July/August 2007 Babies ~ Enjoying our Summer Babies! [Archive] - Page 3

Tenny

11-10-2007, 07:25 AM

P&P Not sure about your right to heat while pumping, but I know when I used to work my office was alway freezing so I got a little portable heater to keep in there. Maybe that will be an option for you.

bensgirl1222 What a cutie!!

QOTD: epi I'm not sure. With DS#1 I had the epi and my labor was pretty quick and I only pushed for 19 minutes. With DS#2 my labor went so quick that I didn't have time for the epi since I was at the hospital less then an hour before he was born. I know my recovery was so much easier with DS#2, but not sure if that had anything to do with the not having the epi or not. I think I will just leave that door open and see what happens during my next labor. If I need it I'll get it if I'm handling it ok then I wouldn't.

I have some pictures of my little guy.

Here he is on Halloween. He was Squirt from the Movie Finding Nemo and his older brother was Nemo
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a154/Tennybird/squirt.jpg

And a couple more from the other night.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a154/Tennybird/charliezoo.jpg

Standing on my lap.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a154/Tennybird/standcharlie2.jpg

j2478

11-10-2007, 08:28 AM

For those of you that delivered by c-section, will you try for a VBAC or do you plan on scheduling another c-section?
It's weird that this came up b/c I was just thinking about this. I had a c-section after a failed induction. My BP was high and this was the reason for the induction. Allison was small (only 5'14 at birth- we did not know this OB estimated a 8-8.5 pound baby) and when they broke my water she turned and got caught under my hip. They did a c-section and had to use a vacuum to get her out from under my hip bone. So, to answer the question - it's not like I can't give birth (some women have small pelvis', etc) what happened this time was the result of her being small and getting stuck. I would like to try a VBAC next time to get the whole pushing out a baby experience but I am so afraid of causing more harm in some way. When I went back for my PP visit the doctor said everything looks good for a VBAC - it would be my decision for the next one as long as there were no complications with the baby. DH is all for scheduling - picking a day, no waiting for labor, or the uncertainity of when it will all happen.

QOTD #2 Epidural
I was in labor and having contractions when I got the epidural. It hurt, plus it felt weird, and my leg jolted when the needle went it. They said that happens sometimes and even warned me ahead of time that it might happen. But, it was just so weird and gives me the chills now just thinking about it. So, next time if I do the scheduled induction I am so afraid of getting the epidural. Last time I wanted it for pain relief but if I don't do a VBAC I will be getting it while feeling no pain. Kind of scares me!

Overall, just kind of confused about what I want the next birth experience to be like. But, I really didn't have any control over what happened this time either! In the end though, I have a beautiful little girl so it all turned out OK. I have awhile to think about it anyways - we don't want to have another for about two years from now.

A year ago yesterday was the day that we found out I was pregnant with Allison. I look at CC today and there is a July mommies thread. How time flies!

Katie&Micah

11-10-2007, 08:49 AM

Tenny
What a gorgeous little guy!! I love the look on his face in the first pic.

I find it so interesting how different everyone's epi experiences are. I had absolutely no pain with mine (couldn't even feel it go in) and loved it. The only problem was that more of the medicine went to my left side and I couldn't feel/move that leg at all. It kind of scares me to think about the next one. My next experience could be great or it could be awful.

karlatta

11-10-2007, 01:11 PM

Epidural - Nothing freaks me out more than the idea of a needle in my back. I didn't have an epidural for DD, and I hope to never have one with any future children. (And Lisa, I was able to sleep through labor with just Stadol, so it's possible to sleep during labor without an epidural. :) )

A year ago today they were putting three embryos back in my uterus following IVF, and one of those turned out to be Hannah. Hard to believe that so much has changed in such a short time.

Here's a picture of what DD was exactly one year ago today (she's Alvin, Simon, or Theodore - we can't tell which). Sorry it's so big.

Edit: Pic removed.

Katie&Micah

11-10-2007, 04:26 PM

I got nubaine and it allowed me to sleep.. of course it didn't last forever. I think I got it Monday morning and had the epidural about 11pm Monday night.

DanaLand

11-10-2007, 09:48 PM

Karla - AMAZING!!!! Wow. That is crazy that you actually have a picture of her first cells!!!

