NEW! May/June '05 Parenting Thread - OPEN FOR POSTING!

[cynder]

AHhhh.... I have the same onesie, Dreshny. My guy is not near 15 lbs yet so it hangs on him. I work with iPods so I could not resist.

Photo Deleted

Has anyone cut their baby's hair? DS was rocking the mullet and DH was after me to cut it. I was so sad to see my baby become a boy. Just a trim in the back. I'm starting to get why some grow their son's hair out. The one plus side is that his teachers totally noticed and it shows me that they are paying attention to him.

Getting up in the night It's much harder for me but we have the same "Night is for sleep" stance. After sleep training, we are now able to put Sam to sleep in seconds (!), but he occasionally will wake around 4:00 to either complain or play. We leave him the crib and he eventually settles down but my mama instinct is to pick him up and nurse. It's stupid because he's not that hungry and ends up playing or falling asleep on me and then everything is off kilter.

This kid is totally rolling all over the crib and now sleeps on his side. This morning he was on his stomach trying to roll back. I'm glad I got a hard mattress otherwise I would be paranoid about him suffocating.

[Natrat80]

dreshnyAddie played that same trick on us last night! She went down around 7:30 and fell asleep easily. Around 9 she was screaming bloody murder. We tried to calm her down but couldn't so I nursed her. I don't think she was hungry, but we changed her diaper, changed from long pjs into a onesie thinking she might be hot, checked her temp and nothing else was wrong. After I nursed her I laid her down and after a few minutes she was screaming again. She'd scream then laugh then scream and cry. DH thinks she was manipulating us but I just don't think she would have done this for 2+ hours just because she didn't want to be in her crib. DH and I both took turns holding, rocking, shhhing, etc. I finally nursed her again around 11:30 and she fell asleep.

I have no idea what it was about! I hope this doesn't become a pattern. DH wanted to just let her get up and come play with him in the living room. I told him that might start a bad habit of Addie thinking she can get up and play in the middle of the night. I'm usually pretty no-nonsense at night-I don't even make eye contact if she wakes up to nurse, but she was screaming like she was in pain and I just can't ignore that!

[Dreshny]

Eh, Jenyfer, I don't know what's right or wrong, I'm only flying by instinct here, given my particular kid and our particular circumstance. The night before last he woke at 4:30 and didn't go back to sleep until 6:30. He wouldn't nurse back down, he wouldn't sling back down, and when tried to "ignore him back to sleep," he "talked" loudly in the bassinet, which is right next to our bed, for an hour, then started to cry, and kept all of us awake.

Last night, when he woke, we thought it was crankiness from the shots he had earlier in the day. We were originally all business--we tried slinging and nursing for an hour, to no avail. He just wasn't tired and wouldn't go back to sleep. To let him "talk" again or cry would have kept DH awake, and he had an early presentation at work this morning.

So I took him into the other room, away from DH, and let him tire himself out. I think part of it was his tummy--he had two big poopy diapers before I was finally able to nurse him down at 2:00 AM. :rolleyes:

Maybe we have sleep issues, or maybe it's just a brief phase. But for right now, before I try a no-cry sleep training method, I'm just seeing what works.

[ahavnes]

Abbey had her shots yesterday as well. She cried for about 3 mintues and was fine after that. No fussiness yet either. I am in shock. :eek: She is 16lbs 3oz (WOW) and is 27 inches long. Her dad and I are both tall, so I am not surprised. The doctor said her length is that of the average 8 month old. LOL!

I, on the other hand, am not faring so well. I am just stressed to the max. Between taking this promotion and handling my old job until we find a replacement, I have no time for myself, my hubby or my baby. (Ofcourse I have time for CC, but I do that while pumping. ;)) Even though Abbey is right down the hall, I have not been to see her at work all week. When we're at home, DH does everything. He feeds her, changes her, etc. while I pump and get ready in the morning. At night, I play with her for maybe an hour, but I still have to eat and pump. Then I go to bed at about 9pm when Abbey does. The only time I get to see my girl w/o worrying about other things is during her 1am feeding. How sad. I just don't know what to do. :o Sorry to vent!

[Sasha]

Alicia - Vent away. I'm sorry you are feeling so stressed out. I can totally relate. My job situation is horrible - between worrying about the possibility of losing my job and trying to find a new one before that could happen - I feel like I am not able to completely focus on Sarah when I do have the time to play with her. Add on that DH has been up early and home late a lot lately, I feel like it's totally my responsibility to care for Sarah and that I'm not getting much help. It is very overwhelming and definitely takes a toll on you. Hopefully your upcoming trip to Miami will give you a much needed break.

[Carissa]

Period Still no period for me!

Grace slept through the night last night! Finally after a weeks worth of teething fussies and getting up every 3-4 hours. Mom and Dad feel a lot better this morning!

[rancherswife]

Alicia (and everyone else working: Seriously, my heart goes out to all of you. I honestly couldn't imagine doing all that you're all accomplishing in a days time. Ya'll are strong, determined women! I'm sure as time goes on, things will settle in and become second nature between working/family/and self. ((HUGE HUGS)) to all going through this. You have my ut-most respect:)

Carissa: Congrats on the nights rest, it's amazing what one full nights rest can do for a person!lol We haven't had a full nights rest in about a month, I am WWWAAAYYYY over due for one...:rolleyes:

Dreshny:hey girl, at this point you gotta do what works for you! If he was content in that gymini, so be it! knock on wood, we've not yet had one of those nights (I'm SURE i'm jinxing myself, as I type:( ) but if we ever do (which i'm sure we will) I'd do whatever had to be done to keep him content, he obviously just wasn't sleepy, he wanted to have a little mid-night party! Why not?lol:D

cynder:Darling pic., he's got a ton of hair!!! Too cute:)

[Dally]

Annalie is five months old today! :) I can't believe how fast the time goes by. She starting blowing raspberries a couple of days ago, so I guess that is her way of celebrating.

Natrat---Could Addie be teething? We've had some serious nightwaking problems from teething. Last night I gave Annalie a little Baby tylenol, and we went back to just two night wakings (typical for us). I was so grateful. I have a cold and I really needed the rest.

Alicia--I feel for you! Man, getting back to work is so hard. And with a promotion, that must be all the harder. I'm finding it really hard to care when I am at work. For my first four weeks back, I'm taking Wednesday off. Today was Wed., and I loved it (even with a cold). I'm dreading working five days a week again.

[Natrat80]

DallyI guess she could be teething. She is putting everything in her mouth these days, but I didn't know if that was a sign of teething or that she has gained control of her hands. I'll go investigate her gums! :D I love your DD's name! My best friend growing up was Annalee!
nicknamesObviously we usually call Addison Addie, sometimes Addie Grace, baby girl, skunk (I think my dad used to call us that-don't know where it came from), skunkaroo. Gosh, these names sound quite silly when I type them!
periodStill a no-show. Of course I'm already freaking out that I might be pg! (Not that we're DTD enough these days!) I was always worried about getting pg when I was on the pill. Of course I had to use Clomid to get PG with DD, but that doesn't stop me from worrying! ;)
holidaysWe always rotate between our families. This year is Thanksgiving with DH's fam and Christmas with mine.
halloweenI feel like I'm the only one without a costume for DD. I'm not anti-Halloween or anything, it's just never been my favorite holiday. I got DD an Old Navy onesie that says "My first halloween" but she doesn't have a costume. I doubt we'll go anywhere and I just don't feel like blowing money on a costume....is that horrible?

[Traciann]

natrat not horrible at all! we also got an old navy onesie (the mommy's little pumpkin). I did buy a a black bow for her hair so she would match for pictures. :) we are not big on halloween, and she is too young to enjoy going to the church fall festival, so I decided to skip a costume this year.

[kelseyledare]

Nicknames: We mostly call her Peanut since she was so little when she was born. Her cheeks are much chubbier now so sometimes I call her cherub. She also gets called angel or precious.

Period: Still a no-show (thank goodness). One less hassle in life is definitely a plus right now! I am exclusively BF and pumping and on mini-pill.

Holidays: We always spend them my family since we are closest to them physically and emotionally. The few we've tried with DH's family did not turn out well.

Halloween: I totally understand, Nat and Traci. I bought an inexpensive UNC cheerleader outfit (skort and long-sleeved top) at Wal-Mart and a Halloween bib. I was determined not to spend more than $20. I feel like we're the only ones without an exersaucer, but the one I want is almost $100, and she plays in one at daycare.

4 mos WCC: DD is 14 lb 6 oz (75th) and 25 inches (80th). Still has a small head, but the flat spot is getting rounder :) . She did much better after these shots than at 2 months.

[KGif]

Feeding question
Might be a stupid one ....
So we've been on rice cereal and then moved to Barley cereal. He's done great with the cereal since day one, and it's about time to move to veggies. So with the cereal he still got his normal bottles (betw 30-26 ozs a day) and we just had cereal at night for dinner. So now do I continue with the cereal and ADD veggies? or do i replace the cereal with the veggies?

THANKS!

[Traciann]

kelsey we don't have an exersaucer either! i didn't get one at my shower, and we don't really have extra money to spend on one. we do have a doorway jumper, but i need to wait until she is sitting up to use it.

and plus if she uses one at daycare, she is getting plenty of time in one.

