July 2006 Mommies - Our little fireworks are here! [Archive]

July&August2006Mommies

08-08-2006, 10:18 AM

cpbride8203 It's a Girl!!
Me: 29
DH: 33
Married: 8/2/03
TTC: We weren't...this was a big surprise!
BFP: Mid-November
EDD: 7/12/06
ADD: 7/12/06
Other Children: DD, 8/30/04
Gender Prediction: BOY!!

duke's flygirl It's a Boy!!
Me: 31
DH: 36
Married: 8/16/03
TTC: 8/05 after getting PPAF
BFP: 11/28/05
EDD: 8/10/05, but I am a repeat C-section and DD was 10 days early, so I figure this one will be a July Baby
ADD: 8/3/06
Other Children: DD, 4/11/04
Gender prediction: DH says Boy

emmjay It's a Boy!!
Me: 33
DH: 33
Married: 5/22/04
TTC: went off BCP in Aug 05
BFP: 11/11/05
EDD: 7/23/06
ADD: 7/30/06
Gender Prediction: Girl

hokiegirlie It's a Boy!!
Me:
DH:
TTC:
BFP:
EDD:
ADD: 7/5/06
Gender Prediction:

hotmama It's a Boy!!
Me: 31
DH: 36
Married: 7/26/03
TTC: Weren't really trying but...October 05
BFP: 11/05
EDD: 7/29 - 8/5 (the Dr and i aren't agreeing right now but we'll say July)
ADD: 7/23/06
Other Children: DS, 16 months old
Gender Prediction: Boy

isaacsmommy It's a BOY!
Me: 21
DH: 22
Married: 4/3/04
TTC: well...oops
BFP: 11/25/05
EDD: 8/8/2006
ADD: 7/17/2006
Other Children: DS, 7/7/04
Gender Prediction: I'm feeling a pink vibe, but who knows

July&August2006Mommies

08-08-2006, 10:19 AM

jewamese It's a Girl!!
Me: 32
DH: 34
Married: 6/14/03
TTC: 4/2005
BFP: 11/21/05
EDD: 8/1/06
ADD: 7/28/06
Other Children: DD, 3/7/04
Gender Prediction: Boy

klav It's a Boy!!
Me: 34
DH: 32
Married: 10/11/03
TTC: 1/04
MC: 11/15/04
BFP: 10/30/05
EDD: 7/10/06
ADD: 6/28/06
Gender Prediction: Girl

Lil_Mrs_0702 It's a Boy!!
Me: 22
DH: 25
Married: 7/2/05
TTC:
BFP:
EDD:
ADD: 6/18/06
Gender Prediction:

lindybug It's a Boy!!
Me: 30
DH: 37
Married: 6/1/03
TTC: 10/05
BFP: 11/4/05
EDD: 7/18/06
ADD: 7/11/06
Gender Prediction: ?

Linnybubbles It's a Girl!!
Me: 26
DH: 30
Married: 7/23/05
TTC: 8/2005
BFP: 11/16/05
EDD: 7/28/06
ADD: 7/15/06
Gender Prediction: Not yet!

Lizard It's a Girl!!
Me: 31
DH: 33
Married: 9/20/03
TTC: 4/2005
BFP: 10/22/05
EDD: 7/4/06
ADD: 6/29/06
Gender Prediction: Girl

July&August2006Mommies

08-08-2006, 10:19 AM

makena32204 It's a Girl!!
Me: 27
DH: 36
Married: 3/22/04
TTC:
BFP: 11/6/05
EDD: 7/11/06
ADD: 7/17/06
Gender Prediction: hoping for a Boy!

maryanne It's a Girl!!
Me: 35
DH: 36
Married: 10/1/05
TTC:
BFP:
EDD:
ADD: 6/30/06
Gender Prediction:

maybebaby It's a Girl!!
Me: 26
DH: 30
Married: 4/05
TTC: 9/05
BFP:
EDD: 7/9/06
ADD: 7/1/06
Gender prediction: Just praying for a healthy baby

mia's mama It's a Boy!!
Me: 32
DH: 34
Married: 09/02
TTC: We weren't trying, wern't avoiding
EDD: 7/24/06
ADD: 7/15/06
Other Children: DD, 11/14/04
Gender Prediction: Boy.

mkvh It's a Girl!!
Me: 29
DH: 32
Married: 3/19/05
TTC: July/August 2005
BFP: 11/4/05
EDD: 7/14/2006
ADD: 7/12/2006
Gender Prediction: Girl

mmisabel It's a Boy!!
Me: 30
DH: 31
Married: 11/16/06
TTC:
BFP:
EDD:
ADD: 6/29/2006
Gender Prediction:

July&August2006Mommies

08-08-2006, 10:20 AM

MMK It's a Boy!!
Me:
DH:
Married: 12/27/03
TTC: 8/2005
BFP: 11/1/05
EDD: 7/10/06
ADD: 7/13/06
Gender Prediction: Boy

mrst2b2003 It's a Boy!!
Me: 31
DH: 37
Married: 9/7/03
TTC:
BFP: 11/17/05
EDD: 7/23/06
ADD: 7/15/06
Gender Prediction: no clue just want our baby to be healthy.

Mystikal It's a Girl!!
Me: 26
DH: 32
Married: 6/22/02
TTC:
BFP:
EDD:
ADD: 6/29/06
Gender prediction:

nuhmah It's a Boy!!
Me: 27
DH: 32
Married: 12/18/04
TTC: 7/05
BFP: 10/27/05
EDD: 7/12/06
ADD: 7/5/06
Gender Prediction: - Healthy!!!

rande It's a Girl!!
Me:
DH:
Married: 6/14/03
TTC: We were soon to start trying
BFP:
EDD: 7/13/06
ADD: 7/1/06
Other Children: DS, 12/16/04
Gender prediction: really not a clue!

ShelbyMay It's a Girl!!
Me: 25
DH: 27
Married: 5/17/03
TTC: 2/19/05
BFP: 10/28/05
EDD: 7/11/06
ADD: 7/2/06
Gender Prediction: No clue. DH thinks it will be a Girl.

July&August2006Mommies

08-08-2006, 10:20 AM

Smurf It's a Girl!!
Me: 27
DH: 27
Married: 8/02
TTC:
BFP:
EDD: 6/22/06
ADD: 7/3/06

Sophia It's a Girl!!
Me:
DH:
Married: 8/2/2003
TTC:
BFP:
EDD: 7/11/2006
ADD: 7/7/2006
Other children: DS, 14; DD1, 11
Gender Prediction:

Soulmate It's a Boy!!
Me: 30
DH: 30
Married: 8/11/02
TTC: 4/7/04
BFP: 10/22/05
EDD: 7/4/06
ADD: 6/29/06
Gender Prediction: Boy

Sunchaser26 It's a Boy!!
Me: 30
DH: 38
Married: 6/14/03
TTC: 8/2005
BFP: 11/8/05
EDD: 7/14/06
ADD: 6/25/06
Gender Prediction: Girl

Wrighty26 It's a Boy!!
Me: 28
DH: 28
Married: 12/28/02
TTC: 05/05
BFP: Digital - 10/30
EDD: 7/8/06
ADD: 7/6/06
Gender Prediction: My first instinct is Boy- but I'm good with either!

In Our Thoughts: flygirl, roberta, icedwhite, kischer, PaisleySloan, cmon, almostthere

July&August2006Mommies

08-08-2006, 10:22 AM

Saved

July&August2006Mommies

08-08-2006, 10:23 AM

Estimated Due Dates
June
21 - Lil_Mrs_0702
27 - Mystikal

July
4 - Lizard
4 - maryanne
4 - mmisabel
4 - Soulmate
8 - nuhmah
8 - Wrighty26
9 - maybebaby
10 - klav
10 - MMK
11 - makena32204
11 - ShelbyMay
12 - cpbride8203
12 - Sophia
13 - rande
14 - cece
14 - mkvh
14 - sunchaser26
17 - a_spark
19 - lindybug
22 - Amaye
22 - emmjay
24 - mia's mama
27 - Can't Wait
28 - Linnybubbles
28 - mrst2b2003
29 - CarlaB
29 - hotmama

August
1 - jewamese
8 - isaacsmommy
10 - duke's flygirl

Arrivals!
June
11 - cece welcomed DS, 6lbs 3oz, 19 1/4"
18 - Lil_Mrs_0702 welcomed DS, 8lbs 6oz, 20 3/4"
25 - sunchaser26 welcomed DS, 5lbs 1oz, 18 1/4"
28 - Klav welcomed DS, 7lbs 5 1/2oz, 21"
29 - Lizard welcomed DD, 7lbs 12oz, 21"
29 - mmisabel welcomed DS, 7lbs 1oz, 20 1/2"
29 - Mystikal welcomed DD, 7lbs 7oz, 20"
29 - Soulmate welcomed DS, 7lbs 1oz, 20 1/2"
30 - maryanne welcomed DD, 7lbs 12oz, 20"

July
1 - maybebaby welcomed DD, 7lbs 2oz
1 - rande welcomed DD, 6lbs 7oz
2 - ShelbyMay welcomed DD, 7lbs 11oz, 20"
3 - Smurf welcomed DD, 8lbs, 21"
5 - nuhmah welcomed DS, 8lbs 6oz, 21"
6 - Wrighty26 welcomed DS, 7lbs 13oz, 21"
7 - Sophia welcomed DD, 7lbs 5.5oz, 19"
11 - lindybug welcomed DS, 6lbs 15oz, 19.5"
12 - cpbride8203 welcomed DD, 8lbs, 18 1/2"
12 - mkvh welcomed DD, 7lbs 13.4oz, 20 1/2"
13 - MMK welcomed DS, 8.59lbs, 21 1/2"
15 - a_spark welcomed DD, 7lbs 17oz
15 - Linnybubbles welcomed DD, 7lbs 10oz, 20"
15 - mia's mama welcomed DD, 7lbs 11oz, 21"
15 - mrst2b2003 welcomed DS, 7lbs 8oz, 19.5"
17 - isaacsmommy welcomed DS, 7lbs 7oz, 20"
17 - makena32204 welcomed DD, 6lbs 8oz, 19 1/2"
22 - Amaye welcomed DD, 7lbs 9oz, 21"
23 - hotmama welcomed DS, 7lbs 1oz, 20.5"
28 - jewamese welcomed DD, 7lbs 1oz, 19 1/2"
30 - emmjay welcomed DS, 8lbs 3.8oz, 22"
31 - Abby'sMom welcomed DS, 7lbs, 21"
31 - CarlaB welcomed DS, 5lbs 8oz, 18.5"

August
3 - duke's flygirl welcomed DS, 7 lbs 13 oz, 21"
6 - Can't Wait welcomed DD, 8lb 10oz, 21"

July&August2006Mommies

08-08-2006, 10:23 AM

Helpful Links
Please feel free to suggest others.