QOTD - Ali was my second, and probably last baby. :( If we do end up with a 3rd it will have to be an ERC since mine were both csections.

~~~~~~~~
A few pics:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g248/Danakaya902/November2007022.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g248/Danakaya902/October2007543.jpg

Katie&Micah

11-11-2007, 08:27 AM

Dana
I absolutely love that bathtub picture!! What a gorgeous girl!

lovelifeandlivelove

11-11-2007, 05:49 PM

Dana - she is so cute and I love her little dimple.
Bensgirl and Teeny - adorable babies!
Where does everyone bath their DC?
we bath DD in the baby tub in the sink but need to move her to the big tub (in her baby tub, of course), little baby girl is beginning to become very interested in turning on the water faucet and even though I am always right there I am still scared of the possibilities (our water comes out very hot also) I am afraid of switching to the big tub though, it seems like it may be very awkward to wash her hair.
Is anyone starting baby food at 4 months?

Katie&Micah

11-11-2007, 05:53 PM

Where does everyone bath their DC?
I only used the baby tub once and decided it was too much of a pita. I've been washing her in the regular tub ever since.

Is anyone starting baby food at 4 months?
Nope. We're waiting until 6 months.

lovelifeandlivelove

11-11-2007, 05:58 PM

P&P - I would ask them to turn on the heat, it has been cold lately and that is horrible to have a stupid rule to wait for 3 days. Then add on needing to bare your ta-ta to pump in the cold, yikes! Maybe you can go in a heated car if they don't budge. And file a grievance.

karlatta

11-11-2007, 06:12 PM

Where does everyone bath their DC?
I bathe both of my kids at the same time. I put DD in her tub inside the big tub, and DS gets the rest of the big tub. It's actually easier to bathe them both at the same time than it is to try to do it separately. I've got a very good bathtime routine worked out.

Is anyone starting baby food at 4 months?
DH and I were just talking about this tonight. We may offer DD some rice cereal around Christmas (4.5 months), but it will be mostly just for fun and because grandparents always like to see "firsts" like that. We won't really start doing them on a regular basis until at least six months. DS didn't start eating baby food very regularly at all until he was 10 months old.

polarama

11-11-2007, 06:31 PM

karlatta--that is so cool you have a picture of the embryos!

Tenny and Dana--such cute LOs!

******************
epidural--I will probably opt for it again. I had about as good as an experience as one could have with an epidural. The only thing that sucked about it was the soreness at the injection site in the days afterwards.

Where does everyone bath their DC?
We use the baby tub--it has a hammock-type thing in it so she lies in there.

Is anyone starting baby food at 4 months?
I would like to try to wait, though I think she may be ready for it. She sits up quite well (assisted) and definitely knows how to refuse food and shows an interest when we are eating. However, I don't want to have her on rice cereal too long--I want to introduce her to veggies and pureed versions of "adult" food sooner, so we plan to wait till 6 months so we have more freedom to vary her diet earlier.

Update on us--
We dialed back DD's bedtime and it seemed to have helped the nighttime meltdowns. Except on Friday, it took us about 3 hours to get her to go down. I really shouldn't complain--once she's asleep, she'll do a nice 8 hour stretch, wake to eat, then do another 4 hour stretch. But getting her down...whew! I think it's my least favorite part of the day.

I left DD with DH on Monday night--not the first time I've left her with him, but the first time I've done it at night. They did really well! She actually went down without a fuss by 9:30.

Asha

11-12-2007, 04:38 AM

Where does everyone bath their DC?
We use the baby tub--it has a hammock-type thing in it so she lies in there.
ditto.

Is anyone starting baby food at 4 months?
once we make our big move, i plan to start solids. she'll be about 4 1/2 mos. dd still is getting up btwn every 2-4 hours in the night to feed. she also feeds A LOT during the day. i know it may not be the cure, but i am hoping that may help with those things. i am worried about doing it since she seems sensitive to different foods. does anyone know of any rice cereals that don't have added foods like soy in it?

****
i have cut out yet another food in my diet - wheat. it seems to have helped with her reflux and vomiting a bunch. now, i am wondering if she isn't intolerant to milk, but it has been wheat all along. i ate something with a small amount of milk in it yesterday, and she didn't seem to have a reaction. i may ask the dr. if it is too early to get her some allergy tests.

Kristy119

11-12-2007, 06:56 AM

Where does everyone bath their DC?

We use the baby tub inside our big tub. I have a stoll next to the tub that I sit on so that I don't have to kneel or bend over too far.

QOTD: Does your LO like his/her bath?

G isn't too sure about his bath. He usually just looks at me like what am I trying to do to him. Sometimes he will cry but usually he just tolerates the whole experience, unless he gets cold then he carries on like I am killing him!

Kristy119

11-12-2007, 07:00 AM

Is anyone starting baby food at 4 months?

We were talking about this last night too. We plan on waiting till 6 months. He shows a few signs of being ready but we just don't want to risk any allergies.

pride&prejudice

11-13-2007, 06:48 PM

i have cut out yet another food in my diet - wheat. it seems to have helped with her reflux and vomiting a bunch. now, i am wondering if she isn't intolerant to milk, but it has been wheat all along. i ate something with a small amount of milk in it yesterday, and she didn't seem to have a reaction. i may ask the dr. if it is too early to get her some allergy tests.

I've found that I've been able to introduce little amounts of cheese/milk/spicy foods, etc that DD had a problem with, gradualy after having ommited them for awhile. Once in awhile I get excited that I can eat them, and have to cut back again when its obvious its not agreeing with DD.

bathing~ We were in the sink for a few weeks until she got too big for that, and now we use a baby bath tub.

solids~ We got the go ahead for cereals and orange foods from our ped at her last WBV for 4 months. So we'll probably do that since DH is anxious, although he wanted to start her on peas.:rolleyes: He's slowly learning.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'm not going into the problems, I don't want to bring the thread down. I'm trying to make due, and thankfully the guys have been wonderful and trying to help me make due, especially with the stupid rules. I probably won't have heat for another 2 weeks to a month.

Other than that, things are good with A. She's loving to stand, and she's started pulling herself forward when she's sitting. It scared me the first time, since I thought I lost my hold on her! She's also grabbing for things and starting to push herself with her hands.

We are also going through her first tooth I believe. She had all the classic teething symptoms this weekend, and there is a spot where I belive one is cutting through. She won't move her toongue long enough for me to be sure though. :)

Hope everyone is doing well.

LDS Angel 19

11-14-2007, 06:47 AM

Is anyone starting baby food at 4 months?
Megan and Natalie will be five months old on Sunday, and we'll probably try some rice cereal that week while DH is off of school.

Things are going ok with us. We had our second night ever last night of real STTN, 10 hours. And Natalie rolled over for the first time on Saturday.

jimmysgirl424

11-14-2007, 10:56 AM

Is anyone starting baby food at 4 months? Other than the rice cereal that she's been taking since she was around three weeks old, we aren't planning on starting anything else till at least six months. Our pediatrician told us we could now, but I'd rather wait.

Where does everyone bath their DC? Her baby tub still fits in our sink, so we are still bathing her in the kitchen. Its just easier.

Does your LO like his/her bath? No matter how fussy she is beforehand, as soon as we stick her in the water, she's fine. And as soon as she comes out, she gets cranky if we let her get cold.

Katie&Micah

11-14-2007, 10:59 AM

We just got back from Maddy's 4 month shots. She threw an absolute fit! After screaming for several minutes I took her into the nursing mothers room and bf'ed her. That made things all better. That's a good perk of nursing. Next time I'll just go straight in there and nurse her afterwards. Miss chunky butt weighs 15lbs exactly. They didn't measure her length. So at 4 months she's a little more than double her birth weight!

Bridget's Mommy

11-15-2007, 09:24 AM

Username: Bridget's Mommy
Me: Dani, 31
DH: Steve, 34
Married: 05/15/2004
Any other children: None
Its a Girl! Bridget Katherine
ADD: 08/15/2007
N/B Stats: 8lbs 7oz 20 Inches
1 Month Stats: 9lbs 4 oz 21 inches
3 Months Stats: 12 lbs 22 inches
6 Months Stats:
9 Months Stats:
12 Months Stats:

jimmysgirl424

11-15-2007, 10:47 AM

Katie's post reminded me that Kristianna had her four month check up on Monday. She screamed bloody murder during her shots, but calmed down once DH picked her up and soothed her. She was miserable the rest of the day, especially in the evening. She didn't want me at all, just DH. :( She wouldn't let him sit down at all either, he had to be standing and moving around and she laid with her head on his shoulder whimpering for hours. I felt so bad for her. Stupid shots.

Her four months stats:

Weight: 15 lbs, 10 oz. (75% percentile)

Length: 27 1/2 inches!!

Notice I didn't say what percentile she falls in for her length/height. Thats because after measuring her, the nurse declared her officially off the charts. :eek: She grew 2 1/2 inches since her last appointment!!

Lisa

11-15-2007, 12:28 PM

quick post Aiden had his 4 month check up. He's 14.6lbs and 26in He has been horrible. He's running a fever and has a bump in his leg. okay crying baby

Katie&Micah

11-15-2007, 12:56 PM

Kym,
Holy cow.. she's growing like a weed!! Good milk!

I'm sorry she was so miserable. Maddy was good last night but is having a very bad day today.

Lisa,
I hope Aiden feels better soon. It seems to me that these 4 month shots were WAY worse than the 2 month ones.

Maddy had a slight fever last night. It seems to be gone now but she's being a holy terror. This stupid woman at Walmart tried to tell me how to console her. Of course it didn't work. I explained that she just had her shots and was having a bad day, but she didn't seem to care. FYI: I didn't ask for your advice. You're the one who came running when she started crying. Leave us alone please. You just frustrated me more about the situation.

jimmysgirl424

11-15-2007, 01:11 PM

quick post Aiden had his 4 month check up. He's 14.6lbs and 26in He has been horrible. He's running a fever and has a bump in his leg. okay crying baby

Sorry he's so miserable, Lisa. I agree with Katie, the four month shots seem to be much, much worse for babies to deal with. And I read in a handout that my ped. gave me that the fourth dose of DTaP is the one that has the strongest reaction by kids, so I guess we haven't seen the worst of it yet. :( Thats just great.

QOTD: What is everyone buying for their babies for Christmas/holidays? I just have no clue what to get for her and most of the gifts I've seen people post about are for older infants. I know she's too young to open and enjoy the gifts, but I still want stuff under the tree for her! Please give me some ideas!

Katie&Micah

11-15-2007, 01:32 PM

This is what I bought Maddy for Christmas.. It's all 6 months and up stuff.

Fill 'N Spill Fish (http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-Playskool-Lets-Together-Spill/dp/B000FKNQHE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1195158380&sr=8-2)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31WRJH8VAHL._AA280_.jpg

Bounce and Giggle Elephant (http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Bounce-Giggle-Elephant/dp/B000BJGJAK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1195158468&sr=1-4)--this got crappy reviews, but we bought one for a friend's kid and he LOVED it.. ignored all his other toys. I think we bought him the cow version.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3106HC4VCPL._AA250_.jpg

Explore 'N Play Center (http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-H9221-Explore-Play-Center/dp/B000EGELPU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1195158576&sr=1-1)--I bought this for my cousin's baby and he liked it. The sounds aren't terribly annoying which is a plus in my book.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000EGELPU/sr=1-1/qid=1195158576/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=165793011&s=toys-and-games&qid=1195158576&sr=1-1

I also got her 2 books.

And I read in a handout that my ped. gave me that the fourth dose of DTaP is the one that has the strongest reaction by kids, so I guess we haven't seen the worst of it yet. Thats just great.

Oh greaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttt.

