May 2008 Mommies: Our Babies Have Bloomed!

[Lolly]

Ironhair and Becky, thinking of you today! I'll be there next Monday morning.

[MrsBeckyLP]

Thanks Ironhair. I hope today goes well for you too. (And thanks MrsS and Lolly.)

This sucks. That's all there is to it. I am SO NOT one of those women who thinks working makes/will make her a better mom. This is the hardest thing I have ever done. I probably won't be back here today, since thinking about Maddie and visiting this site (and probably reading all your comments) will just make me cry even more. I need to come up with something, because I cannot do this.

On a positive note, I just had my first pumping session at work, and I easily pumped 9 ounces.

[MrsSpencer]

Yay for pumping 9 ounces..

I understand not coming here, I couldn't do it either if I were you. I do hope you can figure out something so you can stay home more or altogether. I hope it goes fast for you, and your back home with Maddie soon.

(Same goes for you ironhair)

[MrsSpencer]

Just got the BEST smile picture of him..will try and post!

[MrsSpencer]

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm318/NicholasHaroldsmommy/nicholas089.jpg

[IrishEyes]

Becky - so sorry you're having a tough time returning to work! Even us moms who like to work find the return difficult. Ironhair, I hope you're hanging in too!

MrsSpencer - great picture!

MrsChappy - glad to hear that Jake is doing better!

BabyLust & sophia - wow and congrats on that great sleeping! Hope it continues!

Tashaw - must have been great to have your mother visit. I'm sure it was difficult for her to go! Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures.

Beachgirl - I hope you do seek some help. And as others have said, get out of the house! I notice that Carson gets frustrated staying in the house too, so he likes the variety that comes with changes in scenery. And he sleeps while I shop, which is nice! But it is normal to be anxious, feel tired all the time (even if you get sleep) and upset sometimes. I think just the mental exhaustion of worrying about a new baby makes a mommy tired, no matter how much sleep she gets.

Here's a picture of my two boys:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/2645738367_e31c016d90.jpg?v=0

We're doing well. Saturday night, Carson had his first nursing strike. It was weird, since Thursday night was the first night that he actually accepted and drank a small amount (1 1/2 oz) from a bottle (finally). Before that, he did not accept it. So, 2 nights later, it was the only thing he would eat from. I think it was mainly due to the fact that he napped longer than usual that afternoon (> 3 hr) and was overly hungry and frustrated. Must make sure to wake him to feed more often than that during the day.

[Standrea]

Kellie-Brody has gotten so big! Both of your boys are so handsome!

Mrs.S-what a cutie!

Becky and Ironhair-I've been thinking of you both today!

Beachgirl-I'm so sorry that you have hit a rough patch. I agree with everyone else-please get out of your house, even if it's just for a walk. You really will feel so much better!


Ellie had her 2 month WBV today. She's getting so big!
10lbs 15oz
23.75 inches
37 cm head circ.

The nurse that gave her the vacines was a bitch. I cried because Ellie was screaming so loud (Abbie never screamed like that, but abbie was a chunky monkey!), and the nurse basically told me to suck it up and be happy that vacines were available. While she DOES have a point, it's still a pretty tramatic thing!

[MrsSpencer]

I would've punched her andrea ;)

[Mrs.Chappy]

Goodluck Becky and Ironhair..
i go back in Oct but we are trying to get our childcare together now. our new nanny started last monday and i felt sooo comfortable leaving her w/ jake and his fussiness b/c she is a certified baby nurse and cert. nanny and so very calming. Well this morning she no-showed and i totally flipped out. DH took Ben to camp. i tried calling her all day with no answer. DH even stopped payment on her check but we both felt she wouldn't just abandon us. MEanwhile she called at 3 pm saying she though i wanted her three days a week tues wed and thurs and not monday.she was confused b/c i told her that once i return to work it will be three days a week. meanwhile, i debated w/ dh just staying home with the kids.. my salary just barely covers our nanny. thing is, i have a doctoral degree and a very specialized job that requires me to keep at it and up to date in the field. i'm torn between my kids and my career.

meanwhile, she is co ming tomorrow and i hope it works out. i need peace of mind that i'm making the right decision andthat my kids will be ok

[PGirl26]

I'm thinking about you Becky & IronHair. I dread September 2nd so badly. I hope you all are making it through the day okay!!!

MrsS- He is just too cute!!

Andrea: Sounds like you had a great appointment! Except for BitchyNurse RN... I think I would have said something to her. I don't hold my tongue well. That is just rude.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I left Addesyn for the first time Saturday night. DH's best friend was in town from DC. So we went to dinner and a movie. My mom watched her, along with our other two... and it was the LONGEST five hours ever. I couldn't wait to get home and see my baby. Work is going to be torture.

Thought I'd share the only family pic we have of all five of us...this was at my moms house Saturday
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a347/PGIRL26/Picture350.jpg

And here's Addy taking a bath.. she LOVES the bathtub
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a347/PGIRL26/Picture330.jpg

[Mickey&B]

Mickey: wanted to ask about your slings..i have the moby and borrowed a peanut hotsling but my friend gave birth this week and i';ll return the sling...why do you like the ring sling better than the peanut..i think ihave to invest in another since DH used teh peanut one. Does your DH use the ring sling too"??


I like my ring sling because it's adjustable. I don't know maybe it was because I have such a big chest that the peanut shell wasn't comfortable for either of us! Dylan screamed each and every time I put him in! My DH hasn't used the sling and I doubt he would he's just not that guy KWIM?

[rachrich]

I hope all who are back to work are doing ok. To me there's nothing better than seeing your DC after work. I have definitely brought less work home after having kids because I want nothing to do with work when I'm with them.

holy milk Becky! 9 oz! i would kill just to get 4 oz out of one pumping session. i can't even start a freezer stash. i'm having a hard time keeping up with DS it's frustrating. i just upped my dosage of fenugreek 2 days ago so we'll see if it helps, if not i'll take more. i feel like all i do is nurse and pump 24/7.

[ironhair]

Well, I survived my first day back, and it went surprisingly fast. Thank you for the well-wishes for today!

Actually, it wasn't all that bad. I was dreading the morning chaos but things went pretty smoothly. I was only a few minutes late this morning and I think that's b/c I lingered at daycare longer than usual. Picking them up tonight was great and for once they were both in great moods all evening. Usually they are both really crabby and needy in the evenings and I wasn't looking forward to the only time I had with them each day being their crabby time, but tonight was great. Crossing my fingers that it continues!

Work was the same, it sure didn't feel like I had been gone for 9 weeks! My co-worker is due in 3 weeks (though her last two came two weeks early) and she will be out for about 9 weeks, so my department won't function at full capacity until October! Oh well, at least we planned around each other and weren't both gone at the same time.

I hope you made it through the day today, Becky. Way to go on the 9 ounces! I remember pumping around 12 ounces each time w/ DS and my total for the day today (2 sessions) was 12 ounces. That's a little sad. I'm not sure how long I can keep up with her. I do have around 200 ounces frozen, but I had hoped to keep up with her for a few months at least. I think I am going to start the Fenugreek tomorrow and see if that helps any. Oh, I should probably increase my water intake too...:o

We go tomorrow afternoon for DD's shots. I think I must be a bad mom - I kind of laughed when DS got his shots. It was horrible to see him in pain and him not know why, but his expression was just too funny/cute. I'm not completely horrible, I did comfort him and I really liked that part. I'm a little worried about how DS will react - he's VERY protective of his baby sister.

Great pictures everyone! Thanks for sharing.

Tashaw - It was great that your mom was able to spend time with you and enjoy her new grandson, although I'm sure it was hard for both of you to say goodbye. I can't imagine being that far from my mom. Even though she drives me nuts some days, I rely on her for a lot.

[sophonisba9]

Cate's 2 month well baby was today. She's 11 lbs 6 ozs and they said she's 23 inches, but that's what she was at 1 month and she's definitely longer than she was then. Her head is 15 inches, which is 25th %. I'm not used to such a small headed baby. DS had such a huge head that none of his hats fit so I bought big hats for DD too. She'll be out of the outfits before the matching hats come close to fitting, since I bought the hats 2 sizes bigger. sigh! It's not a big deal, it's not like she goes out in the sun.

It turns out DS has a double ear infection, which explains the mysterious fevers of the last week.

[MrsBeckyLP]

Cute photos PGirl, MrsS and IrishEyes! You all have beautiful children!

Andrea- Sorry your nurse was a bitch. I would have wanted to slap her!

rachrich- Seeing Maddie after work was amazing. I felt like I ran into the house (my mom is there with her until Aug. 15). DH was already home and was holding her, but I stole her from him immediately! Yeah, I'm kind of a milk machine. I hope it continues, because I have plenty of milk for her, and I'd like it to stay that way!

ironhair- I'm glad your day went by fast yesterday. I hope all days go by fast for you!

IrishEyes- I hope I didn't imply that I thought moms who like to work have it easy as far as going back is concerned, because I didn't mean to! I totally respect the decisions of all women regarding work/children. I think some are just cut out to SAH, and some are cut out to work. I'm just thinking I'm cut out so SAH, and it really sucks that I have to work. And I know a big part of it is that I don't like my job.

Well, I survived my first day back at work, but it was rough. I broke down crying several times. I work with two men, so it's not like I even had anyone to talk to -- neither of them even asked about Maddie. After I was back for about an hour, my boss came into my office and said, "So are you ready to quit yet?" I honestly didn't even respond. Today the PT woman who works here is in, so I talked to her for about 20 minutes this morning before the other two got here. She said she was surprised to see me crying (yes, I was crying again this morning), because she was sad but never cried when she went back to work. She works three days a week though, and is home with her boys the other two days. She said working keeps her sane!

Anyway, I'm just trying to keep my mind off Maddie, and hopefully my days will go by fast. I found that pumping at 9:30, noon and 2:30 really broke up my day. It was actually 4 p.m. before I knew it, and I raced home to see Maddie. She was really eager to nurse, which I was happy about.

Oh, and we had some bad storms again last night, and our power was out for over two hours. Not having power from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. is a real PITA! I had to put eight AA batteries in my pump's battery pack so I could pump!

[MrsSpencer]

glad your first day back was fast becky sorry about the storms, good thing you had battery back up!

sophonisba9 good size for cate, no little girl should have a big head! (if his head was 41 cm, how many inches?) sorry to hear about the double ear infection, hope he feels better soon.

ironhair glad your first morning ran good, and they were in good moods yesterday evening. I actually was holding Nicholas to where I couldn't see his face, so I don''t know what face he made.

We're fine, next weekend is DH's (biological father's) family reunion everyone is excited to see Nicholas, I figure I won't be short handed when I need someone to watch him while I eat!

[rachrich]

And I know a big part of it is that I don't like my job.
I know if i didn't like my job I'd want to stay at home too! With so many people hating where they work, I feel blessed that I have a wonderful job that I enjoy (most days!) going to. I have the best of both worlds (work and kids), IMO. And, being a teacher, I get my summers off!

[Sully130]

Hi girls! I never contribute in here, but hope you'll all let me still be a part of the group. :) I do read as much as I can, but I've yet to figure out how to juggle two kids and be a workweek widow with my DH out of town from Sunday through Thursday. It's not fun!