Tickers:
Baby's First Site (http://www.babysfirstsite.com/)
Baby Gaga (http://www.baby-gaga.com/)
Lilypie (http://www.lilypie.com/i ndex.html)
One In The Oven (http://oneintheoven.net/)
Sure Baby (http://www.surebaby.com/tickers.php)
Ticker Central (http://www.tickercentral.com/)
Ticker Factory (http://www.tickerfactory.com/)

Miscellaneous Informative Sites:
American Baby (http://www.americanbaby.com/)
American Pregnancy Association (http://americanpregnancy.org/)
Baby Names (http://www.babynames.com/)
Baby Net (http://www.babynet.com/)
Baby Talk (http://www.babytalk.com/)
BetaBase (http://www.betabase.info/)
Dr. Sears (http://www.askdrsears.com/)
i Village (http://www.ivillage.com/topics/pregbaby/0,,166277,00.html/)
ePregnancy (http://www.epregnancy.com/)
Daily Cycle Information & Calendar (http://cycledaily.com/)
Fertility Awareness & Natural Family Planning UK (http://www.fertilityuk.org/)
Fertility Friend (http://www.fertilityfriend.com/)
Fit Pregnancy Magazine (http://www.fitpregnancy.com/)
I Dream of Baby (http://www.idreamofbaby.com/)
National Women’s Health Information Center (http://www.4women.gov/)
New York Online Access To Health: Pregnancy & Fertility (http://www.noah-health.org/en/pregnancy/)
Parent Stages (http://www.parentstages.com/)
Plus Size Pregnancy (http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/f...or%20Pregnancy)
http://preconception.com
Safe Fetus (http://www.safefetus.com/) (Tells you which drugs you can take during pregnancy)
Very Best Baby (http://www.verybestbaby.com/)
Yahoo Health: HCG Info (http://health.yahoo.com/ ency/adam/003510/overview)

Baby Shopping Sites:
Baby Age (http://www.babyage.com/)
Baby Ant (http://store.yahoo.com/babyant/index.html)
Baby Bazaar (www.babybazaar.com)
BabyBox (http://www.babybox.com/)
Baby Center's Store (http://www.store.babycenter.com)
Baby Depot (http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/IWStoreBCF.process?IWAction=Load&proc=IWCatSectionView&Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=1395)
Baby Dilly (http://www.babydilly.com/)
Baby Dreams (www.babydreams.com)
Babies R Us (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/540744/1 03-3413585-1796649)
Baby Style (www.babystyle.com)
Baby Universe (www.babyuniverse.com)
Carousel Designs (http://www.carouseldesigns.com/)
Dimples & Dandelions (http://www.dimplesanddandelions.com/index.asp)
Disney Baby (http://disney.go.com/disneybaby/)
Dreamtime Baby (www.dreamtimebaby.com)
Elegant Baby (http://www.elegantbabygifts.com/)
Fisher Price (http://www.fisher-price.com/us/default.asp)
Gap (http://www.gap.com)
Graco (http://www.gracobaby.com/default.aspx)
Gymboree (http://www.gymboree.com/shop/asst_department.jsp?FOLDE R<>folder_id=750991& port=2&ref=msnkw&ad=ba byclothes)
In The Treetop (http://www.inthetreetop.com/default.aspx)
JCPenney (http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/Department.aspx?DeptID=32 7&CatID=327&CatTyp=DEP &Dep=children%27s&cmRe setCat=true)
Land of Nod (http://www.landofnod.com/)
Little Show Offs (http://www.littleshowoffs.com/)
Net Kids Wear (http://www.netkidswear.com)
Nursery Depot (http://www.nurserydepot.com/)
Old Navy (http://www.oldnavy.com/asp/home.html?wdid=0)
One of a Kind (http://www.oneofakindkid.com/)
One Step Ahead (http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.jsp?itemID=27208& itemType=CATEGORY&lGen=category&iMainCat=117&iSu bCat=27208&change=117& cm_ven=Overture&cm_cat=Gea r&cm_pla=Travel&cm_ite =null)
Pokkadots (http://www.pokkadots.com/index.cfm)
Pottery Barn Kids (www.potterybarnkids.com)
Signature Baby (http://www.signaturebaby.com/)
Target Baby (http://www.target.com/gp /browse.html/601-4545283-50937 65?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=1 038590)
The Baby Marketplace (http://www.thebabymarketplace.com/)
The Children's Place (http://www.childrensplace.com/)
Tutti Bella (http://www.tuttibella.com/)
Wendy Bellissimo (http://www.wendybellissimo.com/home/index.php)

July&August2006Mommies

08-08-2006, 10:24 AM

Helpful Links cont.

Breastfeeding:
Ameda (www.ameda.com)
Breastfeeding (www.breastfeeding.com)
Boppy (www.boppy.com)
KellyMom (www.Kellymom.com)
La Leche League (www.lalecheleague.org)
Maternal Concepts (www.maternalconcepts.com)
Medela (www.medela.com)
Mothering (www.mothering.com)
ProMom (www.Promom.org)
Whisper Wear (www.whisperwear.com)

Formula Feeding:
Bright Beginnings (www.brightbeginnings.com)
Enfamil (www.enfamil.com)
Similac (www.similac.com)
Very Best Baby (www.verybestbaby.com) (Nestle Good Start)

Diapering Info Some have coupons & contests
Cloth Diapering (http://www.borntolove.com/404page.html)
Huggies (www.huggies.com)
Luvs (http://www.luvs.com)
Pampers (http://www.pampers.com)

Slings
The Hip Hugger (http://www.thehiphugger.com)
About Babies Inc. (http://www.aboutbabiesinc.com)
Maya Wrap (http://www.mayawrap.com)
New Native Baby (http://www.newnativebaby.com)
Prenatal Cradle (http://www.prenatalcradle.com)
Baby Bjorn (http://www.babybjorn.com)
Baby Wearer (http://www.babywearer.com)

Cord Blood/stem cell Info.
Secureacell (http://www.securacell.com)
Viacord (http://www.viacord.com)
Cord Blood (http://www.cordblood.com)
Cryobank (http://www.cryobank.com)
www.lifebankusa.com
www.corcell.com
www.cryo-cell.com

Invitations/Announcements:
2Peas1Pod.com (http://www.2peas1pod.com/index.htm)
5StarBaby.com (http://www.5starbaby.com/)
Baby Seeds (www.babyseeds.com)
BabyGrams (www.babygrams.com)
Baby J Cards (http://www.babyjcards.com/)
Bella Baby (http://www.bellababy.com/)
Celebration Cottage (www.celebrationcottage.com)
Classic Card Company (www.classiccard.com)
EitakDesign (www.eitak.com)
In A Baby Carriage (www.inababycarriage.com)
Invitation Box (http://www.invitationbox.com/)
Inviting Smiles (www.invitingsmiles.com)
MetroBaby Cards (http://www.metrobabycards.com/)
Mommy's Miracles (www.mommysmiracles.com)
My Gatsby (http://www.mygatsby.com/)
Naptime Cards (www.naptimecards.com)
Photo Stamps (http://photo.stamps.com/PhotoStamps/?source=si10985886)
Purple Stork (http://www.purplestork.com/)
Custom Craft (http://www.shopbirthannouncements.com/)
Simply To Impress (http://www.simplytoimpress.com/)
Stork Avenue (www.storkavenue.com)
Tiny Prints (http://www.tinyprints.com/)

Monitors:
BabyBeat (http://www.babybeat.com/)
Belly Beats (http://www.bellybeats.com/)
Stork Radio (http://www.storkradio.com/)

FUN STUFF
Jewel Kids (http://www.jewelkids.com/)
Lifetime Mothers (http://www.lifetimemothers.com/)
Baby Pool (http://www.expectnet.com/) (Have friends compete in a baby due date contest)
Chinese Gender Prediction Chart (http://parenting.ivillage.com/ttc/ttcsigns/0,,j736,00.html?arrivalSA=1&cobrandRef=0&arrival_freqCap=2)

July&August2006Mommies

08-08-2006, 10:26 AM

Books:

American Academy of Pediatrics Caring For Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to age 5
Steven P. Shelov (Editor), Richard Trubo, Robert E. Hannemann (Editor)
http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7460000/7468227.gif
^^This book is available FREE through State Farm (http://www.statefarm.com/lifevents/baby.htm): User Name: Good, Password: Neighbor

What to Expect the First Year
Heidi E. Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, Sandee Hathaway
http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7260000/7264225.gif

Your Baby's First Year, Week by Week
Glade B. Curtis M.D. M.P.H., Judith Schuler, Judith Schuler M.S.
http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/8770000/8774707.gif

Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer
Harvey Karp
http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/11350000/11357816.gif

The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
Elizabeth Pantley
http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7190000/7195395.gif

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
Marc Weissbluth
http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/6730000/6734998.gif

Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Equipment, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear and Much, Much More! May 2005 Edition
By Alan and Denise Fields

July&August2006Mommies

08-08-2006, 10:27 AM

FYI: Please honor the privacy of your fellow July Mommies. All identifying information has been removed from the roster. Therefore, please refer to one another by screenname only and only use others' DCs' names if Momma does. We recommend the removal of all pictures after 24 hours.

POST AWAY!

http://www.101funpages.com/html/imgs/page_imgs/images/baby_us_flag.jpg

klav

08-08-2006, 11:08 AM

wooo hoo first on the thread!!
ok
looking at child care what is everyone doing..... I'm looking everywhere I only need someone for 2 day's so I can go back to work part time and work 2 day's from home..... any ideas?:)

Lil_Mrs_0702

08-08-2006, 11:24 AM

Thanks for the new thread!!

Maryanne- the mommyid looks great! Did she send it to your home email address? I am still waiting for mine.

Watching the baby-DH and I are working opposite hours.

maryanne

08-08-2006, 11:29 AM

lilmrs...check if she left it in your PM's.:) :)

mkvh

08-08-2006, 12:17 PM

Just subscribing...gotta get an ID...

a_spark

08-08-2006, 01:01 PM

Subscribing...what's this mommyid? I'm lost! :)

mmisabel

08-08-2006, 01:30 PM

Woo Hoo! New thread. I'll have to work on that Mommy ID!

klav

08-08-2006, 02:17 PM

how do I get a mommy ID?

maryanne

08-08-2006, 02:22 PM

klav and aspark and everyone else who wants a mommy id....

go here and submit your info and pics and they will be made. I can't wait to see them all.

http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22994

Wrighty26

08-08-2006, 06:59 PM

Yay a new thread! I can't believe that "our" month is over. It's a little bittersweet...

I will have to check out this ID thing.. yours looks great Maryanne!

As for childcare-- like Lil_Mrs, my DH and I work opposite schedules. Once I start up again (in 2.5 weeks!) I will be working MWR from 7:30-11:30 and TF 7:30-5:30 in the office. Thankfully my job considers 30 hours full time.

Once we get a routine down-- I'm going to work from home for the remaining 10 or so hours. My MIL has also offered to watch B on Thursday afternoons-- I might take her up on that offer too so I can get in the hours and go to the gym!

Question- Lately Braeden has only been going to sleep at night if we hold him. He will let us put him in the crib if we rock him into a deep sleep (usually taking about a half hour), but otherwise he will lie awake and grunt for a little while until he becomes fussy and starts to cry. It's a lot easier to just hold him and fall asleep-- that way we all sleep. Am I forming bad habits already or is this something that he will outgrow?

nuhmah

08-08-2006, 11:02 PM

Wrighty - I don't think that is a bad habit... that is the only way we can really get Jamie to drift into a deep sleep, as well. From what I have been reading, babies need to learn how to fall asleep and that is helping them learn how.

I am so excited - I actually got something done today! He will not drift off during the day enough for me to put him down (he wakes up 20 minutes later) but this evening he drifted off around 6pm or so and I was able to get some light housework done, sort through paperwork, and eat some dinner! Woohoo!! He slept for almost 3 hours.

Today was my birthday - DH is out of town for work again, so I spent it with the baby and my dog. Is it too early for JJ to be smiling? I swear he smiled at me - 3 times today! Usually he only smiles at me when his tummy is full, and only lifts one corner of his mouth. This was a complete double cheek turn-up with his gums showing and eyes sparkling. Sigh... it was a great birthday present, nonetheless.

maryanne

08-08-2006, 11:13 PM

there must be nothing better than birthday smiles --CONGRATS Numah!

ShelbyMay

08-08-2006, 11:30 PM

We just finished a feeding and I really ought to get back to bed, but I wanted to post a quick update:

Things are going much better for us these past 3 days or so. I think it is because I finally gave in to my new life. I think I was sort of fighting it for the first few weeks -- I had this idea that I would have a baby and care for her and still be able to have a clean house and an active social life and a good night's sleep and plenty of "me time". It wasn't a conscious thought, but somewhere along the way I just set my expectations far too high. Now I've resigned myself to reality -- When she wants to eat, I feed her. When she wants to be changed, I change her. When she wants to sleep, I try to sleep. This is not forever. This is only for a relatively short time in our lives. And accepting all of that seems to have helped me be a more loving and patient mommy. I am trying to soak up as much of the new baby sweetness as I can. And if I manage to take a shower and brush my teeth, it's a good day. Anything I get done beyond that is a bonus.

