October & November 2007 Babies - Loving our Fall Babies!

[FSUSammy]

Vax - Chiming in kinda late on this but we are just going with the normal vax schedule. I'm one of those that don't really take stock in vaccines causing autism. DS is in daycare and they require him to be current with his vax anyways. He took his 4 month shots a lot better than his 2 month shots. I was expecting a full on fever and super crabbiness but nothing. I think I might have given him tylenol once and that's it. His legs didn't even bother him.

Haven't been on here lately because we are sick again. Ok well more like I'm sick again with cold #3 and DS is sick with cold #1. I know its from the extra germs I'm encountering at daycare and I wish there was something more I could do to avoid it. I know its good but UGH I'm tired of being sick already. We are doing good on solids so far. He liked rice cereal, LOVES oatmeal cereal, and did great with carrots and we are now on sweet potatoes and he's loving those too. I hope it stays this easy with him.

[Peever]

DD is 5 months old today and DS will be 4 on Tuesday. They are both getting so big!

DD is doing pretty well. She's good at rolling over from tummy to back, but hasn't figured out how to roll from back to tummy. She sits up for a couple of minutes on her own. She's found her feet and this morning I found her socks off all wet by her face. Apparently they're quite tasty. She's sleeping pretty good - about 8-10 hrs at night, but unfortunately she's up for the day after that - usually at 5am. Most of the time I can bring her back to bed with me and she's content to lay there for a little while and take another little catnap, but that only lasted until 6:30 this morning. She's got something crammed in her mouth at all times and is a drooling machine. I doubt she'll get teeth for another few months though. I'm going through lots of bibs in the mean time. I'm holding off on solids for another month or so. DD isn't showing any interest at all and I'm still on a very limited diet while bfing so I'd like her digestive system to mature a bit more anyway.

I'd better get back to cleaning before DS's party tomorrow. I still have a lot left to do and he's refusing to nap today.

[gardenmommy]

I think after this month, I'm going to stop and let nature take its course. I do want another child and I'm already 35 1/2 so I shouldn't wait that much longer. And I REALLY want a boy because I'm a little jealous of Natalie being Daddy's little girl. I can't blame her since I was too but the way she looks at him....it's so cute! More than anything, of course, I want another healthy baby!

You know, I so agree!
I have a 2.5 yo DD who I love to pieces, but I adore having a boy. My DD is definatley daddy's girl, mainly because I SAH with her all day and she misses time with him, but Thatcher is definately a mommy's boy. They are both so different and I;m so glad I have at least one of each.

DTD~Oh, we've been back on that horse for a long long time...we might have waited 3 weeks? What can I say? My DH is super cute! Just kidding:D

Vax~So far we've gone on schedule as recommended by our ped. We haven't had any adverse reactions or even crabbiness, so it's going well. For those of you who are planning to naturally expose your kiddos to viruses like Pox how are you planning on doing that? Just curious!

Car Seats?? Has anyone moved their babies from an infant seat to a convertible seat yet? I think Thatcher is getting too big for his seat but I can't find the weight limit...does anybody know the weight limit for a snugride?

[Peever]

garden- I think it depends on how old it is. DD is in DS's snugride and the height limit is 26" and the weight is 20 lbs. DD is pretty short so she'll be good in her snugride for at least another month or two. I got DS a booster with a 5 pt harness and she'll take his Marathon when she outgrows the snugride. It's a good time to buy a carseat. There are a lot of good sales this week.

[daisysue62]

garden~ A good rule of thumb is to measure the distance from the top of your baby's head to the top of the plastic part of the car seat. Time to move to a convertible seat when the distance is 1" or less :)

Long time no see! Life gets super crazy these days since we're attempting (unsuccessfully) to potty train our 2.5 year old. She hasn't had any success on the potty but refuses to wear diapers which causes a lot of messes. So much fun... We had family portraits taken last weekend by our wedding photographer and get to see the results tomorrow, can't wait!

Ethan had his 4 month appointment on the 19th and weighed in at 14lbs 1 oz and almost 26" long. He got his 4 month shots and they didn't seem to bother him too badly which I'm so thankful for. The 4 month shots had the worst side effects for my DD so I was a little worried. He can roll over from belly to back and can sit unassisted for about 30 seconds or so at a time. He's still super smiley and is generally in a really good mood which is nice! He's in a hurry to do everything he can see his big sister do and is at that stage where he isn't very happy laying on his back or belly but can't hold himself upright sitting very well either. I can't wait until he's more steady sitting up because I think he'll be a lot happier!

Sitting up like a big boy
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d16/daisysue62/cutebear.jpg

4 Months old
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d16/daisysue62/happyheadup.jpg

[mobe63]

Peever--Aren't feet fun. Parker eats his socks all the time, and it seems gross to me--but since he isn't walking around all day I guess it OK!

Daisy--I LOVE his hair

[cat_loverpq]

Daisy - WOW, look at that hair! So cute!! I can't believe your DS is sitting unnassited already (even for just 30 seconds!).

[SQ2]

daisy - Ethan is adorable! :D I'm quite impressed by the sitting up too. DD isn't even rolling over yet. (Well, she did it once at the doctor's office but hasn't done it since.)

[Jenn (and Bill)]

Daisy, also impressed with the sitting up and the hair!

SQ2, what's with the inconsistent rolling? My DD rolled over three times in one day, than not again for a week when she did it a couple of times in a row and now hasn't done it since? I keep thinking she knows she can do it so she doesn't need to practice. I just don't get it!

Mobe, Natalie also loves her feet. If she's lying on her back (awake), her feet are always in the air. The other day she seemed to spend all day trying to get one sock off and never managed to do it completely. But it sure kept her busy!

Garden, we just ordered our convertible car seat tonight. She seems to have about two inches in the Snugride so I figured we didn't have much time so I got serious and started looking around and ended up with the Marathon Onyx (the same one I registered for how many months ago????). I think most of the sales are over tomorrow but 15-20% off with free shipping? Didn't think I could pass it up! Of course, you have two so you might not need to buy new....

Ok, ladies, now that we've ordered the convertible car seat, I have to get serious about a new stroller. I started the day thinking I didn't want to spend too much money because we haven't used the Snap N Go much, except for trips to the mall and such. But the more I think about it, I would like to go on walks more and when the weather is nice, I could actually take her to daycare in it. And since we live so close to NYC, we'll be using it there occasionally. So....what do I get? Do I need a regular stroller or can I get by with a lightweight because I hate how much room the snap n go takes up in the trunk! I registered originally for the MacLaren Techno XLR but now I'm really having trouble with the $350 price tag. Anyone have suggestions? The Peg P3 seems to be popular but do I need something that big and fancy or can I get by with something in the 100-200 pricerange? Sigh......why is this all so hard (STILL???)

Other than that, things are going fine. DH took her to the doctor on Thursday to make sure she didn't have an ear infection because the daycare lady said her mucous was cloudy. She doesn't have an ear infection, just a cold. DH also bought a new weird aspirator. You hold it up to the nose and suck on it (there's something to prevent you from inhaling her snot though!) Seems to work better but she doesn't seem to like it anymore than the hospital one, even though it doesn't go up her nose like that one does.

And I will try to post new pics soon because man is she adorable!

[jenji]

Vax - We are doing a delayed schedule. I haven't finished reading the Dr. Sears book, but we had decided based on other stuff I'd read earlier to do a delayed schedule. We aren't doing Roto or chicken pox and are waiting till school for Hep B and Polio. I'm mainly just spreading the others out so that 1) he doesn't get as much aluminum at once and 2) if he has a reaction we know which shot it's to. So far he's had one each of DTaP, PC and HiB and has done ok other than general crankiness and low-grade fever. Pertussis is the main thing I'm actually concerned about him being vaccinated for.

Jenn - about strollers: We have the Peg Aria which our Chicco keyfit30 carseat actually fits in nicely. I love how light it is and how it's so easy to fold and unfold and fits well in the trunk or even the front seat of the car. I never counted on using a stroller much, but since DS has decided he's not a fan of the sling and I started taking a Stroller Strides class, I'm using it a lot more than I'd planned. Like I said, it's super-light for what it is and I like that it has the snack tray with cup-holder and a storage area underneath and it lays all the way back for naps. I also love the fact that his carseat fits in it so we can use it that way for now too - that was what sold us on that one over the MacLaren. What I don't like is there's no where to put anything for mom and you can't really hang a diaper bag or anything more than a couple pounds over the handle because it's so light, it tips back... even with 18lb DS in it. I have a MacLaren stroller storage thing on the back so I have a place for my phone, keys, water, etc. It's great for walks and such, but not something for shopping or being gone a long time just because of the lack of storage space.


Us - things are going well. can't believe Evan will be 5 months this week! He's so big and so fun. I was just thinking it was exactly 21 weeks ago DH and I were crying over his bed in the NICU because he could barely breathe and now I can listen to his soft sleepy breath over the monitor. I love my baby.

Evan's first shower
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j283/jenji11/Babies/Evan%20James/chattanoogawithMa228021.jpg

[wendalah]

Hi everyone, just dropping off a pic of Audrey--she was baptized yesterday :)

She's wearing the dress and cap I wore for my own baptism in 1971!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2307226303_6835d814a2.jpg?v=1204561315

I start work tomorrow and I am so sad...I don't want to leave my baby!

[CarrieCP]

I was just looking through our old October first-trimester thread, reminiscing a bit. How funny is it that the first two posts were from PinkMartini and Ericka_Jarrett, Oct06 moms congratulating us Oct07 moms? Little did you know you would be joining us... :)

Jenn re Strollers: I think you can totally get by with a lightweight, especially if you'll be on crowded city sidewalks & lugging it up and down the subway stairs. I don't know much about the P3, but I have the MacLaren Quest and am pretty satisfied with it. Pros: Very light; small (good in crowded places); easily maneuverable (can steer with one hand); folds up easily (well, kind of - first you have to collapse the canopy and make sure the seat isn't reclined. After that, it's a snap.) Cons: Canopy is inadequate in the sun; can't get into the under-seat basket when the seatback is reclined; no cupholder (if you care about that).

Gardenmommy re car seats: We switched to the convertible at 4 months because DS exceeded the Snugride's 26" limit. It's a bummer, because the Snugride was so convenient for grocery shopping.

Daisy - Ethan is so cute!

Jenji - OMG that shower picture is so cute! Looks like he loves it.

Wendy - Good luck with returning to work! It is so hard at first, but it gets much better - honest!

4 1/2 month update...
Sitting up - DS is a little wobbly, but he is getting great at sitting up! And it happened very quickly - a week ago he could just do a little tripod position, and now he can balance fairly well. He loves it. He likes to sit and rip pages out of my magazines. :)

Rolling - He has recently starting rolling from his back to his side, but can't go all the way to his tummy unless he is holding onto something and pulls himself over. He started rolling front-to-back very early -- 3 weeks! -- but does it very rarely. I don't think he realizes that he is able to do it.

