March Moms 2006 - Year One, Part Two

[junkinmytrunk]

Not sure why this won't post but...bday togs, take 2:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/426732777_0e3b08c08a_m.jpg

[JennW]

Junk - He looks so cute in that sweater! The pic of you guys together is so sweet. You both look great!:)

[losthoosier]

Wanted to drop off some pictures. from Mackenzie Party

She loves bubbles, We hired a bubble person to come perform. It was really windy she could only do small ones
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/426027363_918abb555c_m.jpg

She loved her cake
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/149/426023691_af80cf04b0_m.jpg

Here is her cake.... I did not make I ordered
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/426022925_a13c6ced0f_m.jpg

here is the big cake
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/157/426022878_77e2b8ed8c_m.jpg

Sorry so many hard to choose

[losthoosier]

Waiting for the candy from the pinata
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/426021374_d497d2689f_m.jpg

Her gift from us was a ball pit
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/426019194_68a17c41e7_m.jpg

and finally She looks like she has us fulled.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/426026079_09aef47e64_m.jpg

I have more if any one wants to see........ PM Me

[aprilshowers]

junk - owwwiiieee!! I'm glad to hear P's toe is okay. Try not to beat yourself up about it! The pics are so cute!

amy - thanks for the words of support re the nursing strike, here and in EN thread. I am trying to be patient but it is just so sad since she is obviously frustrated. And of course I am not too happy to have had to break out the pump again :rolleyes:

Shannon - go Noa for pulling up! That is one of the most fun developments, isn't it? :p And I am so relieved for you that she "passed" her allergy testing.

mom - that is a gorgeous cake! I looked at approximately 3 million cake pictures when trying to figure out what I wanted. I love how ours turned out but if I had seen yours, I might have done something different!

Jenn - your cake came out awesome too! I love the pic of him smearing it in his hair - DD did the exact same thing.

lost - look at those curls!

[bunny nose]

junk Sorry about what happened to Pierson. The poor little thing. I hope everything is better.

Shannon I am so happy that Noa is pulling up. That is awesome!

All the parties from this weekend looked great. I loved everyone's decorations. I'm not doing much in the decoration area, so now I feel like Nicky is missing out.

Also, I had a busy weekend and haven't had time to post. But thank you all for the advice you gave me on the tub situation with Nicky. I really so appreciate it all. We are goin got try to go slow and see what happens. Its weird because he will stand there and watch me take a shower and laugh and squeal and love getting all wet. The other night DH sat in the tub with no water and called Nicky in. He sat there talking to him for a minute then asked him if he wanted to come in. He went and was ok. So we may try that a few more times. I also have a bunch of toys I bought just for the tub. So maybe I will try getting all that set up and let him play in there with no water. I know one of you suggested it, but I can't remember who, but thank you to who did. We shall see how it goes. Will let you know!

[ajb524]

I love all the b-day pics!!!!!!

Well, Sean has finally started walking. Something clicked with him Friday afternoon and he started doing it. He's still very wobbly and gets excited when he's doing it and then falls down. It's the cutest thing ever :).

We went on a mini-vacation to the mountains last weekend and here are some pics-
http://bellsouthpwp2.net/a/n/andreajb/Pigeon%20forge%2007/2.jpg

http://bellsouthpwp2.net/a/n/andreajb/Pigeon%20forge%2007/3.jpg

http://bellsouthpwp2.net/a/n/andreajb/Pigeon%20forge%2007/6.jpg

http://bellsouthpwp2.net/a/n/andreajb/Pigeon%20forge%2007/7.jpg
The raccoon that came to visit us every night (we were in a cabin out in the middle of the woods).

http://bellsouthpwp2.net/a/n/andreajb/Pigeon%20forge%2007/10.jpg

[ellybella]

happy birthday sam, owen, pheobe! and anyone else i missed.

mom those cakes are beautiful...almost too pretty to eat...naaaa!

jennw great job on the train cake, looks just like the ws one.

lost the cakes are amazing, did they taste as good as they look? wow!

junk the "p" sweater is adorable.

[yby1]

Look at all the gorgeous pictures of babies and cakes. :D

Mattias decided yesterday that he wanted to start walking. Now he's a walking fool. :)

[bunny nose]

Yeah for Sean and Mattias walking. Now the fun really begins. :)

[losthoosier]

The cakes tasted awesome ...... the only thing the ladybug did not have strawberries like the rest of the cake. and that is the piece I got :(.....

I get a call from daycare today to pick up Mackenzie that she has Thrush......so I take off work again take her to the doctor and he says there is no thrush... its so frustrating. He did find another double ear infection.... So I guess its a good thing. We are going to talk tubes at her appt Friday..... She has had constant ear infections and nothing is getting rid of them...

For those getting rid of the bottle. please tell me how you did it....

[ajb524]

losthoosier- Sean had tubes put in back in January. It has helped so much. He had an ear infection or double infection every month from last May to December. He hasn't had one at all since he had the tubes and seems to be less sick overall. I would highly recommend them. I think they will make a huge difference :)

[jordan]

Happy Birthday to all of those I missed! I'm reading along, but work has been keeping me crazy.

losthoosier: as far as getting rid of bottles when Nate took his milk during the day from the sippy cup I just tried it the next morning and he was fine with it and we haven't looked back since. He went from one day screaming when I tried to give him milk in the sippy to just being ok with it. Not sure if that helps, but you may want to give it a shot and see how it works.

junk: the sweater is adorable!!! Where did you get that?

The pictures are all great... and the ladybug cake is amayzing. I will one day get pictures uploaded from Nate's party to post. I'm spending all my free non-Nate time working on a new family website so once that's done I'll have all the pictures at my fingertips. (It's sad... I haven't updated since he was 6 months old.)

[Bernie & Matt]

ditching bottles This is what we did with DS and it worked pretty good, so we're doing the same with DD. We first had to get DD on a bottle since she was BF. Then every couple days or so we reduced the amount of formula in the bottle, but kept the water the same (ie 8 oz water with 3 scoops, then 2 scoops, then 1 scoop). DS eventually decided it wasn't worth the effort with 1 scoop or plain water in it and gave it up himself. We also made sure the sippy was always out with milk in it. DS gave up the bottle after about 6 weeks of this (He was only getting it for nap and bed). We're on 2 scoops/8 oz. water with DD and so far so good.

[junkinmytrunk]

Jordan: Got the sweater here: http://babyknitsandmore.com/neruinbpusw.html

Lost: I have no idea how I'll ever ditch the bottle :rolleyes: my kiddo is in love with it!! I figure I'm going to wait until Pierson actually swallows a bit of solid food before working on that. I'd love to hear how it goes for you - that's my next bear to tackle. Ugh...

Blood draw: FYI we did our blood draw at the lab yesterday. I was a wreck. He was okay until they tied his arm off for the draw itself. At the lab we visited, two techs work with the baby and the mommy holds the baby still in the chair. It went okay. All of LabCorp's patients heard us :p but I'm sure we weren't the first. Thankfully it's over. The tests NJ requires are the lead levels and WBC / RBC counts. I think that's it.

I was just noticing....I think we only have 3 babies left to have their birthdays....Wow, that went FAST!

Guess that is about it. Have to start the THANK YOU notes. Ugh. :)

[JennW]

We are weaning off BF right now. I am giving milk in the cup which is working OK but he doesn't drink it as well as he does in the bottle or BFing. He gets bottles two days a week at daycare so hopefully it won't be bad to get rid of them since it is only 4-5 bottles a week. My question is, how do you get themn to drink enough in the sippy. he doesn't suck it down like he does with BFing or bottle and considering we're still on a weight gain regimin I don't want him to have less than usual.

We also need to get rid of the paci, the music all night, the naps in swing only... so much to tackle.

Junk - I had the same experience with the blood draw. Sorry it was so bad for you! I love that sweater. I must buy an O one.:) After Karen has her party for her DS I am going to plan our get together. How about sometime in April? If it's just us three I'll probably plan it for a Monday or Tuesday since you guys don't work and I'm off those days. Does that work for you? I'm so excited since I have no friend IRL with babies!

[junkinmytrunk]

JennW: Will Owen use a straw? I'm trying to get Pierson to love drinking from a straw because the Sippys aren't cutting it for us. Maybe try that with milk? It's all so hard, eh? And Monday and Tuesdays are great - anytime is good for us. Sooner the better - I get so bored :)

[bunny nose]

Monday or a Tuesday if perfect for me.

I am having a hard time getting him to take the sippy cup. He just sits there and plays with the top of it. I don't know when it will get done.

Question for those of you who switched to real milk- did you just do it on your own, or did you wait for the doctor to give you the go ahead? I don't know why, but I'm afraid to do it. But the weird thing is is that he has had things made with real milk. I've given him ice cream, pudding, potatoes, but I'm afraid to switch him over. I see the doctor on Monday, so I will see then.

[phart]

bunny~~The milk proteins in straight milk are different than those in things made with milk. Aiden can eat yogurt and cheese all the live-long day but cow's milk (still, at 3) gives him runny poop.

[JennW]

Junk & Karen - Let me know if any Mondays/Tuesdays don't work for you. I'll look at my calendar as well!:)

Junk - We only tried a straw once a few months ago and he basically just let it sit in his mouth and looked at me lilke "what next." I'll have to try it again, thanks for the idea.

Milk - I added a bit to BM a few times on and off the last few weeks. This week I started doing straight milk during the days while we taper off the BFing. He had no reaction to it at all and seemed to like it.

[ShannonGH]

phart- so out of curiousity, what does A. drink instead of milk?

[junkinmytrunk]

JennW: Thus far I'm wiiiiiiiiide open. Oh, and re: a straw. I did what Shannon suggested and bought the toss n go straw and cup sets and gently squeezed water into his mouth from the cup. He eventually started wanting to hold the cup. Lo and behold it took about 5 or 6 days but he "got it". Doesn't drink a ton from it but way more than the sippy.
Shannon: Maybe lactose free milk or soy? If regular cow's milk doesn't work for P, we're going to try those. Not sure tho - we'll see what Phart says.

[bunny nose]

Thanks phart, I didn't know that.

JennW I don't see a problem with any of those days coming up. Any ideas where we can meet yet?

[phart]

Shannon~~He mostly drinks soy milk. Lately he hasn't had much of any milk and I'm alright with that since his diet is very well balanced. We've given him cow's milk recently hoping the issue was better but it's not. But it's easier now that he's PT'd:p He likes my milk too but I'm too stingy to give that to him all the time!

