June 2007 Mommies ~ Enjoying Mommyhood! [Archive] - Page 3

Irish Elf

01-10-2008, 12:07 PM

Has anyone tried finger foods yet? My parents keep saying I should give her cheerios but I'm worried about choking, she's barely eating purees at the moment. How about trying the puffed fruit ones? They melt in the mouth so it's not as firm going down. You still get the pincer grasp practice. I like cheerios because they have the hole in the middle so even swallowed whole they have a hole in the middle.

But to answer your question we haven't tried finger foods yet. All the books say it's time to start; all the packaging on the finger foods say wait until they are off their belly. I'm curious what other babies the same age and development are doing.

StacieLady

01-10-2008, 01:41 PM

We have a new car seat. We went with the Safety First Convertible. (I know they have more than one but I don't know the model right now.) My sister had it and so we followed her lead. He seems to really like it. He doesn't cry in the car anymore!

We have also tried finger foods. He loves his biter biscuits, but the dog usually gets the majority of them, because he mostly just gums on them and doesn't really EAT them. We have also tried the fruit puffs. He was confused at first but now he likes to eat them. However, he won't feed them to him self. He will pick them up. He can even get them in a pincer grasp sometimes. But, they are the only thing in the world he doesn't put in his mouth. Funny thing is that if I hold one, he will pull my hand to his mouth to eat it...Strange!

Smittenk

01-10-2008, 02:46 PM

quick question re: convertible carseats---assuming your kid doesn't mind the infant seat, i can wait until she is at the maximum for height/weight/age until switching to a convertible, correct?

Yep you can totally wait! We changed Connor over to the Britax at 2 months old because he hated the infant seat. Now I wish we had saved the cash and not bought the Graco Safeseat at all.

Smittenk

01-10-2008, 02:47 PM

Forgot to add that I am holding off from introducing finger foods for at least another month. He is just eating purees at the moment and is still learning.

GA_GAL

01-10-2008, 03:23 PM

carseats: What is it about the infant seats your babies don't like? I'm just curious how the other seats are different. Is it that they are bigger and give them more space?

finger foods: I'm not doing any yet. She enjoys purees, but when I tried mashing up a banana and feeding it to her (pretty mashed up, but not as smooth as purees) she wasn't all that excited and made a gagging face. My pediatrician said to wait until closer to 8-9 months, so that is what I plan to do because i just don't think she's quite ready for them yet. However, but I have friends who started giving their babies puffs/cherrios/etc. with success around 7 months.

StacieLady

01-10-2008, 03:58 PM

About the finger foods. I should add that Jacob will be 8 months old on Monday, and we only started the finger foods a week or so ago. I went to dinner with my parents a week ago and my mom fed him most of a saltine one nibble at a time! That is when I decided it must be okay, he seemed to really like it. (And it helped him to be quiet!)

Smittenk

01-11-2008, 07:37 AM

carseats: What is it about the infant seats your babies don't like? I'm just curious how the other seats are different. Is it that they are bigger and give them more space?

I think Connor hated how closed in the infant seat was...like he was set back very far into the seat. With the Britax it is open so he can look around.

This is the most "recent" pic of him in the Graco but you can see how set back he was
http://www.alikona.com/7%20weeks%20Old%20Random%20018.jpg

And now in the Britax you can kind of tell how open it is for him
http://www.alikona.com/Xmas%202007%20Vancouver6%2084.jpg

GA_GAL

01-12-2008, 08:17 PM

SmittenK: Thanks for the explaination and the pictures. Handley is pretty content in her infant seat (as long as it isn't a long trip) but I'm sure she'll love the bigger seat. Now I've just got to decide which one to get.

I know we'd talked about the mesh feeding thing a little while back. I tried putting some bananas in it yesterday and she loved it. It took her a little while to figure out (she was just playing with it), but when she did she couldn't stop sucking on it. It was very messy though and hard to clean. I might try something that isn't as gooey next time. Maybe cooked sweet potatoes or something like that.

Smittenk

01-13-2008, 07:51 AM

mesh feeders I tried uncooked apple pieces (I just pushed on them a little to mush them just a little and get the juice going)..Connor LOVED it!!! I also tried a raw cold carrot but he made the funniest face like what the heck is this mom. I'll try other things but apple is definitely a winner..and not at all messy!

GA_GAL you're welcome! Yeah is Handley is fine in hers then definitely take your time to research them and find a good sale! We had to buy ours at full price because it was a time crunch thing :(

steelcitymama

01-13-2008, 09:01 AM

hi, ladies!

sounds like all the kiddos are doing so well! i love seeing all the pictures, too. i'm definitely going to have to get one of those mesh feeders, especially since we're trying to pack the pounds on mairin and i think she'll think she's just playing, you know? as in, today i fed her a very good amount of mashed up avocado and banana while DH and i were eating breakfast. when she was done eating her food, i took her out of her booster and had her on my lap while i finished eating the rest of the banana that i'd used for her food. since i was holding it right in front of her, she kept eating it / sucking on it {even though she hadn't previously wanted to eat anymore}.

i've discovered another way to get some more food in her tummy--i've been nursing her before all of her naps, even if she just ate an hour before. i noticed that she was seeming to want that last week, so i started doing it. i don't nurse her to sleep, it's just the last thing i do before i put her in her crib--just like what we do at night. she definitely doesn't eat a lot, but even a little is helpful and it's good for my supply issues.

we made edamame for mairin the other day. :) she seemed to like it, which i figured, since it's so mild. i just bought the already-shelled kind and steamed it, then gave it a quick puree so it's pretty thick.

hey--a friend tipped me off to this clothing site that i wasn't previously familiar with: www.fooeyusa.com . they have adorable but cool stuff and they're having a great sale right now. thought some of you might like it. couldn't pass up a fantastic hoodie with a panda on it b/c it was $5 or thereabouts---the catch? it was a size 4T!! :) other than that insanely large thing that we 'll need to save for years, i bought her things for the summer & fall.

the weekend has been fun--we're going out to buy some new furniture when mairin wakes up from her nap. after much deliberation & measuring, we found something that we like and that will work in our (almost finished) TV room that DH is working on in our basement. very exciting!

mairin is doing a fabulous job standing these days. she stood for several minutes today with holding onto the top of our coffee table (it's leather---soft edges!) with her hands.

funny story: yesterday, mid-diaper change (letting her bum air dry), i had her standing up while holding onto my fingers and she was 'dancing' while i sung. next thing i know, she's making her poop face and pooped in a little squishy pile! i couldn't believe it! she hadn't done that since she was teeny tiny and since she'd already pooped that day, i didn't think it would happen. oh well. :)

GA_GAL

01-14-2008, 08:49 PM

smittenk: I'll have to try apples in the mesh feeder. I never would have even thought about that.

steelcitymama: Glad you are able to find new ways to get more calories in Mairin. How was her weight check apt. last week? Funny about her pooping on the changing table!

Teeth Brushing question: For those of you who's babies have teeth, are you brushing them? If so, how frequently and what are you using? I have a baby toothbrush (the kind that goes on your finger tip), but also read that using a washcloth would be fine. Are you using any toothpaste? I know Orajel makes a baby toothpaste and didn't know if I should try that, or just water for now.

baby carrier/sling question: I posted this in the baby carrier thread, but thought I'd ask you all since our babies are the same age. I used my moby warp a lot when Handley was younger, but haven't really used it much lately. I haven't really had a time/need to use it. Around the house I just carry her with me from room to room and she spends a lot of time on the floor playing, rolling around, etc. I'd like to use it, but am not sure how much she would like it because she is so wiggly right now. Also, I've never had a sling, but thought about getting one. I'm just not sure when and where I'd use it. Do you all that have them use it around the house or when you go out to run errands? I'd love to hear your input.

steelcitymama

01-15-2008, 06:27 AM

GA GAL--mairin gained 2 oz in 6 days, which was OK, but not as good as they would have liked. they've had me up her solids to 2x a day and we've started giving even bigger bottles on the days i'm in the office. we go back on thursday, so we'll see. fingers crossed! :) as you know, i posted my baby wearing response on that thread. hope you find something that works for you! :)

i've been wiping her teeth with gauze since i read that somewhere. i figure i'm not dealing with more equipment than necessary until i have to!

StacieLady

01-15-2008, 08:44 AM

Teethbrushing - Jacob has two teeth and I rub them with a washcloth when I am washing his face after he eats his solids. He really likes it. I rub his teeth gums and tongue. I sometimes also use the little finger toothbrush at the same times. The dentist gave me a toothbrush and some "enzyme" tooth paste for infants, but I think I will wait till we have 4 teeth to try that. (Shouldn't be too long now!)

micd

01-15-2008, 11:29 PM

Can't believe Sara is 7 months old!!

I have not been doing anything with her teeth, though they just popped up about 2 weeks ago.

Sara is talking again! :D Her 6 weeks of silence has ended. On Saturday afternoon it just came out of the blue. She is blowing bubbles and screeching a lot. DH is out of town, and when he hears her do it on the phone, he says it sounds like a bird. She is laying on the floor and screeching as we speak :p(she should be in bed as it is getting late, but she is being resistant)!

I am really hoping for some uninterrupted sleep tonight. The 3-4 wakings a night are really getting to me...sigh. (she did take 3 decent naps today, so I am happy about that)

Smittenk

01-16-2008, 07:05 AM

Happy 7 months Sara! Thanks for your reply micd about Bethesda Naval. I switched my care to be there as well since their prenatal care is apparently awesome. I think I am going to just go with one of the doctors for Connor there and then ask around after a few visits...I can always change them.

Connor had his 6 month well baby visit yesterday and everything checked out great! He is now 15lbs and 28" long!! Starting solid foods really added on the pounds. He was 13lbs at the beginning of December before starting solids.

I know this is going to sound crazy but I wanted to find out if I am the only one..does anyone else have pregnancy envy? Not that I want to get pregnant right now..we have planned on waiting until Connor is 2 to start trying for a second but I'm thinking maybe I would like to start sooner than that.

GA_GAL

01-16-2008, 08:11 AM

micd: I could have written your post about the talking starting up again. Handley did the exact same thing!!! Now all she does is squeal and blow bubbles. Yesterday in the grocery store everyone kept looking at us because she was making so much noise. I think it is so cute and love it.

smittenk: You aren't the only one having those thoughts, though I go back and forth. It was really hard for me to get pregnant with Handley (took over a year and ended up having to do fertility stuff). At first I thought I'd want to start trying when she was a year since I didn't know how long it would take this time and I want my kids close in age. We'll probably do that, but part of me wants to wait because I want to spend as much one-on-one time with Handley as I can.