ETA: I got those toys incredibly cheap in July during an Amazon.com Friday sale. I think I spent about $20 for all 3 things. Otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten her much. I'm sure her grandparents are going to buy way too much stuff.

Tenny

11-15-2007, 03:09 PM

Sorry to hear about all the fussy babies!

QOTD: What is everyone buying for their babies for Christmas/holidays?
I am so clueless. We have so much stuff from when DS#1 was a baby that we really don't need anything. I was thinking about getting him a walker/rider thing (would be able to use it right away, but will hopefully use it before his 1st birthday). I was also thinking about getting him one of those jumproo things, but really don't have the space for it. I did order him a bunch of cloths from Gymboree during their last sale.

Is anyone starting baby food at 4 months? I plan on waiting until he is six months to start any food including cereal.

Where does everyone bath their DC? In the bath tub with his older brother. He sits in something like this, but less fancy..
http://trus.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pTRU1-3481428reg.jpg

Does your LO like his/her bath? Doesn't really mind it.

So Charlie is so close to rolling over. It was so funny just last week I was saying that he isn't even trying to roll and then the next day he was. Also I felt so horrible the other day, I was cutting his nails and got a little bit of his skin. I never did that before even with DS#1, I told DH that he has to cut his nails for now on. Oh also we are going to attempt to fly home for Thanksgiving with the two boys. Should be an adventure!! What is everyone else doing for Thanksgiving.

alliannie

11-15-2007, 07:42 PM

QOTD: What is everyone buying for their babies for Christmas/holidays? Probably a few toys and a couple of outfits. We won't be alot as we know family will!!

Is anyone starting baby food at 4 months? I have considered it but really I probably wont(I originally thought I would). I just really don't feel he needs it currently. Oh and I am to lazy to do it! lol. It really sees like a lot of work to mix baby cereal and feed it. So I am waiting. :p

Where does everyone bath their DC? We tried out the baby bathtub. DS HATES it. But loves to shower with mommy and daddy. So that is what we do. Works for all of us!

DS hasn't had his four month shots yet as we run about 3 wks behind due to such a busy dr. office but...we just went to the dr. to recheck his ear(ear infection gone!) and he was 14lbs and 3 oz. They didn't measure him.

I have been substitute teaching pretty much full time lately so I haven't had time to keep up. Sorry!! Hope everyone is doing good and if I ever put pics on Photobucket I will upload them here. If anyone wants to see they are on myspace(well a couple are!) So if you have it and want to add me PM me:) I would write it but it includes my last name(stupid me didn't know what I was doing!):p

RobynScott

11-15-2007, 07:58 PM

Hi all - I am so behind - I just read all of the posts though to try and catch up. Such cute babies! (and some big babies too!

Kym - I can't believe K is 27.5 inches long! Sounds like she will be tall like her daddy!

Lisa - I hope A feels better soon - poor baby!

We also had Seth's 4 mo WBV on Tuesday. He's 12lbs15 oz and 25.25 inches - - small compared to some of the others, *lol*, He reacted ok to the shots - but we only did 2. Doing the other 2 next week.

He is getting so fun - and he is so into the toys on his activity mat! He started rolling tummy to back a few weeks (maybe a month?) ago - and this week he started rolling back to tummy! There's no stopping him now! :)

We finally moved him out of his bassinet in our room and into his crib (his room) last Friday night and his sleep seems to be getting better - I think he just needed more room!

Solids Ped said we could start putting rice in his bottle to help with ureflux (he's been spitting up a lor more recently) but his reflux isn't bad at night (when he would get a bottle) and I really don't want to do that. I think we'll be starting solid closer to six months.

Christmas / Chanukah - I'm not sure yet. Thinking about getting him a jumperoo - not sure. My mom will be getting him a highchair (of our choice)- I also want to get him some more books.

Hope everyone is doing well - and getting some sleep!

Katie&Micah

11-15-2007, 08:07 PM

alliannie
We tried out the baby bathtub. DS HATES it. But loves to shower with mommy and daddy. So that is what we do. Works for all of us!
How does this work exactly? Do you mean the 3 of you together or you take turns showering with him? I've been wanting to try this with Maddy but I was wondering I would wash her and hold her at the same time.

Maddy's schedule is so easily changed it drives me nuts. Every time we get things going smoothly a weird day is thrown in and we have to start over. She's been going to bed at 6:30 for 2 WEEKS! One bad day where I wasn't feeling well and laid down with her for a nap at a different time. Now here we are 3 days in a row with her not in bed on time. It's 9 for goodness sake and she's showing no signs of going to bed soon. I liked having a couple hours to myself in the evening. :( Does anyone else have this problem??

pride&prejudice

11-16-2007, 05:06 AM

katie~ We've been having a problem getting her down, but I think mine mostly because of teething, I just wish the darn tooth would break through! A switched her naps one afternoon too and it was hard to get her back on it, but basically we just kept playing with her and kept her stimulated for a long time before her bath, and its helped make her sleepier at bedtime.

Katie&Micah

11-16-2007, 06:45 AM

I feel like all I ever do is complain in here, but I have to tell someone who will understand.

Last night was probably the worst night since we've had Maddy home from the hospital. She didn't go to sleep until 10:25 and then she woke up at 12:30 screaming bloody murder. I've never heard her scream like that. She just screamed and screamed at the top of her lungs for at least 5 minutes. I couldn't comfort her no matter what I did. I finally got her calmed down and back to sleep by nursing her (there was no way she was hungry though, it had only been 2 hours since she had eaten a ton). The rest of the night she continued to wake up screaming and would only be calmed down by nursing. It was crazy. She doesn't scream or cry at night. The only thing I can think is that this must be the immunizations doing this to her. I hope she's feeling better today, because last night was REALLY hard.

Sorry if I'm bringing this thread down. I don't know anyone irl with a baby that I could talk to.

jimmysgirl424

11-16-2007, 08:34 AM

Katie, I think you might want to give your pediatrician a call just to see what they have to say. On the vaccine information sheets they gave me, it specifically says if the baby has screaming fits or prolonged periods of screaming that you need to call them. I'm so sorry Maddy is giving you such a hard time. :(

Kristy119

11-16-2007, 09:21 AM

Katie I agree with what Kim said. She may be having some sort of reaction to the shots. :( I hate when they hurt and there is nothing that makes them feel better. Poor baby! And you are not bringing the thread down. Isn't the thread here to talk about our babies and all the good and bad stuff that we go through with them? Never worry about that!

Allie
We tried out the baby bathtub. DS HATES it. But loves to shower with mommy and daddy. So that is what we do. Works for all of us!

I want to know how you do this as well! I am afraid G will be too squirmy or slippery!

QOTD: What is everyone buying for their babies for Christmas/holidays?
I have no idea what to get G. He will be too little to understand or open any gifts but like others I would like a few things under the tree!

Tenny Wow good luck with the little ones while traveling! Let me know what tricks you use for takeoff and landing with Charlie. I might be traveling soon with Garrett and some useful advise would be helpful.

jimmysgirl424

11-16-2007, 10:42 AM

Katie I forgot to say that another concerning factor to me re. Maddy's screaming is that she only calmed down when you nursed her, even though she wasn't really hungry. Babies nurse for comfort and obviously she was trying to make herself feel better, poor baby. :( Please let us know what happens. And echoing Kristy, don't ever feel bad about posting here when you have baby issues. That is exactly what the thread is for!

karlatta

11-16-2007, 11:07 AM

Bathtime - When I just have to bathe DD, I often put her in the shower with me. I hold her up in the water most of the time, but when I need to, I put her down in the Bumbo seat. The Bumbo isn't supposed to be used in a bath, because it floats, but it does great in the shower because it's waterproof. I just put it where the water isn't spraying directly on DD's face.

Tenny

11-16-2007, 11:37 AM

Katie So sorry to hear that Maddy was so fussy last night. I hope you get some answers soon. And I agree with everyone else, you aren't bringing the thread down we are here to listen!

karlatta Pretty cool use of the bumbo seat!

Kristy119 I know when I traveled with DS#1 when he was a baby I made sure to nurse him or give him the pacifier during take off and landing to help with his ears. Since Charlie wouldn't take a pacifier then I guess I'll try and nurse him then. I'll let you know how it goes.

Showering with baby I haven't done it with Charlie, but when DS#1 was younger I used a water sling. It was kind of hard to really get myself clean, but it did the trick.

Katie&Micah

11-16-2007, 02:15 PM

I called the dr's office and my is out today, but one of the nurses said that as long as she has no fever and isn't crying for 3 hours or more (solid) that she should be ok. 3 hours?? Seriously.. if she cried for an hour I would lose my mind, let alone 3 hours.

DD is in her swing right now throwing a pretty good fit, but I'm pumping and I've already stopped twice to comfort her. I'll never get done if I stop again. Dh did take her for 1 1/2 hours while I took a nap, which was really nice. I needed it after last night. I honestly CANNOT wait to go to my mom's tomorrow. I *need* some time away from her. I'm getting very frustrated. It's 3:00 and she has yet to nap today. In fact she's only been out of our arms for probably 20 mins total the entire day. I know she feels bad, and I'm trying really hard, but it's hard for me too. I hope that doesn't make me sound like a crappy mom. I love her, but I'm about to lose it.

jimmysgirl424

11-16-2007, 02:20 PM

I know she feels bad, and I'm trying really hard, but it's hard for me too. I hope that doesn't make me sound like a crappy mom. I love her, but I'm about to lose it.

Being the mom of young baby is about the hardest darn thing I've ever done in my whole life. There have been times where K has been crying and screaming and I've had to go scream into a pillow. I've gotten frustrated beyond belief several times and have had to remind myself that she's just a baby and isn't doing the things she does to irritate me. Its not an easy road, Katie, and its perfectly understandable to have a hard time walking it, KWIM? It doesn't make you a crappy mom, it makes you a NORMAL mom. Sorry, but parenthood ain't like the Leave it to Beaver crap that some people make it out to be. Stop beating yourself up for being human, okay?

Katie&Micah

11-16-2007, 02:59 PM

You're right, she's not trying to frustrate me. She's just trying to express herself in the only way she knows how. Too bad I don't speak her language. She just slept for 20 minutes and that gave me the opportunity to start some laundry and pack her stuff for this weekend. It was a nice uninterrupted 20 mins.

jimmysgirl424

11-18-2007, 08:04 AM

Just checking in with Katie to see if Maddy is doing any better?

lovelifeandlivelove

11-18-2007, 08:58 PM

Welcome Bridget's Mommy, Dani!
Katie - Hope things are better with Madeline!
Lisa - Hope Aiden feels better too.
Jimmys Girl - Wow, Kristianna is long!
Michelle - congrats to Natalie on rolling over. How did the food go over?
P&P - DD leans forward/ pulls herself forward a lot too and it makes me so nervous that I am going to lose hold of her.
Teeny - good luck on your travels.
Liking bath - DD doesn't seem to hate it, she doesn't seem to enjoy it though either.
Holidays - We bought so far some little gifts, it is hard keeping DH to save the things we buy for Christmas and not give them to her right away.
Rolling over - ok Lilli rolled over a few times weeks ago, both ways and does not seem to have any interest in doing it again. She will roll to her side and just lay there or just put her head down. She has been moving her arms and legs like crazy. She did the same thing with making kissing noises: tried and tried, then did it for 1 whole week then no more. It is driving me nuts!
Food - We are going to try cereal on Thanksgiving, if we get the go ahead from doctors (thanks whoever suggested doing it with family) We have tried spoon feeding her formula after she finished her bottle and she sucked it right off the spoon the proceeded to put the spoon in her mouth to suck on.