Today is good, so far, which is good because yesterday was a horror. Right now P (the baby) is sleeping in his crib and has been for nearly 2 hours and T (my toddler) is happily playing with himself. We usually don't stay home in the mornings, so I'm glad this is going so well. I've been able to be so productive!

Yesterday P had his 2-month WBV. He is a monster! His stats were:
Weight: 14 pounds, 12 ounces (97th% - though he may have had a wet diaper!)
Height: 24 inches (90th percentile)
Head: 16 1/4 inches (not sure percentile)

He's starting to get more interactive and cooing more, so that's a lot of fun. He's also staying awake more. For most of the first two months he's been sleeping 18-20 hours a day...at least!

Glad to hear all of you are doing well. Glad that going back to work was manageable for those who went back yesterday. I know that must be so tough. I really can't imagine. Though I must say, sometimes I wish I had a job to go to one or two days a week just to get a little break and a little adult interaction! :) But overall, I'm thankful I'm able to stay home...even though it's the hardest job ever!

I'll attempt a few SOs...

MrsS - Cute picture!
IrishEyes - Your boys are adorable! They remind me of mine...one blondie and one with dark hair!
PGGirl - Great family picture! Addesyn is too cute.
Becky - GOod thing for battery backup! Hope the pumping continues to go so well for you.

No more SOs...my toddler has decided he can't leave me alone and I'm afraid he's going to push a button and make me lose the post!

[smilewithme]

Becky and ironhair - I thought about you both all day Monday and even on Sunday, knowing you'd probably be prepping yourself for the Monday rush and all. Glad to hear that you both made it through the day and hopefully today is better.

BeachGirl - Just echoing everyone else's advice and concern. I hope you called your doctor to express your feelings. I'm sure your he/she was very happy to hear from you because a lot of women suffer with baby blues and/or PPD and don't get help and the doctors understand what that's all about and truly want to help you get back on your feet and feel better. Hope things get better for you real soon!

Another cute round of baby pics posted ladies! Too cute! Let's see if I can get some pics posted today. I have a busy week planned since it's my last week home. Lots to do around the house as far as organizing things and lots to do out and about...I want to get a few new outfits for myself.

[IrishEyes]

I hope I didn't imply that I thought moms who like to work have it easy as far as going back is concerned, because I didn't mean to! I totally respect the decisions of all women regarding work/children. I think some are just cut out to SAH, and some are cut out to work. I'm just thinking I'm cut out so SAH, and it really sucks that I have to work. And I know a big part of it is that I don't like my job.

Becky, I didn't think you meant that at all. I know that working is the right decision for me, but it is still so difficult to leave my children. I feel for you that you (1) want to SAH and (2) dislike your job. That's a double whammy. I do hope that you can find a way to afford to stay home with Maddie soon.

Andrea - what's up with that nurse? Wow, I've never heard of someone with that type of attitude!

[ironhair]

Day two and still surviving, althought I am Sooooo TIRED tonight!

I think daycare must have worn DD out yesterday b/c she slept from 9:30 to 2:00 and then until 6:00 - that's the most she has slept, ever! She got her shots today and it went really well. She cried when it was happening, but before the nurse even had the card filled out she was quiet and happy again. DS even took it pretty well - he handed DD his blanket when she started to cry, that was so cute. She has been sleeping most of the evening. I'm hoping that's from the Tylenol and she will still sleep tonight b/c I really need it!

Smile - enjoy your last week at home. That week is definitely the fastest week ever!

Sully - good to hear from you! I am envious of your sleeping baby!

Hmmm...things are a little too quiet around here, I better go see what everyone is up to...

[MrsSpencer]

Bad day yesterday, wouldn't sleep but an hour tops all day, was screaming just unhappy. Today seems better so far, guess we'll see. I know I'm wore out from it.

[Baby Lust]

Well, today is my first day back to work! I'm little sad and a little excited. Only got 2 hrs of sleep last night (my own fault) so we'll see how today goes! :rolleyes: I'm stressing a little about how to feed them while I am gone. It is going to be nearly impossible for me to pump 32-36 oz in a day, and while I have a decent freezer stash, it won't take long to blow through it. :( But I don't want to start formula unless I absolutely have to. Ugh. Such decisions. They will get frozen BM today and I'll see how much I can pump. Then I'll go from there I guess.

[MrsSpencer]

aww sorry about work Babylust..I hope you can pump and at least feed them some bm if eventually you can't pump enough (Nicholas gets only bm at night and two-three times during the day..he can't handle much more cause of his reflux I have to add cereal.).

pump away girl!

[smilewithme]

Smile - enjoy your last week at home. That week is definitely the fastest week ever!


That is SO true! It's already Wednesday, how is that possible? The days keep flying by and I'm trying to drag my feet and savor each moment. :)

Good luck on your first day back to work BabyLust! Good luck with pumping for the girls.

[MrsBeckyLP]

Yes, Smile, enjoy the rest of your last week home!

BabyLust- I hope your first day back goes well. Good luck pumping -- I never thought about your scenario. Most people worry they'll have enough for one baby, so I can't imagine having two to provide for. I hope you can continue to feed the girls BM for a long time. :)

IronHair- I was really tired last night too. I'm going to bed later though, since I'm not home during the day to get stuff done. And I'm also waking up earlier. Maddie had been sleeping until about 7 a.m., and so had I. Now I need to be out the door by 7:30, so I've been getting up at 5:30.

Let's hope I don't leak today. I forgot to put nursing pads in my bra. I haven't been leaking at all anymore (only occasionally at night), so hopefully today won't be an exception. That would suck.

eta: I had more to say before, but I had to get some work stuff done before pumping. So here it is:

A few weeks ago, I decided to become a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. I think the opportunity could be great, and DH and I decided that if I can make a certain amount of money per month -- an amount that isn't all that great, actually -- I can SAH. I am starting to get going with my business, and I'm attending my first MK group meeting next Monday night, which means I won't see Maddie really at all next Monday. That makes me so sad, but if I want to make money and eventually quit my job, I need to do it. If I can't quit completely, maybe I'll at least be able to cut back to PT work here. I'm actually pretty excited. I hadn't used MK products in years, but I just started up again, and I like what they do for my skin. We also have a new line of mineral makeup, which is lower-priced than Bare Minerals. So I might as well plug myself: If anybody needs anything or is interested in MK products, PM me and I'll send you a link to my personal Web site.

I am doing a bit better today, but being away from Maddie all day is rough. I have cried when I leave every morning, and a few times during the day. I could probably start tearing up at any time, but I am starting to be able to control it better! It's hardest when I'm thinking about what I'm missing out on, so I try not to think about it. ;)

Maddie hasn't pooped since Sunday. I know that can be normal with BF babies, but it's still a bit weird. She doesn't seem like she's trying and can't, so I'm sure she is just fine. I bet it will be one big poop when it does happen! I hope that happens during the day so Grandma can take care of it!

[MrsSpencer]

sounds like good news becky...hope it works out!

[Standrea]

Becky-put her in crappy clothes in the event of a blowout! We had one today...i felt so much better for her though!
I sent you an email...I need satin lips! :D

Good luck today Babylust. You never end amazing me. Bf one baby is a hard job, I can't imagine doing twins! You should be so proud of yourself. Good luck pumping!

[ironhair]

Good luck today Babylust!

Becky - too funny about the pads, I know that would be the day I'd leak -and then not notice it until someone else pointed it out! Good luck with the MK!

I'm sitting here hooked up to my pump, with dress practically around my neck. Aparently I didn't take my pumping sessions into account when I put a dress on this morning:rolleyes:

PS - the Fenugreek must be some amazing stuff. I pumped a total of 12oz on Monday, and after two days of one pill a day am back up to 12oz a session. Woo hoo...

[Mrs.Chappy]

Hi guys.
Jake got 3 shots today..only after did i freak about all those shot and autism..should i be worried?
the ped who did the shots wasn't his own. she couldn't believe that at almost 11 weeks he didn't have any. he was originally supposed to get only the HIB today and return iun august for the rest..she said she was from the school of thought htat there are tons of germs out there and i agree w/ her..now, when i got home i got nervous that maybe it was too much. put me at ease??!! - thats all i need to be worrieed about now!.
he had prevnar, HIB and a pediavix (DTAP, IPV and hep B).
she also suggested we up our zantac due to his weight (why didn't his ped last week calculate for this - i even asked her and she said that in a few days he may need more of a dose).
She is a more aggressive doc than ours and maybe i should switch to her within the practice. She is allfor us evicting jake from our bed. i'm putting my foot down and as of tomorrow we are just putting him in the crib (he's never slept in it)..its going to be a few hellish days but i need for him to be in his own space so he can learn to nap there and i can take care of my 3 yr old. this ped said at almost 11 weeks start now rather than wait for 4 months like our ped suggested. DH is willing to help with this so i'm ready. she said put him in happy and if/ when he cries just go in and pat him, put the mobile one etc..its not going to be pretty..any pointers??

hang in there all you ladies who went back to work..its hump day.

[smilewithme]

I know we talked about this awhile ago but I'm being lazy...where did you ladies get the Fenugreek pills? Can I get them at GNC or do I have to order them online? I'm going to start taking them ASAP to up my milk production hopefully. I have been pumping here and there over the last 12 weeks so I have some milk frozen, but not alot. Certainly not 200 oz. like someone else posted and I remember two other specific posts where my eyes bugged out like this...:eek:...over the amount of milk stored already...Becky and Mickey, maybe? Anyhoo, I'm going to be kicking myself for not stocking up more when I can barely keep up with him, so here's to trying anyways!!!

[Mickey&B]

Smile I pretty sure I got them at GNC or the local health food store, do you have a whole foods? , you might also want to try Mother's Milk tea, that really worked for me last time.

[rachrich]

smile GNC! that's where i got mine, and I need to get more. I have like 10 pills left. I'm still barely able to keep up with DS, i only have 3 oz. in the freezer. at this rate i have to start now so i have some BM for him when I go back to work in Sept. I've been taking 2 pills 3x a day. Should I be taking more?? I am seeing a little increase in my supply, but at the same time DS is wanting more to eat.

[MrsBeckyLP]

Good luck today Babylust!

Becky - too funny about the pads, I know that would be the day I'd leak -and then not notice it until someone else pointed it out! Good luck with the MK!

I'm sitting here hooked up to my pump, with dress practically around my neck. Aparently I didn't take my pumping sessions into account when I put a dress on this morning:rolleyes:

PS - the Fenugreek must be some amazing stuff. I pumped a total of 12oz on Monday, and after two days of one pill a day am back up to 12oz a session. Woo hoo...

No leaking today ... whew!! LOL really hard about the dress comment!!!

Certainly not 200 oz. like someone else posted and I remember two other specific posts where my eyes bugged out like this...:eek:...over the amount of milk stored already...Becky and Mickey, maybe?

Yeah, that could have been me. I'd share if I could! ;)

[Lolly]

Only 2 more weekdays left until I have to return to work next week. Got almost everything done on my to-do list, except upload pictures...hopefully by Friday.

smilewithme, I barely have a freezer stash myself. I bought some mothers milk tea today because that helped last time. Though taking a pill would be easier. Guess I'm going back to the healthfood store tomorrow.