[JennW]

junk and karen - 4/2 or 4/9? Which one is better? 4/9 is the day after Easter if that makes any difference. No idea where to meet. I'll look into central locations. Maybe somewhere near Jersey Gardens Mall? I know it's close to Karen and it's probably not too far from me. How far is that from you, Junk? Should we meet for lunch somewhere or maybe I'll see if there is a playroom or something type place for the kids?

[junkinmytrunk]

Heck I vote for April 2nd - it's sooner :)
I'll Google Jersey Gardens Mall - I'm sure it's just fine! I can't wait!!

[JennW]

I think that's the name of the mall. I know Karen goes there so she'll probably pop in here and give us the real name. I know it's very near her coming over from Staten Island.

[Bernie & Matt]

My question is, how do you get themn to drink enough in the sippy. he doesn't suck it down like he does with BFing or bottle and considering we're still on a weight gain regimin I don't want him to have less than usual.

We're trying to gain weight on our end too after our horrendous day care issue. We had our 1 yr. check yesterday and I specifically asked about weaning from bottles, milk, sippies, and gaining weight. Our dr (and yours might be different) said that 8-12 oz of milk a day was fine and to focus on high calorie solid foods instead of liquids. That's a big difference from the 20 oz in formula she was getting through bottles. She mentioned making the sippy/milk available AFTER meals/snacks, so DD takes care of her hunger with food instead of milk.

She also suggested putting DD down for her afternoon nap (she only takes one) without a bottle and giving her a bottle at night only. This is day two of that and so far so good. She does fuss a bit for her nap, but she's so exhausted that it doesn't last long.

So I guess I've reversed my previous advice for ditching bottles ;), but since DD is only at 12%ile, I feel like weight gain needs to be the focus now instead of eliminating all bottles (although we have had some success in eliminating one bottle). Now that she'll be at a new day care next week, I'm hoping to see MAJOR improvements (for both kids actually).

[junkinmytrunk]

**ALERT**: Pierson ate THREE Cheerios!! (I know, I'm being silly but I tell you, it's big news for us, trust me :) )

[bunny nose]

Jersey gardens Mall would be good for me if it is for you. It is right off exit 13A of the turnpike. 4/9 would actually be better for me. DH is going to Mets opening day that day and that would give me something fun to do while he's gone all day. What Malls are around you girls? Maybe there is something more centrally located for you. Jersey Gardens is only about 20 minutes for me. I don't mind traveling further at all.

[bunny nose]

Hooray for Pierson!!!!!!!!!!!! You must be so excited!

[junkinmytrunk]

Well, if no other Jersey / New York girls can make it, we can keep the Gardens. Otherwise, maybe if someone else can join us change locales to accomodate the additional gal? I haven't been to JG - might be fun!

[ShannonGH]

3 Cheerios is HUGE!!! WTG Pierson!!!

Bernie- How's the walking bootcamp going? ;)

[Bernie & Matt]

walking I've been shocked at the progress. Although she won't be walking by Monday, she's standing on her own now and takes "lunges" for lack of a better word. Now, give the girl something to hold on to and she can run with the big kids. Gotta love exersaucer abuse/overuse :rolleyes:

[JennZ]

Hi girls,

Well, it's been crazy around here!
Graham is officially weaned! He's gone 5 days without nursing, so there's no turning back now. He went straight to whole milk in a sippy cup.
It has actually been extremely easy. We did it on his schedule, I never denied him nursing, and he just gradually started nursing less and less. I didn't get engorged or anything. It is just amazing to me that our bodies work the way they do! He's fine. I'm fine, it's all good. (Okay, I miss it more than I thought I would) BUT, he was ready. He's actually also slept through the night for past 5 nights, too since we stopped nursing at 3:30 am. Coincidence? I don't think so!!
So, that's our big news!
Plus, last weekend we went to Target and I told my 3 year-old to pick out some big boy underpants because we didn't have anymore diapers. Starting on Sunday, he's been in real underwear- no more diapers (except at bedtime)

So I'm back to one in diapers!! Hooray!! :D

Great job, Pierson!!
bernie, Graham did that 3 step lunge for about a week or two, and then he started getting braver and braver. First 5 steps and lunge, then a few steps by himself then down to crawling. Today he walked halfway across the room by himself! So I bet DD is walking on her own very soon!! Way to go!! :) And I personally love the "scaling" the wall power-walk! It cracks me up!!

[JennW]

Yay for Pierson!!! That is huge! If he had more than one that means he didn't hate the first one too much!

Yeah for Graham's weaning! Ours is going pretty well, too!

Bernie - Glad to hear your bootcamp is going well, too!

Let me know if any other NJ/NY girls want to come to the GTG. Otherwise we'll leave it for 4/2 at JG mall.:) Karen - Since neither of us has been there you may be better to make suggestions on where to meet, etc.

[dec27bride]

Hey girls-
I've been trying to keep up! Arleigh has been sick with what we just found out on Tuesday is pneumonia!!:( Luckily, she now seems to be on the up and up, and is finally able to stay awake for more than an hour at a time, and seems much more like herself, yay!

Happy Birthday to all they babies I've missed!

junk-Congrats on the Cheerios, big step! Cheerios remain a big favorite around here! :D

[junkinmytrunk]

Dec27: Oh dear, poor Arleigh, little lamb -- hope she feels better soon
JennZ: Milestones all around at your house -- three cheers --for you!
JennW: Glad to hear your weaning is going well and April 2 or 9 works for me but I think Bunny wanted the 9th!
Bernie: So happy to hear the walking boot camp is working...fingers crossed.

[heidi0622]

Happy Birthday James and Noa!!!!!

[JennW]

Happy Birthday James and Noa!!!!!

Junk - I'll check in with Karen about the GTG after her DS' party this weekend. I'm excited, too!

Bernie - Owen has never even been on the charts. He has his own curve though, so we're pretty happy with that. The whole weight gain thing is stressful, but we're dealing.:) He certainly doesn't look underweight at all (he's got a belly, thighs, etc.) but he's just a small package I guess!

[junkinmytrunk]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR NOA AND JAMES!!!!

[JennZ]

Happy birthday Noa and James!!
Hope you have a fantastic day!!

[kdotp]

Happy Birthday James and Noa!!

Trying to catch up. I had to stay home 3.5 days this week due to massive poop issues with G. I think he caught the same thing DH had last week -- hopefully I've avoided it!

DS has pulled up on his learning table 3 times now, and can crawl up 3 steps (and then is like, okay, I did my work, now take me to the top!). We noticed he doesn't use his right leg to propel him forward when he crawls (which is why we think he's still army crawling) so we're going to have SIL (who's a PT) look at him on Sunday.

Makeup birthday party is Sunday afternoon. We're pretty much ready. I managed to keep the house mostly clean from the shower last weekend, so all I really need to do is some quick sweeping and vacuuming Sunday, get the food and put up the few decorations we have.

WTG Pierson on the cheerios! :D

Poor Arleigh. I hope she gets better soon.

[JennW]

Owen is inconsolable today. Anyone deal with one year molars? He may just not feel well from his cold but he is really putting a lot of stuff way back in his mouth. I can't get in there to look. What signs did you see? Or maybe it's something else complely. I'm lost!

[MrsCantDecide]

Happy birthday to James and Noa!

So Tuesday was Lucas' 12 month WBV --

Weight: 22 lbs 4 oz (75%)
Height: 31 3/4" (75%)
Head 18 1/2 (50%)

Like so many of the baby's on this thread, poor Lucas is sick. He's got a HORRIBLE cough (compliments of daycare!), and we tried giving him those Mucinex granules, but he about puked on those. So now we have to add Robittussen PE to his morning milk, and he doesn't even have a clue it's in there. :)

As far as bottles, Lucas just drinks a morning and evening bottle. We're trying to switch him over to a sippy, but like so many people on here, he doesn't drink enough out of the sippy and I need for him to get all of that medicine down him for now. So we'll try the sippys in the morning maybe next week. Nighttime bottle doesn't bother me though. As long as he sleeps through the night. :D

On the other baby front -- I ended up miscarrying (confirmed Tuesday), so I won't be having a 2007 baby. Yeah, I found out that news AND had to listen to Lucas get his shots all in the same day. :p Just not nice!

[phart]

Maura's bottom two are bulging but neither of my kids have had too many issues with teeth (thank goodness!). I know plenty of kids who have though. If you're not opposed to homeopathic stuff then I'd recommend 30x chamomilla(?) tablets.

MCD~~I am so, so sorry to hear the news:(

[kdotp]

molars G's upper left popped through first, about a month ago, and his upper right is starting to poke through now. He was more fussy about the left one--just cranky and always chewing on his finger. We would occasionally give him infant motrin before bed when it seemed particularly painful. He was especially fussy right before they first popped through the gum.

bottles I don't think getting rid of bottles will be that big of deal for us. Already, he's off them at daycare and probably could be off them at home (he only gets them before bed, and occasionally in the am if he wakes around 4) but I'm too lazy to really work at it. He's good with sippies (both the straw kind and the regular kind) so I'm sure that's what's been so easy for us.

MCD I'm sorry. :(

DH just called to say daycare called and G had another big blowout during his afternoon nap, so he's picking him up to take him home. I'm so ready to be done with this virus!!

[JennW]

MCD - So, so, so sorry.:(

molars - We didn't have many issues with other teeth so I'm not sure that's what this is, but he is miserable. He also bit me on the arm today twice HARD. Like it made a mark through my sweater. And when he did it he seemed so frantic and in pain.:(

Hopefully it gets better.

In case I'm not on here tomorrow, Happy Birthday Nicky!

[JennZ]

MCD,
I'm really sorry.

molars-
We don't have any yet, but Graham is really chewing on his finger, too. And a couple times the past day or two, he just cries and lays down on the floor. I thought it was an ear infection at first, but since we've never had one, I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for. He's also not eating anything that he has to chew, so that was a big clue for me that it was his teeth!
We're trying Motrin at bedtime, too.
Sorry little Owen is having the same issues!

kdotp- I hope Grant starts feeling better!!

[junkinmytrunk]

Oh are we ever chewingchewingchewing--mollars are ready to pop thru.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR NICKY!!!

-------------------------------------
MCD - so, so sorry for your loss.

[JennW]

Happy Birthday Nicky!!!:) Hope your party goes well!!!:)

Yay Junk for Pierson chewing away!!!:D

[aprilshowers]

Oh MCD, I'm so so sorry for your loss. I know how excited you guys were. :(

[JennZ]

Happy Birthday Nicky!!