Exersaucer - DS is TOTALLY into it. He rotates the seat around so he can play with all the toys. And he usually has a very serious expression, like he's sitting at his desk, and playing is his job.

Here's my little dude at rest...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3129/2289191408_9aebce2fee.jpg?v=0

[VMB]

We had DD's 4month apt last week and here are her stats:

Weight - 13lbs 7oz
Height - 23"
So, she's short and stubby! :p
DD caught the crud I had the week before, so we delayed getting vax until she is 5 months. DH and I of course watched the Larry King Live special on autistic children the night before. They had Holly Peete Robinson, Doug Floutie and JMac on there. We were both totally freaked out. But our ped uses single-dose vacs (no preservatives in those) and all is mercury free besides their Polio vaccine, so I feel a little better.

strollers Jenn, we had a P3 with DS and I loved it. But I also used the car seat with it for 6 months or so because DS refused to sit in it any other way. We used it a little without the car seat, but mostly we switched over to the Maclaren Volo and that has been our primary stroller since. It's so easy to fold, push etc. I didn't miss the snack tray one bit. Since you've already made it this far without a stroller, I say get a lightweight one. It'll last you longer IMO.

CarrieCP what a cute pic of your DS! Do you mind telling me when you started putting your DS in the excersaucer? I think DD would love it, but I worry whether she is really stable enough to sit in it. Do you prop him up with a pillow?

Wendy,Jenji, Daisysue - all great pics of your DC's. I can't believe our babies are growing so fast!

[VMB]

Oh, do you guys know if there is a thread out there that deals with traveling without your DC? I tried a search, but couldn't find anything. We're going away in April for a wedding and I'm not sure if I can bring my milk back on the plane since neither kiddo will be with us...? TIA

[cat_loverpq]

VMB - You can now carry-on as much breastmilk as you want, with or without child in tow. :) TSA Regulations (http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm)

[daisysue62]

Inconsistent Rolling~ DS rolled on his four month "birthday" but hasn't rolled since then. My DD did the same thing. Rolled three times in a row really early on and then didn't roll again for a looong time. I'm not too worried about it, I'd rather have him stationary for as long as possible!

Strollers~ I really like my lightweight stroller, it's an Inglesina Trip. I'm pretty sure it's in the $100-$200 price range but I got mine off craigslist. I traded in my Zooper Zstreet for it last summer. My 2.5 year old uses it most of the time, Ethan has been in it maybe 2-3 times ever. I usually wear him which has allowed me to avoid a double stroller thus far! ;)

[daisysue62]

Wendalah~ Cute baptism outfit! That's really neat she was able to wear the same one you wore :)

We all have such cute babies!

[cat_loverpq]

Since we're all posting pictures, I thought I'd add a recent one of DS. He's modeling his new hat. :D (Please don't put this on the front page.)

*edited to remove photo*

rolling ~ DS almost rolled from back to tummy Sunday and yesterday, but he can't quite get his arms out of the way to get all the way flat on his tummy. :)

[CarrieCP]

VMB - I think we started around 3 1/2 months maybe? I felt comfortable because he had really good head/neck control then, but he was still really wobbly in the exersaucer (even though he just sat there like a lump at first - he didn't start moving or playing with the toys right away). We started out for just a few minutes at a time, and I kept my hand on his back to catch his wobbles. A pillow sounds like a better idea!

Catlover - What a cutie! I can't believe he's such an early (almost) roller!

[VMB]

cat thanks for the info from the TSA! I'm a little less stressed about going to this wedding now. Your DS is a regular Zoolander! He's so cute! DD is still only able to get to her side and not fully on her stomach. She's trying, but she usually gets distracted mid-roll.

Carrie CP Thanks! I'm going to have to try DD in the excersaucer. I think she'd be totally into it. Unlike my DS, she's really active...

[Lila55]

wendalah My son wore the same baptism outfit! MIL saved it from when DH was baptized in 1975.

[cat_loverpq]

VMB ~ LOL, Zoolander! Also wanted to comment that we've put DS in the exersaucer for a few minutes here and there too. He doesn't really play with any of the toys yet, just looks at them. He can't fully support himself, so he just leans forward with his chest against the side.

Question for RO's - Did your kids have any trouble going to bed when daylight savings time rolled around (at this age, anyways)? I'm wondering how much DS relies on the darkness as a bedtime cue, and if he'll still go down (and stay down) once the days get longer.

[Ericka_Jarett]

Carrie - just read your post about the 1st trimester thread, I know I sure didn't expect to be another mommy thread so soon.

Daylight Savings - Easton never had a problem with it

Exersaucer - we got Easton a jumperoo following his 4 month appt when the doc said to put him in an exersaucer. He loved his jumperoo from day 1, have to put it back together for the twins now. Julianna has pretty good head control and tries to sit up all the time now. Katelyn tries to sit up.

[VMB]

cat we didn't have a problem in the Spring, since we just got DS up and hour or so earlier than we normally would and so started his routine from that point. We made it a special point to wear him out a little extra those 1st few days, so that at night he was ready to go to bed at the neew time. I think he took more cues from what happened at home - dinner time, Mom and Dad come home from work, etc. Plus the extra hour of darkness in the AM made him sleep longer... The Fall - well, that's a different story in our household!

[jenji]

exersaucer - I put DS's together about 3 weeks ago just to see if he'd like it and he really did. his feet just BARELY touched the bottom. We've been putting him in it occasionally for a few minutes at a time with a small pillow behind him. he has fun playing with the toys. today's the first day he really played in it for a considerable amount of time

[daisysue62]

Excersaucer~ We brought ours out of the garage on Valentines Day for Ethan and he really likes it. His feet are almost flat on the ground so we'll be bumping up to the next setting pretty quick. I have a feeling he's going to outgrow it physically before he's developmentally ready to be done with it.

Daylight Savings Time~ Spring isn't that big of a problem but the fall one is never fun.

Poor little Ethan got another cold in the last few days. It's mostly a congested nose but I think today he's feeling icky since he's sleeping quite a bit. I hope it goes away quickly!

[Megande]

Is it sad that I am totally looking forward to Daylight Savings time? Reed wakes up at the literal crack of dawn, and I am ready for that to be 7:15 instead of 6:15!! I'm with everyone else that the Spring one is no biggie but the fall one is horrible. Before I became a parent, it was the other way around!

[cat_loverpq]

I have another question :) - how long do you need to use the infant head rest insert in their carseats? Is it just until they have good head control, or is there something else (like head size?) that determines when they don't need it anymore?

[SQ2]

cat_loverpq I was wondering the same thing. I feel like DD is getting really long and maybe the head rest is contraining her a bit.

Well, I think we need to start weaning DD off the swaddle. She's just too strong now and breaks out of it all the time. We'd tried before but she just didn't sleep well. I think we'll start not swaddling her for naptimes and see how it goes.

[spps]

cat_lover - We removed ours as soon as DD had good head control. Also by that point she was tall enough that it was making her uncomfortable.

[Ericka_Jarett]

Pulled our jumperoo out today. Put Katelyn in it and poor girl was nowhere close to touching the floor, even with her Robeez on. I put Julianna in it and she is on her tiptoes. with her Robeez on

[daisysue62]

cat_lover~ We never used a head rest insert and just used rolled up receiving blankets instead. We did that for about two months until DS had fairly good head control and his head wasn't all slumped over.

Is anyone else getting ready to switch to the convertible car seat? Ethan has about outgrown his infant seat lengthwise. I know I have an older version of the Graco Snugride (using the one we kept from DD) and the newer ones have higher weight/height limits. I kind of was hoping to wait another month so he'd be more stable sitting on his own but I don't think we can. I'll wear him into the grocery store etc. but restaurants are hard when they can't sit in the highchair!

[gardenmommy]

Is anyone else getting ready to switch to the convertible car seat? Ethan has about outgrown his infant seat lengthwise. I know I have an older version of the Graco Snugride (using the one we kept from DD) and the newer ones have higher weight/height limits. I kind of was hoping to wait another month so he'd be more stable sitting on his own but I don't think we can. I'll wear him into the grocery store etc. but restaurants are hard when they can't sit in the highchair!

Daisy~ We just switched last weekend and as far as comfort he seems to be more comfortable in the bigger seat. But I hear you on the not quite sitting thing. We were running errands last weekend and thought "oh lets just go out for dinner" and I said, we can't Thatcher doesn't have an infant seat anymore. So no eating out for us for a few months!

I also forgot what a PITA it is to get them into a rear facing convertible without knocking them against the door jamb!

Head rests~ We used ours the whole time the kids used the infant seat. I don't think it was necessary, but I figured a little extra cushion wouldn't hurt either right?

[CarrieCP]

Daisy & Garden - We've switched to the convertible seat, but I recently realized that I can still use the infant seat for grocery shopping, restaurants, or going for walks with the snap & go. So I keep the infant seat well secured in the trunk (so it doesn't clunk around and get damaged), and I transfer him into it when we get to our destination. It's a pain, but it's just a short-term solution until he's big enough to stay sitting up for a long time.

[papergirl]

I called in sick today so I could hang out with DS. I have had such a blast. We even went to the park after his 4 month visit today - which was all of two weeks late.

weight: 13lbs 5oz (25th%)
hight: 23" (not on the charts yet)
head: (50th%)

He's still small and isn't rolling just yet. He did today at the doctors office for the first time but I have a feeling we won't be seeing it again for a while. I'm a bad mommy in that I haven't even begun to think about getting an Excersaucer or Jumperoo.

And can we say - shoot me! Last night we started Operation - Get DS Out Of His Car Seat. Yes, he is still sleeping in the car seat... or was since last night he was in the cradle. He actually sleeps in his cradle or crib for naps so it's not like he won't. I think we did OK but DS was up about every three hours since he would startle himself awake. Let's just say !Annoying! I'm swaddeling him which might be creating another problem but I think if we don't then he'll get no sleep and cry the whole night. Today DH is on night patrol so we'll see how things go.

vax - Update on us... we are going to keep on a delayed plan. I am getting the Dr. Sears book but did some research in the mean time. Thank you to everyone who answered. Seeing all the replies (even from those not delaying vax) gave me the kick in the butt I needed to really start reading more and to make better choices that fit our childs needs. DS only got one of his 4 month shots today and didn't cry.

VMB - We're in the short and stubby group as well. :D

Daisy - Wow, so impressed your little one can sit up even if only briefly. I want to take DS to get pro photos but I am waiting till he can do more then just lay there. ;)

jenji - Great photo. Love his eyes.

CarrieCP - Look at those cheeks! He is simply adorable.

