July/August 2007 Babies ~ Enjoying our Summer Babies!

[Kristy119]

browneyedgirl what a relief to have that done. Sending speedy recovery thoughts for your ds!

[littlecindy]

adrian went in a little late for his 4 months checkup as the doctor was sick the first time we had it scheduled. he got two shots (DTaP and HIB), but took them better than the last time. looks like our little man has stretched out and his head is catching up with the rest of him. the official stats:

14lbs 6oz (50th percentile - 55th last time)
25 3/4 inches long (80th percentile - 50th last time)
16 1/4 inches around his head (25th percentile)

the doc said to hold off on the solid feeding if at all possible until 6 months unless he seems to be starving. developmentally he's doing "awesome."

here's a somewhat recent pic: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v614/cmswalboski/2007/DSC05870.jpg

[alliannie]

brown-eyed girl-Glad to hear Kieran is doing so good. Please keep us updated.

Little Cindy-Cute picture of your DS! He is just about the same size as mine, head and all:D.

QOTD-How often are your LO's eating now? Are they formula or bf'ed?
Formula-and it still varies. I would love if it were on a schedule but alas he is not a schedule type kid. He generally though eats 20-30 ozs daily. He still wont eat more than 3oz at a time so it is more often than it could be. Plus at night he gets cereal/baby food.

Katie-I got the book:). We have only just started the last few days using it as DS had another ear infection. I really do like a lot of the ideas!!

Well we have now had two ear infections. Ugh!! I wish they would go away. He is so miserable when he has them. Sleeping is improving somewhat though. We have only had a few one hour stretches and we have had multiple 3 and 4 hours ones. So nice. The first time he slept 4 hours I woke up and looked at the clock very confused! Not every night is good, but almost all are better than before.

Sad news-my grandma passed away so we will be OOT later this week. We knew this was coming but it was still hard. I have had 3 great-grandparents and now one grandparent pass away within 1-2 weeks of Christmas. Puts a dent in the holiday season for sure.

Gotta go he is getting mad at his toys!

[jimmysgirl424]

alliannie Sorry to hear about your grandmother, so sad that it happened at this time of year. :( Hope your little one's ear infection clears up soon. Fortunately, we haven't had to deal with one of those yet.

littlecindy Adrian is absolutely adorable! :D

silentbunny I totally love that outfit that Liam is wearing! Tell your mom she could make a killing selling her stuff on Etsy or eBay! Oh, and Liam is really miserable on the teething thing; you could try Hylands Teething Tablets. Or freeze a wet washcloth and let him knaw on that.

lovelife Your DD is just beautiful! Those eyes of hers just kill me!


QOTD-How often are your LO's eating now? Are they formula or bf'ed?

Kristianna is still on breastmilk with cereal mixed in. She takes 6 ounces or so five times a day, sometimes a bit less per feeding. DH wants to start her on baby food, but I'm trying to hold off till she is six months old. I am pumping exclusively, so I pump five times a day. I also have several hundred ounces worth of a freezer stash! :D


And I have a new QOTD:

QOTD: Does your LO have a "lovey" (favorite toy or blanket)?

Lately DD has formed quite an attachment to super-soft pink blanket from Carters. If she is fussy, we throw the blanket over her and she calms right down, often grabbing a handful of it and falling right to sleep. We find that it also calms her down when we are trying to get her fed.

[Katie&Micah]

I'm waaaayyy behind... Annie, glad the book found it's way to you. I hope the ear infection clears up quickly.

BrownEyedGirl.. I'm so glad to hear the surgery went well!!

QOTD: Does your LO have a "lovey" (favorite toy or blanket)?
So far no.

Oh, and Liam is really miserable on the teething thing; you could try Hylands Teething Tablets. Or freeze a wet washcloth and let him knaw on that.

I hate to disagree with you, but wanted to throw this out there in case someone missed this thread (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38725). It's about a baby who overdosed on the belladonna in the Hyland's teething tablets. I've used them before and had no problems, but after reading that I won't be using them again.

QOTD #2--Do you give your LO's water? One of my cousins has a baby a month older than Madeline and she's been giving him bottles of water for several months know. Is this normal? Should I be doing this?

[Lisa]

I've been reading along but have been to crazy to post.
Brown- glad everything went well :) keep us updated on Kieran, cute name BTW

Aiden slept 9.5 hours straight last night! A record in our house :) I'm a happy momma this morning.
Okay I have E's Christmas Party to get to but here is our family pic minus A (we go to court after the 1st so pray we get him for good!)

sorry its so big, it wont shrink :(

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j277/LisaMatt/IMG_0703-2.jpg

[jimmysgirl424]

I hate to disagree with you, but wanted to throw this out there in case someone missed this thread (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38725). It's about a baby who overdosed on the belladonna in the Hyland's teething tablets. I've used them before and had no problems, but after reading that I won't be using them again.
:eek::( Thats awful! I've never used the tablets myself but I know someone in this thread has had great success with them, so thats why I mentioned them. I do have Hylands gas tablets, now I'm going to have to check to see if Belladonna is an ingredient in those. Thanks for the PSA though!

QOTD #2--Do you give your LO's water? One of my cousins has a baby a month older than Madeline and she's been giving him bottles of water for several months know. Is this normal? Should I be doing this?

I asked my pediatrician about water when DD was just born. She said no water till she was a year old, simply because there is no need for it and also because babies don't need to get full on water and then not have an appetite for their milk, which they need for nutrition!

[lovelifeandlivelove]

QOTD: Does your LO have a "lovey" (favorite toy or blanket)? She loves all of her toys pretty much the same. She does like to cover her face when she sleeps though so for a while we gave her something like this (lovey teether blanket)
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:GEidHVooKjH0TM:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KQ19R0FBL._AA280_.jpg
But lately we noticed that anything similar will work (burp cloth)!
QOTD #2--Do you give your LO's water?
Sometimes if she seems dehydrated (her lips look very dry) and won't eat formula because she isn't quite hungry. She loves water. Our dr. recommended we give it to her when she was constipated and it worked great.
Lisa - I will keep my fingers crossed for sure, I think it is amazing what you and your DH have done so far and I am sure DS and the court will agree that your family is perfect with him in it.
Alliannie - sorry to hear about your grandma. Hope the ear infection heals soon. Hope the sleeping continues to improve.
Littlecindy - Adrian is cute! Did he have any bad affects after the shots yet? DD was great for them but the week after was hell!
Silentbunny - the washcloth works well -only get one side of it wet though so LO's hands don't get too cold!
I cannot believe Christmas is right around the corner. We are not ready at all. I have only bought three people out of a zillion gifts. I have off today but I don't want to take DD out of the house today because the last time we were home the whole day together has been in weeks (I have been working like crazy so she is either at MIL's or here with BILs or DH or out with me running errands when I do have off) I cannot wait to have off from Saturday till Thursday though!!!!!:D

[littlecindy]

QOTD: Does your LO have a "lovey" (favorite toy or blanket)? adrian loves little stuffed animals. ones that are light enough for him to really hold and chew on. one's a little bunny, one's a little kitty. he'll sleep with them in the carseat.

QOTD #2--Do you give your LO's water? i've read you only need it when they're eating solid foods and then only a couple ounces a day. helps the kidneys. i won't give DS any until solids.

[Kristy119]

Just got back from G's 4 month WBV. Doc say he is perfect! :)
Stats
16 lbs.
26 1/4 inches long
16 1/4 for head

I really really thought he would weigh more! So he is 95% for height and 75% for weight. :)

Favorite Loveys/Toys G has a blue teddy with a blankie that he loves to chew on. He also has a Bob the Builder doll that his sister gave him that he loves chewing on!

[karlatta]

QOTD-How often are your LO's eating now? Are they formula or bf'ed?
DD is formula fed. She takes about 6 ounces, 5 or 6 times a day. Sometimes, like yesterday, she will only take 4 ounces at a time, and then she needs to eat 7-8 times. She doesn't eat overnight.

QOTD: Does your LO have a "lovey" (favorite toy or blanket)?
No. She loves anything she can grab at, but she doesn't show any preferences for one toy over the next.

QOTD #2--Do you give your LO's water?
I do not. I didn't start giving DS water until he was weaned to whole milk (at a year). I don't really see a reason why babies this young need water - unless advised by a doctor for a specific reason (like lovelifeandlivelove's daughter w/ the constipation).

[bensgirl1222]

Is anyone else's DC "talking" or saying words yet?"
The last few days (maybe more like a week) he has learned how to use him M's. When he would get upset he'd go.."mmmmmmmmm...." and kind of whine. Well, now he goes, "MmmaaMmmaa" or "Mmmmommm" or "Mamamama". I know he isn't looking at me and calling me mama but he is still saying it nonetheless and I wanted to share!!!

[Katie&Micah]

Is anyone else's DC "talking" or saying words yet?"
Sometimes when she's excited she'll make a noise that sounds like "hey!" but other than that just lots of babbling and exploring new noises.

[bensgirl1222]

Actually, come to think of it, Benjamin says "hi" or "hey" sometimes too! LOL

[jimmysgirl424]

Is anyone else's DC "talking" or saying words yet?

Kristianna is BIG babbler! She pretty much talks all day long, starting in the morning when she wakes up. She'll lay in her crib and coo and babble while she waits for one of us to go in to her. Listening to it on the monitor is so frickin' cute! :D She squeals alot too.

I have some progress to share too! Yesterday MIL told me that K had removed her paci from her mouth and put it back in on her own three different times. I was a little shocked as I had never seen her do this. And also a little sad, because to me its one of those moments that I lost out on because of being at work. :( Anyway, so later that evening, she was sitting on my lap chilling out while we read a book together. I held a paci up in front of her and to my surprise, she reached out, took the paci out of my hand and put it in her mouth!! :eek::D Wow!! Big girl!!

[Kristy119]

I just got the biggest box of presents from MIL for the kids!
My MIL sent an OBSCENE the amount of gifts for G and H! So, much fun! My dd is set for Christmas! :)

Is anyone else's DC "talking" or saying words yet?

G has been babbling different sounds for a while now- He used to make this sound like he was saying hello, but now he has moved on to heyyyyyyyy and hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Lol And everyonce in awhile he will say mamama but not often and only when he is upset.

That is very cool Kym! I am amazed at what they learn to do in such a short time! G has started doing the same thing tho it is hit or miss whether the paci actually makes it into his mouth. :)

[Tenny]

Is anyone else's DC "talking" or saying words yet?

Charlie likes to "talk" a lot too.

Just wanted to stop in a say Happy Holidays! I am almost ready for Christmas just a few more errands to run.

Hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season with your new little ones!!

[littlecindy]

adrian babbles a lot too. sometimes i swear he says mama.

[bensgirl1222]

Ok so first, Benjamin started grabbing his feet this morning!! Once he got ahold of them, he wouldn't let go of them.

