July 2006 Mommies and Babies!

[MMK]

spitting up: I think it occurs more as a result of teething as well. I would imagine this combined with the sitting up position would result in extra amounts of spit?

sorry to hear about all these sick babies! We've so far managed to avoid any significant sickness but ds starts daycare :( two days a week next week so I'm sure something will be heading our way.

Speaking of daycare...It's so weird to think of him being cared for by someone else; even for just a couple of days a week. I'm trying not to freak out but it's hard. I know it's good for both of us (we could both use some outside socialization) but I'm just going to really miss him. At least I get to ease into it. We're starting with 1/2 days for the first two weeks before going to two full days.

6 months: I'm finding it hard to believe we've had these babies for 6 months! Were does the freaking time go?

breastfeeding: has anyone else with a 6 month goal decided to extend their time? I guess we'll be going a little longer since I'll need to wean but I think I'm going to start this process soon. For as much as I love/loved out bf relationship, I'm just starting to feel sort of done with it. I hate that I feel guilty saying that but it's true.

And to complete this meandering post...I just stopped into this little local store and scored two pairs of robeez for $20. NICE!

[Soulmate]

Speaking of being sick, DS is sick for the first time today :( But it really isn't so bad besides the fact that he hasn't slept since 9am. But he isn't really that cranky. He has a bad cough, runny nose, and is sneezing but is still smiling and giggling away (even with the sleep deprivation!). He made it through everyone in our house being sick and sick babies at daycare and now, when no one else is sick, he is...go figure!

crawling I am 90% certain DS will not crawl. I think he will go from sitting to standing to walking. He shows no interest in either his belly or moving about. He is perfectly happy sitting and laying on his back. If I move toys away from him, he will play with his hands or feet. If I put him on his belly he immediately rolls over. If he tips forward while sitting he will fall flat on his face w/o catching himself with his hands :rolleyes: But he really gets a kick out of standing and can bear all weight on his legs and just hold on for balance.

Sitting Up DS can sit up unattended for quite a while and I can cautiously leave the room but it is still not wise. I did once and he fell backwards (on plush carpet and a quilt) and started crying. I think it just scared him more than anything since I am usually there to catch him.

Development It really is fascinating how one day our babies are not doing anything and then the next it is in full force. At 5 months or so I was getting concerned because DS would not bear any weight at all on his legs and his knees would buckle immediately. Then just last week he could bear all weight on his legs. Weird.

Bathtub Swimming DS is still in his tub but its getting too small (I can't believe that my little monkey is getting so big!) and would love to try that. Knowing DS though he'll just look at me wide eyed and just lay there!

[nuhmah]

Soulmate - tub swimming on his tummy might be a great way to get your DS into more tummy time. I know that my DS HATES tummy time, but loves swimming in the tub!

Today is our 6 month mark... where did the time go?!?! Anyone else in the middle of a growth spurt and teething? Oh joy & rapture! :p

[klav]

MMK WOW what a deal!!
I feel the same about the BF thing I'm starting to think abouot weening him replacing one feeding at a time... I have been on and off giving DS formula .. and he does not seem to mind as long as is warm

[ShelbyMay]

I feel like I am always venting in here, but I need to do it again :( :

DD is finally healthy, except for the stuffy, runny nose and sneezing that has been ongoing since about Thanksgiving. Oh, and the yeast infection brought on by the antibiotics. But compared to other weeks.... She's doing relatively well.

I, on the other hand, am nearing some sort of breakdown. DD has started waking up at least 3 times a night since Christmas. That, combined with my own insomnia and miserable cold, has led to me getting about 3 hours of sleep each night for the past 5 nights. DH has apparently forgotten his resolve to help more, and this morning I was SO close to just smacking him in the head with a pillow. The 4th time she woke up crying, I snapped at him that I needed sleep and (after apparently mulling it over for a few minutes while DD screamed) he finally got up. 30 minutes later, he put her (awake) in bed next to me and went back to sleep himself. I spent the next hour trying to get comfortable on my 12 inches of available mattress space and ended up just sitting up in bed and crying out of sheer exhaustion and frustration. He never even noticed. I was sick all day again today and DD had to get her 6 month shots, so she is super-fussy and probably will be tomorrow, too. DH is out with his friends.

I know when I confront him about all of this, he'll say something like, "Well don't I always help when you ask me to?" But I don't want to have to ask him to show some consideration and help out! He knows I am sick and exhausted -- Why should I have to explain that I could use some help?!?

Sigh.

[Wrighty26]

It is ironic that on the eve of Braeden's 6-month birthday, AF came strolling into town? Yep, the witch is back :( I have not missed her! Luckily we've been "protecting" lately. No 2007 baby for us please! It's weird - I've had none of my typical "signs" that she was coming, with the exception of an achy back.

Sick - Braeden is sick too (and now he's given it too me). It's horrible listening to his stuffy nose and cough. I really thought he was wheezing last night (I have asthma and my brother had it severely as a child - so it's nothing I want to play around with) - so my DH took him to the Dr. this morning (it's his day off). My Dr. has walk in hours in the morning, so they saw him right away. She said he's definitely got a nasty cold, but nothing more and the best thing I can do for him is breastfeed, breastfeed, and more breastfeed. I also gave him some Infant Tylenol Cold and Cough (with Dr. approval) and it has really helped dry up his little nose. Poor fella! She did weigh him though and he's up to 17lbs! I can't believe I have a 17lb baby.

Breastfeeding - I think I'm the opposite of some of you. My goal was originally 6 months and I can't see myself stopping any time soon. I really enjoy the time I have with him and he just LOVES to breastfeed now. I can even see myself going past a year. Did I really just write that?

Daycare - I am interviewing an in-home daycare next week with the hopes we can find someone to watch him about 10 hours a week (maybe a little more). I'd rather have a nanny -but at the same time, I think he needs to interact with other kids (plus, it's been really tough finding someone)! My good friend/coworker is also interviewing this woman. For some reason, we'd both feel more comfortable if our babies were going to the same place!

I'm going to go pump and pass out for the night. Kinda sad that I plan on going to bed at 9pm on a Friday :( I haven't done that since I was pregnant!

ETA - I'm sorry ShelbyMay -- I have been sleep deprived all week myself and it's no fun. Sorry about your unresponsive hubby. It is definitely frustrating when they can just shut everything out! I think you have every right to demand his help in all of this -- parenting is not one-sided! I hope you are able to get some sleep tonight...

[klav]

I 'm so sorry you feel so icky (((HUGS)))) kick him in the A$$ he needs to help without beng asked!!

[nuhmah]

Shelby - so sorry. I wish there was more I could say (or do), but all I can say is sorry. :( I really hope you feel better, and DD continues on her path to recovery!

Wrighty - ugh, that stinks! I am nowhere near having my period yet. I don't think!

Breastfeeding - my own personal goal is 18 months-2 years. I know that DH says he would be happy with a year, but I really don't see a need to stop. My mother thinks that a year is long enough, but I am not letting anyone else's outside opinion sway me. Honestly, I am more of a fan of Child Led Weaning (CLW) than forced weaning. When he is ready to stop, he will. Until then, I will cherish the fact that he wants to be close to me, because I know those days will be long gone in the future.

weight loss - yep, the dreaded resolution. I have put some weight back on during the holidays (the first time I have ever really done that!), so I STILL have not lost all my baby weight yet. I feel like a lard, and heavy winter sweaters don't help any. Anyone else out there with me? My stomach has absolutely no definition to speak of... I still look about 4 months pregnant.

[emmjay]

weight loss - yep, the dreaded resolution. I have put some weight back on during the holidays (the first time I have ever really done that!), so I STILL have not lost all my baby weight yet. I feel like a lard, and heavy winter sweaters don't help any. Anyone else out there with me? My stomach has absolutely no definition to speak of... I still look about 4 months pregnant.
Oh, I am with you, sister! I am now 15 lbs over what I was when I got pg with Seamus, and now we are TTC again so I am freaking out even more because I can't imagine weighing more than I did this time. We are doing a weight-loss challenge with my ILs (which couple loses the combined higher % of weight) - we still have to think of a prize. Anyway, I know how you feel. I'm doing WW Core and I think it works, albeit slowly.

[mkvh]

Shelby and Wrighty--sorry about the sleep deprivation and the sick babies. Hope it gets better soon!

Spitting Up--We had our first projectile incident in a LOOOONG LOOOONG time tonight, but she gorged herself AND she is sick. I think their digestive systems just go thru so much change that there will be times they'll be sick!

Sick Babies--We officially have RSV--tis rampant here. But I think we're rounding the corner. Thank heavens. Those coughs are horrible to hear!

AF--Not yet, but my hair is shedding, and I've had several days of fertile CM. Maybe in a couple weeks! It's so weird to be preventing after a year and a half of not.

Breastfeeding--Since we want to actively TTC in July, I would love to have my cycles back to normal by then. Plus, we're going on vaca right after C's first birthday, and I would LOOOOVE not to have to nurse! So I'm contemplating weaning just short of a year. My initial goal was a year.

Oh, Shelby, once again your DH sounds like he needs a good swift kick... sorry!

MMK--awesome deal on the Robeez. So jealous!

Soulmate--The development is an amazing thing for sure!

I know I'm missing some of you...happy 1/2 birthday to all our late June/early July babes!!

[Amaye]

weight loss - I feel like a lard, and heavy winter sweaters don't help any. Anyone else out there with me? My stomach has absolutely no definition to speak of... I still look about 4 months pregnant.

<Raising hand> Count me in!! I feel disgusting and it's really starting to get to me now. I am also going to start WW soon - I can't deal with the endless search for something to wear to work that fits or wearing the same darn clothes over and over again. I had lost all my baby weight before l came back to work and then began to gain weight AGAIN. ugh!!

MMK I had a goal of 6mths and I'm trying to make it there. We are already supplementing because of my supply issues and it's gotten worse. I barely pump 12oz each day and DD takes 36oz in a 24hrs. I'm depressed about it - I've done all l can to increase my output but nothing is working. I have to log the pump back and forth on the crowded subway and my back is killing. I am barely limping to 6mths - I just want to make it so that DD can have her 6mths shots on 1/27 and we are DONE! It doesn't help that her dairy sensitivies limit what I can eat - she is so sensitive she reacts to any little dairy. I'm so done....

Soulmate Sorry about DS being sick - hopefully he will feel better soon. DD is definitely going to do the crawling thing - if you put her on her belly, she slides her way around everywhere while trying to taste the carpet! - you can't leave alone.

ShelbyMay Ugh!! So sorry! I would have killed him by now. I have come to see that at times, you just have to tell a man upfront that you need help. You think they could see it for themselves but at times, they seem to think we are superhuman.

Wrighty26 Boo to AF! Mine came back last month which sucked! I also had the achy back. You go with your 1yr BFing - I so wish I could make it there. I felt guilty for a while about it, but one has to make the right decision to be sane...:p

mkvh RSV? That must suck!! Hope she gets better soon!

I came home today and DD was jumping all over the place - even when you carry her. It's the cutest thing ever. She sits in her exersaucer and jumps all over the place. She is also belly crawling. I'm definitely going to miss the days of putting her one place and having her stay there.

I have been having really bad pains in my left arm. From my thumb to jhalf way to my elbow hurts a lot. I think it's from balancing DD on that arm a lot but I don't know - does anyone have the same issue? Let's not even start with my back muscles - it's killing me. I need to go see a doctor soon.