Becky and Ironhair, only 2 more days until the weekend!

Becky, send me your MK link. I've never used MK but I am out of my Bare Minerals foundation. I'd like to have your link handy so if I decide to buy, I'll get it through you!

Mrs.Chappy, hope the crib transition goes well!

Good Grief! I was just filling out some of Megan's paperwork for daycare today. And then I find out its $12 more a week then what I had paid for Mary before she turned 2. That's almost $50 more a month. I wonder if the director just wrote in the new rate as that goes in effect in August (and it is July). I certainly hope it doesn't go up again in August. Daycare expenses are driving me crazy and I haven't even written the check for 2 yet. :eek:

[MrsBeckyLP]

Lolly- That sucks about the increased daycare cost. :(

OK, I just had to come in and drop off this picture quickly. Last week one day Maddie pulled her blanket up around her face while sitting in her swing, and I'm so glad I took a picture. I forgot about it until I just uploaded photos to my computer ...

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k269/lp_becky/July2008002.jpg

Oh how I love to show off my precious girl. I just can't help it! ;)

[Baby Lust]

Fenugreek can be purchased at any health food store. GNC has B1G1 1/2 off right now!! :)

From Kellymom:

capsules
2-4 capsules, 3 times per day
6-12 capsules (total) per day
~1200-2400 mg, 3 times per day

WebMD has some info on boosting milk supply as well:

Milk Boosters
The following herbs and medications, called galactagogues, have been found to be helpful for increasing milk production:

Blessed thistle: This herb is widely considered beneficial for boosting milk supply, although some experts question its effectiveness.

Domperidone: This prescription medication has an excellent reputation and is widely used in Canada and other countries. However, it's not commercially available in the United States; it can only be purchased from outside the country or from a pharmacy that will compound it.

Fennel: This herb promotes milk letdown and increases supply.

Fenugreek: This herbal favorite is available in tincture and tea forms. Some experts question the effectiveness of the tea form, however.

Goat's rue: This herb is reputed to stimulate mammary gland growth, particularly helpful for women who've had breast surgery.

Metoclopramide: This prescription medication has been linked to depression, a particular concern for women in the postpartum period. What's more, it can only be taken for three weeks; when it's discontinued, milk production returns to its previous level. For these reasons, many lactation experts hesitate to recommend it.

Shatavari: This root shows a lot of potential. It has been used for centuries in India and China but only recently here.

[anemone]

I can't believe how many of you are going back to work already. Honestly, I take my hat off to you, as I wouldn't have the energy to do it, let alone pump milk and deal with the emotional upheaval.

Becky Maddie is so cute! Good luck with the Mary Kay business. I'm not familiar with the product (it's not here in Australia to my knowledge), but I guess the concept is like Avon? Hope it goes well and you get to quit soon! As for blowouts - DS used to go every 3 days. I used to take a spare change of clothes for him with me at all times as my goodness, the mess!

Babylust I just don't understand how you manage to pump and get up for twins, and have an older son as well and now work.....you are doing such a great job!

MrsChappy I don't think any of the 2 month shots are on the delay list. Generally the one people believe to be a link to autism is the MMR at one year. You might want to check out the pro and anti vac threads for more info before you make your decision. Glad to hear that things seem to be turning a corner for you to some extent.

DD had her 8 week checkup and her vac's yesterday. It didn't go well. Her weight gain was really small since her last weigh in 2 weeks ago. DS was the same as a baby, so I wasn't too worried, but I've now got to go back in 2 weeks to make sure she's gaining better. She tends to put on a huge amount in one week, then not do anything for a few weeks after that. Very frustrating.

As for the Vac's, the poor little thing was fine when getting them, but about 4 hours later was really sensitive to being moved or touched on her legs/lower body. Diap changes she'd just scream with pain, it was a very different scream from normal. About 8.30 last night she seemed like she'd turned a corner with the pain, and then she suddenly projectile vomited everywhere and started choking. I sat her upright (fortunately she was in her bouncy chair in the living room with us) and she cleared on her own, then she went absolutely white as a sheet. She looked like a little ghost in her nightgown:( She did start smiling at us straight after, and gradually the color returned to her face. I fed her about 20 minutes later, and she went to bed after that. I was so terrified that she'd vomit in her sleep again, that she slept in our room last night. I had an awful sleep, waking to every snort she made, but she was fine, and seemed back to normal this morning.

[E&O]

Well I just experienced the the 2 worst days of my life..... DS was put into the hospital. What started as eczema or some kind of rash on his elbow became infected and was spreading across his body. At first I just thought it was eczema on his arms, legs and face and that he had really sensitive skin. Then his elbow starting scabbing, cracking and oozing. Then Tuesday he was beet red and splotchy head to toe. The doctor admitted him into the hospital Tuesday evening because she wanted him on IV antibiotics for at least 48 hrs while she tried to determine what was going on. We never did learn exactly what was wrong with him but best guess is that his elbow had a staph infection and it was spreading across his body. The did rule out MRSA which was a relief. The antibiotics helped tremendously and he is back to his old self (and color). I just feel so stupid for letting it go on so long (a week and half) just thinking it was eczema. I should have had it checked out sooner.

We just need to continue with oral antibiotics for 10 days and keep his elbow treated with antibacterial cream and covered.

It was just horrible. The first night he slept so poorly, and then yesterday would not nap for more than 15-20 minutes and would wake up the second I put him down. I was holding him all day in an uncomfortable rocking chair and we were both just so exhausted. I was soooooo glad to come home today and he has been sleeping non-stop, the poor guy is probably so wiped out.

The hardest thing was watching them search for a vein to start the IV and take blood samples. This arms and legs were kind of swollen and they were having the hardest time finding a vein. I had to leave the room practically in tears because I knew it was going to horrible when they finally started jabbing. I could still hear him screaming across the hall.

[MrsSpencer]

Well I just experienced the the 2 worst days of my life..... DS was put into the hospital. What started as eczema or some kind of rash on his elbow became infected and was spreading across his body. At first I just thought it was eczema on his arms, legs and face and that he had really sensitive skin. Then his elbow starting scabbing, cracking and oozing. Then Tuesday he was beet red and splotchy head to toe. The doctor admitted him into the hospital Tuesday evening because she wanted him on IV antibiotics for at least 48 hrs while she tried to determine what was going on. We never did learn exactly what was wrong with him but best guess is that his elbow had a staph infection and it was spreading across his body. The did rule out MRSA which was a relief. The antibiotics helped tremendously and he is back to his old self (and color). I just feel so stupid for letting it go on so long (a week and half) just thinking it was eczema. I should have had it checked out sooner.

We just need to continue with oral antibiotics for 10 days and keep his elbow treated with antibacterial cream and covered.

It was just horrible. The first night he slept so poorly, and then yesterday would not nap for more than 15-20 minutes and would wake up the second I put him down. I was holding him all day in an uncomfortable rocking chair and we were both just so exhausted. I was soooooo glad to come home today and he has been sleeping non-stop, the poor guy is probably so wiped out.

The hardest thing was watching them search for a vein to start the IV and take blood samples. This arms and legs were kind of swollen and they were having the hardest time finding a vein. I had to leave the room practically in tears because I knew it was going to horrible when they finally started jabbing. I could still hear him screaming across the hall.


oh honey I'm so sorry...glad to hear he's doing better so scary!:eek:

[tashaw6]

E&O: Oh Kelly, so sorry to hear that you have been going through all that! I am so happy that all is ok with C! Glad that you caught it! I have had a crying baby for the last three days and you make me realise that I need to look beyond the crying and see maybe if there could be more going on. Glad I have my 2 month wbv tomorrow just to get things checked. So glad your DS is home and getting some decent sleep!

US: DS has been acting really strangely the last three days. Evening sleeping has been fine, he is pooping and wetting diapers just fine, but during the day it is just weird. He is only content while feeding. The inbetween times he is crying or fussing. I have no idea what is going on. I know its probably cause he hasn't wanted to sleep during the day (have no idea why not cause normally he would have a nap right after a feed except these last three days). He is sleeping now and has been since 12:50 so maybe things are going back to normal, who knows. Any of you experiencing anything similar? Also, are any of your DC drooling? Kade is and it can't be teething yet can it?? That would explain the weird behaviour lately but all things I have read is that babies teeth at 5 months.

[Mrs.Chappy]

E&O what a scary thing..thinking of your little one for a speedy recovery

Tashaw: DS2 is drooling bubbles..its cute

started the transistion tot he crib. In the morning he napped 15 min..in the late morning 7 min then 20 after i re-rocked him. i'm sure he's exhausted..he's happy in there..then gets nasty when he is overtired. I'm gearing up for a long night. i've swaddled for the first nap then just covered w/a blanket for the second. i'll miracle blanket him at night. i fgure if i stay in for tomorrow and some of Sat and really work the naps, we will be better off come evening when he is booted out of our bed. i'm seeing a much happier baby overall. i'm sure after my sleep deprivation kicks in i'll have a differnt story!

oh after reading along, i started to join in on the fenugreek..i had some left from when i nursed DS1 and it expires in Oct..i'm taking 6 350 mg. i'll see what happens.

[MrsBeckyLP]

anemone- MK is basically the same concept as Avon. I'm not sure what will happen, but I'm going to give it a shot. If it doesn't work out for me, I can sell them back my product and they'll pay me 90 percent, which isn't bad. I figure it's worth a try. I'm glad your DD is back to normal after the vaccinations. :)

E&O- Please don't beat yourself up. I'm sure many of us would have thought it was eczema also and wouldn't have sought medical attention. I'm glad they ruled our MRSA and that your DS is on his way to recovery. Poor thing.

tash- Maybe Kade has been getting himself overtired and worked up? Maddie does that sometimes, and that's usually the only time she is fussy. Just an idea!

MrsC- I'm glad you have a happier baby! Good luck with the sleep transition. Maddie STTN, but she doesn't like naps in the crib during the day. She wakes up the second we put her down! My mom is working this week on putting her down for naps in her crib, and I guess it's going OK. She still needs to be swaddled, and her noise maker has to be on.

Drooling- Maddie started drooling and blowing spit bubbles around 8-9 weeks. It's not bad, but it's definitely drool. I seriously doubt it's teething, just increased saliva.

[smilewithme]

E&O - What a scary experience! But yes, don't beat yourself up about not doing something earlier. Sheesh, DD had a rash and it didn't even occur to me that something might be wrong. :eek: I thought it was a reaction to the new shirt I bought her and didn't wash first since the rash was only where the shirt touched. Just coincidence I guess. Boy, did I feel stupid when I found out it was scarlet fever.

Speaking of...I watched Little Women the other day and two of the young neighbor children died from scarlet fever and then one of the older sisters almost died and eventually died from complications of that first episode. I guess that is what good medical care/modern medicine does for a disease like that, eh? Had I seen that movie BEFORE DD got scarlet fever I would have flipped out to the max when she got it. Sorry, that's totally off topic here! :)

BabyLust - Thanks for the B1G1 1/2 off tip at GNC! Very cool.