And second, and most important...he got his first tooth!!! YAY! I was sitting in the back seat with him today while Ben ran into Best Buy and he gave me this huge gummy smile. I then noticed what appeared to be a white spot on his gums. I thought it may be a tooth but I checked 2 days ago and there was nothing there so I wasn't sure. I hadn't washed my hands so I didn't want to go putting my fingers in his mouth so I used his monkey's arm (his toy) to pull his lip down and low and behold there it was!!! I got so excited and called Ben (in the store), my mom and Ben's mom. Once I was able to wash my hands, I stuck my finger in there and felt it. It was sharp and tiny. Its not all the way thru...just the top is poking thru!

[karlatta]

bensgirl1222 - DD found her feet a couple of weeks ago - and man, she loves them! She is always laying on her back now, with her feet up in the air and grabbing them. It's pretty funny, actually. And congrats on DS's tooth!

[jimmysgirl424]

So..is anyone else overwhelmed by the stuff that your LO got for Christmas? Our families went nuts for DD and it looks like ToysRUs exploded in our two bedroom apartment...:rolleyes:

[Katie&Micah]

So..is anyone else overwhelmed by the stuff that your LO got for Christmas?

Yes!!! I left half of it at my mom's house, so that helps. I still think the kid has entirely too many toys.

[karlatta]

So..is anyone else overwhelmed by the stuff that your LO got for Christmas? Our families went nuts for DD and it looks like ToysRUs exploded in our two bedroom apartment...:rolleyes:
Not us! We got very little "junk" for DD - which I'm thrilled about! She mostly got cloth diapers and diaper-related stuff, with just a few toys. (And most of the toys are small and/or useful - links, books, etc.)

[LDS Angel 19]

Yeah- not us either. Santa brought us high chairs. :)

[bensgirl1222]

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!!!

I found out my mom is PREGNANT! Yup you read it right. She is 45 and this will make my 7th sibling! So far its been all girls so we'll see if this one is a boy or not. It wasn't planned. Her DH was planning to get snipped. Well, I guess they waited too long. Benjamin will have an uncle or aunt younger than him! ETA--She is due 7/24/08

Christmas Benjamin got SOOO many things! Lots of toys, a TON of books and DVD's and clothes of course. We have pretty good storage in our house so if we arent using it, it goes in our loft storage.

[bensgirl1222]

Our families went nuts for DD and it looks like ToysRUs exploded in our two bedroom apartment...

I had to LOL at this. I can only imagine what it looks like!

[Lisa]

Our families went nuts for DD and it looks like ToysRUs exploded in our two bedroom apartment...

I had to LOL at this. I can only imagine what it looks like!

me too!

I found out my mom is PREGNANT!
wow, congrats on the new baby! its a very cool surprise. Should be fun for your family!

[LadyD088]

Hey There...just now joining. I think I'm ready to be part of a group again. I was originally in the Sept PG Thread but our little one arrived a wee bit early.

Username: LadyD088
Me: Deb, 31
DH: Ryan, 30
Married: May 8, 2004
Any other children: Nope
DD: Charlotte, (Fri) August 31 @ 11:38am
ADD:
N/B Stats: 5lbs 14.9 oz, 18.25"
1 Month Stats: 9 lbs 4 oz, 20.25"
3 Months Stats: 12 lbs, 25"
6 Months Stats:
9 Months Stats:
12 Months Stats:
Christmas was a joyful time. I did most of the buying - I just couldn't help myself. I wish my IL's would purchase TOYS of her age. No, they insist on buying toys for a toddler!! Quite irritating to have to store this stuff.

Anyways...have a question for you all. Is anyone planning #2 already? I don't think we will be waiting the year to start TTCing #2. Anyone else?

[karlatta]

Wow, Jess, what a surprise! I have an uncle much younger than me - I used to babysit him when I was a teenager. Hee.

Welcome, LadyD088!

Is anyone planning #2 already? I don't think we will be waiting the year to start TTCing #2. Anyone else?
I already have 2, but we're TTC #3 already. We started right after my 7 week post-partum exam. :)

[twainny]

Congrats to your mom Bensgirl. It is a little strange, don't you think. Well, I guess I am still in denial that my parents have ever DTD!! LOL I know that my mom's youngest brother is younger than the oldest nephew (does that make sense?) But my mom had 14 siblings, so it was bound to happen.

Anyways, we had a nice Christmas. We are still waiting for packages to arrive from the states, so we will be opening presents for the next couple of weeks. We didn't get tons of stuff. But the stuff we did get all seemed to come with 100+ pieces (for DS1). So I did happen to stuff a few of them back in the closet, before DS1 had a chance to notice they were missing. I may have to regift them to him for this birthday! We got tons of cars and lots of Diego stuff. DS2 got a bunch of clothes and a few new toys (that DS1 plays with of course!)

DS2 is now 5.5 months old, and he is a whooping 28 inches long!! If he keeps on this pace, he will be 31 inches at a year!!! (which is how tall DS1 was at 2!) This child is just HUGE! He is already in 12 month clothes, and they are none to big for him!

I think he is getting teeth. He has not been sleeping well AT ALL! He is up all the time. He is still BFed, so DH is not help. I am thinking of pumping one of these days and starting to give him some rice cereal. I know that I started rice at 5.5 months for DS1. I just don't want to pump. DS is really good at sitting, and he loves to watch us eat, so I think he is ready!

hope everyone has a good new years!

[Katie&Micah]

Sounds like everyone had a good Christmas!

This child is just HUGE! He is already in 12 month clothes, and they are none to big for him!

*sigh* Madeline is still in 0-3 month clothes and I'm starting to get annoyed. I think you all remember how my family went WILD with the baby clothes before she was born. Well.. she wasn't going up to the next size fast enough so I freaked out and bought all her winter clothes in the 3-6 month size. She hasn't been getting any bigger and is still wearing 0-3. Of course it's all wrong length wise, but they're still too wide on her. So basically nothing fits her properly. All the dresses are WAY too short. All the pants are way too short but HUGE around the waist. Onesies and rompers are hard because they sort of pull at the crotch area. I never knew I would get so stressed out about clothing. But it's practically January and it seems like I'm going to have to buy some winter clothes in the 0-3 month size. Which means I have all these clothes are going to be the wrong season when she wears them so I"ll have to buy yet again. Anyone else dealing with this? Does anyone know of any brands that run long and thin?? I know that I'm lucky if this is all I have to worry about. But I'm getting really annoyed with the situation. I want to be able to use all the clothes I picked out for her. And I want her to look nice when we go out instead of like some kid whose clothes don't fit right.

[LadyD088]

Katie - Anyone else dealing with this? Does anyone know of any brands that run long and thin??
OMG - I am dealing with the SAME issues!! My daughter is still in the 0-3m clothes (she'll be 4 months on New Years Eve) and just like you, everything she has will be the wrong season. Before she was born, I was convinced she would be a big baby (hubby and I aren't small at all) but nope. I had to send my mom and hubby out for newborn clothes while we were in the hospital and even THOSE were too big. But at least she grew into those. I tried her 3 mo clothes on yesterday (some of them) and they are WAY to big still.

Don't even get me started on outfits with pants. The legs are too short but the waists are too big yet. WTF!!!

Hopefully someone else will have some ideas. I am at the point where we will have to pin her pants on. We have no other choice, I want her to wear her clothes.

I want her to look nice going out too. My thing? I am tired of seeing her wear the SAME outfits (mostly just onesies or long jumpers) all the time!!! And her still Newborn pants!! Will she EVER grow into the pretty clothes she has? LOL

Another Question: How much are you all feeding your child (if they are on formula)? My DD is 4 months on New Years Eve and she's 12 lbs. I am feeding her 4oz every 4 hours and it seems like she's really wanting more. However, she's not quite holding her food down all the time. I just wonder if I should bump her up to 4.5 oz every 4 hours. I'd love to hear what you are doing.

[karlatta]

Anyone else dealing with this? Does anyone know of any brands that run long and thin??

I don't have this problem with DD, but I did with DS. He still (at 19 months) is skinny enough to fit into 9-12 month pants.

I have found that Old Navy runs long and thin, at least on my DS. I also find that certain styles of clothes work better than others. I don't do onesies at all, and for little ones, I try to do things like cute overalls, dresses, etc. My only other suggestion is cloth diapers. They make the kid's butt bigger, which helps the pants stay up.

Another Question:How much are you all feeding your child (if they are on formula)?
My DD will be 5 months old in a week and a half, and she is currently taking 6 oz at a time, about 5 times a day. Sometimes there's a sixth bottle - it just depends on her mood. She's just shy of 15 pounds.

[twainny]

my two sons are the exact opposite extremes... DS1 at a year was in the 5% for weight, DS2 will be in the greater than 95%!!! (if he stays on this curve)

Anyways, I was going to post, that I found that Little Me onesies seemed to be really long and thin. Personally, I didn't care about how the clothes fit around the child, it is the length that makes the most difference. I always felt like if the onesie is pulling on the shoulders and butt, it was time for bigger onesies. It just seemed so uncomfortable. just my 2 cents.

[jimmysgirl424]

Katie&Micah I was going to say Old Navy as well. I have three sleepers by them and love how they fit DD. DD is a very long baby (27.5 inches at her last appointment!) And I know she's grown since then. But I'm not having the same problems as you are..DD fits into 3-6 months stuff with no problems. If its a straight three month size, it tends to be a little tight. And she can't wear 0-3 month stuff at all anymore. :( (it scares me how fast she's growing and changing)

LadyD088 DD takes BM, not formula, but she takes about 6 ounces every four hours, five times a day. If you think your DD is wanting more food, you should give it to her, it sounds like she is giving you cues that she does. :) Oh, and DH and I haven't made up our minds yet on having another one. In the meantime, we take precautions so we don't end up with an "oops"! ;)

Bensgirl Holy crap on your mom!! :D:eek: That must have come as a bit of shock to you, I'm sure! Is she happy about it? And how funny that she will be a July mommy!


Had to come in here and post about DD's favorite Christmas gift. My boss bought her a Rainforest Jumperoo and she LOVES it!! The first time we put her in it, she bounced. And bounced. And bounced. And bounced. And bounced some more. It was so adorable and fun to watch her.

[alliannie]

Anyone else dealing with this? Does anyone know of any brands that run long and thin?? I'm w/ Twainny on this one. If the fit is big so what. I would much rather it be long enough. I think I actually have issues b/c if it isn't long enough I hate it! He is wearing 9-12 month pants for his long legs. They are a little big in the waist but stay up with a diaper holding them on! His shirts vary from 0-3 to 12 months! Crazy. Onsies are mostly 6 months. We also just switched to 9 month sleepers so they are long enough again. I always think he looks cute even if they are big width wise.

Welcome LadyD! Great to have new mommas!

Is anyone else's DC "talking" or saying words yet? He is always talking:). He is my little chatterbox.

Bensgirl-Wow! That is exciting. I had a friend that always babysit her uncle. Are you the oldest in your family? And the first tooth of the thread I think!

Formula-He eats whenever he wants, however much he wants. I wish I could help but cant. I would love if he ate so much then didn't eat again for 3-4 hours but we are so not there. He is to picky and pukey!