4 month appt is Tuesday, almost 2 weeks past her 4 month b-day. I am so nervous; I have to take her by myself and on Wednesday I work All.Day.7am-9pm. Baby girl may hate me next week!

Asha

11-19-2007, 07:58 AM

pride&prejudice

11-19-2007, 08:16 AM

katie - have you considered that maddy might be teething? i really think my dd is teething early. she has been really fussy, not sleeping/napping well, drooling a ton, and constantly chewing on her hands. i am going to talk to the dr. today about it to see what she thinks.

Yup, classic signs as well flushed cheeks. And ours has been goign on for almost 2 months now, and she might just be now cutting in a tooth. :cool:

Asha

11-19-2007, 09:06 AM

well, i just talked to the dr. and she doesn't think its teething bc she thinks dd is too young. she thinks she is going through a transitional phase. if it weren't teething, i don't know why the tylenol worked to help her sleep last night. though, she said it couldn't hurt to give her a teething toy.

gator97

11-19-2007, 09:35 AM

Hi guys- I've been reading along. Things have just been crazy so I don't always post. Taylor's 4 1/2 months now and doing great. Sleep is getting better and she gets to be more fun every day. her laugh is just about the best sound I've ever heard.

I just had to pop in and tell Asha that our dr. said exactly the same thing when I addressed some symptoms at Taylor's 3 month WBV. 2 weeks later, her bottom two teeth cut through :)

pride&prejudice

11-19-2007, 09:40 AM

I just had to pop in and tell Asha that our dr. said exactly the same thing when I addressed some symptoms at Taylor's 3 month WBV. 2 weeks later, her bottom two teeth cut through :)

Yeah, I was about to say something too. Since I had my first tooth at 3 months, and A's should be coming in anytime now. :) Some get them this early and others get them much much later.

granada

11-19-2007, 09:43 AM

My DS has started the same thing the last couple of weeks: more drooling, more hand sucking, gums my nipple when he's nursing, and sleep that was improving got worse. According to The Baby Book, the first three are classic teething signs. But the book also said these symptoms could go on for a while before baby cuts any teeth. Great...

Asha ~ What did your doctor mean by "transition phase"? What did she say your baby is transitioning to? (Not trying to be rude here. I'm genuinely curious.)

ETA: DH cut his first tooth pretty early, and one of our nieces was born with a tooth. :eek:

gator97

11-19-2007, 10:09 AM

granada- not sure if this is what Asha's dr. meant but I've read that sometimes when babies are working on something developmentally ( ex. rolling over, sitting up, etc.), they will begin waking more at night.

alliannie

11-19-2007, 11:07 AM

How does this work exactly? Do you mean the 3 of you together or you take turns showering with him? I've been wanting to try this with Maddy but I was wondering I would wash her and hold her at the same time.

Well at first it was the three of us because I was afraid I would drop him with him being slippery. But now it is just me and him. It is actually easy to hold him and wash him with a little practice! You should try:p. Oh and I keep him in his bouncer or walker(he can't move it) while I clean me then I grab him! Oh and I hope Maddie is doing better!

Teething-We have had the classic signs for a good month now. No teeth. I am not sure when we got teeth...I might have to talk to our moms!

I got offered a job today as an assistant director of a preschool that is opening. Now I have to decide if I want to take it! I would finally be using my college degree if I did. Decisions, decisions. Blake is starting on hour THREE of his nap right now:eek:. He got up extra early this morning though so he needed it. But wow.

Katie&Micah

11-19-2007, 01:47 PM

Wow.. thanks to everyone who asked about us!

Friday night Maddy slept for 7 hours straight. Things were good on Saturday and most of yesterday. Then last night iy was really hard to put her to sleep. She's been having all the classic signs of teething for a month. I didn't know it could take so darn long to happen. I think if we're having a bad day/night I'll try giving her some tylenol and see if that helps.

Maddy is trying to crawl sooo hard.. she'll lay on her stomach and move her legs and arms at the same time.. but can't get her fat tummy off the ground!

j2478

11-20-2007, 09:50 AM

Add us to the list of those with teething issues. DH got his first tooth at 4 months and I was 6 months. I have been noticing the classic syptoms for about 3 weeks now. It is so tough trying to figure out when she is cranky if it is her mouth or not. I can't feel anything in there but her bottom gums look wider and lighter in color than the rest of her mouth. She also has a rash on her chin and cheeks, my MIL said all 4 of her kids got a rash like that when they were teething.

We are also having major sleep issues too! She had been doing so well, but over the last week she has been getting up MORE at night. Last night she was up 6 times (about every 1.5 - 2 hours). I'm not sure if she wakes up and wants mommy to nurse her back to sleep or what. We have a programmable space heater in her room. It is set on 68 degrees so it kicks on and off to make sure the room is always 68. DH thinks she wakes up when it kicks off b/c she is used to the noise. So I put her down for her nap and after 1/2 hour she woke up. So I went up and turned the fan part of the heater on (since it 65 degrees in OH today!) just so it makes noise without producing heat and she is still sleeping. So we'll see.

Hope everyone enjoys their first Thanksgiving with all of our little new blessings!

Katie&Micah

11-20-2007, 10:26 AM

j2478
I'm sorry you're joining the club.. Hopefully those teeth will pop through soon!

Maddy slept 14 hours last night. I think I nursed her twice during that time period. It was very weird to wake up to it being light outside. I don't recall the last time that happened! And on top of all that she put herself to sleep for a nap! We haven't had that happen in probably 3 weeks. I put her in her crib with the Rainforest soother thing while I made some breakfast and when I went back in there she was fast asleep! It seems like when I can't possibly take any more she does something wonderful like sleep 14 hours.

jimmysgirl424

11-20-2007, 01:12 PM

j2478 It seems like when I can't possibly take any more she does something wonderful like sleep 14 hours.

She must have sensed that her poor mommy needed a break! :D

polarama

11-21-2007, 08:04 AM

She must have sensed that her poor mommy needed a break!

I think Kym is on to something! Add us to the list of awful sleepers over the weekend--N was waking up every 2 hours, screaming/crying, hard to put down...ugh, it was awful. Then when I just couldn't. take. it. anymore, she slept a 10 hour stretch on Sunday night!

We broke out the highchair over the weekend as well. Not that she can eat from it, but it makes a great place to put her while we are in the kitchen, and she feels part of the action when we eat at the table. Our chair reclines a little bit, so she's pretty comfy in it--she actually napped in it twice! I guess it reminds her of being in the stroller because I wheel her around in it.

alliannie

11-21-2007, 08:30 AM

I have great news! We are officially broke of the swaddle. DS made it very clear he didn't want it anymore and slept pretty good last night w/o it!!:D

I wish Blake would sleep for such long times as your LO's!!

Kristy119

11-21-2007, 08:51 AM

Finally Garrett slept thru the night last night and night before last! If I hadn't had to go to work I think he would have slept even longer this morning! My plan now is to start moving his bedtime back. I try to get him to bed by 9 but its usually 11 by the time he finally falls asleep. So, our plan is to work it back by 15 minute increments. Hopefully this will work!

Allie Yeah for no swaddle! We semi swaddle G but he usually breaks free sometime during the night and doesn't seem to notice but he likes to go to sleep swaddled.

Katie Congrats on Maddie sleeping for 14 hours! She must have know her mama needed a rest!

Have wonderful Thanksgiving ladies!!

Katie&Micah

11-21-2007, 12:01 PM

Last night was another good night of sleep (13 1/2 hours). I' not sure if it's because she's not feeling well (she has a cold) or if she's just being good for Mommy. But either way it's nice. The thing I'm most impressed with though is that she put herself to sleep for 2 naps yesterday and one so far today. She hasn't been doing this the last few weeks, so it's super nice to not have to spend forever getting her to sleep.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving!

cherry

11-21-2007, 12:11 PM

as usual, i'm woefully behind...

i can't believe DS will be three months old on saturday. he's been getting more interactive and fun every day. we had him weighed and measured at a local BFing resource center on saturday and he was:

15 lbs 2 oz (7 lbs 5 oz at birth, so more than double his birth-weight)
25.5 in

he's still sleeping a long stretch at night, but totally inconsistently during the day. he's usually up at 7am and then about half of the time will go down for another 30-45 min nap around 8am. then he may (or may not :)) nap again before lunch and in the late afternoon. it's fine though, he doesn't seem overtired or too cranky.

BFing is still going well, although i'm back to work now (boo!) and so it's a bit more challenging... i can't complain as i work from home when i'm not travelling, but i have lots of trips coming up and have already had to leave him for two day-trips (10-12 hour stretches in total). he and DH are coming with me on a 3-day trip next week, as i just wasn't ready to leave him yet (DH is currently a SAHD). it will be his first flight! then the following week, we're flying to europe where we'll be spending most of december. i'll be working from my parents' house, and we'll get DS baptized on december 8th along with my sister's baby, who was born 4 days before DS.

unfortunately, DS is back on a bottle strike. he cries when DH (or i) try to offer it to him, and holds out for the boob. it's a bummer since he was previously taking it consistently, and it stresses me out a little about the times when i am away from him for 8+ hours. over the last few days, i've been on conference calls and can hear him screaming in another part of the house, so i run down the hall when i'm done to feed him :p

he is sitting propped up quite a lot these days, and loves to "stand" with our help. he's also finally starting to try to grab the animals in his mobile and gymini. still loves his bath. my favorite part of the day with him, though, is our chat-fests just before bedtime. he tries to mimic the noises we make to him... it's the most adorable thing ever.

happy thanksgiving to all the new mamas!

Asha

11-23-2007, 12:18 PM

dd is growing up so fast. i feel like she learns something new everyday now. just this week she started trying to roll over. she's half way there. she loves "sitting up" with some help. once in awhile she treats us to a giggle, and that instantly puts us in a good mood. she is getting the concept of play, and sometimes even makes it through an entire reading of a book without crying.

lovelifeandlivelove

11-23-2007, 06:32 PM

Lilli had her 4 month shots on Tuesday and has been pretty fussy since (has "grunted" herself to sleep and woke up several times at night). She also has two bumps on each leg. She was outstanding and only cried for the second of three shots and it took only a few seconds to calm her, she is such a brave little girl!
We tried rice cereal on Thanksgiving and she seemed to like trying to grab the spoon. I made it really watery though so it was mostly formula off a spoon. We are going to wait to start her on it regularly in case the cereal actually makes her cranky and we think it is bc of her vaccines.
She weighed 14lbs 6oz (50 % range) and was 25.5 inches long (low 90% range).
Congrats on all of the good sleeping babies!

purplevega

11-25-2007, 01:37 PM

HI all,

I have be MIA. Having 2 really keeps you busy. DS#2 stats are

2 Month Stats
14 pounds 4 ounces
25.5 inches long

He is my Biggy Boy!!!!

jimmysgirl424

11-26-2007, 01:46 PM

Where is everybody? :confused: Guess the holiday tied everyone up. Anyway, just had to come in and ask:

QOTD: Is anyone doing a stocking for their little one? And if so, what are you putting in it?

I am buying two stockings for K. One will her "regular" stocking that we will use each year. But I also found a Baby's First Christmas stocking that is so friggin' adorable that I MUST buy it. :o Here is a pic:

http://i16.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/bc/67/9abc_1.JPG

Hope everyone is okay. Things have been crazy since I returned to work. It really sucks, to be honest. I mean, I don't mind being at work itself, but by the time I make it home, we have a little over an hour before we start her bedtime routine. So during the week, I miss my little girl. :(

Asha

11-26-2007, 04:06 PM

stocking - no, but i am sure my mom will do one for her since we will spending xmas at my parents.

****
oh my gosh, dd is driving me batty. she has moved from crying to express herself to a constant whining. lordy!!!