[ShannonGH]

I'm so so sorry MCD. :(

Happy Birthday Nicky!!! (our last baby to turn 1!)

Thank you all for the birthday wishes!!! We had a great time!! Here are a few pics:
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l273/shannonhaney/Picture160.jpg?t=1174774298
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l273/shannonhaney/Picture155.jpg?t=1174774369
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l273/shannonhaney/Picture144-1.jpg?t=1174774417
I'll post a few more of the detailed pics in the bday thread.

It was so much fun. Thankfully, she had a great nap and awoke right before the guests arrived so she was in a great mood. She didn't care too much for the cake...just licked the icing off of her fingers a few times.

[amychris03]

Happy Birthday to James, Noa, and Nicky!

ugh, I had some awful virus yesterday, it was absolutely horrible being so sick and having to take care of Sam. For now, everyone else is healthy at least! The good news is that his allergy test came back negative for Wheat, Dairy, and dogs! Hurray! I was giving him dairy and wheat this week anyways and he wasn't breaking out like he used to, so I was hopeful that he had outgrown it! He hates milk though. I have no idea how to get him to drink it. I mean, do I just keep offering and eventually he will? I really need to start weaning, and he wont take formula either.

Molars
Sam got his bottom two last week. He was miserable and a drooling fool. He's still chewing on everything (mainly his fingers) as they have a way to go before they are totally in. He also got his bottom two on either side of his front teeth, so that makes 10 total!

MCD
So sorry about your loss:(

Aprilshowers
How is the strike going? Hopefully it's over by now.

Shannon
Noa looks adorable! Love the matching cake and dress!

[JennW]

Shannon - Everything looked great. Noa's eyes are to die for. How pretty she looked!!!:D

amychris - Sorry about your virus. As for the milk, do you pump? Maybe mix BM and milk? We did that the first few days of cow's milk.

[amychris03]

JennW
*sigh* Yes, I suppose I could break out the pump again;) I didn't think of that, actually it's a good idea! How much did you mix in?

[mom2amelia]

MCD- I'm so sorry for your loss.

Happy Birthday James, Noa, and Nicky!

Shannon - looks like it was a great party. She is adorable in her pink and green dress. Her eyes are really beautiful!

[Tracie]

MCD So sorry for your loss!

Shannon Noa looked absolutely beautiful at her party! Looks like she had a great time!

Molars I don't think any molars are coming in yet, but you never know, one might surprise me!

Yay, Pierson, for eating Cheerios!

We, at long last, started with whole milk today. We meant to do it weeks ago, but then he was sick and then we were sick (and didn't have the energy to try something new). We did a mixture of whole milk and formula, and it went great! He took it without any fuss. He's been making strides with eating "real" food. He had scrambled eggs yesterday morning, and did great with diced green beans and sweet potato tonight!

[MarchMoms2006]

Updated to here. :)

Now that we're all one, I thought I'd start a new thread. So if anyone else has any more updates, lay 'em on me!

[tunibell]

Happy birthday Nicky!!! Happy belated birthday Mackenzie, Phoebe, Owen, Adrieanna, James, and Noa!!!

MCD - :(

Shannon - What a great looking party (and child!) Fabulous party frock! :)

We've had an explosion of sign language over here. Check out this link to see Miss P in action: http://levinsonian.com/piper/index.php?fpp=20&did=8&fid=8

[JennW]

AmyChris - We added in one ounce with a few bottles, then two, then three (he drinks 6-7 ounce bottles). By that time he really didn't seem to mind it so we just gave him an entire bottle of milk and he gobbled it down. Then we put it in a sippy. He still drinks it, though not as well as in the bottle. But, we're getting there. Good luck!

[aprilshowers]

amy - thanks for asking about us. She is still striking, unfortunately. I am down to pumping twice a day and she is getting about half BM and half whole milk. I'm still having a tough time dealing with it emotionally and the hardest part is that she signs for milk and reaches for me every time she wakes up from a nap (which is when she used to nurse). So, I think she wants to nurse but can't for some reason. There's definitely something developmental going on but we have no idea what it is! 90% of the time she is her normal happy funny self, which we are certainly thankful for! I'm sorry to hear you were sick - I hope you are feeling better soon. Thank goodness no one else got it!

shannon - beautiful party, beautiful parents and beautiful little girl! Looks like you had a blast!

[JennW]

aprilshowers - Sorry about the strike. That sucks. The emotional aspect of weaning is something I didn't expect to be this difficult. Sorry you are dealing with it, too.

[ShannonGH]

I love the video tuni!!! We've been signing since 5 months but no signs yet. I think kids with DS don't usually have their first sign till 18-24 months so I'm just patiently waiting...hoping it will pay off soon! Thanks for sharing the video!

[junkinmytrunk]

Shannon - Gorgeous party and gorgeous girl!!

Tuni - I am so bummed I can't actually see your video but I could hear it (mahmahamah) -- I'll bet it's precious!


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

and of course, HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICKY!! Our Last March Baby!!!

[JennZ]

shannon,
Beautiful party and gorgeous Noa!!

Jenn and aprilshowers- I actually broke down and cried this weekend because Graham is weaned. He's not trying to nurse or anything, I just felt a little like he didn't need me anymore. He seems so self-sufficient now drinking whole milk from a sippy cup. I miss my baby!!!

[Bernie & Matt]

Here's our 12 mo WBV stats:
Weight: 18 lbs. 9 oz. (12%)
Length: 29 1/4 in. (75%)

Shannon Noa looks just precious in her dress. How cute!

So, does anyone know when they're going to move us to the toddler thread?

[losthoosier]

I love the video Tuni

Shannon the party looks awesome. Noa's beautiful....

We had our WBV on Friday and this round of shots was horrible. She broke out with another high fever that seems to just now be going away. And she is also teething................... So we had her down to one bottle during the day, but after this weekend she is back up...

Her 1 year Stats

Weight 21.4 lbs (down from 9 months ??)
Height 31 3/4
Head 19.5
So it looks like she is tall and skinny. The Dr is not worried about her loosing weight at she has had a rough month. They want her to eat a lot more. She has had a bump on her head about 6 months. They took an X-ray of it finally. Its nothing but they are going to continue to watch it until she is 2.

What sucks is this is her last time at this Dr. WE moved so we had to get a new set of Dr. sucks though as I love her DR.

[aprilshowers]

Jenn - hugs to you. I have cried many times due to this (I wonder if the weaning affects some hormones too?). It is crazy!

[JennW]

april - Me, too! I posted that same question in the BF thread and they said that it is a huge hormonal change. So, yeah, we're not nuts!:)

[aprilshowers]

Good to know! (though I'm not sure this proves I'm not nuts ;) )

[tgal]

I am so far behind. We just returned from our second trip back to IN in a month . My father called me on the 13th as they took my grandfather to the hospital. We were able to make it back on the 16th to spend some time with him before he passed on the 18th. It has been a long emotional week. I've treasured the gift of having all 4 of my grandparents here to know Eva in the past year, so it has been very difficult to let him go.


On a happier note, I think I mised some birthdays while we were away. I haven't had enough time to read everything, but the pictures are adorable!
Happy Belated Birthday Nicholas & Campbell, Seth, Julia, Benjamin, Logan,
Caitlin, Sam, Mackenzie, Phoebe, Owen, Adrieanna, James, Noa, and Nicholas!

Molars: I noticed this topic. Eva is getting 4. I had no idea they would come in so soon and she is in misery! The most shocking is that she is chewing on her cheeks and they are bleeding like crazy. Our ped said there really isn't much you can do other than give her motrin or tylenol and try to give her other things to chew on. She is screaming at night. Last night she was up until close to midnight in pain. Poor little girl!!!

1 year well visit: 30.25 inches - 75%
22 pounds 50%
Blood work: Someone mentioned this before. Our state requires blood drawn for certian zip codes in within the state. They will be testing for lead and anemia (I think this has a lot to do with living in the historical part of our town).

Dentist: My friend who graduates from pediatric dentistry school in May mentioned the new recommendation is for little ones to go to the dentist at 1 year of age. Our ped actually told us the same thing at this mornings well visit. Have any of you scheduled a visit yet? I'm curious what they do at 1yr.

ETA: Talking: Again, I haven't gone back to read everything. Eva is now 13.5 months and is spouting words like mad plus copying everything. I need to be a little more careful these days. The best is when someone says apple sauce and she repeats it while rubbing her tummy and closing with "mmmmmmm".

[amychris03]

tgal Sorry to hear about your grandfather:( . I'm glad you got to spend some time with him though. I haven't heard that about the dentist, and havent even really thought about it to be honest, so I'm interested to hear what others say.

cross posted from my LJ
OK. so Sam is still not drinking milk, and he's down to 2-3 nursing sessions a day. We are eliminating the third currently and he went down for his nap with no problem. But he's still refusing milk. He'll have a few sips all day. He much prefers water. So, if he gets his calcium from other sources (yogurt primarily, but I also bought some pudding to try with him, and I'm hoping he'll eventually like the cheese again until I can get the milk in him), is that ok? I'm going to try mixing the milk with BM today, but I doubt that will make much of a difference for him. If he sees white in the sippy (or straw of a colored cup) he wont even try because he knows it's not water.

[JennW]

tgal - So sorry to hear about your grandfather.:(

Dentist - Haven't thought about this yet, either!

Eye doctor - The dentist talk reminds me that I also read that you should get their eyes checked in the first year. We haven't done this. Anyone else?

[ShannonGH]

tara- so sorry about your grandfather.

no dentist yet but we have been to the opthamologist. Noa still has a partially blocked tear duct that we may have to have surgery for. Joy.

[bunny nose]

Sorry I've been MIA for a while, just real busy as you all know. Thank you all for the birthday wishes, I can't believe Nicky is the last to be born in the group. A whole week after us and know other births.

tara- So sorry to hear about your grandfather.

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

Well, we had our party Saturday and it turned out well. I would say we had about 40 people here. Nicky got many many toys and clothes and money too. I am using some of it to get him some summer clothes, a couple of toys that we want for him and to buy a new stroller. The rest will go in the bank.

