July 2006 Mommies - Our little fireworks are here!

[a_spark]

wrighty We don't swaddle legs either! :) A slept in her bouncy seat for the first 3 months so we couldn't swaddle her legs because we had to buckle her in.

[klav]

lol yes, my little one is the same way wih his legs!

[Soulmate]

Soulmate - I'm so happy to see that my son is not the only one who prefers his legs not to be swaddled. He's as happy as a clam to have his arms wrapped up tight - but his legs...forget it! I thought he was such a weirdo :)Yea...I wouldn't be able to swaddle his legs if I tried! He'd have them out in 5 seconds flat.

[Wrighty26]

a_spark, klav, soulmate... I'm happy to hear that this is common! This thread always makes me feel so much better!

Amaye - I would definitely wait till 4 months, and even then CIO has been on and off for us. I'm giving it a couple of days though. It worked the first 2 days, then he had an off day, and today he fought DH in the morning (I was relieved that he wasn't just fussy with me) but was great for me in the afternoon. I cannot figure him out! Can you tell I am obsessed with sleep? How is it going for you?

[mkvh]

There must be something going on with the babies developmentally that's making them fight sleep. C has been EVIL the last couple of nights. (I know, I know--there are a few of you out there saying, "Serves her right for bragging about her good sleeper. ;) ) She gets drowsy, so I put her in her crib, and within 15 minutes, she's SCREAMING. DH tries to comfort her, but she won't have any of it and just gets more upset. So I have to swoop in to the rescue, and the only thing that calms her down is snuggling with me in our bed. Then, she gets drowsy again, and we're good to go.

Swaddling--Ha! We gave it up OH, so long ago. She is a sprawler when she sleeps and at about 8 weeks would fight the swaddle with her legs because she wanted to be spread-eagled. And she sucks her thumb, so having her hands in would be counterproductive to self soothing. So we returned the larger size swaddle mes and got fleece sleep bags instead!

[Can't_Wait]

DD slept through the night last night in her crib! First time this has occured in her crib. We started putting her to sleep in her crib on Tuesday night & she did 3 hours & then 2 before I brought her into our bed... then on Wednesday she did 4 hours & then 2... then last night she did 8 hours & 15 minutes!! I am wondering if it is b/c she didn't nap well yesterday though. I won't get my hopes up that it will happen again, but we'll see.

I decided to start putting her in her crib rather than her sleeping with me because I felt like she was nursing so much more just b/c I was sleeping right next to her. Like maybe she would wake up & see/smell me & think, "Oh, I think I'll suck on the boob for a little bit." Not that she was hungry or anything, just wanting to for the heck of it or for comfort. The first 2 nights it was SO hard to sleep w/o her! I couldn't fall asleep & I kept waking up. I guess after 3 months of sleeping w/ her every night, I was used to that way of sleeping. Last night I slept better but it still took some time to go to sleep.

CIO I can only tolerate this for a little bit... maybe 10 minutes max. If she is just fussy type crying I can handle that but when she gets really upset & cries hard, I can't let it go on for long. She gets so sweaty & I just feel so bad!

afternoon naps These are hard for us too. She'll go down in the afternoon but it is much harder for her to go to sleep & she doesn't nap as long. She won't really go down at all in the evening. If she falls asleep while nursing, I can't put her down in the evenings w/o her waking up. She won't go to sleep for the night until around 11pm.

Swaddling I stopped swaddling Bella after I read about it causing problems w/ their hip development if done for a long time. That scared me out of it!

[smurf]

C has been EVIL the last couple of nights.

Hee, hee, that made me laugh because that's exactly what I was thinking about Kate last night. She would not be comforted without the boob. Somehow I don't think she really needed to eat at midnight, 2, and 3:30! She literally yelled at us until we gave in. Yeah, she's got us figured out all right :rolleyes:

[klav]

Colds is anyone's little one haveing this yet? my poor little guy has a runny nose, well more of a stuff nose. I try to suck the buggies out with the asperator but he hates it, I would too. just wondering what you give your little one? if it's ok?
Swaddling I stopped swaddling Bella after I read about it causing problems w/ their hip development if done for a long time.
I did not know this?

[Lizard]

Colds is anyone's little one haveing this yet? my poor little guy has a runny nose, well more of a stuff nose. I try to suck the buggies out with the asperator but he hates it, I would too. just wondering what you give your little one? if it's ok?

We just went through a cruddy cold with DD about a week and a half ago. We ended up using saline drops but we didn't use the boogie sucker with it... most of the time she would sneeze within 5 minutes of the drops going in anyways. We also used the Sudacare Vapor plugin for children in her room at night. I think that really helped her stay clear and sleep well. We bought some Baby Vicks too, but I don't think it helped much.

DD isn't having problems with nighttime sleep, but her daytime sleep is terrible. On Tuesday she didn't nap at ALL. I think it's teething, as she's fussy, chewing on everything in sight and drooling up a storm. She's also starting to chew while BFing :eek: and I don't know how to deal with that.

That being said, I think we're going to try rice cereal this weekend. It's just for fun more than anything... if she doesn't like it we'll wait for a while longer. It seems like she's ready though.

[Wrighty26]

Awwww.... I just went back and removed all of my images from this thread. It's so amazing to see how much our babies have grown in the past few months!

So, B had his 4-month WBV today and it went as well as expected. He weighed in at 15lbs (on the dot!) and 25.5 inches. His head circumference was 16.5 inches. I think he's 50% weight, 75% height, and 50% hc - but I'm not 100% sure since my Dr. doesn't really go by percentiles. He just said that his growth is "great!"

There were 2 things that the Dr. commented on - and they were the 2 things I had questions about, so it was like he was reading my mind!

The first thing was the difference in size between his two scrotum sacs. The right one is big and the left one is little. It started out as a minor difference, but the other night we realized that it was pretty disproportionate. The Dr. said not to worry and it's most likely a Hydrocele (which is basically just fluid in the sac). He said it could be caused by a hernia, but he didn't think that was the case with B. We are basically supposed to monitor it and if it gets out of hand, seems to be causing him pain, or it's still like that at 6 months we will take action (from what I've read - it's minor surgery :().

The second thing are his minor flat spots. Once again, the Dr. didn't see a problem, but he does have 2 (one is more noticeable than the other). He said it should straighten itself out in the next couple of months.

He did give us the go ahead to start food when B seems ready - but said we didn't need to rush it if he is satisfied with his breastmilk. He said that a good indication that he's ready is that he a) mimics "chewing" and b) starts to wake up during the night again. B does neither at the moment - I'm hoping to wait until 6 months to introduce anything (allergies, asthma, and diabetes run in my family) - but if he's ready I'm not going to hold back.

Then he got his shots - wah :( He did better with them this time though. He didn't really start crying until he got the last shot (which the nurse said sucks because it's prepared by the manufacter and the needle is horrible). I fed him in the office right afterwards and we also gave him some Tylenol. He fell asleep on the way home and (according to my DH since I'm at work) is still sleeping.

Ok - I just wrote about my son's Dr. appt... need to get back to work...

[mmisabel]

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Colds - I swear Nathan's nose has been running since birth, but he definitely has a little cold and cough right now. I use the saline drops, a humidifier, prop the head of his bed and the bulb syringe. I hate the bulb syringe the hospital gives you sucks (or in this case doesn't suck well enough :) ), I have a little white one that I think they sell at BRU. We've gotten some massive boogies!! Also, a steamy bathroom is great for coughs.

sleeping - I think MKVH said that developmental issues could be affecting sleep. I am lucky enough to work with a Developmental Pediatrician and she said when kids start hitting milestones (rolling over, smiling, etc) that they can often regress in areas of sleeping and nursing (my issue). They are more aware of their environment now and in turn want to sleep less, not work harder and nurse, etc.

swaddling - seriously, it feels like a million years ago that we swaddled N. He'd kill us if we tried now!:)

wrighty - yeah for the good appointment!

Liz - good luck with the rice.

Can't wait - Yeah for STTN. Didn't you wake up going "I can't believe she slept that long"?:)

[a_spark]

You guys...so far today A took a 2.5 hour nap and right now is working on one and has been down for 40 minutes!!! This is a miracle. I actually got time to do a couple things around the house. I put the on Happiest Baby on the Block CD, the womb sound for both naps and also stopped trying to put her in the crib. Nap #1 was in the stroller and now she's in the swing (motionless). I really think the crib angle was aggravating her reflux- need to prop up that mattress stat!

[Amaye]

mkvh I'm with you on the swaddling. DD likes her legs free while sleeping and she sucks on her fingers too so there is no way she tolerates the swaddle. Oh and knowing how bad it can get with DD and her lack of sleep, I sure won't wish anyone that...it sucks!:p

Can't Wait Woo-hoo for STTN!! :) DD has been taking all her naps in the crib but I just can't move her over for nighttime sleep yet. I would miss her so much and DH said the same. The thing is that she is definitely getting too small for the bassinet so we might have to soon.

Klav Mia had a cold for about 2weeks which sucked. We also did the saline drops and aspirator. I also used a cold-mist humidifer and elevated her head because she was very congested and did the steamy bathroom thing. Yes - we had to do all that cos she first had a dry cough and was very congested. She hated the aspiratir and after a while, l just stopped using it. After using the saline drops, her nose dripped and I would just clean it.

Wrighty Well, her night sleep is getting a "little better". She falls asleep after I nurse her in the evening and might stay asleep but always wakes up after 1hr-2hrs. I think she needs a late evening nap so that when she does go down around 9pm, she will stay sleep. She usually goes to bed at 11pm and wakes up around 6pm, then goes back again and wakes up around 9ish/10am. Her daytime naps are getting better so I hope it helps with the night.

B seems to be growing big and strong! Hopefully his scrotum issues will resolve themselves before 6mths. No surgery thank you very much! Interesting about the signs that a baby is ready to try food. DD stares us down whenever we are eating and actually mimics our chewing.

Food allergies Does anyone's baby have food allergies. It turns out that all the rashes/excema that DD has been having is due to dairy products. So I'm pretty much off dairy which really sucks! It's amazing how many dishes have dairy in them. I might have to supplement and it means that DD has to get the hypoallergenic formula which of course is expensive. If anyone is using hypoallergenic formula, which brand do you recommend?

Speaking of supplementing, I feel so bad that I might have to and I really shouldn't. I always planned to EBF till 6months. However, since I started work, my supply has gone down and I'm barely making enough for the day. For some reason, I just feel this guilt about supplementing - I was telling a friend that I think that militant BFFers got into my brain :p

Anyways, Fun question of the day: Where/when did you reach your motherhood limits? Meaning, what was it that even in the name of motherhood, you could not do?

Mine was about 2-3weeks ago. DD was very congested and hated the aspirator. After my MIL watched me try to suck out the mucous with no success, she took DD and suctioned it out using her mouth!!:eek: :eek: She said that the mucous didn't touch her mouth, just her lips. I was now expected to do the same but there was NO way on earth I was doing it. Yep - she's my daughter and I love her but no thank you very much! Mia felt much better but suction mucous using my mouth??? Ahhh...no!:p

[a_spark]

amaye AAAHHH!! That is crazy! I would never do that. I mean, if her life depended on it, of course, but just to get boogers out...no way! :O

[Wrighty26]

amaye - OMG - were you horrified? I would do that if he wasn't breathing or something, but not just because he had a little snot up his nose! I have not had anything remotely close to that happen to me...yet.