I'd like to start the transition to the crib, but ours is one on the recall list and we just got the packet of instructions this week. We have to take the screws out and mail them back to the company and then they'll mail us the voucher. Sounds like a pain, and time-consuming but we gotta do it!

Becky - Maddie is a doll! Love the picture! Good luck with MK! Sending you a PM.

[tashaw6]

tash- Maybe Kade has been getting himself overtired and worked up? Maddie does that sometimes, and that's usually the only time she is fussy. Just an idea.

I think that's it too. But how do I avoid him making himself overtired cause I think that is definitely it...he has been sleeping since 12:40 and its 4 now so I know he was tired!

Drooling- Maddie started drooling and blowing spit bubbles around 8-9 weeks. It's not bad, but it's definitely drool. I seriously doubt it's teething, just increased saliva.

Good to know! :)

[MrsSpencer]

Yeah Nicholas is drolling too, he's really smiling and laughing and cooing now. Makes the day go a lot faster just playing with him all the time.

Becky-Good luck with the crib napping hope your mom can get it to work out! (Probably glad it's friday tomorrow, you get two whole days with Maddie now!)

MrsC-Glad things are turning around for you!

smilewithme-my older sister had scarlet fever when she was little, my mom didn't know it at first either.

[makena32204]

tasha- I know people who swear by the 2 hr rule...no period longer than 2 hrs of wakefulness.

E&O-Scary! Amelia was in the hospital w/ an IV at 9 months and it was horrible. I could not imagine at this age!

MrsC- Those are the shots my pedi gives at 2 months, along with the oral rotovirus.

Becky - Maddie is adorable!!! Send me the link to your website. I use bare minerals, but if MK is good and cheaper, I'm in! I've never used MK before, so I dont know much about it, but I'm willing to try, especially to help your SAH mission.

[tashaw6]

tasha- I know people who swear by the 2 hr rule...no period longer than 2 hrs of wakefulness.

How do you get them to sleep when they don't want to though? I've tried rocking him in my arms, the swing, the fisher price glider, nothing works all the time.

[Mrs.Chappy]

we do the two hour rule or he gets nuts.. meanwhile as far as our sleep trainin gin the crib...he's taken a total of an hour nap all day and is sooo tired. he wakes after 10 min in the crib though he got one 30 min nap in at 6:30 tonight. i just put him in the miracle blanket and am waitin gto seee what the night holds. I fear that when the paci comes out its all over. I will, however, try not to feed too often (its my downfall). He only 'needs' it at 3 am but i'm willing to feed every 2-3 hrs if it settles him back down into sleep.

[tashaw6]

Well thank-you makena32204!!

My report back, DS slept from 12:50 - 17:50 yesterday afternoon / evening. I thought he wouldn't sleep at night but he did (his usual 4 hours, 3 hour, 3 hour). Today we woke at his usual 6:30 and he is now down at 9 (little over the 2 hour rule ;) ) But he seems to be so much more content! I shall do this from now on! He is loving the sound of my hairdryer so am using that to lull him to sleep first. Yay!

MrsC: Don't worry, you aren't the only one. When nothing else works for us, there is always feeding time which soothes him everytime.

[MrsSpencer]

watched his first baby enstein video, loved it was staring at it the whole time.

[Mrs.Chappy]

our first night in the crib went ok..in at 8:50; up at 9:09 (gave paci and went to sleep) up at 11, 11:30 (for paci) fed at 1:45 up at 5 am (fed) then slept till 8:30. i'm exhausted. my toddler woke all night long so i'm a mess.

napping in the crib yest w/ the help of my nanny was ok...but he only did 10 or 20 min each time (not enough nap for an 11 week old)..

shoujld we just stick w/ the night time crib stuff?? he is in the miracle blanket then. i tried to put h im back in the crib this morning but he is too overtired and won't settle..he will fall asleep if i pick him up but then cries as soon as he is downn..so he's in a sling.

[MrsBeckyLP]

smile and makena- Sent you PMs, if you didn't notice!

tash- Yep, sounds like he was just nice and overtired. Hopefully he's all caught up on his sleep now!

MrsC- If I were you, I'd work on getting him to sleep in the crib at night first, and then work on naps. But that's just me! It sounds like he does much better there at night, so maybe if he gets used to that, the transition to naps in the crib will work a bit better? I don't know anything about sleep training though! My mom got Maddie to take a 75 minute nap in her crib the other day. She still likes to be held for naps too, but Grandma is working on it, and hopefully she'll nap in a crib by the time she goes to daycare. But then again, that's going to be a completely different crib, so who knows how that will go!

2008 has been the year of crazy weather in Wisconsin (remember all that snow I bitched about all winter long??). We had more bad storms last night, and Maddie woke up at 1 a.m. I can't decide if it was the thunder and lightning that woke her up, or if it was the fact that the power outage turned off her noise maker and it was too quiet in her room. Either way I'm glad she woke up, because the power outage knocked out my alarm clock. I have this painful ingrown toenail, so before bed I took a vicodin I have left over from my c/s. That really put me to sleep, because I never woke up when the power went out. (I sleep very lightly and always wake up when the power goes out because the "sound" of the quiet wakes me). The power outage also knocked out the monitor, so I'm surprised I heard her wake up; her bedroom door was closed, and our rooms are on opposite sides of the house.

Well ladies, I think I survived my first week of work. It's 10:20 and I get to leave at 2 on Fridays because we have summer hours. That makes me very happy! I'm going to cherish my weekend, that's for sure. Oh, and for the first time all week, I didn't cry on my way to work today! My eyes teared up, but none actually fell. Baby steps, right? ;)

[tashaw6]

watched his first baby enstein video, loved it was staring at it the whole time.

We watched our first one yesterday...the lullabies one...he watched it and eventually fell asleep to it.

I got this great deal on amazon...25 baby einstein dvds for $50 so $2 a disk.


MrsC: I agree with Becky. I would let him get used to the crib at night. Less distractions and he is doing better at night than during the day.

US: We just came back from DS 2 month wbv. He is doing really well. Weighs in at 13 lbs! 75 percentile. He also had to get his vacs. 4 injections and 1 oral. Thankfully we had his HepB done at his 1 month wbv otherwise it would have had to be 5 shots! He did well. When they stuck the needle in his leg, he had this shocked look on his face and then he wailed! I cried too even though I didn't think I would! Shame, my poor baby. We spoke a little about the autism and vacs relationship and it seems that the controvesy is just over the MMR vaccine. This is only given at 1 yr so we can think about delaying then if necessary.

[IrishEyes]

E&O - wow, that sounds like an awful ordeal! I'm so happy that your DS is better.

crib transition - OK, I'm happy to hear that other people have had the same struggles we have with naps in the crib. After 3 attempts this morning at naps in either the crib or pnp (where it would be 20 min at the most), I'm letting him sleep on his boppy on me right now. He needs a good nap. We haven't transitioned to the crib at night yet (we co-sleep), but I think we'll start with that tonight. I bet he'll go longer between feedings if we do that too since he won't smell/sense me & the milk!

Drooling - my DS#1 started drooling around 4 months old, but no tooth until 6-7 months old. So it is possible that some of our babies have started the drool fest!

TV - my DS#1 loves to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and I notice that Carson is attracted to the bright colors of that show as well. I need to dig out the Baby Einstein movies...

Shots - Here's hoping everyone is getting through their baby's 2 month WBV OK. Carson was OK immediately after the shots, but was obviously in pain about 3 hours later. His cries were more intense and awful than anything I had heard from him and he would not be comforted. I hate to give tylenol this early, but I did and it did give him relief.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

[makena32204]

Weighs in at 13 lbs! 75 percentile.

Huh...Tristan was 12 lbs, 8 oz and they told us 90%. I realize it's not a big deal, but I wonder why the different %'s?

Becky-Thanks for the PM. I might try their mineral foundation when I need to get more. Of course, since I have only worn makeup twice in the past ten weeks, I have plenty right now!

By the way, I forgot to mention the other day when some of you ladies were talking about poops and blowouts, that Tristan only goes about every three days. But, once he goes, it's a mess!! DH got a good one today and had to wash the bouncy seat cover, LOL. Anyway, I wanted to drop off a tip. The best thing that I've found to get out baby poop....dawn dish detergent! Works like a charm!

MRsC- If I were you, I wouldnt worry about naps. You and your family need some sleep! Do whatever works.

[E&O]

Happy Friday! To all the mommas who have returned to work, enjoy the weekend with your babies!

And thanks for all the well wishes for Cooper. He is doing great at home. Takes the oral medicine with no problems. The hardest thing is wrapping up his elbow. I am by no means a medical professional and the gauze keeps sliding down exposing his skin. I've already re-wrapped 3 times today.

Naps- Like many of you have mentioned, DS is not great at taking naps in his PNP or crib. Although he sleeps great in the crib at night. For naps I usually set the bouncy chair to vibrate and that lulls him to sleep. However, he just fell asleep on the changing table a few minutes ago and I was able to transition him to the PNP with minimal trouble.
I was worried about him napping at daycare, but honestly I know they will work it out with him and eventually he will fall into line.

Thumb Sucker- Oh man! He is starting to suck his thumb like a fiend! So of course I'm already worried that this will turn into a bad habit that we will fight to break. He mostly does it when he is tired and to help him fall asleep, so thankfully its not all day long with his thumb stuck in his mouth. And to be honest it does help soothe him to sleep at night and for naps, so I can lay him down if he's drowsy but no fast asleep and know he'll drift off with the help of his thumb. I'll talk to the ped at his 4 month check-up and try not to stress about it until then. Have any ROs dealt with a thumb sucker?

[MrsBeckyLP]

Huh...Tristan was 12 lbs, 8 oz and they told us 90%. I realize it's not a big deal, but I wonder why the different %'s?


That's OK ... Maddie was 11 pounds, 12 ounces at her 2-month WBV, and they told us 70th percentile. :confused: I wonder where these doctors are getting these different charts from??

[MrsSpencer]

One of DH's co workers wants me to watch their 6 month old son five days a week (she's a teacher) for ALOT of money..what would you do? I"m afraid I can't do it, don't know though?

[ironhair]

Only a few minutes to post, but I didn't want to fall too far behind!

MrsC - Good luck with the crib transfer. DD has always slept in her crib at night, but will not nap there. She usually naps in the swing, car seat, or bouncy seat, but at least she is napping I guess.

E&O - So sorry to hear about your hospital ordeal, I'm glad he's doing better! I'm sure I would have just dismissed it as eczema too.

Becky - Such a good picture, Maddie is so Cute!

Thumbsucking - DS has been a thumb sucker since he was around 3 months old. I'm sure we're going to have a hard time breaking him of the habit when the time comes, but it's not all day long. Mostly just when he's tired or stressed over something.

Blowouts - DD poops about 6x a day! And, usually ends up needing at least one outfit change :rolleyes:

Mother's Milk Tea/Fenugreek - Hmm...I was only taking 1 pill/day, I may have to up my dosage. I do have quite a stash (I had the 200oz and have been adding to it:D) and I am keeping ahead of her, but I'd like to keep it that way. I forgot about the Mother's Milk Tea, I may have to look into that - anyone suggest one over the other?