I'm certainly not saying that everything is 100% better and my emotions are totally under control. I still get frustrated and irritated sometimes (especially with DH). But it's better.

My 6-week post-partum checkup is next week, and I have not ruled out asking for an antidepressant prescription. I have a few more days between now and then to see how I'm doing. And I can always ask for the prescription and decide later whether to get it filled or not.

Wrighty: L generally falls asleep while nursing. If that doesn't do the trick, then I hand her off to DH for rocking. Her ped suggested putting her to bed while she is still somewhat awake, but that usually doesn't work. I plan to try it again every once in a while, and hopefully she will develop that skill as she gets a little older. I just don't think she's old enough yet.

smurf

08-09-2006, 06:54 AM

Sleeping: Kate will only go to sleep if we rock or bounce her. If we lay her in her crib when she's awake, she does the grunting thing for a while and then starts to fuss if we don't pick her up. At this age, I don't think we're forming bad habits. Once she's a little older I'll be more concerned about her learning to put herself to sleep.

Well, I'm officially a stay at home mom now. I told my boss last week that I won't be coming back. We're coming up on our busy time at work, so he asked if I'd be willing to work from home through December to help them out. I'm actually thrilled at that prospect--we could really use the extra money. He has to check with his boss to make sure it's okay, hopefully I'll hear back from him today with a decision.

nuhmah

08-09-2006, 09:49 AM

Shelby - I am so glad that things are going better for you. I was getting frustrated, too, at the amount of stuff that I wasn't getting done - but this is not your life for the rest of your life. It is only a short time, and I think that is something that I just needed to remind myself of, as well. :)

JJ is having this weird spit-up; it is "clear" instead of white and has little brown and red flecks in it - almost like blood. Also, his poops have changed color to a dark green (almost black) with flecks in it, as well (instead of the seedy curds). The nurse at the ped's office just wants me to monitor it for now (he is still eating fine and acting fine), as she thinks it is an upset tummy. If it doesn't stop by Friday morning, they will get him in to be seen.

klav

08-09-2006, 10:00 AM

Sleeping: I have found since our trip to fla. that Liam sleeps longer when he's sleeping in bed with me. at least 4-5 hours instead of the 2-3 he normaly does.

nuhmah hopeing litle JJ feels better soon

My 6-week post-partum checkup was today DR said I'm 96% healed and can DTD if we'd like. talked about birthcontrol Dr was only worried about the highblood pressure the BC could cause so we will be using condoms I guess for now... I was also afraid of having issues again of tring to get PG again if I went back on the pill sooo.. we'll see how it goes..... with condoms and the rythem method?

mkvh

08-09-2006, 11:08 AM

nuhmah--Social smiles are expected around the 6 week mark, so JJ is just a bit ahead of schedule! Happy birthday and CONGRATS for hitting a development milestone!! How sweet--we need a picture of that! And I hope that the funny spit-up and poops resolve themselves.

Shelby--I am SO GLAD to hear a positive post from you. Adjusting to mommyhood is hard and a process. Yay for you to be moving forward!!

smurf--CONGRATS ON BEING A SAHM! And wow, how great that you may be able to work from home for a while!!!

klav--Congrats on being 96% healed! I wish... As for BC, have you thought about charting to avoid? And I had a diaphragm pre-TTC. I liked it MUCH better than condoms. How soon are you planning to TTC #2?

I totally forgot to update myself. Other than the vent about Clara's sleep habits, things here are good. She still is sleeping like a champ at night. I'm trying to get better about pumping more frequently as I want to build a stash. And I'm waiting to hear back from my boss re: returning to work. I have a plan to keep at least SOME income coming in till October, but she has to approve it. AND I need to find out if she's worked out a part-time gig for me (I'm not too hopeful). DH is going to be spending one night away from home on Thursday for a work conference. I'm a little worried about being alone for that long. One of his co-workers' wives offered to give me a break and watch Clara for a couple of hours, so I may have to take her up on it!

Oh, and I went for a BP check yesterday and have been deemed "cured" of my PIH. FINALLY!! Now I just have to hope that it doesn't recur with my next pgcy.

Sleeping--Clara usually dozes off at the breast but isn't fully awake when we put her down. Nonetheless, she will fall asleep herself. Or I pat her on the bottom for a minute or so. That is, until TODAY--she hasn't slept more than 20 minutes solid this morning in her PNP. She wakes up shortly after we put her down. But she will sleep in her swing or in our arms. I know I am spoiled that this is the first or second day TOTAL that we've dealt with this, but I am TOTALLY paranoid to hold her while she's sleeping because of the bad habit thing. I don't want to ruin my good sleeper. Hopefully, it's just a blip, and tomorrow she'll be back to her normal, self-soothing self!

Lil_Mrs_0702

08-09-2006, 11:10 AM

lilmrs...check if she left it in your PM's.:) :)

No I checked there too?? I left a message in the thread. I'll see if she will resend it to me.

Sleeping- Collin is a pretty good sleeper but during growth spurts he wants to be held all day. I usually let him fall asleep in my arms and then put him down after 10-15 minutes.

Getting stuff done- It's hit or miss for me. I never get as much done as I want to but I usually can get one chore in. Then I get the rest of it done when DH gets home. I am really lucky that he is so hands on with him.

I am getting so nervous... I go back to work Monday and not only am I losing my time with my baby but I have to start a whole new job! I am so far behind on my training and reading at home.

Other news- My mom and I are going to the Tim McGraw Faith Hill concert tonight!! It will be the longest I have been away from Buddy.

Oh and I have a funny story.... My dad was bragging about his new grandbaby to a coworker the other day and he totally spaced on his name!! When the girl asked he told her "I don't know I just call him buddy!" Then he could remember his middle names but not Collin for the life of him. He actually had to call my mom to ask what his first name is. I just thought it was too funny because that is so classic Dad. He always comes up with nicknames for young ones and forgets the real names, we just didn't think he would do it with his own grandson.

a_spark

08-09-2006, 11:28 AM

Hi Girls!

I'm really happy to report that my baby blues seem to have subsided (knock on wood). As shelby said, I think I was fighting the new life and now have accepted that things will be different and am more and more able to just go with the flow. Ava and I have been getting out more and more and that makes such a huge difference in how I feel. I'm still not so good about going out in public, as she won't take a bottle yet (working on that one!) and since I have to use the nipple shields for now, NIP is a huge challenge since she likes to tear the shield off when it's full of milk which is super messy. We'll figure it all out, though.

sleeping Ava wakes up about every 2-3 hours at night, so no long stretches here, but I seem to be able to function okay as long as I can string together 6 total hours and then take a nap during the day. Thank god for coffee, though! It saves me.

lil mrs Have fun at the concert! I'm sure it'll be a bittersweet night out away from Collin :) That is SO funny about your dad forgetting his name! Something my dad would for sure.

mkvh Yay for your PIH being cured! :)

klav I agree- charting to avoid is another avenue you might want to check out. Congrats on being almost totally healed! I'm sure that feels great.

nuhmah Happy Birthday and congrats on the smile!! That is priceless.

smurf That is so cool that you get to SAH/WAH now. I'm planning on WAH when I go back and I really think it's such a great way to still make money while taking care of DD (of course, talk to me once I'm doing it and we'll see how I'm handling it!).

shelby I've been going through a lot of the same feelings as you and I am so glad to hear that you're feeling better. I think motherhood is such a shock, both emotionally and physically and nothing can really prepare you for it. It just takes time.

wrighty I read that it's almost impossible to set bad habits in the first couple of months, so whatever works! That's whay my books and our ped said, anyway, and I like the sound of it :)

klav

08-09-2006, 11:33 AM

mkvh we were thinking about haveing #2 about the time Liam is 2 some where there to keep them close together.

yeah ,a_spark I have the book about tryng to conceive by charting and there is a chapter to use it in reverse. but it would help if my Period came to make charting easier

mkvh

08-09-2006, 11:39 AM

Charting to Avoid--I THINK TCOYF has a chapter on CTA while BF. Too bad I lent out my copy! It addresses how to handle avoiding when you haven't had a return of menses. I can't remember though... If anyone has it, can you summarize?? Please???

Lil Mrs--Too funny about your dad!!

a_spark--WOW! You sound so good. It's great to hear that you're feeling better. Getting out of the house sure makes a difference, huh? I personally nurse in the back seat of my SUV!

Sophia

08-09-2006, 11:40 AM

Sleeping: Ha. I wish. Lilia was up, crying, for over 4 hours last night. DH & I took turns handing her off and she finally fell asleep at around 3:30AM. I feel totally exhausted, even after a nap this afternoon.

Getting Stuff Done: I really don't care if it gets done or not. I'd just like to be able to go to the bathroom when I feel the urge, be able to fit in all the pumping I have to do, brush my teeth, have an occasional shower, and maybe change out of my pjs at some point.

Sorry if I sound negative. I'm just recuperating from the horrors of last night. She. Wouldn't. Stop. Crying.

I haven't heard anything about my Mommy ID, either. I hope she's still doing them. :(

a_spark

08-09-2006, 12:02 PM

Forgot to add this- DH and I took some pictures of Ava the other day. She loves the camera!

http://www.hughesdesign.com/clients/cpics/209494609_0763f94136.jpg

sophia I'm so sorry you had such a rough night last night. We've had a couple of those too and I know how draining and just awful it can be. {{hugs}}

mkvh Thanks! I feel good :) Nursing in the car is a GREAT idea and I need to remember that! We, too, have a big SUV and the back windows are tinted so I could definitely wrestle Ava onto the boob back there.

klav

08-09-2006, 12:27 PM

smurf

08-09-2006, 01:25 PM

A_Spark: Love the picture, Ava is too cute!

Sophia: Sorry about your rough night. Nights like that seem to drag on forever. Here's hoping for a better night for you tonight!

MKVH: It's awesome that Clara is such a good sleeper. I hope your boss finds a way that you can work part home for a while. I know the extra money is nice.

Just thought I'd post a couple new pictures of Kate:

This is her new pouty face that she makes when she's mad--is it bad that I think it's funny?
http://images1.snapfish.com/347838984%7Ffp34%3B%3Enu%3D3237%3E93%3A%3E293%3EWS NRCG%3D3233%3A459%3C%3A849nu0mrj

And here's a happy baby:
http://images1.snapfish.com/347838984%7Ffp347%3Enu%3D3237%3E93%3A%3E293%3EWSNR CG%3D3233%3A45%3A3467%3Anu0mrj

Sophia

08-09-2006, 01:32 PM

Awwww, Ava and Kate are so cute! Here are some of Lilia from Monday, when she turned 1 month old.

After her bath.
http://static.flickr.com/62/209574437_cf0c5cddc0.jpg?v=0

She got cranky (ok, she was screaming bloody murder) when I tried to get some one-month photos.
http://static.flickr.com/81/209576847_0353260b3c.jpg?v=0

So I rocked her & she calmed down for a little bit.
http://static.flickr.com/90/209576853_758b7fc19b.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/97/209578102_a4049d5e8d.jpg?v=0

And then she wigged out again. That's me trying to keep a sense of humor about it.
http://static.flickr.com/63/209578103_ddec2da171.jpg?v=0

In the Hotsling. That's where she is right now, too, actually.
http://static.flickr.com/84/209574434_06d085344b.jpg?v=0

Sophia

08-09-2006, 01:35 PM

Smurf: I really like Kate's headband. Where'd you get it?

smurf

08-09-2006, 01:58 PM

Sophia: I got the headband at Once Upon a Child. I'm not sure if that's just a local chain or if they're all over the place. It's actually a children's resale shop, but they have their own line of bows and headbands. I like them because they're so much stretchier and softer than the ones you find in most stores.