[Can't_Wait]

Breastfeeding My original goal was to at least go to a year but I am open to longer if DD isn't ready to wean at that point. I think it is such a beautiful thing to breast feed. I love to see women breastfeeding (not in a sick way)... makes me happy & sometimes makes me choke up. Never thought this way before DD. There was a picture in the Mothering magazine last issue of a little girl breast feeding her stuffed bunny. It just made me smile... to think of what an important impact whomever she is immitating has had on her life & the life of her future children. :)


Breastfeeding - my own personal goal is 18 months-2 years. I know that DH says he would be happy with a year, but I really don't see a need to stop. My mother thinks that a year is long enough, but I am not letting anyone else's outside opinion sway me.
Good for you. :)
Honestly, I am more of a fan of Child Led Weaning (CLW) than forced weaning. When he is ready to stop, he will. Until then, I will cherish the fact that he wants to be close to me, because I know those days will be long gone in the future.
I like the idea of this as well.


It doesn't help that her dairy sensitivies limit what I can eat - she is so sensitive she reacts to any little dairy.
Does formula not bother her since it is derived from dairy or do you use soy?

weight loss I am down below my weight at my 1st drs. visit when I was first pregnant by 5 pounds BUT (big BUT) my stomach is awful! It is so squishy & untoned, I hate it. So I hope to get back to the gym starting this month & see what I can do to get it looking better. I wonder if it will ever be the same?

[ShelbyMay]

Thanks, ladies. I basically told him that I was taking cold medicine and going to bed, and he needed to take care of DD tonight or else I was going to have a breakdown. He was totally willing and is planning to take care of her while I rest tomorrow, too -- The only problem is that now I can't fall asleep!

The irony, huh?

solids: Any other babies take a sudden increased interest in solids? DD has always been sort of ho-hum about them, but today it was like she just couldn't get enough! We've been doing 1-2 cubes at dinner, and then this past week I added 1 cube at lunch time. Well, she had 2 cubes at lunch today and I thought she might not be very hungry tonight because she got her shots. First I gave her 1 cube of pumpkin mixed with 1 cube of applesauce. She gobbled it down and then cried when I got up to put her bowl away. So I then gave her 1 cube of sweet potatoes mixed with rice cereal. Again, gobbled it down and cried when I got up. So THEN, I gave her 1 cube of pears mixed with rice cereal, and about halfway through that she finally started to slow down. She still finished all of it, though. It was crazy! I guess we are going to try 1 cube for breakfast in the morning and see how that goes. Maybe she is in the throes of the 6-month growth spurt.

nursing : I am a little concerned because her weight at today's appt was only 1 pound more than her weight at her 4 month wbv. Her doctor didn't seem concerned and said it was probably because she hasn't been feeling well, but I am a little worried about my milk supply. I know my supply leveled out a couple of months ago and I am not supposed to feel as "full" as I did in the beginning, but I've noticed that I just seem... flatter lately. I think I will start taking the More Milk Plus again for a while to get back on track.

My initial goal was 6 months of BFing, but now I would like to continue to 12 months. I feel like we have overcome too much to stop now that it is easier. I still don't regret supplementing with formula, though -- I personally feel like getting that little bit of freedom is what saved me fom quitting BFing altogether.

daycare: Can you tell me how your daycare handles naps? DD is starting MDO soon, and I am worried because she generally refuses to nap unless she has a dark, quiet room. And when she doesn't nap, she is SO CRANKY and miserable. She will be in a small class with just her age group, and their play area, eating area, and cribs are all in one room. She is such a light sleeper that I don't even flush the toilet in our hall bathroom when she is sleeping because it really could wake her up, so I don't know how she is going to sleep with other kids in the room!

Also, how much of your DC's belongings do you label with his/her name? I am supposed to label her diapers, I know, but do I also label her bottles? What about her pacifiers? Her toys? I am picturing my DD looking very silly with a name-labeled paci in her mouth. On the other hand, those things aren't cheap and I don't want hers getting taken home by someone else!

weight loss: I am down to my prepregnancy weight, but nothing looks or fits the same. My tummy is big and squishy, my thighs are rubbing together, and I swear my boobs are a good 2 inches lower than they used to be. My gym membership starts next week, and they have affordable child care, so I hope I can get motivated to go. I hate exercise, but maybe I can make myself do it if it means I also get a "break" from mommy duty. Although I am tempted to take DD up there and just read a magazine in the locker room while someone else watches her for 2 hours. :o

[a_spark]

Hi Girls! We just got back from vacation so I have missed a ton! I'll try to get caught up but not sure if that's possible! Just a couple of things:

We just got back from a week in Mexico with DH's family (and our first trip with Ava!). It went SO well, much better than expected. A was a rock star on the plane and all through the trip. The only hard part was that she woke up every 2 hours to be fed every night. Ugh! I got used to it though. I'm chalking it up to her 6-month growth spurt and being in an unfamiliar place. She acquired a lot of new skills on the trip, too- laughing (BEST sound ever!! it's hard to get her to do it- she's a tough crowd), and sitting up almost unassisted with awesome posture. It was her first time meeting DH's parents, so it was a really big trip for us all. MIL and FIL were much better than expected, though of course I got some unsolicited advice about A's reflux and the ubiquitous "she'll sleep when she's tired, why does she need regular naps." I ignored it all and DH fielded the reflux advice which I am particularly sensitive about, having tried EVERYTHING. I know they're just trying to help, but jeez. It makes me crazy.

I'll try to catch up with some of the topics...

breastfeeding In spite of the fact that we are STILL battling thrush, I plan on nursing for at least a year. I really love our BF relationship and it's SO easy! A's reflux was really bad just before I left and she would only take bottles the day before we were leaving (so weird, since she HATES the bottle ordinarily) and I was in a panic trying to figure out what to bring, etc... if I had to bottle feed her.

weight loss I still have about 7 lbs to go to my pre-preg weight. My body is definitely curvier than it was- boobs are bigger, hips are bigger- I just look different. I actually don't mind, but I'd like to not have the "muffin top" when I wear jeans, thanks.

solids We tried rice cereal on Xmas Eve, but as it turned out, A seems to be allergic. Her reflux got about 100 times worse for the few days we were giving it to her so the ped said to hold off until her 6 month visit and we'll talk about a game plan for what else to try then. Aside from that, she seemed not to mind eating!

Ok, sorry about the novel! Hope everyone is doing well and Happy New Year! :)

[Amaye]

Originally Posted by Can't_Wait
Does formula not bother her since it is derived from dairy or do you use soy?

She is also allergic to soy so we are using hypoallergenic formula (alimentum). Smells and tastes nasty but she downs it with no problems. A friend of mine recommended brewer's yeast to up my supply. Have anyone heard of it working?

[maryanne]

yepbrewers yeast will work, but beer will do the same thing and it tastes better :)

[makena32204]

yepbrewers yeast will work, but beer will do the same thing and it tastes better :)

I was wondering why my supply was up lately!! :D

My original BF goal was 6 months, but I'm almost there and it's going so well, that I think I am going to continue on. I think I'll set 8 months as my next goal and I'll see what happens when it gets here.

[hokiegirlie]

Breastfeeding My goal was 6 months and we're at 6m1d. We've had a great experience so we're gonna keep on doing it. I said something to my mom the other day about doing it for a year and she said, "Wow. That really seems like too long." I just laughed. My next goal is also 8 months and we'll re-evaluate then, but honestly, it's been really easy so I imagine we'll go longer.

AF Not yet. I haven't hardly thought about it and I hope it doesn't come anytime soon!

Sitting Up/Crawling Matthew has been sitting up on his own for a couple of weeks now. He prefers to sit up over laying on his back now. He's also not a fan of his tummy but loves to stand up and 'walk.' My brother never crawled and was walking at 10 months. I'd really prefer Matthew stay immobile for a little longer :)

Solids We've done cereal four times but that's it. He seemed okay with it the last two times but hasn't been crazy about it. We had our 6 month wbv yesterday and talked about starting solids. I actually bought some Gerber Organics and think we'll try something tomorrow.

I do have a question, though....the ped said to do cereal everyday and introduce a solid. So, when ya'll started solids, what was your schedule? Do I give him cereal and a food at one sitting? Is the evening the best time or does it matter? I really want to start making my own, but need to look into that first.

[Soulmate]

I do have a question, though....the ped said to do cereal everyday and introduce a solid. So, when ya'll started solids, what was your schedule? Do I give him cereal and a food at one sitting? Is the evening the best time or does it matter? I really want to start making my own, but need to look into that first.DS hates the cereal so we only do one food/sitting 1x/day. I am waiting until we go to his 6 mo WBV to see what the ped says about increasing how frequently we feed him. But I feed him solids after his early evening bottle (~6pm). If we go up to two feedings I'll bring food to his sitters and he'll probably eat after his 9am bottle. I think people mostly mix the chosen food with the cereal like bananas and cereal, etc. This is a really great website to use as a resource (http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/).

daycare: Can you tell me how your daycare handles naps? DD is starting MDO soon, and I am worried because she generally refuses to nap unless she has a dark, quiet room. And when she doesn't nap, she is SO CRANKY and miserable. She will be in a small class with just her age group, and their play area, eating area, and cribs are all in one room. She is such a light sleeper that I don't even flush the toilet in our hall bathroom when she is sleeping because it really could wake her up, so I don't know how she is going to sleep with other kids in the room!

Also, how much of your DC's belongings do you label with his/her name? I am supposed to label her diapers, I know, but do I also label her bottles? What about her pacifiers? Her toys? I am picturing my DD looking very silly with a name-labeled paci in her mouth. On the other hand, those things aren't cheap and I don't want hers getting taken home by someone else!When we were looking into switching DS' daycare a place similar to that was an option. It was one room with everything in it including a gigantic projection screen tv that was always on along with screaming kids. I saw all this and asked her where DS would sleep for naps and she pointed to the crib literally touching the gigantic tv. DS is similar to yours and I knew there was no way he'd ever sleep there and chose another place. I know it's not what you want to hear. I know there was a thread in parenting about picky sleepers and daycare and the consensus was that it was quite some time before they learned to sleep at daycare. But it all seemed to work out one way or another.

Weight Loss I still have about 10lbs of my pregnancy weight but I don't believe it has anything to do with the pregnancy. I quit a job while on maternity leave where I walked 1-2 miles a day as a part of my normal duties and I think that is more of a factor. It is soooo hard to exercise now that I have DS!

So Logan gave me his cold :mad: He is taking being sick a whole lot better than I am. I was already sleep deprived and I so didn't need to add being sick to the mix. I was having really weird dreams too.

[mia's mama]

Breastfeeding- I nursed DD for 12 months and plan to do the same this time around. We may even go a little longer since J is REFUSING to take a bottle all of a sudden. :rolleyes: I love our BFing relationship and I have been very lucky that it was really easy with both kids. I will say though that I am looking forward to having my body to myself after I wean...Between 2 pregnancies and BFing, I have literally had one kids or the other attached to my body for 3 years straight! :eek: (Will be 3.5 years if J weans at a year).

Weight loss- I am actually a few pounds below PP weight, though I am much softer (squishier) everywhere except my arms (presumably from carrying 2 kids around day in and day out). Jackson has been such a crappy sleeper and has nursed anywhere from 4-6 times/night since October and I swear it's sucking the lbs. off me...I would SO trade the weight loss for some sleep though..