No toys exploding here either. We requested mostly clothes! We have lots of toys from our niece. So we only got a few. We don't have room for lots of them. Well DS has a awful cold. We rearranged our bedroom moving him from by the heating vent to see if that would help(I read online it might). He is happy cold and all though.

[littlecindy]

Anyways...have a question for you all. Is anyone planning #2 already? I don't think we will be waiting the year to start TTCing #2. Anyone else?

y'all impress me! i am waiting to get a night of 8 hours of sleep in a row before i even THINK about when we'll have another. i am honestly thinking 3-4 years in between kids. but i'm also thinking just 2 kids. if we were having more i'd probably space them closer together.

[bensgirl1222]

Anyways...have a question for you all. Is anyone planning #2 already? I don't think we will be waiting the year to start TTCing #2. Anyone else? We will be waiting the full year to TTC again. Well, maybe starting in July but we'll see.

[bensgirl1222]

DS is in 9-12 month clothes bc he is so long and I dont want his legs to be cramped up. But he is pretty thin so besides his length he'd be in smaller clothes.

[alliannie]

Anyways...have a question for you all. Is anyone planning #2 already? I don't think we will be waiting the year to start TTCing #2. Anyone else? Well we planned on sooner but are now waiting. I can't have another one on the little sleep I get!! Maybe a year or so.

[bensgirl1222]

Anyone's DC a squirmer on the changing table? As soon as I put the diaper underneath him and try to pull the front up he lifts his butt with his legs so I then pull the whole diaper off! Then he gets this BIG smile like he thinks its funny. LOL We do this about 5 times before I'm actually successful with putting on his diaper. I try to be fast but sometimes he is faster!

[Katie&Micah]

LadyD088
I hope our girls get a growth spurt soon so we can get some use out of all those cute clothes!

karlatta&jimmysgirl424
Thanks, I will have to get some Old Navy stuff and give that a try.

twainny
I haven't heard of that brand before, but I'm going to do a search and see if I can find some.

alliannie
She's been wearing some 3-6 month rompers for about a month and they are really big on her, but it doesn't matter so much since they're rompers. Unfortunately those are starting to pull now too.. so I guess it's time to give those up. I can't go up a size in pants because the 0-3 are already big around the waist. The 3-6 months wouldn't stay up for 4 seconds. They have a huge gap and the legs are too long. I think she must have short legs and a long torso or something.

Anyways...have a question for you all. Is anyone planning #2 already? I don't think we will be waiting the year to start TTCing #2. Anyone else?
I'm not sure right now if we're going to have another. She was really easy as a newborn, but is a handful now. I can't imagine how I would do it with 2 little ones. If we do have another one we'll probably wait until she's older and more helpful.. 3 y/o maybe.

Anyone's DC a squirmer on the changing table?
yes! Maddy immediately flips over onto her stomach so she can mess around with all the diapers and things. I put her back on her back, she flips back over, repeat until Mommy finally wins. lol


Maddy has this new thing she does whenever she's excited.. it's almost like the sound someone who is having an asthma attack makes. A big gasping inhale. It's a bit weird..lol

[cherry]

long time no update. hope everyone is enjoying the holidays with their little ones!

we had DS's 4-month WBV yesterday. here are his stats:

weight - 16lbs4oz (up from 7lbs4.5oz at birth)
height - 26.5in (21.5in at birth)
head - 17in (15in at birth)

his ped was very pleased and said his measurements were what he would have expected for his 6-month visit. everything else looks good. we'll be waiting till the 6-month point to start solids. DS also got his second round of shots. to my shock, after screaming the house down for a minute or so at his 2-month WBV when he got his shots, yesterday he didn't cry at all... just winced a little bit. however, he did get a little feverish later in the day and quite irritable/ upset (out of character for him) so i gave him infant tylenol and have been cuddling and nursing him lots.

we just returned on thursday from europe, after spending almost the entire month there. it was a great trip and DS handled the 11 hour flights like a champ... didn't cry once. he also didn't sleep (!) on either flight, but that was okay. i was so nervous about the trip, but BFing at landing and takeoff and in-between was a breeze and the flight attendants were very helpful. it was so great to have DS bond with my family and to have him meet his cousin (my sister's daughter), who was born 4 days before him.

unfortunately, there was a nasty cold virus going around back home and i got it, as did DS - his first cold. major bummer, although i knew it was going to happen at some point! he has mostly been snuffly and had a little cough and been sneezing more than normal. i HOPE that's all it is and that he doesn't have a sore throat, etc. i've been giving him saline drops and suctioning out his nose, and using the humidifier in our room. i also have been putting some vaseline around his nose as it was getting a little red. poor baby - he has a lot to deal with in the last few days between a long-haul flight, jet lag, shots and his first cold!

squirming on the changing table - DS LOVES his changing table, always has. in fact, it was so cute when we got home the other day after being in europe for 3.5 weeks, he seemed to remember his own changing table and was extra-excited. anyway, he can't roll over yet but he does kick and flip up his legs bicycle-style a lot.

planning #2 - we are torn. in some ways i/ we'd love to get pregnant again right away... i enjoyed being pregnant and having DS has made us realize how much we want more kids. on the other hand, i am the breadwinner in the family and have a demanding job (tons of travel, long hours, etc.), and seriously going on maternity leave again so soon after DS would be frowned upon! anyway, i don't have AF back yet so even if/ when we do start trying, we won't really be able to control the process until that happens. i think we will start trying in about 1 year from now (new year's 2008).

QOTD - is anyone making any NY resolutions? i have lots (as usual - i know it's not a good idea as i can't possibly succeed with all of them, but i can't help it)... my parenting-related ones are:
1. continue breastfeeding until at least 6 months. i would REALLY like to continue until 12 months or longer, but i think setting that goal now would be daunting. if it wasn't for my business travel (i have at least 2-3 trips per month that involve 1-4 nights away from home, plus other day-trips of 12+ hours), there wouldn't be a question in my mind. OT - jimmysgirl, i read your thread in ES and just want to say you are doing a GREAT job at keeping up on your pumping! i sympathize with how tough it is and really commend you for sticking with it.
2. do my best to really engage with my son as much as possible when i'm with him - talking to him, teaching him things, playing with him. just hanging out and cuddling is great too of course! other fun stuff - we want to take DS to either a baby music group or to water-babies (both are available nearby). my husband is a SAHD and would go with him.
ok, i know i have more but i'm blanking right now... anyone else want to share theirs? :)

and finally, dropping off a picture my husband took of DS a few weeks ago. we're slackers and never sent out holiday cards OR announcements, so we may use this photo for a new year's card:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2020/2144113392_fc86254e54.jpg?v=0

[pride&prejudice]

Wow, I feel like I haven't been here in ages. Things are just crazy for me to get in here. Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays with the LO's. As for what's been going on....

I think DH was singing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.." because DD got her first tooth the Saturday before Christmas! We had seen the bump for weeks, but it finally cut in that day! Its slowly been working its way out, and it really bothered her Christmas Eve, so it was the first night since she was 1 month old that we were up with her all night long. DH told me it was practice for next year since he said he never slept on X-mas Eve. :rolleyes: And I'm hoping that we might have another tooth within a month, becuase I think either the one next to it or one of the top ones is starting to show the same signs the first tooth did about a month ago.

clothes~ Yeah we are having problems with DD. She's off the charts for height and average for weight. So she's in 9-12 month clothes for length but could still fit into 3-6 month clothes if I didn't have to worry about length. We actually had to take back almost all her clothes from Christmas, because she had a growth spurt since Thanksgiving. :rolleyes: MIL had gotten her a christmas outfit from Gymboree that fit well and was ok on length, and low and behold we put it on her Christmas day to find out the pants are now at her knees! I agree on the cloth diapers, they definitely help to hold the pants up, since that is what we use at home for DD now.

christmas~ I'm with karlatta, we didn't get junk for DD, and I'm thrilled about it. We got a few toys, and SIL got her a baby mat, and we got clothes which she desperately needed. We are off to my parents today to celebrate with them so we'll see what she got there. But all in all it was stuff she needed.

squirming~ Yup, had that going on for about a month now since she discovered her feet. She grabs on to everything, so its interesting.

planning #2~ I'm torn as to whether we will be even having anymore children, but if we do it definitely won't be anytime soon.

eating~ DD is BF and has been getting a little bit of solids. I think we went through a growth spurt this week again, since she had 1 day where she just wanted nothing but to be stuck on me. Didn't help that is was X-mas Eve, and we were having dinner at my house.

cherry~ THink I need to chat with you. :) I just took a new job that has me traveling as much as you. I'm trying to make it to 6 months, DH would like me too. The traveling is just crazy, I have a hard enough time when I'm at the office working.

bensgirl~ Congrats! My mom has an aunt that is 5 years older than her, so it can be interesting!

[Katie&Micah]

cherry
Great pic!!

[j2478]

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! We spent the holidays out of state with my family for 6 days. It was so nice to spend so much time as a family (with DD, DH, and I). I was bummed for DH to go back to work. We all got some really nice gifts. Allison made out like a bandit and we even got the next step up carseat - which will be a while for her since she is only a little over 13 pounds now!

Clothes: Allison is kind of in between. The 0-3 are a little snug and the pants are way to big. The 3-6 are a little big, but the pants fit length-wise, but are big around the waist. She's a long and lean baby.

Squirming: As soon as I put her down on the changing table, her feet go into her mouth. Sometimes it seems like a wrestling match to do a diaper change.

#2: We would like to have our kids spaced about 2.5 - 3 years apart. I would then like to wait about another 4-5 years and have another, but I haven't convinced DH on a 3rd yet! I would like to have a winter baby b/c it seemed like the first couple of months we kept Allison swaddled or in a blanket. For the past month or so, she loves to play with her feet and it is to cold to not have socks on. So, I think for the next one - it would be nice to have them be a baby, all bundled up in the winter months and then when they are Allison's age now (5 months) it will be the summer and they will be able to play more. Right now I am planning on starting to try again in April of 09. Anyone else have a specific month yet or am I the only anal one?

I'm not sure right now if we're going to have another. She was really easy as a newborn, but is a handful now.
DH and I have both said that this past month has been the hardest yet with Allison. With her not sleeping well and us being tired all the time, and then dealing with the food allergy and me having to cut pretty much all of my favorite food from my diet. She has been fussier more in the past month than in the first 3 months all put together.

Is anyone else's DC "talking" or saying words yet?
Allison chatters in a higher pitch voice, we call it her singing.

Update: Allison's exzema has gotten a lot better. I am sure now that it is dairy. She was all cleared up and I tried a little ice cream and the next day she was broken out again. She is acting a lot happy too, so I think the food allergy just made her more grumpy and fussy. I have also lost 4 pounds by doing nothing except not eating dairy. We saw a family member of xmas that had a little girl one month after us. She is 3 pounds heavier and 2 inches longer that Allison. We took lots of pictures of them together, they are funny b/c even this little they both have different personalities.