KGif I think that you are supposed to keep the cereal, and then add a meal(fruit/veggie) slowly to get to three meals a day. The book I was reading said to give cereal once a day until one year old..I think it may be for the iron.

[jrdhbunny]

Alicia- I have no advice, but I am right there with you. One of my colleagues resigned last week and my boss is looking to me to pick up a lot of her work. {{{HUGS}}}!

Dally- I don't care much about work either. I can fake it, but my boss knows full well that I would rather be home. Sorry you're sick!

natrat- Not horrible at all!!!

cynder- What a cute picture!!!

Carissa- Yay for a good night's rest!

Holidays- My whole family is scattered all over the place while DH's are only 2 hours away so there we will go. I would love to have everyone come to us, but our apartment is too tiny- we don't even have a table!

Period- None for me, which is surprising because DS has been sleeping through the night (at least 6 hours) for a while.

Nicknames- Goonyer, Little Dude, James-ey, honey bunny, Rudeger

Nightwaking- We put DS in bed pretty late (10:30 p.m.) and he used to go to sleep no problem. But the past week, he's been almost impossible to get down before 12 a.m. :( I think it could be teething. Once he does get to sleep though, he'll usually stay asleep until I feed him at around 7 a.m., then goes right back down again.

[Carissa]

rancherswife It was bliss to bad it didn't happen last night as well :(

[Ferris]

Holidays My parents and sister's family live near us. We do Thanksgiving at my mom's, Christmas breakfast at my house and then Christmas dinner at my sis's. We go back to North Carolina every 3 years for Christmas with my IL's.

Period I swore she would come today, because yesterday I had the slighted bit of spotting. But she was a no show! Like Nat I worry that I am preggo!:rolleyes:

Halloween DS is going to be a skunk. We call him a little stinker and the costume was easy enough for me to make! We wanted to have him be Elvis (that's what we called him when I was preggo) but it would be to hard to make.

NicknamesDougie Doug, Dougie, Pooper, Stinker.

SleepThe other night I had 8 hours of sleep without me waking up. It felt so good! I usually wake up multiple times thinking I heard him make a peep!:rolleyes: I told my DH that I hadn't had that good of sleep since before I was pregnant!

Feeding I am clueless when it comes to feeding solids. I have NO clue how thick the cereal is supposed to be! Anyone have a good book/website about feeding solids?

[Sasha]

I think someone has secretly replaced Sarah with another baby ;). I am home with her today and she is taking a nap that has lasted so far for an hour and 15 minutes. Her normal nap length is about a 1/2 hour so this is quite unusual. Plus, last night she slept from 8:30pm - 7:30am!!! I am getting spoiled today, lol.

Went out this morning and bought spoons and bowls so we can try and start cereal. Even though we discussed it with her ped., I am still pretty clueless.

Alien Host - We installed the Britax Roundabout into my Acura TL yesterday and it fits just fine. I can't see the mirror anymore, but that is the only problem. So I think you should be fine.

[ahavnes]

Carseat- Fooey! I hadn't thought about the fact that the bigger car seat will block my view of the mirror. :mad:

Sleep- Like Dreshny, my little one was WIDE awake from about 1:30am to about 3:30am, which is totally unlike her. Maybe it was the shots? Usually we feed her and put her back in her crib. She'll toss and turn a bit and fall asleep w/in about 15 minutes. But not last night! I finally brought her in with me and kicked DH to the guest room around 2:30. :rolleyes: She was happy as a clam playing with the sheets and wiggling around. I sure hope tonite is not a repeat.

Thanks for letting me vent yesterday ladies! :)

[happy1nuv]

nic is starting to sit on his own. he can only hold it for about 10 sec, and then falls over, but, sniff, my boys gettng there...

we are attempting his first roadtrip this weekend to go visit my family in ny state...should be interesting...

[wendstress]

It's been so busy lately that I've barely had time to lurk!!!!

James turned 5 months this week....my little man is growing up!
I took these last weekend - played around in photo shop and love the effect!
http://www.pbase.com/wendym/image/50427596/medium.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/wendym/image/50427598/medium.jpg

Period - No Show, which doesn't hurt my feelings. Haven't had one for over a year...don't miss her! Although I had a bunch of EWCM the other day and I found myself (fondly) remembering my charting days!

Halloween - got James a cow bunting that says "Got Milk?" It's pretty cute! I originally bought a Devil outfit on-line, but they shipped the wrong size and don't apparently have the 3-12 month size, as was advertised. Oh well.

Holidays - We decided we'd host Thanksgiving this year - it'll be a first for us. We'll invite Jon's family and my parents. For Christmas, we're going to stay home and make the Grandparents come to us for a change!

Nicknames - there are so many! Jamesy, Jamesy-boy, Little-Oh-Seven (with a License to Fuss), Sir Jameson, Wee Little Man, Sweet Baby James, Peanut

Sleep - We've had a few 10-11 hour nights, but mostly he gets up once per night. I curse the people that say, "Oh my son slept through the night at 4 weeks." :mad:

Feeding - We've been giving James rice cereal for almost a month now. We haven't really made it a priority, and probably feed him cereal 4-5 times a week. For those of you that were asking, the first cereal feeding was just barely thicker than breastmilk. Now, we make it thicker. He lets us know if it's too thick - he won't eat it. We gave him SWEET POTATOS for the first time tonight.... He loved them! Probably only 2 tablespoons, but it was so much fun. Our goal at this point is to continue 4-5 cereal feedings per week, and start to add in a veggie/fruit feeding a week. We're not in a hurry....but it is something fun to do with the boy!

[wendstress]

Wanted to pass along a good website on starting solids:

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/infant/startingsolids.html

[BTB]

Wow - I know I have really, really been gone too long when I don't even know what page we were on last time I was here. I think it was in the 60's? Totally not sure. I've missed you guys!

DD is six months old today. So exciting! :) We took her to BRU for photos, and got her some fun toys to celebrate. Still no AF here, but still exclusively BFing too. We'll probably give DD her first solid food this weekend - can't wait to see what she thinks.

Life has been a whirlwind lately, can it be mid-October already? Natrat, we don't have a costume either - but I'm still hoping to find one. Not sure where DD will wear it, maybe she'll help pass out candy this year. :)

[tgray99]

Aidan rolled over today!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Y'all have no idea how excited I am about this. I was playing with her on a blanket on the floor in her room and I left her there for a bit to start making a casserole. Before long I hear her crying so I finish what I was doing and go to her room and there she in on her tummy with her arm stuck under her. I was so thrilled that she rolled over by herself that I yelled for Ryan to come look, forgetting for a moment that my baby was stuck and NOT happy about. ;) I went and picked her up and we did a little happy dance! :D Now to get that arm unstuck!!

[cynder]

TgrayCongrats on rolling over!

Mini vent here - Sam is becoming so good at rolling over but I really need him to learn to roll back. Every night this week he has woken up because he rolled over and is pissed because he can't roll back. As soon as go in and roll him over him over, he's happy and goes back to sleep. Arrrgggh!

We're going to the pumpkin patch tomorrow and the weather is supposed to be great. We call him punkin' head so seeing him in a patch is going to be a riot.

Have a great weekend!

[Sasha]

BTB- Maybe you can answer this question about solids. How exactly do you intersperse them into the baby's eating schedule? DD generally eats every three hours during the day, so is it best to try the solid at the same time or sometime in between bottles? That is the one thing I don't quite understand, and maybe I am just trying to be to schedule oriented ;), so any info or advice would be appreciated!

We did try giving Sarah some rice cereal for the first time last night. I think more ended up on her face than in her mouth, lol.

Cynder - Sarah was doing the same exact thing. Just over the past 2 nights, she has ended up on her tummy at night and isn't waking up to complain anymore (although I still usually roll her back), so hopefully Sam will soon stop waking up too.

Tgray - Congrats on Aiden's first roll!

Wendstress - Great pictures!

Sarah turns five months old on Sunday...unbelievable!!

[rancherswife]

I can't believe some of these babies are turning five and six months old. It is SOOO hard to believe! I had some extra time while Landon was taking a really good nap the other day and I went back and read some of the archived boards from when we were all first pg. So hard to believe that was over a year ago already. I also noticed a lot of people's names on there that no longer post? I had forgotten how many people we had. It was kinda fun to see what was going on w/ all of us at this time last year:) .

wendstress:great pics.!

tgray:CONGRATS to Aidan on rolling over! Huge milestone:) . Landon gets sooo pissed when he rolls over and gets an arm stuck, too! Too funny.

sleep:yeah, we're still up once, sometimes twice a night. I long for the days he will sleep 8 hours! He was for so long around 2-3 mos. old, guess that was just a phase! I too wanna bite the head off of the mothers who say "my child has slept through since four weeks!" Arghh!

weekend:We're taking Landon to our High School Homecoming tonight. I'm anxious to see how he does, should be fun!
He's also got his first "kid's birthday party" to attend tomorrow. :p

Well, we're off for our walk.......

[ahavnes]

It was kinda fun to see what was going on w/ all of us at this time last year:) .

Hah! A lot of us were puking several times daily! ;) I know I was. I still get a little queasy thinking about it. I don't know about the rest of you, but m/s was way worse than labor for me.