Which brings me to sleep training:
We had the weekend form hell. The ILs are in town from Boston right now, and we had big plans to spend this weekend in Palm Desert- swiming, playing the sun etc. WELL. First of all it was warmer in BOSTON than in Palm Desert, CALIFORNIA...in JANUARY! Our first 2 days there (Thursday & Friday) were freezing and so windy! No joke- it never got higher than about 40 all day on Friday. Saturday was better once the wind died down, so at least DD got to swim in the pool with dad for an hour or so. The rest of the time was spent indoors and I was ready to rip my hair out.
To make matters so much worse, Jackson woke up about 37 times both Thursday and Friday night. We had a one-bdrm suite, so that we could put the kids to sleep at the regular time (about 7pm) and watch TV in the livingroom. That was fine, but of course when J woke up screaming at 9pm and then every 40 minutes thereafter, so did Mia...we had both kids awake and crying from 2:30-4am both nights. Finally I decided yesterday that Jackson and I were heading home early for some sleep-training...I can't take it anymore! I seriouslly have not slept for more than a 2-hour stretch since October.

Last night I let him scream it out for 25 minutes, but he slept until 2:30am! At that point he went back to sleep and was out until 7:20 this moring! I feel like a new woman!!!!! I still can't believe he only woke up once! We're sending Mia to my Mom's house tonight, so we can do the same thing...it's hard to let him scream when Mia is one room away and a light sleeper...

[Abby'sMom]

Stacey, do we have the same kid (well, except for J sleeping last night)?! I'd say LOL but it's not funny, is it?

mkvh, yikes to the rsv! Hope it goes away soon. I've been concerned about that a few times with L, but the ped always says he's ok.

BFing - I've always intended to go a year + with Logan. I got to 14 months with DD and then she self-weaned because I was pg and my milk had turned salty (I know because I tasted it). He too hates the bottle and won't take it unless you fight him for at least half an hour. But L loves nursing and there are even signs that his food intolerances are improving. I'm excited about being able to eat again soon. :)

Weight Loss - I'm about 13 pounds below my pre-pg weight (which ironically was 13 pounds below my start weight when I got pg with DD). I've had to buy a load of new clothes because I'm about 3 sizes smaller than I was a few years ago. I was shocked when I tried on a size 6 the other day and it actually FIT. I don't remember ever being a size 6. Sounds great, I know, but I'd happily weigh more if I could eat whatever I want, and SLEEP (like Stacey said) more than 45 minutes at a time.

Solids - None for us til 1/31, his 6-month 'birthday'. Allergy concerns, plus I see no reason to push it; he'll be eating solids for the rest of his life, after all. This time of 'mommy-only' nourishment is so precious to me. That said, we know he's ready - he lunges at food and imitates us chewing whenever we eat.

AF - She returned last month despite full-time BFing. Boo, hiss.

Sitting up and crawling - He's been sitting up for about a month now, and is getting stronger all the time. He's working away from the tripod position and toward the stiff-backed beanpole position that babies like so much. :)

[Mystikal]

weight loss - I feel like a lard, and heavy winter sweaters don't help any. Anyone else out there with me? My stomach has absolutely no definition to speak of... I still look about 4 months pregnant.
DH got me my gym membership for Christmas so I've been going a minimum of three times a week, striving toward five times. I am about fifteen pounds above where I was pre-pg (and I only gained 27 pounds). I am so disgusted with my body that DH and I rarely have sex more than once a month, which is very low for us. :o

sitting up/crawling DD is sitting up regularly, she looks like she wants to crawl and she does the "swimming" motion while she's on her tummy, but that's it. Honestly, I'd be happy if she'd just start rolling over! :rolleyes: She's still being stubborn about that. lol.

[Soulmate]

Mystikal DS still doesn't really roll over either. Stubborn heads!

Crib time I always struggle with this one and want to know how you guys handle this. DS is pretty laid back and is happy wherever he is. Sometimes I wake up and realize DS has been in his crib awake for a good period (like an hour or so) but he isn't making any noise and just playing with his bunny or crib toy. Or he'll act really tired, I'll put him in his crib and he'll just hang out up there usually for 30 minutes but sometimes an hour before falling asleep. He isn't crying and seems happy but I just feel really bad. So do your DCs hang out awake in the crib for a period of time? Is that o.k.? Even if it wasn't I wouldn't know what else to do since he is super cranky (with sleepy cues and at nap time) before I put him in the crib. Maybe he just needs some alone time ;)

[mkvh]

Thanks for the happy thoughts on the RSV! I think we're through the worst of it. Ugh!

Quick post to respond to Soulmate:
I too often wake up to C chirping away. Who knows how long she's been in there, but she smiles when I go to get here, so I'm thinking she's enjoying herself. And we nearly always put her down awake, but she goes to sleep pretty quickly. I think it's probably healthy for them to spend that time entertaining themselves--it must build independence. ;-)

[mmisabel]

Happy Monday. Yuck.

Makena - good luck going back to work. It's one of the toughest things I had to do, but it does get better as you get into a routine. I just remind myself that I'm doing the best thing for DS from a financial standpoint (and it's also not an option anyways). Also, having someone else take care of your child is tough, but you'll realize they really thrive around other children and it's good for the both of you to have a chance to miss each other. GOOD LUCK!!

ShelbyMay - At DS daycare we label everything. I bought a label maker at Target (I think it was only $20) to do the bottles, caps, and nipple rings. I use a Sharpie for diapers and mark his initials where the diaper folds. We use the Sharpie and write on the labels of his clothes. I send easy, comfortable stuff I don't care much about (sleepers or creepers). Make sure she has at least 2 changes of clothes. I take the label maker and put his initials only on the binkie. Luckily, our daycare sterilizes everything at the end of the day so it makes it a little easier. As far as sleeping, DS's daycare has a section with pack-n-plays in the back of the room. He doesn't sleep great there, but they are good about putting him down frequently like I ask. I usually call 1-2 times to check in and instruct them when he needs naps. It'll work out.

Soulmate - I think if DS is content hanging in the crib, I wouldn't worry. He'd let you know if he was unhappy.:)

Mia's mama and Abby's mom - Ugghh. Not getting sleep is the WORST. All I can say is "hugs".

breastfeeding - I finished on Christmas, just 4 days shy of 6 months. I think if I wasn't working full-time and was able to give DS more daily feedings (say at lunchtime) we would have gone longer. Like Amaye my supply dwindled fast and wasn't keeping up with DS's needs. Not to mention he really lost interest in breastfeeding. When I literally had to force his head onto my boob I decided it was time.:( I enjoyed the relationship we had but wasn't sad to pack away that damn pump. My goal was 4-6 months so I'm happy with that and won't allow myself to feel an ounce of guilt.

weight loss - sign me up!! I'm about 3lbs from pre-preggo, but 10 away from my "ideal" weight. I can't stand the pudgie tummy. I'm going to start WW next week, it's worked for me in the past. I wish I could find time to exercise, but by the time I pick DS up during the week I want to hang with him exclusively before he goes to bed. After he goes to bed I'm too exhausted from being up since 5:15am. I'm going to try to exercise at lunch at work and on the weekends. It's tough!!

solids - We do rice and a fruit or vegetable at dinner (about 1/4 cup of rice, 1/2 jar). I just started introducing oatmeal and a fruit around 9am after N's 1st bottle. Then he got sick and wasn't eating dinner either. So I'm restarting dinner and will start breakfast next week. His MD said it doesn't really matter. She said maybe shoot for 3 meals around 8-9 months.

6 month WBV - N is doing great. He's 15lb 9oz and 26.5 inches (<50% in both). His ear infection cleared up quickly and he's doing well. We lowered his crib this weekend and he's sitting pretty independently now.

Now that I've written a book, have a great week!!

[klav]

SO official I'm Unemployed right now. as defined by the unemployment office. I called to make sure but due to the fact there is no work and my boss said he will call me when there is work makes it official. so since I've been back from maternity leave I have worked full time for about 3-4 weeks and all the rest part time while others in the office work full time even though as it was explained to me this am we were not getting paid by the client. and that's my fault how? so I'm the one that suffers. so I called my boss before the claim was put in just to see where I stood and he's like you wanted part time, when what I had asked was if I could work 3 days from the office and 2 from home he agreed that was fine. then he started to say things were not a good as they were before so that's why I was not working from home Crock of poop. and saying I wanted to work part time. which is not what I asked him. Sooo as far as I know he'll call when there is work.. so now I have to look for something. I had put my resume out on Thursday to cabinet companies to see if there were hiring... have not heard from anyone ... so if anyone knows anything.. in the Annapolis area... I'm here!!!

[mmisabel]

klav - what a bummer. I hope you find something soon!

[Wrighty26]

klav - Sorry about the work situation :( That sucks! I hope you are able to find something and soon.

Makena -I don't think I told you this, but good luck going back to work! I can imagine it will be especially hard because you've been able to stay home longer and have gotten into a nice little routine. I agree with mmisabel though - it gets easier and it's it's necessary from a financial standpoint, although I have to admit, working keeps me sane!

mia's mama - How did it go last night?? I really feel for you and Abby'sMom. Honestly, I don't know how you ladies are doing it! Braeden has been waking up a lot since he's been sick and it SUCKS and I don't have a toddler running around (and waking up!).

ShelbyMay - I don't have any advice, but thanks for posting that question. I think we are going to start sending Braeden to an in-home daycare soon for about 10 hours a week and I really haven't thought of what I need to do to prepare his stuff.

mmisabel - I will definitely be asking you what I should be packing for B once he starts his going to daycare! Wow - Nathan had quite the growth spurt!! Glad to hear he is rockin' the 50th %!

Weight loss - Oddly enough I am 14lbs under my prepregnancy weight and I'm still losing. I'm a little freaked out by this because this is the thinnest I've EVER been and I wasn't overweight. Now I think I'm borderline underweight. I am in denial that the weight is going to stay off though, so I haven't gone TOO crazy with the new wardrobe. I figure it's because of breastfeeding and eating when I remember to :p I do try to eat as healthy as possible, but I'm definitely not dieting. I know a lot of would like to kill me now, BUT I also have lots of loose skin that I'd love to tone. I think once I start adding muscle, I'll gain some of that weight back.

AF - So, I thought she was coming for a visit, but apparently she decided to trick me. I was spotting on Friday, but nothing after that. This happened a few months ago too, so maybe my body is taking a little while to get back into the swing of things? No complaints here. I'd love for her to stay away (I say that now, but I'd like things to normalize by Summer 08, when we are TTC again).

Solids - Right now we are just going fruits/veggies one meal a day before his bath. Every time I try to add rice cereal into the fruit/veggies he yaks it up. I'm not sure what that's all about because he does fine when they are alone - but mixing it seems to bother him. I tried sweet potates/rice cereal last night-- he started crying around 9 and when I picked him up he projectile vomitted all over me. Then he started smiling and laughing. Glad someone thought it was funny!