DD had her 2nd chiropractor appt this morning. She has been favoring one side when she sleeps. DS did as well and started developing a bit of flat spot before he had treatments so I wanted to get her in right away. She doesn't like the adjustments, but she sleeps soooo good afterwards and has now been sleeping better during the night too.

[MrsBeckyLP]

One of DH's co workers wants me to watch their 6 month old son five days a week (she's a teacher) for ALOT of money..what would you do? I"m afraid I can't do it, don't know though?

Well, there are a lot of things that factor into that decision. Do you think you can handle two babies? Do you think you can give her child "fair" care -- meaning, will you be able to give both kids the same level of care (not ignoring her kid and tending to/favoring yours). I would think that would be the hardest part. I'm guessing she wants you to start late Aug./early Sept., so Nicholas will be about 4 months old then. I say think hard about it. Please don't take this the wrong way, but you just said last week how you hadn't been out of the house alone with Nicholas, that you were "scared" (and I realize you've since left the house) -- do you think you're ready to care for two children, especially so close in age?

[MrsSpencer]

that's what I'm thinking, no I don't take it the wrong way. I was scared of not seeing him in his carseat and something happening...kinda embarassed bout that. It's something I do have to think about.

[Mrs.Chappy]

yeah forget naps in cribs..he's napped on me total of 5 hrs today..wakes when i try tthe transfer.. hoping nighttime is better. sucks that i killed the whole day!

[rachrich]

WBV Owen goes next thursday for his 2month. I'm eager to see his weight. he's still such a peanut, but long and skinny. very opposite of his sister at this age. and the kid hasn't smiled at me yet!! he's so serious all the time. but he has given me little smirks...so i guess i'll take it!

sleeping he doesn't nap all well either during the day in his crib. At night he's a good sleeper though, thankfully.

Congrats to all ladies who survived the first week back to work!

Had my 6wk checkup yesterday and all is great. I'm 10 lbs below my pre-preg weight. rock on! i gotta keep at it. i know BF is helping too, because i swear sometimes i eat like i'm still pregnant. got on the mini-pill, and am kinda thinking about Mirena, but we're wanting to TTC again in less than 2 years so I don't know if it would be worth the cost. but i haven't checked out how insurance covers it. I had no prob with taking the pill everyday so the mini-pill might be best for me.

speaking of BF, it's going just okay. DS is still so slow, he only gets to business when he's SUPER hungry (like after a few sessions of lazy nursing). and because of it he's on my boob like every 1.5-2 hrs and it takes him at least 40 min to eat. I can't get a damn thing done, and if I want to go anywhere other than what's in town I give a bottle so he'll last till i get back. I give a bottle at night before bed and he'll go about 5-6 hrs now. I'd like so much to nurse him at night but i would NEVER get sleep. it's so frustrating, i wish he would just go to town on the boob, and be content when he's finished.

BabyLust thanks for the GNC 1/2 off tip. we have one in our local Rite Aid and i got 2 100pill bottles of fenugreek for $11 (cheaper than the 200 size bottle at $12.99)

[tashaw6]

DS has been napping so well today. He always naps in either the swing or his glider as his pack n play and crib are upstairs and if I were to transfer him up there then he would wake up. When he transitions into his crib at night then we will move the pack n play out of our room and downstairs. For now, as long as he is getting his naps I am happy.

[MrsBeckyLP]

that's what I'm thinking, no I don't take it the wrong way. I was scared of not seeing him in his carseat and something happening...kinda embarassed bout that. It's something I do have to think about.

Oh, do you mean not being able to see him in his car seat while you're driving? If so, you totally have to get one of those mirrors that attaches to the top of your back seat. I don't think I could drive without mine! Right now I have a plain one up, but now that she's older and enjoys "playing" more, I am going to switch to the Baby Einstein one (we got two different kinds as gifts). It has lights and sounds, and even a remote I can use to control it! And don't worry -- they're strapped in, so nothing is going to happen!

MrsC, rachrich, tash- It's nice to know that our own babies aren't the only ones who don't like to nap in their cribs, huh? ;) Someday!

rachrich- I'm JEALOUS of your weight loss. Mine stalled at my pre-pg weight, and I want to lose about 25 more pounds. I honestly don't know when I'll kind time to try though. Like I really want to work out when I come home from work; that's Maddie time!

[MrsSpencer]

i have a mirror but can't get it to stay up? i have a cavalier any ideas?

(i have a BIG imagination)
ps becky- I always wanted to be a writer (wrote for my newspaper in high school, our city paper not high school).

[MrsSpencer]

I made this for Nicholas..it's free if you all want to do it..just wanted to share. (leave comments :))

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=64bde3f712a64fbae240a2&skin_id=601&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

[Mickey&B]

Can I just say that Dylan slept for 7 hrs straight hours last night and since DH was working late I went to bed shortly after so I got 6hrs of straight sleep (well almost A woke up once and I woke up once wondering why D hadn't woke up LOL) All I can say is I love my Swaddle me blanket! I usually use a regular blanket because he was still too small for it but I tried it last night and well you see the results I got!!

Mrs S I'll tell ya watching babies is a real challenge I was and am going to be again very shortly an infant teacher it's tough. It really does depend on the temperments of your child as well as the one you would be watching. You are going to have to make some sacrifices like not getting out as much as you would if you only had one, and no time for yourself ect.. Could you do it on a trial basis? It would be great as a secondary income but it's not and easy job!

Oh I love onetrue media I have done a few collages on their site! I just started Aidan's 3rd year one a few weeks ago.
That is so great! Love the songs you picked!

[MrsSpencer]

Nicholas is doing much better...but yes I told them to let me try..but they have a back-up in case I find I can't deal with it. I would like to at least try, no harm in that.

[MrsBeckyLP]

Hmm, MrsS, what kind of mirror do you have? DH has a Cavalier, so I could try out one of our mirrors in his car to see if I can figure it out. I have a few friends who want to be writers, and here I am, trying to get out of it! Ha! It's way less glamorous than people think it is!

Mickey- Yay for 7 hours!!

We're going to a friend's house for a cookout. But it's going to be at least 7:30 before we get there. Maddie usually eats and goes down for the night about that time. I guess we'll have to find a place there to let her sleep, or just let her sleep in her car seat.

[MrsSpencer]

I have the baby in sight mega mirror...just doesn't mount in a 2-door cavalier (not sure if 4-door is different in the back). I wouldn't write now unless it's from home:)

oh almost missed that mickey! yay 7 hours!

[makena32204]

I completely forgot that I have one of those mirrors, LOL. I need to put it back up.

Mickey- 7 hrs, so nice!

MrsS- I say give it a try and see what happens. As long as you are up front with them and tell them it's a trial basis, I cant see what it would hurt. Also, you mentioned they had a back up plan. So, what if you did 2 or 3 days and the other person did the rest? You'd get some money, but would still have days for just you and Nicholas.

weight loss- I'm jealous of all of you! I still have a ways to go and have stalled. I'm doing the "couch to 5K" running program and has started to get to the harder intervals of jogging/running, so I'm hoping that kicks starts the weight loss again. I dont know if I mentioned it here before or not, but I may have to get my thyroid checked b/c it was enlarged at my 6 week pp visit. The doctor said that if I struggle with losing the weight, that it might be a sign.

birth control- So, once I quit nursing, I'm probably going to go on BC pills. It's been YEARS since I've been on them. Can anyone tell me if this will affect my weight loss? Meaning, will it hinder it? I'm sure it depends on what type of BC pill you take, but if anyone has any info, I'd love to hear it.

Becky- I know there are different weight charts and %'s for boys and girls, but it doesnt make sense to me that Maddie would only be 70% at that weight! Who knows?

[MrsSpencer]

makena-that's a good idea, that might work better if I find I miss my one on one time.

[Mrs.Chappy]

our update..last night was a mess. DS was crying in his crib..we popped the paci in..it worked for 30 min or so and then the cycle started over. DH finally helped by picking him up and rocking him a few times to put him back to sleep in the crib. I tried feeding but he would only fall asleep on me so iput him back in. Now, DH and I are angry w/ each other..he is off playing golf and here i am AGAIN with both my children on very little sleep. Jake is in his bouncy asleep for 40 min as he fell asleep nursing and i plopped him in there..DH imiplied how its soo not worth it to do the crib (though he never saidit). i told him i think it is worth it for the sake of our marriage. I am assuming a few hard nights w/ the baby will leave us in a good place ultimately.

Mickey: awesome sleep!! we are using the miracle blanket..do you swaddle the arms too?? i have been but now i'm wondering if i should..during the day i try and let him find his fist/thumb

[Dettes]

Wow, I am behind. I know I've said it before, but I truly feel for those of you who have gone back to work already. That is the worst feeling in the world. Hang in there- it does get easier. I've been having dreams about going back lately and I haven't even committed to a return date yet. I promise if I ever come into a lot of money, I am going to start a fund for moms who want to stay home but can't swing it financially.

My sister's wedding last weekend was awesome. My little ring bear (as he called himself) and flower girl did great and looked adorable! My SIL and niece came to the reception and took the kids home at about 10:00p.m. Of course as I walked back into the reception from putting the kids in the car, the band was playing "Sweet Caroline" - oh well, I'm sure she is going to hear that for the rest of her life - she'll probably hate Neil Diamond! It was fun, but exhausting - when all was said and done I was up for 24 hours on the day of the wedding. It took me three days to recover (not fun with 3 kids). I think I am finally back to normal.

EO glad everything is ok. How scary.

Naps Caroline still naps whereever I put her down, even if its only for a few minutes. We are going on two vacations in August and I don't want to try to get into any routines before then.

CONFESSION (warning- disturbing story to follow): I am "one of those moms" !!! The other day. my mother was here, so I took advantage of the time to run to the grocery store, while she sat with the kids. (I can shop in a 1/4 of the time w/o them) Anyhow, I am on the phone with DH as I pulled in to the lot asking if he needed anything in particular. I get out of the car, go inside and peruse the produce aisle for at least five minutes, then I go over to the deli counter when I realized that I LEFT CAROLINE IN THE CAR!!!!:eek: I've heard about stories like this, but swore it would never happen to me! I still cannot believe that this is me writing this. She had been fussing when I was leaving so I took her with me to see if she might dose off in the car. I guess the two minutes of peace and quiet in the car made me forget I had kids... Anyway, I bolted out of the store like a lunatic. She was fine, but I wasn't. My poor baby! I was also so embarrassed about the scene I caused running out of the store that I didn't want to waltz right back in with the baby, so I sat in the car with her for a few minutes!! Alright - I just had to get that off my chest.

OK, gotta run to the first of 3 birthday parties today:rolleyes:.

[Mrs.Chappy]

Dettes: that's hilarious!! glad she was ok. Thanks for the morning laugh!! i needed it!

[MrsSpencer]

Dettes- At least you remembered! I so afraid when I get more secure with him in the car with me bymyself that I'll forget him..but then again I might not..don't know till I'm in the situation. Glad she was okay though...you can laugh about it now.

[Dettes]

I KNOW!!! All I could think was "what if I hadn't realized as quickly as I did and what if it had been in the high heat of the day????" Thankfully it was at 7:00pm so it wasn't as hot as it could have been, but still. I get naseuous when I think what could have happened. I had visions of my car being surrounded by police as I was running back out to the lot.