He had a blast and was fighting tiredness all day. I gave him an early nap and he woke just before everyone got there. So instead of napping from 1:30 -4, he napped 11:30 - 2. He was worn out, but wouldn't give in for anything. LOL

I had a couple of glasses of wine too many and felt it yesterday. I was depressed because my 12 year old niece called in the morning and was crying because she couldn't come. My brother didn't have her that day. She tried to hide her crying, but I heard it and started crying myself. I was more mad at my brother for not even trying to get her for the day. He is so damn selfish. ARGH! I could go on and on, but not here.

Food was delicious and there was plenty to go around. We had tables set up with food upstairs and downstairs in the basement. People were everywhere. The day turned out nice, but not quite warm enough to be outside. So everyone was in.

Anyway, here are some pictures for you.

Banner
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/photoogirl15/P3230006.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/photoogirl15/P3230003.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/photoogirl15/P3230004.jpg

Cake
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/photoogirl15/P3240027.jpg

This is when he first woke up in the morning. Jeff and I walked in his room saying Happy Birthday. He was like, "what?" LOL
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/photoogirl15/P3240008.jpg

More to come.............

[bunny nose]

Birthday boy
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/photoogirl15/P3240016.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/photoogirl15/P3240019.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/photoogirl15/P3240038.jpg

Playing with his toys
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/photoogirl15/P3260144.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/photoogirl15/P3250134.jpg

I think that's it.

------------------------------
We had our WBV this morning. It is the second time we've seen this doctor and the last. Do not like him at all. This time he was an hour late for work, last time an hour and a half. Nicky has a red spot on his eye, he didn't even look at it, just said its like a scratch on the eye and will be gone in a week or so. Um, OK. On to a new doctor.

Here are his stats:

Weight 22lbs 12oz
Height 29 5/8"
head 48cm

We were giving the ok for milk and to stop boiling water. Yippee!

[JennZ]

tgal,
So,so sorry about your grandfather!

The dentist talk reminds me that I also read that you should get their eyes checked in the first year. We haven't done this. Anyone else?

Jenn,
Our ped just got the SureSight Vision Screener that they just started using on children beginning at age one.
It screens for lazy eye and astigmatism and the alignment of the eyes. (maybe one other thing as well)
They just got the equipment a few months ago, so I'm not sure how many doctor's offices actually have it yet.
Our doc does that test until they are 4, and then they do the eye chart as well.
http://www.allheart.com/wa14000.html
It's just a little light that measures the shape of the eye. Here's a link.

bunny nose,
Cute pics! Looks like a great party!

[JennW]

Great pics, Karen! He is so cute!!! I can't get over all that hair!:)

[Tracie]

bunny nose AJ had the same grey "Baby's 1st Birthday" onesie and the crown, too!

tgal So sorry about your grandfather. You are very lucky to have had him around this long. I had lost all my grandparents by the time my son was born.

Dentist Our dentist told us three years old. Our pediatrician said nothing about it at the one year visit, just made sure that we are brushing his teeth.

[junkinmytrunk]

Girls, Pierson has the pox. At least I'm almost positive he does. He's had textbook symptoms and my mom took a look at the spots on his trunk. She said, yep, the pox. So he's going in first thing tomorrow. Of course, it's my fault because I OK'ed the vax for Chix and exactly 2 weeks later, he gets them. One in five vaxed babies contract it. Ugh. He's been miserable. I'll let you guys know for sure
-----------------------------------------
Bunny: Great, great pix; party look like it was quite a success.
Eye Dr: We did go but it was because of the crossed eye thing - a follow up is scheduled for April
Dentist: Ped didn't say but my dentist said 2 or 3
Tgal: So sorry to hear about your grandfather. You are in our thoughts.
------------------------------------------

I know there are more thoughts but I just can't get it together - so tired as P's been up the past 4 or 5 nights.

Hope all is well.

[yby1]

Mattias' 1st year WBV stats


Weight 21lbs 7oz (25%)
Height 31" (95%)
Head circ. 18 in. (25%)

[bunny nose]

Thanks for the compliments girls!


Tracie- My friends bought that outfit for him. It was so cute. I didn't even know they had that. He had the bib to go with it also.

Junk- Sorry about the pox. Now I am worried tough since Nicky got his today. Oy! Does the worrying ever end? I know the answer though- no.

[ellybella]

tgal so sorry about your grandfather. you're so lucky he got to meet and know ava. we're still not talking much over here. anxious for him to start.

mrs so very sorry for your loss.

tuni holy signs! so cute!

junk how scary he got the pox! how do you think he contracted it? we just got our vax today.

wbv stats:

31 3/4"
21.5 lbs (28%)

milk he's been drinking milk for a couple weeks. he likes it just doesn't drink very much. we are also still nursing. i'm trying to cut back, but seems like he wants it more these days and even tries to lift my shirt. i need to step up weaning.


here are some party pics...
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l95/jillmeuse/IMG_2765.jpg?t=1174957394

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l95/jillmeuse/IMG_2783.jpg?t=1174957438

he hadn't even tasted it yet, he was just getting a kick out of everyone watching him smash it.
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l95/jillmeuse/IMG_2761.jpg?t=1174957495

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l95/jillmeuse/IMG_2740.jpg?t=1174957827

[junkinmytrunk]

Elly - LOVE the party pix!! Cake is adorable - gosh the March mommies had the best parties EVER!

Pox - acccording the literature my ped gave me after the pox vax, 1 in 5 babies contract it from the vax itself. We'll see what the final verdict is tomorrow at his appt. Hopefully I'm wrong.....

[Bernie & Matt]

Eye check I don't remember the name of the program to tell you what to google, but when DS turned 1 we took him in for a free eye check. It was some program that Jimmy Carter sponsors and promotes. They do another at 3 yrs. I know which dr. to go to here, but I've been waiting for DS to turn 3 so I can take both kids at the same time.

Anyone know the program I'm talking about?

[JennW]

Bernie - Now that you mention it I do remember hearing about some Jimmy Carter program. I'll have to look it up.

Junk - OH NO! I hope he is feeling better soon. Poor, poor Pierson. And poor, poor Mommy, too!:(

Elly - Your party looks great! What a cake! And the look on his face is priceless!

[aprilshowers]

Elly - that looks like a great party! You know, it didn't even occur to me that you are close enough that you could have come to ours - maybe next year? Yours looks like it was a blast and what a cute smile! :)

junk - I hope Pierson gets better soon. And just think, with the vax and contracting the chicken pox, he'll be doubly-safe for not getting it later.

tgal - I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather. It will be nice to be able to share the memories of his visits with Ava when she gets older.

dentist - my ped said not until 2 or 3.

eye doc - I think I remember a thread on CC about that program. When I have time later I will try to find it.

[tgal]

Thanks ladies for all your condolences. We are very lucky that my grandfather was here with us to meet Eva!

Adorable pictures!!! That cake rocks!

Elly: A side note, I love your servingware! Beautiful!

Eye doctor: Yes, someone did post the Jimmy Carter program here, was it on the page prior, I can't see it when I scroll down????

Junk: 1st, I am so sorry that Pierson got this from the vax! On another note, if he does have it I wish you were closer, so we could have a pox party! I know it sounds crazy, but we would prefer Eva to have the pox rather than the vax. There are actually message boards with women looking for children who have the pox so they can expose their dc!

[kdotp]

The eye program is www.infantsee.org.

We took DS to my optometrist (who participates in the infantsee program) when he was about 10.5 months. It was a fairly quick and painless exam. And I think she said he wouldn't need to come back until 3?

DS's make up birthday party was Sunday. He still wasn't quite 100% healthy, so it wasn't the perfect party, but it was nice. I'll post pics sometime...

[junkinmytrunk]

So P doesn't have the pox -- its' Roseola, according to the ped. Three days of high fever followed by red, raised rash on the torso and extremeties. We're exhausted. Another sleepless night. Anyhoo, no meds for roseola - just sleep and hope that it clears quickly. DR said if the rash is still there tomorrow there is a chance it is pox but he doubts that's likely. We'll see.

[phart]

On another note, if he does have it I wish you were closer, so we could have a pox party! I know it sounds crazy, but we would prefer Eva to have the pox rather than the vax. There are actually message boards with women looking for children who have the pox so they can expose their dc!

tgal~~We aren't vaxing against it either unless the kids haven' had the virus by the time they're in HS or so. My ped seems to think they won't get it (because so many kids ARE vaxed) but she doesn't know my (fairly crunchy) playgroup:) I don't want Maura to get it quite yet with still being in diapers but hopefully we'll get the chance someday.

[tgal]

phart: Better as a kid than an adult though! My grandma had shingles while we were visiting this past week and a half. We were told though it would be a slim chance Eva would get the pox from her.

[kdotp]

A few birthday photos:

Smash cake kmm0305 (my sister) made:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/kdotp/3-24-07-6.jpg

Main cake for everyone else (also made by Kristyn):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/kdotp/3-24-07-11.jpg

Photo banner:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/kdotp/3-24-07-10.jpg

Opening presents:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/kdotp/3-24-07-8.jpg

Not quite sure about the cake at first:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/kdotp/3-24-07-13.jpg

Well, maybe it's not *so* bad:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v56/kdotp/3-24-07-14.jpg

[JennW]

kdotp - Great pics! Those cakes are beautiful!:)

[junkinmytrunk]

KDOTP: WOW :eek: -- your sister is a WHIZ with the cakes - AMAZING! The photos are great and the John Deere theme really worked out adorably!

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

Looks like the roseola is getting better so I think the pox are definitely out. He was up again all last night with it -- so mama's tired as all get out now. I have him in the crib in hopes he takes a nap - Beach Boys are on (his fave :) ) so I'm hoping it helps him to fall asleep.

[JennW]

Junk - I hope he is better, soon!!! That is so cute about Beach Boys. Regarding the get together - do you want to still do 4/9 or 4/10 if he is all better?

[junkinmytrunk]

We should surely be all better by either date. He's not contagious after the rash is gone, and it's definitely lightened. So I'm up for either! :)

[phart]

Love the cakes! I have serious envy of people who can decorate cakes. I need to take a class or something that might make me a little better at it:)

[ShannonGH]

I agree! Those cakes are TDF! Good job Grant's aunt!!

[bunny nose]

Glad he is feeling better Junk

[ShannonGH]

junk- so glad pierson is feeling better!

I have a very dear friend due the beginning of May with her first. I'd like to get her a special gift (maybe personalized) baby gift. Anyone have any good ideas?? It seems like there would be a thread on this topic but I couldn't find anything after a search.

[phart]

Shannon~~How much do you want to spend? I have (what I think is) a great gift but it's around $100.