Crib Time - I let Braeden hang out in his crib too. I can't imagine what he finds so amusing because he is still swaddled and basically just lays there until someone comes in to get him. He'll just lay there and babble and giggle for a good 45 minutes before he decides to ready for us to come pick him up. Sometimes he will babble himself back to sleep - which we are OK with :)

Development - Braeden has been cracking me up lately with the sitting. He isn't sitting up fully on his own yet, but he does not like to lay on his back anymore. The routine goes like this: I put him on his belly and when he gets tired of that he rolls over. Then he gets frustrated that he on his back and isn't sitting up so he "tries" to sit up and then yelps when he gets frustrated. I'll then put him in the sitting position (usually with a boppy behind him). It's inevitable that he will reach for a toy and end up either on his side or back on his belly. It's like a vicious circle! I can't decide if I'm really ready for him to do all of this stuff on his own or not. It's so bittersweet!

Hope everyone has a great week!

[a_spark]

Klav, so sorry to hear that! :( I have my fingers crossed for you that you'll find a new job soon.

[makena32204]

wrighty and mmisabel - Do you guys have me confused w/ someone else or did I post something that didnt make any sense?? I've been back to work since October. Maybe the confusion is b/c I made a comment about DD not sleeping thru (she wakes up twice usually) and it being tought b/c I'm at work? I probably just mistyped. Sleep deprivation does that to you!

[ShelbyMay]

Any non-spitting up babies suddenly spitting up more? DD spit up maybe 10 times in the first 6 months of her life (I know, we were really lucky with that!), and in the past 4 days she has spit up at least 5 times. I think maybe it is related to teething. I read this on www.kellymom.com :


My older baby just started spitting up more - what's up?

Some older babies will start spitting up more after a period of time with little or no spitting up. It's not unusual to hear of this happening around 6 months, though you also see it at other ages. If the spitting up is very frequent (particularly if baby does not seem well), consider the possibility of a GI illness.

If baby does not seem ill, then here are some possible causes:

* It's unlikely that your baby has suddenly developed a sensitivity to something in your milk, unless there's something really new in your diet or you're eaten LOTS of a particular food very recently. Any foods that baby eats are more likely than mom's foods to cause the spitting up. Has baby started solids recently or tried a new food? Are you or baby taking any new medications? Have you or baby started taking vitamins or changed your vitamins?
* Has baby been fussier than normal, and/or crying more lately? If so, he is probably swallowing more air than usual, which can cause the spitting up.
* Spitting up can be caused by teething. When teething, babies tend to drool more and often swallow a lot of that extra saliva - this can cause extra spitting up.
* A cold or allergies can result in baby swallowing mucus and spitting up more.
* Baby may be hitting a growth spurt and swallowing more air when he nurses, especially if he's been "guzzling" lately.
* If you tend to have oversupply or a fast let-down, some moms see renewed symptoms (which can include spitting up) after a growth spurt.

Essentially, though, if your baby is healthy and doing well despite the spitting up -- gaining well, having enough wet/dirty diapers -- then this is a laundry problem rather than a medical issue.

[Wrighty26]

wrighty and mmisabel - Do you guys have me confused w/ someone else or did I post something that didnt make any sense?? I've been back to work since October. Maybe the confusion is b/c I made a comment about DD not sleeping thru (she wakes up twice usually) and it being tought b/c I'm at work? I probably just mistyped. Sleep deprivation does that to you!

LOL! I totally meant MMK. Sorry. I blame it on my cold :) I will say, it's rough when they are waking up a lot and you're at work!

[MMK]

yep, it's me that's heading back to work. I'm a grad student and teach undergrad classes now and again. So I'll be starting back up with the beginning of the semester at the end of the month. I'm starting Drew in daycare a bit earlier (tomorrow!) just so I can actually have some time to prepare for the class. I know that I'm so lucky to be able to do just two days a week but MAN, every time I look at him today I feel like crying! Funny thing is, I'm actually looking forward to getting back to work and feel like we both really could use some space...I guess I just want it both ways!!

sleep: now that Drew's second tooth has fully emerged I'm FINALLY getting a little more sleep. Between christmas and New Years he was waking 4-5 times a night. Brutal. He's still getting 1-2 times but that seems like heaven in comparison. His naps are also starting to get a bit more organized and this has all only taken 6 months :rolleyes: !

wrighty: 14 lbs under? Yowzers. I'm about even with pre-preg but was a few over my ideal weight at that point. I'm mostly just feeling flabby. This is the longest stretch I've ever gone with not regulary going to the gym so I really need to get back in gear. It was so hard to motivate when I wasn't getting any sleep but now that things are a bit better I have no more excuses.

crib time: I think it's totally healthy for babies to want to do some alone time. Andrew often sits in his crib before he falls asleep turning his Ocean wonders aquarium on and off with his feet. He will also flip himself around so that his head is normally where his feet are. Maybe it's a better angle at the aquarium? Kind of cracks me up.

[mmisabel]

OOPS!! My bad I meant MMK also!!! There's too many M's here :)

[Soulmate]

Holy schmoly Logan has his 5th and 6th teeth coming in! He's cut 6 teeth since Thanksgiving!

Crib time Thanks guys for the feedback. I just really needed reassurance. Sometimes I just feel like I need to be entertaining him all the time although I know at this stage it is not the best for him.

[smurf]

Wow, it feels like forever since I've been in here. We just got back from 2 weeks in San Antonio with our families. I love them, but I have to say, I'm very happy to be back home. I think Kate is happy to be home to. When she saw her crib, she practically lunged for it! Poor baby, I know it was hard on her being out of her routine for so long.

We had her 6 month appointment yesterday, here are her stats:
weight: 17.2 lbs (75th %)
height: 27" (97th %)

There's no possible way for me to catch up on everything, but I'll try:

Sleep: Always at the top of my list! Kate's schedule was so messed up while we were away that I'm sure it'll take a while to get her back on track. We got in the habit of putting her in bed with us after her first waking b/c there wasn't a rocking chair to sit in at the in law's house. Now it seems that she likes sleeping with us and refuses to go back to sleep in her crib after her first waking. :rolleyes: As much as I hate to do it, I think we're going to have to delve into the world of Ferber this week.

Mia's: I'd love to hear how your sleep training is going. You DS and my DD sound like they're a lot alike.

MMK: Good luck with going back to work. I feel the same way sometimes. I'd love to have some time to myself, but hate the thought of putting her in daycare. I think I'm going to do like Shelbymay and find a mother's day out.

Klav: Sorry about the work situation. I'll pray that you find something soon. By the way, Liam is too cute!

Crib time: K. will stay in there for a few minutes, but she usually wants out pretty soon after she wakes up. If she could figure out how to turn on the aquarium by herself, I think she'd be more content in there for longer.

Teeth: K. has the two bottom ones and I think I see white under her gums where the top ones are coming in. I had a dream last night that she had all her back molars though. Kinda freaked me out.

Weight loss: I'm still about 8 pounds over my pp weight, but it seems like a lot more than that to me. I can get into some of my pp jeans, but none of my shirts fit. I joked with my friend who is 8 weeks preggo that people are going to think I'm the pregnant one b/c I have such a pot belly. I was a size 2 pp, and while I'm okay with not getting back to that size, I would like to at least have a toned tummy and get rid of the flab. Guess I'll have to exercise, huh?

AF: still hasn't shown her face around here, thank goodness! I'm terrified of getting pregnant again though, so we're definitely using protection.

Solids: K. still isn't too fond of solids. She'll tolerate carrots, but only for a few bites. Everything else she just gags on. Silly girl. The ped. said that we should still try once a day just to get her used to the spoon in her mouth.

Development: K. really started being a rolly polly over the last couple of weeks. She also loves to stand. She actually pulled herself up to a standing position in her crib the other day :eek: I almost died. Guess it's time to lower the matress! She's also getting close to crawling. She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks a lot. She only does it when she's naked though--guess the clothes are a hinderence!!

[ShelbyMay]

She's also getting close to crawling. She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks a lot. She only does it when she's naked though--guess the clothes are a hinderence!!

This made me LOL! :D Too funny.

DD is pushing up on her hands/arms a lot and getting up really high that way, but she hasn't quite figured out how to get her knees underneath her. I think she will take off across the room as soon as she figures out that part. Actually, knowing my DD's temperament, she will probably just follow me around as closely as possible. ;)

Would love to respond more, but DD is down for a nap and I am going to go snuggle up next to her and catch a few winks myself. She was up 4 times again last night, and one time (1:30am-3:30am) it took 2 hours to get her back to sleep. Yawn.

[klav]

Thanks all for the work well wishes. I had sent out my resume last Thursday to some cabinet makers but have yet to hear anything.

DS is pushing up on his hand and knees but has not gotten the forward thing down yet I keep finding him stuck between things because he's going backwards and does not know how to get out!! he's mostly wiggling his way around not a true crawl but just a scoot but again it's in reverse!

[MMK]

Well, I definitely spoke too soon when I posted about how much our sleep issues were improving ever since Drew's bottom teeth poked through. After several really good nights we have had two of the WORST EVER. I have no idea what's going on and I'm at my wit's end. During the day he's happy and naps well but at night....uhhhhhhhhhhhhhg.

The first daycare day went really well. When I went to pick him up he was all smiles. I think he really likes being around other children and new toys. So after all my worry and stress, we both did just fine!

development: Drew's definitely NOT much of a roller. He occasionally goes from back to belly but never the reverse. He's a champion at sitting up though. Still tips once in awhile but mostly can hang out and play with his toys on his on.

soulmate: I can't believe you're already seeing a 6th tooth! I'm hoping that the last two nights of awful sleep mean Drew has something else coming in...it would at least give me a reason for the insanity!

[Lizard]

Breastfeeding - is starting to become an issue for me. I love it so much, and it's been relatively easy, but my supply is really starting to tank. She cries at the breast nearly every feeding, and I never feel "full" anymore, even after 9 hours overnight. I've worked with an LC to try to increase supply by extra pumping sessions, oatmeal, and Fenugreek, but I haven't had much success. At her 6 mo WBV she dropped in the weight curve yet again, so I'm scared that we're going to have to wean soon.

Development - DD just started pushing up on hands and knees this past weekend! She is also sitting unassisted, although I still put a pillow behind her because I'm scared she's gonna throw herself back quickly and bonk her head.

Teeth - DD has had her bottom two for over a month, so we should get a couple more soon.

Anyone else have a baby that's getting nosey and frustrated? DD wants to look and touch EVERYTHING, and if she can't get to it herself she cries. She also cries if we eat or drink in front of her. :(

Also, DD had her first plane ride last week (to visit my family), and it went really well! We didn't buy a seat for her, but the plane had empty seats both ways so we were able to get her a seat for free. The trip back was delayed 45 minutes and she was still fine. I'm sooo glad we did that instead of driving.

Gotta run and grab some breakfast while she's napping...

[mmisabel]

teeth - none yet but some teething signs. I can't believe your little guy is on #6 Soulmate, that's crazy!!

MMK - I'm glad daycare is going well. DS also goes 2 days a week and loves it too! He'll literally be belly laughing when I pick him up and I can tell his teachers really enjoy him. I'm jealous of your work schedule - I'd kill to only work 2-3 days a week! I'm lucky though, DS goes to each grandmother the other days I work.

[klav]

teeth nothing yet wondering when it will happen?
Soulmate6 teeth!! WOW!!
Anyone else have a baby that's getting nosey and frustrated yes when Liam can't move forward he starts to cry and if you take something away from hiim he gets mad and again starts to cry..... and if he can reach something.

MMK sorry about the sleeping issues hope it gets better could it be another tooth?