Rancherswife- Have fun this weekend! It should be fun to show off your little one. :)

Wendstress- Cute pics!

Tgray- Congrats on the roll over. It's amazing how excited we get about this stuff, right? :)

So Abbey was up again last night for about 2 hours. This is so unlike her! I am chalking it up to the shots and teething. They also told me that she had a really hard time at daycare yesterday. I saw her at lunch and she was fine, but apparently she had a rough morning and afternoon. Even the teachers in the toddler room were telling me about it. That makes me so sad. Poor baby. She was fine at home though, which makes me feel even worse. It makes me think she just needs some mommy time.

[Dreshny]

Back home after the Drive From Hell yesterday. We went to my parents' house for Yom Kippur (I had a dispensation from fasting this year because I'm nursing :)), and on the way back on the Jersey Turnpike, it was dark and raining so hard there was no visibilty. Add to that a screaming baby in the carseat, and, well...you get the picture. I was seriously considering taking him out and holding him (it was hard to say which was the bigger safety hazard, the distraction of him screaming, or having him out of the seat), but I didn't want to risk getting arrested for child endangerment. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I hear you all on the teething and not STTN. Asher did it for about two weeks when he was 3 months old, but now he wakes up once or twice. The ped told me that teething makes them sleep much more lightly. Then he gave me the truly weird advice (I thought) to give him Motrin instead of feeding him at his first nightwaking. Maybe the Motrin will help with teething pain, but if I want Asher to actually go back to sleep, I have to either nurse or rock him. My mom keeps telling me her babies were all a lot easier than Asher...

And oddly, he did have a reaction to his shots, but it wasn't until the second night. He screamed and wouldn't sleep until nearly midnight, when we finally did give him some Motrin for the pain (then he was up again at 2, further validating my theory that Motrin does not make babies STTN.)

[Sasha]

Originally posted by Ahavnes
Hah! A lot of us were puking several times daily! I know I was. I still get a little queasy thinking about it. I don't know about the rest of you, but m/s was way worse than labor for me.

LOL, agreed! I just went to the mall during lunch and walked by Motherhood Maternity...just walking that store made me queasy again.

[wendstress]

Quick question - how many of you are using bumpers in DC crib? I have been advised that they shouldn't be used, and now that James is so close to rolling over I've been thinking about it more. We have a bumper in place right now...

[Carissa]

tgray Congrats!

Grace has her shots tomorrow. UGH not looking forward to it at all! We are taking her to her first pumpkin farm this weekend as well that should be a lot nicer.

[kimthebride]

STTN
Thomas did it 2x last week and now has reverted back to getting up 2x a night to feed. :rolleyes:

Rolling
Funny how a couple people mentioned rolling. Over the last 2 days suddenly you CANNOT put Thomas on his back without him rolling and rolling and rolling. He's like a rolling, tummy-time maniac all of a sudden! Verrry cute. DH is in the livingroom right now cooing over how well Thomas is doing with this new activity. :D
Congrats tgray! It's so awesome to watch, isn't it??!

Rash & Cold?
DS has had a rash in his neck fat folds as well as behind his knees for about 4 days or so now. I put A&D Gold ointment on it each night and the rash on his knees went away, but not the neck. I'm seeing the Ped at 5pm today to check it out.
He's also been a little snotty and sneezy lately, so I worry he may have a small cold. We'll see what Ped says.

Car Seat
Got my Britax Boulevard yesterday so installed it today and DS was happy in it. Soooooo much bigger! I can't see much of him in the car mirror anymore....must find a taller one.

Bumpers
Due to his new activeness, we'll need to move DS from his cradle to the crib soon. :( But I just noticed the other day that you can't change the crib sheet without removing the bumber! So, looks like I don't have a choice but to remove it. Annoying!

wendstress
You've inspired me to do a new photo session once his rash clears. Love your pics!

Weight
Suddenly in the last 2 weeks I have lost 5 1/2 lbs! And let me tell you, I have been eating crap and not exercising, so it was a shock to me. So...only about 8lbs to go and I'll be back to me pre-preggo weight. Yay! I might even exercise this month to expedite that process. ;)

dreshny
Ugh, what a nightmare. It was sooo awful listening to Thomas freak when he had his car episode a couple weeks ago. I know the feeling of wanting to hold him all the way home....

[Traciann]

Bumpers I have them, and don't plan on removing them. I did at one point, but DD grabs on to the bars and gets arms/legs stuck in them. If she starts using them as a stepping stool to get out of the crib, then we will remove them.

Kim DD gets a yeast rash in her neck folds all the time. Milk dribbles in there from eating and gets all gross and stinky. I have a Nystatin powder from the ped...and it just comes and goes. Its been much better now that DD spends alot of time on her belly moving around...I think she stretches out her neck more so it gets more air in to dry it out.

[BTB]

Sasha - Most parents give solids at the milk feedings, but there's nothing inherently wrong with spacing the two types of meals. The best time is when baby's hungry (and will be interested) but not too hungry (won't have the patience to try to learn what a spoon's for). If solids and breastmilk/formula are given together, it's important to make sure the milk intake doesn't drop off too much since it's the optimal nutrition source for the entire first year. Theoretically it's better to offer breastmilk or formula first, let the baby fill up on that so she's still getting all those good nutrients, and then offer the solids... but IRL most kids then don't want to bother with the solids because they have a nice full tummy.

Kim - ITA w/ Traciann, sounds like Candida. Nystatin or Lotrimin (not ultra lotrimin) will clear it up, and keeping the area dry dry dry will help keep it from coming back. Easier said than done. :)

[tgray99]

Bumpers
Due to his new activeness, we'll need to move DS from his cradle to the crib soon. :( But I just noticed the other day that you can't change the crib sheet without removing the bumber! So, looks like I don't have a choice but to remove it. Annoying!
We've found that it's not necessary to remove the bumpers to change the sheets, I hold the bumper up on the railings while Ryan wedges the mattress in (our mattress fits extremely tightly). It's not easy but it's easier than untying and retying bumpers.

As far as safety goes, I have a lazy baby, I sincerely doubt she'll be rolling in her sleep anytime soon. (I probably just jinxed myself :rolleyes: )

Neck Yeast Infection, my mom recommends baby powder but I was hesitant to use it due to the inhaling the dust thing. You can use cornstarch or Huggies makes this stuff called "Liquid Powder" that goes on like lotion but dries like baby powder. It might work. Bath and Body Works used to sell something just like it for grown ups that I used in college to prevent chaffing when I was in my "Aerobic Walking" class.

http://www.huggiesbabynetwork.com/na/shared_images/demo_liqpowder.gif

[kelseyledare]

Does anyone know the differences between the Britax Boulevard and Britax Decathlon (other than price)? We are starting to do some future carseat planning...

[Traciann]

Kelsey The Boulevard has side impact wings and it has a turn nob thing for the straps...meaning you don't ever have to re-thread them. I think that is the major difference as they are the same size. I know that the Decathalon has extra support, but at this age, I don't see why you would need it. I have DD in the Marathon, and she fits in it great.

[kimthebride]

This is a ‘checklist’ I found to compare. Both the Boulevard & Decathlon have:
• Rear Facing: Infants to toddlers 5 to 33 pounds
• Forward Facing: 1 year old and up to 65 pounds
• Patented Versa-Tether
• Built-in lock-offs
• Belly pad for comfort and protection
• Removable, washable fabric cover
• Sculpted base for a perfect fit
• Flexible buckle LATCH system
• One-hand recline adjustment
• Patented HUGS system
• Tangle-free, polyester 5-point harness

And here is what each item has different:

$289 Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat Features:
• Easy and infinite headpad and harness height adjustment
• Infant body pillow for cozy fit
• Belt holders keep belts aside for boarding
• True Side Impact Protection
• Extra comfort padding in head area
• One-pull front harness adjustment
• Approved for airline use

$269 Britax Decathlon Convertible Car Seat Features:
• Toddler Pillow
• Comfortably fits larger, older child
• Comfort foam and EPS protective foam
• Infant Positioning System with comfort pads
• 3-Position buckle strap
• Push button harness adjuster

I went for the Boulevard since when you are paying that much money for a long-term purchase, what’s $20 more?? Besides, I figured that twenty bucks was worth it for the highest level of head protection in a side-impact crash (God forbid). And the super-easy headpad adjustment is nice.

[kimthebride]

Thanks ladies for the replies!

Bumpers
Dears, you seem to assume I am patient enough to deal with having Tom gte his bum out of bed to assist me in the changing of the sheets. :) Uh.....nope.

The Rash
The Ped wasn't terribly worried, but is having me put 1% hydrocortizone on it 2x a day for 3-5 days til it clears. Then he wants me to use Eucerine Lotion 2x a day til it clears, then just 1x a day from now on. It already look sooooo much better!

The Crankies
Maybe it's doing all new things at once, but someone has a case of the crankies today. You know, he's used to being clicked into his infant seat, carried or wheeled to the car, popped right into the base, popped out again for shopping etc. Now he's too big for the infant seat and yet too small for a grocery cart seat. So this morning I had to carry him to the car, put him in big boy carseat (Boulevard), then put him in the infant seat just so I could put him in the booth with me at the diner. Then out of that and back into carseat to go the grocery store. Then sit him in one of the baby-seat grocery carts. Then out of that and into big boy carseat. Enough already!! I can't wait til he's strong enough to ride in the grocery cart and sit in the high chair so i can skip the whole in-and-out-and-in-and-out thing.