Sophia

08-09-2006, 02:00 PM

Thanks. I don't think we have one near here. I'll have to look for something similar.

ETA: I just used their store locator and the closest one is in Corpus Christi, about 2 1/2 hours away. I haven't been to Corpus in a while...hmm...

smurf

08-09-2006, 02:23 PM

Well that sounds like a good excuse to go to Corpus...you can't deny Lilia a cute headband just because the store is 2 hours away! :D

makena32204

08-09-2006, 02:25 PM

smurf - I think Amelia makes the same pouty face!! My DH and I laugh at it too. Heck, we laugh when she's screaming her head off (sometimes). It just helps us deal w/ it. We'll take turns imitating her. Yep, sign me up for Bad Mother of the Year! :D

wrighty - Amelia usually falls asleep when we hold her and will wake up shortly after we put her down. At night, we have a tendancy to lay in bed holding her (my DH loves her to sleep on his chest) until we fall asleep too! We'll wake up an hour or so later and then put her down b/n us in bed. It just makes night time and nursing at night so much easier. i do worry about having to break bad habits later, but she's only 3 weeks and my ped said there's no bad habits at this point! In a few weeks, before I go back to work, we'll work on transitioning her to the crib. But for now, I need my sleep more than anything!

klav

08-09-2006, 02:29 PM

fear about day care
it's not coming along no one I've called wants to do part time it's the whole week or nothing. go figure... so I may have to resort to the SIL which I don't want to for those 2 day's. she's not my ideal babysitter and the boy's that are there are not what I want around my son. there a bit too rough.

and my other fear that is making me lean towards using my SIL till my mother moves down here. is that I don't know these people who would be watching Liam and I'm so afriad somethiing bad will happen. Iknow they have been checked out my the arundel county system that I called but, you still never know. I'm starting to worry about that because I know my SIL would not hurt Liam. am I over reacting?

smurf I've seen that similar face!! too cute!

Sophia she's too cute I love the little dress!!

liam after his bath yesterday!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/klynch/liam/afterbath2.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/klynch/liam/afterbath.jpg

Sophia

08-09-2006, 02:36 PM

klav: None of my children has ever been babysat or taken care of by non-family members till they started preschool (Bella was 3 1/2) or pre-Kinder (Alex was 4, going on 5). When I go back to work, my mom, who is retired, will take care of Lilia. I totally understand your fear. It's probably unfounded, but the maternal instinct to protect your baby, plus the post partum hormones, are pretty powerful.

amyinlosangeles

08-09-2006, 02:37 PM

all of your babies are too cute!!! love the pictures.

ShelbyMay

08-09-2006, 04:53 PM

sophia: LOVE the picture of the 2 of you screaming. :D

recommendation: Last time I was at Dollar Tree, I picked up a cd called "Mother's Touch". It looked kind of hokey, but I figured it was worth a shot for a dollar. L was fighting sleep last night, and DH put the cd on. He said she instantly relaxed and then he was able to rock her to sleep. In his words, the cd "kicks a**". It is a mix of lullabies, nature sounds, and a heartbeat. DH and I both agree that it sounds kind of creepy to us (Tell-tale heart, anyone?), but she really seems to like it.

I got it at Dollar Tree maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago, so they might still have some. I also saw it on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=100500905062&category=307

ShelbyMay

08-09-2006, 04:56 PM

LilyPadz: I got mine yesterday and tried them for the first time this afternoon. I LOVE having them on, as they make my sensitive nipples so much more comfortable and they look totally natural under my shirt. The only problem is taking them off to nurse -- Not as bad as removing a bandaid, but not fun, either! Anyone else having this problem? I am considering putting a small circle of fabric in them, just in the very center, to protect my most sensitive parts. Do you think they would still stick?

Wrighty26

08-09-2006, 06:21 PM

ShelbyMay - Good to hear things are on an upswing for you! I felt exactly the same way-- I definitely had to grieve for the loss of my childfree lifestyle! Since I have accepted that life has changed for good each day just gets better and better. I think it helps that B is getting more sleep and things are starting to settle down too :)

Nuhmah - Sorry to hear about Jamie and his tummy issues. Happy belated birthday-- the smile sounds like a great gift. It's definitely not too soon for a smile-- I've heard they usually start 4-6 weeks. B has been giving me half smiles (not the full-fledged ones you describe) for a week now-- I can't wait to see the real thing!

mkvh - B has those days where he catnaps throughout the day too! He gets so cranky and fights sleep-- it drives me nuts. But I must count my blessings-- he's usually a decent sleeper-- and has lately started to sleep 3-4 hours at night. Sorry your DH has to go away! I would definitely take your Dh's coworker up on the option to watch Clara. That is A LOT of time to hang out with your baby by yourself!

a_spark - Ava is so cute! Love her big eyes. I guess I worry about the habits because I was initially so against co-sleeping (before the baby was born, of course). I really enjoy having him sleep on me (for the most part)- he's so warm and cuddly! I also nurse Braeden in my Jeep if necessary-- tinted windows are the best!

smurf- Kate is adorable! I love the pout-- it's going to be hard to resist that as she gets older.

klav- Good luck the the birth control! I'm definitely not looking forward to that discussion when I go in for my 6-week pp appt. I am thinking about getting the Mirena IUC-- but it depends on how pricey it is. It definitely beats taking the mini-pill-- and since there's no telling how many hours of sleep I'll get in one night I really can't count on temping! Sorry about the daycare sitch-- Maybe have SIL help out temporarily until you find something perm? Liam is a cutie-- he looks so curious in those pictures!

Sophia- Sorry about your crappy no-sleep night :( If it's any consolation, Lilia is a cutie!! She looks just like her daddy in that first picture. I love the one of you screaming together-- it's good to have a sense of humor! You know this isn't going to last forever. Don't you love the hotsling? It's my magical sleep aid. I have the blue fleece one that B LOVES--even though it's at least 100 degrees outside!

makena - Good to know I'm not the only one enjoying my little one sleeping on me! I know we will move him to his crib when I'm ready-- and he'll be fine with it (I'll be the traumatized one!).

LilyPadz - I love mine too! I forgot to report on them :) I am having FAR less pain in my breasts after feeding now. My nipples aren't even that sore anymore. I found that the super stickiness only lasted a day until I washed them. Now they aren't as bad, but I definitely agree that at first they were a little bit painful to remove!

I also got a few bras-- I must recommend breakoutbras (www.breakoutbras.com). They have discounted prices, free shipping, and give you a 10% discount coupon to use continuously after the first order. Plus, I got my order (bras and lilypadz) in 3 days! One more recommendation are the Bravado Orginal bras! I just ordered one-- and ended up ordering 2 more they are so great. They also make my girls shine-- seriously, I don't think they've ever looked so good in a t-shirt (and they make my waist look super tiny)!

Prof. pics - I made an appt at Target today to get his pics taken on Friday. The girl I talked to was super nice and had some good recommendations for clothes. She said to dress him in solid colors, they show up better-- and since he's so little it's easier if they are just wearing a onsie. I asked her if not wearing anything was an option and she said definitely-- and that if I wanted we could do a few different outfits AND some naked shots. I'm looking forward to seeing how they turn out!

I have been writing this post for hours now-- my power kept going out! I think they've fixed it now-- so annoying!

Anyways-- things have been going really well until right now! Braeden is fighting sleep and has been comfort/cluster feeding for the past 2.5 hours. He gets so frustrated when my boob gets low in juice. It could be worse though. He has been stretching out his eating and is usually hungry every 3 hours during the day and 3.5-4 hours at night (except for in the early evenings!). Yay! I'm getting more sleep and I can tell-- I'm a much happier person :)

I apologize for the gigantic post-- just wanted to get everyone!

ETA: I caught Braeden's half smile with the camera--taken on Sunday at one-month (I can't believe it!)
*image removed*

Mystikal

08-09-2006, 06:22 PM

Wrighty that's how DH and I handle Julia with sleeping. My mom did the same thing with me and my three sisters with no problems so I'm not worried.
Sophia Lilia's wearing the ducky dress that I wanted!! Love it, it looks adorable! :D

So, Julia's cord FINALLY fell off Sunday after five and a half weeks. :eek: That sucker just didn't want to go anywhere. She got her first real bath Monday afternoon. I have lots of pictures, I'll try to post a few tomorrow. :)

maryanne

08-09-2006, 07:14 PM

That is the cutest picture of braeden!!! with how cute he is with a half smile, I'd be spending all my time trying to get him to do the real thing..he'll light up the room!

Lizard

08-09-2006, 08:13 PM

Just subscribing - Thanks for the new thread. And many, many thanks to everyone that has been updating the threads in my long abscences. I feel really terrible about not being around.

Dorla got officially diagnosed with colic today. :( I'm on a dairy-free diet and we were given Nutramigen for supplementation. We tried a little tonight and she won't eat it - sigh. Not sure what we're gonna do about that. I'm still breastfeeding 95% of the time, but we have had to give some formula on occasion.

This has been really really hard on DH and myself. She can scream and scream for hours on end, and there's very little awake time where she's happy. We can't play with her or anything. Just the other day DH said "When will I get to enjoy our baby?" That sounds terrible but I know where he's coming from. I love her, but it's so hard. I have 2 friends that had babies within 2 weeks of us, and they're telling us about how they're smiling and cooing and interacting... all I can think is things like "Well, this evening I was able to get her to sleep after only 3 hours of screaming, that's a plus". :(

I don't want to bring the thread down - I apologize. Just wanted to let you know why I'm not here very much. Hopefully things get better soon.

I have a friend that's offered to come watch her whenever we want so that we can get out and away. I'm hoping next Tuesday DH and I can go out for dinner and/or a movie.

Had my 6 week PP check yesterday - I'm cleared for "normal activity" now. Also discussed birth control, and my OB will only give Depo shots for breastfeeding women. No mini-pill for some reason. I'm not real keen on the idea of a Depo shot. I used to do charting, but that's not gonna happen right now with my crappy sleep schedule.

ShelbyMay

08-09-2006, 08:21 PM

Lizard: I'm sorry DD is having so much trouble. :( I hope you get to go on that date. I know sometimes it helps so much just to step away for a couple of hours.

Birth Control: I went to a LLL meeting the other night and asked about which bc options are best for breastfeeding. They basically said to use barrier methods or an IUD. Apparently, the official word on the mini pill is that it does not decrease milk supply, but there has been a lot of anecdotal evidence to the contrary.

*****

I just successfully used the heartbeat cd again. I nursed her and she had dozed off, so I put her in her crib. She was fussing again 5 minutes later. I went in her room, did not touch her and did not talk to her -- I just turned on the cd. Within 30 seconds, she had stopped fussing and was just lying there listening to the "music". I waited for a couple minutes (out of sight) and then took a peek -- She had closed her eyes and was drifting back to sleep. She's now been asleep for a good thirty minutes so far.

I LOVE this cd. :D

One word of advice, though -- Kind of like how Dr. Karp says in The Happiest Baby on the Block (with regards to shushing), I've found that I have to turn the volume up louder than my initial instinct. It just has to be loud to get her attention, but I bet I could go in and turn it down now.

klav

08-10-2006, 07:53 AM

Wrighty26 Thank you, that is awsome you caught his smilel he's too cute!!

question how long does your baby sleep during the day? Liam is up for short times then right back to sleep should I be trying to keep him up longer?
he seems to be coliky when he's up ( I would say about 50% o the time he's awake) so I do look forward to when he sleeps is that bad?

hokiegirlie

08-10-2006, 09:28 AM

I'm subscribing, too. I never gave my info in the last thread:

Me:hokiegirlie
Baby: Matthew
Born: July 5, 2006

I'm not really used to posting on public sites like this...it makes me feel just a little funny. I do have a livejournal that I keep up--I just feel safer over there, I guess, because I 'know' everyone. Hope this is okay that I remain slightly anonymous and don't post pictures here.