Question/Comment - I feel like I am failing in some way as a mother. Let me first say that I know I am a good mother. I like the mother that I am and I don't want to ever attempt to be a "super mom." When I say failing I'm talking more about a mother who educates herself on child topics. I want to make better choices about vax and how we introduce foods (what, when, the order). I want to read up more on sleep and schedules. Maybe find those out of the norm children activites in my area. BUT who has the time for all that reading and research. I work. I take care of my home. I attempt to spend some quality time with my child every day. I try to be an attentive wife and show interest in my husband. These things, which are very important, keep me from reading up more on baby topics and parenting. They keep me from researching certain topics that are also important but fall to way side. I don't really know what my question is - other then if anyone else feels this way? These things that I don't have time to look into the way I want are more important then the dishes in the sink but those dishes have to be washed. You know? Maybe all it is, is a bad week and this comment is moot. I honestly don't know.

[papergirl]

I thought I would add some images of DS to the posting frenzy of photos.

Here he is on his way to see MIL for the first time. He screamed his head off which is pretty much how I was feeling about the trip. Nice to know we are in tune with eachother. :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/beebeck/grandmasucks.jpg

Here he is a bit more happier at my moms house. We like her. ;)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/beebeck/stuff584.jpg

[Jenn (and Bill)]

Natalie had her 5 month WBV today, a couple days early.

Her stats are:
Height: 25 5/8 (75%)
Weight: 15 pounds, 2 ounces (50-75%)
Head: 16 something (75%)

We got two shots which she fussed about a little but we started feeding her before because she was overdue and the doctor was dealing with another patient who supposedly should have gone to the ER instead of the doctor's office!

We also got the info about starting her on cereal. I was worried about solids but it's just cereal for this month so I think we'll give it a shot. Seems like a good plan to try a new kind (rice, barley, oatmeal and then mixed grain) every four days once we've had a chance to check for a reaction. So it all went better than I thought!

Car seats: We've ordered our Britax Marathon and will transition her into it when it arrives. But I still need to figure out the stroller thing. I think I have to go do test drives this weekend!

Swaddling: she seems fine with it at night but when she starts to get fussy in the morning, she seems to hate it. I'd love to transition her out of it but we're pretty spoiled with good sleep when she's in our bed and swaddled. I hate to change it but I know we must (or she'll NEVER get a sibling).

And here's a recent photo....about a week old in her first experience with snow. I'll follow it up with the snow angel but for some reason, I can't find it on this computer.
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u191/Jennifervp/web.jpg

[Jenn (and Bill)]

OK, sorry but photobucket isn't letting me resize!!

[mlfallis]

Love all the photos.

Food: Tonight we started food, and Kyle loves it. I think it helps that we eat all our meals with him. I have also been making baby food like crazy to freeze it. I love knowing exactly what he is getting.

vax: we have a bit of a different schedule here in Canada but we are following it. He only gets one shot at a time so it made it easier for me to go along with it.

sleep: K put himself to sleep now for all nap, bedtime and in the middle of the night. I can't tell you how amazing this is. I totally recommend "healthly sleep habits, happy baby" if anyone wants sleep advice. I can't say enough good things about this book.

rolling over: K has taken to only rolling over for DH. I don't know why but anyways, at least he does it.

[Peever]

Just checking in quick before I head to bed...

Cute pics everyone!

Car seat- DD is on the short side so I think she'll last in her infant seat until 6 months+ so I'm sure she'll be sitting up on her own by then. I agree with Carrie that I'd just keep the infant seat in the car if I had to switch her earlier. She'll take over DS's Marathon when the time comes. I still have the head support thingie in her car seat. I think it will have to come out soon though because she's getting a bit too tall for it.

Exersaucer- We started DD in it a little after 4 months. She kind of just sat there and stared at everything for a couple of weeks, but she loves it now. She can touch with flat feet so I'm thinking we'll have to bump it up before too long.

Daylight Savings Time- Sucks big donkey. I need to move to Arizona. The fall one is awful. I'm hoping the spring won't be so bad. I'm not really concerned about DD because she doesn't really have a super reliable schedule yet, but DS likes to torture me with stuff like that.

Us at 5 months...

DD is still obsessed with her feet and blowing raspberries. Those are her 2 favorite past times, even better when she can do them at the same time. She even likes to blow raspberries when she's nursing. Never really thought I'd get a nipple raspberry, but there you have it.

I can't keep her on her tummy if my life depended on it. She rolls over instantly. Still can't quite roll over from back to tummy though. She sits up for a few minutes, but she's still pretty wobbly and tripods it a lot of the time.

Sleep is still going pretty well. She puts herself to sleep by sucking her thumb and it really requires no effort on my part, which is a welcome change. Feeding her, on the other hand, blows. She still can't digest anything so I'm still on my huge e-diet. Even with that she still has gas and pooping issues. I have my days. It's hard to keep up and depressing. I just keep taking it week by week. Needless to say, we won't be starting solids for a while.

I've got to try and get her pictures professionally taken one of these days and I've got to get the vaccine book before her 6 month appt and decide what to do.

[cat_loverpq]

Peever ~ LOL at the nipple raspberry! Too funny!

paper and jenn ~ Love the photos!

paper ~ You are not failing as a mother. I have the same issue of feeling like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything accomplished. It does help that DH is willing to do the dishes and some laundry to help me out. Does your DH help around the house? Maybe that would give you a little more free time to read up on the things you are interested in. We aren't superwomen and trying to keep it all together - house, work, baby, husband - can be incredibly taxing. My advice would be to tell your DH how you are feeling and ask for his help. You are in this together and you shouldn't be shouldering the entire burden on your own. :)

Us - We started using Weissbluth's extinction method this week, and it has really helped a lot with DS's waking at night. Now if I could just get him to nap a little more at daycare, we'd be all set! :p

[gardenmommy]

Such cute pics everyone!

Jenn~ We had a snowsuit just like that in pink for our DD and it was so great! Natalie is a doll!

paper~ I know this won't make you fee better, but IMHO if you didn't have those feelings every once in a while you would be kidding yourself. I'm a SAHM and I still don;t feel like I have enough time to do everything I want to for my kids. I've said ti a million times but have the upmost respect for WOHM's...I think it is a lot harder than being a SAHM. Just take it one day at a time and if you end the day feeling like you did the best for your little one then it's a good day!:D

peever~I'm so sorry to hear your e-diet continues. You have amazing patience!

Rolling~Thatcher is a rolling fiend. He is constantly all over the place and yesterday pushed up on his knees! I am so not ready for crawling yet!

exersaucer~ We've used our a handful of time (broke it out last weekend) and so far so good, but it tuckers Thatcher out really fast!

Solids~ Well I think he's having a bit of a hard time with solids...He wants to eat so much and then I think his tummy gets over full and uncomfortable. The first time he grunted for hours afterward and had pretty "different" stools later but now I started giving him a bit of water from a bottle with the cereal and his stools seem much better. I'm nervous to try veggies!

[FSUSammy]

Wow I don't check in for awhile and there is no way I can catch up. I LOVE all the new pics of the babies. They are all getting so big. We are doing well over here. We are both healthy again, thank god. Daycare is going well, can't complain about that except that he naps horribly at daycare but he does perfect at home, good thing he only goes to daycare 3x a week. He is trying so hard to sit. He will sit if I assist him a little. He is doing fantastic on his solids. We are on our last day of veggies, tonight is green beans. He is LOVING food. Next week we start fruits and I'm sure he'll be gobbling that stuff down.


Here are some pics of the little man:

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/FSUSammy/Mikey%203-4-08/IMG_2501.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/FSUSammy/Mikey%203-4-08/IMG_2510.jpg

I have a question about convertible seats....right now when we go home from daycare DS is sleeping for a good hour in his carseat which is the infant carrier right now. I usually take him in the house and leave him sleeping until he wakes up because I don't want to disturb him because he's making up for not napping at daycare. Onto my question.....I obviously can't take the seat in with me when we do move to a conv. does that mean my only option is to wake a sleeping baby?

[merjmo]

how long do you need to use the infant head rest insert in their carseats? Is it just until they have good head control, or is there something else (like head size?) that determines when they don't need it anymore?

The NICU of our hospital told us that they should never be used with babies, even if they came with the carseat. They can cause the head to be pushed forward which can apparently also constrict the airway. We used rolled-up blankets for about 6 or 8 weeks and haven't since then.

[CarrieCP]

I have a question about convertible seats....right now when we go home from daycare DS is sleeping for a good hour in his carseat which is the infant carrier right now. I usually take him in the house and leave him sleeping until he wakes up because I don't want to disturb him because he's making up for not napping at daycare. Onto my question.....I obviously can't take the seat in with me when we do move to a conv. does that mean my only option is to wake a sleeping baby?

This is a big issue for me, because DS doesn't get enough good naps at daycare. So whenever I have the time to spare, I'll just stay in the parked car with him until he wakes up. I work on my laptop or study or read a magazine. Obviously that's not practical if you have to get dinner on the table or something like that!

[Peever]

I'm just jealous that your kids will even sleep in the car! :)

[Mom2B-10.07]

Man - things have been busy and I haven't been able to check the thread in about a month. I just skimmed through and love all the pics of the babies. I was inspired by Erika's video, so posted one of my own. This was from Wednesday, Ellie's 5 month b'day. She's in the jumperoo having a blast. She can stay in there for a good 40 minutes at a time. She's also really good in the door hanging one. I have that in my bathroom and that's where she hangs out while I shower. It works out really well.

http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w192/melanierichards/?action=view&current=MVI_2883.flv

And here she is manning her baby space station (as we call the exersaucer). She really plays well with all the toys around it.
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w192/melanierichards/IMG_2745.jpg

We gave her her first taste of solids today. I chose avocado because she is only pooping once every 3-4 days and I didn't want to give her anything that would make her constipated. She didn't love it, but didn't spit it out either. Has anyone else tried avocado?

[Mom2B-10.07]

Sorry - I thought I resized, but guess it didn't work

[mlfallis]

Melanie: I haven't tried it yet but I have heard it is hit and miss. P food are suppose to be the best to keep things moving ;)

Well today K ad his first swimming lesson and LOVED it, well until he got cold. I know some people say to wait but we spend too much time in the summer near lakes and at friends with swimming pool that I want him to get comfortable with it. Plus there is a salt water pool opening in a matter of weeks here and that is alot better for him and us. Anyone else starting swimming?

Foodwise we are moving on to Pears tomorrow, I can't wait it is so fun to see him eat new food.

[Mom2B-10.07]

Melissa - thanks for the tip on the P foods. I will definitely keep that in mind. We have been taking swimming, but she isn't learning to swim yet. It's really a mommy water aerobics class and we just have the babies hang out in inner tubes. I am thinking about having her take some lessons for herself though. Let us know how it goes.

[Jenn (and Bill)]

So we tried rice cereal tonight for the first time. She didn't love it. I'm not even sure she swallowed any. Guess it's a work in progress. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere to feed it to them after formula or BM because it's not really their nutrition. But maybe she was too full? How do you guys do it?

Went and test drove strollers and totally decided on the Maclaren Quest. Went online to find the best price and color and was reminded of the no shopping basket room. So now I'm not so sure. I did like the P3 and I found a good price if I go with an older model (is there a reason I shouldn't do that?) but I thought it was a lot bulkier than the Maclarens, which is why I liked them so much. But I gotta have some room for the diaper bag?