Handley slept through the night 7 PM-7 AM two nights in a row and I thought maybe we'd turned a corner, but last night she went back to waking at her normal time (around 4AM). Oh well!

steelcitymama

01-16-2008, 09:28 AM

just have a sec, but i know what you guys are talking about re: getting pregnant again! i think we plan on starting to try at the end of this summer, once mairin is 14/15 months...but i do adore the one on one time with her!! we'd like to have 3 kids (though we'll see what we think after having two!!!) and would like them to be close in age.

for the past few nights, mairin has been taking a late catnap from about 4-430 and is then able to stay up until 6 (instead of going down around 5:20). she has been waking at 4 AM (she must be chatting with handley!) to eat and then goes back to sleep until 6 when we have to wake up for the day.

smitten---my thing with pregnancy is funny: i still really identify with pregnant women. as in, i'll see someone who's pregnant and i'll think "oh, she's pregnant, TOO!". then i remember that my kid is on the outside now!

micd

01-17-2008, 11:27 PM

Did I read correctly...pregnancy envy?! Nope, not here.:p We would love to have more children, and DH has been saying for months that he would be ready at any time (easy for him to say!). I definitely want to wait at least until the fall to start thinking about it. After being on bedrest for 6 weeks and having all these worries about Sara growing and proteinuria and the heart defect, and then having a not too great delivery, I'm a little nervous about being pg again. Don't get me wrong, I loved being pg, and having Sara so close to me all the time, and I'm amazed at what my body is able to do, but just not wanting to think about it any time soon! Honestly, I want to wait at least until she is STTN!!

Sara has started biting while nursing! OUCH! It really really HURTS!!! I can tell that it is a playful thing because she doesn't do it when she is actively eating. It's usually at the end of a nursing session. I tried flicking her cheek, and I felt bad because I thought I did it too hard, but she just smiled. :rolleyes: I've tried saying "ouch" and "no biting", but again, she just smiles. I also tried pushing her face in to me, but that didn't really work either. It's making me nervous about feeding

GA_GAL - That is so funny about Handley talking again too! It's pretty cute, huh?!

Smittenk - Connor is a long boy! Yay for the growth! I'm glad that you were able to figure out the PCM stuff.

steelcitymama - Glad to hear that Marin is growing okay.

stevesbabygirl

01-18-2008, 12:24 AM

Mesh feeder - I put bananas and avocado in it for Owen, but I also bought a bag of frozen fruit, and put honeydew melon in it. The bag also has peaches, strawberries, grapes, and pineapple.

Biting - Ouch! Owen used to bite me when he was nursing. I noticed he was doing it on purpose, so I said "no" firmly, then took him off the boob. I think it took a week or two, and now he doesn't do it.

Pregnancy envy - No way! I'm perfectly content with just Owen for now. We definitely plan on having more, but I'm not sure when. I do already miss the newborn stage though.

Owen is doing really well. At his 6 month WBV, he was 19lbs 3oz, which was only up from 18lbs 11oz at his 4 month WBV. That concerned me because he gained 6 pounds between his 2 and 4 month WBVs, but only half a pound between 4 and 6. But the doctor wasn't concerned, so I let it ago. He's also 27 inches long. Growing like a weed! He loves rolling over from front to back, and vice versa. He can sit for short periods of time, no longer than a minute or so. He's a regular chatterbox, and loves to screech like a pterodactyl. He still isn't sleeping through the night, which sucks, but I don't have it in me to let him CIO. Plus, he's still sleeping in our room :o, so it's a lot harder to ignore.

Smittenk

01-18-2008, 05:38 AM

I totally am with you GA_GAL on the preggo thing...sometimes I want to start trying after Connor turns 1 but then I love just having him and spending so much time with him. We tried for about 8 months before we got pregnant so I am a little concerned about how long it will take the second time around.

LOL! That is so what I do too steelcitymama. I always smile at pregnant women and I feel like I look like a wierdo especially if I am not with Connor :o I think it is because we have been there so recently. I wonder who will be the first June mommy to get pregnant again.

Thanks micd! Yep he is looong and lean just like DH. I was so hapopy for his growth spurt.

Connor had a similar growth period stevesbabygirl. He went up less than a pound from his 2 month to his 4 month but then was up another pound 3 weeks after his appointment and then another 2 lbs heavier at his appointment a couple of days ago (6 weeks later)!! Those two pounds are from solids though because it coincides with when we started solids. He eats ALOT....more than I think alot of 6 months old probably eat.

Well I really hate to jinx it but we have been enjoying a definite turn in Connor's sleeping and for the last week he has been sleeping from 7pm until 5 or 6am!! I have been extending his wakeful periods during the day and we moved his bedtime from 6:30pm to 7pm. Those changes as well as upping his food during the day has been making him sleep soo much better at night. His naps are also consolidating and he is now having 2 naps of 1-1.5 hours!! Fingers crossed it keeps going.

Smittenk

01-18-2008, 05:46 AM

Also wanted to post some new pics!

Yesterday it snowed so I took Connor out in it for the first time.

Waiting to get his gear on
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Smittenk/various2021.jpg

A little unsure of the white stuff
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Smittenk/various2027.jpg

'Ummm Mum seriously can you get me off of the ground now'
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Smittenk/various2029.jpg

'aahhh much better standing'
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Smittenk/various2031.jpg

He kept making funny faces when we came back inside so I think his face must have been all tingly from the cold, lol!
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Smittenk/various2041.jpg

steelcitymama

01-18-2008, 07:14 AM

quick update: took m back to the LC's for a weight check yesteday and she'd gained 1/2 a pound in 7 days---YAY! i was thrilled and so were they!

be back later for SO's!

em1126

01-18-2008, 07:22 AM

Smitten Cute, cute pictures! I'm glad you're having some sleep success and that he's gaining well.

stevesbabygirl Glad to hear Owen's doing well. I think it's pretty normal for weight gain to slow down a bit at this age, especially since they're getting a little more physically active. Besides, you never know when he could hit a growth spurt.

micd Re: biting. That's one of the few reasons I'm glad Aubrey couldn't BF. It hurts enough when she bites my finger!!

As for us, we're still working on the sleeping. Aubrey's doing a little better, but is still not where I'd like her to be. At this age, there are just so many things going on - teething, rolling (and other movements), etc. - we might just have to wait it out. She's going to sleep much better, but is now waking up several times a night. Usually, however, it's pretty easy to get her back to sleep. At least she's not sleeping in her carseat anymore. :rolleyes:

Pregnancy envy: not for me!! I don't know - I had a really good pregnancy and then a c-section, which wasn't that bad, but looking back, I didn't really enjoy being pregnant. And I do love the one-on-one time with Aubrey. Plus, I see all these moms with 2 or even not-quite-2 year-olds and newborns and I just don't want to be them at all. I think the soonest we'd start trying is late 2009, which is when we're scheduled to PCS (military-speak for move).

em1126

01-18-2008, 07:23 AM

steelcitymama Hooray for the weight gain!

magrat

01-18-2008, 08:13 AM

stevesbabygirl I definitely wouldn't worry about a baby that's 19 lbs at 6 months, even if he didn't grow much between appointments! What a big boy!

pregnancy envy I go back and forth. I absolutely won't start TTC until she is 15 months (to prevent 2 under 2) but will probably wait until she's at least 2 years old. Part of me is envious though. I think mainly because I want to know who we're having next :) I can't believe a year ago I didn't know DD at all! I'm looking forward to the next birth as well, but *not* pregnancy. I honestly don't know how I'm going to handle the alternating insomnia and sleeping 15 hours straight while taking care of DD. I'm also enjoying having a baby so much, I want to spread it out. If we only do this once more I don't want to only be able to enjoy the baby thing for a brief couple years. But because I'm enjoying it so much I feel like I want to do it again right now!

slings I almost never use it around the house. I do use it when shopping sometimes because DD doesn't like carts very much and I never carry her in the bucket. I also use it to go for walks or walking to the coffee shop because the snow and ice makes the stroller useless.

sleep Still bad. Not every hour bad like it was, but every two hour bad. I really need to get back to some moderate sleep training instead of jumping up every time she whimpers. But I haven't really made a plan and decided when I'm going to get back to it, so the instinct of jumping up is still taking over in the middle of the night and I can't think straight. I definitely have a baby that needs sleep training, her natural state is clearly to wake constantly and that isn't doing either of us any good! Oh to have a baby that sleeps longer on its own...maybe next time I'll get lucky.

Gotta go, have a moms meetup at a coffee shop this morning and then I'm going to my parents' house to hang out. Oh the busy life of the SAHM...

GA_GAL

01-21-2008, 05:47 PM

micd: Hope the biting has stopped. I'm glad Handley hasn't started doing that yet.

smittenk: I love your pictures of Connor in the snow!

steelcitymama: Sounds like all the extra calories have really helped!

em1126: Hopefully Aubrey's sleep will keep getting better.

magrat: When you start sleep training again, hopefully Eve will get back on track and give you a little more rest.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. We went up to our lake house and met my parents there. It was fun to get to visit with them for a few days. Today Handley had the 2nd part of her flu shot and she hardly cried at all. I was surprised, but glad that it wasn't too bad.

Jenean

01-22-2008, 11:06 AM

Hi ladies! A three-week-belated happy new year to all! I can't believe that our babies were born LAST year!

I spent the morning catching up and am glad to hear that all is (mostly) well with everyone. I'm so sorry to those experiencing sleep problems, and sickness. Neither is fun.

Jumping right back in with my two cents on a few things...

carseats, we moved the boys into their Britax Boulevards right after the new year. They were technically too tall for the Snugrides anymore, and even though they had a bit of hard shell above their heads, they were obviously uncomfortable. They love the new chairs. We got one as a gift and bought the other on closeout (discontinued pattern that happened to be ours) online.

solids, the boys eat so many things now. Let's see = apples, pears, bananas, peaches, sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, peas, carrots, avocado (Simon only), and a variety of cereals. They eat three times a day and gobble it all down. We just started them on Cheerios last week and they seem ok with them. They don't really reach for them yet, but open up when we offer one to them. Their new food this week will be prunes, and then next weekend I plan to give them their first chicken.

sleep, we go back and forth on this. They'll be doing great, and then have a bad spell. About two weeks ago we began a modified "fuss-it-out" plan. We actually put them in separate rooms for a few nights and only went in if they were full-out crying. Miles learned quickly how to put himself back to sleep and Simon did okay, too. We've actually had a handful of nights of full sleep. Last night we were each up 3 times, but Miles is working on his top teeth and is obviously experiencing a lot of discomfort, so we chalked it up to that. Naps are still not great, but this weekend they seemed to get a little better, so hopefully that's a new trend they're starting.

pregnancy envy, oh yeah. AF returned for me a couple of months ago and I've had two cycles since and each time she shows up part of me is actually a little disappointed. But we're not ready just yet. We do want to get pregnant again this year, but not now.

So, Simon and Miles turned 8 months old on Saturday. Unbelievable. They are little men already. They sit up and Simon is almost crawling (he gets on all fours and rocks). Both are talkers and Miles still likes to sing (imagine Chewbacca from Star Wars, and that's our little guy). They interact all the time - grabbing pacifiers from each other's mouths (and putting them in their own), sharing toys (rather, Miles taking whatever Simon is playing with, Simon picking up a new one, Miles drops toy #1 and takes Simon's new toy, repeat), and even talking to and laughing at each other. Last night Simon fell over on his playmat and just lay there on his back kicking his feet into the ground and Miles thought it was the funniest thing ever and just laughed his little head off. It was awesome.

Here's their 8-month picture:

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l86/jmk103176/1-19065.jpg

And once again, here's my promise that I will try to keep up more often with y'all!

:) :D

GA_GAL

01-23-2008, 07:42 PM

jenean: So good to hear from you. Your boys are adorable and sounds like you all are doing great!