Every day this week has been different. Yesterday, Matthew didn't nap at all in the morning--except for the 20 minute drive to the doctors office. After the doctor appt, he slept for about 3 hours. He was pretty fussy last night and didn't go down until 12:30. He's been going down between 10-11 so last night was a little rough for me. He then woke up about every 2 hours. He, also, loves to sleep while laying on me. I do it because it is easier and have also been worried that I'm forming bad habits.

So far today, he's been okay. He's eaten every 3 hours, which is what I would like to get him to stick to (yeah, right huh?).

nuhmah

08-10-2006, 09:57 AM

Well, we had more of the brown spit-up last night with some red chunks. I headed to the ER with the baby at 2am when I found it all over his shirt. They did a sample of the spit-up and found that it was MY blood that was coming back up. My right nipple has been cracked and was almost healed but he has somehow managed to open it back up. It was never bloody or anything after nursing so I never thought that could be it! We have been nursing for weeks on a cracked nipple, and no one has been concerned.

So, I am now pumping on my right side and nursing on my left. I have a call in to the LC to ask her advice on the situation (funny, she called me yesterday morning as part of a follow-up) - I hope it clears up soon! Although I did get close to 5 oz out of my right side this morning when I pumped. :D

klav

08-10-2006, 01:52 PM

nuhmah YIKES!!:eek:
but good thing you found out!! hope it heals well and things get back to where they were!:D

maryanne

08-10-2006, 02:44 PM

all I have to say nuhmah, is ......OUCH!!!!

nuhmah

08-10-2006, 03:46 PM

yeah - slightly ouch, but not too bad! I am glad that I did find out, and am relieved that that is all it was (I would have killed myself if it was something serious and I never brought him, you know?).

I have an appointment with the LC tomorrow morning - she wants to see what is going on and recheck his latch and that kind of stuff. He is a great little nurser - maybe too good! LOL

mrst2b2003

08-10-2006, 04:18 PM

I have been reading along when I have a free moment from our ever hungry son. He is always on my boob:eek:

Avery has been keeping us busy and I have been spending each day learning how to be a mom to him. It makes me really appreciate my mom a whole lot more.

He is growing like a weed and is up to 7 pounds 13.5 ounces after getting down to 6 pounds 11 ounces when we left the hospital. He has also grown 1.5 inches since birth.

We joined a mommy and me play group this week and it is fun to meet other moms of newborns. Each week we learn new things to do with our babies. This week was infant massage and tummy time. It's great to get out the house.

Here are some recent pictures of our little guy:

Avery in his swing:
http://www.dropshots.com/photos/157493/20060728/184715.jpg

In his favorite morning sleeping spot with his dad:

http://www.dropshots.com/photos/157493/20060724/083838.jpg

and sleeping on his dad's chest:
http://www.dropshots.com/photos/157493/20060727/210149.jpg

and him and I after his 1st bath:
http://www.dropshots.com/photos/157493/20060727/195114.jpg

mkvh

08-10-2006, 04:29 PM

OMG...nuhmah, how scary! And I agree with the 'ouch' sentiment. So glad that it's a minor issue.

Lizard--{{{HUGS}}} to you and DH. We have close friends who went through extreme colic with their DD earlier this year. So while I haven't dealt with it personally, I do know what you guys are going through. I hope that the change in your diet helps. And soon. And that you get a break. Well, lots of breaks! You need them!

hokiegirl--Nope...we're fine with the relative anonymity! As long as we know what to call you. It's crazy how their "schedules" can change from day to day. So much for planning ANYTHING!

Shelby--Thanks for the heads-up on the CD. We're going to have to get something b/c Clara is so used to sleeping in our room with our noisy window a/c!

klav--NO, you're not a bad mom for looking forward to when L goes to sleep! I've been begging Clara to fall asleep for the last hour!

Mystikal--I CANNOT believe it took that long for J's cord to fall off! You really musta had fun FINALLY giving her a bath!

Wrighty--B is SOOO cute! Love that 1/2 smile!

Birth control--I don't want to do anything hormonal again. So I think I'm going to get fitted for a new diaphragm. I used one while we were avoiding right before TTC. I really liked that you can just stop using it and you're ready to TTC. And I HATE condoms.

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

I'm flying solo with Clara till tomorrow afternoon. DH has an off-site meeting for work today and tomorrow and left this morning. So far so good, although I'm worried about tonight. Last night was only the 2nd night since we brought Clara home that she slept less than 6 hours for the first stretch. And I'm not sure why. I think she slept too late in the evening and didn't get enough to eat at the 9:30/10:00 feeding. Plus, she usually cluster feeds from 7:30 till she goes to sleep for the night between 10 and 11 and didn't last night.

She's not doing a stellar job of napping this aftenroon. She's been awake since 5 (it's now 7:30), so Dr. Weissbluth is not happy with me right now! But she's been in the swing for almost an hour, and she'll doze off fo ra while and then wake back up. Dunno what's up with that!

Can you tell I'm on a sleep kick right now???:rolleyes:

Wrighty26

08-10-2006, 06:33 PM

Mystikal - Yay for the cord falling off! Crazy that it took so long!

Lizard - Big hugs to you! I hope that you are able to get some outside help and have some 'me' time every now and then :( We're here for you to vent too! Weird that your Dr. only does Depo!

Maryanne - Thanks! He is SUCH a ham it's really funny- his facial expressions are hysterical. We're definitely looking forward to seeing his first toothy grin!

klav - Sometimes Braeden sleeps for 2-3 hours during the day-- sometimes he doesn't sleep at all (see vent below). I think it's pretty normal for the sleep to be erractic right now -- and sometimes short naps are all a baby needs!

ShelbyMay - I will definitely have to visit the Dollar Store!

hokiegirlie- Welcome! Anonymity works for us :) We are definitely going through the same thing with our boys. I am ready to set some kind of routine-- I just wish B was!

MrsT- Avery is SO cute! He is really growing! The mommy and me play group sounds fun. I really think I need to join some kind of group-- it would be nice to meet moms with babies the same age as mine. How did you find out about yours?

mkvh - I hope tonight goes smoothly for you! Maybe the lack of sleep this afternoon will lead to a nice long stretch tonight. I know Weissenbluth says "sleep begets sleep" but I seriously don't know if that applies when they are newborns. I'm totally on a sleep kick too. I think it has something to do with going back to work soon. Not looking forward to that.

ARGH! Braeden is SOOOO fussy today-- and he has been eating nonstop. Seriously he started up last night and ate at 1, 2, 3:30, 7, 9, 11, 12, 2, 4, 6, 7:30, and 8:30. Guess the next growth spurt has arrived! He just the the 'boob rejection' thing at the last feeding and I had to supplement with a little EBM. It only took about a half an ounce to make him happy-- but I really hate having to give him any EBM!

He is also fighting sleep big time-- he hasn't had a decent stretch of sleep at all today-- only an hour here, a half hour there. It's so frustrating because he is definitely overtired.I currently have him in his sling-- which he usually LOVES-- and he is still fighting me. I've tried everything else too-- the swing, the bouncer, my chest.

We had SUCH a good day yesterday-- and today has been horrible! I really don't know how you ladies dealing with colic do it! You deserve some kind of reward.

Lil_Mrs_0702

08-11-2006, 12:36 AM

I got my MommyID!! Can you please post this for me and I will delete it once it is up front.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g222/lilmiss_n_mickey/MommyID_Lil_Mrs_0702.gif

So our neighbor just had a lil girl last Sunday and we saw her this week and Collin is 3x her size!! It's so weird because gestationally he is really only supposed to be 4 weeks older than her. What a difference being out of the womb makes.

I start work on Monday and I have such mixed emotions. I am excited to be back in the real world and starting my new job but I am so upset that I won't have all of my quality time everyday with him.

Oh and he is just cracking me up these days. I usually put him pn my chest to snuggle and now he tries to climb Mount Mommy by pulling on my shirt collar and kicking off my thighs or belly. He climbed right over DH's shoulders the other day. And when we put him on his Boppy for tummy time he just digs in there like a lil football star! I love just watching him as he grunts, squeals and kicks away. He has the most adorable look on his face when you can tell her is trying really hard. I swear the lil guy is going to be crawling by the end of next month.

Also we went to the Tim and Faith concert last night and it was amazing. We also went to this lil bar before hand and I met two other couples that got married last summer around the time that we did. I also got a nice boost of self esteem. Both the couples are talking about wanting to start having children in the next year or so and they were asking me for advice on how to stay in shape since they thought I looked so good for only being 7 weeks pp. I also got 2 job offers in two days! I won't be taking them up on them but it was still a good ego boost.

maryanne

08-11-2006, 04:22 AM

your id looks GREAT!!!!

Linnybubbles

08-11-2006, 07:31 AM

Just subscribing, will be back later!

klav

08-11-2006, 08:15 AM

question:
how long can you keep BM in the frig? I totally for got and looked it up I got one saying 6 day's one saying 10 and another saying 2day's which is right?:confused:

Sophia

08-11-2006, 08:18 AM

question:
how long can you keep BM in the frig? I totally for got and looked it up I got one saying 6 day's one saying 10 and another saying 2day's which is right?:confused:

Fresh BM is good in the fridge for 8 days. Thawed BM is good for 24 hours.

mmisabel

08-11-2006, 10:28 AM

Hi everyone!

Lizard - my heart goes out to you dealing with colic, I can't imagine. Hang in there!! Check in when you can, I know it's hard.

numhah - what a scare. I'm glad everything was OK with your little one.

wrighty - Nathan went through a very similiar spurt like that last week (and I think they are 1 week apart). It drove me nuts and I resorted to some EBM during the day also to "top him off". Definitely the 6 week growth spurt a little early! Braeden is such a cutie, love the smile!!

lil'mrs - I can't believe you are going back to work on Monday. I totally understand how you are torn.

mrs2b - Avery is gorgeous! Love the pics. Glad you are enjoying the mom's group.

mvkh - I'm sure Clara will behave while DH is gone!

birth control - I go for my 6 week PP check up on Tuesday. I'm planning on taking the mini-pill. I hope I can remember to take it around the same time every day.

DTD - I'm sure I'll get the go-ahead. Anyone else not looking too forward to the prospect?! I know it'll be fine but between the exhaustion and everything I can't say it's high on my list right now.

Lizard

08-11-2006, 10:39 AM

klav - Yeah, 8 days for breastmilk is what we go by too. But you can pretty much tell when it's not too good... give it a sniff and look at it, it gets pretty funky. :)

Wrighty - We are going through the growth spurt right now too, it started a couple days ago. She's eating about every hour to hour and a half, although we did get a nice 4 hours stretch last night. It's amazing what that little extra sleep does to my mood.

DTD - We've tried twice now and it hasn't been very enjoyable. I had a 2nd degree tear and it's very tender around it. Plus, it just feels different... it's hard to describe. I know it'll get better but it's frustrating. It would be such a nice way to get rid of the stress, ha ha. :)

Maybe I need to talk to my OB about other BC options then. I'd much rather do an IUD or diaphragm than anything hormonal. Not to mention condoms are freakin' expensive.

The last day or so has been great... she is still fussy but she's had some happy times. Yesterday she hung out with DH for nearly an hour, cooing and just being happy. He REALLY needed that, because her fussy time is mostly after 3:00 PM and he gets home at 4:30, so he wasn't seeing any happy time at all. I got to go to the gym yesterday, that helped me work off some stress too. This weekend we're going to a friend's cookout, hopefully she's good.

I forgot to mention that we are completely off the nipple shield now. :D I'm SO happy about that. I just gave it up cold turkey 4 days ago and she had no problems latching on. The latch pain is crappy, but it already seems to be getting better (or I'm getting used to it).