My Eye! My Eye!
I was clipping his nails last night around 4pm, and a bit flew into my eye. Thought I got it out, but it still hurt. Finally around 9pm or so I just had it with the pain and dug around....and pulled out the ENTIRE piece of nail I had cut off him! It was still in my eye! No wonder it hurt so much...

Big Changes
He seems to have changed so much in the last couple weeks. I even saw 2 friends who hadn't seen me in a week and a half and neither of them could get over how much his cheels filled out and how more boy-like he is (rather than baby-like). It happened so fast!

[tgray99]

The Crankies
Maybe it's doing all new things at once, but someone has a case of the crankies today. You know, he's used to being clicked into his infant seat, carried or wheeled to the car, popped right into the base, popped out again for shopping etc. Now he's too big for the infant seat and yet too small for a grocery cart seat. So this morning I had to carry him to the car, put him in big boy carseat (Boulevard), then put him in the infant seat just so I could put him in the booth with me at the diner. Then out of that and back into carseat to go the grocery store. Then sit him in one of the baby-seat grocery carts. Then out of that and into big boy carseat. Enough already!! I can't wait til he's strong enough to ride in the grocery cart and sit in the high chair so i can skip the whole in-and-out-and-in-and-out thing.

I've discovered that Aidan can sit up (with a little bit of propping) in the cart with the seat cover on. That helps a lot. I also don't transfer her to the bucket when we go eat, Ryan and I take turns holding her in our laps or if I'm alone I either hold her on my lap or bring her in in her stroller (if the place is big enough). She hasn't been in her bucket in probably 2-3 weeks.

[Chylynn]

kimthebride -If you have a floppy seat, you may want to try to use it in a highchair when you are out to eat. I started using it when Rebecca was 4 1/2 months old and she loved it. The floppy seat is really cushiny so it fills in extra space in the highchair and your son won't slump to one side. As for the grocery store, I started putting my DD in the grocery cart 2 weeks ago. I still put a blanket on each side of her in the cart, but she sits up fine. About 45 minutes into the shopping trip, she is ready for me to sling her, though. Sometimes things are so hard! Oh, and huge congrats on the weight loss!!

tgray99 -Congrats on the rolling!! I remember how proud I was of Rebecca when she did it for the first time.

Carissa -How did the shots go? Is Grace feeling okay?

Sasha -Happy 5 month birthday to Sarah! How is the solid feeding going?

BTB -Happy 6 months to Evie!! Wow, all of our babies are growing up fast.:D

wendstress -I still use a bumper. My DD is not much of a roller and usually stays in the same position when she goes to sleep, so I am okay with them still in the crib.

nicknames -Sweet Pea (hence the costume), boopy baby, poopy baby, baby Rebecca, peanut when she was first born, and lots of other silly nicknames that I don't remember off the top of my head.

Teeth -Please, for the love of God, will you please pop through my DDs gums? She is in so much pain and Momma is not getting any sleep.

[kelseyledare]

Chylynn: Your DD looks adorable! Love that photo with the pumpkin! I think the Pea is the cutest costume- we tried one on my DD, but her head was too small. So sorry to hear about the teething!

[alienhost]

Sasha thanks for reporting back on the car seat!

bumper I still have the bumper on. DD likes to kick her feet in her sleep and I prefer to have some padding. I've never seen her right up against it with her face. Is this theory sound - if the baby is strong enough to lift their head won't they be able to move their head away from the bumper if they were having trouble breathing?

teething not yet, as far as I can tell I don't see any teeth coming.

flu shot for those whose babies are going to be 6 months or more soon will you be getting your baby a flu shot?

solids and poop thanks to all who responded on the BF poop question. My new question is for those who have started rice cereal. How has your DC's poop changed, if at all? Sometimes (maybe one diaper or every other day) DD's poop is a lot darker (instead of mustard yellow) and slightly mucusy looking. It's not all the time and she's been having some rice cereal daily for over two weeks now so I don't know that it is related. Any thoughts?

[Traciann]

Alienhost- I saw your ABC letters in another post and they ROCK! what a neat idea!

Flu Shot We are getting one for DD as well as ourselves. Since DH is a teacher, he is exposed to so many kids(there is almost 300 in the band alone!). Neither of us has gotten the flu before, but now that DD is here, I just don't want to take a chance. DH's school is offering them for $20 so we will get them done there.

Solids Poopy Alien I know exactly what you are talking about. We have been giving DD oatmeal for a couple of weeks now. I just kinds figured that the poop was thickening up. Its really gross and smelly. Maybe I should call the nurse and see if its normal? I figured if it was a reaction to something that we woudl see a rash as well.

[cynder]

bumpers Ours is still on and I am not too worried about it. DS is rolling over in his sleep ALL the time. He gets his feet stuck in the rails in his crib at daycare so I think we would have the same problem at home if we took it off. It is a PITA to change the sheets.

teething I inspected his upper jaw and saw three tiny white spots - YIKES! His hands are always in his mouth now and he loves to chomp on his thumb. Does anyone have teething tricks besides the traditional teether. He does not seem to like them.

Flu shot Yes and is going to be part of a study.

Pumpkin farm was a blast though our little guy was sleepy for most of it. This kid will still not nap in his crib at home. He has no problem napping at daycare. I even ran into a fellow daycare mom who was marveling at his napping skills. Arggh - nap at home, kid!

[Sasha]

Bumpers - Ours is still on, and yes, it is a MAJOR pain to change the sheets. Sarah rolls a lot and am nervous about her getting a hand or foot stuck so they are staying on for now. Because of her head/neck control and the fact that she often flips onto her stomach to sleep, I am not too concerned.

Teething- Sarah bites down on everything, I am would love to see something pop up already! No great tricks here, we just give her teething rings or lol, our fingers, to chew on.

Flu shot- I plan on getting one, I am going to have to force DH to get, and I am going to ask her pediatrician when I see her this week (meeting her for something non-Sarah related).

Solids- BTB, thank you for the info! For those of you that have been doing solids now for a little while, can you share what it was like the first week or so? How did your DC react? We've been trying rice cereal since Thursday, and Sarah pretty much wants no part of it. She does not want to open her mouth for the spoon and barely swallows any of it when I do get some actually in her mouth. I've tried giving it to her in between meals, before a feeding and after one. Maybe my expectations are too high, but I am just wondering how long it took your DC to get the hang of it.

[wendstress]

James rolled over!!!!!! From belly to back, acted like he'd been doing it his whole life!!!

Solids - We've been giving James Rice cereal about 4-5 times a week for a month now. His poops definitely have more substance, and are more brown colored. Can even get to the point where they have a little "form". Definitely more stinky, too! Although, it seemed to take awhile to build up (?) in his system before we started to see the changes.... It was probably 2 weeks before his poops started to look more like regular poop. Since we don't feed him cereal every day, somedays his poop looks like BF poop.

James took right to the cereal. We've usually tried to time it to be about 1/2 way in between his feedings. That way, he's hungry enough to be interested, but not so hungry that he can't focus. The first few feedings, the rice wasn't much thicker than BM. Now, we make it quite a bit thicker (probably about 1:1 with rice:milK).

[Chylynn]

kelseyledare -Thanks! Rebecca is not too crazy about her costume since it is a bunting and she is sitting up already, plus it is warm. Even if she only wears it for pictures on Halloween night, I will be okay with that. We have a Dolphin cheerleader costume someone gave us and a "Baby's First Boo" onsie and bib as backups if need be.

cynder -Rebecca is still fighting naps in her crib during the day. She is such a high needs kid! I have to find out what the weight limit is in my swing- I am going to be out of luck when she outgrows it! Any pics from the pumpkin farm to share?

alienhost -No, I will not be getting a flu shot for Rebecca. DH and I don't ever get them and since she is not in daycare, I don't plan on giving her one.

Traciann -I think you are right...it is due to the cereal since that happened to my DD. I hate to give you the bad news, but the poops get smellier when you give your DC fruits and veggis!! Yuck!! I am so glad that my DH takes out the poopy diaper pail bag..I don't think I could handle the smell twice!!

Sasha -I looked back on Rebecca's first week of foods and she pretty much took everything with no problem. Like wendstress, the first week was really liquidy and then I just increased the cereal from there. If Sarah does not like rice cereal, she might like the oatmeal better. Good luck!

wendstress -Congratulations on James rolling over!!! How exciting!

[Carissa]

Chylynn Shots went better than I thought. yesterday was rough she was a tad more fussier but we got through it and today she is acting more like herself!

[DisneyGirl]

Thoses that are FF there babies Does anyone have any formula coupons/checks that thye would like to trade?

I'm looking for good start coupons and have similac to trade.

hoping somone can trade with me or if you BF only and can send me the checke you get that would be awesome! :)

[allyray231]

I started work again today--it sucks

[alienhost]

Alienhost- I saw your ABC letters in another post and they ROCK! what a neat idea! Thanks Traciann!