[Soulmate]

Logan had his 6th month WBV a little late but here are his stats

16lbs (45th %)
27" (70th %)

Don't quote me on the exact percentile #s, I'm going off memory. But it looks like he's focused more on growing taller this period. The ped recommended feeding him 2x/day with 2-4 ounces each feeding. She said that babies get 50% of their calories from formula/BM at this stage. She also said that I can start giving him Cherios and Rice Puffs! There is no way my little guy is getting that old!!

MMK I hope whatever it is resolves itself soon. It is so hard to say at this age what is interfering with sleep. So much is going on. Maybe it is not just one thing. I'm glad daycare went well. DS loves it too and always gives the biggest smile when he gets there...especially on Mondays. It is hard to leave them again after long holidays though.

Lizard I'm so sorry about your supply. I know when I had to stop BFing it was very hard emotionally and I only did it for a couple of weeks.Anyone else have a baby that's getting nosey and frustrated? DD wants to look and touch EVERYTHING, and if she can't get to it herself she cries. She also cries if we eat or drink in front of her. DS is most definitely nosey but not frustrated. He wants to touch EVERYTHING including walls, doors, shadows, etc. He is always moving around when I carry him trying to see and touch everything. But if he can't/shouldn't touch something he doesn't react very much. He is so cute though when we eat because he will watch us and open and close his mouth like he is chewing. Totally cute!

klav My nephew who is 9 months just got his bottom two teeth so it can be a while for some babies. Enjoy the peace ;)

teeth I know it is nuts about how many teeth he's gotten so quickly. I picked him up from the sitter and she told me about the 5th one. I was so shocked because he just got #3 and #4 over Christmas. I thought we had some more time. I guess in the long run I am glad they are coming in so quickly and early but geez! He has also been teething on some molars for a couple of months now!

sleep Good lord something is awry! Yesterday, DS woke up at 8am, took a 45 min nap at 10am and was awake non-stop until 8:45pm! This is from the child whose self-imposed bedtime was once 4:30pm. He was not extremely fussy and was playful but he was also giving a ton of tired cues like rubbing his eyes and yawning. We'd put him in the crib and he would just fuss and never fall asleep. As soon as we picked him up and brought him downstairs he would be all smily and giggly. Then after 10 mins he would get a little fussy and give tired cues and the cycle continued. AND this was after his shots when he normally sleeps the whole time afterwards. When he was fussy and not sleeping he only wanted to be held while one of us stood. Last night was the second or third day like that. I might try slinging him tonight for a nap if he doesn't go down. He still needs his sleep!

[Wrighty26]

MMK - Seriously - we have the same baby - the only difference is that Braeden doesn't have teeth. Braeden WAS doing awesome with sleep, but this past month has gotten progressively worse. Last night he was up either 3 or 4 times (it all blends together). He eats and goes right back to sleep, so I at least I'm lucky there! He naps like an absolute CHAMP though - and he has no problems putting himself to sleep, so I KNOW that there is a underlying issue. Maybe it's anxiety (apparently this starts around 6 months -fun!), teething, or a growth spurt... whatever it is, it's makes me sleepy!

[Soulmate]

I forgot to add that I started making DS' food now that I know what he likes and doesn't like. We have the Magic Bullet (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_2/601-5985541-3823351?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000AEZVRS) and I am LOVING it. The cups have a lid that is a steamer as well so I add the food, splash some water in there, twist on the steamer top, put in the microwave, replace steamer top with blender blade, blend and viola! Clean up is super easy too. Out of two bananas I made ~8ozs of puree in like 2 minutes. In the store that would have cost $2 easily. So far I made green beans, apples (didn't go too well), carrots, and banana.

[emmjay]

We had our first swim class today - Seamus absolutely loved it. He was kicking and splashing and squealing the whole time.

Sleep: he is finally sleeping in his crib! We had a rough few weeks around Christmas, but I ended up just letting him CIO. I was dreading the crying, but the first night he cried for 15 mins then slept for 12 hours! Ever since then he hasn't cried for more than 10 mins and he doesn't cry that hard unless he is really overtired. I started giving him a teddy bear to go to sleep with and that seems to help. Also he goes down easier for the night than for naps. I am going to change up his feeding schedule because I think that will help with his napping.

Solids: None here yet. I'm going to start next week. I got a new blender so I can make my own.

Teeth: None of those either! Apparently I didn't get teeth until 9 months or so, so maybe he is taking after me with that.

Development: He is a rolling fool! He rarely stays on his back for more than a minute and mostly stays on his stomach. He pushes his head and chest way up and makes a swimming motion. And now he can roll over and over, and in both directions. I had to break out the pack and play because if I put him on the floor on a blanket and left the room, he would end up 5 feet away facing a different direction! He is also really grabbing a lot and likes to suck his toes. Oh, and he is finally figuring out how to suck his thumb.

[MMK]

Thanks for all the sleep sympathy! I think the hardest part is just having no idea what the issue is. I feel like I could/would let him cio more if I didn't feel like his waking is due to some kind of issue. I've been really blessed with a pretty chill baby who is not a cryer (crier?) so when he starts acting like a crazed lunatic, I can't help but feel like I should be somewhat responsive to him...maybe I'm just making excuses and really just need to deal with the fact that he needs some sleep training! :rolleyes:

emmjay: I'm jealous you've started your swim classes. I think we're going to start when the next Y session begins in the early spring. I think it will be a lot of fun and maybe by then I won't dread seeing myself in a bathing suit quite so much!

soulmate: I make most of my own baby food too and found that with apples it is MUCH easier (and must have been tastier given Drew's response). To buy all natural apple sauce. It's cheap and you can buy it in those little snack sized cups for on the go. Also, it's really good for mixing with whatever else your giving as it helps create a nice smooth texture without adding bm/formula/water.

wrighty: we're currently on our second hour and a 1/2 plus nap of the day that occured with about a minute of fussing. During that time he's stirred and put himslef right back to sleep. I know tonight I will put dear sweet baby down around 7 and he will put himself right to sleep. Why oh why then can he not just stay that way all night???!!! So sleepy!

[Amaye]

Quick post - sorry no responses.

Soulmate Wow!! Our babies are doing the same thing! I was about to come in and post about sleep issues. For the past two days, DD has been fighting her afternoon naps. She just plays and plays and PLAYS! She takes a good 2hr morning nap but forget the afternoon one. I have no clue what is going on but we are still trying to get her to nap.

She also loves to touch everything. She is always moving around when I carry her trying to see and touch everything and complains (grunts) when she can't touch it. She also chews when she sees us eating - it's too funny.

Teeth Nothing so far. I'm not too worried about it - I think I was a late teether so we are just waiting.

Sleep She goes down around 7pm with no problems and used to wake up once. These days however, she is waking up twice and eating 5-6oz. We have no clue why but just going with the flow so far. It's killing me waking up to go to work in the morning - I hope it doesn't last too long.

BFing Well, I offically have started to wean. Came back from work on Monday and DD had broken out in some crazy rash and it was from my milk (no solids that day). I have no clue what she was reacting to and I can't start an elimination diet right now to figure out what the new item is (already eliminated dairy, soy and wheat). I was teary for a little while but I think it's for the best. I'm tired of seeing her frantically scratching ALL the time. For once, it would be nice to see her skin very smooth.

Speaking of eating toes, I had to post this pic of DD. Cracks me up!!!
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/161/353091080_18140d4e53.jpg?v=0

Another fav of mine!
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/146/353091076_d2e6894252.jpg?v=0

[a_spark]

amaye She is too cute!!!

soulmate 6 teeth!!! That's amazing! We have zero teeth over here.

swings We're thinking of packing up our swing since we rarely use it...are any of you still using your swings?

[nuhmah]

Amaye - beautiful!

teeth - the tip of a top tooth poked through today! Which is great, because he was super-duper fussy yesterday - today he was happy as a peach. It will be "officially" cut through in the next day or so, so I guess we "unofficially" have 3 teeth, and the 4th is not far behind. His bottom gums are starting to get hard again, and when he chomps on things (toys, washclothes, etc), he bites where those teeth are getting ready to come.

DS woke last night with what I can only call a nightmare! :( Poor baby... he literally started screaming, and seemed too scared to go back to sleep! We have been sleeping apart (getting him ready for his crib), but last night he slept with mama. I had to make him feel secure, right? :)

I am going to be teaching a Babywearing class!! I'm so excited - it will be on Wednesday the 24th at a local maternity store. The local NINO leader and I are going to be doing it. I am covering pouches and MT's, and she is doing ring slings and wraps. :)

[a_spark]

nuhmah That is so cool about the babywearing class! :)

I'm not sure what's going on with Ava, but she's been SO HARD to get down at bedtime. She wakes up like every 20 minutes and I can't soothe her unless I either nurse her or pick her up and just hold her. She grabs onto me and buries her face in my neck when I pick her up, which of course just gets me right in the heart. I wonder if it's separation anxiety?? Last night she woke up EVERY HOUR from 10:30-1:30 and then I brought her to bed with us and she woke at like 4, 6, and 7. Ouch. Add to this that I have a sinus cold and it is not fun. I can see why people do CIO and I have definitely thought about it but I just can't because I feel like she needs me for something and because of her reflux I can't fully know that she's not waking due to pain. I just hope this ends soon!

[mkvh]

No time for SOs, unfortunately. But I did want to come by with a PSA...

EVEN IF YOU THINK YOUR BABY ISN'T "THAT" MOBILE, (S)HE IS.

So tonight was a night of firsts here!

I was at Girls Night, and my cell phone rang. DH had gotten C ready to go to a basketball game and placed her in the carseat on top of the diningroom table (not strapped in :rolleyes: ). He walked away to get his shoes and hear a noise. When he got back to the diningroom, C was face down, spread eagled on the tile floor screaming. (Note: I was out during all of this) Despite a really full waiting room, the ER got us in quickly. We barely waited and only were there for an hour and a half total. Fortunately, C's neuro screening was perfect, and the dr. didn't even see a need for at CAT scan. But it was so terrifying. And DH felt SO bad. I was so angry at him at first, but I couldn't stay that way when I saw how he felt.

That led to him commenting on how much more mobile she is than yesterday. Which, I guess, is true. She is consistenly flipping from a seated position to her belly and even got there a couple times today without a face plant. Just goes to show you that they start moving without warning!

So take care to keep CLOSE watch on those babies. Apparently, we are past the point where we can put them on (insert flat surface other than floor here) and expect them to be there when we get back.

Speaking of which, later on in the evening, C started screaming in her crib--because she had rolled onto her belly! That's a first!!

[klav]

OO poor thing.. glad to hear she's OK.
yes they have move from what my husband calls the houseplant stage to ... he has yet to come up with the name, I guess what I would call the curtain climbers..LOL

[smurf]

MKVH-Scary! I'm glad to hear that she's okay.

Aspark-K. was the same way last night and this morning I can see a tooth popping through. Could Ava be teething?

[emmjay]

mkvh - I am glad she is OK. I remember when Seamus fell and we went to the ER - very nervewracking! I think it took a day or two before I really believed he was fine. It is amazing how they can move around already.

[Abby'sMom]

mkvh, ugh it's so scary when they fall! DD fell off her changing table when she was 6 months old. I swear I stopped breathing for a few seconds until she screamed.

TM, you can change my age to 29, if you will. It's my birthday.

[makena32204]

Abby's Mom - Happy Birthday!! It's my sister's 30th today, too!