[Soulmate]

He did give us the go ahead to start food when B seems ready - but said we didn't need to rush it if he is satisfied with his breastmilk. He said that a good indication that he's ready is that he a) mimics "chewing" and b) starts to wake up during the night again.DS has been waking up tons in the middle of the night the past two nights. All I have to do is put the pacifer back in his mouth. DS goes to bed around 5:30/6:30pm (not my choice at all) so how would I ever get him to eat solids late enough to help him last longer at night? There is no way I could dream feed solids!

Food allergies Does anyone's baby have food allergies. It turns out that all the rashes/excema that DD has been having is due to dairy products. So I'm pretty much off dairy which really sucks! It's amazing how many dishes have dairy in them. I might have to supplement and it means that DD has to get the hypoallergenic formula which of course is expensive. If anyone is using hypoallergenic formula, which brand do you recommend?DS has dairy sensititvies and was on Alimentum for a while. Apparently alimentum is like liquid gold for those who need hypoallergenic formula. But you can use soy based formula instead. I had DS on the hypoallergenic when I tried all the powdered formulas and none helped DS. Then I tried Alimentum's Ready to Feed and it worked wonders. Well it turns out the DS is sensitive to powdered formulas in general and can only tolerate Ready to Feed versions. We tried Soy (Similac's Isomil) Ready to Feed and it worked even better for him. Anyway, a soy based formula would be cheaper and should work just as well.

Mine was about 2-3weeks ago. DD was very congested and hated the aspirator. After my MIL watched me try to suck out the mucous with no success, she took DD and suctioned it out using her mouth!!:eek: :eek: She said that the mucous didn't touch her mouth, just her lips. I was now expected to do the same but there was NO way on earth I was doing it. Yep - she's my daughter and I love her but no thank you very much! Mia felt much better but suction mucous using my mouth??? Ahhh...no!:pGood lord no! That is just gross! I agree with the others, maybe if his life depended on it but just for a stuffy nose?! Bleh!

Motherhood Limits This is not as fun as yours Amaye but mine was when I was BFing. I was very pro-BF but DS sounded and acted like my milk was acid running through his body. When they said it would take 2 weeks to get all the dairy out of my system and even then who knows what else he might have been sensitive to I said no way and started FF. Watching my son being tortured by my milk was my limit. There are just times where you have to realize the child does not fit into your own plan or agenda and his needs are very different than what society dictates.

colds DS has gotten maybe half-sick. He'll have a stuffy nose and be a little crankier for a week but that is it. Nothing too serious. Of course DH is super sick right now so who knows what will happen now. DS really hates the aspirator too!

[rande]

Quick post-We just got back from Boston and my sister's wedding. Of course, after all of our planning, Drew got a 104 fever and Dh had to miss part of the wedding staying at my parent's house with him.

Loveys and Reflux babies- Just thought that I would share! Drew was a bad reflux baby and slept in the swing until six months. Around the fifth month, we would have him sleep in the swing stationary to get him ready for the transition. At exactly six months we moved him to the crib with a wedge and he handled the transition quite well. This is also when we started giving him a lovey to sleep with. It worked like a charm! However, Drew will be 2 on Dec. 16th and is still very attached to it. I would recommend leaving the lovey in the crib for only naps and nite sleep. We started letting him bring it in the car and down to the playroom and now he can't do anything without it. Worse, he always sucks his thumb when he has it so he has been sucking his thumb alot- a bad habit to break!!!! Oh, and Olivia is still sleeping in a swing so all the rest of you are not alone!!!!!!!!!!!

[ShelbyMay]

I haven't visited this thread in quite a while -- I don't know what the odds are of me actually catching up on all of the posts!

DD is about 4.5 months now and doing well. She has her 4 month WBV tomorrow (I'm a slacker on making appts) and I am not looking forward to the shots. She was SO upset last time. :( We are seeing a new ped. tomorrow since I decided that hers was a bit too traditional for my tastes. I think this one is supposed to be more... moderate. We'll see.

L is sleeping, but unfortunately it is not during the hours that *I* want to sleep. She has switched to an early bedtime (around 6pm) and usually sleeps 5 or 6 hours before waking to nurse. Then she sleeps 4 or 5 more hours in her crib, and then we bring her into bed with us to try to get just a little more sleep. I know that is a lot better than some people have it, but I am still looking forward to her dropping at least ONE of the nighttime feedings.

L is rolling over (back to front, mostly) all the time now. I've had to start being more careful about where I set her down! She also seems to have discovered her feet this week, and it is so cute to see her reach for them.

Speaking of reaching, DD lately seems REALLY interested in cups. If I try to drink something while holding her, she stares at the cup and reaches out for it. I let her touch it and she is so excited! At first, I thought it was because I was drinking from a brightly colored cup, but she seems interested in ALL cups. There's a dark-colored one we use to pour water over her in the bath, and today she kept reaching for it while I bathed her. I poured out the water and handed her the cup, and she actually grabbed it with both hands and put it up to her mouth. She totally knows what they're for! She doesn't seem to have any interest in solid foods, though, so we're not starting that yet. Maybe another month or so.

Well, I am supposed to be working (telecommuting) and am just waiting for the network to open up. Guess I should go check again...

[jewamese]

For some reason, I haven't been getting my notifications.

Thank you for responding to my reflux issues, and thank y'all for your support, too.

soulmate, would you mind posting your picture of the "towel in the crib" again? I missed it before you removed it. And, is the Pepcid in suspension form? I'm also really impressed that you made some correlations to powder formula and RTF. I am seriously contemplating terminating our BF relationship everyday. It's so hard, but I'm not sure if formula will help either.

Right now, Avery sleeps on her side on a Boppy pillow on our bed. I know it's not good, but I can't get her to sleep anywhere else. Sometimes, she sleeps in the baby papasan. I think she likes the vibration. I can't imagine when she'll be able to sleep on her back and in a crib.

[Soulmate]

Here ya go jewamese

**Pic removed**

The only reason I found that correlation b/w powder and RTF is because the ped gave us a sample of the RTF Alimentum and it worked so beautifully. After we finished those we tried the powder Alimentum and he went back to his colicky self. So we figured it was the powder and with other experimentations confirmed it. Imagine how many opened cans of wasted powder formula we have :rolleyes:

[Amaye]

a_spark That's what I told my MIL, if her life depended on it yes but not for a booger!!

Wrighty I was very horrified to say to least and I didn't hide it. It just cracks me up that my MIL expected me to do the same.

Soulmate Thanks for the tip regarding Soy formula. I am going to try that. We tried to give DD the alimentum last night and she immediately knew the difference. She eat about 1oz after trying for about 15mins so I gave up. It's very interesting to hear about your son's reaction to powder versus RTF. I also agree with you about when to realize that you have to do what you have to do for your child regardless of your plans!

ShelbyMay That sounds like DD now. She sleeps for the first 5-6hrs and then wakes up every 3-4hrs after that. I really would love for her to drop one of the feedings too.

So I think we have finally made some progress with Mia's sleeping. I went out on Friday for a girl's night with some friends and DH stayed home with DD (for the first time). Time to sleep - DH tried to soothe her down for 1hr with no go. So he burped her, put her down and dimmed the lights. DD then proceeded to cry for about 7mins. She stopped for about 3-4mins and started again for another 7mins and went to sleep for 6hrs. DH was in shock!! He was in the room the entire time and had to go make sure she was ok when she stopped crying. The next day, we put her down drowsy yet awake for a nap. She cried for 7mins and went to sleep for 3.5hrs. We did it again for her to go to bed and she cried for 2mins. When she woke up for her 5am feeding, she went back to bed without a cry!!:eek: :eek: :eek:

Ok, I'm knocking on wood as I type cos you know she will do the opposite today right?:cool: :p

Wrighty, I have to say that your story really inspired us to CIO a bit with Mia. I told DH about your story and we planned to give Mia 15mins max of crying. I can't believe she didn't cry for too long. I do have to say that when I cried when I was home and she cried for 7mins. It sounds like a short time but it was really long for me.:o

My question now is about naps. I'm wondering if there is anyway Mia will know that when we put her down in the day, it's only for a nap. Her long stretch should be at night. The reason why is that last night, she woke up every 4hrs. She usually sleeps for about 6hrs and then wakes but not yesterday. Maybe it's cos we also moved her to her own room and crib. I don't know....I really need her to sleep longer.

Has anyone figured out how to drop a middle of the night feeding yet?

[Lizard]

Speaking of reaching, DD lately seems REALLY interested in cups. If I try to drink something while holding her, she stares at the cup and reaches out for it. I let her touch it and she is so excited!

My DD is as well! She watches us eat and drink and seems so interested. I held out my Coke can once and she immediately tried to grab it. :rolleyes: Also, when we give her a bottle she always holds it herself... she started that a couple weeks ago.

Even though she's really interested in these things, we decided over the weekend that we're going to delay solids for a while longer. She's BFing well and seems more satisfied these days, so there's no reason to start yet. We'll revisit it after she is 5 months.

I pulled out the Exersaucer this weekend and she LOVES it. She seems so happy when she's in it and tries to play with all the toys. I can't believe how quick she's growing up.

We are having major nap issues, but it sounds like a lot of us are. :) I think it's just the age. DD is great with her morning nap, but everything after that is a battle. I have been letting her fall asleep on me after eating because it gives her a little ZZZ time at least. I'd be happy if I could get a late afternoon nap in her, because she gets SO cranky around 5 PM. On the days that she gets a late nap, she's definitely not as cranky.

Is anyone dealing with dry skin? DD has big dry patches on her legs - I've been putting lotion on them but it doesn't help much. It seems like she's getting more of them each day, too. Has anyone found a product that helps?

[mmisabel]

Hey ladies!

Hope you all had a great weekend.

exersaucer - DS LOVES his. He'll last about 20 minutes, but has a blast.

nap issues - totally! Some days we get one or two good ones. Others, it's 30 minute nothing naps. I would love him to work this out!

sleeping - he's now back to waking up 1x hungry in the night. We got him to give up the 2nd feed by delaying it a little bit each night. He eventually wanted it at 4am and then gave it up. Now when he wakes it's around 2am.

Liz - Aquaphor works wonders on dry patches. It's made by Eucerin, found next to it in the aisle.

Amaye - your story made me gag!!! That is SO nasty. I've been known to pick a dried bogger out of DS's nose, but to suck it out myself??!! GAG! With the aspirator, put in saline drops a few minutes before (loosens it up), try blocking the nose you are not sucking, squeeze it hard and release the bulb slowly. That tends to work best! Also, if DD needs to be on Alimentum talk to your doctor. Insurance will often cover it! Lastly, I had to start supplementing about 1 month after returning to work. I felt guilty but I went through my freezer stash and just wasn't keeping up 100%. I'm over it now.;)

Question - does anyone have a pacifier addict for a child? DS will sometimes wake up squaking, he's still half asleep, not hunger. I give him the pacifier and he falls right back. Am I creating a really bad habit here???

[Amaye]

Lizard We also use Aquaphor. DD has dry skin due to exzcema and we've been using aquaphor. It's not perfect but it's the best we've seen so far.

mmisabel In getting your DS to drop the second night feeding, how did you move the time back? If your DS woke up, would you wait to feed him or try to see if he would go back to sleep? DD doesn't accept a pacifier so no advice from me.