[Mrs.Chappy]

Dettes: i don't mean to laugh about it but its totally something i could see myself doing!

[Baby Lust]

Oh no Dettes!!! :eek: :o Glad everything turned out ok! It's funny... before you are a mom, you hear those stories and you think "how could someone possibly do that???" but once you have them, it really can happen to anyone!!!

[MrsSpencer]

Wish Nicholas luck tomorrow at our county fair he is entering the "pretty baby contest"..hope he wins!

[Mickey&B]

Mrs C I really don't expect that great of a stretch but dare I say he slept 8hrs straight last night. I just know I am going to jinx myself and he'll be up every 3 like 3 nights ago :D . But yes I do swaddle his arms he's in pretty tight (like in the hospital) I try not to do it during the day but I have to make sure I catch him before he gets to tired or fo.get.about.it!

Dettes Would it make you feel better if I told you that someone in the June momma's thread did the same thing. How scary! but at least you realized quickly and no harm was done! I always worry about locking him in the car especially in this heat!

[Mrs.Chappy]

Third night in crib...in at 10 up at 1:45 (fed) then i put back and didnt swaddle and he fussed every hour until i fed again at 4:10. then i swaddled in the miracle blanket and didn't hear him until 6:30 or so. Then he woulnd't go back in after the 7 am feed so we finally rocked him in the carseat and he didn't wake until 11:30 when we got home from teh park w/ DS1. I guess it's progressively getting better. The three hours of uninterrupted sleep i got was great (pathetic since two weeks ago i was getting 7!!!) Anyway, i'm hoping this trend continues and gets better.


Mrs. S how'd the fair go?

[rachrich]

Dettes oh my! i bet you were scared sh@%less!

Mrs.Chappy sounds like the crib transition is going better. slow and steady wins the race, right? ;) Hang in there!

[MrsSpencer]

They made him compete with three other six months olds (only four in the catergory 0-6 months) and he got last cause he was asleep and the other three could sit up and smile and stuff like on cue. It was a rip off I think, they should've put the "little" ones in their own category and there was this little 3 week old girl who was so pretty and she didn't get anything either, because she was asleep. So if they weren't going to fairly judge then they shouldn't have put the age 0-6 months they barely looked at him for a second! I'm so angry cause Nicholas was sooo much cuter than those other babies (he just can't fit into any sailor outfits or overalls yet)..soo mad...

[Lolly]

E&O, how scary! Glad everything is OK now.

Mrs. C, hope Jake sleeps well for you tonight.

Mrs. S, Nicholas is a cutie pie! At least you know we know that.;)

Dettes, Oh my indeed! Glad she, and you, are OK though.

Off to work tomorrow. Boo! I finally get into the groove of being at home and doing whatever all day and now I have to go back. I must figure out a way to stay home in the next year. Its not that I don't like my job really, its just that daycare is so d@mn expensive around here. Oh and I did find out that Megan's rate will go up again in August (well, Mary's too). So, I'll be paying a little more than $2200/month! Crazy!!! But I really do like their daycare center. Anyway, perhaps I will venture into something like Becky. I mean I could probably teach more hours of gymnastics (my second, fun job) but who would watch the girls while I did that? Anyway, sorry to take up so much space in here on that. I should write more about that in my LJ. Perhaps later this week. Good news is that I got everything done on my big to-do list except open up savings accounts for the girls. So, not so bad.

[ironhair]

Dettes: I'm sorry to say that I laughed at your story, but only b/c everything turned out ok, and like MrsC, it's totally something I could see myself doing. I'm sure that was quite scary at the time though! And what a sight you must have been rushing out of the store! One for the babybook.

MrsS: Yes, Nicholas is adorable. We all say so and you know so and that's all that matters!

Lolly: Holy Cow! OK, I'm never going to complain about my $600/month daycare bill again! Yikes!

Question for you mom's w/ pumps. I noticed a little mildew in my tubing. Can I get rid of it or do I need to buy new tubing? I'm sure it's b/c I never let all the parts (especially the tubing) sit long enough to dry b/f using it again.

[Dettes]

No need to be sorry for laughung, thankfully, I can laugh about it too.

Good luck today Lolly.

[MrsSpencer]

thinking about you lolly

I know he's adorable...and if the crowd voted he would've won..hehe...it wasn't just him, there were other babies in other catergories too that were jipped. just wanted to do it once...though may do it one more time next year, he'll be old enough then!

[MrsBeckyLP]

I hope today is going well for you Lolly. I still can't believe your daycare bill. I definitely wouldn't be going back to work if mine were that much, because unfortunately I don't bring in a hell of a lot more than that a month!

ironhair- I'm not sure about that. I would probably wash them out with bleach water and make sure they dry well. Did you check in the MWP thread? I always let my pump run without the horns attached before I put it away, and that usually dries the tubing out well.

Maddie giggled several times this weekend! For the past few weeks she has been doing this squeal kind of thing (half giggle), but this weekend I got three all-out giggles! It was so cute. I called my mom this morning while I was pumping, and she told me Maddie giggled again this morning while getting her diaper changed. I am so glad I heard her first giggle, and not grandma! She will be 3 months old on Thursday -- I can't believe it!

I think I am doing better this week, though today is going to be hard for me. I have a MK group meeting tonight, and I won't be home until about 9 p.m., and Maddie will be in bed. I'm sad about not seeing her, but also about not being able to BF her this evening and do the nighttime routine. But if I want to be able to make some money with MK, I need to go to these meetings and learn more about it. I have so many questions, and tonight will be the time to get answers. Once I see how I start out, I'll either set goals or drop the MK thing. If I do OK in the beginning, I'm going to make it my goal to only work PT at my current job. If I don't do well, I'm going to quit MK because it will be taking up my nights, and what's the point of that? Then I'll be gone all day every day and some nights. So, that's where I'm at.

[Jessiesmama]

Hi everyone! Behind as usual...
Hope everyone is doing well. I have 4 questions for you guys today.

Are you still swaddling?
I am - using the miracle blanket. She sleeps well at night if swaddled. I've tried to put her in the crib asleep and unsaddled - but she wakes herself within 15 min...

If so, do you swaddle for naps as well?
Although I think we should be weaning from the swaddle, I did this over the weekend and she slept in the crib for an hour nap!

Are your DC napping in their crib yet? If so, all naps or just some?
I'd like to move toward that but then we would never leave the house. What are you guys doing?

Anyone on a schedule yet? If so - what is it?
We have a nice evening feeding and "going to bed" schedule, but no real nap schedule yet.

[MrsSpencer]

1. Never swaddled..he likes to suck on his hand.

2. N/a

3. Never been in crib..don't plan on it till his at least six months old or so.

4. He's been pretty predictable about napping, but no a real schedule.

[MrsBeckyLP]

Are you still swaddling?
Yep, still. It works, so I don't see a reason to stop. I have noticed that she's startling herself less now, but I don't want to take the chance yet of having her wake up an hour after she goes to bed. I need my sleep! I swaddle her with the Ultimate Receiving Blanket (http://www.target.com/Swaddle-Designs-Ultimate-Receiving-Blanket/dp/B000GG0A9O/qid=1216055278/ref=br_1_3/601-7624754-3814526?ie=UTF8&node=16281301&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1) from Target.

If so, do you swaddle for naps as well?
Well ... Now that I'm back to work, I'm not really there for naps (except on weekends). My mom is her sitter for now, and she's working on getting her to nap in the crib, and that includes swaddling. Until now, she's pretty much been napping on us or in her swing, and she's not swaddled then since it's a chest-to-chest thing when she naps on us. She wakes up when we put her on her back, unless she's in a really deep sleep. So yes, she'll be swaddled for naps in the crib.

Are your DC napping in their crib yet? If so, all naps or just some?
See above.

Anyone on a schedule yet? If so - what is it?
We also have a nice evening schedule, but there's no real daytime schedule. I have noticed that she's usually napping around the 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. hours, but the times between and after vary.

[Jessiesmama]

Thanks MrsSpencer and Becky!

I have the Ultimate Receiving Blanket and it didn't work for us. She pushes out of it and it and it ends up over her face so I went back to the Miracle Blanket because it's more like a straight jacket.

[MrsBeckyLP]

I have the Ultimate Receiving Blanket and it didn't work for us. She pushes out of it and it and it ends up over her face so I went back to the Miracle Blanket because it's more like a straight jacket.

I tried a SwaddleMe, but I don't think she liked it very much. I never tried the Miracle Blanket, though it looks pretty nice! Our problem is that with the harness she wears for her hips, her legs go out to the sides, and I felt the SwaddleMe was too restrictive, even when just "swaddled" around her upper body. I like the fact that I can keep the blanket nice and loose around her legs. Maddie escapes from the Ultimate Receiving Blanket sometimes, but not until she's already awake. It keeps her from startling though, so it works for us. I read that it's recommended that babies stop being swaddled around 3.5-4 months, and Maddie will be 3 months on Thursday. She has to wear the harness at night until she's 4 months, so we'll swaddle at least until then, because she can't wear sleepers. I have no problem leaving her swaddled longer than that though!

For those of you who don't swaddle, what does your child wear to bed/how do you keep him/her warm? When is it OK to start putting a blanket in bed with them? eta: Just curious; I don't plan on doing it any time soon.

[Standrea]

Hey everyone! Sorry I'm behind. I've been OOT for a few days with my girls. It was fun, yet tiring at the same time. Abbie has definately hit the terrible 2s stage, and I do NOT like it at all.

No time for shout outs! Sorry!

Are you still swaddling?
No. But, I do put her blanket around her at night when she is sleeping.

If so, do you swaddle for naps as well?
No. But, sometimes if the central air is on, Ill just put her blanket around her legs.

Are your DC napping in their crib yet? If so, all naps or just some?
Not napping in her crib yet. She naps in the pnp in the living room, or the swing. Maybe I'll put her in there this afternoon though.

Anyone on a schedule yet? If so - what is it?
Not so much. The morning she is awake by 8 (depending on her sister), and she gets dressed and then nurses. She sits in her swing while we have breakfast. Depending if she fell asleep then or not, she'll go into the bumbo and watch sesame street (I clean the house during this hour). She usually passes out by then, so I move her into the PNP. Diaper change, and then we do whatever it is for the day (errands, shopping, play outside, etc.). She nurses around lunch time, and hten she's in her bouncy seat while i make abbie lunch and we eat. They both go down for their naps after lunch. Ellie usually wakes up to nurse, and then goes back down. She is up when daddy gets home, and plays with him and her sister while I cook dinner. During dinner, she is either napping again, or sitting with us at the table. After dinner the girls get their baths, a story, and then ellie nurses and goes in her swing. If she falls asleep i would wake her up at 10 to nurse, but last night I didn't, and she slept until 4am. So, I think I'm just not going ot wake her anymore!

[CTs_Punkin]

Hi guys,
Man has it been ages since I posted in here. I read along when I can, but don't have a ton if stuff to add... so usually just read along.

Gabriel turned 2 months yesterday - I can't believe it. It's going by so fast!
Here's his 2 month pic from yesterday and another one that I just think is the cutest (but I'm biased)
http://pics.livejournal.com/cts_punkin/pic/0009zp4p/s640x480
http://pics.livejournal.com/cts_punkin/pic/0009tcrs/s640x480

Are you still swaddling?
No. I use the sleep sack at night to keep him warm over his jammies.