[silentbunny]

It's so nice to read up on everyone's Christmases. We flew back east to introduce Liam to his Connecticut family members (Sean's whole side of the family) and while it was nice to be with family, it was also an overwhelmingly calamitous scene! Liam handled things well (better than me -- I had to go hide with him and do the whole "The baby needs to eat/sleep/whatever" thing when in reality, I just needed a break) but it's beautiful to be home again!

W got a ton of stuff at Sean's mom's house, including a very nice Maclaren stroller (Quest) that we can use from now until 55 lbs... Whoot! We shopped everything back rather than try to lug it on the plane. Liam did pretty well on the plane -- we had a few minutes of unhappiness on each of the long legs of the flights, but generally he did better than I expected. We were prepared for the worst.

Clothes: My big little boy is in 6 month to 12 month clothes already. He is all chins, and not too thick around the middle, but very long and has some sumo-thighs on him. His 4 month WBV is on January 4 (which will be 4 months plus a week) but according to my scale, he weighs 17.5 lbs. Chunky Monkey! No idea how long he is.

Squirming: Liam doesn't flip over yet, but he loves to stretch his legs all the way out and lock his knees when I'm trying to put on a new diaper, so I can't get it between his legs. He thinks he's hysterical when he does this.

Trying for another: We definitely want another, and considering my "advanced maternal age" (turned 37 on Christmas Eve) and how difficult it was to get this baby, I'd like to start as soon as possible. However, I am breastfeeding and have had no sign of AF yet. I want to BF in some form until 12 months, but once I start adding in other foods it may come back -- I don't really know. Not sure when I am going to start adding other foods. I'll see what my doctor says. If we haven't before then, we will start trying once Liam hits his first birthday next August.

Talking: Liam doesn't do "words" yet, but babbles a lot and is getting progressively louder. He's also a master bubble-blower.

Cherry -- I love that picture! What a happy gorgeous boy Eoin is!

Bensgirl -- Holy cow! That's exciting!

I will post a picture or two later -- I haven't uploaded the ones from CT yet. I have a lot of his year old cousin Emma holding him, since she doted on his the entire time -- he was quite the star.

QOTD:Who's got teeth yet? Liam's been drooling like it's his job for months now, and I can tell his gums are really bothering him sometimes -- he'll try to shove his whole hand in to chew on, and when I give him my finger or thumb to chew on, he bites HARD. No teeth yet, though.

[bensgirl1222]

Anyone else have a specific month yet or am I the only anal one? I don't want to be pregnant thru the entire summer like I was with Benjamin. So if all possible, I'd like an April, May or June baby. Meaning we will TTC in July, August and September of 2008. However since I'm BFing full-time and plan to to some extent until he is a year I guess we'll have to see when AF comes back. We will also continue to try after September if we havent gotten pg yet. To make my long story even longer...LOL we'd prefer July-Septmber of 2008 to TTC but we will be happy with whatever we get whenever we get it :)

Teeth Benjamin got his 1st tooth on Dec 22nd. Its a lower incisor.

[Katie&Micah]

How long is everyone planning to breastfeed for?

I'm pretty sure we'll go beyond a year. My family has already started in with the, "Are you going to be bf'ing her when she's 5??" :rolleyes: I've gotten so attached to bf'ing. I know I'll be a mess when she finally gives it up.

[bensgirl1222]

How long is everyone planning to breastfeed for? My goal is a year. Like you, Katie, I'm pretty attached to BF'ing and so is DS. There will probably be some kind of mourning when it comes to an end. But after a year, I will probably be ready.

[Lisa]

How long is everyone planning to breastfeed for? I BF DS#1 14 months but had to wean due to being pregnant, DD 4 months, So with DS#2 I plan on about 15 months to beat what I did with DS#1 I think 18 months is my goal, I love it so much but as expected everyone is asking when I'm weaning him...not anytime soon;)
TTC? I think we are done having kids I do want to adopt a baby girl maybe when A is 2. my body is done unless we are blessed with another surprise
teeth A has 2 cutting now, his gyms are black and blue:(
NY resolutions? nope I never keep them;)
Talking- up a storm I love hearing him

[LadyD088]

Anyone's DC a squirmer on the changing table? - Nope. She hasn't even found her feet yet. She'll be 4 months on New Years Eve (the youngest of our group, I believe). But like Silent Bunny said, she locks her knees and makes it difficult to put a diaper on - or she just kicks up a storm.

How long is everyone planning to breastfeed for? - I only did it for 2.5 months. It was a very hard decision for me to make. Charlotte wouldn't take from the breast so I was pumping every meal out. When it was time to go back to work, it made it very difficult. We also moved around the same time so it just made sense for me to stop. I hope the next baby we have I can feed much longer. However, my original goal was at least 6 months.

Anyone else have a specific month yet or am I the only anal one? - We are thinking about starting in Feb 2008. I love the idea of a holiday baby (our would probably be delivered early like Charlotte was. I had GD & a lot of amniotic fluid). We'll see what my OB has to say when I visit him in Jan for a check up.

Teeth - None yet, but I keep looking. She probably won't get one until next month or so. SilentBunny - Charlotte is doing the same thing your DS is!!!

Katie - My mom bought Charlotte an outfit with pants that was 3 mos and it was the Classic Pooh from Target and it fits PERFECTLY!! I thought for SURE they would fall right off but NOPE!!! Hope that works for you (and they are SO cute too).

Cherry - Beautiful picture!!!! Looks totally professional.

Talking - Just babble. High pitches every now and then. She's starting to make a few new sounds but nothing too distinct.

NY resolutions? - None really. I'd like to stick to my GD diet so I can continue to lose some weight. Also its a good reminder for myself as to what I need to do with baby #2 right away, since my chances of having it again are doubled now. That's really all though.

[alliannie]

How long is everyone planning to breastfeed for? I wish we still were:(. Hopefully next time I will be able to much longer.

Anyone's DC a squirmer on the changing table? Oh yes. Changing a diaper is a task. You have to keep him from rolling, kicking, squirming, peeing(haha only on DH). It's a lot of work I tell ya!

TTC/Anyone else have a specific month yet or am I the only anal one?Ah! I answered the trying to concieve question already but DH said tonight he wants one now. :eek: So we are thinking. He actually said he would like another before the end of next year. So we might try for a couple months to see what happens. We are very indecisive to say the least.

NY resolutions?Not really. I would like to lose more weight but I have a hard time staying motivated. I lost some then quit WW. So maybe that but I hate making them since I rarely keep them:p.

Does anyone know if a fever with a cold is okay or not? He has had his cold but now has a fever(101.4). I am trying to decide if this warrants a trip to the dr. Monday(if they are open).

[polarama]

Wow, I cannot believe all of our babies are in the 5-6 month age range already! Time flies! :)


She's always had a wee little peanut head. :) Her latest thing is discovering that she has a tongue. She keeps sticking her tongue out like a little puppy. It's very cute, and I swear she sometimes does it "appropriately"--like when we mention changing her diaper. She also started sitting up unsupported. However, my kid still won't roll over. She'll roll onto her side, then decide that she doesn't really want to make that last push. It's quite funny watching her, almost as if she pauses, thinks twice, then rolls back.

Clothes~DD wears 9m for sleepers/rompers and pants/top sets. They are a little bit on the loose side, but since she wears a onesie underneath, it's fine. Her clothes tend to be a little bit on the baggier side because I think she's comfier that way. She wears 6-9m onesies, depending on the brand. Gap and ON are a little bit bigger, I've found. Circo and Gerber seem to run slightly smaller.

Teeth~ None, but she drools up a storm and likes to gnaw on cold objects.

Anyone's DC a squirmer on the changing table? Oh yes! :) She likes to try to roll over, and is big into grabbing her feet.

TTC~Uh, not for at least another 2 years. Honestly, I am still recovering (emotionally) from delivery/recovery/first 4 weeks pp.

Breastfeeding~I am really conflicted. There are days where I want to drop pumping altogether and just nurse at night. Cherry, pride&prejudice--I am in a similar boat, job-wise. Lots of travel coming up, and a fairly demanding schedule in the office. Right now, I am away from home from 8am to 7pm, and I usually pump 3x during that time span. I can't keep up with DD--normally if I'm home she'd eat about 5 times during those 11 hours. I absolutely cannot fit more pumping sessions into my day. After January, I'm not even sure that I can still do 3x/day.

talking~DD does a lot of yodeling and makes mostly vowel sounds. She's the chattiest when she's on her changing table.

[twainny]

How long is everyone planning to breastfeed for? I plan to BF for a year. I did with DS1. Actually, two weeks short of a year, DS self weaned. It was great! I was sooo worried about weaning him. He didn't have any issues with it. Plus, I wasn't producing much milk anyways. At that point, we mixed his BM with regular milk, and by the time he was 1 he was on whole milk.

AF - I got my AF back when DS1 was 10 months old. 3 of my friends got theirs around that same time (1 friend got her AF when he DD was only 3 months old, and she BFed for a year!) It totally sucked having AF back after almost 2 years of not having to deal with it!

future children - I think we are done. I know if we would have another I would be "blessed" with another boy! I don't think I could handle three boys!! And if I have another, I would probably have a 10 lb kid! Just the thought of that makes me want to have my tubes tied! LOL

[Tenny]

As usual I'm way behind...

How long is everyone planning to breastfeed for? I BF DS#1 for 13 months and would like to make it just as long with Charlie. But I'll take one day at a time and see how it goes. So far it looks like I'm the only one feeding him since he wouldn't take a bottle.

Anyone's DC a squirmer on the changing table? He isn't too bad yet, but he starting to have his moments.

TTC/Anyone else have a specific month yet or am I the only anal one? We want a third, but not for several years. I think I can handle another baby, but I can't handle being pg with two small children. My pg with Charlie really kicked my butt (puking for 18 weeks) that I just don't want to do that again for several years. If DH had his way we would be trying now!

NY resolutions? Nope!

Christmas Charlie didn't get too much for Christmas, but he also has a big brother that has everything so we really don't need many toys. I did get him a lot of cloths since DS#1 was in summer cloths at this age so we have no winter cloths and we got him a few toys.

bensgirl1222 WOW!! Congrats to you Mom!

cherry Great picture! I remember you always having some great photos!

I can't believe how big Charlie is getting. He is such a happy and easy baby (knock on wood). He is actual easier then DS#1 which we didn't think would be possible. He has been rolling for a few weeks now and I can't believe how strong he is getting.

Also I have been meaning to ask this for a while now, is everyone else loosing their hair like crazy? It is amazing I still have hair on my head with the amount that I'm loosing each day!

[Katie&Micah]

Also I have been meaning to ask this for a while now, is everyone else loosing their hair like crazy?
At around 3 months it started falling out EVERYWHERE. Nasty nasty. Anyways.. now at almost 6 months PP it's pretty much back to normal. It's amazing how much can come out though.

LadyD088
Thanks for the heads up! I'm going to check Target next weekend.

Does anyone else in her co-sleep?
What do you do for couple time?? She will not sleep in her crib, wakes up as soon as I lay her down in it.