Other than that, life is good.

[FSUSammy]

Coming in real quick to say We've got a Tooth!!!! It has officially broken through the gums and is the cutest thing ever. I had no idea it was coming up because he has been acting himself lately.

[mlfallis]

Sammy: Congrats, watch for #2, K's came in 4 days later

[daisysue62]

Mom2B~ My DD loved avocados when she was a baby! It was one of the first foods we introduced :) If you're trying to avoid binding foods I would recommend staying away from cereals and bananas. Maybe try plain applesauce?

Sammy~ Yay for the first tooth coming in easy! They usually come in pairs so I'm sure #2 will be right around the corner :)

Jenn~ We haven't started solids for Ethan yet, but with my DD I would nurse her and try solids maybe an hour or so after so she wasn't super hungry or super full.

Ethan is now officially 5 months old and has gotten really good at sitting on his own this week. He can balance there for quite awhile but gets tired out. He's trying to figure out how to balance sitting up and play with his toys at the same time which takes a lot of effort. He's also discovered that banging toys on each other makes a very big noise which he likes. He's all boy already!

[FSUSammy]

cat - sorry you are having a prob with him sleeping at daycare too. We've been at it for a month and he's just not liking sleeping there for some reason. It's very frustrating because when I go home all I want to do is play with him and all HE wants to do is nap. Hopefully soon enough our little guys will figure this daycare stuff out.

garden - When you say different stools are you saying they are harder? I've noticed that too with Michael since he started solids. What's weird is I'd think that he'd complain about it being harder to push but nope.

Carrie - Ugh sucks that you also have a daycare non-napper. That's the one thing that is keeping me from getting a convertible carseat this soon. Hopefully in a few months he'll have gotten used to sleeping there and maybe then I can transition. Here's to hoping!

Melanie - We are trying avocado tonight, but he has had all of the veggies without any problems with constipation, actually he's been more regular now that he's eating solids.

Melissa - That's awesome that you guys have started swimming lessons to get him used to water. I really want to do that soon. I'll keep an eye out for tooth #2 for sure. Now I'm prepared.

Jenn - Michael didn't care for cereal the first time I gave it to him, it ended up all over the place. It's because he didn't know how to eat off a spoon. Right now its all for practice. Now that he has gotten the hang of it I give him his cereal first (2 tablespoons of cereal to 2.5-3 tablesppons of formula) and then I give him about 5 oz of formula after he's done (he has gone down from 6oz of formula to 5). Actually its a little less than 5 because I make 5oz of formula and use what I need for his cereal from there.

daisy - Awwww that's so cute that Ethan is not only sitting well but learning how to play like a big boy. So cute!

Me - Well we did well last night with tooth #1. After I posted he started really fussing. Gave him baby orajel and he didn't care for the taste of it. Then he was getting really uncomfy sitting there in his bouncer just whining, poor baby, so I gave him some tylenol and it seemed to help a little. I ended up going to Walgreens for some Teething Tablets and gave that to him right before bed and he slept the entire night. I brought them with me to work and gave him some at daycare before I left and plan on stopping in later today to give him more. At his 4 month visit we got a prescription for physical therapy for his torticollis but at the time the doc said it was mild so DH thought we could take care of it ourselves with stretches and more tummy time and forcing him to lift his head straight. He was doing great for 2 weeks and then has totally regressed back to his old ways so I'll be calling physical therapy this morning to schedule his evaluation.

[jenji]

Mom2B - we have tried avacado, just in the mesh feeder bag. he was really excited about it, but we're not actually feeding solids yet, just tasting them. that was the first we tried

Swimming - I'm anxious to do swim lessons for DS. My parents have a pool and I am excited to play with him in it this summer. We have done some swimming in the bath tub on a couple days when he was really cranky because he LOVES the water. that's it so far

Car Seats - I have a smaller car so it was a little harder to find a convertible that fits rear-facing and reclined. we got the Britax Diplomat for DS this weekend. He likes it a lot so far. I was torn between that and the Evenflo Triumph. he liked both, but his head flopped too much for me in the triumph. It does stink to take them out of the seat when they're sleeping. I've started putting on my Ergo carrier before I take him out and just put him straight into that and he'll usually stay asleep so I can still get (quiet) things done.

rolling - DS started rolling over this week and has really started up with teethign again. he's super snotty and drooly.


DS has finally developed his own routine/schedule. it's not hard and fast, but it's nice to have some sense of predictability.
7:30 - up and eat
9:15-9:45 - nap
10:30 - eat
11:40-12:10 - nap
1:30 - eat
2:00-2:30 - nap (or until 4 if I'd hold her) :)
eat when she wakes up, then she's usually good to go for the afternoon
6:30 snack and nap then bath
7:30 get ready for bed/nurse
9:00 bed/eat
up at 12:30 and 5am for snacks but he pretty much sleeps while he eats.

I do wish I could get him to take 2 decent (i.e. hour long) naps in his crib rather than 20-30 minute cat naps in his crib or 1-2 hour naps when being held, but at least we have something.

[Jenn (and Bill)]

So I guess the problem is she's too full when we try to feed her. We'll keep trying. Right now, she makes it seem like we're torturing her. Of course, we got some good pictures!

We are worried about her sleeping though! Her nose has been congested FOREVER! And she's not sleeping through the night anymore? I think it's nose-related but it's really hard on us.

Still haven't decided about a stroller. But she's five months old today. Love that!

[FSUSammy]

Jenn - Do you have a cold mist humidifier in her room? Also have you tried the Little Noses saline spray to help with her congestion?

Me - So we tried avocado last night and let me just say the kid HATED it. The faces he made were hilarious though. I ended up mixing the avocado with some squash that I was already giving him and he would take it mixed, but he just didn't care for avocado by itself. I'm gonna see if he'll do better with it tonight, I'm not ready to give up just yet.

[VMB]

jenn congestion - have you tried Vicks "Babyrub"? DD has been congested for 3 weeks now and also has not been sleeping as well. But the Babyrub helps. We also spray saline and suction her nose right before bed. Our ped said to keep the suctioning to only a few times a day though.

mlfallis that's great to get your DS into the pool. We did the same thing with DS since we also spend most of our summer weekends on a lake/boat. Even though he won't learn how to swim until he's about 3, the kid has no fear of water. It also helped make us more comfortable with him in the water. We're going to start with DD in the pool as soon as DH is back from his overseas trip at the end of March.

jenji I'm jealous that your DS will even consider napping in the crib! DD is still napping in the swing or on the go. We turn the swing on and then turn it off after about 10-15mins and she'll go for up to 1.5 hours or more sometimes. It's hard to give that up! Our nanny has been trying to get her to sleep swaddled in the PNP (where she sleeps at night), but usually ends up moving her after about a half hour or so to the swing.

car seat DD is still in the infant car seat and will probably stay there for a while. Her height of 23" leaves plenty of room to grow! :) We have the Britax marathon for DS. It's huge in the car, but he's so heavy that I'm glad we have a car seat with a higher weight limit. We'll probably get the same for DD when the time comes. We really like the Marathon and feel safe with it. But it does take up a lot of room in the car.

DD (and DS) has been sick for the past few weeks, so we're just trying to make it through. She has some decent nights, but plenty of not so good nights. Luckily she's pretty easy to get back down, but just won't stay down as long as I want her to!:p I figure we might get some sleep in 2027 at this rate.

[FSUSammy]

jenn congestion - have you tried Vicks "Babyrub"? DD has been congested for 3 weeks now and also has not been sleeping as well. But the Babyrub helps. We also spray saline and suction her nose right before bed. Our ped said to keep the suctioning to only a few times a day though.


DITTO!!!! I forgot to mention that we used that right before bed when DS was congested and it really helped him sleep better, along with the humidifier.

[cat_loverpq]

Just popping in to say that DS rolled over for the first time last Friday! YAY! He rolled from back to tummy, twice! :D Of course, he hasn't done it since then, but he is always kicking over onto his side and it's just a matter of time before it's a piece of cake for him to do.

Things are going good with us. DS is getting better at napping at daycare, so that's always helpful. We went for his 4 month appt yesterday but he had a heat rash all over his body (at least that's what the dr thought it was) so we held off on shots until that clears up later this week. We also got a prescription for a steriod creme for the eczema on his cheeks, poor guy. Anyways, here are his stats:

Height: 25.25" (65-70%)
Weight: 13lbs 2oz (25%)

His weight dropped from 50% to 25% but the dr wasn't worried. He said we could start rice cereal any time, but I'd really rather wait one more month. DS is sleeping a little better at night, going down between 7-8pm and not waking until 1-2am, but then it's every 2-3 hours after that. :rolleyes:

[VMB]

cat Congrats on your roller! :D There is a lot of "talking", blowing raspeberries and screeching going on over here, but no rolling yet!
Your DS's patterns are pretty normal afor his age according to Weissbluth. DD can also pull a longish stretch in the 1st part of the night, but then is up more often. I feel your pain.

[FSUSammy]

Congrats on your roller cat!

[emmjay]

Us - We started using Weissbluth's extinction method this week, and it has really helped a lot with DS's waking at night. Now if I could just get him to nap a little more at daycare, we'd be all set! :p
What is the extinction method, if you don't mind? My HCSHC book is in storage!

I love all of the pictures and I've been reading along. We moved 2 weeks ago and it has been crazy - we're staying with my parents and their house is the least childproofed place I can think of (for example, prescription medication and razor blades under the sink) and my son is into everything. So I'm busy all day long trying to keep him safe! :)

DD is doing fine. papergirl, she is still swaddled and we just took her out of her carseat (she slept in it for naps AND nighttime) a week or two before we moved, so don't feel bad! And my son was in his until he was 5 months. Now our next project is to get her out of her swaddle and to get the sleep positioner stuff out of the crib. Actually she's not really in her crib - she's in a cosleeper still because we haven't set up her crib here yet. But I want to transition her to sleeping without anything around her before we put her in the actual crib.

She's starting to go to sleep a bit earlier but naps aren't progressing as much as I would like - mostly she sleeps for 30-40 mins and then wakes up. I think I could probably get her back to sleep if I didn't have DS to contend with as well - I can't exactly leave him unsupervised while I try to soothe her to sleep. So once she's in the crib I guess I'll try to work on naps! At night she wakes up a couple of times but I haven't been paying attention to the time because I just pull her into bed and nurse her and then put her back in the cosleeper.

I'm still BFing and FFing both. I'm not sure how much longer the BFing will go - I'm on Reglan and my prescription runs out in a couple of days, and I don't want to keep using it (I'm not big on taking medicine all of the time). I might try fenugreek instead. But I think my supply is diminishing, and I'm not sure how to stop it since I have to supplement so the normal solutions don't really apply. I'm actually pretty happy because my goal was to get to the end of February. Now I am going for the end of March.