[ShannonGH]

I forgot to mention it's a boy. I think I'd spend around $50-75 or so but for the right gift, I may spend $100. ;)

[tgal]

Shannon: I assume you know the sex and name of the baby??? I loved anything embroyered! Other personal gifts that I loved were engraved items like rattles or an old fashioned piggy bank (one just like the one I was given as a baby). One of my friends was dying to find this lamp that she had when she was a little girl and I searched up and down to find it and she cried when she saw it. Has your friend mentioned anything that might be sentimental to her, books she loved as a child or anything like that??? Also, I know this might be hard if you don't knit, but a few of my friend's moms knitted sweaters and booties for Eva and I am such a sap for stuff like that as well.

[phart]

tgal brings up a good point...my idea needs name and birthdate so it'd have to be given after baby is born.

Aiden and Maura both have these (given by the same person) and we love them so. Theirs have their full names around the top and birthdate around the bottom. So cute.
eta~~Aiden's is the boy version:)
http://www.hadleypottery.com/
http://www.hadleypottery.com/pottery/P9n_3.jpg

Maura got a bear wearing a shirt with her name and birthdate on it from this place. It's now her lovie.

http://www.800bear.com/browse-by-occasion-birthday.html

[ShannonGH]

Thanks Shannon & Tara!
I haven't heard her mention anything she'd *really* like that would be extra special but I'm going over this weekend to see the finished nursery so I'll keep my ears open. I do know it's a boy, his name is Michael, his nursery is in baseball decor (big baseball family).

Thank you both for the suggestions! I'll definitely keep them in mind as I try to narrow down my options. And if anyone else has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

[JennZ]

I do know it's a boy, his name is Michael, his nursery is in baseball decor (big baseball family).

Shannon, remember that picture I posted of Graham with the Dallas Stars jersey on? It was personalized with his name and the number one on the back?
Anyway, if they are a big baseball family, what about a personalized baseball jersey?
Here's one site I just quickly found...

http://www.teamdepot.com/ourperjer.html

It might make a nice keepsake for him. They can frame it and hang it on the wall with the baseball theme.

Anyway, just a thought!! :D

[JennW]

Another sick kid here! Owen had a 102 fever today and spent most of the day cuddling with me and being sad. It is breaking my heart. Doc says maybe a touch of a virus and possibly the start of an ear infection. So he has Tylenol for fever and antibiotics to stop the ear from turning into an infection.

Shannon - Someone posted in the 1st Birthday Thread about a personalized book that was really cute. It was such a great gift! It was very cute. It had the kid's name, parents name, hometown, etc. I tried searching the thread but couldn't find it. I just posted in there so maybe someone will answer soon. Those girls are so helpful!

[Bernie & Matt]

Shannon You can get the plate that phart showed for $75 at Spanglers in Prairie Village. They have two different versions ~ one like in the pic with a boy and the name and the other has all the birth info on it. It costs more, but I don't remember how much.

Word of caution: it takes about 2-3 months to arrive and 2 out of 3 are wrong in some way. They fix it without cost, but it does delay the present giving. BUT THEY'RE SO COOL!!

ETA: Both DC have embroidered blankets from Pottery Barn. DD also got a bear dressed as a bunny with her name and baptism date on it. Don't know where my BIL (in KC) got it from, but I can ask.

[ShannonGH]

Thanks for all of the fun ideas ladies!

Jenn, I know exactly what book you are talking about because I got one for my niece for her birthday! It is AWESOME! I thought about getting it for this baby too but I think I'll save that for a future birthday. I do highly recommend it for a special gift though...very good quality and oh so cool! www.iseeme.com

Bernie- I *knew* that set looked familiar but I couldn't place where I'd seen something similar. Must have been Spanglers. Thanks for the heads up!

[losthoosier]

Wanted to Share a couple of Mac's 1 year pictures.

I have tons but here are some of my favs (PM if you want to see the rest)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/439068503_6d66461932_m.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/439068497_06edfddcd7_m.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/168/439068493_67f372af56_m.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/439068487_aa98b6b02e_m.jpg

and finally http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/439078920_3a60a37f6e_m.jpg

[losthoosier]

On a Sadder note..... My little baby has been transitioned into the Toddler room.... I am super sad.. I actually cried when they told me yesterday.....

They said they normally do it at around 15 months but given that she is walking and talking they tried it earlier with her and it worked out great. She actually took the full nap with the rest of the kids. She doesn't sleep in a crib at home so at daycare it has always been an issue.

The only problem is now she is eating there food. I am not happy as if I don't want her to have something I have to get a Dr.s note.

For example We do not eat a lot of red meat so I do not want her to eat Red meat just yet. To do this I have to have the DR sign off on it. Its irritating. As it should be my choice on what I give her. I have always made most of her food and now I am losing this....

[junkinmytrunk]

Lost: Mac's pictures are PRECIOUS! Her hair has really gotten curly. It's gorgeous. Love the pink dress.

JennW: So, sorry Owen's under the weather. If his fever stays up for 3 days, it could be roseola. Evidently his immunity via "you" wears off at age one, and most babies pick it up shortly thereafter, as Pierson did. Keep a watch on his tummy and back for a rash. Not to scare you, or anything, just wish I had known why he was running a high fever and being so "cuddly" (P is not a cuddle bug anymore :( so I was really surprised when all he wanted was to be held and cuddled).

[Bernie & Matt]

Just wanted to chime in with my own high fever and cuddle dud story. Apparently the pox/MMR vax has a very delayed reaction window of 7-12 days. According to the dr. the reaction includes high fever and slight rash. Since DD got hers last Wed, we started with cuddling and high fever on Tuesday. Today was the best day so far, so I'm hoping we're on the upswing. But it could be the same story for some of your little ones too.

[JennW]

Lost - She is positively precious.:)

Sorry about all the sick babies. Junk - Thanks for the roseola info. I didn't know anything about it. I'll be sure to keep my eyes open for a rash. How is Pierson feeling?

Bernie - Sorry your DD is not feeling well. I hope Owen doesn't have that reaction as we're going in for his 1 year on Tuesday. I'd hate for him to get sick from his shots on the tail end of this illness. I hope your little one is feeling better, soon!

Junk and Karen - Barring the boys are all in good health, 4/9 is the date for the GTG, right?:)

Hope all other March babies (and their mamas) are doing well!

[bunny nose]

Jenn Sounds good to me. Can't wait!

[ShannonGH]

You guys will definitely have to post a pic from your GTG!!

lost- M. is absolutely adorable! Great pictures!!

I don't look forward to the shots. Appt is on Monday but she's just come down with a little cold so we'll probably reschedule.

[junkinmytrunk]

Junk and Karen - Barring the boys are all in good health, 4/9 is the date for the GTG, right?
You betcha! :)

----------------------------------------------
Babies who are / have been exposed to signing DVD's: Can you share which your babies liked the best? I think I'd like to start Pierson on some - I read the thread running in the other forum - I'm not sure I understand the diff btw. baby signs and ASL - so any help would be great.

[junkinmytrunk]

:p Read thru our March Mommies 1st tri thread. It was such a fun trip down memory lane. All our BFPs, betas, nerves - we were so green. :p

Only got thru a small portion but once P decides to nap again, I think I'll read a bit more...

[JennZ]

lost,
She is just gorgeous!! Beautiful pics!

[amychris03]

Lisa Check your email;)

[mom2amelia]

Lost - she is adorable. She's such a toddler!

Kdotp - I don't think I ever got around to posting about Grant's bday. The cakes were fantastic. Way to go Auntie. It looks like everything went well despite having a sickie birthday boy (and hubby).

Today was Phoebe's 1 year WBV. It didn't go that great, nothing horrible, just not super. I'm just going to cut and paste from my LJ.


Here are her 1 year stats:
Height - 29.5 in (60th)
Weight - 18lb 11 oz (10th)
Head - 17.24 (15th)

Her weight is the only concern. It's gone down since her 9 month visit when she was 19lb .5oz. He suspects that she is just leveling out to where she ought to be anyway - that she'll be slender - but he wants to monitor her. He doesn't want me feeding her anything special or making a big deal over meals, but we go back in 1 month for a weigth (and language) evaluation.

He was also upset that she's only pooping every 4 days or so, and that they are very solid. He's not really concerned about the length between BMs, but about their consistency. We have to cut her dairy intake in half (only 2 cups of milk a day, and no cheese) and she has to drink pear juice or white grape mixed with prune twice a day. Her "constipation" has been an issue for months. I don't take it very seriously b/c she has no discomfort, but he seems to think it's pretty serious.

He did a bunch of blood tests and catheterized her for a urine sample. He wants to rule out thyroid or metabolic disorders. Her urine has a strange odor, and he said that could indicate a low grade bladder infection. He's checking everything.

She also has a yeast infection!

He wrote Faliure to Thrive on her report, but I think he just meant that that's what they were checking for, not that he's diagnosing her with that. He never used those words with me.

He was not concerned that she's not talking yet, but he wanted to monitor her language development too. She is very social/interactive, but she does not respond at all to commands. She never seems to understand anything I say. By 1 year Amelia could follow two-step commands. It was clear that she understood us. Phoebe not at all. She will do some things when we ask, like "How big is Phoebe" and "say Hi" and she has a few signs (although they require some prodding, she definitely knows them). She will give kisses and hugs if asked, although she'll only blow kisses, she won't kiss your face - if you ask for a kiss and you're holding her, she'll hug you. She did say "muh" yesterday several times when I asked her if she wanted more, so I *think* she's saying "more." Most of the time though, she's in her own world. If you say something to her she looks at you like you're crazy and then goes back to doing whatever she was doing.

Anyway, when we go back next month we'll talk more about language development too. I think she's probably just so content that she's not feeling the urge to communicate. She's a very very happy baby, most of the time.

[heidi0622]

mom: sorry to hear about Phoebe's frustrating dr. appt. Sorry about her yeast infection.

Interesting about the language development...I don't know if it will make you feel any better, but Ben doesn't respond to what we're saying at all either. He babbles and is babbling more and more these days, but doesn't respond to no, doesn't respond to his name, etc. He will giggle and laugh when you play a game with him, but he's not talking at all. Our pediatrician didn't seem concerned.

In any case...I will keep her in my thoughts as you get all the test results back.