[jimmysgirl424]

Does anyone else in here co-sleep? Nope..DD has slept in her crib in her nursery since around a week old. Her first week she slept in her bassinet in our room.

How long is everyone planning to breastfeed for? My goal is a year, but I am setting smaller goals to help me make it. Right now my goal is the six month mark, then I will take it month by month.

Anyone's DC a squirmer on the changing table? Well, she loves her feet and always wants to grab them when she's on the table. And she always fights the diaper going on. Lately she's been grabbing ahold of the diaper tapes and trying to pull them. :rolleyes:

Anyone else have a specific month yet or am I the only anal one? We haven't discussed it.



And I am going to add a new QOTD too.

Is anyone planning on delaying any of their LO's vaccinations?

I've decided to delay her MMR till she is two years old rather than getting it at one. And at this point, I'm not planning on getting the chicken pox vaccine at all.


We hit a milestone today..DD took her very first solid food! :D She took a few spoonfuls of organic sweet potatos. It was so cute, she actually opened her mouth for the spoon several times!!

Some pics of DD..just realized I haven't posted any in a long time!

In her favorite toy, the bouncer!
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r58/fancy2572/jumperoo.jpg?t=1199057620

In her changing table:
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r58/fancy2572/changingtable-1.jpg?t=1199057662

In her exersaucer:
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r58/fancy2572/bouncer.jpg?t=1199057705[/url]

[karlatta]

Does anyone else in here co-sleep?
I don't. I slept with DD for the first few weeks, but that was it. I found out with DS that co-sleeping just doesn't work for me. I can't sleep with the kids in the same room as me.

Anyone's DC a squirmer on the changing table?
DD loves to have her diaper changed. She doesn't really squirm around - she just lays there and squeals.

TTC - Anyone else have a specific month yet or am I the only anal one?
We currently aren't preventing, and I'd like to return to the RE for an FET in September or October 2008, giving us a June or July 2009 baby. If I'm getting to pick when the next one comes, I'm going to try to have one when my mom is around to help. (She's a teacher.)

Is anyone planning on delaying any of their LO's vaccinations?
I'm undecided. I'm doing most on schedule. I would like to skip chicken pox, but I'm afraid that since it's so popular to get it, DD won't be exposed to chicken pox as a child and will be more at risk when she's an adult.

[alliannie]

Does anyone else in here co-sleep?We do. We have a side-cared crib and he sleeps in that or in bed with me. Either way he is within 18 inches of me!

Is anyone planning on delaying any of their LO's vaccinations? We aren't. We will fully vax on schedule. My mom and sister are nurses and I have talked to them about it and will follow with the schedule.

Cute pics Jimmysgirl!

[Katie&Micah]

Maybe I'll try sidecarring the crib tomorrow. Although she always sleeps smushed up against me, so I'm not sure if that will work or not. Worth a try for some couple time though!

[littlecindy]

we'll probably BF a year. i work FT though & pump, so one day at a time.

we're doing about half the recommended vaccs & will catch up by schoolage,

[Tenny]

jimmysgirl424[/B Cute pictures!! We have a jumperoo also and Charlie loves it!

[B]co-sleep/couple time We co-sleep half the next the other half Charlie is in the pack-n-play in our room. I just can't seem to bring myself to put him in his crib at night. As for couple time we have put him in the swing for his nap during the day that way we can have some time together. But really with two kids, the odds that we get both asleep at the same time is pretty slim.

Is anyone planning on delaying any of their LO's vaccinations? I'm following the alternative vac schedule that is in The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert Sears. We will have all the vac, just at slower rate.

So we have still been swaddling Charlie at night time, but last night he was fussing so I un-swaddled him and laid him back down. He promptly rolled over and falls fast asleep on his tummy. I was really freaked out about letting him sleep on his tummy so I waited 5-10 minutes and then rolled him over to his back. Does anyone else have a tummy sleeper? At what age is it ok to let him sleep on his tummy? We have an appointment today to get some more vacs so I'll ask the Dr while I was there, but was wondering if any of you are dealing with the same thing.

In other news out 2 year woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and puking! Please keep your fingers crossed that the baby doesn't get it!

[twainny]

Tenny - my DS2 has been a tummy sleeper since week 3. But I know that you can leave them on their tummy as long as they can roll over.

Bensgirl - glad your DD liked the sweet potatoes!! food is fun... but it also makes for a lot of work (ie in the clean department). I am planning on pumping to start giving DS some rice cereal or maybe oatmeal. I am hoping that he will sleep through the night if I give him food!! Or at least not wake up as often.

In the past two weeks I have seen such a change in DS. He LOVES his jumperoo... he would jump all day in that thing! He also sits so much better in his exersaucer and plays with all the toys. He also looks at things and can reach out his hand and grab them and take them to his mouth. I can't wait for him to crawl (well, yes I can. I am scared of DS1 stomping on him, on accident of course). I don't know how I will handle two moving!!!

[jimmysgirl424]

We aren't. We will fully vax on schedule. My mom and sister are nurses and I have talked to them about it and will follow with the schedule.

Alliannie, if you wouldn't mind, could you share what your mom and sister told you about vaccinations? I'm still searching out information and would really like the viewpoint of someone in the medical field who is not my DD's pediatrician! TIA!!

[jimmysgirl424]

Bensgirl - glad your DD liked the sweet potatoes!! food is fun... but it also makes for a lot of work (ie in the clean department).

Heehee..I think you meant me! :) Bensgirl has a DS and my DD just tried sweet potatos yesterday for the first time.

[pride&prejudice]

teeth~ DD got her first one Dec 22, and the second one is on the verge of cutting in. I already hate the fact that with the first one, it took almost a month to cut in. Oh well.

co-sleeping~ DD has slept in her crib since day 1 that we came home. Lucky she took to it, since co-sleeping wouldn't work for DH and I. The dog and cat already sleep in the bed and we weren't going to change that for fear of retaliation, since they have taken so well to DD already. Plus DH wakes up at the slightest move or sound. He hardly got any sleep the last month of my pregnancy since I was tossing and turning.

delaying vaccs~ I'm with alliannie. I have cousins that are nurses, and have talked to them and we will be vaxing on schedule. Only one of them had a problem with one of the vax, but it was a personal reason. Plus my doc has been my doc since I was about 12 (and is my parents doctor), and I trust his reasonings/reccomendations.

specific month~ If we did decide to have another one, I wouldn't really be picky. Yeah it would be nice to not be pg through the summer, but I'm not going to be angry if it happens that way again.

Tenny~ DD has taken some of her naps on her tummy. I've heard the same thing as twainny. It also helped with her gas when we were getting through the phase where I was eliminating most dairy. We would hold her with her on her tummy draped over our arms to relieve it and she would fall asleep this way, and the only way she'd stay asleep was to sleep on her tummy.

[bensgirl1222]

Thanks for all the congrats on my mom. Unfortunately, she may be losing the baby :( She has some brown blood and went to the ER. They did an U/s and the nurse said she only had a gestational sac that was 7 weeks old. My mom is almost 11 weeks. And they couldn't find a HB. They did bloodwork abd her hcg was 26,000. But she hasn't lost the baby yet. Weird. So she goes to her regular doctor today to get blood work but it doesnt look good. She is very upset. She said, "I already had names picked out...I got new flooring for his room and paint...this wasn't supposed to happen..." :( So yeah...we will know for sure Wednesday.

[bensgirl1222]

co-sleeping I have done it on occassion but like Karla said...I cant sleep with the baby in the same room as me. He as beenin his own crib since 5 weeks. With #2 we will probably do it sooner but we'll see hw it goes.

vax So far we've done everything on schedule but might delay the MMR.

[bensgirl1222]

DS is on nap strike! Ugh! Probably our fault since we didn't get him to bed until 9:30 last night. We were at my dad's. He slepyt really shitty (up every 2 hours), up for the day at 6:45am (DH got up with him and let me sleep until 9:30am) and he usually goes for a nap at 9:30am. Well, its 10:30 and I've tried to put him down twice and he will not have it! Grrrr!

[j2478]

Bensgirl: Sorry about what is happening with your mom. I m/c before I got pregnant with DD, it is very tough. But, I also spotted with DD and everything was OK. It's hard to wait and see what happens, but I will keep her in my prayers.

Co-sleeping: DD sleeps in her crib, but if she wakes up after DH gets up for the day (6:30 AM) I will bring her into bed with me and nurse her back to sleep and let her sleep with me for a couple of hours. DH hates this b/c he thinks that it will start a bad habit. But I tell him that it is easier for both of us to get back to sleep by laying down in bed to nurse, plus I tell him she is too young to know where she is sleeping anyways ;)

Vaxs: We are going to follow the doctors schedule, I trust her. It makes me sad that DD has to get soooo many shots though! At the 4 month appt she really didn't do that bad.

Breastfeeding: We have been breastfeeding now for 5 1/2 months. DD has had a couple of bottles of formula here and there mostly when I leave her with DH for awhile and once when we went to an out of town wedding and my mom watched her. I just hate to pump. I don't get a lot anyways and it seems like I have to pump for 3 days to get one bottle. I would like to continue to one year. I feel really selfish, but I am looking forward to when she starts on baby food, just for a little bit of a break from being her constant source of food.

[bensgirl1222]

Thanks Jen! Yeah I spotted when I was 11 weeks and when they did an u/s, we saw the baby and a heartbeat so we knew everything as ok. But with my mom they didnt see anything but the sac :( I am really sad that my mom has to go thru this. I wish I could take her pain away.

[jimmysgirl424]

Thanks Jen! Yeah I spotted when I was 11 weeks and when they did an u/s, we saw the baby and a heartbeat so we knew everything as ok. But with my mom they didnt see anything but the sac :( I am really sad that my mom has to go thru this. I wish I could take her pain away.

I'm so sorry your mom is going through this. :(:( Sending big (((HUGS))) to you and her both.

[Katie&Micah]

j2478
I'm going through the opposite right now. DD is now eating cereal and bananas and I've decided to cut back on the feedings. One or the other, but not both in the same day. I feel like we hardly ever nurse anymore. She often goes 5 or 6 hours between feedings. And then when you remove a feeding and put food in instead it's even longer w/o it.

bensgirl1222
I'm so sorry. Your mom is in my thoughts.

[j2478]

I'm going through the opposite right now. DD is now eating cereal and bananas and I've decided to cut back on the feedings. One or the other, but not both in the same day. I feel like we hardly ever nurse anymore. She often goes 5 or 6 hours between feedings. And then when you remove a feeding and put food in instead it's even longer w/o it.

Katie: We have been doing rice cereal too. We do 1 tbs of cereal to 3 tbs of water and she usually eats all of it. I have just started doing twice a day. Once after she wakes up from her morning nap (around 12-1230) and once again at night before bath time (around 7:30 or so). What is your schedule like and how much does Maddie eat? I feel like I am still breastfeeding a lot though b/c she has evolved into needing to be nursed to sleep for naps and for bedtime - so in addition to her feedings I am still nursing her at least 3 more times a day. Plus, sometimes an hour or so after she eats cereal in the afternoon she will want to BF, so I'm not sure if I should continue to do this or give her more cereal.