Sasha in regards to the solids, we've been attempting rice cereal once a day for about two weeks. She still doesn't love it. Some days she eats more than others. I usually try it about 45 minutes after I nurse her. If I wait too long after she's been awake, she starts getting cranky for naptime and then it is a mess. If she turns her head away or starts getting fussy - then we quit. Sometimes she ends up spitting it out. If Sarah really isn't liking the "experience" try taking a break for a few days.

Solids question for those doing cereal - how much is your baby eating? How much cereal do you "measure out" and what proportion of cereal/liquid are you using?

[rancherswife]

Four Month (actually 4 1/2) well baby visit stats:We had our well baby visit this morning, Landon is 17 lbs. 10 oz. and 26 1/2 inches long. Greater 75th percentile for weight and 95th for height. My long boy! Dr. says he's doing great and Brett and I are doing awesome as parents (such a nice thing to hear:) ). Four shots later, and we were out the door. He cried only until I picked him up, as usual and he's been fine ever since. I did give him tylenol right before the nurse came into give him the shots. Go back in two months!

[B]Solids:, Dr. says we can start rice cereal, *snif*, I just don't think I'm emotionally ready for this;) . I picked some up at BRU today, but not sure when we'll actually start it, he says just once a day, maybe before bath at night then, we'll talk actual baby food at 6 mos., ughhh...these babies are growing WAAAYY to fast.

[B]ally: ((hugs))

k, mighta jinxed myself, ds is fussing pretty good right now!:o

[ahavnes]

allyray- Hugs to you on going back to work. It does get easier as you get in to a routine. The first week is the hardest! :)

Chylynn- Cute pic! Abbey has the same costume, but I still have yet to take pics.

rancherswife- Sounds like Landon and Abs are nearly the same height. Abbey was 27 inches (97th percentile). She is long and lean too. ;)

Ugh. Abbey is STILL getting up to party in the middle of the night. However, she now has a cold, so maybe that's it. She was up for 2 hours last night crying. Poor baby. She sounds terrible. Stuffy, coughing, sneezing. She stayed home today and DH and I took shifts staying home from work. So here's my question- for those of you who had babes that started staying up at their midnight feeding, how did you break them of that habit? Did they just have to outgrow it? I am really really tired! :o

[kelseyledare]

Ally: Hugs!!! Hang in there; I promise it will get easier. The first day is the worst and the whole first week (or two) is rough, but you and Aiden will get through okay! We're all thinking of you here. :) :)

[cynder]

ally Hope your first day went *okay*. Hang in there. Before you know it the first week will be done and you can look forward to the weekend.

[Dreshny]

:eek: :eek: DH reported that Asher drank 2 oz of frozen EBM from a bottle last night (looking surprised the whole time)! I guess he doesn't need me anymore now. (j/k) But I was out at a chorus rehearsal, and when I came back, I was pretty shocked.

[Sherah]

Disney: I just got a formula check in the mail yesterday, but for Similac. I also have Enfamil products, if anyone wants them. I am happy to mail all my Good Start items to you. I have one can of Good Start that I was going to donate. Is it worth it to mail that sort of item? If you want it, I'm happy to send it. I also have a $2 and a $1 coupon. Everything expires next May/June. Email: Tornayt@aol.com

Strollers: I know we've talked so much about strollers already, but now I have a question too. After testing our Combi City Savvy Soho on a walk around the neighborhood, I came to realize I really just don't like it; not even for mall trips. To the consignment shop it goes! I want a stroller that I can take outside more. Does anyone know if Zoopers or other all-terrains are capable of handling sand?

Congrats on your increasing independence, Dreshny!

ahavnes: I'm sorry to hear your night was so rough. I hope DD feels better soon.

I want to see some pumpkin patch pics!

[Chylynn]

Carissa -Glad to hear the shots were not that bad and Grace is acting more like herself. I hate it when Rebecca gets her shots (coming up this Monday).

DisneyGirl -Sorry, the only checks I receive are Similac (which I use). I signed up at all the formula sites, but they don't send me checks. I have only received 2 checks from Enfamil which I mailed to someone on CC.

allyray231 -Sorry to hear about starting back up at work. I hope your week gets a little easier.

alienhost -Rebecca is not a huge fan of cereal, and I think she does not like the chunks. I make it with 2 tsp of cereal to 6 tsp of formula (sometimes I just poor the formula in until it is liquidy if I am in a hurry). I microwave it for 10-15 seconds and mix in a little bit of fruit and Rebecca will eat it. She tolerates it, I should say.;)

rancherswife -Landon's stats are fantastic! You have a healthy growing little boy!! I agree that our babies are growing up way too fast.

ahavnes -Thank you!! I can't wait to see Abby in her pea in the pod costume.

Dreshny -That is wonderful that he drank from the bottle! Don't worry, I'm sure he prefers from the tap much more.;) :p

Sherah -I have a Peg Aria and I really like it except for the crappy sunshade. I don't have any experience with the Zoopers...sorry!

I have to share recent pictures of Rebecca eating a teething biscuit! She is so cute when she brings it up to her mouth and sometimes misses!!

http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C872723232%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2328%3D%3B7%3B%3D7%3 B5%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B6%3A569784ot1lsi

http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C872723232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2328%3D%3B7%3B%3D7%3 B5%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B6%3A56978%3Bot1lsi

QOTD -has anyone started their little ones Holiday gift list? I have just starting searching and I was wondering if anyone wanted to post our ideas in our thread to share with others?

[jmvan74]

Sherah:I have a zooper Waltz and love, love, love it! I use it for walks around the neighborhood, but I've never tried it on sand. I'm not even sure where you could find that kind of info out. The wheels are pretty thick and move easily...but how that equates to sand...it worked just find on the pine needles in my back yard. :D

[njnewyearsbride]

we have the zooper zydeco and LOVE it! its perfect for the outdoors..
i haven't tried it on sand either -- but it does great on the bumpy sidewalks and gravel

[christy1010]

My precious 4 1/2 month old DD has her first cold. Any suggestions on how to make her feel better! As well as her mommy! I find myself almost crying when she cries?

[Traciann]

Christy we just woke up to discover DD also has a cold. All you can do is saline drops and I run the humidifier when she is sleeping.

QOTD-Christmas List I have already bought DD her christmas gifts. Lots of books and bath tub toys. I am going easy on what we are giving her because I know that she is getting lots of other toys from both our families.

[allyray231]

sherah you got mail!!

And I have a P3--LOVE IT!

thanks for the thoughts about my first day I did fine but then lost it when I got home. It was a rough night-our computer died and we have no heat. Today I am just tried

[DisneyGirl]

My DD too has come down with a nasty cold. I had to run to the store last night to pick up some meds since the stuff i has was not working.

X-mas shopping HMM I have not even thought about that yet. I know I will not be buying her too much since i just spend money on her new marathon car seat and I bought her a few rattles and winter clothing/coats.

Chylynn How do you like that high chair you have? I have to go to BRU to get a new high chair and would like to know if your happy with it. THANKS!

Formula checks I swear these companies must secretly know what formula people use..LOL cause i get enfamil/similac coupons all the darn time but i can not get a good start coupon to save my life. GESH
Thanks to everyone who offered to send me what they had. :) :) :) :)

[cynder]

DS was really sleepy on our trip to the patch so he looks pretty dopey and not his usual animated self in the pictures. Speaking of which DS took a 3 hr nap yesterday in daycare. What's up with that?

Picture deleted

Stroller I am so ready to get a stroller but I so don't know which one. Argh! I've limited it to the Pegs, Maclaren and Zoopers. I really need to get one fast.

Xmas I am planning on buying a few books and 1 or 2 Lamaze toys. This kids has way too much and we're traveling for the holidays. This is going to be one of the few times that he won't know what's going on so I'm going to take advantage of it.

[ahavnes]

DD is still sick, but thanks for the well-wishes. She was up most of the night crying. She would be almost asleep and then cough, which woke her back up...then more crying. Poor baby. Now DH and I both have a sore throat. Argh! Most of the kids (and parents!) in her daycare class are sick as well.

[KGif]

Formula Checks
I am convinced they all know what kind we use too! I think I get Similac checks .. but I cannot get any GoodStart checks which is what I use! I even said I used a different formula when I signed up on the GoodStart website thinking "Well they will send me some checks to make me switch" but nope!!!

Rice Cereal
We went thru a box of rice cereal and are now on barley cereal. We do 2 oz of formula to 2 tbs of cereal. I mix it up room temperature and serve . he likes it! Night before last we tried carotts too and Jack LOVES them! I must say that carrots look the same coming out as they did going in. I was quite surprised to see them in his diaper this morning :)

Christmas gifts
I am most likely going to go REAL easy here since I know our parents will bombard us with stuff. I really like the "Sensational Beginnings" catalog so I might just do my shoppin there.

Chylynn
Rebecca is ADORABLE eating her biscuit!!!

Cynder
Love the pumpkin patch pics. The colors are just beautiful :)

[rancherswife]

All mommies of sick babies: :( ((hugs)) I hope these colds aren't too hard on these babies, must be the time of year. I'm crossing my fingers Landon doesn't come down w/ one! Seems like everyone's sick!