Stevesbabygirl: I have a question for you about the mesh feeder. I know you said you bought a bag of frozen fruit. Did you thaw out the fruit before putting it in there, or just give it to him frozen?

steelcitymama

01-24-2008, 05:49 AM

hey everyone!

micd--that's great that sara is back to doing lots of talking! aren't those babbles just the most adorable things? i love it! how is the biting while nursing going? is she still doing it?

stevesbabygirl--sounds like own is doing really well!

smitten--that's so fantastic about connor's improved sleep---i hope it's continuing! it sounded like he has a really good routine down. and those pictures were just too cute!

em--even though aubrey's sleep still isn't where you like it to be ideally, it sounds like she's making progress and going down a lot easier and not sleeping in her carseat. small victories are still great! :) thanks for the cheers on mairin's weight gain.

magrat---bummer to hear that eve's sleep took a turn for the worse. i remember that she was doing super well---was it the trip that changed things??? or just one of those who-the-heck-knows things? hope things are improving.

ga gal--sounds like you had a fun time at the lakehouse with your parents; i bet that was nice. hey, did you ever get a hotsling? what did you decide?

jenean--so good to hear from you! the boys are so cute & i loved hearing about everything you guys have been up to. it sounds like you've been having a blast.

all is well with us here, nothing new to report. we've been having fun and staying busy. today is one of my normal work from home days & tomorrow i'm taking a vacation day, so i'm looking forward to not being in the office until monday :) i'm hoping mairin & i get together with a friend and her son tomorrow, but at the very least, i'll do something fun with mairin. this weekend the 3 of us are meeting friends for brunch on sunday and DH and i are going to a concert at a very small venue tomorrow night, so it should be a good time. looking forward to it!

Jenean

01-25-2008, 07:27 AM

GA GAL, thanks! We have the mesh feeders also and although I keep forgetting to actually take them out and use them, my SIL suggested that we put frozen foods in there for the boys to gnaw on. We're going to try frozen peach slices and frozen bananas and eventually pieces of frozen bagels.

steelcitymama, thanks, we definitely are! Enjoy your weekend plans, they sound like fun!

Tomorrow we're taking the boys to Yankee stadium! I'm really excited. A friend is having a surprise birthday party there for her DH's 30th and we're all going on a tour that ends with a pizza and birthday cake party in one of the press boxes. I'm glad that the boys will get to visit the stadium at least once before they tear it down, even if they won't remember it! :)

daphne

01-25-2008, 12:55 PM

smittenk Connor is adorable! I love his expression in the last pic!!

steelcity congrats on the weight gain!!! :)

em I hear you about crap sleep. zzzzzz

jenean The boys are adorable!!! I can't believe that you're already talking about ttc!! You GO you, fab twin mama!!!

As for us:

pg envy only b/c I think we're done. It seems like EVERYONE is having 3 children (not kidding, everyone....), so it's even harder to close shop after 2. I think it's all we can handle. I just don't think I'd be able to parent more than 2 children well....

sleep hmmmm..not sure i know what that is. Amelia is up pretty much every couple hours all night long.

She has a double ear infection :(, which hasn't helped. Poor baby. Ped says big bros/sis bring home all kinds of germs. Miles was not nearly this sick & he was formula-fed at this age. Ah well.

Amelia is now able to STAND (granted only for a few seconds), but still! She pulled up on my pant leg, then I felt her let go, so I thought she had gotten herself back down (which she does easily now), so I turned around & she was standing! eek! I sat her down immediately b/c it freaked me out. She's also been climbing stairs - got to the 3rd one yesterday. Time to break out baby gates again1!

magrat

01-25-2008, 06:35 PM

daphne They say 3 is the new 2! Although I've also heard 4 is the new 2.

Guess what, I'm going to Disney World! My parents are driving down to FL and they asked if I wanted to fly down and spend a few days with them, so Eve and I will be taking another flight, just the two of us this time (poor DH has to work) and my parents will pick us up the airport. We'll be staying in my parents room at Port Orleans French Quarter on the property! Four nights, and hopefully it'll be fun and relaxing. I know one thing for sure, it'll be a lot warmer than here!

GA_GAL

01-26-2008, 08:30 AM

Handley and I are both sick, which is no fun at all. I'm hoping to feel better soon, but it seems like each day just gets worse. She can't stand for me to wipe her nose, but I can't stand to see it on her face. It's a constant battle.

steelcitymama: I ended up trying to make a sling myself with a pattern and directions I found online. I got some cleranced fabric for $2 a yard so it was much cheaper than buying one. It turned out pretty good and I've been using it around the house a bit. Here's a picture.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o265/carriebethposener/IMG_2766.jpg

Jenean: I'm going to have to try frozen fruits in our mesh feeder. Handley really enjoys it and so far her favorite thing to chew on are peaches. I just find them so hard to clean though. Any tips for that?

daphne: Can't believe she's standing and climbing stairs! That's just amazing.

magrat: Have fun at Disney. I bet Eve will really enjoy seeing all of the colorful characters and decorations.

magrat

01-26-2008, 09:39 AM

GA_GAL I know what you're talking about with the nose wiping. She hates it! I've really gotten the hang of it now, I seem to have been doing it constantly for weeks.

Those of you in warm climates, how are you dressing baby now? Looks like it'll be in the 70s or 80s in Florida and I'm not sure how to dress her now that she's a little older. Do I put her in long pants or should I find romper type things or shorts?

em1126

01-26-2008, 06:34 PM

magrat I'm in Central FL and usually I dress Aubrey in a light short- or long-sleeve onesie and pants, sometimes even a light jacket. Lately, it's been too cool here for shorts. Have fun at Disney! We've been in FL for 2 1/2 yrs and I've never gone!

Things are pretty much the same with us. Aubrey has become a champion napper for the most part, but nights are still a crapshoot. Sometimes she goes to sleep really easily and sometimes it's really challenging to get her to sleep, but either way, she's usually up once or twice a night for anywhere from 15 minutes to 5 (yes, 5) hours. It could be worse. :o

em1126

01-31-2008, 07:42 AM

Where are all the June mommies? Has there been a mass exodus to another site?

StacieLady

01-31-2008, 10:16 AM

We have been sick, and teething, and not sleeping, and generally so busy we don't have time to update! I hope everyone else is doing better than we are!

Smittenk

01-31-2008, 10:26 AM

We're still here!

Just nothing new to report except that just when we thought we had Connor's sleep sorted out he decides to shake it up :( It's like everyone keeps telling me "Just when you think you have it figured out, they change" how true.

Ooh..we FINALLY got Connor's furniture--yey!! So we get his mattress next week and he will transition out of the pack n play and into his 'big boy crib'

ooh ooh (ok I thought I had nothing new to report :rolleyes:) I have been working on weaning him off of the swaddle and it is going soo much better than I thought!! I started last week with one arm out and this nap that he is on right now was the first time with both arms out!! I hope to get him in his crib next week competely out of the swaddle (I have just wrapped the swaddle around his belly since he is so used to it as part of his routine). Still swaddling at night though but I think we will try without tomorrow night since it is the weekend tomorrow. There is no way I am missing LOST tonight!!!

We are still trying to figure out how to wean him off of being rocked to sleep and I was thinking about using the Ferber technique next week but I am not sure if I have it in me yet. I just refuse to be rocking a 21lb 13 month old kid to sleep...KWIM?

Has anyone weaned their baby off of being rocked?

Connor just woke up!! 1 hour sleep with both arms out--whooohoooooo!!!!!!:D

Ooh ooh ooh....you guys HAVE to watch this video. I watched it and was so amazed that I looked up instructors in my area. I hope to take the class before summer!

http://www.childdrowningprevention.com/index.html

amazing eh?!

Jenean

01-31-2008, 12:23 PM

smittenk, we used the Sleep Lady book. I think it's Good Night Sleep Tight or something. The author is Kim West. She's got a website also. We mostly followed her plan. The boys are now great at going to sleep on their own. We were doing it just a night and our nanny was rocking them to sleep during the day, but last week she started putting them down awake for their naps, too, and now they're napping much better!

GA_GAL

01-31-2008, 12:57 PM

We're here...but just have been busy and trying to get us both over the bad colds. Mine is still sticking around and Handley's nose has been very runny.

Anyway, our latest news is Handley now eats Puffs. I bought them at Target last week because they were on sale. I had planned to wait a few more weeks to give them to her, but when I got home thought I'd give it a try. I broke them in half and she really liked them. By the second day she was "chewing" and mashing them up in her mouth. It's so cute to watch her. She can pick them up and has come close to getting them in her mouth, but not quite yet.

Also, I'm finally ready to leave her in the nursery at church so we're going to try that on Sunday. It's a really big step for me to let go of control.

Lastly, she is crawling now. She won't go too far, but definitely can get to what she wants, which opens all sorts of new possibilities for her to get into stuff. Time to start the babyproofing!

Smittenk: Hooray for sleeping without the swaddle. Babysteps...

Smittenk

01-31-2008, 01:13 PM

Thanks ladies!!

Jenean..I have that book! I just haven't fully read it yet...I'm off to start it now while Connor is on nap #2 unswaddled :p

magrat

01-31-2008, 08:13 PM

I'm still here, though I am really wondering what the future of CC is going to be...

sleep Eve sleeps unswaddled in her crib. I put her down awake for night time and naps. She is waking up several times a night still and is sick so I haven't had the heart to try sleep training again. Not sure how it will work since she is certainly capable of putting herself to sleep, she just wakes a lot. We're right on the edge of what I can stand in terms of sleep, so I definitely need to do something. I highly recommend The SleepEasy Solution.

She is not crawling or creeping or rolling over. She does go up on her hands but not her knees. She doesn't pull up unless she's holding onto someone's hands. She stands really well at her table and next to furniture. I think I may have a baby that will go straight to walking.

micd

01-31-2008, 09:23 PM

No time to post much except that I am still here and Smittenk I am so watching Lost tonight too!! (though you've probably already seen it by now)

stevesbabygirl

01-31-2008, 10:42 PM

GA GAL,
I give the fruit to him still frozen. I'm sure it probably feels good on his gums, since 3 of his top teeth are coming in right now. I do give him fresh bananas too though.

Smitten,
OMG, that video was amazing! I had such a knot in my stomach watching that baby in the water, and I'm not typically one to get upset about seeing another kid "harmed." I think part of it was that Owen kinda looks like that kid, and he also has some blue footie pajamas.

L&D Nurse

02-01-2008, 10:06 AM

Kind of a roll call to see who of us are still around!

QsOTD: What kind of birth control are you using? When are you planning to TTC your next baby (if at all)?

Still trying to decide on bc - contemplating IUD, diaphragm, FAM or some combination. Next baby: we're 99% sure we're "one and done," so no plans at the moment!

magrat

02-01-2008, 10:15 AM

QsOTD: What kind of birth control are you using? When are you planning to TTC your next baby (if at all)?