Can't_Wait

08-11-2006, 02:10 PM

Just wanted to pop in here to announce the arrival of our baby girl, Isabella Grace. She finally decided to grace us with her presence! :)

I will quickly recap our labor & delivery:
I started having contractions Friday the 4th around 5:30am. They were no longer than 6 min. apart but only lasting about 30 seconds long. This went on & on all day Friday & Saturday they became more intense, closer together, & very long, lasting over 90 seconds each. When they got to be 3-4 minutes apart (some lasting 2 1/2 minutes!) we headed in to the hospital which was around 11pm Saturday the 5th. I was 6-7 cm dilated at arrival. I labored throughout the night without medication (our plan - we did the Bradley method classes to prepare) or any other intervention. Several times it was very tempting to ask for something like statedol (sp?) but I didn't amazingly. It was the most pain I have ever experienced in my life! Changing positions often helped & getting in the shower was a life saver... I think I must have gotten in the shower about 10 times throughout the whole weekend. At some point (not sure when b/c I was in so much pain!!) I was checked again & I was a 9. My midwife broke my water to help me progress the last cm & I began pushing at 6am. This was hard work as well but very different from the laboring process. I just couldn't wait for it to all be over!

Finally, after crowning for what seemed like forever, Isabella Grace was born at 8:04am. She surprised us with a full head of black hair (DH & I both have brown & mine is a lighter brown) and a weight of 8 lbs 10 oz!! Everyone had guessed she'd be in the 7 lb range, my midwife guessing 7 1/2 lbs. So this was not expected! She came in at 21 inches in legnth.

I have to say that having a natural childbirth has been one of the most rewarding & empowering experiences. During the labor & delivery I felt like such a wuss b/c it hurt so bad & I just couldn't relax like the Bradley method teaches but I am so happy that I chose to hang in there & see it through. Isabella was bright eyed & so alert when she was born & latched on without any problems just minutes after being laid on my chest.

So after arriving 10 days late, we have definatly been enjoying having Isabella around. She is a pretty good baby & doesn't cry too much. She has some good periods of really being alert which is great.

Here I am getting ready to head for the hospital- I don't look too happy!:
http://static.flickr.com/88/212736591_8f01478ce8.jpg?v=1155330283

And misc. pictures the day she was born:
http://static.flickr.com/63/212736592_7209dc9c39.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/60/212736593_9137e4579e.jpg?v=1155330304

Here is a picture of her that the hospital took the day after her arrival in her coming home outfit:
http://static.flickr.com/90/212736590_e28330a4e0.jpg?v=0

stats:
Isabella Grace
Born: August 6, 2006 @ 8:04am
Weight: 8lb 10oz
Length: 21 in

maybebaby

08-11-2006, 03:17 PM

Ooh--Isabella is SO beautiful! Love the coming home outfit! And all that hair!
My little girl is almost six weeks old and still doesn't weigh that much!

Lizard I think that's so weird your OB will only allow you the depo shot because you're breastfeeding. Personally, I don't think he should be limiting your birth control options and I would think about looking for another OB.
I'm taking the mini-pill.

We're doing well. Anya is a great kid. She is mellow and doesn't cry unless she's hungry or something's wrong. More sleep would be nice, but you know, c'est la vie...

Breastfeeding still isn't happening, five lactation consultant visits later. So I pump eight times a day...lots of work, but I really believe that she is benefiting from having my milk.

Good wishes to everyone!

nuhmah

08-11-2006, 04:49 PM

can't wait - she is beautiful! Congratulations!!

Well, we met with the LC today and I showed her my cracked nipple - she didn't realize that it was as bad as it was. She was telling me on the phone to keep nursing on that side, but it was just covered in blood when I did and the little guy didn't like the taste too much. So I had been pumping on the right and nursing on the left.

She gave me a nipple shield and that helped big time - I was able to nurse him with no pain or blood. It feels weird, but it is nice to not have that first latch pain anymore. I can't wait until we decide not to use it anymore - maybe in a day or so. The open sore is starting to heal nicely, as I have not nursed on it in the past 2 days.

He also is weighing in at 9 lbs 15 oz! He is my little tank!

Have a nice weekend everyone!

lindybug

08-13-2006, 04:15 AM

Finally made it over to the new thread! :) DS turned one month old on Tuesday, I can't believe it!

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/lindybug/134219319303_0_ALB.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/lindybug/559029319303_0_ALB.jpg

And the cutie pouty face:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/lindybug/989378319303_0_ALB.jpg

I have yet to catch his smile on camera, but it is the cutest thing ever!

Sleeping ~ DS isn't great about official "naps" during the day, but he does fall asleep at the boob or on DH's chest. Once in a while swaddled in the swing too. He likes to feel held... The PNP just isn't cutting it. ;)

At least he sleeps at night in his crib. I usually put him down around 10:30ish, and he sleeps for about a 4 hour stretch. Then up to feed and he goes back down for an hour or two. So, I usually get about 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Amazing how the body can adjust to that! I try to get a nap in during the day, but it doesn't always work out that way.

Eating ~ I think it's getting better. DS seems to be more satisfied at the boob than he was for a while there. We're still supplementing after some feedings. I'm still having trouble pumping enough to keep up with him, so we've had to give him some formula. I usually get about 1.5-2oz per pumping session, in between feedings. I've been taking fenugreek pills the past week, with not much success. Last night I bought some Mother's Milk Tea and More Milk Plus tincture, so I will start those today and see if they help.

DH goes back to work tomorrow and I am SO sad. It has been great having him home... It's going to be hard doing this by myself! It starts with DS's one month WBV tomorrow too... First time at the ped without DH! :(

mmisabel

08-13-2006, 09:28 AM

Can't wait - Congrats! She's beautiful!!

lindybug - Too cute. I was sad when DH went back to work also, but you'll get into a groove and the day goes by really fast.

numhah - Ouch! Glad things are getting better.

Nathan's doing great. I can't believe he's six weeks. He's getting so much more alert everyday, and really starting to smile. It's so cute!!

klav

08-13-2006, 11:23 AM

for those of you who are going back to work, how are you preparing ?:(

Mystikal

08-13-2006, 11:30 AM

for those of you who are going back to work, how are you preparing ?:(

By looking for a new job. My hours were changed while I was out and I just don't want to work them. I have an interview tomorrow and the job would be perfect for me. Other than intreviewing and stuff I'm just trying to enjoy Julia as much as I can. :( It kills me to even think about.

maryanne

08-13-2006, 11:45 AM

how's your scar doing mystikal?

hokiegirlie

08-13-2006, 02:23 PM

This really is a great thread! It's so nice to read that someone else is going through some of the same things.

Wrighty--I think our baby boys may be related :)

Matthew had his 1 month this past week. When he was born, he was 9 lbs 3 oz. He is now 12 lbs 3 oz:eek: I certainly don't need to worry that he's not getting enough milk!

I'm also getting really nervous about going back to work. I have three weeks left but haven't gotten daycare settled yet. I'd also loooove to have some routine down before I go back.

He's been going down between 10-11 almost every night. He'll sleep about three hours the first go 'round and then it's 2 hours after that. He's pretty good about going back down, though, so I shouldn't complain. We had a few nights where he slept four hours the first stretch. How do I get him to do that again?????

I'll be going back to work part-time and right now we're looking at having someone come to our house to watch him. We haven't decided on the nanny, though, so we'll see. I really want to go back to work but i just hate to leave him.

I have my 6-week appointment tomorrow. I'm a little concerned about the way my stitches are healing (or NOT healing). I have a 4th degree tear (as you can imagine with such a big baby) and there's one part that's still really bothering me. My husband keeps saying that the dr should re-stitch it. Lord help me if he does....I don't think I can go through that healing process again!

mkvh

08-13-2006, 02:57 PM

Clara was a month old yesterday. WOW...time flies!!

I took her for a weigh-in at the ped on Friday, just to have a 1-mo. mark. She's up to 10lb 10oz!!! So momma's milk is doing it's job! That's almost 3lbs up from her birthweight.

I also think we had our first real smile this morning! I put her in bed next to DH, and her started talking to her, and she just lit up. It was so cute!

nuhmah

08-13-2006, 04:07 PM

Well, things have been looking up over here at our house. We seem to have gotten through this 6 week growth spurt well - he was nursing every 2 hours and now he is going almost every 3. We turned the corner yesterday afternoon. He also seems to be more content during the day - he is just as happy sitting in his swing or bouncy chair as he is laying on my chest. I can finally set him down and get something done, which has made for a happier mommy.

He now weighs in at 10lbs 3 oz and he is getting so strong!

Have any of you started doing tummy time? He spends a lot of time on his tummy on our chests to he picks his head up while there, but hates being on his tummy on the floor.

Wrighty26

08-13-2006, 06:33 PM

It's so good to hear that most of you are going through the same things that we are going through with B. It's one thing to read about them in books--but it's another to actually read about everyone's experiences!

I can't believe that we are about to hit the 6 week mark either... It's crazy how fast they grow-- I swear he looks like a different baby to me every day!

Tummy Time- We try to do tummy time every day. Like you said, Nuhmah, he enjoys lifting his head when he is laying on our chest-- he also likes to lift it if he is lying on DH's knees, but lying the floor is hit or miss. Sometimes he'll just lay there and not lift his head, sometimes he'll lift his head, and sometimes he doesn't want to be on his tummy at all! I am not worried though-- his neck is getting stronger and stronger--and that's what's important right?

can't wait - Congratulations! Welcome Isabella :) She looks like such a sweetie...I can't believe how big she was. You amaze me by going through with the natural childbirth!

maybebaby - Sorry to hear that BFing isn't working for you-- you are such a champ for pumping 8 times a day. I think my nipples would fall off!

lindybug - Your son is a such a cutie! I've taken some pictures of B in his frog chair too-- but he wasn't as cooperative as your little guy.

klav - I'm preparing for work by trying not to think about it! Actually, the only thing I'm doing to prepare is building up a freezer stash of milk. I'm also mentally trying to work out a schedule so I can figure out how many bottles I need to leave with DH each day. I guess I'm also mentally preparing myself for how tired I'm going to be again! I'm spoiled because B likes to "sleep in" and we don't get out of bed most days until 9:30-10.

nuhmah - You're giving me a glimmer of hope about turning the corner! I am looking forward to the slowing down of the nonstop eating AND the early evening fussiness that just started up. I want my sweet boy back! I'm glad to hear things are going well for you! Oh- and I have a question for you--I read on the babywearing thread that you got a Kozy-- are you able to BF Jamie in it?

We had a pretty uneventful weekend. We did go to Target on Friday for pictures and they turned out really good! We ordered 5 poses-- and 6 sheets. We will definitely be returning to Target for his 3 month photos-- and maybe pictures for Christmas cards in November. We bought their "card"-- in which we get $10 off everytime we buy $60 worth of photos.

I also was able to go to sushi with my friend today (finally got to eat tuna again woo-hoo!)-- B came with us and was SO good (which is good because he's been super fussy lately). I brought a bottle of EBM with me because I am still not ready to NIP (I haven't mastered the conceal--it's hard with an unstable neck). I'm looking forward to the day that I stop being so modest!

a_spark

08-13-2006, 07:08 PM

I agree with you guys, it's so nice to hear that we're all dealing with similar issues! Ava's got the evening fussiness too and it's crazy. We've been trying to soothe her for 3 hours now and I'm wondering if she has colic. We can get her quiet for a minute or two, but then she cries again. It's kind of frustrating (obviously!), more for DH than for me, because the boob usually helps. He has no means to soothe her when she's like this and I know it's hard for him. She's great during the day- as long as she gets fed on time, lol! But we've been out to eat a ton and she usually sleeps right through. Except today. We went to brunch with friends and she was really hungry and refused the bottle (we brought an Avent and I think the nipple we have is too fast for her), so I was forced to NIP. I didn't want to, because we're using nipple shields, so feeding time is a bit messy and sometimes it's a struggle to get her latched on quickly because she likes to tear the shield off and toss it aside when she's frustrated. Thankfully, she got on immediately and I just draped a blanket over her and she passed out after eating. It was kind of liberating! Everyone was cool about it except this one table with an older man and woman at it that kept staring at me and talking. Oh well. It's entirely possible that they were saying nice things about me so I'll choose to believe that.

tummy time Ava's not really cool with tummy time. She'll hang out for a couple of minutes on the floor but then she gets mad. She does like to lay on her tummy on our chests, however. In general, she prefers to be held than to be alone.