Landon didn't do too bad last night, considering his shots yesterday. I was surprised! We've had MUCH worse nights w/ no shots!lol He only woke up twice, and was a little fussy around 6 am, so I gave him a dose of tylenol and he went back to sleep until around 8:15, he's been o.k, since then.

I talked to my cousin this morning (whose baby was born in April), I think I told everyone about her HORRIFIC L & D experience waaaay back when we were still pg? Anyway...long story short, after several hours of pushing, they had to use the vac. extracter to get Madison out. Now, when we were in our Childbirth classes, I remember specifically our teacher saying those are ONLY suppose to be used a total of like, 3 tries and if the baby's not out, stop using them? Well, they used this thing on Madison for EVER and when she finally was born, she had a horrible hematoma (sp?) on her head for WEEKS! The poor child LIVED on tylenol for a good two weeks I believe, anyway...About two months ago, my cousin started noticing that M would do this shivering thing, well, it's gotten worse and worse and her whole body shakes every so often, sometimes she has like 50 in a day and some days, she has none, so her ped. has referred her to a nuerologist. I'm so nervous for her. BTB or anyone else in the medical field, could this have something to do w/ the vac. extr? Sorry to be so long winded about this, I was just so upset this morning after she told me!:o Anyone ever heard anything like this?

Sorry...Didn't mean for that to be so long!

[Chylynn]

DisneyGirl -I really like my highchair. My DD has been using it since she was three months old (the seat reclines) so my hubby and I could eat dinner with both hands instead of holding her in one hand and using the other to eat. I like that there is a bib holder attached to the highchair (behind the seat) and another holder under the seat that I keep extra bibs, washcloths, ect., as feeding solids are very messy. It matched my decor the best at BRU, but I do know that a lot of people love the FP Highchair. Let me know if you have any other questions...

cynder -Thanks for sharing the pumpkin patch picture! Too cute..:D

KGif -Thanks!!

Hugs to all that have sick babies! I hope your little ones feel better soon.

[kimthebride]

Holiday Gift List
My mom makes me do a Wish List on Amazon each year so she knows what to get Tom & I, so I added things Thomas would like as well. My ILs just get whatever they want to...I have no real input there! lol As for us...I picked up a couple small things but will do his big Xmas shopping later this month at the outlet nearby - I always find GREAT deals. If I find some cool things, I'll post them. He'll be almost 7 months, so I assume more sit-up and 'walking' type toys.

chylynn
Your new avatar is KILLING me! :)

[Cali_Katy]

How funny - Ben has his first cold, too! Actually, we are both sick. Too bad mommies don't get sick days. So far I'm just giving him Tylenol and running the humidifier during naps/nighttime.

[Sherah]

chylynn: Rebecca is so adorable munching on her bisquit!

cynder: Those pumpkin patch pics are great!

Thanks for the stroller reviews. I'm going for the Zooper Boogie. I don't think it will do very well in the sand, but I'd need some pretty fat tires for that. Hopefully it will work for everywhere else I plan on using it.

I hope the sicky babies and mommies feel better soon.

[Sasha]

Thanks to everyone for the info on solids. Sarah seems to be taking to the cereal a little bit more now. Last night she started opening her mouth for more :).

Sick babies and mommies - I hope everyone starts feeling better soon. Besides the humidifier, I also tried to keep Sarah on an incline when she slept when she had her cold. We have an inclined wedge that we use for sleeping because of her reflux, but you could just put some extra sheets or towels under the crib mattress by the head and that should do the trick.

Holiday Gift List - I know my mom has already started shopping, lol. I will certainly try to make suggestions for things that I think she needs, but who knows if the grandparents will actually listen :rolleyes:.

Chylynn - Rebecca is too cute eating her biscuit! And I love the pic of her in her Halloween costume!

Addendum to the MIL Halloween costume story ;) - So we were at ILs house last weekend and MIL finally gives me the "costume" for Sarah. Turns out it is not a costume but just a Halloween onsie! DH insists she called it a costume, but we both got a good chuckle when we saw what it really was.

[Carissa]

qotd I am starting to get a list going. I know my Mom and Dad will go all out for her not to sure about Eric's family they arn't really interested in her right now.

[rancherswife]

QOTD:Lord...I have not really even thought about x-mas gifts yet. I know my parents will be out of control w/ it, not sure about the in-laws, they're strange gift givers :confused: , and I'm sure i'll go a little nuts as well. Not that he'll even have a clue as to what's going on!;) I have, however, started thinking about x-mas cards and what to do for them!lol

[wendstress]

OMG ladies! I bought the Baby Einstien "Baby Bach" DVD last night.... James has been watching it for 10 minutes, and he's been shouting with glee at the TV. It's the funniest thing - I've never seen anything like it!

[alienhost]

sick moms and babies I hope everyone is back on their feet soon. I guess it is that time of the year for colds. :(

holiday gift list I haven't really thought about it and no one has asked yet. It will be interesting to see what people get her, I sort of hope people ask what she can use first. I'd prefer some books and not all toys.

Helmet update We went to the specialist today and DD is finished with the helmet! We only had to do it for 6 weeks. I guess my persistence in keeping it on as much as possible paid off. It's a little strange that she doesn't have to wear it anymore since she wore it 20-21 hours a day. The doctor was very happy with the results and we are thrilled!

[Sherah]

alienhost: I was just wondering the other day how things were going with your DD and her helmet. So happy to hear you are done with the process!

[kimthebride]

OMG ladies! I bought the Baby Einstien "Baby Bach" DVD last night.... James has been watching it for 10 minutes, and he's been shouting with glee at the TV. It's the funniest thing - I've never seen anything like it!
Lol! DS is the same way with Neighborhood Animals - FREAKS. OUT. :D

alienhost
Yay! That seemed so quick!

Today's Activity
With my 6-week mommy series i signed up for, today we went to a pottery painting place and did baby's footprints on a tile then painted his name and whatnot on them. So cute! I am going to display ours in the china cabinet - a great memory piece. And I think I'll go back to make a plate with his handprints as "Santa's Cookies" plate for Xmas. Such fun! I totally recommend this inexpensive adventure. :)

[Traciann]

Alienhost that is AWESOME! and even better she only had to wear it for such a short time! you must be so happy!

DVD's we have one called Calm Baby that I got from BRU. I think its the same premise as BE. Anyway it has a bunch of different water stuff...but all through it there is a duck puppet skit. she gets so stinking excited when the duck comes on the screen. its adorable.

Kim that does sound cute. I was thinking maybe if i feel motivated to buy a christmas ornament (you know those big round shiny ones) and put her handprint and first christmas on it for the grandparents . and maybe one for myself. :)

[rancherswife]

All this talk about babies going crazy over the BE dvd's has me inspired to try ours out, I haven't done it yet. I hope he likes them as much as yours are!:) Too cute.

Dropping Landon off at my parents so dh and I can do a good deep clean (taking screens off all 19 windows and cleaning them, and all!:eek: ) this evening, since I've gotta run errands tomorrow and Friday for the baptism on Saturday! We're having about 40 people back out to our house after the baptism...I've been working all day, but I can only go for a little while, then gotta stop and tend to Landon!;)

[happy1nuv]

qotd ~ We've decided that we're gonna get Nic a wagon and some blocks (but only if the grandparents don't ask what to get first... :) and maybe a few books, but thats it.

I refuse to buy any be videos on principle...we got one at my shower. Umm, I could have video recorded a wooden train set and lava lamp... how is that entertaining? (haven't tried it since the first time... oh, bout 4 mos ago when nic wasn't interested)

Nic has been super clingy the past day or so... I keep telling dh its because he knows I'm abandoning him to daycare in a week or so (nov 1) :(

Argh...gotta go...
Have a good one all!

[Dreshny]

Sorry to hear about all the sick babies...

happy1: I think Nic is just teething. Asher's been a mess lately. Clingy, nursing non-stop, etc.

I was offered a job today reviewing moms' groups in three NYC boroughs for a local magazine. Sounds like it could be fun, although a lot of work. I could really use the money, though (they're offering me $500 for the article.) I'll keep you updated. :)

[ahavnes]

Is anyone else's baby completely uninterested in their feet? Abbey is into everything else, but seems to have no interest in her little feet. :confused:

[allyray231]

ahavnes Aiden JUST started--he likes to bring his legs up high when I change his diaper and he loves loves to kick his aquarium on and off in the crib-but he hasn't gotten them in his mouth or anything

[kelseyledare]

My DD also likes to kick her feet and loves for you to bring them up to her chest during diaper changes, but does not grab for them or put her toes in her mouth.

[cynder]

HA! Sam is interested in nothing but feet. His socks are always wet from trying to eat them. I am noticing that he is more intested in his appendages than toys.

Well my morning nursing session is not enough for DS. I barely feel full and he's crying for food an hour later. :( I am so sad that nursing is not going to be in our cards much longer. I am trying Mother's Milk this week but I am not going to hold my breath.

[ahavnes]

Thanks for the replies ladies! DD does kick her legs all around, so I guess she's normal. ;)

Cynder-Hugs to you! I seem to have a little supply dip also. It's so frustrating. Hope the tea works!

[kelseyledare]

Cynder- I am so sorry to hear about the supply dip. It can be so disheartening. You might consider trying Reglan from your OB in addition to the tea. If your DS is hungry again, I'd try to nurse him as often as possible to give your body the stimulation to make more milk. Hugs!!!