Er, abstinence :o I tried the minipill briefly but I could never remember to take it even though I successfully took the pill prior to having DD. Condoms is the plan if we ever get around to it. Next baby? Not thinking about it until DD is 15 months (no two under two for me). Then we'll see. No rush.

steelcitymama

02-01-2008, 11:04 AM

i'm still here! :)

QOTD: currently we're using um, not too much. condoms sometimes and sometimes spermicide (instead of condoms) and sometimes nothing at all. {dumb, i know}. once i get AF again, i'll be doing FAM. that's what we did for awhile before we were quite ready to start trying and then i used to help us conceive, too. who has gotten AF already and who is still waiting?? just curious.

we'll probably start trying late this summer. i wanted a summer to relax and not be pregnant or trying to conceive and i'd also like mairin to be 14 or 15 mos old by the time i conceive again. okay, at least 1 yr old. :)

ETA: i completely fell asleep during LOST last night---we TiVO'd and watched a little later in the evening and it was just too late for me. must catch up tonight---sooo excited!

steelcitymama

02-01-2008, 11:22 AM

also wanted to drop off some pictures.

love her crazy hair in this one:
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w176/kmmckechnie/crazyhair.jpg

her very serious look in this picture cracks me up:
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w176/kmmckechnie/carros.jpg

during a pre-bed game of peekaboo:
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w176/kmmckechnie/PJs.jpg

em1126

02-01-2008, 11:41 AM

I'm so glad you're all still here, I was getting worried! :)

QOTD: I'm using the mini-pill and so far, I've been pretty good about taking it. Not perfect, but pretty good. One of my friend whose DD was born 6/1 just found out she's pregnant again (unintentionally) and is due in Sept. Yikes! I don't want to start TTCing again until Aubrey's 2 or older. We're scheduled to move in the summer of 09 and I don't want to be pregnant or have a teeny tiny baby when we move. Then, shortly after we move, DH will probably deploy, so who knows for us?

who has gotten AF already and who is still waiting?? Still waiting.

steelcity mama Adorable pics! I thought LOST was pretty good last night . . . as usual, more questions than answers, but that's what makes it good.

StacieLady

02-01-2008, 11:54 AM

QOTH - I have the Merina IUD. I got it when I was 9-10 weeks pp. I had a lot of spotting at first and wasn't sure I was going to be happy about it...but now it is great. I never have to think about it. I was worried about the mini pill because you have to be so regular taking it...and sometimes I can't remember to brush my teeth in the morning so I knew I would be less than compliant. I am still waiting for AF. It has been nice having her stay away for so long. Although I know the sex life is supposed to perk up after AF comes back.

A note about DTD. I don't know if some of you saw my post about wanting to do it but is just not being comfortable. We I have found the solution (for me at least)! KY makes ovule inserts that are supposed to increase moisture for up to 4 days. They have saved my life! :) DH and I are back up to once a week! Woo hoo! :)

TTC #2 - We are not there yet. DH is very hesitant about wanting 2 kids. He wants to be able to give our kid(s) the very best of everything that he can (time, energy, education, etc) and he worries that with two he won't be able to live up to that. I on the other hand think it is unfair to DS to deprive him of all the joys (and irritation) that a sibling can bring. I think there is a lot to miss if you don't have a brother or sister (both DH and I have a sister). However, I am in no hurry. I would only want 1 more so we can wait a year or two. My IUD lasts for 5 years, so I have told DH that we have to make a decision before then. :) Because after that I will not be in charge of birth control anymore! If he wants to prevent, it is vasectomy time! HA!

daphne

02-01-2008, 12:35 PM

birth control um, yeah. I'm right there with magrat relying on abstinence. 2 DC's and crap sleep do *nothing* to help my libido.

AF not yet.

I'm around. Just not fabulous about posting.

Amelia is finally starting to get the hang of food- I gave her some oatmeal mixed w/yogurt & applesauce today. Her ped ok'd the yogurt b/c she's on antibiotics & thought it would help keep her GI tract in balance.

She's a fine & gross motor wonder. She takes steps now if you hold her hands. It's crazy. If I were a betting mommy, I'd say she'll be walking by 9-10 months. She's getting her pincer grasp down, too. I'm such a proud mama. She's a tough little girl. Now if I could just get her to sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time.....

micd

02-01-2008, 02:22 PM

Way to spark it up with a QOTD!!

birth control - mini-pill. I'm not too fond of hormonal birth control, but I did not want to deal with condoms. I take it within about 2 hours of my timeframe, which I know I need to be careful about!

AF - nope...hip hip hooray!

TTC#2 - DH is totally ready (of course he's been joking about it since Sara was 3 months old!) He is deploying this summer for a few months, so I am thinking after he gets back from the deployment, maybe in the fall. I almost wouldn't mind getting pg right around when she turns one. Everyone I know who has their kids close in age loves it, though it would probably be a rough few years...so I'm not so sure about that. Plus, I would love to lose about 15 pounds before we try again just to get down to my skinny weight :D I'd also like to just enjoy the summer, as someone else said. Last summer was a total blur and I didn't get out much!

em1126

I thought LOST was pretty good last night . . . as usual, more questions than answers, but that's what makes it good.

I agree. Though it still frustrates me that it moves at such a slow pace! I need to know what is going on! :)

daphne - Wow! She is going to be walking soon!!

steelcitymama - Love the pictures! She is a little cutie!!

Smittenk

02-01-2008, 02:33 PM

QOTD..I have been curious about what other people are doing. Currently we are using condoms but we have been really bad and sometimes not using anything...super dumb since I do not want to be pregnant right now. I actually took a test today because I was suspicious but thankfully it was negative :o --phew!!!!! We aren't going to start trying until he is close to 2.

DH doesn't want me to have an IUD and I do not want to go back on the pill so I'm not sure what our long term plans are. Charting didn't work for me...I was charting to avoid when I got pregnant with Connor.

who has gotten AF already and who is still waiting?? - I got AF at exactly 15 weeks postpartum almost to the hour! I am still BFing so I'm not sure why I was so "lucky" to get it so soon.

yeah Lost...so frustrating but sooo good. DH and I are addicted.

AWww cute new pics of Mairin, steelcitymama

stevesbabygirl

02-01-2008, 10:03 PM

Smittenk

02-02-2008, 07:19 AM

BC - Abstinence :o. I'm so glad I'm not the only one. It's just still really painful; I think the doctor may have given me a husband stitch because it hurts so bad, even with lube. We've only DTD 3 times since Owen was born, my poor DH.

Ok this might be way tooo much info so I have written it in white as not to offend anyone...if you want to read it then just highlight the text.

When dh and I first DTD it HURT soo much...I was at 5 weeks pp (I had a
2nd degree episotomytoo so I feel the husband stitch). I was so afraid that if I didn't use it I'd lose it so to say ;)

I used the hypnobirthing technique that I had learned before giving birth and it seriously worked!! I had to relax and breathe alot...and every time I would feel myself tensing up I had to blow the breaths away out of my mouth. This lasted about the first 9 or 10 times and now...well lets just say everything is as is (or better) than it was before I had Connor.

If you read up a bit on Hypnobirthing it might help those of you who are feeling the pain...trust me it works!

daphne

02-03-2008, 09:34 AM

smittenk the 1st 9 or 10 times!! :eek: you have one lucky DH! My poor DH isn't going to get to rack up 9 or 10 times until next year, i'd bet. :o

Lost We're huge Lost fans. We watched the 1st 2 seasons on DVD, so it's painful now to have to watch week by week. I still love it, though!

L&D Nurse

02-04-2008, 07:02 AM

AF~ came back Nov 13th (exactly 15 months after my last pre-preg AF!). It has been very irregular, I had another one in early January, but who knows when the next will be?! My hormones are still all out of whack. I've heard it can take 2 years until everything normalizes.

DTD~ thankfully everything seems to be back to normal "down there," and like Smittenk, we are actually better than ever in that department ;)

GA_GAL

02-05-2008, 09:51 AM

birth control: I'm on the mini-pill and plan on taking it until Handley's 1st b-day.

TTC#2- Probably at the end of the summer, beginning of fall.

AF: still waiting...

steelcitymama: cute pictures! Mairin looks so happy!

Handley is loving crawling and so curious about everything. On Sunday, my shower was interrupted 3 times! Normally I can have her on the floor playing in our bedroom and I can see her from the shower. I'll talk to her and she'll smile back, etc. Well now that she's crawling I guess she just wants to get everything. First she was heading after our dogs toy and almost had it in her mouth. Second she went after DH's shoes (which he NEVER puts away) and was about to eat them and lastly she was crawling towards the bathroom to where I was. That wouldn't' have been a problem except I remembered DH saying the tack strip holding the carpet down right there was kind of sticking through and he hurt his foot on it last week. I just had this image of her crawling and putting her hand right on that spot. When DH got home from the gym I told him we had a crawler on the loose! I think I'm going to move the exersauser into our bathroom and just put her in there while I get ready in the mornings.

I left her in the church nursery on Sunday. She did fine, but I was crying as I handed her over. When we came back to pick her up she was crawling around and playing, but when she saw us she started crying. I think it was tears of joy! It totally screwed up her whole day though because it was during her nap time and so she was so over-tired that she couldn't get herself to sleep when we got home. I think we might just wait until she is a little older and and adjust her naptimes.

Handley has started feeding herself Puffs this weekend so I'm thinking about starting some other finger foods (diced sweet potatoes, bananas, etc.) soon.

I know we've discussed our babies eating/sleeping schedules before, but now that they are a little older I'd be interested to see what everyone else is doing.

Here's ours:

7:30 AM - wake/nurse
play
8:15 AM - breakfast (cereal and a fruit)
play
9:30 AM - nap
11:00 AM - wake/nurse
run errands
12:30 PM - lunch (fruit and veggie, puffs)
2:00 PM - nurse and then nap for about an hour
3:00/3:30-ish wake
go on a walk, play
5:00 PM - nurse, but she doesn't seem as interested at this time and doesn't nurse for very long.
5:30 PM - dinner ( 2 veggies or veggie and fruit, puffs)
7:00 PM - bath, massage, nurse
7:30 PM - bedtime
4:30 AM - she normaly wakes, nurses, and goes back to sleep until 7:30 AM

MexicoBride'05

02-05-2008, 01:51 PM

Hi Ladies!

I'm back! I'm going to try and come here more regularly. I never could find time before.

Jayden will be 8 months this week. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. He is doing well. He still has no teeth!! But I think his first one is going to make an appearance soon. I can see a little white spot on his gums. Both DH and I didn't cut our first tooth until 8 1/2 months so I'm sure that is why he is so late too.

We are struggling with sleep issues right now. And I have to say I think it is our own fault. From the beginning we said we wouldn't let Jayden sleep in our bed but then one day we did and it's been hard to get him out ever since. I'm not sure what to do. We also got in the habit of either me nursing him to sleep or one of us rocking him to sleep so now we also have the problem of him not going to sleep on his own that we have to deal with.

I'll be going back to work in 4 months and I really want to get him sleeping on his own and in his crib as soon as I can.

We tried putting our mattress on the floor in his room and slept with him in there for a couple weeks but that did no good. We could get him in his crib while he was asleep but then he would wake up around 40 minutes later and we would try to put him back in but as soon as he hit the mattress in his crib he would start crying.

Lately he's been waking up every 1-2 hours at night. I'm so drained from havign no sleep. The only thing that seems to get him back to sleep is if I nurse him which I no is prob not good to do but I'm just so tired that I always do what is easiest and fastest. I don't think he's waking up b/c he's hungry b/c I feed him alot during the day.

I would love to know any tips anyone might have for me on how to get him into his own room and crib and how to try and help him fall asleep on his own without doing the CIO thing.

I just feel like such a failure and like I've made things so much harder for us. I should of just put him in his crib when he was younger so he would get use to it. Now I'm stuck trying to do it and it seems impossible. I also wish I listened to all the people who said never to rock him to sleep b/c then he wouldn't learn to fall asleep on his own.