[Soulmate]

MMK Thanks for the tip on the apples...that would be sooo much easier than making it myself. We bought a can of pumpkin recently and I think that is going to last for the rest of DS' childhood! Do you have any tips on an easier process to make sweet potatoes? I guess I should jump over to the baby food making thread.

Amaye Your DD is beautiful! How cute she is putting her toes in her mouth in the boppy. Makes you just want to eat them up! How is she doing with sleep today?

mkvh How completely scary! I bet your DH feels super bad. But I think every adult I know IRL dropped their first born at one point in time or another. My brother was dropped on his head from my dad's shoulders and my husbands cousin fell from the kitchen counter onto the linoleum as an infant. I think mom's of babies IRL understandably just don't talk about those things. Just last week I accidentally gave DS a bloody nose when he jerked his head while the aspirator was in his nose. I mentioned it to someone at work and they jokingly said they were going to file a CPS report :rolleyes: Sorry lady but all parents accidentally give their children boo boos at one point.

swings We put ours up a while ago mostly because it became a bad habit for us to just put him in the swing and not really attend to him as much as we should. I pulled it out recently when DS has been going through what he has but he really didn't get anything special out of it. I was hoping he would fall asleep in it like he used to but no deal. So it is put away again.

Happy Birthday Abby's Mom!!

While changes are being made...can you change my age to 32 and DH's to 31? Thanks! :D

[Amaye]

a_spark I feel so bad for you! How are you functioning in the morning?
Hope all this passes soon!

mkvh So scary!! I'm glad to hear C was ok. The same thing just happened to my gf and her 4.5mth baby. She left him on the changing table to go get a towel and heard a thud - he had rolled off and fell down!! eek: He is ok but she feels so guilty. Very scary!!

Soulmate She is still fighting for afternoon nap. She didn't take one again yesterday and today, the nanny was only able to put her down for 30mins. I have no clue what is going on but I am just attributing it to gaining new skills. How is your DS doing?

Abby's Mom Happy Birthday!! :)

Swing It's still around but we're not really using it anymore. She is getting too long for it and she just wants to sit up when we put her in it.

[a_spark]

amaye Thanks for the sympathy :) She actually slept great last night, thank goodness.

smurf I had a dream last night that she got 2 teeth, but no dice! I think she's got a mini-version of my cold, or something. She's been kind of cranky all day and took naps every hour instead of every 2 hours, so I think she's not feeling so hot, either.

abby's mom Happy Birthday!

[mmisabel]

swing - we put ours away, although he still uses the one at daycare. We also put away one of our bouncy seats since he was leaning to the side practically falling out :)

a_spark - I'm glad the sleeping was better last night.

mvkh - so scary!! We are definitely entering the bumps and bruises stage for these kiddos.

abby's mom - happy b-day!

TM: sadly, could you change my age to 31! Also we were married 11/16/02, not 11/16/06! I couldn't imagine planning a wedding when DS was 5 months!

[MMK]

amaye: I have a serious toe sucker too!
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/354903830_fc9da4f79a_m.jpg

mkvh: that is SO scary! Drew rolled off the couch the other day when I walked out of the room for seriously one second. Luckily, he landed on our dog so it broke the fall! Neither of them even made a peep! Scared the poop out of me though! Here he is with his best friend and life saver...

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/133/354903832_201559506b_m.jpg

soulmate: when I cook sweet pots I'm usually making them for dh and myself as well. All I do is through them in the micro (probably a no-no?) and scoop out the guts for Drew. I mash it up with a fork and generally serve immediately (mixed with something to make it a little more creamy) and save the rest in the fridge for the next day. I am however thinking of boiling a couple soon so that I can freeze a bunch.

[Soulmate]

Soulmate She is still fighting for afternoon nap. She didn't take one again yesterday and today, the nanny was only able to put her down for 30mins. I have no clue what is going on but I am just attributing it to gaining new skills. How is your DS doing?He is doing better. Wednesday he slept really well (I'm attributing that to the shots) and yesterday did well except for his 4pm nap. I had to let him CIO because he was very obviously tired but was just not going down. I hate doing that but I really think he is starting to manipulate because as soon as I pick him up he is all smiley but still extremely tired. I think maybe he just misses me and wants to stay up...but he can do that *after* his nap!

soulmate: when I cook sweet pots I'm usually making them for dh and myself as well. All I do is through them in the micro (probably a no-no?) and scoop out the guts for Drew. I mash it up with a fork and generally serve immediately (mixed with something to make it a little more creamy) and save the rest in the fridge for the next day. I am however thinking of boiling a couple soon so that I can freeze a bunch.How do you microwave them? I tried that before and they came out looking like shriveled raisins. I made some yesterday (baked then steamed for a super long time - DS hates any kind of texture so they have to be soupy) and two SPs made 12 ozs! So much more cost effective! BTW your DS looks like a little man! I think some babies already have a very mature look to them and yours is one of them!

Solids I mixed banana with avocado yesterday and DS loved it (although it smells pretty bad).

[klav]

some of you have said you have put your swings away. what is the max weight on them if you know I was looking at mine wondering if Liam has come close to the weight?
never mind I found the weight limit .. it's 25 pd but it does not say anything about the length?

[mmisabel]

MMK - He's so cute! I agree he's such a little man. Adorable!!!

[Can't_Wait]

mvkh Oh my goodness.. how scary! I'm glad everything is okay. DD fell over backwards from a sitting position the other day & her head hit the carpet pretty hard (hard enough to hear it). She was really upset which made me upset too... I can only imagine how you guys felt!

Swing We use it every once in awhile... mainly when Isabella is tired & won't go to sleep... it calms her sometimes & then I can try to put her to sleep again. But she does want to sit up in it which will make it stop rocking.

teeth Isabella has her 2 bottom ones & looks like 2 more bottom teeth are starting to come up.

Isabella turned 5 months on the 6th...here she is:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/355040245_9c85d3f6cd.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/355040249_ccab20db10.jpg?v=0

I also recently got her a bath seat since she just sits up in her bath tub anyway (which is difficult due to the incline of her tub) so here is a pic of her 1st bath in it. She really seemed to like it.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/65/355040250_3373aba55c.jpg?v=0

[ShelbyMay]

aspark: Could it be an ear infection? DD seems to get one every time she gets a cold, and she doesn't sleep well because of the pain/pressure. Maybe try using a wedge in the crib or see if DD sleeps better in the swing or carseat (strapped in, of course).

accidentally hurting baby: I once bumped DD's head on a door frame. I thought we had enough clearance, but apparently not. I didn't tell anyone IRL because I felt so bad! Also, a couple of weeks ago I was doing something while holding her and she suddenly threw her head back and hit it on the (hard) chair back. DH was there for that one, but fortunately her didn't guilt me too much about it.

swing: I was just thinking about this last night. DD hasn't used hers in weeks, and it would be nice to have that corner of the living room back again. (Or at least somewhere to stick the jumperoo now.) I guess we could always haul it out again if she is sick and needs a place to chill.

daycare/mdo: I LOVE MDO!!! :D DD went for the first time this week, and I think it is going to be exactly what we've needed. Her teachers said she did fine -- didn't nap much, but mostly just watched the bigger kids and took it all in. She ate, she pooped, she played. She didn't cry when I left her, and she seemed fine when I picked her up. The only thing was that she sort of gave me the "cold shoulder" for a few minutes and wasn't making eye contact with me, but she warmed up as soon as I nursed her. She also slept better last night than she has in a long time! She was only up once instead of 2-4 times!

I had a long list of things to accomplish while she was at MDO, but I ended up just taking a long nap. :o Oh well, maybe next week! I just feel so much "lighter" knowing that there is a day coming up in less than a week when I can run errands, clean the house, take a nap, go to appointments, etc. Stuff I have felt restricted from for over 6 months. Even if we have a bad week, at least I know MDO day is on the horizon. :)

[ShelbyMay]

can't wait: She is soooooooooo cute! Where did you get her bath seat? What kind is it? DD would like to sit up in the tub, but she is not very steady yet. Do you think it would work for her?

[Wrighty26]

Amaye - What a little heartbreaker! Man, I love her checks and lips - If I recall from your PG photos --she looks a lot like you, no?

Abby's mom -- Happy belated birthday! I think 29 (this year) is going to be a hard birthday for me. How was it for you?

Soulmate - Sorry about the napping :( This I hate doing that but I really think he is starting to manipulate because as soon as I pick him up he is all smiley but still extremely tired. I think maybe he just misses me and wants to stay up...but he can do that *after* his nap!
is exactly my problem with night sleep. It's really sweet, but our boys need their sleep!

mkvh - I know I posted this in your journal -- but I'm so glad that C is alright!! How scary :(

MMK - Drew is such a CUTIE! I love your avatar pic btw. Hee. Makes me wish (for a minute) that it got cold enough here so that Braeden could wear something like that.

can't_wait - Awwww, she is SOOOOO cute. Look at those blue eyes and all that hair! It's getting long :) Where'd you get the shirt?

ShelbyMay - I'm so glad things went well for you with MDO! Even better you have that one day you can catch up on stuff. Sounds like you really need it! It's also awesome for your DD :)

Swing- We still use ours sometimes, especially if he's worn out and I'm getting stuff ready for him to eat/bath time. He loves just looking at the fish and the bright colors still.

Not too much going on here! Braeden is still waking up at night, but I think I'm getting used to it. He wakes up several times before I go to bed - and then once while I'm sleeping so it's not TOO bad. I just wish I knew what was causing him to wake up! It's not any kind of noise because I usually work during that time and it's just me typing away on my computer (although, I do watch a show or too on occasion).

My DH is watching my friend/coworker's daughter right now and I am SO jealous (he has today off). She's 6 months older than Braeden and really sweet. Braeden is usually sleeping now, so I don't know if he will wake up in time to play or not-- but we are planning on setting up some playdates between them soon. Now that Braeden is a little more interactive!

TGIF - Hope everyone has a great weekend :D

[maryanne]

Thought I would drop by and actually post a hi to everyone! I read along everyday, but I am usually laying on my side breastfeeding the munchkin while doing it, so posting isn;t easy ;)

Regarding sleeping (or lack of!) --we are in the same boat, not that dd has ever slept thru the night, but she is up more often nowadays.

Listening and talking with you makes me think that this sleep interuptus is normal for this age. Look at how many of us are commenting on it.I just try to roll with it.

I am still trying to feed on demand as much as possible. DD gets probably 1/4 of her food from formula and the rest via moma. I have actually seen an increase in my flow since I went to Boston in Dec and we spent alot of time snuggled up. Our BF relationship is better than it ever was,especially since we had such a rocky beginning. I have no plans to stop in the near future. I'd love to go until Mel weans herself, but we will see.

We haven't started solids yet. Her (late) 6m WBV is next week so maybe after that.

My hubby is still looking for a new job after the layoffs that happened in Dec. We are at the critical point right now, b/c after this week , we won't be getting the severence check anymore, just unemployment which won't cover the bills and we lose the insurance as well.

He has an interview on tuesday, so wish him luck. My mother's surgery went well and I think that it took care of that issue in her health problems.

DD is adorable and reaches out for everything and rocks back and forth like a blind blues singer when she hears music :) makes me crack up. she rollsover front to back and scoots alot too. No real crawling yet, I think she might just skip that stage and start walking. She seems much more interested with that. This is probably so she can be the dominator of the two little kitties we got at christmas :) --with crawling she would just be another one of them! lol!

lots of energy in this house.I went from being home sick while pregnent with my feral kitty who I rarely ever saw, to a house with a baby, a husband and three spastic cats!

arrgh--calgon take me away.

love to you all and your babies :)

eta--mel finally has eyebrows! and just a little but of peach fuzz for hair. I should have named her Sinead!