[tunibell]

junk - As I understand it, Baby Signs offers a modified version of ASL, since babies don't have the same motor skills as older kids/adults. I chose to go the ASL route, though...I figured if I was going to bother teaching Piper a second language, I might as well do it properly. That said, her signs aren't perfect, but I eventually figure out what she is trying to say. I think of it the same way as when she says "MuMuh" and I say "Oh, you want Mama?" - I respond to her version but I say the word correctly.

We love, love, love Baby Signing Time from www.signingtime.com . It's a two disk series (they have a bunch more DVDs for the older tykes, but Piper vastly prefers the junior version - more songs and animation). It's like baby crack - she's absolutely transfixed when those things are on.

[junkinmytrunk]

Tuni: Baby crack it is ;) ! I bought the first two discs you referred to above. If there's music and animation, Pierson will be all over it. They'll make good Easter basket gifts! Thanks for the tips.

And Amy - again, thanks for all your help. How lucky are we to have an OT in the March Mommas?

Mom2Amelia: So sorry your WBV was a little challenging. Thinking of you and darling Phoebe. FWIW, Pierson doesn't blow kisses, give kisses or even like kisses all that much, doesn't wave byebye, only says mahma, dadda, nananana, baaaaa and guh. He doesn't follow any direction, really, only the really serious "NO!" that I shout when he's in potential danger. I think he, like Phoebe, is also so content and happy that he doesn't feel the need to say much more than that.

[Tracie]

mom2amelia AJ is not really communicating much, either. I'm not sure if he doesn't understand or if he does and chooses not to listen, but he'll only follow commands some of the time. (Which is why I wonder if he has "selective understanding.") He'll babble "Mama," "Dada" and "Nana" but doesn't use language in any useful way. And he also doesn't use gestures, like pointing. Sometimes he'll wave, but not really to say hello or good-bye.

[MarchMoms2006]

Updated to here. :)

[ShannonGH]

We're on day #2 of project bottle elimination. It's not so fun but it's actually going better than I thought. Only one meltdown so far...and lucky me, that was in public.

Just ordered Baby Signing Times vol.1 & 2. I've been wanting them for awhile but wanted to hold out past her birthday before I ordered them just in case...
I'm so excited to get them.

Noa is not communicating by any means either, nor does she understand any of what we say. Frustrating sometimes...
She still only has /da/ and /ba/ in her consonant repretoire. Hoping /ma/ soon appears!

mom- so sorry you had such a frustrating wbv. :( Keep us posted on what they end up finding out.

[tunibell]

I hope all the sick babes are feeling better!!!

mom - Phoebe sounds a lot like Piper. She also boasts some, um, selective hearing (she understand her name when we're playing, not so much when I tell her to get her hands out of the cat food bowl.) I swear, half the docs out there seem to want these kids to be doing advanced algebra by now. :rolleyes:

Shannon - The videos are truly terrific. You'll think the songs are the most annoying things you've ever heard the first few times, and by the end of the week you'll be singing them in the shower. There is a little boy with DS in the cast and, as my mother pointed out when she watched the DVDs with P recently, he's the best signer of the buncher. :)

[tunibell]

Just having a giggle that all "DHs" have apparently been globally renamed "love slaves" by the Mods.

[junkinmytrunk]

Tuni: I noticed that as well. Those mods, such scamps!

In other GREAT news - for the first time in ELEVEN days -- PIERSON STTN!!! He has had wicked sleeping regression and I attribute it to a cold, roseola, and that worst culprit of all, molar teething. At nap and bedtime, he was wailing and screaming like a maniac. I ended up giving him Motrin last night and slept clear through from 9pm until 5:30am. I was/am over the moon. I was literally running on "love" these past few days. I got some MUCH needed sleep. I was on about 3 hours each day and was desperate. Phew.

Soo.....looks like Tuni and I have been the only ones in here.....what's cooking, ladies?

[JennW]

Yay for good sleep, Lisa! We are getting molars too and while his sleep isn't effected yet, his mood is just miserable. I feel SO BAD for them.:(

[ajb524]

http://bellsouthpwp2.net/a/n/andreajb/easter%20bunny.jpg

[JennW]

Andrea - He is too cute!!!:)

[junkinmytrunk]

Andrea - how utterly darling! Love it!

[ShannonGH]

That is such a great pic Andrea!!

Project Bottle Elimination is still going strong but it's not so fun. :( Dh was gone Fri-Sun at the Final Four so I was left home with a crabby baby. I was so peeved Dh was off partying and having fun. My fault for picking this weekend to eliminate the bottle but I'm glad we have the first 4 days behind us and hope she gets used to her new routine in the next week or so.

[JennZ]

Andrea-
Cute pic! Our visit didn't go near that well!! :rolleyes: Oh well!!
Graham actually liked the bunny, it was trying to get all three of them to cooperate at once that was the challenge!

shannon- You're doing a great job with Project Bottle Elimination! It has to get worse before it gets better, but you may be over the hump now!! Way to go! :)

junk- Isn't one good night's sleep so wonderful?? I love to fall asleep and wake up all on my own when the sun starts coming through the window!!
Ahhh......

mom, Sorry you had a rough visit at the ped. I wrote a whole long post about this the other day, but then it got erased! :(
Basically, my DD was very much like Amelia, and my two boys are very much like Phoebe! I've really had to work hard not to compare and get all freaked out that they all have developed at a different pace.
(My original post was much better, I just don't have time right now to go into details- I'm sorry!)

[klm2klh]

Andrea - Sean is adorable!

Lisa - Yeah for STTN!

Shannon - Sorry to hear the weekend was rough, you are doing great!

Nicholas has roseola too. He had high fevers Tues, WEd, Thurs (which I assumed were realted to his vaccs.)and was really cranky and had no appetite, but yesterday he broke out in a rash and I finally took him to a walk-in-clinic where the doctor told me he suspected roseola. I think Campbell had it too, but not as severe (I never noticed any fever or irratability, but he did have a rash for a couple of days last week - again I thought it was from his vaccs.). So I feel like such a bad mom for missing all the signs, not that there was much more I could have done for them, but at least I should have known they were genuinely sick.

I am still a little worried about Nick. Even though he has the rash (which is supposed to be the turning point) he still seems cranky. I think he may be getting a cold (Campbell's nose is running like crazy), and his voice seems hoarse. The thing that is wierd is that his rash seems to be itchy - he keeps scratching the back of his head and at his ears (they looked at his ears yesterday and they were ok) - roseola isn't supposed to be itchy. So now I'm worried that it's something else. My docotor can't see him until tomorrow, so I guess we'll just have to wait it out. Thanks for listening.

[bunny nose]

klm2klh Sorry the boys aren't feeling too well.

ajb524 Adorable picture!

ShannonGH Glad you are doing well with the bottle elimination. I haven't even tried to start yet.

junkinmytrunk Yeah for STTN. Nicky has been doing better with it too lately.

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

Ok so I designed a thank you card for Nicky's birthday. I think I like it, but am not to sure about the wording. Tell me what you all think and give suggestions for making it better. Thanks

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/photoogirl15/thankyou.jpg



Oh- Jenn, I think I am going to have to cancel meeting you guys next week. DH is not happy with me meeting people from the internet. I am going to talk to him some more, but I don't see it happening. :(

[junkinmytrunk]

klm2klh: Re: roseola. I didn't realize P had it either. Don't beat yourself up over it. Once I knew, I felt awful but it's a weird illness. It's symptoms mimic so many other things and BTW, P's rash itched like crazy. That's what made us think it was Chicken Pox. Pierson had it concurrently with a cold so I know just what your little lamb is going through. It sucks, plain and simple.

Bunny: Nice job on the cards - they look gr8! Aww, I can't believe you can't meet us!! I swear we're regular moms! See what you can do about i!

[JennW]

We're going in for O's WBV tomorrow but he is not doing good. Two weeks ago they said he had a touch of a virus. Last week he had a fever and the beginning of an ear infection. Saturday he threw up and today he threw up again. He is teething as well (molars) and is miserable from that - not eating, etc.. I'm not sure how much is attributed to the ear infection (or antibiotics) or how much to the molars. The guessing games are making me crazy and I just want to cry. We began weaning from BFing a few weeks ago and it seems like it's been downhill from there. Also, he's supposed to get shots tomorrow at his WBV but that seems like torture to do to him with what he's going through. I have a call in to the ped so hopefully I hear back soon.

[junkinmytrunk]

Awwww JennW, so sorry Owen is feeling so poorly. I know I read that once your baby turns 1, he no longer has any of your immunities left so all the bugs he's been able to fight really kick in. Big hugs to you and Owen. I sure hope he feels better soon.

[JennZ]

Jenn,
Hope Owen starts to feel better!

[JennW]

Thanks girls. It is so upsetting to me cause a.) I am overly emotional and hormonal from weaning in general b.) I feel like it's my fault since it seems to have started with weaning.:( I guess moms always blame themselves for everything.

bunnynose - Sorry to hear you can't meet up with us. Maybe another time! But, like Lisa said, I promise we're totally normal, regular moms!

[JennZ]

Jenn,
I hear you on the blame thing, but of course it is not your fault!!

Weaning has been so much more emotional than I thought it would be.

And molars can be a real bear for a baby- whether you are BFing or not!

So don't beat yourself up!! :)

[Bernie & Matt]

Glad I'm not the only one whose not so much in love with their dr. right now. Last week, the ped was certain the high fever was a reaction to the vax. We got a lot of sleep this weekend, but still not 100%, so I took both kids in today. Order me up a double ear infection for DD and croup with an oncoming ear infection for DS. Oh the joys! :rolleyes: At least I feel like I'm in good company ;)

Needless to say, bottle elimination has become non-existant in our house. I'm quite jealous of the rest of you who are making progress, however slow it seems. It's also set back our walking boot-camp :)

[junkinmytrunk]

[QUOTE][And molars can be a real bear for a baby- whether you are BFing or not/QUOTE]!

JennZ: I think of you all the time with this very thought - how did you ever do it THREE TIMES ??? :D

------------------------------
Bernie: So sorry the babes are so ill. Good luck with bootcamp!

[junkinmytrunk]

Pierson is definitely in the "not so verbal" category. Just the odd mama, baba, dada, ohhhhhhhhhhhh, gaaaa, nana, etc.

Well, we've been working daily with flashcards for about 4 weeks now. He's consistently able to identify the real world objects in the cards!! I'll ask, "Okay Pierson, show mommy the cow" and he picks up the cow!!

It gives me real hope and a feeling that there is way more going on in there than I ever realized.....

Hope the sick babes are feeling better....