Since he doesn't take naps in his crib he usually sleeps on me which I know is also not the right thing to do but I just feel like if I don't let him sleep on me then he will just not nap at all.

I think I really need to start a schedule and stick to it. I've been just letting him have a nap whenever he started rubbing his eyes or got tired instead of trying to set a schedule and do it at the same time everyday. I know routines work so I just have to get him on one.

Sorry for the novel of a post. I just really need some help/advice.

I'll post some pics of him later when I'm back at home. I'm just at my mom's right now.

Thanks ladies!

GA_GAL

02-06-2008, 07:51 AM

Mexicobride: Glad to see you back here. I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with the sleep issues. After reading your post last night, I just couldn't stop thinking about it. We did CIO and I know you said you didn't want to try that, but I think I might have a few tips. I think that it's obvious babies will do what they are used to. For Jayden, it sounds like he is only used to sleeping on you. I couldn't get Handley to do that if I tried because she is so used to sleeping in her crib and needing that space to calm herself down for sleep. I'm sure it will take some time, but if you just keep putting him in his crib I'd think he would get used to it and that will become "normal" to him.

I just referred to my Baby Whisperer book and she has a section in the back about a similar situation. She said that some babies think their "bed" is their mom or dads chest and every time they are layed down, they start crying because it's their way of saying, "This isn't how I go to sleep." She says at first it will seem impossible, but that there should be a 3 day period in which you can reverse any "accidental parenting" you may have done. Her method does not allow the baby to CIO, but rather to pick the baby up when they start crying, calm them, and lay them right back down after they stop crying. She talks about one baby that she had to pick up 126 times the first night, 30 the second night, 4 the third night and by the 4th night the baby was able to lay in their crib and fall asleep. She also mentioned that she stood firm in what she was trying to accomplish and NEVER reverted to the "kangaroo" technique of getting the baby to sleep. I know in the night it is hard to do something like this and much easier to just nurse/rock them back to sleep.

Could you also try to get him attached to some sort of lovey or blanket? That way he would associate it with sleep and it could be his comfort, instead of you.

Lastly, you said you want to start a schedule and stick to it...I think that will probably really help him out. Just watch what he does naturally for a few days, like when he starts to rub his eyes, get tired, and when/how long he sleeps each time. You might even write it down so you can track the patterns. Then you can form his routine/schedule around what makes the most since for him.

Hope some of this helps...keep us posted.

Smittenk

02-06-2008, 08:25 AM

MexicoBride'05...are you going to be around today for a phone call chat?

I just started this week doing the sleep lady "technique" and we have had soooo much progress (Thanks Jenean!!)
Connor has always been pretty good going down at night..it is the naps and middle of the night that has been terrible (rocking for up to an hour to get him to stay asleep). So I started Monday and it was almost an hour of crying but it was different from CIO...I didn't feel like I abandoned him or guilty that he was upset...instead I felt more like a coach...I was saying in my head 'You can do it bud' and it made me stick with it! Yesterday it only took 15 minutes of fussing and today it was less than 10 minutes!! Tomorrow I move away from his a crib a bit instead of being right there to comfort him.

I feel like we're going to get there! Anyhoo Farah...I can tell you more details if you want to chat today...let me know

L&D Nurse

02-06-2008, 08:37 AM

I know we've discussed our babies eating/sleeping schedules before, but now that they are a little older I'd be interested to see what everyone else is doing.

7 am - wake-up, bottle
8:30 - breakfast (cheerios, oatmeal + 1/2 fruit, water)
9 - nap
10:30 - wake
11 - bottle
outing, errands if need-be
12:30 - lunch (cheerios, veggie + oatmeal, water)
1:30 nap
3 - wake, bottle
5 - dinner (veggie + 1/2 fruit + oatmeal, finger food... usually cooked cut-up carrots or other veggie... last night it was zuchinni, water) ETA you can see T working on some cut-up carrots in my avatar!
6:30 - bath
7 - massage, singing, bottle, bed

T now drinks 4 bottles (usually 6-8 oz each) and 3 meals/day. We are doing the 2-3-4 sleep schedule (1st nap after 2 hours of wakefulness, 2nd nap after 3 hours of wakefulness, bed after 4 hours of wakefulness), so the timing of naps varies depending on when he wakes up and how long he naps. The 4 hour stretch is pushing it a little in the afternoon/evening, sometimes bath is at 6 and bedtime is 6:30.

MexicoBride - I feel your pain on the every 1-2 hr wakings at night. T did this for 6.5 months straight. It ;iterally just about killed me, in more ways than one. One thing that helped us was to stop feeding him at night. We just gave him the pacifier, shh'd him, patted his back, etc. when he woke, anything it took besides feeding, and finally he learned to find his own paci and put himself back to sleep. Good luck, I know how hard it is.

daphne

02-06-2008, 02:06 PM

MexicoBride While we do have some sort of a schedule, and (knock on wood) DD naps ok, my nights are just like yours. DD has NO ability to self-soothe, so she relies on me to get her back to sleep every time she wakes. It's exhausting & I, too, feel like a failure. Esp since I did the EXACT same thing w/DS!!! :o I'm planning to try the sleep lady's techniques next week, once DH is back in town.

smittenk Can you please tell us more about how the sleep lady has been working for you?? what do you do/say while you're next to C's crib? I'm already stressed about this. DD has no paci or lovey, so I'm extra worried....

Smittenk

02-06-2008, 02:46 PM

smittenk Can you please tell us more about how the sleep lady has been working for you?? what do you do/say while you're next to C's crib? I'm already stressed about this. DD has no paci or lovey, so I'm extra worried....

Absolutely!

So I am still trying to establish a lovey...it's difficult because he really hasn't taken to anything in particular. I try to put a little bear between us when I nurse and well I kind of shove it in his face as much as I can, lol!! That will probably take some time.

What I have done is...on Monday I decided I would let it go one hour....I rocked him through two verses of the ABCs (our sleep song that we have always sung to him so he associates it with bedtime), He was struggling and whining so I put him straight into his crib. Of course he freaked out and cried and basically threw a tantrum so I sung the ABCs again and it just made him more frustrated. Then I started just shushing and I would say Mummy's here...It's ok...sleepy time. Then he would take a break and then start up again sometimes screaming like he was possessed. I felt bad he was upset but I knew it was just tiredness and frustration because he wasn't used to falling asleep that way. I only picked him up 2 times and I just bent over the crib and held him...I didn't lift him out of the crib. I looked at my watch at 30 minutes and then again at 45 minutes. At that point he started to fall asleep but he would wake up because he was trying to catch his breath from the sobs (you know when you cry so hard and you make that Huh-huh sound when you breathe in?)...at 52 minutes he was completely out. I was seriously lightheaded....I felt like it took just as much out of me that it did him. I did it again Tuesday morning nap and it took 15 minutes...and the crying was only a few minutes of frustration cries...the rest was fussy cries. I did it again for the afternoon nap...we had a similar session.

So that takes us up to today and I did the same thing...I walked with him for two verses of the ABCs and then put him down in his crib wide awake...he fussed for about 10 minutes and then was asleep! I stood right at the side of his crib and just shushed.

Tomorrow I will move away from his crib...I am assuming that it will take longer for him to fall asleep?? But we'll see....fingers crossed.

OOh he does have a pacifier...maybe you should wait until you establish a lovey?? I don't know..maybe just going for it is better.

Good Luck!!

I have to say even though that first hour was tough...I feel good that I am no longer his crutch. I think he wants to get comfy and fall asleep on his own. I have that parental pride thing going on....makes me teary (is that lame, LOL?!)

em1126

02-06-2008, 03:17 PM

As long as we're talking about sleep, I thought I'd share my experiences, too. I read (really, skimmed) both the Sleep Lady and the Baby Whisperer. We sort of ended up modifying it to what we and Aubrey were OK with, which is more Sleep Lady than Baby Whisperer.

We first started about 3-3.5 weeks ago, sitting next to Aubrey's crib and patting her, rubbing her back, bouncing the mattress, etc. (keep in mind, this is our modified version of sleep training - I don't think what we did is really recommended by the Sleep Lady or Baby Whisperer) and it still took her 2-3 hours to calm down. At first, she would cry the whole time. During that time, the iPod came in extremely handy. :) We also started working on the nighttime sleep and then sort of worked our way backwards to naps.

We've never moved the chair away from Aubrey's crib, but now she can fall asleep on her own whether we're there or not (we usually stay in there for a few minutes just to make sure she's settled - more for us than her). She usually falls asleep within about 15-20 minutes.

She's become a really good napper. At night, she goes to sleep pretty easily, but almost always wakes up within 2-3 hours. When that happens, I've just started giving her a few minutes (5-10) to see if she'll calm herself and go back to sleep. If she won't, I go into her room and pat/rub her back for 1-5 minutes (depending on how worked up she is) and then leave. If she continues to cry, I continue to go in in 5-15 minute intervals. Aubrey's still far from perfect as far as sleeping, but we've come a long way. The hardest part for us was getting started. Thank God for DH those first few nights.

Oh, and in other news, Aubrey's cutting another tooth! For some reason, I'm really excited about that - so far, she hasn't shown any discomfort except I have noticed her putting things in her mouth even more, which I didn't even think was possible. :rolleyes:

magrat

02-06-2008, 06:32 PM

CIO is one of those things that I feel really...humbled by. I was really opposed to it (probably largely because of things I've read online - people get much more worked up about it online than in real life I think) and swore I would never do it. But after all those nights of dd waking up every hour or two I just reached a point of desperation. It turned out that CIO isn't as traumatic (at least for the baby) as I imagined. Though she cried, it wasn't a cry of pain or anything, she just alternated between "pity me" and "how dare you!" And she only cried maybe 45 minutes max the first night, maybe less. And the results were pretty much immediate. She went from sleeping next to us and waking every 45 minutes two hours to sleeping in her crib (previously unimaginable!) for 4 hours at a stretch after one night. It would have been harder for me to put it into practice if she hadn't been grouchy and unhappy from lack of sleep for months. Now that we're both sleeping better we're so much happier when we wake up. She is so excited and happy to see me in the morning and ready to play. I really believe that the people who never end up CIO in any way must have babies that are natural sleepers, because no one can stand being woken every two hours forever.

The Sleepeasy Solution is the book we used, though I'd be interested in looking through the Sleep Lady. It is a very easy read for exhausted parents, it gets to the point quickly and is easy to follow. It has lots of reassurance (though the reassurance made me angry before I tried it because they were trying to tell me I wasn't evil for following their advice, when I believed CIO was evil!). There is even a section to turn to in the middle of the night when baby is crying to keep you focused and prevent you from running in there. I really like smittenk's advice of cheering baby on and thinking positive thoughts when they cry, it makes you feel better and helps you see it as a *learning process* rather than just baby tiring out from exhaustion. No baby is going to learn that its parents aren't there for it and lose faith in everyone after an hour of crying one night (that's what I thought happens with CIO prior to trying it). Anyway, it's fine if you don't want to try it, but I think you're going to have to allow a little bit. Heck, I remember dd crying more during the so called no-cry methods while I kept picking her up and walking her and keeping her awake for hours. My pediatrician calls it fuss it out, and I prefer that too. Whew, I could write a book on the subject because it was such a huge change in my beliefs and because it worked so well for us. We're still waking up every 3-4 hours, and I'm not sure how to drop those middle of the night feedings, so I definitely haven't got all the answers. But she goes to sleep in her crib without crying most of the time and goes right back down after nighttime feedings. She also takes good naps in her crib without crying. I'm finding getting up twice a night to be bearable so I'm just living with it for now. If anyone has any advice on that I'd welcome it...