[Tenny]

bensgirl1222 So sorry to hear about your mom!

jimmysgirl424 As for Vax I would recommend The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. I thought it did a good job of pointing out the pros and cons of both sides (vaxing vs non-vaxing).

[karlatta]

And then when you remove a feeding and put food in instead it's even longer w/o it.
I wouldn't remove a feeding and do food instead. At this age, they need to be getting all of their nutrition from BM/formula. What I did with DS (and will do with DD) was feed him cereal right after his normal feeding. He was able to start learning how to eat (which is all I think they get from rice cereal at this point anyway), but he still took in approximately the same amount of formula every day.

[Katie&Micah]

I'll try that Karla. I haven't had much success getting her to eat food if she isn't hungry. So I've been doing the food in place of bf'ing. Maybe she'll bf after eating if the other way around doesn't work.

Jen.. we don't have much of a schedule. I bf on demand and then usually give her food in the early afternoon. She'll eat maybe an ounce. Later on around 8:00 I'll give her the cereal and bf to sleep. She won't go to sleep for a nap or bed w/o bfing. Bad habit I know, but it's easier than having a screaming baby.

[alliannie]

Katie-Did you go ahead and sidecar? Just curious. I always feel weird saying mine is since no one I know does it! But it works so great for us.

bensgirl-sorry about your mom:(.

Jimmysgirl-It was really long discussions so I don't know how to sum it up. But they both agree we should vax(and my sis vaxes her kids). I agree you should get the book recommended and read through the pro and against vax threads.

Happy New Years mommas!

[j2478]

Bad habit I know, but it's easier than having a screaming baby.

Same thing at our house. I have tried everything to get her to sleep without nursing but no luck.

[karlatta]

Katie - FWIW, my DS didn't really take cereal or purees until 9 months or so, and he turned out fine.

[twainny]

cereal- I did the opposite of Karlatta. We started with rice at night, before BFing. So that the baby would be hungry and eat the cereal. And then I would BF him to fill him up. I didn't replace the BM with food, it was in addition too. (and I think it was always like that, he always got BM with a meal) I thought of it like big people have a drink with their meals, so baby should too! I know someone asked about water awhile back. I don't know if I replied or not, but I was told by the Dr. that it is good to at least offer water with meals, cause water helps with digestion. I am not talking about cereal. I am talking about around 8 months. We always offer water in a sippy cup, to get DS use to a sippy. He was totally off bottles by a year. Granted my Dr. said that sippys are glorified bottles, so she didn't think it was that big of a deal to be off the bottle! :rolleyes:

[bensgirl1222]

Nursing to sleep You can add me to the list of moms whose baby needs to nurse before sleeping. Not sure how to break this habit.

Cereal I started B on cereal last night! A little early (and I hope nothing goes wrong) but he seemed ready. He even knew what to do when I put the spoon to his mouth and swallowed it. I wont give fruits/veggies until 6 months but cereal every now and then seems ok to do.

[bensgirl1222]

Anyone read the No cry sleep solution? Any success? My baby sleeps like crap! Up every 2 hours for the last 3 nights.

[Katie&Micah]

Annie
I completely forgot. Thank you for reminding me. I need to try and do that today. Hey.. if you told me putting your kid to bed in the bathtub worked for you I'd try it. lol Nothing is too weird when it comes to sleep.

Jen
Right now nursing is my cure all. Tired and cranky? Nurse. Mommy needs quiet time and she's desperately hoping you'll take a nap. Nurse. Hurt? Nurse.

Karla
The only reason I started the solids is because her Ped. is worried I'll miss out on the window of opportunity where they are more accepting of solid food. I don't want solids to be her main source of food until much later, but I felt like I should start so that she would be willing to take them. Kind of like how she'll take a bottle, but she doesn't really get one. I want the skill to be there. Anyways.. she has been spitting up tons since I started the bananas so I think that's out. The squash gave her a diaper rash so that's probably not a good sign either. I'll probably go back to cereals even though I think they're pretty worthless nutritionally.

bensgirl
I read it, but was too lazy to follow through with it. That's basically what it comes down to. Maddy sleeps great in our bed so I wasn't super motivated to try all the techniques.

[Ellyn]

I was an original member to the Aug. 07 thread...and we didn't get internet (yeah, I know...I was going crazy) until about a month ago. So, I'm rejoining (except I ended up with a July baby :) )

Username:
Me: Ellyn, 26
DH: Jake, 29
Married: 7/26/05
Any other children: Broderick (8/30/05)
DC: Winona Jean (our surprise girl!)
ADD:7/30/07
N/B Stats: 7lb 13 oz, 20.25 in, 7:12pm
1 Month Stats:
3 Months Stats:
6 Months Stats:
9 Months Stats:
12 Months Stats:

This will definitely be our last child. We love Winona with all of our hearts, but the stress this sweet baby has put us through, and watching her go through some of the things she has been through has practically driven us nuts! :o

Winona was our banana baby (jaundice) and under bili lights for the weekend after she was born. We were scared with a call from the dr. a week later - some of her state tests results came back abnormal...specifically the cystic fibrosis one...so we had to have her tested for that - luckily it was negative after further testing, and she turned out to be a carrier of the gene instead. She had always been a noisy baby, and after having her looked at over and over by drs. they said her lungs sound fine - she's just noisy...well, not true. My instincts were right and after getting another opinion, and she spent 4 days in the hospital before the drs determined she has trachea malacia...a condition she'll outgrow where her trachea collapses when she breathes. While they were discovering this, they noticed her diaphragm on her right side was higher (1/2 way up her chest!) than normal. After several tests, we ended up at CHildren's hopsital in St. Paul. They could not tell from Xrays and a flouroscope why - it was either a diaphragmatic hernia (where there is a hole in her diaphragm) or an eventration (the diaphragm isn't muscular - more "flabby" than normal). She had surgery the week of THanksgiving to repair the problem - luckily it turned out to be an eventration and not the hernia, and they repaired the problem. She may tire out faster than the other kids later in life, but she should be pretty normal otherwise. So Winona's had a busy start to her life...we are now looking forward to getting back on track and being able to enjoy her (without all the extra worry). :)

I was reading the posts about cereal and solids...my DS had cereal and solids added and still nursed every 3 hours. Winona loves her rice cereal (and we tried oatmeal today too) mixed with breastmilk...and she would rather have that than nurse. Should I cut back on the cereal to make sure she nurses, or just go with it and let her cut back her feedings for the solids? I have thought about trying sweet potatoes within the next few weeks too. (she was 5 mo. on Dec 30)

[karlatta]

Katie - Oh, I definitely think it's fine to start trying solids now. DD has been offered rice cereal a couple of times. I posted what I did mainly to reassure you that if DD doesn't take well to them right away, or if you have to cut back to ensure that she gets enough BM/Formula, she'll still be okay. :)

[lovelifeandlivelove]

Welcome the mom's from the previous months!
Bensgirl - sorry about your mom, I had bleeding and a miscarriage scare during DD's pregnancy and can not imagine the pain she may be going through right now.
Nursing to sleep - we rock to sleep instead and we co-sleep, two bad habits!
Holiday Gifts - DD's room is overflowing some of the toys she cannot use for a while so I put them away for storage.
Katie - Same problems with the clothes and seasons. We also have bought some leg warmers (ie. baby legs) for the short pant problem and she wear them with dresses too. Also old navy has some baby pants that are like leggings and a lot tighter than most of DD pants.
Eating - DD has been eating solids for the past month now on and off. We have tried pureed carrots, bananas, and apples and DH tried korean pear juice. I still have not gone back to the rice cereal since the 1st type caused severe diaper rash. We hope to start squash, peas and green beans next then meats/ proteins. Today was the first day we began feeding solids twice a day. I usually give her half of a made bottle for a feeding and then give her half of the container of puree (if using store bought) then change her for bed, play then give her the rest of her bottle. I plan to have MIL give her the morning solids the same way (formula, solids then rest of formula with changing into her day clothes after eatind the puree)
Do you use the high chair? We have been using the bumbo chair since it is so easy to clean afterwards.

[twainny]

how much are you up at night with your DC? Is it too much of me to expect DS to sleep from 7pm until 4am? Currently he is waking up at 1 and 4, I really really want to stop feeding him at 1am. It is sooo much harder with two, cause I don't want to let him cry too long, for fear he will wake DS1 up. This no sleep thing is killing me. (it doesn't help that i usually go to bed around midnight).

We started rice cereal. He likes it okay. I am sure he would like it more if I would mix it with BM instead of water, but he is eating it. I was hoping it would help him sleep longer, but it hasn't. oh well.

Not much else is going on.

[RobynScott]

Twainny - things with my DS vary - so I don't want to jinx anything, but lately, that's not too much to expect. If he is insisting on eating, can you shorten and shorten the nursing sessions so he loses some interest? I was trying to do that for a bit - basically shoving the pacifier in his mouth / shoving my nipple out after a short time- and trying to put him back to bed - he lets me know if he really needs to eat - but other than a recent supply dip which we seem to be bouncing back from - he seems to be ok.

Without commenting (here) on the recent drama, I have decided to start spending some more time on LiveJournal. I know some of us are already over there - if anyone else is interested in catching up over there, friend me and let me know who you are overe here - I have the same username there.

Hope everyone had a happy new year!

[ceaserbride]

Twainy- It took a little while for dd to relise she wasn't hungry after we started her on cereal. She was so used to waking up at 3 that she kept doing it out of habit. You could try a pacifier instead of feeding when you get up, if you really think she's not hungry. This could be hard if you are bf'ing though and your dc relates you with FOOD! If that is the case, if could help if dh went in to try to confort dc back to sleep. Good luck:)

[Ellyn]

Winona was sleeping through the night, but since her surgery the week of Thanksgiving, she has been up twice during the night too. She is up at 12am and 4 or 5 pm - on the dot! I have been feeding her, and she goes right back down. I started cereal, too, and was hoping that would help but no luck. I think DS was 9 mo old before I stopped feeding him at night...but can't remember for sure. Mommy brain. :rolleyes: But I too have thought about doing the paci thing first and then if she still insists on eating, I'll feed her. The only thing is, it is so much easier to breastfeed her and put her back down than it is to walk back and forth between our room and hers, "plugging" her in and trying to get her back to sleep only for her to wake up an hour later to eat. I am still changing her diaper at night - is anyone else? Do I need to still do this, or should I just leave her? I usually do it at the 4am feeding. She's finishing up her last box of 2-3s and going into size 3s. (She's 18lbs!!!) :p

[Ellyn]

She is up at 12am and 4 or 5 pm - on the dot!

Oops...I meant 4 or 5 AM!! Can't figure out how to edit...can we still edit?