[mmisabel]

amaye - yep, make him wait just about 1/2 hour or so and gradually he'd wake up later and later. But he took the paci so that would quiet him down. Also, I would make sure I fed him more right before bed (like every 2 hours after 3pm), and I gave him a bottle of formula at bedtime starting at 6 weeks or so. Not sure if it was a coincidence or not but it seemed to help him sleep longer! :)

[Soulmate]

Amaye Yea, the Alimentum tastes horrible supposedly. It smells worse than the others so I'm sure it tastes as bad! Congratulations on your sleep training attempt! Lets hope it sticks! I don't know how but DS always seems to know what are naps and what is sleep. I think it mostly has to do with the daylight. Yesterday he slept sooo much but still went to bed for the night at his normal time and slept like he normally does. And moving their sleeping place effects them so much more than we think. When DS was in the swing we moved it from the living room to our bedroom and it was so painful...he didn't want to sleep at.all for like two days. I listed a Ferber method for dropping the feeding a few posts back.

Lizard DS has the same dry patches on his legs and I was using vasaline and switched to baby aveeno. But I think if vasaline didn't do anything I don't know what will. We'll see.

mmisabel DS is the same way though he rarely needs it any other time. I figure we can train him out of it once he is a bit older but for now I don't think he is old enough to self-soothe w/o it.

[Can't_Wait]

Quote:
Swaddling I stopped swaddling Bella after I read about it causing problems w/ their hip development if done for a long time.

I did not know this?

I read about this by accident in my Dr. Sears book, "The Baby Book" (I wasn't looking for info on swaddling, just happened upon it). This is what it says:
SHORTEN SWADDLING TIME Once upon a time, wrapping babies burrito-style in a blanket was advised to help them settle easier. New insights, however, have shown that swaddling babies too often and for too long may harm their hip development. In order for the ball-and-socket structures of the hip joint to develop properly, babies need to have freely swinging motion of their legs and lie or sleep with ther legs outward in a frog position. Leaving their legs unbound is especially crucial in the first few months, when the hip joint is rapidly developing. Swaddling your baby for a few hours every few days won't harm her hip development, but avoid letting her sleep tightly swaddled for long periods of time, such as through the night.

rande Thanks for telling about Drew & his blanket. If Isabella gets attached to something, we'll have to be sure to leave it in the crib!

Soulmate Such a cute picture! I love how babies look when they are sleeping!

Question - does anyone have a pacifier addict for a child? No, Bella won't take a paci very well. We didn't give her one until she was 10 weeks & we gave it to her then b/c we had a very long car trip & she cried in her car seat a bunch. So we gave it to her & it helped on that trip but since then she pretty much hates it... I've only been able to get her to take it a few other times.

[Soulmate]

In order for the ball-and-socket structures of the hip joint to develop properly, babies need to have freely swinging motion of their legs and lie or sleep with ther legs outward in a frog position. So that's why he sleeps like that! We always call him our "H" because his arms and legs look like an H when he sleeps. Interesting.

[jewamese]

Thank you, soulmate, for posting that picture. Logan is such a cutie! I definitely want to try that. Although, I admit, I'm super scared to try since I think Avery is used to sleeping on the Boppy. Might be so odd for her to be on her back and not snuggled in a boppy.

mmisabel, tell me more about how you get insurance to pay for Alimentum. We spent a grip on Alimentum for our first DD. Do you have to prove that your DC is "allergic" to breastmilk or regular formula? If so, that's pretty hard to do.

[Linnybubbles]

Well, it has been awhile since I have posted, but I promise I am reading along about all the cuties!

Dry Skin: I use Aquaphor on the body and for her face I use Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief moisture cream. It works wonders on her face!


Amelia is a great baby, she is so chatty and happy. She just started to suck her thumb this weekend and she seems to love it. We had her baptized on Sunday and she did really well.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a279/Linnyloplop/47b6cf32b3127cce8f72dae660400000001.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a279/Linnyloplop/IMG_0829.jpg

[jewamese]

Heh, while I'm posting away...
Those of you who are still swaddling, what kind of blankets are you using? Anyone using the AMB? Is it worth picking up?
TIA,
Cin :)

[mmisabel]

jewamese - the insurance company requires a letter or form from the pediatrician stating that she's tried the cow based and usually the soy before switching to the hyperallergenic formula. A letter is really the only "proof". I'd call up you specific insurance and see. I know in MA it's illegal for them to deny paying for a special formula if it's medically necessary, but every state is quite different. Good luck!

[Wrighty26]

Linnybubbles - Awwww - Amelia is such a sweetie! Love the thumbsucking picture :)

Jewamese - We use the Ultimate Swaddling Blanket (http://www.swaddledesigns.com/solid_pastels.html)by Swaddle Designs and Braeden loves it (we have two that we interchange). I like that it's so big, and really just a blanket - so once he outgrows it (hopefully we wean him in the next month or two) it's still useful. We actually love the material so much, I went out and bought him a Baby Lovie (http://www.swaddledesigns.com/lovies_polkadots.html) this weekend. He took to it right away.

Amaye - YAY! I'm so excited that Mia got some sleep for you :)

OK - I was going to post more, but B just woke up. I'll post more tonight!

[Soulmate]

Can you guys post what you are going to do for lovies (w/links)? DS really started to get into this stuffed rabbit I had in his crib. But I can't find another one for back up so I need to switch it out before he gets too attached. Plus I'd like a copy for when he is at the sitters. I know a couple of you have posted about the blankets with animal heads.

ETA Nevermind...I found a really cool site with tons of different lovies petitetica.com (http://www.petitetica.com/douglas_cuddle_security_toys.asp)

jewamese We used the miracle blanket. I'm not sure if they come in different sizes but the ones we have are pretty much at their size limit and DS is 4 months. Besides that, it was the only swaddling blanket we tried that could actually contain him. He was breaking the most sophisticated swaddling techniques at only days old.

[ShelbyMay]

Sigh. DD's ped. visit today went okay, with one exception: He said we need to stop swaddling her. :( I told him that she has been turning over in her crib and I find her with her face down in the mattress, unable to get her arms up to turn back over. He said it's a SIDS risk and that we need to put her to bed without the blanket. The problem with that is that she NEVER sleeps without the blanket! Her arms still flail about and she claws at her eyes when she is tired.

I don't know what to do. We are going on 1.5 hours of trying to get her to sleep without the swaddle.

I was also kind of surprised that this ped. recommended starting her on rice cereal. He said that he might recommend waiting until a full 6 months if she was exclusively BF, but since we're been supplementing with formula, we should go ahead...? He said it might help her sleep longer at night if we give her the cereal right before bedtime.

I was thrown for a loop because the friend who recommended this ped. described him as being less traditional that the one we had previously seen. This all seems like really traditional advice to me. :confused:

So, forgive me if this has already been covered, but has anyone else started rice cereal or any other solids yet?

AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh. DH finally finished rocking her to sleep, put her down in the crib, and she was screaming before he got out the door.

This is going to be a long night.

[Soulmate]

Shelby DS claws at his face too when he is tired. I would most definitely stop swaddling if she is turning over. What helps for DS is having a small, soft stuffed animal that he can hold onto instead of rubbing his face. It really works and sometimes we'll find the stuffed animal on his forehead! (he rubs his face w/ the stuffed animal instead of his hands and falls asleep). Or the stuffed animal occupies his hands enough to distract him from his face. But it will take a couple of nights and then she'll be used to sleeping w/o the swaddle. She is old enough to learn to sleep w/o it. Re: solids, once a baby hits 4 months there is no real evidence solids will cause harm (they recently disproved the no solids until 6 mos. rule) unless you have a medical hx that says otherwise (food allergies, diabetes). After 4 months it is a judgment call. Our ped said it was ok but DS has no interest in solids just yet. And he goes to bed at 5:30/6:30 so even if he ate before he went to bed it would have no effect on his overnight sleep.

[Wrighty26]

ShelbyMay - Have you tried "lightly" swaddling her? Still put the blanket on her, but don't wrap her as tight. This way she can get her hands free if necessary. We started doing this with B. The first night he woke himself up a few times, but he is used to it now. We are attempting to wean him off swaddling. There is no way we could go cold turkey! As for food - we haven't made the transition yet-- but there is a good thread on it that I just started following. We're hoping to wait until 6 months - unless he seems ready.

Can't Wait - Interesting about the swaddling. That definitely explains B's desire to NOT have his legs swaddled. He prefers the frog position-- still!

Lizard - Another Aquaphor user here! I generally use Aveeno Baby, except for the extra dry patches (B has them on his knees too!). My friend's DD has severe exzcema and she highly recommended it to me. I've heard Mustela is good too --just pricey.

Jewamese - I didn't post this before, but I'm sorry to hear about your DD's reflux/sleep issues. That must be REALLY tough with a toddler running around! Good thing she's adorable :D I hope that whatever you do just works!

Paci - Yes, Braeden takes a paci-- but only when he's really really sleepy. Even then, he's kinda like "eh - I don't really want this, but I guess it's helpful." I personally would not worry about it as a habit. I actually don't worry about anything oral becoming habitual. I sucked my thumb until I was 7 though. It remember the steps my parents took to break me of my habit and oddly enough the thing that got me to quit-- was making a promise with my Dad that he would quit smoking! I can truly think of worse things that babies/kids could get addicted to...

[ShelbyMay]

DD is a paci-addict. I worry about it a bit, but right now we are just doing whatever works as long as it is not dangerous.

2 hours and counting -- I actually gave in, swaddled her, & lay down to nurse her to sleep. I planned to unswaddle her and move her to the crib once she settled into a deeper sleep. Didn't even get a chance to try it -- She was completely out and slept for about 5 minutes, then woke up screaming.

DH is in there trying to get her to sleep again. This will be the 4th time we've calmed her and gotten her to sleep tonight.

I would try the loose swaddle, but it only seems to comfort her at all if it is super tight. Also, she usually eventually breaks out of it at least part of the way, so then we have the problem of her face down in a scrunched up blanket. :(

ETA: Can someone point me toward the thread on starting solids?

[Wrighty26]

ShelbyMay - Sorry to hear about your DD and her sleeping/swaddling. In time it WILL get better... just keep telling yourself that!

Here is the thread I was talking about What is your 4-8 month old eating today. (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26595)

[mmisabel]

shelby - bummer about the swaddling thing. Nathan sleeps in the halo sleepsacks, it's not swaddle but it keeps him warm.

paci - I decided I won't worry about it until he's older. I may try to wean him off it for naps so when I don't give it to him at bedime it's not a complete shocker.

[mkvh]

Shelby--sorry about the swaddle. That sucks. Hopefully it gets easier. Quickly.

Paci--C will take the paci to go to sleep and if she's really fussy. But she actually prefers her thumb. She will spit out the paci and replace it with her thumb. I'm afraid she's going to be like you, Wrighty! I'm letting it happen for now, though, because it means no night wakings for mom!

CIO--We just were successful with less than 15 minutes. I nursed her, and she was drowsy but woke when I put her in her crib. She fussed for a bit, calmed down and was cooing, then fussed some more. I started at 9:55 at by 10:05, she was quiet. Wooo hooo!!

We go for our WBV today. I'll update later...I'm sure he's going to recommend solids as she is almost sitting up on her own and surely has doubled her birthweight.

[Amaye]

mkvh Woo-hoo!! I'm sure you are so happy it only took 15mins.