[JennW]

Hey all. My reg ped didn't see Owen today since he was out for Passover so he saw the NP. She is typically pretty nice but I wish we would have seen the regular ped that I know and love. Before she even weighed him I told her about the teething and viral issues and told her he hasn't really eaten much in the past week since just about everything he puts near his gums makes him cry. So of course he hadn't gained enough weight since his last weight check (which he probably did gain and then lose due to non eating). She is very concerned and we did a urine culture on the spot to test for kidney problems which came back fine. She sent us to the lab to do a round of bloodwork, which seemed like a bit much to me. I suggested checking weight again in a few weeks or a month when he is eating normally and then proceding with the bloodwork if needed but she didn't agree. Off we went to the lab. They couldn't find his veins so basically stuck the needle in and moved it around under the skin until the found it while I held him down and he screamed. Then they took more from his hand since they weren't getting enough that way. He also had two shots at his WBV (MMR and Prevnar - we skipped the chicken pox for now after much debate). So, he's pretty miserable on top of getting his molars and the bit of virus that seems to still be bothering him. His height is 29" so he's between 5-10% on that and his weight was 17 lb 6 oz. which has him below the charts but still moving along his own growth chart. I don't understand why he can't just be a small baby without all this hoopla. I know I'm not a doctor or nurse but it seems common sense to me that he hasn't gained (or gained and lost) since he hasn't really been eating well due to illness and molars coming in. He's a small guy but he's not skin and bones as he has a belly and chubby thighs (OK, maybe not chubby, but def not skinny). What gets me the most is that his regular ped has been very happy with his weight gain (we go in monthly for weight checks).

She was completely happy with his progression in other areas: gross motor, fine motor, verbal. He is on the later end of normal progression with his gross motor, but is going through the milestones at the rate he should in relation to the order of skills and timing between them.

[ajb524]

Thanks for the easter bunny pic compliments girls :)

JennW- Poor Owen! The bloodwork doesn't sound like much fun at all. Hope he's feeling better now!
-------------------------------------------
General update with Sean. He's just starting to eat table food's. I'm letting his sitter feed him his normal jar of oatmeal and whatever else she's feeding the kids at breakfast and lunch. He absolutely loves french toast and waffles. My hubby was feeding him waffles and scrambled eggs Saturday morning and I could hear him saying yum over my hair dryer ;).

Words- Dada & yum (more of a mmmmm) & baba (bottle). He has said mama once. When I say mama he says dada. It's like a game with him. I think he thinks my name is dada too b/c last night I had my back to him and he was screaming dada at me.

Bottle- I'm horrible at this. He's still taking about 4 bottles a day. It's down from 5 a month ago though. I hope to get him weaned off it soon though since he is starting to take more table food.

[junkinmytrunk]

Oh Jenn, poor Owen, what a horrible morning he had to endure. Big hugs to your little guy. My sister's DS had a similar situation with a NP during a WBV. Nothing against NPs at all but I think they tend to throw the book at everything. My sis was scared stiff and ended up rescheduling to see her regular ped and all was well. Big hugs to your little guy. A rough day for him.

Andrea - lucky dog, I am praying P will eat eggs someday but he does say MMMM when he has yogurt.

[brooke]

Hey all! Sorry, been trying to keep up...

We're doing well, though Declan is going through a bit of sleep regression -- was up the past 2 nights at 4am, once for an hour...last night for 90 minutes. Prior to that, he had adjusted his 'normal' waking time to 5:30am, which I actually didn't mind once I was used to it.. He's got his top and bottom molars on both sides, so don't think its teething...

Food Little bugger has turned into a picky eater and loves to throw anything he deems unacceptable to eat. This seemingly changed overnight...hoping, like recent sleep issues...changes back soon. :p

Bottles We're down to 2 - morning and night. We did it gradually - dropped the 11am first, followed by the 3pm a few weeks later. He does milk with meals and a sippy in the afternoon. He's doing well thus far, may drop the morning sippy next week.

Junk Declan isn't really verbal yet either - he babbles up a storm (at the top of his lungs!) and says mama, dada and bye bye...but that's really it...

Jenn - Sorry you had a bad experience with latest ped visit. I'm sure everything will come back just fine.

[klm2klh]

Jenn - Poor Owen - that whole experience sounds awful!

Lisa - Thanks for the info that P was itchy from Roseola - that made me feel better about Nicholas's situation.

We were at our doctor today and it turns out Nicholas also has an ear infection. We caught it pretty early I think since there was nothing there on Sunday. He's always been an ear tugger so I tend to ignore him doing it. But hopefully now he'll be less cranky - I miss my happy baby! (and hopefully he'll go back to STTN and back to his usual eating habits).

Brooke - Since Nicholas has been sick he has become a picky eater too. He also is happy to toss most of his food off his tray (where the dogs are happy to collect it). I have had to go back to spoon feeding him and for a few days the only thing he would eat was mac & cheese. He seems to be a little better the last few days, so we'll see how it goes. I hope Declan gets back on track with sleeping/eating.

[JennW]

Thanks all. I am much better today. I think the stress of seeing him in so much pain yesterday triggered my negative posts. I know it’s better safe than sorry anyway but a mom’s gotta draw the line somewhere. Some of these doctors are just to over the top, ya know? Lesson learned: if you have a doc you know and love and they are unavailable, reschedule!:D

Junk – Since Karen is no longer meeting us, we can go ahead and make plans. Monday or Tuesday works for me so whichever day is better for you, just let me know. Also, do you want to still meet at Jersey Gardens? I’m not sure what’s over there so I’m not sure where to meet up?

Brooke – Sorry about Declan’s poor sleep and eating. Hope he rights himself soon!

klm – Hope your guy is back to eating and sleeping well again once his ear is cleared up.

[junkinmytrunk]

JennW: You've got PM mail (or you will in a moment or two!)

[losthoosier]

Ok, So those that had the chicken pox vac, did you child get chicken pox like bumps.

Mackenzie started with a couple of bumps on her back an now they are all over her torso area. We took her to the ER, and they said it looks like chicken pox, but to go ahead and make an appointment with her PED. So I am waiting. She is acting ok, has a temp between 99-101 so nothing major. She also has Thrush from the antibiotics.

Mackenzie to has become the most picky eater. And with all this illness the bottle breaking has been horrible..........................................

Off to call the DR AGAIN

[junkinmytrunk]

Lost: That's what happend with Pierson. Tons of red bumps and a rash all over the torso, some on the neck and a few on the face and arms. His was dx'ed as Roseola by his ped. I think it all stems from them losing their immunity at age 1. Mac's lowgrade fever fits w/the MO of Roseola. It should be gone in a couple of days. Hope she feels better soon.

[klm2klh]

lost - Campbell had what I thought was a chicken-pox like rash mainly on his torso & groin with a few on his face. He also wasn't feverish or irritable. Originally, I assumed it was realted to his vaccines, but now that Nicholas has had roseola I'm assuming that Campbell just had a much less severe case. From what I have read there are varying degrees and due to the various symptoms a child can have roseola without ever exhibiting any symptoms. If Nicholas hadn't had roseola I never would have even connected it to Campbell's rash. Hope you get it figured out.

[losthoosier]

So after a long day at the Dr. She does not have chicken pox but has Virual hives. She has been so sick her immune system is creating hives......

I swear I can't catch a break this month!!!!

[JennW]

Oh Lost - I am so sorry. Poor little thing!

[ShannonGH]

Oh man lost, so sorry.

We've got drama of our own at our house. Noa has been a mess the last few days. She's been fussy and very irritable. Her naps have gone to crap lately (this has been going on for a couple weeks). I don't know if she's acting this way because of eliminating the bottle or if she's actually in pain because of teething, or maybe a combination of both. I feel so bad for her b/c I know a bottle would provide so much soothing. But at 6 days w/o a bottle I hate to give her one at this point... uhg. I just keep reminding myself, as with all things baby, this too shall pass.

[bunny nose]

Jenn and Junk I've been trying to convince Dh that all is fine and even let him look through your pictures and such. But he really doesn't like the idea of it. It's not really worth fighting over, so I am just going to have to cancel. I am so upset about it, but why cause more problems for us. We have enough without throwing this one in. I hope the two of you do meet anyway and have a blast. I was thinking maybe next time I won't even say anything and just go. So don't count me out all together. :)

Sorry about all the sick babies, I hope they all feel better soon.

[junkinmytrunk]

Lost: I am so sorry Mackenzie is so sick. Hugs to you and her.
Shannon: I so feel your pain. I think you are right - all things baby do eventually pass but boy oh boy it feels like an eternity, yes?
Bunny: We'll sure miss ya but I totally understand. Not worth creating at-home drama over.
JennW: Tues @ C.E.C. it is :) ~ time TBD, for now, sound OK?

[JennW]

For any other NJ/NY moms that want to meet up, we're planning on going to Chuck E. Cheese on Tuesday during the day. If you are interested PM one of us for time and location. Don't want to crowd the thread with boring details. Apparently they have a toddler area there so it should be fun.:)

Shannon - So sorry Noa's going through this. Maybe it's molars/teeth? It's the pits!:( Hope she feels better, soon. Yay for six days with no bottle though. That sure is great progress!

Karen - Don't worry about it! No sense causing problems at home. Maybe next time!:)

[tgal]

Lost: I am so sorry! I hope your little one gets better soon!

Shannon: I am so feeling your pain right now! We suffered with the first four molars in the past two weeks and now the I teeth are coming in. In addition to those, she also had the other front side teeth pop through at the same time. This will make a total of 7 teeth in one month. Eva is biting her cheeks raw. There are blood circles on her sheet. Our ped said there is nothing we can do other than give her motrin or tylenol. We opted not to eliminate the bottle until further down the road. One thing our ped said to us was that she is still a baby who needs some form of soothing and bottle elimation can come in time. Just something to think about. Poor little babies! :(

[tunibell]

We suffered with the first four molars in the past two weeks and now the I teeth are coming in.

We're in the same boat here too. Pip has her lower molars in (one upper is in too), and now I can see the I-teeth right below the gum line on the bottom. At this rate, the kid's gonna have a full set of choppers by 15 months!