RobynScott

11-26-2007, 04:19 PM

****
oh my gosh, dd is driving me batty. she has moved from crying to express herself to a constant whining. lordy!!!

Ha - just have to laugh at this b/c DS is doing the exact same thing! (usually means he is tired).

Stocking - nope, we're Jewish :) But I do want to get him his own menorah 0 but it may wait till next year.

Anyone else in the thread celebrating Chanukah with their little one?

Kym - I hear you on the evenings. I'm not back at work yet - but when I am - I'll probably be leaving the house at 7 and won't pick DS up till 6 - and bedtime should probably be around 7 but we'll see. I'm sort of looking forward to getting back to the real world (and to be honest, I think DS will really benefit from the stimulation / interaction of daycare) - but I am not looking forward to the limited time.

Katie&Micah

11-26-2007, 05:01 PM

Oh my.. we've got whining in full force too! Not cute.

I got Maddy a purple stocking with crystals on it from JcPenny's this weekend. I have no idea what I'll put inside.. maybe some more teethers (she's teething right now), socks, long sleeve onesies in the next size up.. stuff like that. I'm sure my mom will throw in some hair bows or something.

We have Maddy's 4 month visit tomorrow and I'm excited to see what her weight/length is.

LDS Angel 19

11-26-2007, 05:58 PM

Stockings Yeah, we got stockings. Just traditional red with white trim and their names embroidered on them. I'll be putting socks, bibs, hairbows (still no need for them, but they're cute...) and a few small books in them.

alliannie

11-26-2007, 08:27 PM

Stocking-Yeah we will do one. We will probably shop for one this weekend. I will put about the same as everyone else. Teethers(we need those so much right now!), maybe some binkies, long-sleeved onsies, anything little:).

We have whining going over here too. Ah it could drive a mommy crazy!! We have had a rough couple of days. I think it is because he is teething but he has been either whining or crying if he is awake for two days now. I told my DH I hope I get called sub so I can have a break....then I felt bad but it gets hard. I do go back to work soon though(I accepted a new job). I will miss him so much! Luckily I will have good hours so I should still seem him quiet a bit. It is only about a 15 min drive to work.

Kym-That stocking is adorable. I am hoping to find a babys first christmas ornament. I would like to do one every year as we got them every year and they help make my tree now!

Robyn-I feel the same way. I am looking foward to work(though I will be working with preschoolers). Plus I know from the days I sub that DS will do great at daycare. He loves being around other kids. I can really tell sometimes if I don't sub for days in a row he needs something else. It is weird.

Kristy119

11-27-2007, 07:46 AM

Stockings I am not sure... I probably will since everyone else in our house has one. I will have to look for one soon I guess!
I think we are going to have teeth soon! G is a drooling fool and has a white spot in his bottom gum. :) It doesn't seem to bother him just yet so I am thankful for that. Actually I can't believe how good natured he continues to be! He had a cold a few weeks back and other than the congestion and cough you wouldn't have guessed that he was sick at all. My dd was so happy as well so I guess its just in the genes!

G rolled over from back to tummy on Sunday and it was definately on purpose, not just the accidental opps HOW did I get on my tummy rolls! I watched him struggle with it for a little while before he finally got himself over the then he pinned his arm under him and couldn't get it out and that ticked him off so then he wanted back on his back... :rolleyes: His other big thing is his mobile he still loves that thing!! He can be in his crib watching that thing for some long stretches!

Kym That stocking is so pretty!

I can't believe how close we are to Christmas! I am so not prepared!

QOTD: Is there a special ritual that your family does or is there one that you would like to start? We always take my dh's grandmother out to dinner Christmas eve and then after that we go home watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and then after dh and dd go to bed I put out the "Santa" stuff. :) In the morning my dd wakes us up to see what "Santa" brought her... (she doesn't believe anymore) Then I make a nice breakfast before we get ready to go to my dh familys house for the gift exchange and dinner. :)

Another QOTD For those whose celebrate Christmas: Do you wrap the gifts that "Santa" brings or do you leave them unwrapped? As a kid our Santa gifts were always unwrapped and just waiting under the tree. Now mostly stuff the from Santa was big stuff like bikes or large playstuff like kitchens or stuff like that. I still continue that with my dd and I will with G as well.

bensgirl1222

11-27-2007, 08:30 AM

I need some help! I'm at the end of my rope.

DS sleeping patterns are horrible! Sometimes I get a really good night out of him (maybe twice a week) but the other times he is up several times a night. Last night was the last straw. He went to bed at 8:30pm and was up at 12am. I fed him like I normally do and went to put him in his crib and he woke up and was up until 4am! Everytime he would fall asleep I would put him in his crib and he'd wake up immediately crying. He finally fell asleep around 4:30am but was up at 5:30, then 6 then 7 then 8 and now he is in his crib fussing/crying bc I KNOW he is tried but he wont sleep!!

My DH seems to think its bc I nurse him to sleep. I mean, at almost 4 months old, should he still be waking up every few hours to eat??? Its like I get one good night and forget about all the bad nights. One night he will sleep from 8-1 then 1-8 and the next he will be up every hour or he just wont sleep! I cried for over an hour at 5am bc I felt like a horrible mom and I was just exhausted. And of course this prompted a 5am fight with DH about how I nurse him to sleep and how he isn't self-soothing. He apologized of course but it sucks! The whole thing just sucks. I'm sooo tired.

What could I do differently? I mean, I dont know how to get him to sleep without nursing. I doubt he will nurse, take a bath and then rock to sleep. He is going to want to nurse and I've never denied him the boob! And what about in the middle of the night? I know I need to teach him good sleep habits but I refuse to let him cry it out. If he cries...he needs something.

Ugh! I guess any tips would be great! Thanks.

bensgirl1222

11-27-2007, 08:37 AM

Also...I have a friend who can just put her DS in his crib wide awake and he will fall asleep and sleep thru the night! WTH! Why wont my baby do that :(

Im also terrified at the whole trust/mistrust thing and i dont ever want my baby to feel like i wont tend to a need.

Kristy119

11-27-2007, 09:08 AM

Jessica I totally understand this! Sleep deprevation is no good! This is what I do with my ds - He usually sleeps from 8 to 10:30 and the 11 to 4:30. and 4:30 to 7:00. When he wakes up at 10:30 or 11 I nurse him for the last time for the night, rock him to sleep and then put him in his cradle. When he wakes up at 4:30 I will try popping his paci back in his mouth, sometimes that works sometimes it doesn't (depends on how sleepy he is) if he won't go back to sleep that way, I pick him up and put him in bed with me. I know this isn't for everyone but my theory is do what you have to do to get some sleep. My dh was against my bringing ds to bed with me but once he understood that I was exhausted he gave in. I sleep with G in the crook of my arm and I sleep in my side with my back to dh so that noone inadvertantly rolls on G. Its not the best sleep in the world but it is better than being so exhausted that you can't think.

Does your ds act hungry when he wakes? I think that your ds probably doesn't really need to be nursed since sometimes he will sleep thru but he is used to it now and expects it.

I totally empathize with you it can be hard but don't ever think that your not a good mom! Yours DS won't think that his needs are not being met if he isn't nursed.

karlatta

11-27-2007, 09:17 AM

It's been a while since I've been around...

Stockings - DD and DS have some cute stockings I got at Big Lots. I really want to do nice matching stockings for the whole family, but I want to wait until our family is complete before I invest in that. :)

QOTD: Is there a special ritual that your family does or is there one that you would like to start?
I'm very traditions-minded!
- We do Christmas pajamas every year for the kids - they open them on Christmas Eve and wear them to bed that night so that they look cute for Santa presents in the morning.
- We also do a family book every Christmas. This year it's Three Trees. We'll read it on the Sunday before Christmas as part of our religious observance that day, and then we'll read it again Christmas Eve. We always read the birth of Christ (in Luke) on Christmas Day.
- We make pancakes on Christmas morning in the shape of different Christmas things - tree, snowman, etc.

QOTD For those whose celebrate Christmas: Do you wrap the gifts that "Santa" brings or do you leave them unwrapped?
The gift is unwrapped. However, I do wrap everything that goes into the stocking in a big piece of tissue paper. Makes the stocking more fluffy, and it's fun to get to unwrap so many little fun things.

bensgirl1222 - I'm sorry you're having such troubles. Have you tried using white noise? Sometimes when my DD stirs in the night, I can go in and turn on some white noise (I have a CD that plays ocean sounds) and she'll settle herself back down.

Also...I have a friend who can just put her DS in his crib wide awake and he will fall asleep and sleep thru the night! WTH! Why wont my baby do that :(
This is me. Both of my kids get put in their cribs pretty much wide awake and are asleep within minutes. DD wakes up to eat about 8 hours later, then will give me another 2-3 hours after that before she's up for the day. I don't know how it happened, but I feel so fortunate that it's worked out that way.

lovelifeandlivelove

11-27-2007, 11:17 AM

Bensgirl - hang in there, I do not have any advice because DD won't go down easily either (almost 5 months) She usually wakes once to either be patted back to sleep or rocked OR every so often needs to eat. I have noticed if she eats a lot at 6pm ish I will be waking up around 2 am to feed her because she will OUTRIGHT refuse to eat even a tiny bit to hold her over for any longer. She will cry hysterically if she feels us put her down. So now she sleeps in our bed. In the long run I know that it probably is not the best thing as for teaching good sleep habits but we need sleep too. We have tried white noise, music, even her swing but nothing works better for her and us than this, at least for now. As for the eating in the middle of the night how much does your DS weigh and what does his doctor recommend? Some babies may need to eat in the middle of the night.
Christmas Stockings - we have been looking and have not found the right one yet. I want a nice white one with silver embroidery and her name on it. I need to start looking on the internet later today. Probably will put into it teething rings and some baby leg warmers, maybe a few baby spoons.
QOTD: Is there a special ritual that your family does or is there one that you would like to start?
My family growing up always did the same thing every year and we are going to their house for Christmas this year. Christmas Eve is at my Grandparent's or cousin's Gram's house, huge party with food tons of family and jolly old Santa passing out gifts to everyone, sometimes we have a pinata too. Then we all go to midnight mass. the next morning we wake up and unwrap gifts with our immediate family (we eat apples and oranges from our stockings and my Dad makes us bagels and coffee) then we go to our Grandparents and exchange gifts then the men make us breakfast and we all sit around napping, playing with the kids, enjoying each others company. Oh yeah and when we were little we had to be in the real life nativity scene on Christmas eve. Since all of the next generation are still to young we don't do this and hopefully will never have to again. We had cute pictures and all but it was not a lot of fun to have to do as a child.http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w268/Lovelifelivelove/christmasnativityscenes.jpg Ha ha!
QOTD For those whose celebrate Christmas: Do you wrap the gifts that "Santa" brings or do you leave them unwrapped? Yes we wrap them and usually in a different wrapping paper.
Whining - Oh yes, for some time now. She also is testing out her lungs with different noises that sound as if she is unhappy but then she cracks a big toothless smile.

Katie&Micah

11-27-2007, 02:25 PM

Maddy's 4 month checkup went well..

Weight: 15lbs 8oz (75%)
Height: 25inches (60%)
Head: 16 1/4 inches (50%)

She got a little pissed when he put the tongue depressor in her mouth, but other than that she was a good baby.

QOTD: Is there a special ritual that your family does or is there one that you would like to start?