ShelbyMay So sorry about the swaddle news. Hopefully after 1 or 2 nights, she will get used to it. It will get better soon.

mmisabel THanks for the insurance info. We haven't tried Soy yet - I need to try it and see if DD reacts to it. Any recommended brand?

CIO Well we did it again last night and it went ok. She cried for 2mins and then crashed. She then woke up after 30mins and cried for about 7mins. I wanted to go in and check on her but DH told me to wait 10mins. Luckily she stopped after 7mins. The next two times she woke up, she went to sleep after talking to herself for a couple of minutes. The only thing is to get the nanny to put her down drowsy but awake. She is still rocking her and swinging her.

My big issue now is that she wakes up twice every night and it's killing me. We put her to bed at 8.30. She woke up around 1.20am, back to bed about 1.50am and wake again at 5.30. She used to have a 6-7hr stretch of sleep followed by a 5hr stretch but that's gone. I go to bed around 11.30 which means I wake up after 1.5hrs of sleep and then get 3more and I'm awake again. I feel exhausted. During her 5.30am waking, she eats for about 5mins only, so maybe I can drop that? I don't know....sigh.

I also got told by some friends to add a little cereal to her bottle. However DD is dairy sensitive so I guess I have to wait. DD is defintiely interested in solids. She watches us like a hawk whenever we eat and mimics our chewing motion. She also tries to grab food from the plate or grab a cup I'm drinking from. It will be interesting to see what the doctor says.

My good news is that she finally took the Alimentum so at least I know she will now take formula.

[lindybug]

I am probably going to jinx myself by writing this, but I am just so excited I have to share...

DS STTN two nights in a row! Sunday night was 6:45pm-6:15am, and last night was 7pm-5:30am. Of course, I was up both nights at 4am and had to run in to check he was still alive. (My BBs were exploding too, LOL) I really hope this continues.

So, there is hope for all those other bad sleepers out there. If my DS can do it, anyone can! :D

[mkvh]

WOOOO HOOO LINDY!!!

Amaye--If I were you, I would put M to bed earlier (I know...counterintuitive), immediately after a feeding. 8PM is our absolute latest bedtime. She seems to sleep best if she's out by about 7:15. And I have read REALLLY bad things about cereal in the bottle. Wait till she's ready to try with the spoon. C is also very interested in food, utensils and cups. DH gave her a sip of water from his glass at brunch on Saturday, and she thought that was the coolest thing EVER!

Oh, and thanks for the support on CIO!

Nighttime diapers--anyone else having HUUUUUGE poop explosions at night? Just in the last week, we've had fewer poos during the day and extremely large ones overnight, leaving her in a completely saturated diaper and soaking through onesie, pjs and blankets. Totally gross an MESSY!

[Linnybubbles]

Congrats Lindybug! Amelia has STTN the past 2 nights too!

[Can't_Wait]

If I were you, I would put M to bed earlier (I know...counterintuitive), immediately after a feeding. 8PM is our absolute latest bedtime. She seems to sleep best if she's out by about 7:15. And I have read REALLLY bad things about cereal in the bottle. Wait till she's ready to try with the spoon.

Man! DD won't go to sleep until after 10:30pm... a lot of times no until after 11pm! She will cat nap while nursing in the evening but will wake up when I put her down. Could this be b/c she isn't waking up in the morning until 9am or so?

As for the cereal in the bottle, I've also read that it is bad...

[Wrighty26]

Yay Lindybug and Linnybubbles! I'm glad your babies are getting the hang of this sleep thing :)

Amaye - sounds like a huge adjustment for you too! Have you tried the Ferber method of adding more food during the day? I think that it DEFINITELY helps my DS sleep longer.

mkvh - I can't wait to hear how big C is! Hope the appt goes well.

Braeden goes to bed around 7-7:15pm every night. If we miss that time frame and keep him up longer he lets us know! I actually think he might be ready to go to sleep earlier but it's hard some days to put him down before 7!

[nuhmah]

Anyone starting to get teeth? I swear that DS has a small white bump in his bottom gum, and I *think* I am feeling a sharp pinch when he gums me while nursing. I popped my first tooth at 4 1/2 months, so I guess it may be possible.

swaddling - we are using the Ultimate Receiving Blanket and LOVE it. I have no thoughts of stopping the swaddle anytime soon, especially since he really isn't rolling or moving.

paci - we try to only use it when getting him to sleep, and then he spits it out on his own when he falls asleep.

solids - doesn't it seem like every time you turn around, they are saying something new/different about when to start solids? :rolleyes: I have decided to quit reading the studies and go with my own instincts. We are not supplementing, so no rice cereal, and I am not planning to start until closer to 6-7 months. Maybe sooner, if he shows me he is ready!

books - anyone notice that reading books is now more fun? :D JJ will follow my finger and "read" along with me from left to right. He likes the colors, but mostly just following my fingers and hearing my voice.

[Amaye]

Will be back to post some more but quick question.

Soulmate/MKVH You both mentioned the ferber method of adding more food? Can you please let me know. I searched the thread but couldn't find your post Soulmate.

Thanks!

[emmjay]

Solids - I'm hoping some of you have some advice for me. I don't want to start solids until we are in the 4-6 month window. When I do, I want to start with pureed vegetables, not rice cereal. My sister did this and my niece is a very healthy eater. Plus I figure vegetables are always good! :) We are going to my ILs for Thanksgiving for the week, and I was talking to my MIL the other day. She mentioned that when she was on the phone with my DH, he was talking about Seamus not sleeping (we were going through a rough patch for a few days). She told me that her advice to DH was "Sneak him some rice cereal in his bottle" and not ever tell me, and that DH said he wouldn't do that. When I asked DH later, he said he didn't even remember her saying that but she was probably kidding.

Now I am worried about leaving the baby with them without one of us around while we're there next week - I will go freaking ballistic if they give him rice cereal. Not just because I want him to start w/ veggies, but because DH and I should be making those decisions. What should I do? My MIL is great and we get along very well, but she had 3 kids by the time she was 24 and "they all turned out fine" - she thinks I am ridiculous with the cloth diapers and organic formula and sleeping every 2 hours and everything else. I don't think she would intentionally subvert my parenting methods, but I could totally see her just doing something (like giving him rice cereal) because she wouldn't see why it was a big deal.

I was thinking that if we do leave the baby with them, I will say something like, "I know DH said you were kidding but I just want to reiterate that I don't want him having any rice cereal". I don't want keep bringing it up, but I want to be sure she understands that it will be a big problem if she does. Or maybe I should have DH say something? Any advice?

[klav]

HEY did any one see Oprah yesterday??
I Tivo'd it Wish I knew the 5 words 3 monthes ago it would have helped a whole lot!! but the CD will be out at the end of Nov.
The name I'm not sure but the lady's name was Dunstan. and you can see it on line tooo!!

the words:
Neh="I'm hungry"
Owh="I'm sleepy"
Heh="I'm experiencing discomfort"
Eair="I have lower gas"
Eh="I need to burp"

[mkvh]

Amaye--Wrighty mentioned the Ferber method, not me. Sorry! We do cluster feed most nights, though...

Can't Wait--Your DD is almost a month younger than mine, so she could just be behind re: sleep patterns. Plus, C always has been about a month or more ahead of where the sleep books say she should be. However you COULD wake her 1/2 hour earlier every morning and move her bedtime 1/2 hour earlier each night--that's what Weissbluth recommends. He said that in order for the a.m. nap to develop appropriately, baby should be up between 6 and 7 for the day.

emmjay--First of all, cereal in a bottle is NOT an acceptable way of introducing solids any more. MIL needs a bit of education! Mine did it with her older kids but didn't with the youngest (11 years difference) and has never pressured me. That said, if I were you, I would make 100% sure that DH is on board with you and then have HIM say something.

nuhmah--Could be teeth! Wow! I really need to start reading more. You've inspired me...

klav--Wish I'd seen that. Sounds interesting.

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

Had our 4 month WBV today. The shots were terrible but not as bad as last time.

Stats:
15lb 7oz (90th percentile)
26" (97th percentile)
16.5" head circ. (~60th percentile)

We also got the okay to start solids when we feel ready. I brought up my concerns to the dr., and he was clear that the exact timeline was up to us but it was risky to wait longer than 6 mos. Since C is a big girl and is really interested, we figured we'd try out some organic brown rice cereal tonight. She acted like we were TORTURING her! So we'll shelve it and try it again in a week or so.

She's been pretty fussy this evening and just woke herself out of a sound sleep. Her vax sites must be hurting.

[Soulmate]

Amaye Basically you gradually decrease the number of ounces you feed DC at the night feeding you want to eliminate. Ferber recommends going down by 1 ounce but DS doesn't eat a whole lot and he would definitely notice one whole ounce missing. So I decreased it by .5 ounces each night. So if DC is eating 5 ounces at that feeding you could probably start and decrease it to 4 ounces, the next night 3.5 ounces, the next 3 ounces and so on. DS got down to 2 ounces and stopped on his own. But I will say he was not happy stopping at 2 ounces and it took a bit longer putting him back down but the next night he didn't wake up at all. But with this way they will gradually pick up the lost ounces during the day time. It gives them some time to adjust and it is not a huge shock. Now strict Ferber says to do this in conjunction with extending the time in between feedings so 4 ounces with 2.5 hours b/w feedings, then 3 ounces with 3 hours b/w feedings. I don't know if your DC is like mine but I've never been too successful postponing things when it comes to food. He wants it now! If you breastfeed he says not to worry about the number of ounces and just extend the time in between feedings.

[hokiegirlie]

Every time that I read this thread, I am amazed how everyone is going through the same stuff. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but everytime that Matthew is 'going through' something new, I find out that everyone else is, too :)

Cups Matthew grabs for cups, too. We also use one in the bathtime and he grabs it and tries to drink from it. He loves cans (soda and beer) because they're shiny, I guess.

Nighttime blowouts We've had these the last two nights. He's actually had a lot more recently. We've increased his feedings some, so my DH thinks that this is just his natural reaction to more food. Who knows?!

Sleep Lord help us here. We have been doing so so well and I was feeling so lucky b/c Matthew was sttn and napping awesome. Now, it's almost impossible to get him down in the afternoon and he's waking early (4am last night) to eat. I really am not ready to start solids, but if he is, I don't want to hold back. I'm gonna give it a little more time and see what happens.

Evening naps I know that some of you have mentioned that you don't let your little ones nap past a certain time. We have been letting M go down whenever he needs to--even if it's 6:00. That doesn't seem to be working anymore, though. So, my question is--if it's 5:00 or 5:30 and your baby has been up for 1.5-2 hours and is tired, what do you do? If M is tired, then all that he can handle is being walked around and bounced. Should I just do this for an hour and then put him down for the night?

[Amaye]

Lindybug Yeeeehhh! I'm knocking on wood for you that she keeps sleeping through the night!

mkvh Oopps..:D I was reading too quickly. Sorry for the confusion. As for the earlier bedtime, it does make sense. DD is tired/fussy by the time l get home (7pm) so l have to rush to put her to bed. I think I need to come home earlier and see if l can get her to bed by 7.30pm. Wow! C is a big girl!! Hopefully your intro to solids will go smoothly.

nuhmah Wow! Teeth already? That's exciting but not so much fun for the boobies.:p

emmjay I would definitely talk to your DH about it and have him seriously talk to his mom about it. I would not have been a happy camper to hear that. She can roll her eyes all she wants but it's your child and your decision..done!

klav Didn't see it but I saw a discussion in the 0-18mth forum about it. Sounds interesting.