[twainny]

ceaserbride - haha, the thought of DH getting up with either kid in the middle of the night is the funniest thing I have heard in a long time. I don't think he has gotten up after midnight with either child - EVER! It totally sucks.

ellyn - I think my first was 9 months old when he didn't wake up anymore for a feeding too. I guess 3 more months isn't THAT long, but the thought is depressing!

I don't really need DS to sleep through the night, I need him to give up just one of the two feedings. I need some continuous sleep!!

[bensgirl1222]

twainny Your schedule sounds like a dream compared to my DS! LOL He goes to sleep around 8/9pm now and will wake up around 11 or 12 and then up from 2-3 hours from then on. While it sucks...cant really complain bc its better than having him up every hour and crying when I put him down (which is what he used to do...)

[ceaserbride]

Ellyn- I haven't changed Austins diaper in the middle of the night for a long time. She it never really seems that full and SCREAMS if I try (when it's poopy). She just wants to eat and go back to sleep. She had a diaper rash once (due to teething) and I changed it then in the middle of the night too.

[jimmysgirl424]

Katie If you are concerned about the nutritional value of the cereals for Maddy, I believe Beechnut makes whole grain versions of theirs. Hope that helps.

[ceaserbride]

Hienz also makes an all their cereals in and Organtic, Whole Wheat variety. Austin is currently eating their rice cereal, Barly cereal and oatmeal cereal

[littlecindy]

how much are you up at night with your DC? Is it too much of me to expect DS to sleep from 7pm until 4am? Currently he is waking up at 1 and 4, I really really want to stop feeding him at 1am. It is sooo much harder with two, cause I don't want to let him cry too long, for fear he will wake DS1 up. This no sleep thing is killing me. (it doesn't help that i usually go to bed around midnight).

i still wake up twice a night with adrian. about 2:30 and 5 or so. i think it's the breastfeeding. have you read "no cry sleep solutions"? there's some suggestions in there...

[littlecindy]

Without commenting (here) on the recent drama, I have decided to start spending some more time on LiveJournal. I know some of us are already over there - if anyone else is interested in catching up over there, friend me and let me know who you are overe here - I have the same username there.

i've been on LJ for a couple years now. if anyone's interested. same name over there, too.

[alliannie]

Blake is not even close to sleeping through the night. So I think it may be to much to ask. Some kids are just hungry at night. I wish it wasn't to much to ask for but I know in our house it is!

Welcome back Ceaser! It has been a long time since I saw you around. I hope everything is going well with you and your LO.

I am on LJ too. My user name is in my signature:).

[jimmysgirl424]

Ceaserbride!! Good to hear from you, sweetie! Missed you here and glad to hear that you and baby Austin are doing well!

[Happy1]

May I join? I just found this thread. We actually are in the process of adoption and were placed on October 22, 2007 with a 2 month old girl. I thought this would be the best place for me to come to since I can see other children around her age and relate to other parents who have children her age too.

Username: Happy1
Me: Nikki (birthdate 7/17/1978)
DH: Tim (birthdate 11/2/1969)
Married: June 8, 2002
Any other children: 3 angel babies
DC: Azelia Yolanda
Birthdate: August 26, 2007
Adoption placement: October 22, 2007
N/B Stats: 6 lbs. and some odd oz. (I have the info at home on her info sheet-I'll check it out and change it here)
2 weeks Stats: 7 lbs. 4 oz.; 21" Long; Head Circumference 35.5 c.m.
2 Months Stats: 10 lb.s 9 oz.; 22 1/2" Long; 39.5 c.m. HC
4 Months Stats: 15 lbs. 6 oz.; 25 1/2" Long; 41 c.m. HC
6 Months Stats:

As for STN, we were very fortunate that for the first week in our home, if we kept her in her carseat she would STN (we opted not to change her sleeping in her carseat because she was still getting used to a new home and new people after being in foster care for 2 months). Then we decided to try to get her used to her crib. I bought a support to put in her crib so she could still have that feeling of closeness and for the first week of that she only would wake up once at 3:30 a.m. for a feeding and then she'd sleep until 6 a.m. After that week was up, we'd put her down around 8:30 p.m. and she would wake up at 5:30 a.m. (we're normally awake at 5 a.m. so this was perfect). She doesn't cry and would probably stay in her crib longer if we wanted her to but we get her out of the crib at 5:30 a.m. for her feeding and go with that.

She is the perfect starter baby. She is very laid back, is a sound sleeper and loves attention and people. We can hand her off to anyone.

She hates tummy time but loves trying to stand. So she has very strong legs but her arm muscles need some work yet. If we put her on her stomach, regardless what we have for her to do there, she will either cry for however long we have her down or fall asleep. Eventually she'll get it, I'm sure.

The doc just said we could start her on rice cereal so we're giving that a try. It's not so great yet (I think she wonders where her bottle is) so we've been giving her a little cereal and following it with her bottle until she gets used to it. She's certainly not wasting away so I don't think we're doing her any harm. :p

In short, not knowing what kind of a situation she was coming from we were totally prepared for the worst, colicky baby in the world and we ended up with the best case scenario...for now. We figure we'll get paid back for it either when she hits the "terrible two's" or when she's a teen. :p

I do have a journal over in LJ. I'm crazyhappy1 over there so if you aren't on my Friend's List and wish to check out the journal just let me know. I'll be happy to add you.

Now I have to read all of your journeys and see what's been going on here.

Nikki :D

[Happy1]

I forgot to add a picture of Azelia (Ah-zay-lia just like the flower but spelled a little differently).

Here is one we have shortly before we brought her home (we had a total of 9 days to prepare for her from the time we were notified until the day we brought her home):
<a href="http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a263/Crazyhappy1/Azelia/?action=view&current=Azeliacloseup.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a263/Crazyhappy1/Azelia/Azeliacloseup.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Nikki :D

[Happy1]

Doh!! Hey-how do I edit? I can't seem to find that feature. Anyway, this is what I meant to post:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a263/Crazyhappy1/Azelia/Azeliacloseup.jpg

[jimmysgirl424]

Happy1, she is absolutely gorgeous! :D Congratulations on your adoption of a perfect little baby girl!! So, some suggestions for you, if you want them!

For the rice cereal, we mix a tablespoon into each of her bottles, per our ped's instructions. DD was born with reflux and also was cluster-feeding like crazy, so after about two weeks of that, our pediatrician had us start adding the cereal. It certainly helped out, especially with cluster feeding. If she won't take the cereal but you want her to have it, you could mix it right into her bottle.

For tummy time, have you tried using a Boppy? Our DD wasn't too crazy about tummy time if we laid her flat on it, but laying her on the Boppy worked out fine.

Wow, nine days to get ready? How in the world did you manage to get everything you needed and set it all up in such a short period? That is really amazing!

[twainny]

welcome Nikki! Congrats on the little baby girl! She is beautiful. Where do you live in WI? I am from WI too, but I am living in Egypt now. My parents live outside Milwaukee.

DS ate a ton of rice cereal tonight... he had seconds! I think his system is trying to get use to the new food, he didn't poop for like 5 days. He did twice today, one being a huge blowout (haha, DH was here with him for that!!)

I don't know what LJ is... I barely have time for CC, much less anything else. Heck, I don't even know how to post pictures on here.

[Happy1]

jimmysgirl I wish these pediatricians would get on the same page. Our ped told us not to do that (so she gets used to the idea of cereal being separate from the bottle) but I say to heck with it! The more people I've been talking with lately, the more who are adding it to the bottle so I think that's something we may have to try. We did try tummy time with the Boppy we have but she still hated it (we've tried it a couple times like that). However I did just get a smaller Boppy meant to help out with tummy time that we have yet to try. Thanks for that suggestion!! As for the 9 days, thankfully we at least had all the furniture and the room all ready (I actually had just finished putting everything together in that room very shortly before we got the call). The only thing we were missing was clothes!!! Thankfully, a guy I work with and his wife had 6 bins of clothes of sizes from newborn through 4T sitting in their garage that they hadn't gotten to take to Goodwill yet. They said we could have them all. I don't know what we would have done without that! Thanks again for your very helpful suggestions.

twainny Thanks. :) I live 15 minutes north of Watertown. We're about 50 minutes away from Milwaukee. Wow-you're a little ways from home! How long have you been in Egypt now? Way to go for your DS having the blowout for your DH to take care of. :p Oh, LJ is www.livejournal.com. Just another message board I like because you can filter who reads your stuff. There are so many message boards around though it's hard to keep up!!

Nikki :D

[karlatta]

Nikki - I friended you on LJ. I remember you from way back in the WC days. I think we were even journal buddies at one point. :) I am so, so happy to see you in here! I look forward to reading more of your story. And, uh, I had two hours notice when my DS was brought to us, so I know how utterly overwhelming it can be to suddenly be thrust into parenthood!

[Happy1]

Karlatta 2 hours notice?!?!? Jeepers that's sure quick! I won't complain about our 9 days. :p

Nikki :D

[jimmysgirl424]

Happy1 So, did anyone throw you a shower for your DD or did it all just happen too fast? Did you register anywhere? I just can't imagine trying to buy all that we needed for DD in such an abbreviated period. And honestly, we got so much from our showers that we would have been in trouble if we had had to buy all of that on our own, KWIM?

As far as the cereal goes, DD still gets it in her bottles, but we also recently started her on baby food as well. So once a day, she gets either squash, sweet potatos, or a mixture of baby oatmeal and barley cereals. I mix the cereal with breastmilk and DD just gobbles it up. :) DD has been taking rice cereal in her bottles since she was just barely three weeks old, but again, that was because of the reflux and cluster feeding issues I mentioned. Sounds like you got very lucky with a very laid-back, easy going baby. And she's sleeping so well for you too! Wow!

[Happy1]

jimmysgirl Well back in 2003 I did have a shower when I was pg with our son (he died at birth due to some unknown rare genetic problems) so thankfully we had the majority of the "necessary" items from that. That's also when we had bought a crib and a rocking chair and had pretty much furnished the room. After Jacob died we decided to just keep the room as a baby's room since we knew we still wanted kids some day. It just really needed the wallpaper torn down (I had never done that), a good paint job and all that furniture we had in there really needed a good dusting and cleaning since I pretty much hadn't touched the room other than to vaccuum in it. Clothes were the only things we didn't have. Well, that and diapers but diapers were easy enough to get. It was sort of chaotic getting everything cleaned and sterilized though. :p

Nikki :D

[Kristy119]

Welcome Happy1! Your dd is adorable! I love those cheeks! And look at all that hair :). I have seen you around WC and here and I am really so happy that you have your baby finally! Congratulations!

[Happy1]

Kristy Hi!! Thank you so much!! :)

Nikki :D

[Katie&Micah]

I'm way behind, so no SO's. But welcome to the new ppl!

Maddy had her 6 month check up today and is now..

17lbs even and 25 6/8 inches long.

Over the weekend she mastered sitting up on her own. Of course she'll only do it if you're sitting next to her, otherwise she sits there and screams hysterically. It almost seems like she's scared to be sitting up all by herself.

[Happy1]

Katie&Micah Way to go Maddy!