ETA - no rolling here yet! She did roll over twice while on our bed, but she had some help from the gravitational pull from the U in the middle of the mattress. ;)

[Jenn (and Bill)]

Wow, rollers and teethers! They're growing up so fast! Congrats to all our little ones and their milestones!

Yes, we've been doing the saline drops and the humidifiers. Didn't know about Vicks babyrub but we'll check it out. Unfortunately, now I have a cold or an allergy thing and I just worry with her in daycare, she's going to stay sick for a while! I wouldn't mind if DH would keep her home for a long weekende to give her a shot at getting well but I doubt it. His sleep schedule is worse than hers and he's done nothing around the house while he's been off this week and a half. Grrr, I wish his sister was still coming so he'd have a reason to get his butt in gear!

I just inventoried her clothes for 6-9 months and 9-12 months and I have some shopping to do! Yay! She's actually probably fine in outfits and dresses but sleepers and onesies and separates need some help. But I have coupons to Carters so it's all good!

Speaking of which, what are you planning on having them sleep in during the warm months? Lightweight sleepers or just onesies? I'm thinking we won't go as crazy with the sleepers but I am curious.

Still no interest in cereal tonight, even though we tried it halfway between feedings. Hard to tell if she's had an allergic reaction to something if she didn't even swallow it yet! I'm sure the cold isn't helping so we'll keep trying. I really want DH to put the high chair together so she can sit with us at meals. Maybe that will help!

Still haven't decided on a stroller....

[FSUSammy]

Jenn - DS is now on cold #2 from daycare. He had a week hiatus between colds which SUCKS. I'm starting to take medicine for myself because I'll be damned if I'm gonna catch yet another cold this fast. Hopefully soon enough both of our little ones will be strong enough to resist the colds at daycare.

Sleepers during warm months ~ I live in South Florida so it RARELY gets cold. I use lightweight sleepers from Carters for DS. Keeps him warm on the cold days and cool on the warm days.

Me - Well DS is officially down with cold #2! Add that with teething and it makes for a not so fun night for mommy and daddy. Thankfully today is a work from home day for both of us so I didn't have to worry about my lack of sleep. The poor baby woke up around 3 fussing in his crib so I gave him some teething tablets, that helped him until 4:30 when we was whimpering and it was because he was having a hard time breathing. He was all stuffed up. So after I aspirated all that was in there and put some saline I turned on his humidifier and he drifted back to sleep. He's still sleeping even though he should have been up by now. I wish I could still be sleeping! Oh and last night was day 2 on avocados and this time I took the mash that I made the night before and put it in my food processor to soften it up a little more and that's what did it. It was the consistency that he didn't like on the first night. But he gobbled down those avocadoes like they were going out of style!

[mlfallis]

Summer Sleepers: DH has BAD allergies so we sleep with th a/c on so I got Kyle the same weight of sleeper he wears know since the night time temp in the house is very similar to what it will be then. Ifigure I will have to get him a lightweight one for travelling to the cottage and my parents house.

[cat_loverpq]

emmjay ~ The extinction method is basically a form of CIO, but of course is coupled with teaching your child better sleep habits overall. We have a modified plan though. DS goes to sleep between 7-7:30, and if he cries before midnight (and we hear him) we'll go in and turn his mobile music on, but no touching him, talking to him, etc. We've learned that when DS wakes up those first couple times he only wants soothing and to be nursed back to sleep - he isn't really hungry. (We figured this out after giving him a 3 oz bottle PLUS letting him nurse for 15 minutes before bed one night, and when he still woke up an hour later we knew he couldn't possibly be hungry!) We turn the volume down on the monitor until midnight or 1:00am, depending on when DS fell asleep (I set the alarm on my phone to wake me up then). I turn the volume back up and then the next time DS wakes up I go feed him. And usually he wakes up every 2-3 hours after that and I'll feed him then too. Weissbluth says if you think your child is hungry to feed him, otherwise let him learn to soothe himself back to sleep, so that's what we're doing. :) Our method isn't perfect by any means, but it works for us right now. I get at least 3-4 good hours of sleep before his first feeding (I'm typically not woken up if he cries before midnight) which helps tremendously. The few times I have woken up I noticed that DS cried for less than 10 minutes and was back asleep, so I think it's working. :)

Sammy ~ Yay for liking avocados! Sorry to hear he's sick again; I know that totally sucks. DS's colds were back to back (no week of being healthy inbetween) so I feel your pain! In fact he STILL hasn't completely gotten rid of that darn cough...*sigh*

Funny story - last night when I went to go feed DS around 1:30am I found him on his belly! He had rolled over again! I don't know if he rolled over in his sleep and being on his belly woke him up, or if he was awake and just rolled over before I got in there. Either way, I was a bit surprised to find him like that! I didn't put him in a sleep sack last night b/c it was a bit warm in his room, so I wonder if that's why he was able to roll...or if he would've done it even with a sleep sack on? Silly boy!

Summer sleepers ~ I think I'll just use lightweight cotton sleepers. With the a/c on I think a onesie might get too chilly in our house.

[Aunt Liv]

5 Months already! Where has the time gone? We're doing well over here. She is STTN consistently and sleeps anywhere from 10-12 hours at night. It's revolutionized our household! It's so nice to be well-rested again and to feel like there is some sort of pattern going on. She is drooling like a maniac, but no teeth yet, and she's not rolling yet either.

Solids are not going very well, and I've shelved trying anything new for a little while. She does OK with rice cereal and sweet potatoes, but anything else comes right back up or gives her terrible cramps. I'm giving her rice cereal probably once every 2-3 days.

Gotta run...I hear my little chatter box talking in her crib. Have a GREAT day all!

[Mandos*Bella]

So we tried rice cereal tonight for the first time. She didn't love it. I'm not even sure she swallowed any. Guess it's a work in progress. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere to feed it to them after formula or BM because it's not really their nutrition. But maybe she was too full? How do you guys do it?

Went and test drove strollers and totally decided on the Maclaren Quest. Went online to find the best price and color and was reminded of the no shopping basket room. So now I'm not so sure. I did like the P3 and I found a good price if I go with an older model (is there a reason I shouldn't do that?) but I thought it was a lot bulkier than the Maclarens, which is why I liked them so much. But I gotta have some room for the diaper bag?

Other than that, life is good.

Jenn, check out the Babyplanet line. I almost bought a Maclaren as our second/lightweight, but after reading some bad reviews, continued with my extensive research. The sport model I purchased is said to have the largest basket/holder-and you can hang your bag or purse on the handles w/o it tipping back, like Maclarens tend to do.

Also, it looks great in person, and a cinch to steer. The handles are a nice height, too-so DH easily pushes as well. Good luck!

As for rice cereal, we tried for the first time this past weekend. The first 2 days were okay, the third day didn't go so well. I read somewhere to wait a week and try again, so I guess that's the plan.

Oh, and I am glad you asked the PJ sleeper question. I was wondering the same thing myself. :)

ETA: 4 mo. WBV info: (from 2/18)
18.8 pounds
26.5 inches

[Jenn (and Bill)]

thanks for all the advice ladies. Today, Natalie got her first fever and DH had to go get her from daycare. The best part is that he was sleeping and didn't hear the phone when daycare called and then I had to call him three times before he answered! She's doing OK and took the tylenol well...but she's pretty mellow.

I know exactly how she feels since I think I'm battling the same illness. It makes me sad though. Guess we'll hold off on more rice cereal for a while. I do need to check her gums to see if she's teething but I'm guessing the fever is cold related and not teething related. Would suck if she had to deal with both at the same time!

Really glad DH is home and can take care of her. I feel like all the time I've spent with her just infected her more...though maybe she gave it to me?

[daisysue62]

Summer Sleepwear~ I'll put DS in a lightweight sleeper and sleepsack since with the A/C on it won't be hot. If we're traveling somewhere without A/C I'll put him down in just a lightweight sleeper or onesie depending on how hot it is!

[Jenn (and Bill)]

Mandos, you may have solved all my stroller problems. I've read mostly very positive things about the Solo Sport from baby planet but I can't find a picture of it folded up anywhere. Would it be possible to post one of yours? I'm going to check to see if my BBB has it but they don't seem to sell that model on the website and BRU says online only. Wouldn't mind buying it to check it out but how compactly does it fold?

[spps]

Summer Sleepers - DD will sleep in one piece long sleeve cotton sleepers as the a/c will be going.

Stroller - The fold should be like the fold on the Maclaren. I have seen pictures of the double version folded, and it folds like the Macs, so the single should also. If you look at ebay listing 160216663772 there are pics of it folded. Jenn - you must live in my neck of the woods, I am also right outside NYC.


Solids - We haven't started yet. I really wanted to wait till 6 months as there are food allergies in the family, but when DD is sitting at the dinner table with us she is totally eyeing the food, opening her mouth for my fork etc.. so I may give in.

DD's 5 month stats:
Weight: 15 lb 1 oz
Height: 25 in

me - Things here have been crazy busy but good. Work has been hectic as have the weekends. No one replaced me while I was on maternity leave so I came back to 4 months worth of work. Last weekend we took DS (2.5) to the circus and spent the weekend at my parents, this week SIL and her baby are coming in from out of the country, the next weekend is Purim, the one after that we are having my sis and BIL, DH's brother and parents for the weekend for a kind of "meet the baby" party and then Passover is creeping up on me!

[Ericka_Jarett]

The girls had their 4 month appt today

at 2 months: 10lbs 14oz (50%) & 22 1/2 in (75%) & 9lbs 1oz (10-25%) & 21 in (10%)

at 4 months: 13lbs 12oz (50%) & 25 in (75%) & 11lbs 1oz (10%) & 23 3/4 in (50-75%)

So they both gained at least 2 lbs, much better than big bro gaining only 5oz in a 1 1/2. They didn't try them on the preemie chart today, but Julianna is looking great without it anyway. Katelyn's are a bit low but she is just following big bro of being on the smaller side.

[Jenn (and Bill)]

Spps, thanks for that tip...i'll check out Ebay. And we may be close to each other. I'm in Bergen County...you? Delivered in Englewood.

[spps]

Jenn - Same here, I live in Bergen County. Had both kids in Englewood. My Ob's office is next door to the hospital.

[Mandos*Bella]

Jenn, let me know if you still need pics, I can always take some when the bubb is asleep this afternoon. I know BRU only had it online, so I just went for it. I was very impressed! (I got the red, fwiw.)

Hope Natalie is feeling better today; our whole family is just getting over a bug, too. :(

Daisysue-Thanks for a reminder about sleepsacks, I need to pick up some lightweight ones this weekend.

SPPS-Mega food allergies as well here, including myself. I was hesitant to start DS on cereal, but he just wasn't getting full and staring at us with puppydog eyes when we eat our meals. He'll be 5 months tomorrow, and we gave it a try this past weekend. :o

[FSUSammy]

Jenn - Hope Natalie is feeling better. Poor baby.