Soulmate Thanks for the info. The only problem I forsee is that when Mia wakes up, she is hungry and you had better hurry up and feed her. I BF at night so I'm not sure how I would extend the time between. She starts to cry so does that mean I leave her to cry?

hokiegirlie I'm also interested in what people say about the late nap. It seems that she gets tired about 5.30pm but the nanny doesn't let her sleep so by the time I get home, she is done. I need to figure out what to do about that cos I think it affects her night sleep a lot/

Well, we put Mia to bed at 8pm but she woke up at 9.30pm and proceeded to cry for 11mins again! This is the second night in a row she wakes up after 1-1.5hrs of going down. I have no clue why it is happening. Any guesses?

[makena32204]

evning naps - Amelia usually had a short 1/2 hr evening nap around 7:00. She goes to bed at 9 pm. If we tried to get her to go to sleep at 7 for the night, there is no way she would do it. Although it is really selfish, I like the 9:00 bedtime. My DH and I get to spend some time w/ her before she goes to bed and then we have some time for ourselves!

naps - We wake up Amelia around 6 a.m. - very gradually. I think that being woken around the same time is really helping her morning nap come together.

cups- Amelia watches us eat and drink, but I think she's more interested in the color and motion more than the act!

4 month WBV - We had ours yesterday. She is 12 lbs, 11 oz (45%) and 24.5 in (60%). The doctor said she is progressing fabulously. THey gave us a list of developmental goals and Amelia has already done all the 4 month ones and even some of the 6 month ones.

solids - My pedi doesnt recommend solids until after 6 months, so we'll discuss how to introduce at our next WBV in Jan. I was really glad to hear that b/c I want to EBF until 6 months. I'm not in any rush to start solids - although I'm sure MIL will want to when she visits over the holidays....

Speaking of MIL's, emmjay - I completely understand your concern. I wouldnt put it past my MIL to try to feed my DD...and I'm not talking rice cereal. I have no doubts that she would try to feed my daughter right off her plate! I know that i"m going to have to watch her like a hawk. My MIL is also driving me crazy. She's a great lady and we've never had any issues - until we had DD (1st grandchild). Could she talk to me, just once, without having to offer suggestions or tell me how to raise my child???

[Amaye]

QOTD How are you dressing your child for bedtime in the winter?

Right now, it's in the high 50s in my area so we already have the heater on. During the day, DD wears a bodysuit, pants and socks (thermostat is at 69-70 degrees). When we go to bed, we lower the heat to about 65 degrees and I put DD in a sleeper and a sleeveless sleepsack. However when she wakes up, her hands and nose are always cold. I'm starting to consider putting a heater in her room.

[mkvh]

We had to put a spaceheater in C's room too. We keep our therm at 68 but our upstairs (contrary to rules about heat rising :rolleyes: ) is about 5 degrees cooler. She usually wears a sleeper with a onesie underneath or a onesie and a fleece sleepsack. Still, her fingers and nose are cold. I think it might just be their circulation 'cause the rest of her is toast warm! And overheating is a SIDS risk...

Oh, and on the waking issue, Amaye, rousings are part of the normal sleep cycle. M just must not be really good at soothing herself back to sleep yet. Hang in there! She'll get the hang of it soon!

[Soulmate]

Dressing for Sleep We put DS in a thicker sleeper and a fleece sleepsack. Babies hands and feet will be cold because of lack of circulation that is normal for them. I heard that if the back of their neck is warm then they are dressed appropriately. But then I can't imagine how cold they'd have to be in order to make their *neck* cold! Anyway, the cold is better for them than heat is.

Amaye If your DD is anything like my DS then postponing eating is nearly impossible! I swear you would think we were killing them! I'll have to check the book when I get home but I think he recommends stalling for 15 minutes each time by holding and trying to console. I would almost rather just wake for the feeding! But when DS was younger he would give me the hungry cry and I would console him while his bottle warmed up. Well it turned out many times he fell asleep while I was doing that and that is when he stretched from 2 hours to 3 hours in between feedings. Maybe try to console her for 5 or so minutes before feeding her to see if she would go back to sleep again w/o eating.

bedtimes DS is a freak when it comes to this! He goes to bed around 5:30pm and sleeps (with eating during that time) until 6:30am. Of course his naps are crap. A lot of times he'll even take a nap at 4pm and then *maybe* go to bed ~6pm/6:30. I get a lot of free time at night and it makes babysitting him easier but I really do miss him bunches. Also on the weekends he doesn't sleep in which means neither do I!

[mkvh]

hokiegirl--If I were you, I would try putting M to bed for the night when he wants that late nap. It could stretch thru. Once he gets better rested, the bedtime will regulate.

Soulmate--We sleep 13 hours around here, too...7:30-8:30 ish. And then we're back down for a nice 2 hour nap at 10.

Solids--My sister gave her friend's DS chocolate ice cream at 12 weeks. :eek: And my sis has 2 kids of her own; she thinks it's fine. Umm, no. And I will KILL you if you do that to my child! Oh, and did I mention she's a NURSE.

[Can't_Wait]

He said that in order for the a.m. nap to develop appropriately, baby should be up between 6 and 7 for the day.


:eek: :eek: I don't think I am ready to wake up between 6 & 7! Maybe her sleepping until 9 or 10am isn't such a bad thing. ;)

[nuhmah]

dress for bed - we dress JJ in a footed sleeper, and then he still gets swaddled. I have been using a fleece blanket for swaddling, though, and he seems to stay plenty warm enough.

weaning from swaddle - I swaddled JJ loosely for his morning nap, and he has his hands near his face. He seems to be doing A-ok with it. Usually, we tuck his hands under his butt and then swaddle very tightly (he is a regular Houdini), but I am hoping we don't have to do that for very long.

waking at night - I am guessing that JJ is no longer STTN to the fact that I am sure he is teething, and it is bothering him. I SAH, so I am not that concerned, but I feel for you mama's who need to get up and go to work!

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Hey Ladies- Long time no see- Things have been crazy.

Well Collin is scooting these days but just shy of crawling. He has all the motions down he just needs to coordinate and time them and he will be off.

Also I keep swearing that he is getting a tooth in but it just seems to randomly dissappear or something.

We are still swaddling and Collin getting better with STTN. He generally sleeps from 7:30is to 3-4am then back to sleep until 6:30 when I get ready for work.

Sorry very long rant ahead.....

I think it was Emmjay that brought up the ILs not listening/ respecting their requests. I finally had it out with my parents this weekend. I'm not super strict about Collin when it comes to feeding... We sampled a couple of foods before 4 months tried rice cereal early etc but my parents have been taking it too far. At first I would just kind of light heartedly warn them that they shouldn't be giving him "adult food" well a couple of weeks ago my dad dipped his binky in his rum and coke. I totally flipped out on him and explained why that was not acceptable at all. Since then I have been really watching them. Well then it seems like every weekend since they try giving him a taste of food that he absolutely cannot try. Like when we were at the airport, they wanted to give him a sip of their smoothie which had citrus in it, then they try strawberries and I have to explain to them that it isn't acceptable blah blah blah.

Well this weekend my mom tries giving him a sip of her peanut butter, strawberry, milk shake!!! HELLO- That has just about everything that he cannot have. I tell her the risks of giving him hi allergenic foods at his age and give her examples of how serious those allergies could be and her response is that we shouldn't have drinks that he can't have then. The next day they buy a ton of baby food and my mom asks me when they can start giving him the #2 foods. I tell her that I will let her know because that is something that we have to discuss with my dr since I am not sure. I then tell her that I have been thinking about it and even though I know that they have good intentions what they are doing now could really effect Collin's health in the long run. I would appreciate it if they only give him foods that are from a Gerber stage 1 baby jar. They both agree. Well maybe 2 hours later my dad dips his binky in his Coke. I don't catch him so just to be a smart ass he tells me that Colling loves CocaCola!! I grabbed all of my stuff including my laundry that was in the washer and took off.

I have finally had enough of this crap. I called my mom and I told her that I never would have pinned them as the type of grandparents to pull this shit but since they refuse to respect my wishes as a parent they are no longer allowed to watch Collin and we won't be over at their house on the weekends. I told her that they are more than welcome to come over but I no longer feel comfortable bringing Collin into their home- I said I will reconsider things after Thanksgiving but it is going to take a lot from them to build build my trust back. My mom was in absolute tears and apologizing. I accepted her apology but I told her that it still stands. She kept saying things like "April, it was just ....." but I had to tell her that this is more than just about the food. It is a matter of respect. I thought out of anyone they would respect my decisions as a parent. I told her that I have to hold strong on this because if I slack here they are going to walk all over me on the next issue and I won't have it. I also told that while I love them, Shannon and Collin are my family now and that comes before anything, including my parents.

I gave her a scenario of a severe peanut allergy.... No chocolate bars, asking at every restaurant if the food has peanut oil, how much trick or treating would suck. I asked her if she wanted that on her hands and if it was still just lil bit of peanut butter smoothie at 5 months.

She understands where I am coming from now but I'm sure my dad still thinks that I am over reacting. I feel bad taking their grandchild away from them but I feel I have no other choice. They need to realize that their time with him is a priviledge and not a right. They need to respect both me and my husband and realize that we are adults and this is our family and while we turned out okay things have changed over the last 20 years and we know what is best for our child.

Sorry this into such a long rant but I really needed to get this off my chest. It has been absolutely killing me.

[mkvh]

:eek: :eek: I don't think I am ready to wake up between 6 & 7! Maybe her sleepping until 9 or 10am isn't such a bad thing. ;)

I'm with you ;) Good thing C likes to sleep late....and still naps well.

lil_mrs--ug...so sorry.

[Soulmate]

lil_mrs I am so sorry you had to go through that. You are absolutely justified in your reaction. I stopped talking to my mother after an absolutely horrid visit from her to see the baby (she lives 12 hours away). I don't know what it is about daughters having babies that makes some parents seemingly go insane. I really envy those new mommies who have great, supportive mothers.

[smurf]

Amaye: Sounds like M's sleep is improving, yippee! K often wakes shortly after we put her down for the night too. I'm not sure what triggers it, but at least she goes back down pretty easily.

Dress for bed: We just put her in a fleece sleeper and she seems to stay pretty warm. We don't live in a very cold climate though.

Solids I'm so sorry emmjay & Lil Miss that you're having to deal with family not respecting your wishes. We don't plan on starting solids until 5 months or so, and I'm worried that the family will try to give some to her while we're there for Thanksgiving. I'll have to keep a close eye on them.

Well, I started working my seasonal job last weekend. It was so weird being away from K for that long. It really wasn't even that long, just 4 hours on Fri & Sat and 6 hours on Sunday. Before that, the most I had probably only been away from her for 10 hours total. I think this job will be good for me though, I need a little "away from baby" time. Plus, it gives DH a good opportunity to bond with her.

[Linnybubbles]

Question of the Day

I dress Amelia in a sleep sack from Carter's (fleece) with a long sleeved t-shirt or onesie under it. She always seems pretty warm. If it is really cold, I add a pair of PJ pants too. I do turn on the electric heat only in her room if she needs it. If she is wearing regular PJs (non-fleece), she wears her fleece Halo sleep sack.