MexicoBride'05

02-06-2008, 06:34 PM

Hi Ladies!

I just wanted to thank you all so much for all your stories and advice. It makes me feel a lot better to know I'm not the only one who is having problems. Sometimes I just wish I could start all over and then I wouldn't be having all these problems. I guess I just know what not to do for baby #2 now! And just for the record, we are not planning on TTC until Jayden is about 2. I just can't imagine going through all this hard work again plus having a toddler anytime soon!

It sounds like this Sleep Lady technique is working for lots of you. I think I'm going to try that too. We've come to a point where we just have to make a change but instead of saying were going to do it we are actually going to do it and not give up.

One thing I forgot to mention was that b/c Jayden has been in our bed he can't go to bed without me (he rolls alot) so most nights he's up to 10 or sometimes 11 when I go to bed (and I know that is not good and way too late) I feel so bad for not having him on any type of routine at all. He must be so confused and not know what is ever going to happen next. I feel bad in the middle of the night to for getting so frustrated with him when it's not his fault that he's like this, it's mine.

He used a pacifier when he was younger but doesn't use one anymore. I tried giving him one the other day and he just bites at it and plays with it. He doesn't really have a lovey either. I should find something that we can use for part of our bed time routine.

I think I am going to try and start on Friday night with him in his crib since it will be the weekend and DH can help.

I think we have to lower his crib already too. I put him in there sometimes to play when I'm doing laundry or in the bathroom and the other day I came in and he was up on his knees looking at me and then today he pulled himself up to his feet and was standing! He uses the bumper pads to pull himself up I think.

Smitten Once Connor fell asleep that night did he sleep through the night? And if not, what did you do or would you do if he woke up in the middle of the night? just go stand by his crib and talk to him? and not pick him up? I think the first time we try this Jayden's going to freak out especially since he won't be in our bed and then also not getting the boob but maybe he will sleep through the night! That would be a dream come true! I seriously forget what it feels like to have a good 8 hours of sleep in a row. I'll email you in a bit about talking on the phone tomorrow.

Smittenk

02-06-2008, 06:40 PM

But she goes to sleep in her crib without crying most of the time and goes right back down after nighttime feedings. She also takes good naps in her crib without crying. I'm finding getting up twice a night to be bearable so I'm just living with it for now. If anyone has any advice on that I'd welcome it...

Hurray Eve!! So happy to hear that you are having better nights and success Magrat! Fuss it out...I like that. :)

One things that we tried and found that works (give it three nights like most things though) is to offer a sippy cup with a little bit of water in the middle of the night. Connor actually really liked it but apparently most of the time they won't want it but if you stick with it is can help.

Another piece of advice that we were given but haven't tried yet, is to offer less milk each night. Of course this would be easier with a bottle which is why I haven't done it yet but I think I might try in a couple of weeks. I will pump right before bedtime and then get DH to feed Connor 4 oz the first night, 4 oz the second night, 3 oz the third night etc etc. apparently it will reduce the demand and then they won't bother waking up for an ounce.

If anyone has tried this I'd love to hear if it was successful for you!

MexicoBride'05

02-06-2008, 06:41 PM

magrat We must have been posting around the same time. I just saw yours after I posted. I think I have reached my point of desperation. I was even in tears this morning after having woken up almost every hour and then to make it worse DH was snoring which made me not able to fall back asleep every time and I ended up being wide awake from 3am -6am and then right when I was JUST about to fall back asleep Jayden woke up again :rolleyes:

I just need to tell myself that we are teaching him a skill and not just being cruel and letting him cry. I just need to prepare myself for some tears and make sure DH helps me to not give in to them and just pick him up b/c that will get us no where. I just hope it works as well with us as it did with you guys.

People have told me that they know someone who's 10 year old still slept in their parent's bed and that was a real eye opener to making me say, okay, enough is enough, we have to fix this NOW!

Thanks again everyone for all of your input, you don't know how much I appreciate it.

GA_GAL

02-06-2008, 07:58 PM

Like Magrat said, I like to think of CIO as fuss it out, because that is exactly what Handley does too...sort of fusses herself to sleep. When I first started it I did feel bad, but she always woke up happy and excited to see me, so that made me feel better. Good luck mexicobride and keep us posted on how this weekend goes.

Smittenk

02-07-2008, 05:48 AM

Smitten Once Connor fell asleep that night did he sleep through the night? And if not, what did you do or would you do if he woke up in the middle of the night? just go stand by his crib and talk to him? and not pick him up? I think the first time we try this Jayden's going to freak out especially since he won't be in our bed and then also not getting the boob but maybe he will sleep through the night! That would be a dream come true! I seriously forget what it feels like to have a good 8 hours of sleep in a row. I'll email you in a bit about talking on the phone tomorrow.

He slept until 4am...that is normally about the time he wakes up and then went back to sleep. I am blissful this morning though because he slept from 7pm until 6:30am!!! Soooo exciting!!

When he does wake up at 4ish I have been feeding him and then putting him straight into his crib and just standing by and shushing. The other morning it took 20 minutes which feels like forever when you want to get back to bed but it is worth it.

He might surprise you but yeah he might freak out. You can always try it for naps first when you aren't tired...or tomorrow night do the whole bath, PJs, storybook/song routine and then start it then at 7 or 7:30.

Chat soon missy!

GA_GAL I finally know what you meant about a fussy cry...I think we just had to get Connor to that stage and unfortunately it meant an hour of craziness but at least we're there now!

MexicoBride'05

02-07-2008, 10:55 AM

Smittenk

02-07-2008, 11:26 AM

Smittenk Wow!!! That is awesome that he slept for so long! I'm so jealous! Please oh please let this sleep lady stuff work with Jayden!! :p

Last night he actually slept for a 4 hour block which was nice after waking up every hour or two for the past 2 weeks.

I think we are going to start tomorrow night with a bed time routine. I'm so scared but we have to do it. I just know he's going to freak out. Maybe he will surprise us though.

So once we do get him sleeping what do I do if he wakes up say an hour later? do I feed him or just go back and shh him?

Thanks chick! Yep hopefully he will surprise you! I have to admit...I totally thought that I would still have a screaming baby two weeks later but it was only that first day :D

Don't be scared at all...just give him a bath, pjs, story and get him sleepy and then put him down...stand by the crib and shush...put your hand on his chest (but don't keep it there)...and wait until he falls asleep. It might take an hour but keep telling yourself that he is fine and you are helping him learn how to fall asleep on his own...remember it will only get better.

If he wakes up an hour later I wouldn't feed him...he won't be hungry if he just ate before bedtime. Just shush him and do the same thing until he goes back to sleep. I wouldn't feed him until the middle of the night...like if he wakes at 2am or 3am but you need to do what you're comfortable with.

How often are you feeding him? I just read that they don't need to eat as frequently and I was noticing Connor didn't always seem interested in eating...he would nurse for a minute and then look around...turn his head and such...so I started nursing him every 4 hours instead of every 3. Now he eats more efficiently and is getting more hindmilk which stays with him longer.

MexicoBride'05

02-07-2008, 11:58 AM

Smittenk

02-07-2008, 01:31 PM

Smittenk Jayden sleeps on his tummy so I guess I will still put him down on his tummy and rub his back? If he's mad he'll prob roll over on to his back and cry. I'm not sure if he can fall asleep on his back or if he'll roll back on to his tummy when he gets really sleepy? We'll see.

Jayden never breastfeeds for that long when he eats. It seems like he's more of a snacker. Maybe I should try doing it every 4 hours like you. So what time do you feed him his solids?

K, this has nothing to do with this thread, but I thought it was weird so I'll tell all of you! I was just driving over to my mom's and I saw this big weird looking bird on the road and then I turned my head and saw like 5 other Peacocks! :confused: I guess the ones without the feathers are the males? I don't know, so anyways, there were 7 of them all together just roaming the street? I was going to call the SPCA b/c I thought maybe they got out or something but another car came and I talked to the driver who said they are always out wandering around??? and they belong to someone down the road. Is that not strange??? who lets their Peacocks just roam the streets? So I didn't call the SPCA but now I'm thinking maybe I should have. They could totally get run over by a car or something. It was just so weird to see!

Weird...peacocks?! Yeah hopefully the SPCA comes and rounds them up before they get hurt.

You can put him on his tummy and he will get comfy. Connor just started rolling onto his side today and has fallen asleep like that so I guess he will be a side sleeper...or he might end up completely on his belly down the road.

That is what Connor was doing...just snacking. So in the Baby 411 book it says that they don't get good hindmilk so to space it out more as they get older.

Today for instance:

6:45am Nurse
8:30am Oatmeal and Prunes
10:30am Nurse
12:00pm Pears
2:45pm Nurse

at 5pm he will get a whole avocado and a couple of applesauce cubes
at 6:45pm he will get an 8oz bottle of formula

steelcitymama

02-07-2008, 01:54 PM

i've been wondering about how/when to space out feedings. i feel like that will be a challenge for us due to my fairly low milk supply. mairin still nurses every 2 hours during the day. and it seems like by the 2 hr mark she is genuinely ready to eat again. i guess i'll just continue to follow her cues. i'd like to try to space it out, but don't think i have the milk to support it! :) maybe in another month or two when she's eating even more solids i'll be able to.

i agree that i was anti CIO.....until i did it. ;) we did end up doing it and it really wasn't such a huge deal. admittedly, we were starting from a good spot b/c she is a very good sleeper on her own. we didn't do it b/c she was waking at night, we just did it to get her to go to sleep without being held. i had been putting her down awake for her naps for many months with no issues, but at night, i would nurse her and then hold her for about 5 min until she passed out and then i'd put her in her crib. i knew she could fall asleep on her own (since she did it for naps), but i'd been nervous to mess with a good thing at bedtime. but i knew i couldn't do that forever and wanted to put her down awake for bedtime, too. that first night sucked---she cried and cried for almost an hour. like someone else said, the ipod came in handy for DH! i made one of us stay with her, so she didn't feel abandoned. i don't think she gave a crap whether we were there or not, but it made me feel better. after that, she was fine..i think the next night she cried for about 10 min. now she goes into her crib without a peep every night. well, that's not true---sometimes she'll laugh and talk to herself for a few minutes and other nights she passes right out. it sucked, i won't lie. but i really love what you guys have been saying, equating it to teaching babies a skill. also, i think someone else had a great point---it's all about what the babies get used to and get comfortable with. as soon as this becomes the new 'norm', it'll be fine.

Irish Elf

02-07-2008, 02:05 PM

I'm still here, just dealing with sleep issues as well. And E has decided she is doing a solid boycott. Wouldn't touch anything...or so I thought. Then I tried eating when she does and it got better. Then I tried feeding her what we were eating (OK not really but made it seem like it) and BAM. It worked. I joked it was my pediatricians fault b/ she said her children went from Stage 2 to mashed up big people food. E overheard and decided that's her plan now.

She'll take a sippy cup and finally took a bottle of milk. yeah, I can actually have wine now and now worry about milk/wine issues.