Nikki :D

[Katie&Micah]

Are we not able to edit anymore? I wanted to add to that last post that she's had green beans without any reaction. Which makes me very happy since the squash and bananas didn't sit well with her. Today I'm trying peaches and tomorrow I'm going to make a big batch of green beans to freeze.

[Katie&Micah]

Thanks Nikki! I'm very proud! :D

[Happy1]

I was wondering the same thing because I had screwed up one of my posts. Apparently the edit feature is turned off.

Nikki :D

[Ellyn]

Nikki - I was just about to post, too and say I remember you from WC days...I'm so happy for you - I remember (quietly) following your story. Congrats! :)

Twainny - DD used to poop every day and now that's she's on rice cereal she's been going 5-6-7 days between going...she's going on a week and I am hoping :p that I'm not home when she goes because I know it'll be a blowout! :D

I am also from WI :)

Katie&Micah - Are you following a specific book for making your own food? All I've made is sweet potatoes and haven't actually tried them with DD (I just froze them - 4 cube trays full). Are green beans hard? Have you made peas yet? I've heard they're a PITA because you have to shell them...and you could buy the frozen ones but then you can't refreeze them (into cubes)

[Katie&Micah]

Ellyn
I haven't made any of the food yet.. I've been buying the Gerber food to try them out before I make a big batch. So far green beans are the only food she hasn't had any sort of negative reaction to.

I've gotten my info from this site (http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com), which says that it is ok to refreeze frozen fruits and veggies. It says this..
"Can I safely use frozen vegetables or fruits to make baby food purees and refreeze them?"

One of the most commonly asked question is "Can I safely use frozen vegetables or fruits to make baby food purees and refreeze them?". YES! You can refreeze frozen veggies & fruits! We have no idea why some book(s) may say that it is not OK to do. There are no studies or research to show that refreezing is negative and/or may adversely affect health. We can only surmise that those books are geared to promoting the consumption of only fresh, organic foods and they ask that you shun anything that may be frozen or "conventional". The caveat is that you must cook the foods prior to refreezing them.

Using frozen fruits and vegetables is the second best option to using fresh foods. The process of flash-freezing (foods being frozen at a very low temperature and frozen very quickly) actually preserves and allows for optimal nutrient retention.

Picked at the peak of freshness, a vast majority of frozen veggies are flash frozen either right in the fields or in the warehouse close by. "Fresh" veggies may sit around in trucks and warehouses and criss-cross the country before it even makes it to your table.

The fact is, cooking foods deplete more nutrients than does freezing foods. Contrary to myth, Freezing foods (fruits and vegetables in particular) does NOT deplete 100% of that food's vitamins and minerals. The process of freezing, if kept at a constant 0 degree temp does not contribute to a TOTAL loss of nutrients - if it did, then the majority of the population would be malnourished as we rely on and eat a large amount of frozen foods.

If you ever forget what the "rule" is, remember this example : you can take out a roast that was frozen uncooked & raw, thaw it, cook it and then freeze the leftovers for another meal. Once you have thawed the leftovers, you should never re-freeze the leftover-leftovers!

The package says not to refreeze!

We received the following from one of our visitors:

Q. Just reading the section on using frozen food to make baby food and then refreezing. I was just concerned because on the package (Green Giant Peas) it says to not refreeze thawed product. Do you know why that is??

A. You should never refreeze a thawed product, that is correct. Refreezing thawed products may affect the taste and quality (and possibly very minutely, the nutritional value) of the product. You should ALWAYS cook a thawed product prior to re-freezing it! Cooking a thawed product will allow you to then re-freeze it for one cycle.

Frozen veggies are NOT cooked when packaged and so they must be cooked prior to eating. Please be sure to read the label of your frozen veggie bags as some brands of frozen veggies do come pre-cooked. You would not want to refreeze these! For more information concerning freezing food and food safety, see the following:

[Ellyn]

Thanks for the info! I have Super Baby Food (the author is very pro-organic, pro-vegetarian) and i am sure that's why she also "shuns" the frozen foods. It still has to be better than the jarred, right?

It makes sense (the roast comment made the info make more sense to me :p)
THANKS!

[ceaserbride]

Thank you for the Welcome Back Girls! It's good to be here. It was just so hard to post from home with dial up (We live WAY out in the country and it's all we can get) and with a little one but now that Austin is a little easier I hope to be on here more.

I don't think I posted here at all after her birth so just a quick recap...

We had a long hard labour (31 hours) and we had an epidural as expected (which was great!) and after 5 LONG hours of pushing, an episiotomy and a further tear due to my babes quarterback shoulders, Austin Taylor arrived big and healthy on Friday July 13th 2007.
She was actually 10lb and 22.5" long a birth, which made me not feel so bad about taking so long to push her out:p
Since we've been EBF'ing which is going great and she has recently started solids. She's growing like a weed and is now 20lb and 27" long! She's currently learning to sit for a bit longer periods of time and trying her hardest to get up on all fours:)

Wow...doesn't it seem like we all *just* got pregnant? Where does time go??

[ceaserbride]

Update:

Ceaserbride
Me: Tasha, 25
DH: Jason, 25
Married: August 5th 2006
Any other children: Furbaby Titus
It's a GIRL! Austin Taylor
ADD: 7-13-07
N/B Stats: 10lb 22inces long
1 Month Stats: 11lb 11.5oz
2 Month Stats: 13lb 4oz
3 Months Stats: 15lb 3oz
4 Month Stats: 17lb 1oz - 26"
5 Month Stats: 19lb
6 Months Stats:
9 Months Stats:
12 Months Stats:

[Katie&Micah]

It still has to be better than the jarred, right?
I certainly think so. I've tasted the jar food and I'm not impressed so far. All of tastes like muted versions of the actual food.

Welcome back Tasha! Do you have any pics for us? I don't think we've seen your little one yet!

[Katie&Micah]

And since I always like posting pics of my kid here is another.

http://bp0.blogger.com/_OngWrHVDQY4/R4Ks_Mo0TlI/AAAAAAAAAUc/waNMkkCLLVY/s400/Imported+Photos+00600.JPG

[Happy1]

Ellyn Thank you. And another Wisconsinite!! So what general area are you from again?

ceasarbride I hear ya on the dial up thing. It was first right before Christmas that we finally got satellite internet (the only thing we could get other than dial up because we also live way out in the country). Boy that puppy flies now. Finally!!

Nikki :D

[ceaserbride]

ceasarbride I hear ya on the dial up thing. It was first right before Christmas that we finally got satellite internet (the only thing we could get other than dial up because we also live way out in the country). Boy that puppy flies now. Finally!!

We looked into this but it was a $700 initial cost!!! I don't think we use it enough to justify that kind of cash!!

[Happy1]

We looked into this but it was a $700 initial cost!!! I don't think we use it enough to justify that kind of cash!!

Yikes! I forgot what ours was but I don't think it was that much. We got a package deal with getting DirectTV as well and I think Tim figured if we disconnected our landline (which we wanted to do anyway), it would only be $10/month more than what we're currently paying and we'd have much faster internet. Yeah, I would have a hard time swallowing that $700 initial cost too. That sucks they don't have a better option for those of us living in the country.

[twainny]

Katie and Ellyn - I just bought avocados and sweet potatoes to make DS some food! I am giving him rice cereal until 6 months (two more weeks) and then will start on food (well, I may start before that). I followed Super Baby Food with DS1, and I just pulled it out to read for DS2. I didn't think she was anti-frozen food. I don't have that many choices here, since the commissary is so small and doesn't have the best veggie dept. and even fewer fruits.

The only canned food I bought were carrots and peas. Oh, and I just bought "normal" sugar free applesauce, cause if you read the ingredients on the baby food and a jar, it is the same. Why pay the extra $$ for single servings.

And do you know that stage 2 food is the same as stage 1, just in bigger containers, so you can buy it and just put 1/2 into a bowl and save the rest?

Nikki - Cairo is okay. I miss home, both WI and VA. I can't wait to take the boys back next winter and let them see the snow. DS1 will love it, since he did this time last year. He built a HUGE snowman with his grandparents. It is things that like that, that I miss my kids doing. The grandparents won't be around forever, and I want my kids to know them. Luckily, we do do Skype, so DS1 does know who gamma and ganpa are :)

[Asha]

happy - congrats on your little girl!! she is precious. my dd hated tummy time for the longest time too. she now is starting to like it more.

updated stats
4 month wbv - 14 pounds 11 oz and 27 inches long!!! (she is off the charts for height)

we have been busy moving. getting through the airport with dd and the cat was a nightmare. luckily, my mom was there to help me as dh had to stay behind for a few extra days. they actually made me take the cat our of the carrier and carry her in my arms through the metal detectors. i don't know how i would have carried both dd and the cat through the detectors. also, dd literally screamed for the first half hour when we boarded the plane, and passengers were giving us the evil eye. luckily, she slept the entire flight after her screaming fit, and it was kind of ironic that one of the passengers giving us dirty looks ended up having their toddler scream more than my dd.

[Happy1]

Asha Thanks. :) Holy man your little girl is sure a tall one! Glad to hear you had help with the airport. I can't even imagine.

Nikki :D

[Katie&Micah]

And do you know that stage 2 food is the same as stage 1, just in bigger containers, so you can buy it and just put 1/2 into a bowl and save the rest?
Really?? That's not right! Here I was thinking they were a different consistency or something.

[jimmysgirl424]

Really?? That's not right! Here I was thinking they were a different consistency or something.

Me too! How misleading is that! :rolleyes:

[twainny]

stage 3 food is a different consistency, it is "chunkier" we fed DS1 that at the same time as when he was getting some regular food.

[ceaserbride]

I really think it depends on the brand you buy. Some are a different consisatancy. Some begginer are strained and junior, alittle chunckier.

[Katie&Micah]

Ok.. green beans were a disaster today. The website says they are hard to get smooth, but I wanted to try it anyways. I did the food processor first and that didn't get it smooth, so then I put the already processed green beans into the food mill and that still didn't get it smooth enough to give her now. So I froze it and I'll give it to her when she's on to stage 3 stuff I guess.

I'm disappointed. I hope the other stuff turns out better. I'm thinking peaches and pears should get pretty smooth, right?

[RobynScott]

Katie - you're better than me! I doubt I will even be attempting to make my own food - heck, I have a hard time making more than just sandwiches for Scott and I ;)

So - what's the definition of creeping? crawling? Seth has started to pull himself across the floor using his arms - usually to get to paper or the computer cords! Time to babyproof and get some gates for the stairs!

BBL for shoutouts - baby calling!

Hope everyone is doing well!

PS - I've started a LJ as well - let me know if you're over there and want to be friended (if you're not already)

[RobynScott]

pps - sorry I missed more SO's - I am zonked right now but wanted to say hi - and WELCOME HAPPY! Congratulations!

[lovelifeandlivelove]

Welcome back caesarbride!
Welcome also happy1, DD is very cute, congrats!
Making food - So far I have only made carrots and squash (the green kind that isn't zuccini). The carrots pureed very well and t