Me - Well Mikey is feeling better for the most part. DH and I worked from home yesterday and coincidentally our 13 year old black lab started to have a very hard time breathing. We ended up taking him to the nearest 24 hour animal hospital and they told us his larynx was paralyzed, he has had this condition for about the last year and its just been getting worse and worse and yesterday was just awful. He had a bunch of other medical issues so we decided after seeing him suffer that we had to put him to sleep. It was such a difficult decision to make and its still VERY hard on us but we are getting through it. I'm so happy he got to meet Michael, I wasn't sure if he would have made it to then and he did. He is now in doggy heaven running around like the crazy puppy he used to be. Sorry for the depressing news.

[Mandos*Bella]

Sammy-I'm so sorry for your loss. Dogs are like children, they really are. My thoughts are with you. :(

[mlfallis]

Sammy: I am sorry for your loss. I am sure he was happy to meet your little one as well.

[Mom2B-10.07]

Sammy - I am very sorry to hear about your dog. You sound like you are handling things very well though.

[Jenn (and Bill)]

Sammy, I am also sorry for your loss. Sounds like you made the right decision and how fortunate that you could both be there on what ended up being his last day.

Spps, in that little house right before the hospital? mine's up past the hospital. That's crazy we're so close and I'm SURE I was at the hospital when you were since I was there 2x a week up till my delivery date!

Mandos, thanks! The Ebay site has a good pic and it looks really compact. Is it rugged and a smooth ride? I think I'll check Buy Buy Baby this weekend but I'm not sure they carry them. I may just take the plunge. i can always return it!

Natalie's fever is down. We think it's gone but we haven't gone rectal so I"m not 100% sure. She's staying home tomorrow anyway so she should be good to go by Monday! I felt a little better too so I went to Carters and bought some more stuff for spring and summer. Can't wait till she gets to wear all this cute stuff!

[Mandos*Bella]

Jenn-I think it handles well on all terrains, but I haven't taken it anywhere considerably rough to count. It is incredibly smooth, and the handles are very comfy. I think you'd really like it; as you said you can always return it if not :) Good luck!

Us:We went to BRU this past weekend and loaded up on goodies for B. We bought the Tiny Love Gymini mat...in which DS hated! We already have the Baby Einstein mat which he is okay with, but he gets bored with it easily, aside from the musical star. Any suggestions on other toys/mats to check out when we go back?
PSA for Seventh Generation wipes. We were using Pampers sensitive because we swear by their diapers, but B's bottom was always irritated looking. We switched wipes to Seventh Generation and the redness has greatly reduced. I also bought some California Baby bath and diaper products, but I'm on the fence-I'm not sure they are doing anything special for us. Too bad, they weren't cheap, either!:rolleyes:

[spps]

Sammy - Sorry to hear about your dog.:(

Jenn - Yup, the little house. Its very convient to have the docs so close.I am sure we were at the hospital at the same time. DD was born the 3rd and we didn't leave till the 6th, and then she was re-admitted to the peds unit for jaundice the 8th - 10th and I was there with her the whole time.

[Aunt Liv]

Sammy - I'm sorry to hear about your dog. It's amazing how much they become a part of our lives and how big a piece of our hearts they take up. Take care.

Jenn and SPPS - sing with me..."it's a small world after all..." :p How cool that you guys live SO close!

[cat_loverpq]

Sammy ~ My heart goes out to you. Being an animal lover myself it's hard to read about tragedies like yours. :( I'm so glad your doggy got to meet your DS, and I'm sure you have a ton of pictures to remember him by.

DS got his 4 month shots yesterday, and he did really well! He cried when the shots went in, but I picked him up right away when they were done and he stopped crying. I didn't even need to nurse him! He was his normal self after that, smiling and flirting with the nurses. No fever or any reactions that I've noticed so far...woo hoo!! :)

This weekend we're taking DS on a 4 hour road trip to grandma's house. We haven't had him in the car that long since he was really little (and slept all the time). We're planning on leaving around his bedtime tonight so as not to screw up his schedule, and pray that he sleeps the whole way there!!

[gardenmommy]

Sammy~ Oh I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I loved your description of him running around doggy heaven. I bet he is so happy there looking down on all of you!

Us~ Things are good. Thatcher had his 5 month birthday this week, but we don;t do another dr appt for another month. We have done sweet potatoes and green beans this week....green beans were not a favorite! Other than that he is just moving like crazy, rolling, sitting, wiggling...I swear boys are way more active than I expected! He is also a real giggle puss...We are getting ready to move soon and I'm dreading how I'm going to make it all happen with 2 little ones on different nap schedules! He slept all the way through the night 12+ hours last night and that hasn't happened for a while so I feel like a new mommy today!

Here's my current favorite pick of him...

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb228/gardenmommy_photos/journal%20photos/P2240053.jpg

Happy Friday everyone!

ETA~ Sorry for the huge pic...I'll try to fix it!

[daisysue62]

Sammy~ I'm so sorry for your loss!

I'm so excited that Ethan is so close to sleeping through the night already!!!! My DD was 14 months when she finally started doing that so the fact that DS is already down to waking once at night is super encouraging. I think getting him to learn how to fall asleep without nursing has been the big help. I've been laying him down in bed next to me and reading. He'll fall asleep with me just laying next to him and I'll leave him there for 20 minutes or so before I transfer him into his crib. I'm having a hard time with his naps though, I can't put him in the crib since the kiddos share a room and DD naps in the afternoon and really needs to be alone in order to do so. I've been trying to lay him down in the middle of our bed but he doesn't sleep very long before waking. If I hold him he'll nap a good long time but I don't want him in that habit!

I take a zillion pictures of my kiddos, here's one from yesterday I love!
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d16/daisysue62/peahead-1.jpg

[gardenmommy]

daisy~ Ethan is adorable! We had the same problem with naps since my 2 share a room too and I finally put the PNP in our guest bedroom so Thatcher can nap there and they can each have a separate space for naps. Maybe you could do something similar if you have the space?

[Aunt Liv]

well, since we're dropping in new photos of our kiddos, I thought I'd put up a couple new ones. These were taken this week.

Amelia, 5 months:

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/ogeraci/IMG_0289.jpg?t=1205525001 http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h58/ogeraci/IMG_0270.jpg?t=1205524979

[jenji]

such beautiful babies!!!

Sammy - I'm so sorry about your pup. I know how hard it is. a year ago this month we had to put my dog to sleep. I had had her since I was 10 years old. they are wonderful friends and companions and it's so hard to let them go. I'm glad you were able to do it peacefully and say goodbye.

[Jenn (and Bill)]

Mandos, I called the BBB by us today and they have a floor model I can go look at. So I'm going to go and check it out. And I can compare it to the other candidates. So we'll see.

Natalie's doing great. Fever is gone. And the sniffles are hanging on. My cold has turned into a cough but it hurts like hell. And now DH has a sore throat. OY! Good thing we have the weekend!

[merjmo]

Sammy: I am SO sorry about your dog. Our pets are so important, and I've been through what you're going through. I'm glad he got to meet your son. :hugs

[CarrieCP]

Sammy, I am so sorry about your dog. :(

Question: Is there any reason why I shouldn't introduce the sippy cup now (at 5 months)?

[Thea]

Sammy I am so sorry about your dog. Hugs to you.

Us:
Maxwell is doing great. He is so close to sitting on his own (or maybe I am wrong about that) but he wants to be held sitting up or standing all the time right now. I am going out to buy an exersaucer this week. I figured it will make a good easter present (and I already have my 10 yo thinking it was his idea, that way there will be no jealousy issue that baby brother is getting such a big present!)

My aupair has him napping in the swing. Kudos to her because he still wants to nap in my arms when I am home (although right now he is napping in the swing for me too.) Maybe this is a trend when can continue. I would love for it to be his crib or bassinet, but since he has mostly only napped in someone's arms or in the wrap I will take whatever I can get!

Great pics everyone!

Off to make dinner while kiddo is stil sleeping....

[loving624]

No time to get all of the s/o done, but I will try some.

Sammy - I am so so sorry to hear about your dog. Dogs are just the same as another child in our family, so I am so very truly sorry for your loss. I am so glad he got to meet your son while he was on Earth.

Love love love all of the pics!

Exersaucer - okay so my dr said that the exersaucer to him is almost the same thing as a walker, limits development, don't use it. He said it's not quite as bad as the walker, but do NOT go out and get one, and if you were given one, just use on occasion. I'm not sure I buy it. Seems the exersaucer is a great find. Anyone else have any opinions on that?

Sleep - DS has always been a great night sleeper, I will never complain about that. But this past week his naps have just been off. I'm not thinking it's teething, I think he may be trying to develop his afternoon nap. I just can't hit the timing right these days. And of course everything you read is different. I'm trying to change up his schedule just a bit to see if that helps, keep him up a bit longer between naps. Hopefully this will pass soon.

Thea - ITA with you on the sitting up thing. My DS seems sooo close.

Rolling - DS rolled tummy to back a few times but hasn't yet and still hasn't mastered back to tummy. I am working with him daily but am just wanting him to do it for us!!

[Jenn (and Bill)]

We are also working on our sitting skills. She's not bad at it if she isn't distracted. But no matter which way I face her, she wants to look at something off to the side or behind her and that screws up her balance. It's cute though!

Rolling too. She's come close to back to front because she kind of rolls over to her side and arches her back so she can see what's behind her. If that arm weren't in the way, she'd have made it all the way over. She hasn't gone front to back in a while. Tummy time usually ends before she can figure it out because she usually spits up on the blanket.

How can an exersaucer limit development? We have Baby Einstein's musical jumper thing which is a lot like one. And our friends offered us a traditional one which we were going to take because she seems to like the one at daycare. If it helps her practice standing and hand eye coordination, how is that limiting? I don't get it!

We FINALLY picked a stroller. Went to BBB and compared the baby planet with the P3 and MacLaren Quest. We like the P3 but it's too big and the storage basket seems totally wasted since you can't get in from the back at all. Baby Planet didn't work for me. Even in the store I was hunching over and kicking the wheels. Quest has no storage. So we ended up with the MacLaren Techno XT. Still pretty light and compact, better basket, adjustable handles, bigger wheels. I hope we like it. OY! What a drama.

I've bought lots of clothes lately. Really trying to stock on up her spring and summer stuff in the 9 and 12 month sizes. Probably need another trip to Target and Carters but I think I'm close. I'm just worried that if I wait too long, I'm going to go shopping and they'll have fall stuff out, you know?

[loving624]

Jenn - I *think* I agree with you. However, sometimes I think I see the dr's points. That's why I want other mommies opinions. Apparently the exersaucer uses the same muscles that the walkers do, and they are NOT the muscles that they use the stand/walk, so they aren't really practicing anything useful. FWIW, they do recommend the jumperoo.

Not really a huge issue, we had a jumperoo before the dr had said this to me, but like I said, I just wanted others opinions.

[VMB]

Great pics everyone!!! There are some really beautiful babies out there!

Sammy I'm so sorry about your dog. I can't imagine if we lost ours - I'd be heartbroken. They really are like another child. Take care!