We've tried the CIO method but never made it past 15 minutes. E screams and cries at the top of her lungs (a future opera singer or cheerleader, depending on the outfit). But I am going to try the sleep lady way. Wish us luck.

Speaking of outfits, E loves to look in her closet now. She will rub her hands along her clothes and "pick" out what she is wearing that day. If she's fussy I just open her closet and she smiles. I joked while pregnant that she was a little fashionista b/c I got so many compliments on my wardrobe while pregnant. Then after her it was like, nothing! And I was right. My short lived fashion sense was due to my unborn child. I think I will let her pick out my outfits from now on...;)

L&D Nurse

02-07-2008, 02:10 PM

Thankfully, we didn't have to use CIO. Actually, I tried one day when he was about 4.5 months old, and made it through 1 nap. When it came time for the 2nd nap, I couldn't do it. DS doesn't usually cry when going down for naps or at bedtime, but when he does, I know something is wrong with him... either he has a poopy diaper, he's hungry, over-tired, bumped his head on the crib railing, his gums hurt, or he's dropped his pacifier out of his crib. So when he cries I always go in, fix the problem (feed him, change his diaper, rock him for a couple of minutes, hand him the paci, or rub on some Orajel, etc.), then he goes right to sleep.

MexicoBride'05

02-07-2008, 05:37 PM

Smitten I went to Chapters and got the Sleep Lady book today! I just quickly skimmed through it and like it already! I like how it has the sample schedule and stuff too. She has a whole section on co-sleeping and now I don't know if I should follow that way instead of going straight into his crib and doing the sleep shuffle. Jayden has never really slept in his crib so it might be too big of a shock going straight in there right away. Do you think I should follow what she says from going from co-sleeping to the crib? You start with play time, then naps and then you sleep with them in there a few nights and then put them in the crib and sleep in the room but don't let them go back into bed with you and then eventually you start doing the sleep shuffle method. Let me know what you think. If Jayden had naps in his crib I would prob start the sleep shuffle right away but since he doesn't sleep in there at all I was thinking maybe I should try the other way?

MexicoBride'05

02-07-2008, 05:45 PM

Sorry, me again! One more thing I wanted to ask was about when you do the sleep shuffle thing is the baby suppose to be able to see you or just hear you? I'm asking b/c right now we have bumper pads up in the crib so if I put a chair there he would see me in it b/c the bumper pads would be blocking me. I don't know if I can not have the bumper pads in b/c he rolls around alot when he plays in there and I'm just worried about him banging his head really hard or something.

GA_GAL

02-07-2008, 06:12 PM

smittenk: So basically Conner nurses/gets a bottle 4 times a day, right? What about during the night? Do you nurse him any then?

spacing feedings: Handley's kind of done this on her own. I was nursing her 5 times a day, but the late afternoon/early evening feeding has sort of dwendaled away. I'm still offering it to her, but she rarely seems interested and will nurse for a mintue or so and be done. She'd much rather be playing.

Irish Elf: Handley loves her closet, too and does the same thing you described about rubbing her hands along the clothes!

Smittenk

02-08-2008, 08:18 AM

MexicoBride'05 Yey for getting the book!!

I didn't read the co-sleeping section...hmmm tough call. Personally I think I would try just going for it because if it only takes a couple of days then it would be worth it. The other way seems like there are too many opportunites to give up or fall back into the old habits. BUt saying all that you guys need to do what you are comfortable with. You could try it one way and if it is too hard on him then go back to the longer process.

They are supposed to be able to see you but honestly I didn't take the bumpers out..I just started rght at the crib and then kind of moved away a bit...he couldn't see me but he could hear me. By that point thought (yesterday) he was already just going to sleep right away and couldn't care less if I was there or not, lol!

GA_GAL Yep normally he nurses 4 times a day. He isn't waking in the middle of night right now but when he does, we offer him water first. If he wants more than the water I will nurse him though.

StacieLady

02-08-2008, 09:08 AM

I haven't had time to read all the sleep stuff. But trust me I will. We are struggling here too.

I have QOTD based on what some of you have posted. How many times a day are your little ones getting Milk/Formula?

I counted and yesterday Jacob had Nursed 4 times and had one bottle at MDO. Then he woke up 3 times at night and nursed for a long time. (plus he had cereal and 4 #2 containers of baby food). That seems like TOO MUCH. Granted he weighs 24 pounds (he is just big, not the Michelin baby.), but that still seems like too much nursing.

Here is a link to a pic so you will know he isn't fat! :) :) http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb9/brattonstaciem/DSC00161.jpg

I didn't realize that you ladies were feeding so much less!

steelcitymama

02-08-2008, 09:17 AM

stacielady--- mairin nurses 6-7 times a day still, including one overnight feeding (around 4 AM). she still eats about every 2 hrs when i'm nursing her. on the 3 days a week that i'm in the office, she's able to space it out a bit more with her bottles. like i mentioned in my previous post, i think it'll be really hard for us to space it out more right now. the kid just seems hungry every 2 hrs or so! she generally eats 3 times a day these days. i think every kid is just so different and if that's how much he wants to nurse and eat solid foods, i'd just go with the flow. i know you mentioned you were going to try to resolve some sleep difficulties, so if anything, i would maybe just try to cut down on the nighttime feedings (if you want)?

i think eating is just like anything else---varies a ton from kid to kid. i know when i was looking at smitten's schedule i was thinking "wow, m could never go that long between nursing sessions at this point!" and also, i know smitten mentioned connor had an avocado and a few applesauce cubes for dinner. m also had avocado last night too, but she ate not quite 1/2 of the avocado plus maybe 1/4 of a banana and then she was full. and i'm sure there are other kids who still don't even eat 3 times a day. anyway, the point i'm trying to make is that i'm sure there is a wide range of "normal".

as long as you don't mind all the nursing, i'd let him do his thing, IMO. :)

MexicoBride'05

02-08-2008, 07:43 PM

Hi Ladies...well tonight is the first night we're trying the sleep lady stuff. I'm so scared! Jayden just had his bath and I fed him and now DH is going to get him drowsy but awake and put him down. We thought he would do the first night b/c he can probably handle more tears than me and I was afraid I might cave. I'll be doing it tomorrow night. So there's no tears yet but I'm sure there will be soon. I'm just hoping it doesn't go on for hours. Wish us luck! I'll be back with an update tomorrow.

magrat

02-08-2008, 07:58 PM

stacielady It wouldn't matter even if Jacob were fat, he's a baby! But not for long it seems, he is huge!

I am amazed by the huge variation in eating habits, I can't imagine Eve eating as infrequently as Connor! I honestly have no clue how often she eats, I nurse on demand or when I feel like it. She doesn't nurse very long each time but she never has. I was at La Leche last night and they were all talking about plugged ducts and mastitis and getting bit...I haven't had any of those things, I'm very fortunate. I always rack my brain trying to think of a question I can ask but I never can, it's been so easy! So I don't mind nursing frequently (I'm a SAHM so that makes it a lot easier) and am honestly starting to panic at the thought of weaning. I can't imagine a time when my breasts will again be non-functional (I've never liked them because they're too big, but I like them now just because they're working so well). Yet I don't want to be nursing a three year old either (nothing wrong with it, but I don't think I would be completely comfortable with it). Oh well, I have time,she just seems to be growing up so fast. I'm rambling...back to eating habits. She probably eats every 2-4 hours during the day. I try to give her solids once a day and it she likes it will eat up to maybe 4 or 5 tablespoons, but usually less than that. At night I usually feed her at around 10, 2, and 5. The night before last she slept a staggering 7 hour stretch! From 10-5, fantastic. Then she was her usual last night. I am not going to try to cut out a feeding until we get back from Florida. I know she isn't very hungry at 10 or 2 because she can hardly be bothered to suck, so it is really more of a sleep issue than an eating one.

In other news, DH totaled his car the other day. He's fine, but we are now a one car family. He gets mine and I'm stuck at home. He works from home Tuesdays and Thursdays so I get it then, but my high life of swanning from this play date to that is at an end. We didn't have comprehensive insurance because it wasn't worth anything to anybody but us. It would be a bad financial decision to buy a new one at this point, and I can't really justify it for myself since I don't need it for work. At some point (maybe by next winter) we'll think about getting a new one, but for now I'm trying to think of it in a positive light - I got lots of cleaning done today :rolleyes: It's too bad he put the new tabs on it *that morning*. Typical...

magrat

02-08-2008, 08:14 PM

I love seeing pictures of the other kiddies as they grow up, so I better post some of my own! I don't have any super recent pictures of Eve, but here are some from a playdate I hosted a month ago.

Eve and Millie, the daughter of the best mom friend I've made. Millie is 5 days older. I wish this was at a better angle because it was absolutely hilarious.
http://kitt.smugmug.com/photos/249720690_UUq6L-M.jpg

Eve looking a bit suspicious about why Millie is choking her.
http://kitt.smugmug.com/photos/249722764_GrqA9-M.jpg

Eve not looking nearly as cute as Millie here, but you can actually see her teeth!
http://kitt.smugmug.com/photos/249724489_ZaVb3-M.jpg

MexicoBride'05

02-08-2008, 08:32 PM

I think DH rocked Jayden until he was too sleepy b/c he put him in the crib and he just turned his head back and forth a few times and then went to sleep.

And now he already has woken up only 30 or so minutes later and he is freaking out right now. I can't even stand to listen to him. One thing I'm wondering is how do I know if he's crying b/c he's in pain or not? He is teething right now so how am I suppose to know he's not crying from pain? It doesn't sound like just a fussy cry at all right now he is seriously freaking out.

GA_GAL

02-08-2008, 09:02 PM

QOTD: Like others have mentioned, I think each baby is different in what they need to eat and how often. Handley nurses 4-5 times per day and sometimes once at night (although I'm trying to cut it out because it is usually only for a very short time and serves as her way to get back to sleep when she wakes). She also eats 3 meals of solid food a day and it will vary with how much she eats. Tonight she ate a ton, but seemed hungry so I kept feeding her. I think she is going through a growth spurt. Earlier this week her morning nap was 2 1/2 hours for a few days in a row and she's been eating more at feedings.

Stacielady: check out the post in the Infant thread titled "Feeding My Son Too Much??" I just got through reading it. Her son is 9 months old and sounds like he's eating about the same amount as Jacob. I think as long as it is working for the two of you, then no need to worry. Plus, because he is a big boy and growing so much, he probably needs those extra feedings.

Mexicobride: Hope it went OK tonight.

Magrat: Hope you are having fun at Disney. Loved the pictures of Eve. Like you, I'm also not looking forward to weaning, but plan to do so at a year. I just can't believe it's approaching so fast. Feels like just yesterday I was waiting on pins and needles to go into labor.

Here's a few recent pictures of Handley.

She loves this car she got for Christmas.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o265/carriebethposener/handleyincar.jpg

Enjoying her new bathtub last night.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o265/carriebethposener/IMG_2871.jpg

And one of her crawling:
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o265/carriebethposener/IMG_2806.jpg

magrat

02-08-2008, 09:14 PM

Mexico I can't give official advice, but here is my take on what you should do. Since Jayden woke up not knowing where he is (since DH put him down asleep) I would go in and pick him up and have the light on dimly so he can just see where he is. Get him to calm down but not fall asleep, and start over. It's not fair to let him cry it out when you didn't let him know what is happening. I even like to leave DD's room with the light on and then reach around the door to turn off the light, so she even sees me leave.