[MMK]

amaye: we've been working on extending time between feedings and while it has sucked, there also seems to be some improvement. What we've done: Drew usually goes to bed at 7 and was waking at 11:30 and 3:30. Since he practically slept through the 11:30 that's what I've tried to push back. When he woke at 11:30, I went in and gave him his bink and comforted back to sleep. Woke again at 12:15. Since the first time worked so well I thought I would try again. He went back to sleep until 1 at which time I fed him. Did this for two nights and on the third night he slept straight through until 1. At this point, I'm grateful for even the slightest improvement!We'll see how tonight goes!

hokiegirl: I have the same issue with evening naps. If Drew only takes a short nap around 3 by 5:30-6 he is definitely grumpy. Often what I'll do is try to keep him happy until at least 6:15 and then start changing him for bed...this usually relaxes him and we'll just play quietly on my bed for a little while and get as close to 7pm as possible.

WBV: Man I hate those shots! Poor little guy gets so miserable. Everything checked out great. Dr said we could start with rice ceral if we wanted and assured me that eventually, Drew would stop waking to eat twice a night. She said some babies just take until 5 or 6 months and there's little that can be done.

stats:
weight: 16lbs 8oz
height: 28in He's a TALL one!

[a_spark]

soulmate We're right there with you. DD goes down around 6pm and wakes around 6:30 am. I've tried keeping her up later and she just can't do it. Naps are only about 30 minutes long though, so I guess she gets the bulk of her sleep at night!

lovey! On a whim today I decided to test out this little lamb head on a blanket lovey that a friend's mom gave us. I had to pee so I put her in her crib with the lovey and when I came back, she had snuggled up to it and was asleep! I thought it was a fluke but all day long whenever I'd notice she was sleepy, I'd just put her in the crib with the lovey and she'd go to sleep! This is the girl who not 2 weeks ago had to sleep on top of me or be rocked for an hour and then would wake up crying if I tried to put her down. It's a miracle!

We had our 4 month WBV today and all is well. She weighs 14 lbs 5 oz and is 23.5 inches tall and her head is 41CM. She's gained a whole pound in the last three weeks! We upped her meds a little due to that and the doc gave us some hypoallergenic formula just to have on hand in case we decide to supplement. We also gave us the green light to start rice cereal if we want to. She said it's totally up to us and that it's really just to get her used to the spoon. I think in a week or so we'll give it a try just to see how it goes.

Today is Ava's 4 month birthday and I really feel like we turned many many corners just today. It's so amazing. She's suddenly reaching out to play with the toys in her gym and rolling from front to back over and over. It's so fun to watch her. :)

ETA: We dress Ava in cotton footie pajamas and then swaddle her in the miracle blanket at night. It's about 68-70 in our room at night so she's perfectly warm.

[hokiegirlie]

mkvh & mmk--thanks for the advice on the evening naps. Tonight, of course, was perfect. He napped from 3:30-5:30 and was in bed for the night at 7:30. It's not always like this, though, so I'm gonna try to just put him to bed whenever he's ready. It sucks, though, b/c I wanna see him :)

Sleeping--Matthew is just in footed pj's but we are keeping the heat at like 73 at night. Is that crazy? There was actually a thread somewhere about what you keep your heat on and everyone else turns theirs down at night and we're turning ours up. M never seems hot, but do you think it could be too warm for him?

Matthew turned over like three or four times several weeks ago and not since. it's so weird!

We had our 4 month wbv last week and he's 17 lbs, 12 oz. Im sure he's the biggest baby around, huh?!

[Soulmate]

soulmate We're right there with you. DD goes down around 6pm and wakes around 6:30 am. I've tried keeping her up later and she just can't do it. Naps are only about 30 minutes long though, so I guess she gets the bulk of her sleep at night! I'm so glad DS is not the only one! I think he gets it from me. I need 10 hours of sleep a night to be happy. Of course the last time I got that was eons ago!

lovey! On a whim today I decided to test out this little lamb head on a blanket lovey that a friend's mom gave us. I had to pee so I put her in her crib with the lovey and when I came back, she had snuggled up to it and was asleep! I thought it was a fluke but all day long whenever I'd notice she was sleepy, I'd just put her in the crib with the lovey and she'd go to sleep! This is the girl who not 2 weeks ago had to sleep on top of me or be rocked for an hour and then would wake up crying if I tried to put her down. It's a miracle!I think that is why DS is falling asleep w/o our help now. We used to have to put his pacifier back in numerous times. Now at most he'll cry for 1 minute and be asleep. The best is when he falls asleep with the stuffed bunny on his forehead! He'll even smile when he sees his bunny.

[Wrighty26]

Hi guys!

Late nap - Sometimes when B is really tired out we will let him nap around 5-5:30. Weissbluth says that it's common to have a late nap when they are younger-- and it usually the first nap to be dropped. If he does sleep at that time it's usually never more than 45 minutes (except for that freak incident when he slept for 2 hours!). It doesn't effect his bedtime at all.

Speaking of which - B either sleeps from 7-4, 4:15-7:30 OR 7-6:30. I'm not sure why it's one or the other. There is no rhyme or reason and I think it drives my DH nuts (he is the one who gets up with him in the mornings)!

Naps - I am SO ready for B to start some kind of nap routine! Sat/Sun/Mon his pattern was the same--so I was hoping something was forming--and then today he went all crazy and refused to nap after he woke up from his 2 hour nap (he slept from 10:30-12:30). Grrrr. He went to sleep as usual tonight, but he was SO tired. Poor little dude.

Sleepwear - Ditto to what Nuhmah said (we even have the same swaddling blanket :)). I know it sounds weird, but he has a favorite sleeper that he sleeps best in-- the footed gymmies from Gymboree. Maybe it's because they are a lot more snug than his other sleepers (he looks SO skinny in them it cracks us up!), we have no idea! I have started to buy a bunch on eBay to stock up.

Lil_Mrs - I'm SO sorry to hear about your frustrations with your parents. You had every right to be upset and I'm happy to hear you let them know how you felt instead of just forcing a smile and moving on. Sometimes that works (especially when dealing with bedtimes when the parents are babysitting), but sometimes you cannot let it go. I would have done the same thing in your situation!

Moms - I'm really not trying to brag about my relationship with my mom -- but I have to say that having Braeden has really changed the dynamics between my mom and I. Prior to having him, I would say that our relationship was "ok" - it was nothing to write home about and she had this constant guilt trip thing she felt she needed to give me. Since giving birth she has really surprised me. She comes to visit once a week and totally respects my decisions in how I am raising him. Honestly, I'm a little shocked! I really do feel for all of you struggling with dealing with your mom because we have not had an easy road. Maybe this change is partly because of me... I finally realize how much love my mother has for me-- that's something you just don't understand until you give birth.

MMK - Wow! I thought Braeden was a lean/skinny kid! Go Drew :) Are you guys tall?

mkvh - Sounds like Clara is slowing down a LITTLE bit with the weight gain - but not necessarily the height! Great job mom! I'm jealous of your 8:30 wake up. Can Clara come over and have a little talk with Braeden? He really likes to hold hands with other babies - so I'm sure he'd be open to a little sleep discussion :D

[cece]

i just wrote a huge post and lost the whole thing. so, here are a few recent photos until later. everyone sounds great!


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d44/cece_0829/cook0118_b.jpg


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d44/cece_0829/cook0122_b.jpg

-c

[ShelbyMay]

sleep: Ugggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh -- tonight was bad. I posted in the 0-18 forum (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26958) asking for advice on CIO and didn't get any responses so far, but we just went ahead and did it. And it wasn't pretty. She cried (hard) for 30 minutes and then I went in to check on her. I put her paci back in and rubbed her back. She was quiet and lay her head down to sleep. I took one step away from the crib and she started crying again. I left the room (SO HARD TO DO) and she cried for another 10 minutes, but then she fell asleep. I checked on her 10 minutes later and she was snoozing peacefully.

I feel like a bad mommy for letting her cry so long, but I also feel like we had to do it. I know it's not the right method for every family, and I honestly never thought it would be the right method for our family, but... I really do think it had to be done. I do feel a little sad, though, and she's been asleep for over an hour now. Sigh.

nighttime clothes: Since we had to stop the swaddling, DD is just in a footed sleeper. We keep the temp in the high 60's -- Maybe 68? She is a very warm-natured, sweaty baby, and I think she would overheat in a sleepsack. Even a light swaddling blanket was really too much at times. Her hands do get cold, but the rest of her feels toasty warm.

4 month stats: I forgot to post hers. She is just over 13 pounds and 25 inches long.

solids: We were actually planning to start cereal last night, but she had a bad reaction to her vaccinations and was running a fever, so we put it off. Maybe we will try it later this week.

grandparents: I am so sorry some of you are having to deal with your parents disrespecting your parenting decisions. I know I should be very grateful that mine/DH's have not done so (yet). They do make "jokes" about doing things like feeding her spaghetti or milkshakes, but I don't think they would actually do it. There would certainly be hell to pay if they did!

QOTD: What things have you done as a parent that you never thought you would do?

We have:
-tried cosleeping (still do in the mornings)
-supplemented with formula (letting go of my guilt on this one)
-and now, CIO

[mia's mama]

cece- GORGEOUS photo!

[mia's mama]

sleeping...sucks here too. I can put him down awake in his crib/co-sleeper at bedtime (between 6 and 7pm) and he will go to sleep no probelm. That's not the issue. BUT then he is up every night at 12:30, 3:30, between 5:30-6am and then 7 for the day. I have not let hime CIO in the middle of the night because I am afraid he'll wake Mia. The last thing I need is two awake and screaming kids.

naps- no routein...at all. Poor kid we just have to much going on with Mia's various classes etc. He just goes with the flow as far as naps go...sleeping on the run.

Solids- We'll wait until 6 months as DH has a history of food allergies.

4 month WBV:
13.6 lbs and 26" He looks like a little chunk to me (which I love), but I guess it's just his round head...in reality he is long and thin just like his big sis (who is in the 10% for weight and the 85th% for height).

[MMK]

mia's: that sleep schedule is EXACTLY what we've been doing. Except I bring Drew into bed with my at the 5:30-6 time and that way make it to 8 (sometimes). It's brutal. However last night he woke up at 10:30, I checked on him once and then let him cry for 10 mins...he actually went to sleep and went through until 2. Progress perhaps? I'm not happy you're going throught the same thing but it is nice to know I'm not alone.

shelby: I so hear you on not thinking you would be a cio kind of family. However, (see above) it really does seem to work even if I'm only willing to do it in a very limited way. The whole 10 mins he cried all I could think about was how he must feel SO alone. uhg.

wrighty: funny thing, we're a very average heighted family (I'm 5'5"/dh 6'). I'm not sure where Drew is getting this lenght from. He definitely has my loooooooooong torso but also has these long legs (which I definitely don't have!). I keep figuring he'll level off but he just keeps on going. I can't believe I already have to transition out of his infant carrier!

cece: as always, just beautiful photos!

[ShelbyMay]

Anyone know the height limit on the Snugride (just off the top of your head)? DD is 25 inches and I think she looks like she has plenty of room, but I haven't looked it up.