Aunt Liv I'm totally jealous of Amelia STTN -congrats by the way, that's great! She's such a cutie.

CarrieCP we didn't introduce the sippy with DS until he was able to have water which was after 6months. I sort of wanted him to learn that his sippy is for water and since he already had to go between boob and bottle for milk, I didn't want to add one more confusing thing to the mix. That being said, the only drawback I could think of is that they might possibly be too young to be able to learn to drink out of it. I think once they have the whole spoon/solid thing down, they can better learn....?? Maybe?


excersaucer we have one and didn't really use it with DS until he was about 6-7 months old. He also really wasn't interested in it and since he was my 1st, I rarely needed to put him down (slightly crazy, yes). With DD - she's super into it when we've tried it. We only keep her in max 5mins or so at this point and make sure she has plenty of "free play" time. I think it's OK to use for quick jaunts. Once they're older and have already developed muscles for sitting and crawling etc, it should not be hurting their development, I don't think. The longest DS was ever in it was 10-15mins when I was taking a shower (only occasionally while he was awake) and he was mor than a year old at that time.

sitting DD sat by herself for almost 20seconds over the weekend! OK, so she was severely slumped over and not very stable, but still... :D She seemed really excited about it and I think her days in the bouncer may be over. She seems to want to be upright and in everyone's business ;) Does anyone have the Bumbo? I've been thinking about getting that....

us DD is getting her 4month shots this week, since she's now feeling better. But of course our furnace went out overnight and so she woke up sniffling again...ugh, these things only happen when DH is 17hours away in Asia for 2 weeks! Yikes! I'm excited to see if DD has grown. She definately feels longer!

Happy Monday everyone!

[Aunt Liv]

exersaucer - My ped recommended the exersaucer as it strengthens the core (ab) muscles, which they need for sitting. My older daughter never really liked it, but Amelia LOVES it. I like that it keeps her occupied so I can get things done ;). It's so weird how different pediatricians can be!

BBL! I gotta get Amelia up so we can go pick up big sis from school.

[cat_loverpq]

exersaucer ~ I read that one of the "developmental" problems that it can cause (which is the same with a walker) is that babies can't see their feet and therefore don't put two and two together when their brain says to move their legs/feet and they actually do it. They don't make the connection that they are moving their feet because they can't see them, and that slows down the learning to walk process. But I also read that short periods (no more than 30 minutes a day) are ok. To each his own I guess! We use it briefly here and there, but DS can't sit up by himself yet so it's never for more than 5 minutes a day.

bumbo ~ We have one and DS really likes sitting up in it. The bad thing is that he doesn't have the best control over his arms/torso yet, so reaching to get toys is a challenge. He's great if we are sitting there with him, holding his toys for him. :D I think in another few weeks he'll like it even more. Here's a cute pic of him in his chair (note the toy stuck between his legs!). We call this one, "Future NASCAR driver." ;)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b64/cat_loverpq/Gavin%20Carter/IMG_1180.jpg

[SQ2]

catlover Adorable photo!

sammy I'm so sorry about your dog. :(

We have a bumbo too. Lately we've been putting it in her play gym so she can play with the dangling toys from a sitting position. She seems to enjoy it and I like that it gets her off her back. She still HATES tummy time and has not yet rolled over. :( She'll be 5 months tomorrow so I hope it happens soon!

[FSUSammy]

Thanks ladies for all of your kind words about our pup. DS is 5 months old today. I can't believe that 5 months ago I was in the hospital being induced and around this time I was told that I was probably going to have to have a c-section. Wow amazing how my life has completely changed since then. And this little man has changed too! So I think took #2 is trying its hardest to come up. DS has been teething like crazy and has been uncomfy and when I feed him his bottle he's not really drinking much anymore (he's gone down from 6oz a feeding to 5oz) and the challenge to get him to drink 5!!! The last ounce he plays with the nipple, its not fun at all.

Oh and something weird is going on not sure if its solids related or teething related but we recently started fruits and he's gone from an every day pooper to a multiple times a day pooper. And to top it off lots of times its runny type poop. Sorry for the TMI. I know some babies have diarrhea when teething but I can't tell if what he is experiencing is from teething or from the foods he's eating.

Oh and last Friday DS started physical therapy for his torticollis. It went really well. They said its pretty mild but it needs to be addressed with PT.

bumbo - We have one but DS doesn't care for it. He arks his back everytime I have him in it.

exersaucer - We have both this and a jumperoo. We've only put the jumperoo together and DS LOVES it.

Sippy cups - I say if there is no developmental probs with introducing it then go ahead. I might try it too. LOL Our pedi did ok a little bit of water but I haven't given DS any yet.

[Geranium]

sammy, I'm sorry about your dog, loosing a pet is so hard:(

I've loved seeing the pictures of the babies, they're all growing so fast!

We've had a really hard time the past couple months. My brother and SIL's adoption was finally approved by the state of MN and TX and they went home with their new baby girl yesterday. For the past 9 weeks we've had three extra people in the house and it was really difficult for everyone. They were able to attend the birth and it was amazing to have my niece spend her first weeks here with us, she is just a miracle.
pic. of my niece:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/Geranium_Bloom/Sara14x6-1.jpg

C started sitting up just before her fourth month and it has been great. I've been using a shopping cart cover for the grocery store and for high chairs and I'm thrilled that the infant carrier is out of the picture. We are taking an "early childhood" class together every week and I love spending the one-on-one time with her. The class has also been a great place to meet other parents with babies the same age.

teeth, C has six upper teeth all coming in at the same time! I feel so bad for her.

solids, we're waiting until six months and plan on starting with veggies. I can tell C is ready because she grabs at everything on my plate and goes through all of the chewing motions she sees us using at the table.

Charlie's four month picture:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o139/Geranium_Bloom/IMG_2709.jpg

[loving624]

Thanks everyone for all of the thoughts on the exersaucer. After reading everything all of the ped's say, I think that cat, what you said makes perfect sense about why it causes "developmental delays" or however they put it. Makes sense to do it just in real short snipits.

Bumbo - we too love the Bumbo, although DS did quickly figure out how to get out of it. We have to put the play tray on or he will arch his back and get right out. With the play tray he can't do that though and he seems to really like it.

[Peever]

I can't believe DD will be 6 months old next week! She's doing pretty well. Still dealing with the elimination diet, but things seem to be improving a little bit. Her sleep is still crappy though. It's been hard to get her to sleep long enough.

Sitting- She can sit by herself for a little while, but she's still pretty wobbly. She's always been super squirmy though to the point that a lot of people don't like holding her because she moves too much. She also has a 97th percentile head on a 50th percentile body. I wish I had more time to work with her, but I think she'll get the hang of it soon.

Rolling- Still good on rolling from tummy to back, but she can't quite roll from back to tummy. DS hated tummy time and didn't roll over consistently until he was 7 months old so she's doing good then. ;)

Teeth- None yet and no signs of them, which I'm thankful for since I'm nursing. ;) DS didn't get any until 8 months so I'm guessing we have a little while.

Exersaucer- Honesty, I'm not concerned. My kids have been so colicky that anything that stops them from screaming, I'm all for it. I'm sure DS sat in it too much, but he hit all the milestones right on time. It's the only thing that holds DD's attention for more than 5 minutes at a time so I can make dinner or eat.

Bumbo- I don't have one. I'm sure I'd probably use it if I did, but I didn't want to spend $40 on another baby gear item that would only last for a few months and then I'd have to find a home for it.

Solids- I'm waiting until after 6 months and then I'm going to do it very cautiously with all the food allergy/intolerances in our family and DD still has so much trouble digesting what little I'm eating. She hasn't seemed to be too interested yet so I'm fine with waiting.

Off to nap the baby...

[julietchicago]

DS is 4 1/2 months old. Time is really flying by. Question - do you count months by the weeks, or do you go by your DC's birthday? Like DS was born on Nov 12th, so March 12th would have been 4 months from then, or do you go by the numer of weeks? Like DS is now 18 weeks = 4 1/2 months. :confused:

Sitting- Not yet. I am working with him on this though. He's always got his hands in his mouth (or his "cheeseburgers" as we call them) so it's hard sometimes.

Rolling- Almost! But not yet.

Teeth- Logan is drooling and sucking on his hands like a mad man. I think we might see a tooth pretty soon.

Exersaucer- We have a jumparoo and DS loves it! He's only in it for about 30 minutes total a day.

Bumbo- We bought one, but returned it the next day. DS is just too big for it and he arched his back every time he was in it. IMO those things are too expensive anyway!

Solids- We are waiting until as close to 6 months as possible before starting him on any. Made this decision based on things I have read.

Baby is still napping now for almost 2 hours. Should be up anytime.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying your little ones!! :D

[daisysue62]

Sitting~ Ethan does pretty good sitting now, he can sit by himself for a couple of minutes before he gets too tired and leans forward too far and winds up laying on his belly! He's not sturdy enough to sit in a high chair or anything like that quite yet though.

Rolling~ He's rolled a few times from belly to back but doesn't do it very often. Instead of rolling he seems to kick his legs to make himself "scootch" along the ground a bit. Changing his diapers is hard because he keeps moving backwards on me!

Teeth~ Ethan is drooling and totally orally fixated but I don't think that means much at the moment. I'm not expecting teeth for awhile, it's still early.

Exersaucer~ We dug ours out on Valentines Day when Ethan was a little over 4 months old and he loves it! He doesn't spend time in it every day and when he does spend time in it we monitor how long he's in there. I don't think it slowed DD down any, she used it and was walking by 11 months.

Bumbo~ I picked one up off Craigslist for a good deal a little over a month ago and like it. I'm not using it as much as I thought I would but it is nice to have somewhere to put Ethan when we're eating other then the bouncer which he's quickly outgrowing.

Solids~ I'm holding off until after he's 6 months old and is really sturdy sitting upright before I start any solid food. I'm not in any hurry, nursing is sooooo much easier and he doesn't seem to be in any hurry to move on to more grown up fare :)

Sippy~ I think I introduced a sippy cup to my DD around 5-6 months old and all it had was a little bit of water or expressed breast milk in it. She didn't get the hang of it for quite a while though, and when she was a little older we finally gave her the straw cups and she drank from those no problem.

[honeygirl]

So fun to come in here and read what our babies are up to! I was just reading Brazelton's Touchpoints and he said that some babies never roll over (as a milestone), they just go right to crawling. Interesting how different norms can be.

Our dd (4.5 mo) is:

sitting: Assisted, but not on her own yet.

rolling: She goes from her back to her side, but not all the way over. A few times she was close when looking back with her head, but hasn't tried. She does this cute scooting thing on her gym where she goes in a complete circle (like a clock hand).

teeth: drooling and chewing a lot, but no teeth yet. I gave her some teething tablets last week when she seemed to be in pain and it quieted her down.

bumbo: We've had it for a while and she's sitting in it better now. We found it in a consignment store new in a box for only $23. I keep it in the bathroom but also use it when I'm folding laundry.

solids: Not yet, we're waiting in order to try to reduce allergies and ear infections. My dr said the longer we wait (till 6mo) the better if our family is prone to allergies or ear infections (we are).