ETA: DH swaddled her and popped a pacifier in her mouth and she's quiet! For the moment...we need her to go to sleep!

maryanne

08-13-2006, 10:21 PM

from melody's first game at yankee stadium...I am so bummed that she isn't fully in the pic!

http://images1.snapfish.com/3478767%3C7%7Ffp347%3Enu%3D3236%3E2%3B9%3E%3B69%3E WSNRCG%3D3233%3A6464%3B%3B75nu0mrj

It was really easy. We parked (for free) about 3/4's of a mile away and put her in her baby bjorn. It was really comfortable for me and her. She slept thru the entire game. What a delight!

***
Playing...Hwen did everyone's kids start liking tummytime? Melody is 6 weeks now and doesn't have much interest in playing with toys or being in the swing. She just likes to be held and fed..lol! She loves going out, and seeing the world as long as it is with me carrying (or pushing) her. She seems to take it all in and has not shown signs of wanting to particpate. The one thing that I like is that she is fine with the "pass the baby game" as long as we are nearby. I sometimes worry that I am not giving her enough stimulation though.

nuhmah

08-13-2006, 10:34 PM

nuhmah - You're giving me a glimmer of hope about turning the corner! I am looking forward to the slowing down of the nonstop eating AND the early evening fussiness that just started up. I want my sweet boy back! I'm glad to hear things are going well for you! Oh- and I have a question for you--I read on the babywearing thread that you got a Kozy-- are you able to BF Jamie in it?

I am hoping this "corner" we are turning is not a fluke! I will keep my fingers crossed for the next few days!

I LOOOOOVE my new Kozy! For anyone interested, the website is www.kozycarrier.com - I have the green paisley one (there are pics in the babywearing thread). I haven't tried to BF in it yet, but I will try once his neck is a little more stable. Probably in the next couple of weeks - I wore him in the Kozy for a block party the other night and no one knew there was a baby in there! It is so private, I can't wait until we can begin NIP in this thing.

makena32204

08-14-2006, 09:13 AM

nuhmah - your post in the babywearing thread has inspired me to get a Kozy. I called today and am waiting for a response. I'm hoping they can "rush" one to me so that I can have it by the time we go on vacation.

mkvh

08-14-2006, 10:36 AM

nuhmah--Glad to hear you guys are turning the corner! I am so jealous of your Kozy. DH is averse to BW, and so he's not too keen on my forking out the cash to get ANOTHER fabric carrier. Although he LOVES his Jeep carrier. :rolleyes:

maryanne--awesome that you're getting out! As for tummytime, Clara doesn't last very long. But she does a great job of holding her head up and even pushing with her feet. She has a couple toys that make noise that she'll pay (very short) attention to. So I use those to try to get her to move her head from side so side. FWIW, we do in on a blanket on the couch, and DH or I sit next to her. I think it's more comfy than the floor?? No interest in the play mat yet...

a_spark--Yay for you for successfully NIP!! It's liberating to be able to leave the house and have baby behave, isn't it? Sorry you're dealing with the crankies. I use the boob too, shamelessly. Although there are times I want to cut her off!

Wrighty--You'd better scan in some of those 1 month pics! I can't wait to see them. I'm still debating on whether to get them done...

hokiegirl--I go back Friday for my appointment, and I'm a bit concerned too. I only had 2nd degree tears (yes, I think there were more than one :rolleyes: ), but one of them seems to have extended pretty far out, and it gets "rubbed" a lot. I also think that it pulls open, so it's still tender. I hope that it's just taking a little longer to heal. As for the longer sleep stretches, do you try to cluster feed before bed and "top him off" right as he goes to sleep (or even as a dream feed)? That helps us out...

Mystikal--Good luck with the interviews! I hope your "dream job" works out!!

Whew...and I know I'm still missing people...

We're doing well. Clara actually slept in her crib last night! I carried her upstairs awake to do something in the nursery, and when I laid her down in the crib, she just conked out. So I plugged in the monitor and left her there. That was 8 PM. She woke up to eat at between 1 and 2, and she struggled to go back to sleep for about a half hour...I think I need a dimmer light in the nursery. I don't know how you guys do it with your fussy babies--I give you a LOT of credit. I was at my wits' end by the end of the 1/2 hour. But she did go back to sleep and slept from 2-6. Then I brought her into bed with me and nursed on and off till 10 AM. Not a bad night. But I was SO sad that she is a "big girl" sleeping in her crib!! I nearly cried. DH thought I was nuts and was SO glad to have our privacy back.

On that note, anyone else feeling pressured (in a good way) by their DHs to resume, ahem, intimacy? I WANT to, but I'm still tender "down there".... How are you handling it?

Other than that, life with Miss Clara is good. She's sleeping in her carseat right now, where I put her while I wolfed down a salad for lunch. Hey...whatever it takes, right?

klav

08-14-2006, 11:22 AM

On that note, anyone else feeling pressured (in a good way) by their DHs to resume, ahem, intimacy? I WANT to, but I'm still tender "down there".... How are you handling it?

we tried to DTD last friday. but I was still sore or rather I felt a slight burn sensation.. sooo try this week some time:confused:

Lil_Mrs_0702

08-14-2006, 12:51 PM

Hey Ladies-
I am officially back to work today. It really isn't as bad as I thought it would be (I was up 1/2 the night crying because I have to leave my baby). But now that I am here it feels like the first day back to school. DH came with Collin and had lunch together then I went up and pumped a few oz.

DTD- I have the go head to DTD again. It is kind of weird and I am not enjoying it too much yet because it just feels kind of awkward. I think it is just going to take some getting used to again. One factor that my OB warned me about is that my cervix has moved. It was curved to the left and now it is dead and center. I didn't know that it could do that.

Tummy time- Collin hated tummy time at first then he took it as an opportunity to take a nap. I put it to the side until he started showing real interest in climbing us and using his arms and legs together. I reintroduced last week at 7 weeks and he loves it now!! He just digs in like you see in football training! It is too cute to watch him grunt, kick, drool, and try so hard.

Collin was doing really good at first about being put down to sleep but I think I messed that up in the last two weeks. I started cuddling him in the mornings and know he hates to sleep by himself. He wakes up grunting and kicking 20 minutes later after he realizes he is alone.

well I got a meeting in a couple of minutes. TTYL

hokiegirlie

08-14-2006, 02:13 PM

I had my 6 week appt this morning. Dr. advised against DTD still because of my stitches. He froze--or burnt--off a piece of scar tissue that had formed. He said this was what was giving me so much trouble and that it should feel better soon. Ack. I have to go back at the end of next week.

Tummy Time: Matthew loves being on his stomach. We have a tummy time mat with a little pillow. Everytime my DH puts him on it, he thinks that he has to 'climb' over the pillow. He is actually sleeping on his tummy right now. He's right in front of me and that's the only time I let him do it--so I can watch him the whole time, but he loves it. He switches his head from side to side and when he wakes up, he looks all around for me. He has really good neck strength--keep in mind that he weighs 12 lbs, though :)

mkvh I can't believe you have such a wonderful sleeper. I shouldn't complain about ours but I would love it if he would sleep just one 4-hour stretch. I definitely think the problem is the nighttime feedings. He eats a lot more in the evenings--every hour to hour and half. I feel like by the time he eats at 9:45 or 10pm (before he goes to bed) that there is absolutely nothing left. He gets a little frustrated and is sucking as hard as he can. Is there anything I can do about this?

Going back to work I am in serious denial about this. I have hardly no stash of milk built up and have vowed to spend the next three weeks working on this. I haven't decided on daycare and I haven't talked to my boss about my part-time schedule. I thought I'd be really ready to go back but I am SO not ready!

klav

08-14-2006, 03:02 PM

so those going back to work.
how frequent do you pump to get ready? and are you freezing it or just refrigerating it?

nuhmah

08-14-2006, 03:14 PM

makena - I know that she has some of the "Nora" pattern in stock, she may be able to get one of those to you!! Also, if you feel like waiting, the Appotomax (or whatever) is gorgeous, and I tried it on at the conference. I may have to order one of those on the sly! ;)

mkvh - I found this picture
http://jamieandjen.com/Gallery1/albums/album26/bw13.jpg

and I am in the process of finding a jersey to have one made for DH. He said he will wear it, but that is the only way. Since they are reversible, maybe that could be an option for you! :)

back to work - I am not going back to work, and it feels weird. This is the time of year that I get my lesson plans together, order new materials, and begin practicing music to teach in the beginning of the year. :( Sad, but I am sure it will be ok.

DTD - I have my 6-week OB appointment later this week, I should have the "all clear" from her soon!

nursing - has gotten a THOUSAND times better, even again! The shield really has helped and we have now nursed 2 days without it on the injured side with no re-injury. Woohoo!!

Mystikal

08-14-2006, 03:37 PM

maryanne the scar is doing much better. It turns out that it was an irritated stitch. I have my appt Wednesday so hopefully everything is cool.

Tummy Time Julia doesn't really have any interest in being on her tummy. (Unless she is on our chests.) We put her on the floor and she just lays her head down. After a few minutes she starts looking for something to suck on and gets frustrated and starts crying. She does a great job at holding her head up, though. We can sit her on our laps and she can hold her head up on her own with no support! :eek:

We got er the kick and crawl aquarium a few weeks ago and she loves it. We lay her on her back underneath and she just babbles away and grins. She can amuse herself there for a good half hour. It's so much fun to watch her.

Mystikal

08-14-2006, 07:12 PM

Here's my mommy ID. MSH did a great job!

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y137/mrs_natalie/Mommy%20IDs/Jun06/MommyID_Mystikal.gif

ShelbyMay

08-15-2006, 06:54 AM

NIP: Not sure if I mentioned this here before, but I totally recommend the "hooter hider" from www.bebeaulait.com . It is great for NIP because you're covered, but you can see the baby from the top. L pulls off when the flow gets too strong for her, so I often have to relatch her a few times. I think it would be impossible for us to be discrete with just a blanket. Oh, and there's also some terrycloth sewn into one corner to clean up "spills".

DTD: Not exactly looking forward to it. I'm scared of the pain. I had my 6-week appt yesterday and my OB said everything is healed nicely. The exam didn't hurt, so I am hoping that is a good sign...? Lizard, Klav, and anyone else who has tried DTD so far: did your exam hurt? DH wanted to try it last night, but I told him I need a romantic evening for our "first time". I think we will try it this weekend. I'm also considering taking some of the pain pills I have leftover... :o Is that just horrible?

July&August2006Mommies

08-15-2006, 07:40 AM

***Updated to Here***
Sorry it took so long.

Sophia

08-15-2006, 07:54 AM

I feel horrible for being absent from the thread for so long. Things have been really hectic here.

The Mommy IDs look great. I got mine (http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y137/mrs_natalie/Mommy%20IDs/Jul06/MommyID_Sophia.gif), too, and posted it on page one. :) Remember to delete yours (or change it to a link) from where you posted it in the thread, as per the rules Katy posted.

DTD: Haven't yet, but we're dying to.

Tummy Time: Only on our chests in a semi inclined position. She doesn't like being totally flat on her belly, especially if she's not on us. She's lifting her head and chest up a little, though, so I know she's benefitting from it anyway.

Back to Work: I need to, soon, and I don't want to. :(

A few updates, crossposted from my LJ...