We don't really have any, but I'd love to start some. I'll be interested to see what everyone else says so I can hopefully find a good idea to start for our family.

QOTD For those whose celebrate Christmas: Do you wrap the gifts that "Santa" brings or do you leave them unwrapped?
Our Santa gifts were always unwrapped and usually the biggest gift. MIL always wraps her Santa gifts which I find a bit odd.

Bensgirl
I'm sorry about the sleep problems. I used to have a great sleeper and she decided she doesn't want to make life easy anymore. So now it's a surprise how each night is going to go. Sometimes she falls asleep in 2 minutes, sometimes it takes 4 hours of falling to sleep, laying down, hysterical screaming, repeat. We co-sleep about 75% of the time. I'm trying to get her into the crib more because I'm sick of being stuck laying on my side. I want to stretch out and sleep comfortably. On the other hand she gets up 4 or 5 times a night if I try and make her sleep in the crib. So I can either get lots of interrupted but comfy sleep, or bring her to bed with me and sleep for longer periods, but have a sore back in the morning.

jimmysgirl424

11-27-2007, 02:36 PM

bensgirl I'm so sorry that you are having such a hard time with Benjamin right now. I would go right out of my mind if I was in your shoes. As difficult as Kristianna has been, she has pretty much slept through the night since she was two weeks old. We've had some flukes here and there, (twice last week she woke up at odd times and had to be fed) but for the most part she's been consistent in her sleeping patterns at night. I would call your pediatrician about the nursing thing. I'm wondering if he really wants to eat or if he's doing it to soothe himself? Did you ever get him checked for reflux? I've read of some parents who've had wonderful success with sleep wedges for their babies with reflux. I also highly recommend white noise. We use a fan. Is his room too warm, too cold, maybe too dry? Do you have a humidifier in there with him? Are you still swaddling him? If not, maybe try that again. Or if you want something similar to a swaddle blanket, try the Sleep Pea Pod that Katie recommended awhile back. We use it with DD sometimes. (www.sleeppeapod.com) And I know that this will sound silly, but I know of at least one mommy here that realized that their DC had outgrown their diaper size. The baby kept waking up during the night and they finally figured out that the diaper the baby was in was too small. They moved up to the next size and it made a big difference. I know thats a bit of a reach, but I'm just trying to come up with anything that might help you get some more sleep. Also, I'm not sure how you feel about this but just wanted to throw it out there....have you considered giving him either formula or formula mixed with breastmilk for his bedtime feeding? It might help to fill him up more and help him feel more content. Even if you don't want the formula, maybe a big bottle of expressed BM with some rice cereal mixed in would work? (I put 1-2 tbs of rice cereal per 4-6 ounces of BM in all of K's bottles)

Hang in there and don't let your DH be mean. Mine has bit my head off soooo many times and I'm telling you, it really makes things that much more miserable. You have got to work as a team on this! Big (((HUGS))) to you.

polarama

11-27-2007, 08:27 PM

Jessica, I am so sorry to hear you are having sleep issues. Honestly, it doesn't sound like you are doing anything wrong! Even up to 8 or 9 months, babies may still need to eat at night. Plus, they are SO unpredictable. I think we have around 2 bad nights every week--very similar nights to what you described.

A few things that we tried that work for us...

-bottlefeed before bed time--DD gets a bottle and then nurses if she still wants to. Not that I'm advocating for stuffing your child, but a lot of babies fall asleep at the breast before they are even full. So with a bottle, you at least know they are getting enough. Be careful though, it's easy for a baby who likes to suck to overeat, and then they are too full to sleep well, so start small with the bottles.

-bigger diaper--I think I'm the poster Kym referenced above. Whenever my DD seems on the verge of outgrowing her current diaper size, we've upgraded her at night. Right now, she is in size 2s during the day, and a size 3 at night.

-burp/relieve gas--if DD is really fussy at 4am, it's usually gas-related. try bicycling his legs or making sure he gets a good burp.

-paci trick--like what Kristy described. I sometimes let her nurse, but quickly swap out for the paci when it's clear she's not eating, just hanging out.

Holiday traditions--we are not sure what we will be doing. DH and I both come from fairly non-religious families, so we don't have any solid holiday traditions. We may start something next year, since she's so young this year. We have started discussing what to do about Santa Claus--I honestly believed in it till I was about 10 and was really crushed when I found out the truth. :) Not sure how I feel about it with DD.

Kristy119

11-28-2007, 10:05 AM

I finally got G's pics done! I think they came out pretty good! :D

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cf09b3127cceb1dccbcd73ce00000026108AZOHDNkzZNk

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cf09b3127cceb1dccbcef2fd00000025108AZOHDNkzZNk

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cf09b3127cceb1dccb96f2a500000076118AZOHDNkzZNk

Kristy119

11-28-2007, 10:09 AM

We went in to get pics of me and G for a Xmas present for my dh but all but one of the pics done together sucked... so I got more of just G on his own. I need to lose that last 15 plus more so when we do 6 month pics we can hopefully do a family pic then as well. :)

bensgirl1222

11-28-2007, 04:10 PM

livelifeandlivelove Thanks for the advice! I'm not sure how much he weighs now...I think around 16 pounds (or around that). I have tried putting him in bed with us (usually around 6am or so to get him to go back to sleep) but then I dont sleep. Not sure why but when he sleeps with me...I cant sleep at all. So that would never work for me. Even though I love the cuddle moments :) That night was the worst night we've ever had with him since he was born. I sometimes complain about what a bad sleeper he is but really...compared to 2 nights ago he is an angel! LOL

Katie I could never sleep with B in our bed. I have tried and just cannot fall completely asleep with him lying right there next to me. If I were you, I'd rather get the comfy interrupted sleep. haha I'm lucky in the sense that he usually a pretty good sleeper. Yesterday I said he is a bad sleeper most of the time but I was upset and going off the deep end. LOL Its like he either sleeps really good (waking up once in a 12 hour period) or really bad (waking up every 1-2 hours). No realy middle ground. Oh well. Babies are just unpredictable I suppose.

Kym Thanks so much for the wonderful ideas. B has been checked for reflux and I'm 99% sure thats not it. We do have a fan...maybe I will turn that on tonight. The other night was th worst night since we had him. I think something was going on or maybe he just wasnt feeling well bc last night he slept like an angel! I posted on how he is a bad sleeper etc... but I was just upset and really...its probably more like 3 times a week where he gets up alot as opposed to once. I'm going to talk to the ped at his 4 month appt about starting rice cereal or at least see if he recommends it. I wasnt going to start until 6 months but if he is hungry...then we need to start it sooner rather than later. My DH doesn't usually snap at me but we talked about it last night and he said he was sorry and that every time he makes a suggestion, that I ignore it. But then the second B sleeps bad, I get really upset and cry. So he was frustrated bc I havent tried any of his ideas. But yes, you are right. We have to work as a team.

polarama Thanks for the advice! Yes babies are very unpredictable. And looking at our bedtime routine...I dont feel Im doing anything wrong either. I love to nurse and rock him and he likes it too so I dont see how thats the wrong thing to do. The thing with my DS is that he wont take a paci. I've tried and he just cant keep it in his mouth when he sucks on it. Like he cant get the hang of it or something. I really dont mind nuring in the middle of the night but what drove me insane the other nigh was his unwillingness to be put down or fall asleep at 12am.

Kristy What a cute little man!! Also, like I told Katie, there is no way I could sleep with DS. I'd never get any sleep. I've tried and just cant fall all the way asleep when he is right next to me. I'm hoping that night was a fluke and it never happens again (haha fat chance!). I guess I just have to accept that babioes are unpredictable and once you think you have a good thing going...something gets all messed up t throw everything off.

Karlatta I'm going to try the fan tonight. I always turn it off bc I think its too loud (even though its not loud but I'm always afraid it will wake up DS).

bensgirl1222

11-28-2007, 04:13 PM

Update on sleeping... Last night was MUCH better. He only woke up once at 1am after going to bed at 8:30am and getting up at 8am. I was really upset and tried when I posted yesterday and exaggerated a bit on what a bad sleeper he is. He really isnt that bad. I mean, that night was the first night ever that he has woken up in the middle of the night and wouldnt go back to sleep. I mean, dont get me wrong...he has woken up every hour or two hours before but at least I can get him back to sleep. I'm hoping that night was just a fluke *fingers crossed*

bensgirl1222

11-28-2007, 04:15 PM

Oh and guess what? Last night he was SO pleasant (even though he never took one nap yesterday) and my DH was jiggling his belly while I as getting him ready for his bath and he laughed!!!! Not only once...but 4 times in a row!! It was the CUTEST thing.

Oh and yesterday was one year ago that I found out I was pregnant!! haha

karlatta

11-28-2007, 04:17 PM

Jessica - In my experience, it's very difficult to have white noise be too loud. We play DD's CD at full blast in her bedroom. Like, as high as the CD player goes. We did the same for DS when he was her age.

Katie&Micah

11-28-2007, 04:24 PM

Kristy119
Great pics!! He's absolutely adorable!

bensgirl1222
I'm so glad last night was better!! Sometimes it feels like they are NEVER going to go to sleep.

Kristy119

11-29-2007, 07:36 AM

Jessica THanks! We think he's pretty cute too! And I think he know he is since everytime I call him handsome he just laughs and laughs! I am so happy the B slept better for you last night! Definately try white noise I notice that G will sleep better if there is some background noise especially during naps. :)

Katie Thank you! I am just so happy with those pics! I watched the photographer and learned a few tricks so I am going to try doing some more at home and see how those come out! :)

Oh my gosh my little guy is getting so heavy! I have no idea what he weighs but he is killing my back now! At our last appt for a cold he was 15.8 that was 3 weeks ago so I can only imagine what he is weighing now! He is almost 27 inches long so he definately doesn't look chubby! Our 4 month well check is Dec 18. I can't wait to see how much he really weighs!

jimmysgirl424

11-29-2007, 08:43 AM

bensgirl I'm glad you got a good night's sleep out of him! Hopefully you got some as well? Just curious on the pacifier issue; are you trying different kinds? DD doesn't like Soothies or Mams, but loves Gerber Nuks and is okay with certain Avent kinds as well. And we just tried a new one that she really likes, but I can't think of the brand name offhand. Basically, any paci that is shaped as opposed to the ones that just stick straight out, if that makes sense. Don't worry about the white noise being too loud. The fan we have is just about deafening when its on full force and the first night we used it, DD slept like a rock. She also likes the vaccum cleaner, but obviously I'm not going to run that all night for her. :p

Kristi I have to say that G is absolutely adorable! :) I loved his pics, especially the G Man's First Christmas shot!! I hear ya on size; DD is killing me, especially when I'm trying to carry her in her infant seat. She weighed 15 lbs, 10 oz at her last appointment and I know she's gained since then.

polorama I think we need to move DD up to the next size in diapers. She's in Huggies 1-2 and I think she needs a straight size 2 now. Sheesh, they grow so fast!

So I don't think I ever mentioned that even though I have returned to work full time, we ended up not having to put DD in daycare. MIL and my mom decided that they didn't want their granddaughter to go into daycare till she was a bit older, so they asked if they could split her care between them till she's at least a year old. :D Its so much easier for me to go to work knowing that she's with people that love her as opposed to people who are being paid to care for her, KWIM? Also, I have continued with my pumping. I pump twice at work and three times at home (once in the early morning, once when I get home from work and once when I go to bed). I guess my biggest issue is that by the time we get home, we have very little time to spend with K before its time to start her bedtime routine. That makes me sad. Plus, I run around like a lunatic trying to get everything done for the next day (lunches, coffee set up, getting all of DD's stuff ready to go to Grandmas, etc.). Plus cooking dinner and washing everything. {sigh} Nothing is simple anymore.