[mkvh]

mmk--wow...loooong boy!

shelby--the only thing you really need to worry about is how close baby's head is to the top. If her head is less than 1" from the top, it's time to transition. Feet hanging over is okay, safety-wise. The height recommendation (29" for my Snugride) is a guideline only.

cece--love the photos, as usual!

wrighty--C would be GLAD to give B a lil' talking-to!

[Linnybubbles]

Sleeping: Amelia takes a "nap" at night from around 6:30 until 8pm, then is up until 9 or 9:30. She then wakes up once in the night, usually at 3am. I feed her, and she goes back to sleep (or I put her in the crib with her mobile, which lights up and she falls asleep) until 6 or 7. There have been lots of times where I have brought her downstairs to sleep in her pack and play bassinet after she won't go back to sleep. I sleep on the couch. Call me horrible, but she takes most of her daytime naps there, in her boppy. She Loves to sleep in it, so I will only use it in the PNP. We have the mini crib one, so it just fits in there.

Naps: She is a pretty good napper. Awake for an hour in the am, then sleeps about an hour. Awake for 2 hours, then 45 min nap. Awake for about an hour then she has a long nap (3-3.5 hours) in the afternoon. It is heaven.

My girl:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a279/Linnyloplop/IMG_0923.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a279/Linnyloplop/IMG_0941.jpg

[emmjay]

MMK - what a long little guy!

Sleeping/Naps - Seamus is now sleeping from around 11 pm until 9 am. He also takes a nap in the evening from aound 7 til 9, in addition to napping throughout the day. I think this is becuase we were at a friend's house with him last weekend and he was up past midnight b/c he wouldn't sleep. All week he's been going to bed super late, whereas last week his routine was more like 8 or 9 pm until 6 in the morning, then taking a long nap right after he woke up. Either one works for me! :) God knows what is going to happen next week when we're at my ILs - he'll be all screwed up, I'm sure.

Speaking of the ILs - DH talked to MIL about not giving him any rice cereal and she said she was just kidding and would never do that. I am glad to hear that it isn't an issue, but I was annoyed that when DH said something to her, he made it sound like I was being this overprotective psycho and meanwhile he told me beforehand that he would be angry if anyone gave the baby rice cereal. :mad: I told him that we are a team and he should have been on my side instead of trying to act like HE didn't think it was a big deal - he basically didn't want to make his mom feel bad or like he was criticizing her. And that I didn't appreciate him acting like he thought I was being ridiculous especially when he agreed with me. He felt like a complete jerk afterwards, so I guess this can be a learning experience for him for the future. :rolleyes:

[mmisabel]

Hi ladies,

emmajay - My mom was obsessed with putting "a little rice in the bottle". She still mentions it sometimes and now I just roll my eyes at her. It's a generational thing. But good for you for sticking up for yourself.

Lil'Mrs - good for you for sticking to your guns. I think it's almost harder when it's your parents being the dissapointment. You definitely have to pick your battles, but you picked a very important one (I think).

Cece - gorgeous pics, as usual.

bedtime - Nathan's really just worked himself into an early bedtime. I think we are starting to see the phasing out of the late evening nap. He's also 4 1/2 months so he's one of the older babies in this thread. I bet the others will get there soon, as this just started maybe 1 week ago. He's now down for the night by 7pm, it seems to work well for him and us. He's up around 6am, sometimes earlier. He may or may not wake up 1x to feed. All in all a reasonable schedule.

temperature - Nathan's pedi said not to worry about the ice cold hands, feet and nose. He would get that in the summer with the a/c on too. She said it's the way their bodies shunt the blood at this age. If the rest of their bodies is warm then they are fine and the old theory that they need a layer more than us is not true. The same amount of layering should be fine. I put him in a fleece sleeper and a fleece sleepsack since my husband is a scrooge with the heat. I've thought about a space heater but would be too nervous to leave it on at night. I should run it before he goes to be to warm the room up then turn it off.

[Soulmate]

I don't think DS likes pooping in his diaper anymore :mad: He'll grunt all day and only when I go to change his diaper will he start to poop. You have no idea how many poops I've caught with the baby wipe. One time he even got out a stealth poop on the changing pad when I looked away for literally one second. They are pretty well formed now (like adult poops) so it is not a big deal...but still it's weird!

[maybebaby]

Cece who takes your photos? they look so professional. they're beautiful!

lilmrs I would have flipped out too about the grandparents dipping a pacifier in coke. yuck.

[Mystikal]

Beautiful photos, everyone!

Naps/sleeping DD naps in the morning for a good 2.5-3 hours and then in the afternoon she just takes little catnaps here and there. Soooo, she's generally ready for bed by 6:30 at night. Last night she went down at 7:30 and tonight at quarter after seven. When she goes down at 6:30 she's usually up to eat at 2:30 and then for good around 6:30. Last night she slept from 7:30 until 6:30 this morning. It was HEAVEN! I hope tonight is just as good.

solids We've been giving DD cereal since she was 4 months old, and about a week and a half ago we added fruit. So far she's had applesauce and pears. I'm going to try bananas this weekend. She does really well with it.

What have we done that we never thought we'd do?
-give formula. I was determined to BF, but it just didn't work for me. I struggled a lot in the beginning but she's thriving now and that's all that matters.

That's pretty much it. For those of you that do CIO more power to you if that's what works for your family. I couldn't do it. I know she'd fall asleep and I would feel so guilty I would have to pick her up and love on her so she'd wake up again anyway. lol.

[Amaye]

Rant Arrrgggghhh!! I am so annoyed right now reading ShelbyMay's thread. She just asked a simple question about how to let her child CIO to get to sleep, not STTN and all of sudden, she gets 10million articles about how she is hurting her child???? Even though she clearly stated her question was not about STTN. She had tried everything else and it has failed.

I'm so tired of people feeling the need to judge people for their parenting choices. I believe that the women on CC are bright, well-informed mothers who have made their parenting choices. Just because you don't agree doesn't mean that one has to get lectured about it. I thought we had gone through all this on WC and agreed to respect people's choices? Ugh!

Sorry, but these kind of things really get on my nerve.

[emmjay]

Amaye - ITA with everything you said. I don't get why people think they are being helpful by posting articles in that manner. Although they probably aren't actually trying to be helpful - they are trying to show how superior they are. :rolleyes: In any event, they come across as being smug a-holes.

BTW Soulmate, you kick ass! :D

[maryanne]

{{{amaye and shelby}}}

emmjay---our sleeping patterns are very similar :) I actually like it, except when we have company or on the weekend when I lose MY morning nap:rolleyes:

Another great grandma is flying in tomorrow. This is the last of family to meet her ---and then the holiday visits start AAARGGH!l

never thought I would supplement, but atleast I knew that it might happen ahead of time. and adjusted fairly easily to doing both. I swore I never would cosleep, but mel and I do all the time. the one thing that I still feel strongly about (for us only) is not CIO and so far it hasn't been an issue yet.

Melody still looks just like josh, but has my mannerisms.

IL's --I just don't listen :D but someday I might just kill them if they call her smelly mellie again GRRRRR .Biting my tongue with greatgrandma this weekend might be harder.

[a_spark]

shelby Sorry those girls are getting on you about CIO. We don't do it but we've definitely considered it and it's totally your decision. Doesn't make you a bad mom at all and that is totally unhelpful for people to jump on you when you're just asking a question.

soulmate You rock! Good answers :)

The ped gave us samples of Alimentum and Nutrigamen to see if A would take one of them, just in case we ever need to or want to supplement. So far, no dice. She HATES both and I don't blame her! I tried them and they are nasty. Maybe I'll just start pumping like mad and build up a stash.

[Wrighty26]

Amaye - OMG I totally agree. I feel like you get harped on for everything around here. If you mention anything about CIO, circ'ing, and NOT cosleeping you are labeled as a horrible mother. What works for some babies just does NOT work for others! I truly hope I never come across like that. Please- anyone - tell me if I do!

Cece - Beautiful picture!

a_spark - Sorry to hear that Ava hates the formula! Hopefully you'll work something out!


What have we done that we never thought we'd do?
We coslept the first 6 weeks and I was originally against it. I'm glad he's in the crib now, but sometimes I miss him being close. I will probably do the same with #2 (unless for some reason it doesn't work out).

Other than that - My attitude has been pretty much "go with the flow."

[Soulmate]

Thanks a_spark and emmjay :D

a_spark Yea, Alimentum tastes gross. I think the only reason DS took it was that he was starving and was too young to really care.

[maryanne]

Oh I know what I forgot!

Soulmate- have you read anything about elimination communication (EC)? Sounds like your baby is already doing it natrually, maybe it would be something to think about?It would be so great to have logan out of diapers early!

[Wrighty26]

Soulmate - I just went over and read your post in the CIO thread and I totally agree with everything you said. I thought the 2nd post especially was very well stated :) If I had attempted to write anything like that my post would have ended up with a lot of expletives :D

[Amaye]

Phew! I'm glad you guys understand my frustrations. I was actually coming back to erase the rant thinking our thread wasn't the right place to vent but I guess it's ok:D. It's just that there are quite a number of people who are ready to jump on you for your decisions and it's getting old.

Soulmate You truly rock!! So much more eloquent and patient than I could be!:)

Anyhoo....back to our regular scheduled programming...

cece You always have amazingly beautiful pictures!!!

QOTD I was pretty firm about EBF for 6months but here I am, starting to supplement. Never thought about co-sleeping but we've done it a couple of times. Apart from that, l really tried to keep myself flexible as to things to come.

Mia's mama So sorry to hear about the constant waking up. I don't know how you do it with a toddler in hand. I have one and I'm pretty beat!

MMK D is so tall. Wow!!

Linnybubbles Ohhh...she has such beautiful eyes! Too cute!

emmjay Glad your DH spoke to his mom and good for you for setting him straight. I don't think he will be doing that again :p

a_spark We just tried out a bottle of the RTF Alimentum. At first, Mia hated it but the next day, she took it. However, she will not take it from me , only from DH or her nanny. I think she smells the BM on me. Soulmate is right - it tastes and smells nasty.

Wrighty26 Don't worry - I don't think you will ever come across that way. That's what I love about our thread - lots of different parenting styles but always support.

In-Laws I actually get along very well with my MIL. She is supportive and will offer advice but never oversteps her bounderies. The most she does is to give suggestions but always steps back.

So I went a bit crazy shopping today. I went to return some pants at Gap and Banana Republic and ended buying stuff for Mia at Gap, Old Navy and H&M. Of course, I get home and my package from Gymbo was in and oh, the outfit I won on Ebay. M.U.S.T stop shopping....pls help!! :D

So DD finally started rolling over. She rolled over once at around 2mths and never did it again. I was starting to worry a bit but this morning, I came to get her and she had rolled over. Tonight DH put her down to sleep and she immediately rolled over.

Just wanted to share a pic of Mia. We call it her "No clue face" as in she has NO clue what is going on. I will take down the pic tomorrow.

[Soulmate]

Soulmate- have you read anything about elimination communication (EC)? Sounds like your baby is already doing it natrually, maybe it would be something to think about?It would be so great to have logan out of diapers early!I was actually thinking about that today. There is no way I'd catch pees but definitely poops. Right now he doesn't like pooping away from home (typical male :rolleyes: ). It might be fun even if it doesn't last forever.

amaye DS sucks on his first two fingers like that too :D So cute.