Monday night (Aug. 7):
The most amazingly bizarre thing happened last night. We fed Lili ~10PM, during which she fell asleep. At 10:30 we moved to the bedroom, tucked her in, and got ready for bed. By 11 we were asleep, too. Lili didn't wake up again till 5:20AM! She slept for 7 hours! I'm sure it's a fluke, and the mere fact I'm telling anyone about it will ensure it won't happen again for a long time, but that was so nice, especially after the four-hour cry-fest a few nights back!

Thursday night: Lili STTN again for a little over 6 hours!

Saturday: She was Little Miss Cranky Pants all day. I think she was cranky from being over-tired--she was having trouble napping. In any case, she started crying so hard for so long that her temperature went up to 100.6. We called the ped's after hours line and the on-call ped had us strip her down and wait 30 minutes before taking her temp again, and luckily it went down to normal. I was really worried though, because we thought maybe the reason she was crying was the fever, and not the other way around. The thing about Lili's fever is she'd been crying all day and I hadn't noticed anything off about her temp until we swaddled her to try to calm her down and then DH walked her for about 20 minutes. I think her crying/screaming, plus the swaddle, plus his body heat when he was holding her, is what made her temp go up. It started coming down quickly after we unswaddled her and I held her on my lap away from my body while I rocked her. Plus she finally calmed down and fell asleep, so she wasn't crying anymore. It was still scary, though, because she's so young.

Sunday night: she STTN again! For over 7 hours!

Monday: DH, Alex, and Bella all went back to work/school today. DH dropped them off at the middle school. I can't believe they're both in middle school. I pumped, Lili woke up and I fed her, and then I changed her clothes and freshened her up so we could go to Target & TRU. We then met DH for lunch at his parents' house, which was a surprise to him. And after that I followed him back to work so we could show Lili off. Everyone said she was adorable, although there was some debate over who she looked more like. Quite a few people asked me if I was "coming back to work" (I used to work there, too). Bella got on the phone almost immediately upon getting home from school and had it glued to her head for ages. I was able to pry her away from it long enough to learn that both she & Alex had a good first day.

Monday night: She slept almost 6 hours!

makena32204

08-15-2006, 08:32 AM

sophia - I am so jealous of your STTN, but good for you!! Amelia was overtired last night and barely slept at all yesterday, so it was a very rough night for DH and I. But, we split the duty and one of us slept in the guest room while the other had her in the bassinett in our room.

nuhmah - I ordered my Kozy in Chesapeake today. I am so excited! I spoke w/ Kristi and they were placing an order w/ the sewing house today and she is going to mark mine "rush" and put it on top so that I get it before we go on vacation w/ Amelia.

tummy time - This is usually just on our chests. But, she picks her head up a lot, so I'm not too concerned. She has been doing that since she was about a week old!

DTD - Somedays I'm ready, somedays I'm not. I know my DH is though! Not that he's pressuring me, but we joke about it a lot. I have two more weeks until my 6 week appt though.

mmisabel

08-15-2006, 10:19 AM

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y137/mrs_natalie/Mommy%20IDs/Jul06/MommyID_mmisabel.gif

Here's my Mommy ID!

Tummy time - depends on Nathan's mood. We usually just do it on the couch also, his neck is getting really strong too. He also likes lying on our chests and lifting his head up.

DTD - Got the go-ahead today. Although the exam was fine when he initially inserted the speculum I felt a lot of pulling and burning in the perineum. I think I'll turf it to this weekend!!

work - I'm going back October 2nd. I've been pumping after feeding to have a little stash and will do more in September. Definitely dreading the day like all the other mom's who have to work.

July&August2006Mommies

08-15-2006, 10:55 AM

***Updated to Here***

makena32204

08-15-2006, 12:25 PM

work - I am going back on Oct 9th. i'm dreading it in a way but also looking forward to interacting with people! I've just started building up my freezer stash. How much is everyone pumping and storing? How much should I have stored by the time I go back to work?

Wrighty26

08-15-2006, 01:41 PM

Work - I go back on the 28th (less than 2 weeks!). I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I really like and miss being at work (crazy I know)-- honestly I could have put some hours during the last couple of weeks (from home) but I've forced myself to "relax" and enjoy every day. Now I'm into this routine of laziness--so it should be interesting being on some kind of schedule again!

Pumping - I pump 3-4 times a day. I either pump after I feed (mainly in the mornings when my supply is high and then again @ 11pm) or while DH is giving Braeden his nightly bottle (sometimes at 4/5am). I've been trying to increase my supply and so far my stash is up to @ 70oz. I figure the more I pump now and save, the less I will be stressing once I get back to work!

Baby crying...more later :)

rande

08-15-2006, 02:26 PM

Hi Everyone,
Gosh I feel like I have not been on this thread in forever. I feel so bad for all the new babies that I have missed! Congrats to all and I am so glad to hear that everyone is doing well.

Things have been so crazy here. Drew initially loved the baby and showered her with kisses but now he is starting to get a tad jealous. Olivia is such a sweet baby but she has taken up so much of our time away from Drew. She has a bad case of reflux which makes her uncomfortable most of the time. She also has sensitivities to food that I am eating-dairy being one of them. In addition to our hospital stay for her high fever, we have had several trips to the ped. for her reflux and also a terrible rash that she developed on her face, neck, and chest. The doctor thinks that it is infant seborrhea. Anyone familiar with this? It itches her like crazy and looks like tons of small red dots that are very inflamed and her skin feels very dry and chapped. Not fun! I am hoping that I can start posting more soon. Right now, Livie is only sleeping about 8 hours a day-mostly catnaps and wants to be held all the time. In my free time, I try to give Drew my undivided attention.

Here are some pics from our newborn photo session:
http://images1.snapfish.com/34788%3B255%7Ffp347%3Enu%3D325%3A%3E94%3B%3E548%3E WSNRCG%3D3233%3A68%3A%3B9564nu0mrj
http://images1.snapfish.com/34788%3B255%7Ffp358%3Enu%3D325%3A%3E94%3B%3E548%3E WSNRCG%3D3233%3A68%3A%3B998%3Cnu0mrj
http://images1.snapfish.com/34788%3B255%7Ffp349%3Enu%3D325%3A%3E94%3B%3E548%3E WSNRCG%3D3233%3A68%3A%3B99%3A4nu0mrj
http://images1.snapfish.com/34788%3B255%7Ffp358%3Enu%3D325%3A%3E94%3B%3E548%3E WSNRCG%3D3233%3A68%3B325%3B9nu0mrj

makena32204

08-15-2006, 03:11 PM

wrighty- 70 oz!!! Holy cow, I am so behind! I have about 20 oz, but I still have 8 more weeks of maternity leave (although we'll be out of town for one, so I wont be able to freeze). I guess I should quit procrastinating and get pumping!

klav

08-15-2006, 03:35 PM

makena32204 LOL your not alone I'm about the same as you and I go back next monday!! if i find some one to cover monday and tuesday for that week only after that I'm good. So when freezing BM how do you thaw it ? by putting it in thee frig or some other way?
rande your pictures are too cute!! I hope Olivia's rash clears up that does not sound good.

Tummy time I try but for some reason this week or recently he does not like it I keep trying to see if he'll get over it.

so nothing new oooo I forgot I ordered the invatations for the baptism that we finally got peged down for sept 23rd!! so happy to get that done. And out of the way now I just have to out Dh gown together with my grandfathers and make it work. so we'll see... and yes SIL is a sponser because she can not really be a godmother becuase she's not catholic but my brother is and he' sthe Godfather so happy about that but not with SIL... o-well I guess I can win them all it will just be like Liam only has a godfather and no godmother

Sophia

08-15-2006, 03:40 PM

There's good info on BM storage and handling HERE (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html), info on reusing/reheating EBM HERE (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/reusing-expressedmilk.html), and info on how much EBM you'll need HERE (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html).

klav

08-15-2006, 03:43 PM

thank you sophia

Mystikal

08-15-2006, 04:53 PM

Sophia so jealous of your STTN. Julia went down last night at 10:30 and was up from 2-2:45, then from 3-4:15 wide awake. I was rocking her and was so tired I was begging her to go to sleep and she was just staring at me when she suddenly gave me this big ole grin and even a bit of a giggle. It totally melted my heart, but damn, I'm exhausted!! :(

Sophia

08-15-2006, 05:10 PM

sophia - I am so jealous of your STTN, but good for you!! Amelia was overtired last night and barely slept at all yesterday, so it was a very rough night for DH and I. But, we split the duty and one of us slept in the guest room while the other had her in the bassinett in our room.

Sophia so jealous of your STTN. Julia went down last night at 10:30 and was up from 2-2:45, then from 3-4:15 wide awake. I was rocking her and was so tired I was begging her to go to sleep and she was just staring at me when she suddenly gave me this big ole grin and even a bit of a giggle. It totally melted my heart, but damn, I'm exhausted!! :(

If I had any tips on how to get Amelia & Julia to STTN I would gladly share them. I'm still stunned she's doing it and don't really expect it, so every time it happens it's like a nice surprise.

ShelbyMay

08-15-2006, 08:58 PM

rande: Lydia has seborrhea, too. I thought it was just run-of-the-mill infant acne at first, but it just kept getting worse and spread from her face to her neck and chest. Her ped. said to apply 1% hydrocortisone ointment sparingly 2x daily. It cleared up a lot, but then I stopped using the ointment and today it came back with a vengeance. :rolleyes: How are you treating Olivia's?

nuhmah

08-15-2006, 10:34 PM

I am so excited - I figured out how to nurse Jamie in my new sling

http://jamieandjen.com/Gallery1/albums/House/100_4418.sized.jpg

http://jamieandjen.com/Gallery1/albums/House/100_4421.sized.jpg

(if anyone wants me to take them down, I will)

lindybug

08-15-2006, 11:00 PM

nuhmah ~ That is great! I have a mei tai and a kozy on the way, so it's good to know that's possible. Are you wearing a regular shirt and a nursing tank? Is it hard to do?

makena32204

08-16-2006, 06:45 AM

STTN- We had a second horrible night in a row. It didnt help that I wasnt feeling well and didnt get a chance to nap yesterday. DH and I tried everything - including taking her for a drive. Nothing worked. She finally konked out around 1:00 a.m. (started screaming around 9:00) and then was up at 4:00 and 7:00. She hasnt napped any this morning either. Right now, she's just laying on our bed looking around, so atleast I have a little break.

sophia - thanks for the links. That's great info!

nuhmah- I cant wait to get my Kozy. it's going to make BF much easier when on vacation since I havent NIP yet. I might PM you if I cant get the hang of it!

nuhmah

08-16-2006, 08:09 AM

lindy & makena - yes, it was pretty easy!! I am wearing a nursing tank underneath, and all I did was pull the shirt up, open the flap and latch him. I did have to "scoot" him down a little lower than I would normally carry him in the Kozy - that might be helpful. Also, I had to reach in through the sides to get him to latch ok (support his head, etc). Looking back at these pictures, I will probably tuck the burp cloth near the side just to give some more side privacy, but I was home so I didn't care. ;) Since he was upright he actually got a good burp about halfway through (without me doing anything) and stayed latched while doing it. He just kept on going, and there was hardly any spit up when we were done (I think because he was upright and felt fuller faster).

Wrighty26

08-16-2006, 08:49 AM

Nuhmah - Yay! You've definitely convinced me to buy a Kozy. Having to leave someplace because I'm not ready to pop out the boob in public is getting old :)

Makena - Sorry about the lack of sleep :( I hate those days!

Rande - Good to see you in here! Olivia is SO cute--and I love that one of her and Drew. Sorry you've been to the ped so much, what a pain in the ass! The seborrhea does not sound like fun either.

Things here have been good....Braeden has been fussy between 7-10, but we're dealing with it. I think it's a combination of growing and being overtired, because he definitely fights sleep around that time.

The good news is that he's been having longer stretches of sleep-- he goes to bed @ 10 now and has the pattern of sleeping 4 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours. I've been trying to feed him every 2 hours during the day--and that's seemed to help drag out the sleeping at night--plus he just seems happier during the day.