Katie&Micah

11-29-2007, 09:34 AM

Kym
I'm really glad you didn't have to put dd in daycare! I'm sure that's such a relief! Maybe you could keep a supply of things at each grandma's house so you don't have to lug stuff back and forth? We're at my Mom's every other weekend and it was such a pain to pack things up so now we keep diapers, a box of wipes, burp rags, bibs, blankets, toys, activity mat, pacifiers, stuff for her baths and meds there. It makes it much easier to pack for her. I basically just have to bring her clothes.

I started following the techniques in The No Cry Sleep Solution last night. It was rough. I understand that it takes work to get her into a good sleep routine, but man.. it was a LONG night!

jimmysgirl424

11-29-2007, 10:09 AM

I started following the techniques in The No Cry Sleep Solution last night. It was rough. I understand that it takes work to get her into a good sleep routine, but man.. it was a LONG night!

Is that the book by Elizabeth Pantley? What is involved in it?

ETA: I love your new avatar...Maddy is soooooo adorable! Look at that smile!!

Kristy119

11-29-2007, 10:36 AM

Kym That is great that you didn't have to put dd in daycare. I sure wish that I had family here for that! I do love the sitter that we found but it was a process to find her! I echo what Katie said. I leave a pack of diapers, wipes, toys, blankets and bottles at the sitters so I don't have to lug a bunch of stuff back and forth - That and I almost always would forget something if I had to take stuff back and forth everyday. :) And thank you!

I had a dream last night... well more like a nightmare that I was pg again! :eek: I woke up looking for my belly! I seriously do not need to be pg anytime soon! It certainly scared the crap out of me!
Which makes me wonder

QOTD When will you be ready to have another?

I am not ready and I am not a spring chicken! So the chances are good that g will be our last.... unless this dream was a sign! ;)

jimmysgirl424

11-29-2007, 10:41 AM

When will you be ready to have another?

Considering I want to regularly smack people who ask us when we are going for number two, I'd say that I'm not ready. And not sure if I ever will be, to be quite honest.

Lisa

11-29-2007, 10:48 AM

When will you be ready to have another?
not sure. I really want a girl considering I have 3 little boys but the thought of 4 boys is too scary. So I dont know, maybe we will just adopt a girl;) otherwise it will be a bit. 3 kids in 4 years...I'm tired:p

LDS Angel 19

11-29-2007, 10:54 AM

QOTD When will you be ready to have another? We're thinking around 2011. We'll probably start trying right at the first of the year, so maybe we'll get lucky and be pregnant by the girl's 4th birthday. Also, DH needs to be done with school, and we need a bigger house/car. But we are having more for sure. :)

karlatta

11-29-2007, 11:29 AM

jimmysgirl424

11-29-2007, 11:52 AM

QOTD When will you be ready to have another?
Um, we're TTC now. :eek: I'm pretty infertile, though (DD was an IVF baby after 3.5 years of trying, and DS is foster-to-adopt), so I don't expect us to get pregnant anytime soon. We plan to go back to the RE for an FET in late summer/early fall 2008, putting the kids about 2 years apart.

Heehee..so I'm betting what will happen is that you will get a nice surprise and get pg all on your own and find out in the next few months or so.:) Now how cool would that be? Good luck though! I think you are so brave for already beginning to try again! I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it getting pregnant again right now. (plus..I really want my body to recover completely before I put it through that again.)

alliannie

11-29-2007, 12:01 PM

QOTD When will you be ready to have another? Now? DH isn't though. But really since I know have a job we probably won't wait long before trying. I have no issues having them close together and would rather have all the baby stuff done sooner than later. I want 1 or 2 more:).

QOTD: Is there a special ritual that your family does or is there one that you would like to start?Well we have a pretty set Christmas schedule the kid will just get into. lol. Though we are going to do Santa presents unwrapped under the tree I think. We both really like that idea so I think we will go for it.

Katie&Micah

11-29-2007, 12:49 PM

Kym
Awww thanks!

Yep that's her book. There are different plans depending on what kind of sleep issues you're having. Maddy goes to sleep fine but wakes repeatedly. As soon as I pick her up she's right back to sleep. Since I'm trying to get her to sleep in the crib all the time it goes like this..

Phase 1 Comfort until baby is almost asleep, lay her down in crib and lean over crib holding her for several minutes until she's asleep. Then take your arms away. If she fusses pat her, touch her, talk to her until she goes back to sleep. If she wakes up and cries pick her up and start over.

Phase 2 Rock, nurse, feed baby until she is settled and sleepy but not falling asleep. Put her in the crib and do all the stuff from phase 1.

Phase 3 When baby makes waking sounds go to her but don't pick her up, shush her, pat her, put your arms around her, whatever it takes until she goes back to sleep. If she wakes up and cries go back to phase 1 or 2.

Phase 4 When baby makes the waking noises stand by the crib and shush her, pat her back but don't pick her up.

Phase 5 When baby makes waking noises go to the nursery and stand in the doorway. You can play music or talk to her, but no touching.

Phase 6 Stand outside baby's room where she can't see you and shush or talk to her.

The goal is for baby not to cry during any of this, so if something doesn't work go back to one of the earlier phases that did work.

QOTD When will you be ready to have another?
If you all remember I was crazy and saying I wanted another baby right away at my 6 week appt. Well after thinking I might be pregnant last week (thank goodness I'm not) I realized there is no way I'm ready. I can't imagine how I'll ever get anything done with 2.

We need new pics of everyones' babies. They're growing so fast I'd love if we could see a comparison between birth and now. Anyone up for that?

bensgirl1222

11-29-2007, 02:34 PM

When will you be ready to have another? We will TTC sometime this coming summer/fall. I will probably get of BC in July. The goal is to have an April-June baby. I'd rather not be 9 months pregnant throughout the entire summer again. But then again...anytime after July 2008 is fair game. Considering that I got pregnant with DS after ONE little mishap leads me to believe it wont take long.

Lisa

11-29-2007, 02:47 PM

We need new pics of everyones' babies. They're growing so fast I'd love if we could see a comparison between birth and now. Anyone up for that?

I'll be happy to post~

Aiden at 2 days old
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j277/LisaMatt/CopyofIMG_2048.jpg

Aiden Last week!
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j277/LisaMatt/IMG_3153.jpg

He's getting so big he got his first haircut, if one more person called him a girl! and he had his first bite of food, the families all wanted to see it.

bensgirl1222

11-29-2007, 02:52 PM

Here are some recent ones from last week and Thanksgiving...

Yummy hand!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2206/2074670244_dd569d5163.jpg?v=0

Drool face
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2171/2073879407_e1a5145492.jpg?v=0

Trying to get him to smile
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2126/2073881067_3119d6785f.jpg?v=0

Look how long he is!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2165/2074674268_3f6b029741.jpg?v=0

Family Pic from Thanksgiving
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2266/2074675816_b830c92c21.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2003/2073886435_ee19d573bb.jpg?v=0

bensgirl1222

11-29-2007, 02:55 PM

Here are some from when he was just a newborn!!! OMG! I cant bleieve he was ever that small :( What happened to my baby!!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1403/1164683334_2c492369bb.jpg?v=0

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1237/1163833845_91de8a985b.jpg?v=0

Katie&Micah

11-29-2007, 03:13 PM

Lisa

Holy cow!! I can't believe how big he is!! And look at that hair! Maddy probably won't have that much by the time she's 2!

bensgirl1222
Wow he is long!! He looks so different! Great family pic too. :D

j2478

11-29-2007, 03:35 PM

Lisa & Bensgirl: Pictures are adorable. I have to load some new ones onto the computer from the camera and then I will post some.

Katie: We are having problems with Allison waking up at night too. Some nights she will wake up 5-6 times and others like last night she will wake up just once. When she wakes up once, she just wants to eat and go back to sleep. But when she wakes up a bunch, she goes back to sleep after being rocked or nursed. The problem is I wait until she cries to go in there. Sometimes I hear her stirring but she goes back to sleep. Should I go in there and pat her, talk to her, etc every time I hear her stir a little? If I wait until she cries she needs picked up b/c it just escalates!

Kym: Yeah about the grandparents babysitting. If I had that arrangement I would probably work too. My mom lives 3 hours away and DH's retired parents have made it clear to all of us that they are not babysitters (they have 5 grandchildren).

QOTD: Is there a special ritual that your family does or is there one that you would like to start?
DH and I have always spent the holidays with my family (3 hours away). We will this year too, but when Allison gets a little older we will have to start staying home (for Santa :) ) and will probably start traditions then.

When will you be ready to have another?
We would like to have our kids spaced 2-3 years apart. So sometime in 09 we will start trying again. I would LOVE to have another girl and have sisters who are close/best friends. DH wants 2 kids total but I would then like to wait maybe another 4-5 years and have another.

Allison's 4 month appt was today. She is 12 pounds 10 ounces and 24 inches long. She also has excema (a skin rash) that's usually triggered by a food allergy. Now we have to figure out what is causing it and it could be a million different things. The doctor gave us special fragrance free wash and lotion to help clear her skin up. Since I am breastfeeding she told me to cut all dairy, nuts, peanut butter, eggs, and shell fish out of my diet. We started about a week ago giving DD a bottle of formula before bedtime b/c she was waking up so much at night. We were thinking maybe she was nursing herself to sleep and not eating enough right before bed. That has helped her sleep better a little bit. But, the doctor gave us special hypo-allergic formula to use for the bedtime feeding. My head is still spinning over all of this b/c it is such a huge over haul to my diet. I was planning to make pizza's for dinner (that's out the window now). I love cereal, absolutely love, love, love ice cream. So, I don't know. My mom, who didn't breastfeed me thinks I should nix the breastfeeding and just formula feed now until she is on baby food. The doctor also said no rice cereal b/c she wants us to figure out whats triggering the excema before introducing new food. I love BFing her and have been proud that we have been able to BF for so long b/c it is tough. Sorry to write a book- has anyone been through this or have any encouraging advice?

Katie&Micah

11-29-2007, 03:42 PM

j2478
In my personal experience I have to go in there before she cries or she freaks out and it takes MUCH longer to calm her down. I do find it annoying though that if I go in there when she's fussing as soon as I pick her up she's back to sleep. I don't even make it to the glider. Most of the time I can get her to go back to sleep by just patting her back and shushing her. It would be nice to not have to do this half a dozen times a night.

Oops.. hit post before I finished reading the whole thing.

Maddy has a sensitivity to dairy. She's fine if I eat ice cream or cheese, but a glass of milk does bad bad things to her. It was incredibly hard for me to cut that out because I used to be a dairy-a-holic. I'd drink a minimum of 4 or 5 glasses a day. I really think the best thing for you to do is keep bf'ing. It will be hard, but you will find whatever it is causing her problems. I don't want to make anyone who feeds their baby formula feel bad, but bf'ing is sooo good for her. Please don't give up on it. You're giving her things that formula just can't provide. Plus it's such a great bonding experience with her. When it's really hard and you want a bowl of cereal you just have to remind yourself that you're doing this to give your daughter the best start in life possible. As for the rice cereal I totally agree with your dr. Since she's already prone to allergies you need to be very careful about starting foods early. The CDC, WHO and AAP all recommend that you give your child NOTHING but breastmilk until AT LEAST 6 months.