[Sasha]

Feet-Sarah loves her feet. Always trying to get them in her mouth, makes diaper changes tons of fun :rolleyes:. I would say she really got interested in them about 2-3 weeks ago, so Alicia, I bet Abbey will be grabbing at them soon.

So last night Sarah discovered she can splash her feet in her bathtub. She had a blast, but I was soaked, as was the kitchen counter (we put the bathtub our kitchen sink). I think we will be moving her bath into a bathtub tonight!

[kimthebride]

Feet
Literally 2 days ago he found them and is PO'd that he hasn't mastered pulling them into his mouth yet.

cynder
Ohhhh...how frustrating! Hope supply comes back up...

Speaking of Supply...
BFing moms: Are you pumping and freezing milk yet to have a stash on hand for when you introduce cereal and for when you wean?

Firsts
Busy week! Thomas found his feet, sat in a restaurant high chair for the 1st time and swung on a park swinset for the first time. I LOVE THIS MOTHERHOOD THING!!!

BTW...anyone else have a short fat teradactyl on their hands? Thomas is now finding it quite funny to chatter away then make a Jurassic-Park style ear-piercing squeal to punctuate his sentences. Yikes!

[happy1nuv]

sasha ~ nic's been taking his bath upstairs in the bathtub for a while now... cause of splashing... ;) I think its adorable... even if i do get all wet... but i only bathe him twice a week (lazy/forgetful)

nic has definitely found his feet. at first it was just during diaper changes when his feet were right there, but now its the sec he's put somewhere that he can get to him.

we had a much better night last night... he was still up more than usual, but we got a 3 hr and a 2 hr block of sleep in, so im happy.

they do trick or treating at the malls round here...im toying with the idea of taking nic. i know he cant eat any of it... but im proud of how his costume is coming out,, i wanna show it off...

ok, short nap central round here... but hey, cant complain. im eating a eal lunch today ...AND i've showered. :) just don't ask if ive started on the piles of laundry yet...

[wendstress]

BTW...anyone else have a short fat teradactyl on their hands? Thomas is now finding it quite funny to chatter away then make a Jurassic-Park style ear-piercing squeal to punctuate his sentences. Yikes!

In a word, YES! James will start low, crescendo to a squeal, and then finish it off with a smile! I say, "He discovered his volume control!"

We tried some carrots last night. Maybe a tablespoonful or so. They weren't too much of a hit (he definitely liked the sweet potatoes!). He almost looked like he was going to cry a time or two....but he trooped on!

And he only got up once last night, thankfully. We've had quite a few nights in a row of 2-3 wakings. I'm trying to minimize his night-time nursings with the goal of eventually STTN. Last night he nursed for 3 minutes, I popped him off and he protested. I let him nurse for 1 more minute, he slowed down and I popped him off again. He fussed some, but was sound asleep within about 3 minutes.

Besides, that way he'll hopefully eat better for DH during the day (as opposed to a couple nights ago where he was an eating machine over night and probably had 10-12 ounces before 7 AM - DH couldn't feed him all day which made for a cranky baby and Husband).

Can't remember if I told you all - James finally rolled over! From tummy to back - he's not consistent yet, but he can definitely do it! WOOHOO!

We have a photo session scheduled for next Thursday. His "almost-6-month" photos, I guess. 6 months. YIKES! :eek: We're getting them taken at a local photographer who does lots of black and white. Here's here website: http://www.newbornphotography.com/indexMain.htm
I'm very excited - looking forward to good naked baby photos! :)

[cynder]

Has anyone here had success with Reglan. I need to look into it. Convincing DH that it would be a good idea is going to be a challenge. He is very supportive of our nursing but I think he's at point that again where he can't stand to see me frustrated. I am a WOHM and Sam barely wants to nurse when I get home with him. We have given him a bottle of formula before bed for months now. I know that's not helping my case but as working parents this helps all of us get proper sleep. I know that I am doing all I can do and I was prepared to taper off BFing at 6 mo. I was just really hoping that the morning nursing would continue for a year. Thanks for all the kind words.

teradactyl YES! He totally sounds like a dinosaur. We were in the changing rooms at the Gap and he kept squaking. I recorded it for his blog.

Sitting How is everyone's sitting skills and at what age does this happen. Is it like rolling and it depends on the child? I am really ready for this to happen soon. He will sit in the Bumbo but tends to lean forward a lot and then yaks a bit. He sits nicely when propped and when we hold him. Was just wondering if there was anything to encourage him.

[wendstress]

Cynder - talke to LiznKeith about Reglan - she's had great luck!

[ahavnes]

Cynder- Abbey is the same way. She doesn't want to nurse anymore. I think b/c she takes the bottle at daycare all day. It's really frustrating, which upsets DH. I guess I'll just keep pumping. :rolleyes: (FWIW, you are not alone, I give Abbey quite a bit of formula throughout the day. I can't keep up with her.)

Baths- Abbey did the splish-splash on the kitchen counter too. Now I usually put on my bathing suit and get in the tub with her and have DH wash her while I hold her. It actually works pretty well, b/c then DH takes her to get her dressed and I get some time to soak in the tub. ;)

teradactyl- Oh yes. She is SO LOUD!

Sitting- Abbey can sit if she's leaning against something and can somewhat sit in her exersaucer. She kind of falls over though, which is pretty funny (sorry!). ;)

Sasha- I sent you a pm about Thanksgiving. Do you still want to try to meet up while I'm in Miami?

[Dreshny]

pteradactyl: Absolutely!

I can't take my kid anywhere anymore! He's now refusing to sit in the sling most of the time--he wants to stand up in it. So I have to carry him everywhere, and I never have a free hand. It's very hard to take a long walk these days.

[Sasha]

Alicia - Definitely, you have a PM :). LOL, and there is yet another similiarity ;).

Teradactyl- She squeals all the time. And she does this thing that we describe as "singing", it is too funny.

Sitting- If she is leaning up against something of if I have pillows behind her. We just got her the Bumbo seat and she loves it - the first time we put her in there, she had this look on her face like she was so pleased with herself sitting in there.

[Carissa]

teradactyl LOL Yes! :D

feet Grace found her feet a few weeks ago during Church. Of course I got all excited and had to contain myself. I am sure our pastor would of thought I had gone mad if I got to exctied!

[kimthebride]

Am I Being Stupid?
It is kind of annoying me how the ILs and everyone else want to get OUR kid's "First..." things: 1st bear, 1st Halloween bib, 1st Christmas ornament etc. I mean, I have waited quite some time to gt married and have this kid, I think the least I deserve is to be able to get him his first Firsts!
Now, my mom called to kind of ask for the priviledge of getting him his "Baby's First Christmas" ornament, which was actually sweet - she saw it as something special to make a production out of once she 'got permission'.

Along the same line...I got really sad yesterday. We were at the pottery painting place and I wanted to make a dinner plate with Thomas' handprints on it and "Santa's Cookies" on it. But then I realized that I have no idea when we'd actually be able to celebrate Christmas in our own home - my family does the weekend before the holiday, but DH's would make us feel terrible if we skipped flying out there (we'd miss them too, but still). The whole thing is upsetting: I just want to see my son wake up in our home Xmas morning and see the crumbs on the plate and the gifts in his stocking by our tree. Who knows if we'll get to do that...

[Chylynn]

Teradactyl -Rebecca is such a squealer!! She squeals so loud in the morning when we go get her out of the crib. She is such a morning person, like her Momma used to be prior to having children!;)

Sitting -Rebecca is getting better by the day, but she still topples over! It is so cute! I just started using a boppy pillow so I don't have to sit behind her at all times and I can interact in front of her.

Here is a recent picture of Rebecca from her first playdate with Candy's (February'05 Momma) little girl:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce39b3127cce948cc46d7b6a00000016108AaM2jhq1aNc

Candy and I think they are going to be best friends when they get older!!

DVD's -Rebecca loves BE's! I just purchased the Baby Monet, and she is not too into it. She squealed the first time she watched it, but has not been too into it recently. She still favors Baby Mozart and Bach.

alienhost - I am so happy that the helmet is no longer needed! You must be thrilled beyond words. Good for you keeping it on for such a good portion of the day.

Feet -Rebecca plays with her feet all the time. She wakes up in the middle of the night to play with them now.:rolleyes:

Baths -are always a mess, but she loves them so much! We still put it on the bathroom counter and when I am dressing her for bed, DH is cleaning up after her. It is great fun!! She loves her bath, though, so we don't mind.

Cynder -I know Liz has had success with Reglan. She has been busy recently with work and all, but pop into her journal and read about her success and ask her any questions- II know she will be full of valuable information!

Thanks to all on compliments of my little sweet pea. Aww, I really appreciate it! I still can't believe that my baby is eating teething biscuits now. Where has the time gone?!

[diedra1027]

Teradactyl - YES! I'm trying to learn not to get embarassed when she's 'shouting' all the live long day in public.

Feet - She found 'em a few weeks ago and they must be awfully tasty ;).

Reglan - It's been brought up as a possibility with DD's pediatrician. Since DD is having weight gain issues, she thought my supply might be a problem. I haven't gone the Rx route yet. I'm actually finding that Fenugreek works really well for me. I just take it once a day, so that I can get a really good pumping session right before I go to bed.