Exersaucer - We don't have one yet, but once she's done with the bouncer and swing I may look for one. Does anyone know how long they last?

Our trip to visit my parents went well. She just slept and ate on the plane ride. Changing her in the plane bathroom was an adventure, especially when the turbulence started! ;)

Here she is at 4months
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/anneg/baby/Sedona024.jpg

4mo stats: 12 lbs 12oz, 25 inches

[cat_loverpq]

honeygirl ~ She's adorable!

juliet ~ I count months based on DS's birthday (the 10th). I used weeks to tell how old he was until he hit 12 weeks, then I started just going by months.

bumbo ~ We bought ours off craigslist as well. I don't think I'd pay full price for one, since they only use it for such a short period of time.

[SQ2]

honeygirl What a sweetheart you have there! She's adorable. I have also done the changing DD in an airplane bathroom during a bumpy ride. Fun times. :rolleyes:

[wendalah]

All our babies are growing too fast! :) I want to freeze DD right at this age (16 weeks)...she's so sweet and adorable.

Sitting: She loves to sit with assistance from pillows, or we just prop her up in the corner of our sofa.

Rolling: Not really making much progress here. She'll roll over if I give her a little push, but she despises being on her stomach and will protest if I leave her there too long. She doesn't initiate any sort of roll action herself yet.

Teeth: Drooling like a faucet and putting everything in her mouth, but I don't think she's teething yet.

Solids: Doctor recommends 6 months--not sure what we'll do yet. I have been feeding her little bits of water with a baby spoon, just for fun.

We don't have a bumbo or an exersaucer yet.

Here's a recent photo of Audrey, taken last week...she is completely obsessed with the toy she's holding! If she drops it, she LETS YOU KNOW she's dropped it...LOL. ;)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2178/2329346422_54c8fece14.jpg?v=0

[jjsanner]

Hey guys! It's been forever since I posted in here. I am back at work and free time is rare these days.

Love of the pics!

Caleb is doing so well! He is growing like a weed. At his 4 month WBV he was over 16 pounds and he's gained alot since then, he's getting super heavy! We are going out this weekend to buy a convertable carseat because I am so sick of lugging the bucket around! He's sitting pretty well unassisted and does OK in his high chair. And drooling a ton, so I think those teeth will be breaking through soon!

He had his first ear infection/sinus infection last week. I think he got it from his big brother, so they were both put on amoxicillian. But both boys are doing much better and looking like their old selves! The nanny is working out great.

Here's two semi-recent pics. Hopefully from now on I can be a more frequent poster (one can dream!).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/jjsanner/47b8dd28b3127cceb647c5e214fa0000002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/jjsanner/47b8dd29b3127cceb6445f4f6c7a0000002.jpg

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Just thought I'd try and attempt to post a pic of DD from this past weekend.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/2345876774_f3e3fecce0_m.jpg

[Jenn (and Bill)]

man, our kids are cute!!! I'm having DH issues again. He's been off for 2.5 weeks and he's basically done nothing on the house. Can you believe the nursery still isn't clean? I'd like to transition her into her crib soon but the room isn't ready. And the rest of the house is a mess too. Now he's sick and I can't blame him for not wanting to do anything but he shouldn't have procrastinated until his last couple of days off. It's hard to be mad at him because he's a great father and he's been pretty good about doing the mornings with her. But then she goes to daycare and he is home alone and hasn't accomplished anything except a couple of loads of dishes? In 2.5 weeks? I was frustrated enough but then today, he slept through the alarm and missed picking her up at daycare. They close at 6 and they called him at like 6:40 and woke him up! I guess I should be glad he's working next week but then he's never going to clean up his stuff. Ugh....I needed to vent. My coworkers are tired of hearing it. So I guess we're still dealing with some transitional issues!

We ordered her convertible car seat but it hasn't arrived yet because it was backordered. We should have it and her new stroller next week! Crazy!

[julietchicago]

Honeygirl - What a cutie pie!

Wendalah - That pic is adorable! She is so focused on that toy. I can't get over how much hair she has.

jjsanner - Your little guy is too cute. He looks so sweet and innocent!

VMB - What a cutie! Look at her sitting up so well already!

Edited to remove pics.

[FSUSammy]

I love all the new pics. So cute!!! We are still in teething hell waiting on tooth #2 to pop up. I've had to resort to give DS tylenol some nights to get him to calm down. Last night was BAD. He was crying hysterically and jamming his fists and his burp cloth into his mouth because he was in so much pain. Once the tylenol kicked in he felt so much better. He started fussing this morning around 5 but was able to put himself back to sleep. We go back to therapy today for his torticollis, I hope they have some good tips for me because now that I've stretched him one way he's tilting the other way!

Here is a pic of the little guy that I took at daycare last week:

http://tinyurl.com/2bglgd

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Such cute babies everyone!!!

honeygirl look at that tummy time queen! She's precious!

wendy she is so into that toy! DD has a toy she loves that much too. I love Audrey's hair! As a mother of two baldies, I'm totally jealous! :)


jjsanner I hope your little guys is feeling better! Gotta love the virus-sharing from older siblings! My DS was chunker when he was little, just like yours - you definately get a workout toting them around!

julietchicago we may have a little competition here in about 10days when the Cubs have opening day ;) My DS is obsessed with everything "Cubbies" courtesy of a family friend. Your DS is a cutie!

FSUSammy I hope that tooth comes through soon! Poor little guy!I'm not really looking forward to those days(and nights!) again!

[Jenn (and Bill)]

Cubs and Sox fans, do I have to go home and take a pic of my daughter in her Cardinals gear? Don't force me....cause I'll do it!

So my husband today told me that Natalie needs a new jacket. He's actually right since the one we have is 3-6 months and she's going to outgrow it shortly. But he hates the buttons. So I started looking online and I'm not finding much. What do you guys plan for spring jackets? I guess she should have a raincoat but also a lightweight something. There's got to be something out there that isn't a sweatshirt hoodie right?

Just curious...

[VMB]

Cubs and Sox fans, do I have to go home and take a pic of my daughter in her Cardinals gear? Don't force me....cause I'll do it!

Jenn you're killing me!!! :D It should be an interesting summer....

re. a jacket I totally splurged and got a quilted hoodie from Hanna Andersson (we also had a small gift cert). But for DS I used either a fleece bunting or a fleece top with a vest or something (which I had bought in a bigger size to last). That way you can layer.....

[FSUSammy]

Hey ladies! So DS had his PT yesterday and one of the milestones he has yet to meet is the one where he is on his tummy and he currently leans on his elbows well supposedly he should be able to pick up his chest and be on his hands. I had no idea he should be able to do this already. He hasn't even tried to do this. I asked a friend of mine that daughter is 3 weeks older than he is and she apparently has been doing this since 3.5 months! I feel like Michael is SOOOOO far behind. Is your DC doing this, and if so how long have they been able to?


jacket ~ Since we live in South Florida I really don't have many jackets for him. I do have a light weight windbreaker set from FSU that a friend gave to me so he'll probably use that from 6-9 months.

[SQ2]

Sammy DD can't do that yet either. When she's on her tummy she just arches her back and flails her legs and arms around.

[cat_loverpq]

Sammy ~ Just this past week DS has figured out that he can use his arms to support himself on his tummy. Before he was just doing what SQ2 said, flailing his arms and legs behind him. I always tried to lay in front of him and hold his arms underneath him to help him get the hang of it. I would also sort of lift him up a tiny bit (lifting his chest/shoulders), keeping his arms in front to give him the idea of how to do it. I don't know if that helped or not, but he's finally just getting to where he can rest on his elbows. DS is 4 1/2 months.

[Mandos*Bella]

Hey everyone!

Just checking in (quickly) while the little one naps :)

B got two teeth this past weekend, both on the bottom. The Ped. says the top two will break through any day now. He's bitten me a few times, little stinker. ;)

Looking for a highchair as the one we got was a hand-me-down and just isn't cutting it. I'm torn between a Chicco and a Graco. Any thoughts ladies? Suggestions?

Sammy-DS has been doing this since 4 months...I had no idea he could, either! Each baby develops at different paces, so I'd have no concerns that your little lovie is behind. If I remember your post correctly, Michael rolled over before my DS did, so no worries!! :)

Everyone looks so lovely; my how our pumpkins have grown! :o

[FSUSammy]

Mandos - Way to go on 2 teeth already, and more to come so fast! I'm still waiting on #2 to pop up

High Chair - I love my Chicco Poly High Chair. The height is adjustable so he can be tall when we want him at the same level as our dining room table or lower when I feed him from our couch.

[Peever]

Sammy- DD does get up on her elbows, but doesn't push up to her hands. I honestly don't know of any babies that can push up to their hands that early. Are you sure your friend didn't misunderstand you and thought you meant the baby being able to prop her/himself up on his/her elbows? I wouldn't worry about it. DS hated being on his tummy and wouldn't even push up to his elbows until much later.

Mandos- If I had to do it all over again, I'd get the highchair that straps to one of your regular chairs. I hate having a giant highchair in my dining room.

[Jenn (and Bill)]

Sammy, I think Natalie can do that but doesn't. She hates tummy time and I can kind of prop her up on her hands and she'll stay. But I don't think she ever did it on her own. So mostly, she just flails.

How much tummy time do you guys do a day? Honestly, we only do a couple of minutes because I pick her up when she starts to cry or she spits up!

[daisysue62]

Sammy~ I think Ethan started holding himself up with his hands around 4.5 months. I had to help him at the beginning but he caught on quick.

I took some Easter pictures of the kids yesterday so I won't have to stress about it on Easter morning. I *really* want to put Ethan in this romper for Easter Sunday but I'm pretty sure he'll be wearing pants and a sweater instead. It's just too rainy and cold!

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d16/daisysue62/ethaneasteroutfit.jpg

[loving624]

Sammy - my DS is about 2 weeks younger than yours and we are SO not doing that. DS has tummy time each day and naps on tummy as well, but absolutely cannot do that. He props himself on his elbows but cannot use his arms yet.

Have a great Easter everyone!

[FSUSammy]

Thanks ladies about answering my tummy time related question. Makes me feel better that he isn't the only one at his age that isn't doing that yet. I've been also wondering if my friend misunderstood me too since 3.5 months seems VERY young to be doing that anyways.

I've been in a baby food making frenzy this weekend. It amazed me how much money we will actually save by me making it for him. So far in our freezer I have carrots, peas, green beans, peaches, avocado, apples, and acorn squash. I only have sweet potatoes to make now. But I figured this stash should be able to hold us over for at least a month.

[Geranium]

daisysue62 - Ethan is such a gorgeous little boy!

sammy, the baby foods sound really good, homemade is so much better and cheaper.

C had her 4 month check last Thursday, the vacs. were a little harder on her system this round but she seems back to normal