If so, do you swaddle for naps as well?
N/A

Are your DC napping in their crib yet? Gabriel isn't really napping on a schedule. It's more random - (Like right now he's been sleeping in the swing for about an hour - but he usually only naps for about 10 minutes at a time)

Anyone on a schedule yet? If so - what is it?
We have a schedule at night, but not so much during the day. I'm BFing on command - since he's a snacker I tend to be feeding him all day long. We just transitioned him to his crib and he did really great last night & slept for 8 hours... I'm one happy awake mamma today!!

Mrs Spencer - Yep, those sleep sacks are great. He likes to kick his legs so swaddling went out the window by about 3 weeks.

[MrsSpencer]

Becky I have the halo sleep sack, they fit them up to when they're like almost 2! Of course different sizes. But I always have the a/c on if by chance he dirties his blanket before I can wash it that night I put him in a light weight sleeper, he doesn't like to be covered with a blanket kicks it off.

we x-posted ct- Glad to hear things are going well, I usually put a onesie under his sleepsack since it's warm, right after he was born I put a sleeper underneath. Those sacks are great aren't they. Gabriel is adorable..the second pic is sooo cute!

[Mrs.Chappy]

popping on to add that jake slept fron 9-3:30 in his crib then 4-7..progress.

he's a sucky napper and seems miserable today so that may fair well for us tonite!

[tashaw6]

Are you still swaddling?
DS doesn't like being swaddled, but I do use it when he is really sleepy cause he doesn't protest and it keeps him warm.

If so, do you swaddle for naps as well?
No. But, sometimes if the central air is on, Ill just put a blanket around his legs like Andrea said.

Are your DC napping in their crib yet? If so, all naps or just some?
Not napping in his crib yet as it is upstairs so too far. He naps on me or the swing. I should try put him in there sometime.

Anyone on a schedule yet? If so - what is it?
Not really, I go by DS schedule. ;)

[MrsSpencer]

popping on to add that jake slept fron 9-3:30 in his crib then 4-7..progress.

he's a sucky napper and seems miserable today so that may fair well for us tonite!

That's Great MrsChappy!

[BeachGirl]

Hey everyone,

So I went to my doctor and she put me on some anti anxiety meds which are starting to help a little. I just worry so much about everything that could go wrong that it makes me depressed. :( I wish I could just be a relaxed person, but I'm working on it.

Are you still swaddling?
Yes. I use the miracle blanket and love it!

If so, do you swaddle for naps as well?
Originally we were only swaddling at night, but yesterday I tried it for one of her naps and it worked great, so I think I'll start doing that now.

Are your DC napping in their crib yet?
Hailey took her first nap in her crib yesterday (which was also the first time I swaddled her during a nap).

Anyone on a schedule yet? If so - what is it?
Yes, we are doing a schedule. We start our day at 7 or 7:30am with the first feeding and feed about every three hours. The last feeding ends up being around 10 or 10:30. After that, I put her down for the night and let her sleep as long as she will go. She's usually been going until about 4am. For naps during the day, I basically let her sleep whenever she will.

I have a few questions also.
Are you doing tummy time and if so, how long each day? Is your DC holding his/her head up while on their tummy? At what age are they supposed to do this? I am trying to do tummy time with Hailey, but she is not yet able to hold up her head so she gets frustrated very easily.

[Mrs.Chappy]

Beach girl:
glad you got the meds. Just curious if you are bf-ing and if so what meds are you taking..when i called to ask about anti anxiety meds i was told they all interfered w/ bfing..i think my issues are w/ sleeping at night more than anything but i'm working on it.

DC holds his head up. Sometimes tummytime lasts 5 min, sometimes 30! he will sometimes just rest his head ont he ground w/o lifting...olthertimes he is picking it up and voicing. Sometimes he gets frustrated. All depends where we are in the nap sched..like if he's getting tired.

Just to chime in on some questions
We use the Miracle Blanket at night and i love it.. (i have two)

no set routine during the day. (i wish he would go back after the 7:30 am feed so i can get DS1 ready for camp w/o feeling frazzled).

in the crib by 9 or 10 after that last feed (though he's conked out in his stroller now at 7) which will probably throw the night off.

[MrsSpencer]

Glad you got some meds Beachgirl..hopefully you'll start to feel a whole lot better soon.

[BeachGirl]

Mrs.Chappy - I am not breast feeding, so that is why I am able to take the meds. However, I know that most SSRIs are safe for breastfeeding and they also help with anxiety, so you might want to talk to your doctor about that.

[Mrs.Chappy]

SSRI's? what does that sstand for?

[Mickey&B]

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors AKA antidepressants

[anemone]

Glad to hear that you are doing better beachgirl

Becky It is common to have a blanket in bed with your DC in Australia - we don't have bumpers though. You have to tuck the blanket in really firmly under the mattress to make sure it doesn't shift in the night. Also, you make up the crib so that your DD's feet will almost touch the end of the crib. Basically, you end up with a lot of space above their head in the crib while they are still little. We also use the sleep sacks, with the blankets - I think we don't heat/cool our houses the way that you guys do in the US. Good luck with your business:)

Are you still swaddling Yes, and will continue until she is around 3 - 4 months old. We use miracle blankets.

Is your DC napping in their crib yet? Yes, she does all naps at home in her crib, or in her stroller when we are out. I did this pretty much from the start...mainly for her own safety & comfort (DS smothers her in kisses and will happily wake her up).

Anyone on a schedule yet? Sort of. I had DS on a very rigid schedule by this age, but with DD, I can't really because of getting out with DS's activities. She starts her day around 7.30am to eat, naps from 9 - 10.30, eats around 11/12. Naps from 12- 2.30 eats at 2.30, naps 4 - 5.30, eats around 6.30, sleeps 7.30 - 10.30 eats then, and then I let her go until she wants to nurse in the night, somewhere around 4 or 5 ish.

Tummy time we do it when doing a diap change, just for a minute or so. I also try to put her on her tummy when she has play time on the floor, but she tends to just put her head to one side and suck on her paci, rather than actually exercise and lift her head up.....

[rachrich]

Beachgirl that's great about the meds! I hope they continue to help.

Are you still swaddling i'm not, but DH does swaddle sometimes, usually just at night though. Owen ALWAYS kicks them off so i don't even bother. it is cute to see little babies swaddled though.
Is your DC napping in their crib yet? i sort of addressed this already, but he does nap if he's completely worn out. he sleeps GREAT at night in his crib, but during the day not so much. and that's not just because of the crib, in general he doesn't nap during the bulk of the day unless he's super tired. kinda frustrating at times.
Anyone on a schedule yet? yes, during the night, during the day not so much. here's a usual "schedule" - he gets up around 6:30-7 to eat, back to sleep until 10ish, eats again. after that he's pretty awake and wanting to nurse every 1.5 hrs (2 if i'm lucky!) until we go to bed at 11ish. he usually cat naps late afternoon, then gets tired again around 10. we've been feeding him a 3-oz bottle at night to help him last longer, therefore we all get good sleep, then i get up twice to pump. Owen sleeps good at night and will only wake up if he's peed through his clothes.

Tummy time i haven't done it in a couple days, i've been slacking about it. i do try to do it for about 10 min or so each day. he gets grumpy about it pretty quick but his head control and neck support is getting better. still has a floppy head but he can hold it still for a few seconds usually

[Dettes]

Thats awesome MRsC. Hope it continues for you.

Too cute CT!!

Are you still swaddling?- No, never really did.

If so, do you swaddle for naps as well? N/A

Are your DC napping in their crib yet? If so, all naps or just some? No, we haven't even set the crib up yet. She'll probably stay in the cradle until she gets too big or starts to sit up, whichever comes first. What can I say, I like them close to me at night - this stage doesn't last long.

Anyone on a schedule yet? If so - what is it? No, we're going on two vacations in August which will certainly screw up any schedule that we might start so I'm waiting to impelment any schedule until we get home.

Question for those of you who are taking Fenugreek- Has anyone experienced dizziness? I was in the bakery yesterday and the entire store started spinning. I had all three kids with me so I got really nervous that I was going to drop right there. I gathered up the kids and went to the car and drank one of thier juice boxes, which made me feel a little better but it was quite a scary sensation. I started taking Fenugreek on Sunday and had taken two 610 mg pills right before I headed out. I've since read online that it can cause dizziness, so that is the only thing I can attribute it to. Anyone else experience this?

[PGirl26]

Are you still swaddling?
No. But, I do put her blanket around her at night when she is sleeping. (we're still co-sleeping)

If so, do you swaddle for naps as well?
No, she loves her blanket. She hates to be restricted while being swaddled and will wiggle out of it every time

Are your DC napping in their crib yet? If so, all naps or just some?
Not napping in the crib yet. She is to the place where she doesn't like napping in her swing anymore either. She falls asleep pronto in her Boppy these days...so the Boppy it is!!

Anyone on a schedule yet? If so - what is it?
During the day, times vary. But we are on somewhat of a schedule. We usually get up around 7:30 for our first feeding. She then goes back to sleep for another three to four hours. Once she gets up here around 10:30 or 11 we are on a 2.5 hour feeding schedule. She will usually take two naps during the day, at maybe an hour a piece. The rest of the day she is awake. We don't really have a good nighttime schedule. I really need to impliment this. But for now, she just stays in here with us until we go to bed around 11. She takes her final feeding right before bed and sleeps through the night. I need to get her into the habit of going to bed earlier than us. Last night, I put her in our room at 7:30 and she slept until 10:15. Then she was up for a feeding and back asleep at midnight. She woke at 5:45 this morning.

Blankets in bed:
I've never had one of the swaddle me blankets. She hates being swaddled. I don't worry too much about her blanket being in bed with her since we're still cosleeping. She doesn't startle herself too much anymore. She is a sound sleeper. She loves to bring her blanket up to her cheek though.


Tummy time
DD hates tummy time. I try to do it daily, but I've been slacking the last week or so! We normally do it for about 15 minutes each day. She has good head control and will try to look around while on her tummy. But she gets frustrated very easily and starts screaming. I've noticed her trying to sit up alot as well. If she's sitting upright in my lap, she hates to be reclined back. She wants to sit straight up. And if I do try to lay her back, she will try to sit up on her own. She has succeeded in sitting up one time so far.

[E&O]

Great questions!
Are you still swaddling?- No, DS is a "thrasher" and that's how he gets himself to sleep. So he needs his space to thrash around.

Are your DC napping in their crib yet? Some in the pack and play, but he has to pretty sound asleep for us to lay him down in there. I'm trying to do more in the P&P, but most still take place in his bouncy chair.

Anyone on a schedule yet? If so - what is it? He is usually up to eat around 6:00, and then he naps again until 8:00 or on a rare occassion until 9:00. Then he has another mid-morning nap, wakes around 2:00 to eat and will nap again. Some times a long one, sometimes short. Will be awake from about 4:00 to 6:00 when he hits his "witching hour" and I try to coax one more nap out of him. We nurse again in the 8:00 hour and then down for the night. Our night routine goes well. The rest of the day is still kind of on the fly.