Have you seen this thread (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10196)?

gator97

11-29-2007, 04:14 PM

j2478- how do you know the skin rash is caused by a food allergy? DD has a rash all over her back that dr. said looked like it could be the start of eczema but it was too early to tell (?). All we were told to do was to massage it each night with grapeseed oil. I did change detergents right before this occurred so I'm switching back to see if it makes a difference. But I'm just curious what your dr. said. thanks!

karlatta

11-29-2007, 04:26 PM

Pictures!

Edit: Pictures removed.

At least 5 times a week I hear that she looks like a doll. Today I heard it from 3 different people at different times while we were at the mall. :)

j2478

11-29-2007, 04:36 PM

Gator: The doctor said that certain foods can trigger excema or make it worse, plus she has it in more than one place. It is on her chin, cheeks, back, elbows, and the backs of her knees. We have also tried lotions and ointments and it hasn't cleared it up. She wants me to cut all that stuff out so that it hopefully clears up and then start re-introducing some of those foods into my diet little by little to try to figure out if and what food is causing it. Hope your DD gets better!

Katie: Thanks for the encouraging words. I totally have always intended on BFing for a year, exclusively for 6 months. I think it is just all overwhelming right now b/c I have to cut so much out. It seems like the list of what I can eat is smaller than what I can't eat. It also makes me sad to think that my breastmilk may be harming her. But I am commited to trying at least.

RobynScott

11-29-2007, 04:48 PM

Adorable babies!

Lisa - I can't believe what a big boy Aiden is - he looks like a little boy! Seth is blonde and does not have nearly as much hair so he looks nearly bald, *lol*

Jess and Karlatta - so cute!

Kym - that's so great that your mom and mil are watching K! Not an option here but I think I am ok with the daycare we have chosen. Nothing will be perfect - but I think we've found the best we can (for now at least)

Sleep issues - I don't want to jinx anything b/c S's sleep is finally getting better! :) I will say, a friend of mine whose daughter was born 7/19 is having the same multiple-wake ups (and we had them for a while too).

Have you all been through the 4 month wakeful period? I think that is part of the wakeups. For us, I do my best not to pick S up. We will replace the pacifiers, shhh him, rub his back, rub his head, etc - but not pick him up. If none of that will calm him down, I usually need to feed him.

We let S goes a couple of minutes before we go into him to see if he can get himself back to sleep - but we do try and avoid the out and out screaming - if that happens, it means he's hungry. I also send DH in instead of me - so he won't insist on the boob just b/c he can smell me. Worked the other night and DS slept an extra hour! :D

For those that need to be rocked after the wakeups - is that how they are put down to bed? B/c I think I read that when they wake at the end of a sleep cycle, they will need to get back to sleep the way they were put down. ETA - so what we try to do is really just put him down close to sleep but still awake.

gotta go - someone's starting to fuss as I type! ETA - he was already in his crib - I'm not sure if the earlier bedtime is making a difference. Last night he slept from 6:30 to 4 :eek: and then from 4:15 to 7:15. When I first posted though, he had woken after 40 mins screaming - I think it was combination gas and hunger b/c he was too tired to fully eat when I tried to put him down before. *Fingers crossed* that he will stay asleep for a while now!

LDS Angel 19

11-29-2007, 05:48 PM

pics removed

alliannie

11-29-2007, 08:28 PM

Katie&Micah

11-29-2007, 09:01 PM

alliannie

I'm so sorry you're having a rough time. You're doing awesome. Everyone has those moments where it seems that you can't take it anymore.. not one more thing can happen or you're going to blow. You're not alone!! People always tell me I got so lucky having an easy baby and I can barely handle her. I really admire you for being able to be a good mom to a baby who isn't easy.

*sigh* It's been a rough night here too. It's 10:00 and Maddy still won't sleep. I've only been trying for 3 1/2 hours. I'm getting to the point where I want to drop her off somewhere so I can relax. Unfortunately that's not an acceptable thing to do and even if it was I have no one to leave her with. Dh won't be home for another 2 hours. It's so so so hard sometimes.

karlatta

11-29-2007, 09:44 PM

alliannie - I'm sorry it's been rough lately. Being a mom is hard. For all of us. I know that my posts make it sound like things are just peachy around here, but in reality, that's just because I only have time to post on good days. :) It sounds like you're doing a great job - and you're a great mom!

granada

11-29-2007, 09:51 PM

alliannie ~ I may not always post about it, but you're not alone. My DS has never slept through the night. When people ask (as they always do), "How's he sleeping?" I've learned to be vague and just say, "Some nights are better than others." I have not slept 3 consecutive hours since he was born (4 months ago). I'm not sure how I manage to function. ;) I've read so many books trying to figure out *the* answer, because well, it seemed like so many people in this thread have babies who STTN. I've just learned to accept that he will STTN when he is ready, and I'm not sure there's anything I can do to make him hurry up and be ready. :cool: I'm still sleep deprived, but at least I'm not sleep-deprived AND anxiety-ridden all the time. HUGS. I know how rough and frustrating it is sometimes.

I recently had to deal with strep throat and getting up with DS during the night. It was rough to say the least.

As for all the people who have endless advice, I just don't discuss it anymore. They don't know your baby, and they don't know what you're going through.

PM me if you ever want to commiserate. :)

Lisa

11-30-2007, 07:58 AM

Annie~ you're doing a great job and you're a great mom. Being a mom is hard, really hard. You are constantly giving and giving. I swear I cant remember the last time I peed without a kid walking in;) Kara is right I always post when things are going good. Aiden still won't sleep more than 4-5 hours and then after that is up every 2.

I really think half of my husbands family thinks I am a horrible mom because he doesn't sleep, screams in the car, startles so easily, won't play for more than 10 mins without freaking and so on.

well add me to that list. A HATES.the.car. I mean Hates it, Screams the top of his lungs. DS#1 loved it dont know what I did different maybe ate something while I was pregnant (someone since asked me that:rolleyes: but nope he hates it. A jumps at everything. Dont know why just does. He loves to watch people and the second you are gone screams. Annie you're no alone. Froma mom of 3 it will get better. Dont listen to others negativity. You know Blake best.

Kristy119

11-30-2007, 11:24 AM

Annie Every baby is different, don't let anyone tell you that your not a good mom. I think that babies are very difficult even on their best days. And like the others have said I usually only post the good stuff because that is what is happening that day.

Kristy119

11-30-2007, 11:31 AM

I'll play :D

G 2 days old - can you tell he was VERY jaundiced!!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7d724b3127ccebb2e66485bfe00000026108AZOHDNkzZNk

G this week
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7cf09b3127cceb1dccbcef2fd00000025108AZOHDNkzZNk

I can't believe how big he is already

Jessica your little guy is too cute and you are looking fantastic!

LDS Your girls are so cute!

Karlatta She does look like a little doll! So Cute!

Lisa I can't believe how much hair Aiden has! I can imagine he is going to need many more haircuts before he turns a year old! He is a very handsome little man!

RobynScott

11-30-2007, 11:58 AM

I am sitting here crying. I love love love my baby to death but he is so hard to deal with sometimes. There is no doubt in my mind(or anyone else who knows me mind) that he is a high needs baby. He is super sensitive to everything, goes from 0-60 in nothing, sleeps awful, I could go on and on. It gets so tiring. On one hand I am so glad I got a job and get to go back to work full time. I get a break from it. But then I feel awful because I should want to be with him. I love him to pieces and know I will miss him so much but I really need this.
I love this thread but I have to admit it is so hard to read sometimes. My baby does not even come close to sleep through the night. He wakes at least every 2 hours every. single. night. I can not even imagine what a full night of sleep is anymore. Care to enlighten me ? And a schedule?? I have tried and tried this. He laughs in my face I think. We still feed on demand(and I bottle fed so how crazy is that?!?) and naps are when he decides he is tired. You can look at him wrong and he freaks out(well not me but other people!) People say to me all the time...he startles so easy because you make it quiet when he sleeps. No I don't!! How do they know? He is just like that. He screams in the car. Would someone inform everyone that talks to me that all babies don't sleep in the car. They don't seem to be able to believe mine doesn't. I really think half of my husbands family thinks I am a horrible mom because he doesn't sleep, screams in the car, startles so easily, won't play for more than 10 mins without freaking and so on.
I am rambling I know I am. I tell my DH at least once a week--God gave me this high needs baby because he knew I could handle it--some mommas couldn't but he knew I could so I can. I love all you mommas and I know you will all understand me(or at least try:)).
Ok, I feel a little better now. I am going to go to sleep. I will read all the wonderful stuff I didn't read before posting this and check out pictures tomorrow!

Hugs to you Annie! I read your post earlier but couldn't respond b/c DS was in my arms ;) My first thought was that you need to read this thread: Support for Moms of High Needs Babies (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2212&highlight=high&page=12) You'll see that I posted back in August when I was going nuts with DS. Luckily for me, things have improved (I'd say around the 4 mo mark) - but things were really rough for a while - and still are at times. Our good (I am THRILLED if S ever takes a nap) would be horrible for some others that have children who nap regularly (what's that?) and sleep through the night (huh?) -we've only recently (as in this week) have gotten some really long stretches of sleep. Although I will admit it has not been as bad as you posted for us for a little bit now.

I quoted you so I could try to respond to as much as possible:

Other thoughts in no particular order - you said he hates the car - do you think maybe he hates his carseat? What about moving him to a convertible seat which might be bigger? I remember EJH (an Aug 05 mom) saying her daughter hated the infant seat - I think she may do better in the convert. seat (not sure though)

Feeding on demand - to me, there's nothing wrong with that - feed baby when hungry, right? :)

Going back to work: Don't feel bad! I feel the exact same way as you. On good days, I'm sad at the thought of going back to work. On bad days, I'm ready to go back tomorrow ;) - and let someone else take care of him :) I remember feeling that way (that it would be easier if someone else took care of him) those first few weeks when we were home and I felt so bad - but I just never.got.a.break - he was always ON me - either eating or sleeping and waking when I put him down. You are TOTALLY NORMAL The great thing is, by going back to work, you will cherish the time you do have with DS so much more! (I swear - this is exactly how my friend has told me she feels about her DS)

Reading this thread - yeah, it was hard - esp. at the beginning when so many kids were STTN. Add to that, I have 2 friends who had DC within 4 days of me! - and their kiddos were sleeping through the night! (one of those no longer is and she's hurting)

I think sleep deprivation has a lot to do with how you feel b/c I am feeling A LOT better now that we are getting some more solid blocks of sleep. We've been doing some sleep training / working on his sleep and I think that has made a difference for us (that- or Seth is just maturing - I think that's more like it - nothing we have done making a difference - :p)

Schedule - we don't have one - doesn't stop me from trying! The only thing that is "scheduled" is trying to get DS down to bed between 6:30 and 7 - since he rarely naps during the day I know he needs it at night - and we're trying to finally get some sort of 'routine' down. I also think the earlier he goes down the better he sleeps - and it's nice to have some time with DH again! I used to go to sleep as soon as DS did b/c I never knew when he would wake up again!

Finally - one more thought in this novel - do you think Blake