MexicoBride'05

02-08-2008, 09:32 PM

DH is still in the room with him and the night light is on so he does know where he is. DH is still shushing and patting his back every now and then and he has picked him up a couple of times too but he still hasn't stopped crying and it's been almost an hour now.

MexicoBride'05

02-08-2008, 10:29 PM

It's been almost 2 hours now and Jayden is still not asleep :( He's more calm now though but still sobbing on and off. DH is still in the room with him. It just seems like he's never going to fall asleep. I'm trying to stay away b/c part of me wants to go in there and pick him up and I know that would not be the right thing to do b/c then we would of let him do all of this crying for nothing and he would be so confused. I'm downstairs with music turned up so I can't hear him cry b/c it's breaking my heart right now since we've never ever just let him cry. I'm wondering if having DH there is making him more mad? and maybe I should of done the first night b/c I might of been able to comfort him better? I think this whole thing would of been better if DH hadn't of rocked him too much but who knows, he might of freaked out just the same if he first went down more awake. I just hope there is an end in sight soon and that he will get some sleep.

MexicoBride'05

02-08-2008, 11:10 PM

JAYDEN IS ASLEEP! :) I thought that maybe he might genuinely be hungry so I went up and fed him and then took over for DH. He ate like he was starving or something. After I rocked him for only a minute and put him down still awake. He freaked out again and was wandering all over his crib using his bumper pads to try and climb out. He slowly started to calm down a bit and I went and got a pacifier that he sometimes uses and gave it to him and he used that for a bit and then he was on his tummy and DH came up to tell me something so I went out of his room and by the time I got back Jayden was sound asleep!! Now I feel bad and wonder if I should of done the whole night instead of DH doing it. I'm not sure if he was just really, really exhausted by now or if maybe he was just hungry and needed mommy to rub his back instead of dad? Anyways, lets just hope he doesn't sleep only for another 30 minutes or something. I hope he'll sleep at least a few hours now.

daphne

02-09-2008, 05:57 AM

MexicoBride I was on pins & needles readign your posts! I'm glad that it ended ok. It sounds like it was hard on you. :( I'm dreading st'ing DD b/c I know how hard it can be. Good luck tonight! What are you planning to do for naps today?

magrat Cute pictures!!! Is Millie the baby's full name? We call DD Millie, so I'm just curious.

GaGal Great pictures! Handley is adorable & looking like such a big girl in her car & tub!

steelcitymama

02-09-2008, 07:02 AM

mexico bride- i'm glad he finally fell asleep. how was the rest of the night?

stacielady, magrat, and ga gal--such great pictures. what cuties! i love seeing all the kids.

em1126

02-09-2008, 07:38 AM

Wow, love all the pictures!

mexico bride - Hooray for making it through the first night. Hopefully, it will get better from here on out. It's a big step just to make the decision to start sleep-training.

How many times a day are your little ones getting Milk/Formula?

Aubrey's schedule goes something like this:
7:45ish - gets up and has a 6 oz bottle
8-8:15ish - breakfast (usually a couple tablespoons of fruit or rice cereal)
10ish - nap
11:30ish (or when she wakes up from her nap) - 6 oz bottle
12ish- lunch (usually same as breakfast - she'll finish the jar she started then)
2ish - 6 oz bottle
2:30-4:30 - nap
4:30 - 6 oz bottle
6 - dinner (if she'll eat a whole jar of baby food, she gets the whole jar - otherwise, it's whatever we can get her to eat)
7:30 - 6 oz bottle
8 -bed

I'm thinking now that she's eating more solids, it's time to cut back to 4 bottles instead of 5, so I think I'll start working on that next week. It's interesting to see what everyone's babies are doing.

MexicoBride'05

02-09-2008, 08:52 AM

Good morning ladies!

It was a rough but we made it through night #1. Jayden only slept from 10pm - 1am. I don't know if I should of, but I did feed him again when he woke and then I put him back in the crib drowsy but awake and he did cry but it was more of a fussy cry this time. It took him about 45 minutes to fall back asleep with me rubbing his back and shushing him. He seemed to like the pacifier too when normally he just plays with it and bites it.

So back to bed I went only to have him wake up again at 3:00am. I didn't feed him again. I picked him up and snuggled for a few seconds and then put him back in the crib. It only took about 15 minutes that time and he was asleep again. But, yup, he woke up another hour later at 4:00. I went back in and fed him again (I know I prob shouldn't have but he was eating almost 6 or 7 times a night before all of this when he was waking every hour so cutting those feedings in half the first night wasn't too bad I thought) This time, it only took him 5 minutes to settle himself back to sleep! And he slept until 7:30 when I went in and did the dramatic wake up. The book says to have them wake up and go to bed between 7-730 every night and I wanted to stick with that and have a regular schedule. I'm not sure how long he would of slept if I didn't wake him up but I didn't want to let him sleep super long and screw the rest of his day up.

We are planning to do the same thing with his naps today so I don't know if they are suppose to be harder or easier than bedtime? We'll see! I'm already dreading it. It was nice to go in and wake him up though! The book also says they can go a little longer on their naps today since he lost some sleep last night.

I really hope the naps go well and bedtime tonight is easier.

Talk to you all later!

GA_GAL

02-09-2008, 09:07 AM

mexicobride: Good for you for making it through the first night. I can imagine that it would have been very easy to "cave" in and revert back to old habbits. It sounds like it did get much easier for Jayden to fall asleep as the night went on. Hopefully naps and tonight will continue to get better. I bet he really liked sucking on the paci if he's used to nursing to sleep. Also, I think your decision to feed him when you did was good. Like you said, if he's used to nursing so frequently at night, you probably want to wean those down slowly and not totally stop all at once. What's the dramatic wake-up? Good luck today for naps!

Last night I decided not to go into Handley's room right away when she woke up and just see if she'd get back to sleep. She woke around 3:30 AM so I waited and after 10-15 minutes she was back asleep until this morning. That's the first times she's woken and gotten back to sleep without me going in to comfort/nurse her!

magrat

02-09-2008, 10:03 AM

Last night I decided not to go and feed Eve at 10pm like I usually do, and she didn't wake up until 1:45am. I fed her then and she slept until 7. I decided to see if she'd go back to sleep (she tends to sleep from around 6:30pm or 7pm until 7:30am or 8am) and she was in her crib until 9! She was awake when DH went to check on her, but she had been nice and quiet so we could sleep in :)

mexico Sorry it was such a rough night! Personally, I find Eve settles better when I leave the room and just check in on her occasionally. In any case, I am sure tonight will be much better.

magrat

02-09-2008, 10:08 AM

daphne Millie's full name is Emily. They wanted to name her after her great grandma Millie without naming her Mildred :)

micd

02-09-2008, 10:24 AM

MexicoBride'05 - I'm so sorry about all of the sleep trouble :( I know that that is no fun. I'm glad that he slept better last night and was putting himself to sleep!

GA_GAL - Yay for Handley going back to sleep on her own! The pictures are so cute!!

magrat - That's great that she let you sleep in! The pictures are wonderful. I think you posted this a long time ago, but what kind of camera do you have...is it a Canon Rebel? What kind of lens do you use? I am in the market for a new camera, and I have been looking at the Rebel.

NapsAs we speak, Sara is up in her crib crying because she is refusing to nap. She is sleeping a lot better at night, only waking once or twice, but naps are horrible. 20 minutes here, 20 minutes there. Not so much fun. I can't keep her asleep during the day. The thing is, she is always in a good mood too. She doesn't really act tired, until the evening.

Food - I'm not really sure because I nurse on demand and I've always had issues with a low supply (but I think my supply is pretty good now). She eats one or two solid meals a day and then nurses maybe 6-7 times a day.

daphne

02-09-2008, 12:23 PM

x-posting from my lj, since we're talking so much about sleep here:

I'm trying the Sleep Lady's techniques. I nursed her til she was satiated/drowsy, then put her in her crib this AM , then just now for her PM nap. This AM it took about 60 minutes to get her to fall asleep, for her PM nap it was only about 30 mins.. I basically just kept laying her down, patting/rubbing her back and shhh-ing her. I really hope it goes well tonight & that I'm not up all night trying to keep her settled. Not only am I not going to be nursing her all night, she'll be in her crib for the 1st time in months, so it's a huge transition for her.

ack! fingers crossed that tonight goes well! It's funny that a lot of us seem to be tightening up our sleep habits all of a sudden!

MexicoBride'05

02-09-2008, 01:10 PM

Grrrr. I had written a long post a little while ago and now it's not here? Maybe I didn't press submit reply!

After DH got up today we thought that maybe for now we should just stick to the sleep lady stuff for bed time and work on naps maybe in a week or so after he is more used to his crib. I just don't want to do it all at once b/c it might be too much for him since he has never slept in his crib. I don't know if I'm just dragging the whole nap process out but we'll see. I did try putting him down for his am nap while he was drowsy but as soon as I put him down he stood up and started playing and babbling. He didn't cry but it didn't seem like he was going to sleep in there anytime soon and I didn't want to have him end up not having good naps today b/c then tonight would prob be bad b/c he'd be so over tired.

The only way he naps really long is if he sleeps either on my chest or DH's. I know that's not the best idea but I needed to do what works right now for his naps until we get his bed time better. He slept for 1hr and 40 minutes which was good.

I'm hoping tonight goes better than last night especially since DH has a hockey game and I will be doing bed time by myself tonight.

Do you guys think it's still okay to do this when Jayden is coming down with a cold? he's been sneezing all day and has a really runny nose. I don't want to stop doing it or last night will have just been a waste of time and tears. I think it's okay as long as he's not super sick or anything right?

Oh, and the dramatic wake up is just like a morning ritual. The book says it's good to have a ritual for wake up and for sleep time. So she says to come in in the morning and open up the blinds or turn on the lights and sing a cheery morning song so that's what I did today. I hope it was a good decision to wake him up at 7:30 today instead of letting him sleep longer. I just wanted to try and stick to our new schedule as much as possible and have him go to bed at the same time too.

Daphne Does she have her naps in her crib? I'm glad you were able to get her down for both her naps today. Maybe I should try doing the naps too? I don't know. I'm just scared of doing too much at once. So are you planning on not nursing her at all if she wakes tonight?

magrat

02-09-2008, 04:44 PM

micd Our camera is a Canon Digital Rebel XT. We have two lens - a Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 and a Sigma 18-200 mm. The Canon is great for portraits because it's fixed depth(?), it blurs out the background, and I don't need to fiddle with settings I don't understand at all. It makes me look like a real photographer, but all I'm doing is pointing and shooting. He now uses the Sigma more but I haven't learned how to use it yet :o

daphne

02-09-2008, 07:34 PM

MexicoBride She napped in her crib today, but it's the 1st day she's done that in months. I'm not sure what I'm going to do tonight. I'm waiting to see what time she wakes. If it's soon, I won't nurse her & I'll just try to get her back to sleep again. If it's in more than a couple of hours, I'll nurse her, then try to put her down drowsy again. Sigh. I was wondering tonight if I'm doing too much by training her for naps & nighttime all at once. I was just hoping it would go faster this way.

Tonight was rough. It took her over an hour to settle to sleep, then she'd doze & wake. She did that about 5 times before she finally fell asleep. :( This is so hard. I hate st'ting.

Good luck tonight MB, let us know how it goes.