH I JUST DID! But other than that, didn't see any problems.

Oh- there was a clicking noise when he moved his hips around--but they did the second check for hip dislocation (comparing the skin folds on the back of the thighs) and he said it was normal and it should go away :confused:

BBL for replies...

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Liz- Did you break into my house and take pics of your lil one again??? It is so funny. I have that same boppy cover and bouncer that are in those pics and I think you had the OW swing too. It is always too funny when I see other lil ones in the same outfits or items that we own too.

~~~
Anyways all is good here. I am starting to look into a new apartment. We probably wont move until February or later. But our complex is getting taken over by the ghetto which is really unfortunate. When we moved in it was a really quiet and was mostly occupied by young couples like ourselves. Now they have new owners and it seems like they are bringing in more business for our drug dealing friends downstairs that I have talked about in the past. I am trying to convince DH that we need to move close to the new building and stay in valley so that I can get a moped and take that to work everyday. :P

[smurf]

Cute pictures everyone! I can't believe how big all the babies are getting. Kate has her 2 month WBV on Thursday, I can't wait to find out how much she weighs now.

Maryanne--don't feel guilty about supplementing, you know what's best for your baby!

Klav--I hope your first day back went well.

ASpark--I'm glad the meds seem to be making Ava feel better.

Long trips--We took a five-hour trip and Kate did great. Taking her with us added about another hour to the trip, so the normal five hours turned to six. She pretty much slept the whole way, waking up once to eat.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Well, Kate's sleep habits have improved drastically over the last few days. For four nights now, she's slept a five hour stretch, a four hour stretch, and then two more hours. The first time she did it, I woke up and freaked out because I hadn't heard her in so long!

We ended up at the pediatrician this weekend. Friday, Kate woke up and her eye was all red and swollen with a bunch of green goop oozing out. We took her in on Saturday and it turned out her blocked tear duct caused her eye to get infected. After three days of eye drops, it's looking much better.

[nuhmah]

Lizard - we did a trip from Portland to Boise (should have been about 8 hours) when Jamie was only about 3 weeks old. He slept quite well, but we had to stop pretty often to nurse. I ended up taking us closer to 11 hours when it was all said and done. We just brought a bag of clothes and a bunch of extra diapers, along with the PnP for him to sleep in. The time zone difference was the thing that threw us off the most, and the fact that when we arrived at 3am in Boise he was ready to party and we were exhausted from driving!

Wrighty - I found a cool website that lets you plot your DC's measurements and it will graph out the percentiles for you! http://www.bigfrog.net/growth/ I hope that link works!

- - - -
Went to the Ped's today for vax and weight check. 10 pounds 7 ounces, and 24" long. I have a tall, skinny baby - which is exactly how all of DH's family is built, so I guess he may take after all of them. The doctor wasn't that concerned about his slower weight gain