What have we done that we never thought we'd do? ITA w/ Mystikal on giving formula. When I was pregnant my brother sent me a can of formula "just in case" and I totally scoffed and almost threw it away. In my mind I was going to push through any obstacle. DS had other plans though! I also didn't ever imagine I would not be able to handle being a SAHM. Being a mother is my only ambition in life so I was completely shocked that I disliked it so much. I would not be a very good mom if I was SAH. Maybe later though.

Speaking of...I kinda laugh when I think about my ideals and plans to mother when I was pregnant. It really does illustrate that you parent according to the child...not the ideal. I was going to sling, wanted to co-sleep (DH objected though, he is a super heavy and active sleeper), exclusively BF, SAH if we could, etc. DS does not like being held as much, would probably never sleep if we co-slept (does not fall asleep w/us even in the room), etc. I have been very surprised with myself and how the whole parenting thing is so out of our control. I guess the struggles (for some) and lessons of TTC really prepare us for parenting.

But thank you guys for the feedback about that thread. I work hard to filter my own opinions a lot but that thread just pushed a button. When I was struggling so much with BFing I posted a similar issue and got the same reaction. I really needed help and did not need to be made to feel worse than I was already feeling. I was in tears at the loss of the BFing relationship and felt like my body failed to do what it is designed to do as a mother and a woman. All babies are so different. CIO doesn't work for DS but neither does Weissbluth. I think DS would think I was nuts if I tried to rock him to sleep (assuming rocking is a technique??). If I sat near his crib he would stay up all night staring at me. And I don't think many parents *enjoy* CIO and use it with the best of intentions.

[ShelbyMay]

Thanks, everybody -- It's great that everyone in this thread gives constructive advice instead of tearing each other down.

The funny thing is, I'm really not that bothered by the criticism in the other thread. I think I am finally "coming into my own" as a mother and feel more confident in my choices than I did in the beginning. Really, I don't see how anyone would get through the parenting experience if they continued to let the "mommy police" get to them.

I'll definitely continue to ask for advice, though -- and then use that information in my decision-making process.

Speaking of which:

If your DC is rolling over in the crib, do you let him/her sleep on his/her tummy? Every time I put DD down in the crib, she rolls over. She turns her head to the side and is breathing fine, so I haven't tried to turn her back over. I thought I remembered reading that it's okay once they can lift and turn their heads...?

[mkvh]

I don't have much time to reply...but as you can see from my post in Shelby's CIO thread, I was a pissed as you, Amaye! I was so glad to see that Soulmate took the time to (eloquently) put them in their places. Some parenting choices are tough, and nothing is right for everyone. I wanted to say more, but I don't like making enemies. :p But if you thought that was bad, try a LLL meeting. You're the devil if you supplement, don't co-sleep and aren't pro-AP and extended nursing. Oh--yeah--and allowing yourself to be a human pacifier. I'm all about BF...but not the rest. I kinda like going just to push buttons. :D

What I have done that I never thought I'd do: I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking to my guns, although like Soulmate said, you parent the child you're given. And she's an easy one. I guess I never thought I'd ENJOY my BF relationship (I always viewed it as a necessary evil) so much that I'd seriously consider becoming an LC. Shocked me for sure.

[mmisabel]

TGIF!

CIO - Wow! A little scandal in the CIO thread. I think someone who says you damage your baby by letting it cry never had a baby that cries a lot. Some people just need to get over themselves. We have let Nathan CIO a few times, sometimes it works, sometimes not. All in all he's a pretty "easy" baby so it hasn't been much of an issue. My heart aches for anyone who has to deal with that. You do what works best for you, bottomline.

LLL - I agree with you MKVH. I called an LC associated with LLL when I wanted to rent a pump. I got a whole lecture that DS must have a "latch" issue and not to pump. He didn't have a latch issue, just rent me the freaking pump lady cause I want one. Turned out she stopped renting them:rolleyes:

Shelby - you asked about rolling onto her tummy in the crib. If she can get there, leave her there. It's fine once they start putting themselves in that postition.

A_spark - just a thought. Maybe try mixing the Alimentum with EBM - start with 1/4 alimentum, the rest EBM to get DD used to the taste. Then gradually have more alimentum, less BM. It is nasty stuff, I agree!

What I have done that I never thought I'd do - let's see. I actually thought I'd hate BFing, and it was much better than I thought so I was surprised I've stuck with it so long. We co-sleep for naps on weekends, wasn't sure we'd do that but I enjoy it. Otherwise, I didn't set myself up with a lot of expectations. From working with children for so long I knew flexibility was going to be key!

[a_spark]

Everyone has such cute photos! I love seeing how all the babies are growing. :)

amaye Maybe that's the problem- that I was trying to give Ava the Alimentum...she won't even take EBM from me so I don't know what I was thinking. I'll see if DH can try to give it to her.

things I thought I'd never do I was ADAMANTLY against supplementing, mostly because they made me do it in the hospital and the beginning of our BF relationship was so rocky that I viewed formula as a sign of failure. Now I realize that a little formula now and then won't hurt her.

Also, SAH- I'm working from home and always planned to work but there is this part of me that wishes I could just SAH and concentrate on being a mom. Though I think then I'd miss working. I guess you can't win!

vaccinations Ava's reflux seems to be flaring up after her shots- anyone else w/a reflux baby have this happen?

ETA: mmisabel I'll try that! Yesterday I tried 1/4 BM the rest formula which I think was clearly too much formula for her.

[makena32204]

Okay - I'm going to apologize for not doing any S/O's, but I'm a little worked up right now and want some opinions, but i'm at work and dont have much time.

My DH just called to say that my Inlaw's called b/c they need us to send them one of DD's pictures. Why? Apparently, they entered DD's picture into a contest and now it is going to be published in a magazine. I dont know which magazine or when. DId they ask DH or I before submitting her picture? nope. And I truly believe that the only reason they told us before it was published was b/c they needed the jpg file.

Would you be upset?

[MMK]

vaccinations: we don't have reflux issues but I wouldn't be suprised if it caused a flare up...Thurs (day after vac's) Drew slept and cried ALL day...two things he rarely does. He also seemed to poop and spit-up more.

cio: last night I Drew woke up randomly around 9pm, I figured I would let him cry for 10 mins. He put himself back to sleep so I was pretty pleased. Then I came up here and read all the cio controversy and felt horrible. It's not fair that other moms have the power to make us feel so inadequate.

[mmisabel]

Makena - I would be upset. They should have checked with you first. It's great that she's so cute that she won the contest, but I'd want to know what magazine, etc. also

MMK - Don't let others get to you! You did the right thing, clearly. DS put himself back to sleep. Don't sweat it!!

[emmjay]

makena - I would be upset too! DH's aunt wants to let her friend put one of our pictures in her newsletter, but she asked permission first.

MMK - don't beat yourself up! One approach doesn't work for everyone, so don't let anyone else make you feel badly about your decisions. You did the right thing! :)

I picked up our professional pictures today - this one is my favorite. It's the outfit he'll be wearing to BIL's wedding. He looks like such a little man! I am actually behind the sheet, holding him upright. I will be taking this down in a day or two.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m261/mollyj6/Seamus.jpg

[smurf]

CIO thread-- Threads like that are definitely the down side of message boards. As parents, we doubt ourselves and our decisions enough without other people telling us how our decisions are permently harming our children. Each child is unique and each family has to figure out what works for them. I truly appreciate the ladies in this thread being so open to different ideas on parenting.

What I've done that I thought I never would- I was pretty open to anything when I was pregnant, with the exception of one thing--co-sleeping. Wouldn't you know it, within two days of getting home from the hospital, K was in bed with us. We dont co-sleep full time, but I usually bring her in with us if she wakes up earlier than 6 am.

Amaye--She's too cute!

Makena-I'd be upset too. It's not their right to make decisions like that.

[ShelbyMay]

solids: DD tried rice cereal for the first time tonight -- She made a HORRIBLE face and spit most of it out. :p Guess we'll wait another week or two before trying it again.

[Abby'sMom]

I've not been in here in ages! :)

Logan is about 3.5 months old now (since he's a 7/31'er and at the tail end of the group). We've had horrid problems with his tummy and gastrointestinal issues; he's currently on Prilosec for reflux, which seems to help somewhat, and is under the care of a pediatric GI to figure out what exactly his issues are. I know he has a severe milk protein allergy, but there may be a genetic disorder than underlies even that.

He's been sleeping like crud lately - in 1.5 to 2 hour stretches, 24/7. He's a drool machine, so the ped suspects he's teething and in pain. Fun stuff, and MUCH earlier than DD started.

I'm still BFing him, but not without a LOT of sacrifice on my part. I can't eat ANY dairy, soy, nuts, berries, or shellfish, and have just recently started to re-add wheat products. If I screw up, he screams in complete agony for two or three days. SO not worth it, so I don't cheat, even though it means I can't have any cheese or chocolate - two of the great loves of my life ;) - or any seasonal coffee drinks (and I SO miss my pumpkin spice lattes and peppermint mochas). On the bright side, I've lost all of the pg weight and then several pounds on top of that, and I seem to keep losing (though I don't really need to).

His big sister (who just turned 2) is getting more and more used to having him around, thankfully. He's a very sweet, smily boy when he's not in pain and he loves his mama :) . He had a dr's appt this week and his stats were:

25 inches (75%)
14 lbs 2 oz (50%)

So that's pretty much what's up with us.

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

CIO - I read some of the comments in that thread, but then stopped because I got annoyed. It's really easy to say that CIO is evil if you have a nice, mellow baby. If you have a high-needs colicky fusser, it's NOT realistic to hold them ALL the time - you NEED a break. My DD was a colicky fusser just like DS and DH and I had to do CIO with her for our own sanity. And know what? She's a fabulous sleeper and doesn't seem to have any attachment issues. She's outgoing and has a great time with her friends, and she doesn't cling or get unusually upset with me. She's exceptionally well-adjusted and growing like a weed. So all the nay-sayers can just eat it!

Things I do that I said I wouldn't - er, I guess co-sleeping. We still don't really do it, but I'm much more ok with DS sleeping in our bed after I feed him. I was really uncomfortable doing that with DD.

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

Shelby - Good for you for ignoring the crap. It's really true that you have to do what works for you.

Makena - I'd be mad over that, too! They totally should have asked first.

Emmjay - Cute pic! I was wondering if you were holding him up. ;)

Sorry, but I can't see back any further! I'll have to go and look and hopefully be back soon.

[a_spark]

shelbymay That's what I was afraid of with the cereal! Good luck next time :)

abby's mom I hear you on the not being able to eat anything! Though for me it's just dairy and soy. I so so so miss lattes! Especially the holiday ones :(

[Abby'sMom]

a_spark, Ugh, I totally commiserate with you on the dairy/soy! What I'd do for a piece of nice cheese! And I want crabcakes too... such good stuff!

[Soulmate]

Did any of the WOHMs see this past week's Grey's Anatomy? I would never let it get to that point at.all but it still struck my heart strings. With DS going to bed so early I completely feel that but I know that a big part of me being a mom is making the best choices for him which includes who will be raising him during the day. But I can see how many people saw her as selfish and callous but her actions at the end was the ultimate sacrifice for a mom.

[ShelbyMay]

I did see that episode. It was sad that the daughter felt closer to the nanny, but I just kept thinking that surely they could all work together to help her become closer to her parents. Then she'd be a lucky girl, because she would have 3 adults who love her.

[Wrighty26]

I certainly related to the Grey's Anatomy episode (I love that show, btw) but like