Tummy time/Lifting Head I do about 5-10 minutes of TT per day. He's not thrilled with it but will tolerate it. He is not lifting his head up too far and is not anywhere close to propping up on his elbows. But he will turn his head side to side a number of times. Although when we do tummy-to-tummy time and he is laying on our chests, he does much better at lifting his head up and looking around.

I have one more question to add..... is anyone actively trying to drop a night time feeding? I know that DS can sleep through the night until 5:00 or 6:00, he has done it several times now. But he also falls into a habit of waking up around 2:30 and I am trying to drop this feeding. I've read that you should try to make this feeding shorter, so I only nurse on one side (10 min) and by then he has usually fallen back asleep. I also read that you should not change their diaper. (but his is on meds that make him poop alot, so I am changing his diaper for now). I guess I could try to take the feeding down to 5 mins. Or I could try to not feed at all, and just go in and rock him back to sleep. Any other thoughts......

[MrsSpencer]

nicholas is still eating twice before he's up for the day at 2 and 4 up for the day at 6-7


eta- Belm in the June mommies little boy has to undergo surgery tomorrow I believe just wanted to ask you all to keep them in your thoughts and prayers that everything comes out okay.

[MrsBeckyLP]

Tummy Time- We do it when I think about it. She's had great head control from the beginning and never was floppy, so I'm not too concerned. Sometimes she enjoys it; sometimes she doesn't. She lifts her head up just fine, but she's not really pushing up on her elbows/arms yet. She pulls one leg up toward her tummy, like she is trying to roll over. She doesn't get close, but it's a start! When she's on her back, she has started arching her back and turning to the side a bit.

Nighttime feeding: Nope, not trying to drop it. In fact, if she didn't have it, I know she wouldn't go back to sleep. She doesn't usually fall asleep during it (but does sometimes), and I have to put her back down in her crib awake. She's usually groggy and falls back to sleep with no problems. So it's not like I can just rock her to sleep or put a paci in her mouth. When she does wake up -- usually anywhere from 3-5 a.m. -- she's WIDE awake. She doesn't cry when she wakes up, so by the time she squaks a few times and I hear her, she's probably been awake for quite a while. I wish I could hear her wake sooner, but she lies there awake and plays, even in the middle of the night. Oh, and I really hate it when she wakes up at 5 a.m., because I get up at 5:30 for work. That extra half-hour of sleep would be great!

Now I have a question to add! Do your kids take a pacifier, and when or how often?

Maddie does, but we hardly ever give it to her. If we can soothe her another way, we do it. Really the only time I give it to her is if she's struggling to fall asleep for a nap and she's fussy. I plunk it in her mouth and she's out within a minute or two. Her eyes INSTANTLY roll back when it goes in her mouth. I also give it to her in the car when she fusses, but she doesn't always take it then. I really don't want her to become dependent on it, and she's not at all.

[PGirl26]

Do your kids take a pacifier, and when or how often?
Addesyn has a paci. She usually wants it when she's very cranky or whiny. She used it alot more when she was first born. But now, it seems as though she just isn't interested in it. She'll take it when I put her down for a nap, but as soon as she falls asleep, she drops it and doesn't wake back up for it. I'll offer it in the car but she normally is content to just ride around without it.

[makena32204]

Tummy time - DS is really good about holding his head up and we try to put him on his tummy everyday. Last night, I put him on his tummy and he would immediately roll onto his back. He did this three times in a row, crazy kid! He can hold his head up really well and has good control, so I'm not too concerned.

swaddling- Nope. We've never had to with DS. Of course, with DD we swaddled until 4-5 months or so! After that, we used a sleep sack for a while b/c DD liked the weight of it on her. I didnt put loose blankets in the crib until DD was a year or so and to be honest, she doesnt even use them.

schedule- DS usually wakes up around 6 am and after being fed, will usually fall back asleep in his swing (we take him downstairs at this point so he doesnt wake DD) about an hour later. He'll sleep until 9ish and then feed again. He usually eats about every 3 hrs or so, sometimes he's pushed to to 4 hrs!! We've been putting him down in his crib around 9pm and he'll sleep until 3 am or so. Sometimes 2 am, sometimes 4 am. Last night, he ate at 6:45 and fell asleep at 8, so we put him in the crib to see what would happen. He slept until midnight and then was up at 3. I think I prefer giving him that 9 pm feeding and only getting up once! :D

napping- Usually in the swing, sometimes in the crib or in the carseat if we are out. Heck, this kid has fallen asleep in the baby bjorn. He'll be fussy for about 5 mins and then conk out. It's amazing. With DD, we had her on a STRICT napping schedule or else she was a demon. LOL.

paci-We will give it to Tristan when he is fussy, but we have to hold it in. Otherwise, he'll drop it after about 10 seconds. It works for us! DD never took one but she's a thumb sucker when she's tired, which is fine too. I'm not too concerned about either.

[MrsSpencer]

paci- same here only when fussy. sometimes at night.

[BeachGirl]

Hailey is 7 weeks old today. Should I be concerned if she is not lifting her head at all during tummy time? She will lift it once in awhile if I am holding her upright in a sitting position, but when I lay her on her tummy she just fusses and leaves her head down on the floor to the side.

[tashaw6]

Tummy time: Kade does 5 mins a day around about. He has strong head control I think from doing tummy to tummy time. When he does floor tummy time he will sometimes put his head to one side, sometimes fuss or sometimes try hold his head up. All depends on the day.

Paci: He likes both the paci from the hospital and the nuk we bought. He mostly takes it when he is about to sleep. We also use it when we can't soothe him any other way. Lately he has been easy to soothe though. He also sucks his thumb for soothing himself so I may have two things to break possibly (?) in future.

[smilewithme]

Paci - We've avoided it. DS won't take it and we are fine with that, especially we had such a hard time breaking DD of her paci habit!

Swaddling - No.

Sleep in crib - No. Recalled.

Schedule - At night we've got a routine. When 8 - 8:30 comes around, it's bedtime for DS. I take him upstairs and change him to pj's and we have some quiet time with the lights low. I nurse him and he's down for the night.

Tummy time - When I think about it, couple times a week.

Work started on Monday. I was a wreck from last Thursday on. I was moody, grumpy, cried at the drop of a hat over anything. DH came with me for daycare drop off yesterday and I cried of course, a lot. It was hard. DS was so laid back and cool about it. He didn't fuss one bit that a stranger was holding him which was nice for me. Anyways, yes, I was a mess about it. I am working half days this week which is making it easier. I didn't cry today at drop-off though. It's hard doing the daycare bit with two kids! I need to leave the house earlier to get to work on time though...ugh.

[rachrich]

paci we use it when DS is really fussy. He tries to refuse it a lot but sometimes I'll leave it in his mouth until he hangs on to it. probably not the best thing to do but usually the only other thing that quiets him is the boob. sometimes I do that but I'm not interested in having him on me every single time he's fussy/tired and can't be soothed.

smilewithme do you have a new crib yet? didn't you mention awhile back that you sent it back?

[Mrs.Chappy]

smile: hang in there..at least you are easing into work with half days, right?

as for me i have a terrible cold...you know the kind where your nose drips the minute you look down? i hate it..i just know DS2 will get it...i hope it goes away by friday..i'm going to see Billy Joel give the last concert at Shea Stadium..our seats are down in front!! Plus its my first night away from Jake (and Ben) since the birth. Our nanny agreed to babysit.

[smilewithme]

smilewithme do you have a new crib yet? didn't you mention awhile back that you sent it back?

No crib yet. We got the package from the manuf. before I went back to work and DH took the crib apart this last weekend. We have to mail back all the nuts and bolts and stuff. We were driving to the UPS store to mail it back on Saturday and I asked DH if he included the mattress supports in the package and he said no. I wasn't sure if we had to and we didn't want to mail it without not knowing for sure. Package is still sitting on the kitchen counter and probably will for awhile. I have no motivation. DH is in Portland right now for work too.

Yes, I'm thankful that I'm working half days for the first week. Although half days turned into six hour days both yesterday and today, plus I'm working at home tonight. :rolleyes: Back in the rhythm.

[E&O]

Really the only time I give it to her is if she's struggling to fall asleep for a nap and she's fussy. I plunk it in her mouth and she's out within a minute or two.

Ditto to this Becky. Ususally between the hours of 5:00 and 7:00 PM he is tired for one last nap and fights it. I don't have the time to focus on him completely. This seems to be the only time during the day we use it.

We leave for the beach on Friday night (this year with 2 kids!!!) so I'm spending a lot of time doing laundry, organzing and packing yesterday and today. We are gone until the following Sunday. And I start back at work on Wednesday 7/30.

Not at all looking forward to leaving my smiley guy all day long, or missing out on afternoons playing with DD. But I am looking forward to getting DD back into her regular routine (so she is not asking to eat dinner at 4:30 and constanly begging for snacks all afternoon) and to spend time with the fun people I work with. Although I know that will wear off quickly and I'll want to be hanging at home all day again. :)

[Mrs.Chappy]

hi all..a happy day here as jake was in at 9, went to 5 am, fed until 5:30 and went back until 8. That is huge..the best night of sleep for him since he was born. I do hope this continues and that i can finally get caught up on my rest (still up and down waiting for him to wake!)

[MrsBeckyLP]

smilewithme- Big HUGS to you. Your post made me get all teary-eyed again. It's really rough, isn't it? Thankfully we have each other to lean on.

MrsC- That is awesome!!!!!

BeachGirl- I'm not sure. I probably wouldn't be concerned just yet, so long as her head control in general has improved.

E&O- Have fun at the beach! Try not to think too much about going back to work and enjoy your vacation!

Us- Ah, I can't get enough. I cannot believe how much I love my little girl. She will be 3 months old tomorrow and is giggling all the time now! It makes me laugh out loud every time she does it. Oddly enough, she typically does it when I'm changing her onesie/clothes! Maybe it tickles?? Anyway, she is so stinkin' adorable. We went to Applebee's and grocery shopping last night, and she was awake the whole time and didn't fuss for a minute; we were gone for about three hours. She is such a happy baby. We are truly blessed.

Pumping at work is still going great. I usually pump between 9-11 ounces in the morning, and then less during my next two sessions. I get about 20-24 total ounces while at work, and I also pump in the evening before I go to bed. I usually pump about 4-5 ounces at that session. So I have plenty of milk for the next day's bottles and extra to freeze. I'm still freezing at least 10 ounces a day, sometimes 15. I'm starting to rotate in a bag of frozen milk every day too, just because I don't want what I have to go bad. We need to buy a freezer chest, because I'm running out of room in my freezer. We have a bottom drawer freezer, and I have way too many bags of milk in it! I'm so fortunate to have a great milk supply. I would definitely be willing to share the wealth if I could. I really feel for women who are unable to produce enough. :(

[MrsSpencer]

Becky- Nicholas is taking now more formula than bm (My right side about a week after he started formula has almost completly stopped making milk). He still eats off the left side, and I try to get him to eat off the right side but it only lasts a few minutes and it's drained and to the left side..then he still has to have formula as I never really made a whole lot of milk.

MrsC- Wow, I wish N