[smurf]

Swing-We never really used ours, but lately I've been sticking her in it while I go to the bathroom or fold clothes in her room. She seems to enjoy it now more than she did when she was little. Too bad I promised to lend it to my friend who's about to have a baby. Oh well, the extra room will be nice, that thing takes up a ton of space!

Can't wait- she is so cute! Where did you get that skirt, I love it! I wish I could get clips to stay in K's hair like they do in your DD's, maybe then people would stop calling her a boy :rolleyes:

Shelby-I'm so glad that MDO went well. I'm in the process of trying to find one around here that will take babies under a year old. Who knew it would be so difficult?!

Maryanne-I'll be praying that your DH gets a job very soon. I know how stressful unemployment can be, but it sounds like you're keeping a positive attitude, that's good.

QOTD--What diapers do you use (brand & size)? I feel like I've tried everything, but 75% of the time when K. poops, it comes out the diaper and gets all over her outfit. I just moved her up to size 3, but she dirtied another outfit this afternoon. I know it's not the end of the world, it's just frustrating. Anyone else have this problem?

[klav]

QOTD--What diapers do you use (brand & size)? WEUSE HUGGIES SIZE 3 I don't know if it's a size issue or the consitancy of the poo that has changed the fact he does not have many back blow out's!LOL

[nuhmah]

In sposies we use a size 3 (I have been using whatever I can get my hands on - I really like Walmart's these days; they are really wide), but I am slowly switching over to cloth diapers, and I am using a medium size diaper in those. I am finding lots of blowouts - but I don't think that has to do with size. He is rather constipated from the solids we are eating, and has an "ass-plosion" about every other day.

[Wrighty26]

Maryanne - I really hope Josh finds something soon! That REALLY sucks. If there is anything I can do for you guys, please let me know!

Diapers - Like Nuhmah we have ass-plosions every day or so and when he does sometimes I just take the diaper off and let him poop (it probably sounds weird, but I think it helps him). It's usually around dinner time or soon after, so it's almost perfect timing. He's still getting used to those solids, even though he doesn't eat that much of them (he just loves the boob). During the day he's wearing a size 2 still (he's skinny and has no butt), but at night we put him in a size 3 because he is a peeing machine. Oh, and he wears Pampers. Huggies are too big for him around his legs (though I like the elastic in the back). I haven't found an alternative that really works for him yet, though I may have to look into the Costco ones!

[MMK]

Thanks for all the compliments on my "little man." Sometimes I just want to eat him up! I'm usually pretty nervous about posting pics but I really love putting names with faces around here so I figured I should let others do the same with me.

wrighty: I do love all the cute hats and wintery items we have but I must be honest, they are way more fun for me than for him...Drew whines and fusses every time I'm bundling him up! I think he would much rather hang-out in a onesie all day.

swing: I ditto what smurf said. He really likes playing with the toys much more now than he did when he was younger and we pretty much never use/used it as an actual swing. I basically use it as one more safe place to strap him in for a few minutes while I eat/clean/change etc.

soulmate: if the sweet pots came out all shrivled you just put them in for too long. Just decrease the time and take them out when they are soft but not raisins!

diapers: we use the pampers size 3 and so far so good. We use to have a ton of up the back blow outs but since the poop is much thicker now we rarely have any issues. Drew is also a peeing machine at night and we never have any leaks...I don't change him at all during the night and the diaper ways like 5 lbs in the morning but his skin is still dry. I did try out a Loves one night and there was leakage. They're ok for day but I wouldn't rec for overnight.

solids: just a quick note...I tried broccoli the other night and Drew pretty much spit it back in my face. I tried again last night and he ate every last bite. So my point is don't give up. I think sometimes new tastes just take a little getting use to.

[a_spark]

shelby Thanks for the advice! I don't think it's an ear infection- she's good as new, thank goodness. I think she was just fighting this illness that I have.

diapers We use Pampers Size 2 right now (she weighs 16 lbs) and I LOVE them. We've tried Huggies (leaked EVERYWHERE) and other brands and these are just the best. They're so soft and like MMK said, we can not change her all night and the diaper will be 5lbs in the morning but no leaks.

[Amaye]

MMK That is such a cute pic!! I love pictures of babies eating toes. I have some of my nephews too - it just tickles me! :)

Soulmate Glad to hear that he is sleeping better. I hear you on the manipulation. DD does that exact same thing and I fall for it! They learn pretty quickly huh?

Can't_Wait Isabella (love the name) is so cute. And I'm loving the munchable thighs!

ShelbyMay Glad to hear that MDO worked out it. I think it's great that you can get some time to catch up on things you want/need to do including sleeping!

Wrighty As much as I wish that Mia did look like me, she looks more like her dad! She has my skin shade but she looks like her dad when he was a baby. He loves that and always brings it up! blah! She does look a little like me (I keep fighting...;) )

Maryanne Hope Josh finds something soon. That must suck and be the last thing you want to do. Good luck to both of you!

Diapers We are still in Pampers Size 2 and loving them. She doesn't really have anymore blowouts. She just poops a LOT but the pampers hold her. I'm loving it. I'm still changing her at night though - maybe I should just try one night and not change and see what happens.

[Soulmate]

MMK Thanks for the sweet potato tip...that makes sense!

Diapers DS wears Pampers size 3 and like the others he can wear them all night w/o a leak but they weigh a ton. He's never had a leak or blowout except when he needed to go up a size. The leg holes on Huggies were way too big and I haven't tried any others.

[MMK]

Quick VENT!!!

It's somewhere around 8am Sunday morning and after a rather late cocktail filled night last night (my college friends are here visiting!) who's up with the baby? Of course I am. Dh (in bed probably around 9:30pm last night) is sleeping because this is his "only morning to sleep in." Yeah, I get that you wake up every day at 4:30am and that's not fun but I'm up every night (often more that once) and up every day at 7/7:30. What really gets me is that last weekend when he was out on Sat night I quietly brought the baby downstairs on Sun morning and didn't say a thing about him not rolling down until 10am. ARRRRHHHHHHGGGGG. The difference between mommies and daddies is so apparent to me right now.

Okay, I'm done.

[maryanne]

I hear ya MMK! It is my birthday and I am the one who is up while he is sleeping in again, just like he has done everday since he was laid off---grrrrr!

and then we *can't* do anything all day b/c of football (just like we did nothing yesterday either) --wtf?

[a_spark]

mmk Oh man, I'm so sorry!! I'd be pissed, too.

maryanne Happy Birthday! Sorry you had to get up early, too :(

I'm still really sick and when Ava woke up at 6:30 this morning, I brought her to bed as usual, but she was just ready to be up for the day. She was babbling, fussing, pulling hair. DH kept trying to sleep throught it but I wasn't having it. I'd been up most of the night, between being sick and Ava waking at 2 to be fed, so I finally said, "I'd really appreciate it if you guys went downstairs. I need to sleep." He was grouchy about it but took her and I got to sleep for another hour or so. Today must be cranky husband day.

[Wrighty26]

Sorry MMK and Maryanne :( Definitely vent away! I think guy are SOOOO different in the way that they approach parenting. They are able to leave stuff at the door... I bring it with me everywhere. It's very frustrating.

Happy Birthday Maryanne! I hope you ARE able to do something fun today!! (If we lived close - I'd do something fun with you!)

ETA - a_spark -- That was me last week! While the babbling is cute, when you're feeling like crap (and you've been getting up all night) sleep wins. My DH was NOT happy with me last weekend, but he got over it :D Mama needs her sleep!

[Soulmate]

maryanne I'd be ticked too! When your DH wakes up you should just hand DC over to him and have a "sans kid day" since he isn't going to go anywhere today ;)

Husbands I find myself really jealous of DH because he can leave everything at the door. This jealousy has been the biggest adjustment I've had and often depresses me. I want to have some freedom too! His default is on "no kid" while mine is on "kid". Like he'll have a friend call and want to go out for coffee and his automatic response is to go. If someone asked me to go get coffee spontaneously I'd have to ask if someone could watch DS, coordinate things, make sure DS wasn't too cranky, etc. DH's default is on sleeping all night and sleeping in on weekends, my default is on waking up for every waking and waking up with DS early for the day. It is funny how things just fall that way in most relationships and my guess is that it is those crazy mommy hormones that bond us to our DCs. I guess looking at the bright side is that while we have to deal with a lot of the crap (sometimes literally!) that we also get to feel our bond and love so much more intensely. DH and I talk openly about my/our feelings and I kept saying that he just doesn't understand what I go through. He says he does but then he does things and makes comments that say otherwise. Lately he has been super good about helping out and even took DS out of my arms and sent me to bed once at 2am! I was soooo grateful! I think what our DHs don't understand is that we want them to just take our DCs w/o us having to ask for help. I know I'm too stubborn to do that and am often on autopilot.

[emmjay]

His default is on "no kid" while mine is on "kid".
This is exactly right! Although he does offer to watch the baby fairly often. Actually I might go skiing (overnight!) this coming weekend with a friend because DH said he would be fine. 90% of the time, though, he just says he can do whatever anyone asks him to do without a second thought..

I am joining a Mom's group - there is a public meeting a week from tomorrow that I can attend, and then I can join. I can't wait! They have a playgroup once a week and all kinds of evening activities for moms. I don't know why I waited so long. I found it through MOMS Club (http://www.momsclub.org) if anyone else wants to take a look - they have chapters all over the place.

[smurf]

I really needed this discussion on husbands today. We've been housebound this weekend due to weather, and DH is driving me nuts! Every now and then he'll entertain K, but only when asked. As soon as she gets fussy, he'll hand her off to me. He "let" me sleep in this morning, but kept going in and out of our room with the baby, so it didn't really work. Whereas yesterday, I let him sleep until 10:30 and kept K. in her room so she wouldn't wake him. :mad: He's a great father, and most of the time he does his fair share, but I think that he thinks it's normal and right that I do the majority of caring for her. He loves to play with her, but when it comes to getting up in the middle of the night, getting up early, or putting her to bed, he sees nothing wrong with letting me do all the work.

I want to have some freedom too! His default is on "no kid" while mine is on "kid".

This is so true with us too. He comes and goes as he pleases, and never really thinks to ask me if I'd like to have a few hours to myself. Don't get me wrong, I love my baby, but a few hours of "me time" would be wonderful. And I know he'd watch her, I'd just rather he volunteer and not make me ask. /End vent :D

[maryanne]

thanks for the birthday wishes!

and I am sorry to see that so many of us can add to that vent ;)

here's my cutie--getting ready for todays game

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/357222115_4f6a258064.jpg?v=0

[nuhmah]

What beautiful eyes, Maryanne! Go Pats, Go!! (DH is watching the game, too)

[mmisabel]

maryanne - she's so cute!! She's gotten really big.

diapers - N was 15lb 9oz at his last appt. We are transitioning into Size 3's since it didn't make sense to buy the gigantic size at BJ's in 2's. We like Pampers better too although I did re-try Huggies (since I had a pack of 2's) and they were better than I remembered.

husbands - I feel no guilt in waking DH (forcibly :))to get the baby. We take turns nights and weekends. Then again, we both work full-time so I'm sure if that scenario were different it might be another story. I think the hardest part for me is the guilt. Guilt for working, when I do go out, etc that DH just doesn't really have. Sure he misses N when he's at work, but to him that's just the way it is so he doesn't sweat it like me.