Sleep - We're now rounding out a month of crappy sleep. Pip went from waking up 1-2 times a night (and always going back down easy with 3-5 minutes of BFing) to waking up 3 or more times a night and always crying the minute she gets back in the crib. Bedtimes are a disaster - she used to just pop in her thumb and roll right over, and now she stands right up and howls, crying big fat tears. Last night she got so worked up that she actually threw up, and I hadn't even left her side yet. Lately I've been putting her in crib, sitting right back down in the rocking chair, and knitting for a half an hour or so. My presence calms her down, but it doesn't help her sleep; she just crawls around her crib, pulls up, and starts saying "Mum-mum! Mum-mum!" I'm just trying to gut it out as best as I can, but man, am I tired.

STTN - Anyone else have a kid who has never done this yet?

BFing - Anyone else still nursing at night? I'm thinking about night weaning in a few months, if AF doesn't return. Scared though!

Playing - Curious to know what y'all are doing with your little ones these days? I'd like to add some different activities to our repetoire.

Lost - I hope little mackenzie starts feeling better very soon!!

[junkinmytrunk]

Tuni: RE - STTN ~ I think I read that Marisa (username) said her son didn't STTN until 20 months in some thread or another. IRL, my friend Megan said it took about that long to get her daughter to STTN. P did STTN fairly consistently for about 3 months but all bets are off these days.

Curious to see what the other mommies are doing with their little ones. We are in desperate need of new material as well. In no particular order, we: keep a small or not so small basket of toys in each room to spread all over the floor and go nuts with, read books, play "show mommy" with the flashcards, play with the Vtech SortnSing piano, climb all over the place, practice walking, dance to beach boys or thelonious monk (his faves), take car rides, stroller walks, watch DVDs (yep, I do this, sometimes it's the only thing that talks him off the ledge), eat (each meal takes an eternity), play with his learning drum, uhh, what else, geez, help! I need ideas, too!

[amychris03]

Sorry for all of the sick/teethy babies! Count us in! Sam is still working his bottom two molars and two teeth on either side of his front two in, and isn't the happiest camper. He wont let me near his mouth really to even feel his top molars. He's also sick (snotty nose, sneezing, occasional cough) and I can't decide whether its allergies (most likely, the Pollen count is ridiculous) or a cold so we cant decide whether we should travel to IL's for Easter since SIL will be there with her 5 month old twins. What to do... How can you tell the difference between allergies and a cold?

Junk We do a lot of the same things as you. We also do a My-Gym class once a week, and Sam loves to go down the slide and swing at the park. He also likes his Sand and Water table, and to pop bubbles so we've been spending a lot of time outdoors lately. He's a total boy now, and his favorite indoor toys are all cars. That occupies him for a long time! He has these that he got for his birthday:
http://www.hasbro.com/playskool/wheelpals/default.cfm?page=browse

Tuni
Sam now STTN, and it's totally related to eliminating the night feedings. We were in a very similar situation (waking up 2-3 times at night and not wanting to be layed back down). Also, he'd only go back down if he nursed. And I knew he didn't need it because when he was on his nursing strike he did STTN. So we ended up doing sleep training and he hasn't needed a night nursing since. PM me if you want more details!

[JennW]

Great question about what to do for playtime. We do lots of reading each day. We do lots of floor play together with his toys. I’m also trying to encourage him to play on his own some. Eating takes a lot of time each day. I also recently started having him hang out with me in the kitchen while I cook dinner before DH gets home. He plays with various kitchen things and they totally amaze him (measuring cups, wooden spoons, etc.). Give your kid a wire whisk to play with. I’m telling you, they will be amazed! Also bath time is fun and takes up a good part of every other day. We listen to a lot of music because he LOVES to dance. We blow bubbles. We do stroller walks in the neighborhood (good weather) or the mall (bad weather). He loves his slide and going on the swing at the park. Also, he got this for his birthday and it just rocks his world: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2298888&cp=&sr=1&f=Taxonomy%2FTRUS%2F2254197&origkw=zebra&kw=zebra&parentPage=search

ETA: We're doing storytime at the library tomorrow. It's held on a day when I normally work so I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure most towns offer something like this?

I bought him a baby pool and sandbox but we haven’t tried those out yet!

I am looking for crawling and pulling up encouraging things to do with him these days, if anyone has any suggestions.

We are still doing naps at home in the swing. Such a bad habit and I need to transition him soon. He’s tiny so I can get away with it but I need to get him in the crib or PNP.

Keep the ideas coming. We are def running out of new and exciting things to do!

Side note for Tuni – One of my journal buddies is suffering with a no so great sleeper and is talking about starting some type of sleep training. I remember you talking about this awhile back. Are there any good resources you can point me to or perhaps a thread on it?

[Bernie & Matt]

We have a couple push behind toys and DD LOVES to take them out and follow the "big" kids in our neighborhood. We also start Kindermusik class this summer.

As soon as the weather is nicer on a permanent basis, we're going to head to some of the local community centers like the petting zoo, preschool/infant art programs, library story time, etc. You might check out the local parks and rec to see what kinds of free/cheap activities you can do.

[MrsCantDecide]

So sorry to read about all the sick babies and all the babies with teeth pain! So sad!

STTN - Lucas STTN most nights (7 - 7) although last night he woke up at 10pm completely inconsoleable. He wanted a bottle. I think he's got teeth coming in too.

BFing - We've been done nursing for a month, we just switched from boob to bottle though! :p

Playing - We have a play area in our living room with all sorts of toys for him to play with that we put him in in the mornings on the weekends. During the week he doesn't get to play in there much at all, due to time constraints. But on the weekends he'll play in there for hours by himself. We go for walks at night when the weather is nice and then I let him play outside (he usually just goes looking for rocks) and sometimes we hit the neighbor's swingset/playground. I can't wait to take him to the zoo, and maybe a baby waterpark. :)

Bottles - Forget about eliminating those in our house! We let him have them since he just transitioned to the full time day care, and weaned him, so we don't need to eliminate the bottles right now. Maybe later. He only gets 2, one in the morning and 1 at night (we tend to have to refill it though). He starts becoming a complete bear at night after day care until he gets that bottle. Then he's as sweet as can be. :rolleyes:


*******
Lucas is a walking fool now. He finally learned last week how to stand up without holding on to something. So now if he falls he just pops right back up again!

Food - Does anyone's kiddo put food in their mouth, chew it a couple of times and then spit it back out, and then repeat with the next piece? Lucas used to love toasted cheese sandwiches, and after a few pieces, he'll start putting them in his mouth, and then spitting them back out, but not every piece, just most of them! And he does this with almost everything! Am I the only one with a crazy kid??

Day care has noticed this too!

Other than not really knowing what to feed Lucas, he's doing well. He's adjusting to daycare pretty well, he's at least stopped crying in the mornings when I drop him off and he's not whining when I pick him up, so that's good. :)

Still no words though! Just babbles.

Hope you guys all have a great weekend!!

[losthoosier]

STTN: Not here. She wakes up at 2 and then again at 530 to eat. She guzzles food down like she has never eaten before. I have replaced the milk with water to try to get her to go back to bed and she will guzzle the water down and want milk. Any tricks out there to get her to stop wanting to eat at night?



Spitting out food! Mackenzie has started to do this too. She loves crackers and will spit them out everytime. Same thing with cheese. I think its just a stage.

QQTD: Has your child began to bite. When Mack gets mad she bites. She has her daddy's attitude and if things aren't going her way she will try to bite. Of course we punish her for this, but she continues to do it.

Playtime: During the day she is in a structured classroom setting where they keep them super busy with activities. Get this they even do science projects.... Easy stuff like melting ice, but I think its too cool.

When she is home we have lots of toys in the living room, we introduce a new one and one gets put a way once a week. Keeps her interested. So not all toys are out at once.

Her favorite toys at this moment are books. She loves them. We created some picture books of my family and she loves looking through them. I also have our wedding album and senior potraits she loves to look at. She can point to mommy and daddy.

We play bubbles a lot. She has two bubble machines and that is by far my favorite activity as I love to see how happy thye make her.

[JennW]

Owen sometimes takes food out of his mouth and gives it to the dog. (Ew!) Mostly he eats it though. I notice he does the taking it out of his mouth thing more when he's full or sick of eating.

lost - That is so cute about the science projects!

[amychris03]

OH, one more thing that Sam loves to do is to go to the local aquarium. He loved it when he was little, and we just took him the other day and he still loves watching the big fish!

Spitting out food:
Yes, Sam does that. Usually it's if he tries something new and decides he doesn't like the texture on his tongue, but other times, its when he's just gotten tired of it and decides he's done. He spits out the first one, tries another, spits it out, and then throws the rest in the floor. And he has taken it back out and handed it to me to eat. Isn't he sweet to share?;)

[JennZ]

Hi girls!
Owen sometimes takes food out of his mouth and gives it to the dog
That is so funny!!
Graham will sometimes take a bite of a cracker, let the dog take a bite, and then try to take another bite!! (I know, gross!)
I stop him every time I see him, but how many times have I missed? I don't even want to think about it!! LOL

And he has taken it back out and handed it to me to eat. Isn't he sweet to share?
Hilarious!
Graham does that, too! And it's usually when I'm holding him, so I can't turn away fast enoguh and I get a soggy cracker smushed on my cheek! Yummy!

Spitting- Graham also will chew some things and then spit them out. Glad to hear other babies do that, too. Maybe it's a texture thing, or he can't really chew it up small enough so he spits it out instead? I don't know!

We learned where our tummy is. So that's the big excitement around here these days. We ask him 100x a day, "Where's Graham's tummy?" Just to see him bend at the waist and look all the way down and pat his buddha belly and smile!!

Tuni-
Like amy said, Graham didn't STTN until we weaned him, either- (at a little over a year)
We didn't do any specific sleep training, just gradually stopped nursing at night and substituted milk in a sippy cup for a week or two. Then just rocked him back to sleep for about a week or so with no eating in the middle of the night. Finally, he would wake up at the same time, fuss for less than 2 minutes, and go back to sleep. Now he only wakes up a couple times a week and puts himself back to sleep. For us, it really was breaking the habit of eating in the middle of the night. (As a side note, I did nurse him a few times in the middle of this because he was teething and we couldn't soothe him with anything else)

playing-
Graham loves to play in the kitchen just like Owen. We have a little cabinet that I put tupperware bowls and lids and a few misc. sippy cups and he loves to open it and take everything out and play the "put-in-and-take-back-out" game over and over and over. Now if only I could teach him to cook......... :)

He also plays (or tries to play) with whatever big brother and sister are playing with.
He loves that game; however, they're not too fond of it right now!
Oh well! That's what siblings are for, right? :D

teething,
We ha