[klav]

she's too cute love the outfit!! gotta get one for my liitle guy!!

[mkvh]

I want to thank ALL of you SO much for your kindness about C's accident! It's such an I-told-you-so moment, and yet all of you were so supportive. That's what so great about this group!

[QUOTE=Soulmate;1151217I find myself really jealous of DH because he can leave everything at the door. This jealousy has been the biggest adjustment I've had and often depresses me. I want to have some freedom too! His default is on "no kid" while mine is on "kid". [/QUOTE]

I COMPLETELY identify with this! I remember saying a while back that it's not that I don't want and enjoy the responsiblity, but I resent the fact that he doesn't feel it.

Swing--Ours got packed up about a month ago. She'd much rather sit on the floor or be in her walker.

Diapers--HUGGIES SUPREME! Size 3. They're our favorites, hands down. We've tried them all, and we always come back to them. Luvs surprisingly aren't bad, though.

All of the babies are SO cute. I just can't get over how much they've changed. Time flies.

[ShelbyMay]

husbands: We have the exact same issue with me being the "default parent". I try to explain this to him over and over, and he never "gets" it.

The best thing I've tried so far has been posting a calendar on our fridge. It is one of those wall calendars with the BIG blocks for writing. Whenever one of us makes plans, we are supposed to write it on the calendar. Whoever gets their plans written on there first get priority, guilt free.

Because of the calendar, my husband can't claim that I didn't tell him I had plans. :rolleyes: And I no longer "ask" him if he can be home to watch DD -- I just TELL him I have plans and am going out. End of story. I always feel like it's kind of rude, but it is exactly how HE would do it, so whatever.

Of course, he still goes out for a lot more "last minute" stuff than I do. My friends generally don't call with spur-of-the-moment invitations because most of them are mommies, too. His friends still call on Saturday evening and ask him to come over for an all-night poker game.

Moms group: Joining one was the best thing I've done! We have a weekly playdate, special family events, and Friday night a bunch of us went out for dinner and drinks -- So much fun! It is good to make so many new friends who understand what I am going through these days. DD really enjoys the playdates, too.

diapers: We use Target brand size 3. She's been in the size 3s for a couple of months, actually, because the size 2s kept having blowouts.

[Can't_Wait]

Thanks for all the compliments on DDs picture!

ShelbyMay I picked up the bath seat at Target. I was unsure about the one I got b/c the reviews were not great but it was on clearance at Target & I had a return of another baby item that I had to exchange due to not having a receipt. Here is the link, it is by The First Years: TUB (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_1/602-4672877-5235051?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B00067IYYQ) It was on sale for like $17 in the store. Also, the reviews are for when using it w/ an infant. It seems to work just fine as a seat. DD likes it. I don't know if it will work for your DD... the bottom is a little slippery so the 2nd time we used it we put a wash cloth on the seat & that helped her from slipping. She does still have room in the seat to move forward or backward so we have to always be right there to grab her (which you should be anyway so I guess that isn't any different). So we like it & it is easier for her to sit up in than her infant tub which she always struggled to sit up in anyway.

Wrighty26 We got the shirt at The Gap... it was with all their winter/Christmas stuff. Not sure if they still have them or not.

Smurf We got the skirt at Old Navy. And I'm sure these clips would work in your DD's hair. The website says they work in even the thinnest of baby hair. It has those clips that bend to secure & it is a really small clip.

Diapers We use cloth but we are ready to move up to the next size too... she is growing out of her sz small fuzzi bunz & FAST! Luckily I ordered a bunch of bumgenius diapers Friday. Hope they come soon!!

DH I can totally understand where everyone is coming from. While my DH will take the baby on the weekend mornings so I can sleep in (but she is a late sleeper anyway, usually sleeping until 9 or 10am) I am the one stuck doing the majority of caring for her... even if he is home. I figure it is largely due to the fact that I am bfing & she won't take a bottle... and she will only fall asleep by bfing. So that isn't his fault. But it does irritate me when he will bring her to me whenever she gets fussy & say, "I think she might want to eat." I'm like "she doesn't want to eat everytime she is fussy!!!" UGH!

[MMK]

Wow, it's so nice to be able to post a vent here and find out that I'm not over reacting and that so many others are dealing with similiar issues. Soulmate, you defiitely hit the nail on the head as far our natural "defaults" go and it is so easy to be resentful. The worst part is that I know I really have myself to blame. Because dh works so much while I've been staying home I often feel guilty and like I should always be the one to do everything when it comes to dc. Since I always take the lead (without even giving dh a chance), how is he supposed to know when I want it to go differently? It's kind of a self fulfilling prophesy...I feel like I'm the only one who can do everything, so I do it all, and then this just becomes the status quo. I think it's clearly time for me to step back more often and be far more clear with what I want/need without feeling guilty that dh works and I "don't."

maryanne: Drew has is Tedy Bruschi shirst on yesterday (like he does every Sun) and I was thinking how cute our two babes would have looked together! GO PATS!

[smurf]

Happy late birthday, Maryanne!

MMK-I think you hit the nail on the head about the self-fulfilling prophesy. That's what happens around our house too.

I know I'm always complaining about sleep (or lack thereof), but last night was rediculous. K. napped for a total of 1 hour yesterday and then was up 7 times last night. Ack....I'm so tired right now. I think she might be having a little separation anxiety. The past few days, she's started to cry if I put her down and leave the room. Makes going to the bathroom kinda difficult :)

[emmjay]

Can't_Wait - you will love your bumgenius diapers! If you have any trouble with wicking through the stretchy tabs, read the post #786 by NYN in the CD thread - she explains how to put them on so they don't leak. I haven't had any leaking since I read that. Oh, and my DH thinks everytime S cries it's because he is hungry too.

MDO - we have the same deal as smurf that all of the ones around here are for 1 year and up. I can't wait to join the mom's group so I can get some ME TIME. ;) A friend of mine started a book club as well, but everyone said they read slowly so it only meets every 6 weeks.

We finally have a good schedule going with his sleeping at night and naps. Watch, now that I said that it is all going to go to hell, but for now it is good!

[a_spark]

It's kind of a self fulfilling prophesy...I feel like I'm the only one who can do everything, so I do it all, and then this just becomes the status quo.

I'm working on this too! I'm always running to DD when she cries or taking her from DH when she's fussy and then I resent him for being so "free". I think at least partly it's my own doing! He's learning to put her down for naps and stuff so things are getting more balanced, but I think we'll always have a bit of an imbalance because, as soulmate said, I default to "kid" :) Oh, and DH used to always ask "when's the last time she ate?" every single time she fussed and I finally told him it made me CRAZY when he said that, so instead he asks me when I hand her off when she ate last (if he doesn't know already). It works better than his shouting to me across the house when she ate like 30 minutes ago!

cloth diapers We're making the big switch! I'm really excited about it. I'm about to order some BumGenius diapes to try out. They look so cute and the whole process seems MUCH easier than I thought it would be.

[Can't_Wait]

emmjay Do you use BGs full time? Glad to hear you like them so well... I hope I do! My order shipped today. :)

a_spark Good for you for making the switch! I really like cloth diapering... it is not much more work & the pay off is worth it to me. I guess we'll be trying out BGs together!

[a_spark]

sleep Is everyone still having frequent night wakings right now? Not sure what she's working on, developmentally, or if it's a cold or what, but A woke up about every hour last night. I am a zombie today. Let's see if I can remember- she woke at: 10:30, 12:30, 1:30, 4:00 (brought her to our bed at that point) and then 6:30 (but she was kind enough to lay there quietly and snooze/stare at the ceiling until 7:20). Ouch. A lot of the time she wakes and is crying and seems pretty upset, is only calmed by nursing. Occasionally, she's just kind of mewing, which escalates until I go and get her and then she's okay. I'm thinking this is the dawn of separation anxiety? J tried to soothe her last night but she just got more upset. He gave up and turned her over to me, saying "she just misses you and wants to know you're there." So of course my heart melted.

[smurf]

sleep-yep, it's worse than ever right now. I'm thinking it's sep. anxiety too b/c she calms down as soon as I take her. DH tried to get her at midnight last night and she wasn't having any of it. So tired....

[Wrighty26]

sleep - It's gotten better, but he also cut his first tooth on Sunday. He's now only waking twice a night (last night it was 11 and 3:30). I'm so conflicted on if I should let him CIO or not. You'd think he wouldn't be THAT hungry at 3:30 since I also nursed him at 11, but he was acting like he was starving. I actually feel like the 11 o'clock wake up is really unnecessary (more so than the 3:30 one) and might have to do some sleep training with that one. Ugh. He's also started unswaddling himself at night, so I'm just going to stop swaddling. It doesn't bother him to be unswaddled when he's sleeping (it doesn't wake him up), so I figure he's ready.

[a_spark]

SO glad to hear that I'm not the only one with sleep issues. I keep suspecting teething but no teeth or swollen gums or anything! I just hope this passes soon before I die of sleep deprivation :)

[Can't_Wait]

DD isn't waking frequently but her sleeping schedule is very different in the last few days. She normally doesn't go down until 11p-12a but last night she went down at 730p & the night before at 1030p. She is of course waking up earlier too. This morning she woke up at 6:30am. :( (She already has 2 teeth so I don' think it is due to teething.)

[Wrighty26]

a_spark - B really had no warning on the tooth. Other than not sleeping, he showed no signs or fussiness or uncomfort. Just a lot of drool. I'm sure the 2nd one will be popping through soon too. Joy!

[klav]

were still waiting for that first tooth???

[mmisabel]

klav - toothless here also!

can't wait - wow that's a late bedtime! Maybe she's naturally pushing it forward. Getting up early sucks (my DS likes 5am :() BUT he's back in bed within 1-2 hours so when I'm home we nap together. :)

[mia's mama]

sleep issues... thank god I'm not alone. J goes down around 6pm, wakes up at aboput 9pm, 11:45 pm. 2:30 am and then 6:30am for the day. It's actually BETTER than what he was doing (waking 7-8-9 times a night), but still...eve if he would drop the 2:30 feed it would be so much better! Still not a great napper, but we're working on it.

I'm wondering if he's doing it b/c he really is hungry? We had his 6 month WBV yesterday and I have one Loooong SKINNY baby!
14.10lbs (5th %)
27 3/4" (90%)
and a big old noggin- 75th%

Our ped wasn't worried and he doens't look skinny- he actually has some nice thigh rolls! She just doesn't want to see him fall OFF the charts. ugh. He's totally not into solids and would nurse all.day.long. if I let him.

Mia did the same thing around this age and at 2 is still in the 10th% for weight (only 24 lbs at 26 months) and the 88th% for height. I guess that's just how we make them....

[nuhmah]

teeth - we cut #3 sometime yesterday/last night! :D It poked its head through and we saw it this morning. And he definitely took it for a "test-spin" while nursing today. Youch! Every time I yelp out, he looks at me and starts crying - he has only done it a couple of times.

swaddling - DS is starting to break his swaddle and stay asleep, as well. He is also starting to wiggle and put himself into other positions while staying swaddled. I think he "needs" to be swaddled when we first start off the evening, but he doesn't need it throughout the night. I