Recent Milestones - Blowing Raspberries!! Understands simple questions. When we say "Where's the kitty cat?" She looks around the room until she spots the cat. I think she's also trying to mimic sounds we (or the cat) make. Started teething (I think!). It's amazing to see how quickly she's developing and growing - I love it!

kim - It's totally understandable that you want to get all those 'baby's first' things.
-----
OK...who else is dealing with teething? I think I'm getting less sleep now then when she was brand new! I can't really see (or feel) any teeth getting ready to poke through, but she's got all the classic signs. The most annoying symptom is frequent night waking...UGG!

[Traciann]

kim you are not being stupid! you are a family now, and its perfectly normal to want to start your own traditions. and i think you should! have you talked to DH about it? maybe to see whay his thoughts are? its much easier to put your foot down now than later after you have already been running from place to place to make everyone happy on christmas day. just my thoughts though.

last year DH's family came to us, since we couldn't come to them. they came over and celebrated christmas morning with us, and I was quite sad after that we didn't have our "own" christmas time together opening presents. this year I don't mind if they want to come to us...but we are celebrating together first...then they can come over.

[alienhost]

Thanks ladies for all of your kind words regarding the helmet. We are so happy to have it behind us!

squealing yup, loves to squeal.

feet also loves to grab her feet, and the best is when she grabs both at the same time. I just saw her put her toes into her mouth yesterday for the first time. She's always trying get her socks off too.

bath splashing she also does this a lot. Her legs are always moving it seems.

sitting she is getting close. If we have her on our lap on on the couch she tries to move her torso forward and can sit for a bit away from any back support. I tried the boppy today and she did it for a bit.

blowing raspberries She just started last week. Fortunately she has not taken to blowing them during rice cereal sessions! :D

kim can you lobby for your ILs to come to you? Especially given that you have a new baby maybe that's feasible?

[tgray99]

Bumbo: Aidan ADORES hers! We got it earlier this week (the lime green one) and she just loves sitting in it. She'll just talk and talk and talk in it. So funny. She'll sit up on her own in my lap, still need better balance to sit up on her own though.

Kim: Maybe you can do "Christmas" a day or two early? I remember as a kid my dad had to work graveyard shift on Christmas eve and Christmas day so we "rescheduled" Christmas so we could spend it with him. It was one of our most memorable Christmases. Besides all that, Thomas is still young, he probably won't remember and you'll still get fabulous Christmas pictures at home. Tell me about this plate you're making...sounds like something really neat I could do with Aidan for Christmas.

Squealing: Oy, Aidan is a serious squealer. Especially when she's watching one of her Baby Einstein videos. We just got Baby Van Gogh and she ADORES it. Squeals like a little maniac, especially when Vincent Van Goat comes on. ;)

Feet: She loves them. Especially during diaper changes. :rolleyes: Makes my job LOTS of fun! ;)

Splashing: Aidan is a serious splasher. She just squeals and smiles and carries on when she gets to splash Daddy. We're definitely gonna have to move the tub and acoutrement up to the guest bath...the kitchen's getting a little soggy during bathtime lately!

Name Recognition: Aidan has learned her name. I can say, "Aidan!" and she'll turn and look at me. I love it.

She also loves going to the church nursery on Thursday mornings. She likes watching the older babies and playing in the big fancy exersaucer (our's is plain and not very exciting). This makes me feel better in case she ever has to go to day care.

[KGif]

Squealing
And how! It's so so cute. Jack has this high pitched laugh/squal that he does and we just LOVE it!

Sitting up
Assisted - yes. Unassisted - not so much. But he's getting stronger every day!

Rolling over
I FINALLY got to see Jack roll over! He has done it many times at my mom's house (she and my dad watch him while we are at work. Best daycare in the universe!) but never for us. Last night he did it twice for us!!!

Baby Einstein
We tried one at a friends a weekend or two ago .. Baby neptune. Jack was in AWE! We definitely have to buy that one.

Bumbo
Jack is "okay" with his. I use it to feed him .. and it's kind of difficult. He seens to look down a lot in that thing so the food often falls out of his mouth!

Milestones/Firsts
Jack had his first Jersey Shore trip! I grew up going there for vacations so it was pretty signifigant. This pic is Jack's first experience with the ocean. Can't you just tell how much he LOVES it!? :)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce00b3127cce94e332635fc000000016103IZsmLNwxk

[Dreshny]

Kelly: Oh yeah, the Jersey shore! You're from Philly, too, right? I grew up going to Stone Harbor, Ocean City, Beach Haven, Atlantic City, Cape May...:) Actually, Asher got to go to Cape May for a week in August, but it was way too hot to take him on the beach. Next summer. :D

Speaking of which, I have to go to my cousin's bat mitzvah tomorrow, so Asher and I are taking the bus to Philly at noon. That's right, the stinky Greyhound bus. Why? We're trying to see if he does better on it than he does in the car (no carseat on the bus.) DH is driving down later with all our stuff. Should be fun. :rolleyes:

I'm very stressed about this stupid article I'm supposed to write. It's for a major NYC guide magazine (TimeOut Kids), and my friend, who is a freelance journalist, passed it on to me because she didn't want to lug her heavy stroller onto the subway to investigate these moms' groups all over the city. I'm stroller-free, so I was the perfect candidate. :o
But see, I can write very well, but I'm no journalist, and now I'm getting stressed about the deadline and the fact that I'm having trouble finding moms' groups in various parts of the city.

[allyray231]

dreshny did you hit the parks? I see mommy groups there a lot!

[rancherswife]

Shhessh! Lots of catching up to do, I hadn't been on in just a day! Things are moving right along in here;)

feet:Landon found his feet about a month ago and ADORES them. He will suck on them for EVER! They must be pretty tasty!:p It's so cute to watch too!

Squealing:OH MY GOODNESS! Dh says the child has my lungs!;) Yes, he is quite the squealer! It's so FUNNY! We were at lunch yesterday when he decided to excersise his vocal chords! Too cute.


Baby Einstein:Is my kid the ONLY one who is not intrested in it?????:confused: We tried it for the first time yesterday and he could have cared LESS! I was shocked!


sitting up:Landon can sit with his hands propped out in front of him for a while. If he moves around too much though, he topples over. He's getting better though!

splashing: Oh yes, nightly! We have aggregate throughout our house and it's not suppose to get wet :o , oh well, it happens every night, he gets pretty proud of himself when he can get mommy and daddy wet too!

We have the big baptism tomorrow. I still have a ton of running around to get done..........Hope everyone has a great weekend!

[njnewyearsbride]

Squealing
definitely does this :) she'll squeal and then smile and squeal and smile.. too cute

Sitting up
assisted yes - unasissted not yet!

Rolling over
she rolls over back to belly all the time.. but she doesnt know how to go back yet..

Baby Einstein
we're trying to stay away from any tv watching for as long as we can.. we know at some point its going to become impossible but for now thats our plan!

Bumbo
hazel is ok in it as well... but yesterday she was arching her back trying to get out... definitely cant leave her in there unsupervised.. and most of the time she just looks down...


Feet
she found her feet a few weeks ago.. but still hasnt tried to eat them :) at least not that ive seen :)

bath time
we bought the eurotub about 2 months ago and have been using it in our big tub.. she loves it!

rasberries
hazel learned how to do these last week i think.. its just too stinking cute!

holidays - kim
my family doesnt celebrate xmas, and most of dh's family is in ct so we end up going there for xmas this year we're visiting mil and dh's grandmother in CO for xmas -- i doubt we'll ever have the holiday at our home.. we'll see so i understand how you feel kim

[allyray231]

[Baby Einstein/B] Aiden Loves it!

[B]Feet found them last night

sitting up He LOVE LOVE LOVE me to pull him up and sit up--he can't sit alone yet but he can when I hold his hands. He wants to sit up all the time

side sleeper I posted this in the June 05 thread-anyone have a side sleeper? I am worried because Aiden sometimes like to bury his face in the mattress.

[njnewyearsbride]

allyray231-- side sleeping

hazel has always slept on her side.. and now that she rolls over from back to tummy shes sleeping on her tummy -- we try to roll her to her back.. but theres only so many times im going to do it ;) she eventually ends up sleeping on her tummy..

[allyray231]

nj thanks. He hasn't gotten the rolling mastered yet but he has great head control--I just panic when he is pressing his face in the mattress!!

[Sherah]

KGif: So cute! Arik makes the same face whenever I hold him in the shorebreak, but he sleeps very well listening to the waves crashing against the beach.

Dreshny: Your project sounds like a lot of fun.

tgray: I can hardly believe your DD is responding to her name now. I'm looking forward to hitting that milestone.

[kimthebride]

Sitting Up
Does ok in the Bumbo, but now that he found his feet...once he sees them he's all bent over himself in it trying to get them!

Raspberries
Did his first ones yesterday!

Holiday Advice
Thanks everyone for your advice and thoughts.
Tom & I have talked about this, and he would like to have holidays at home as well.
It looks like we're doing both places for Thanksgiving, and we'll have to see about Xmas. I bet we end up doing both for Xmas as well, which will be exhausting but at this point I am just too tired for an argument.
Next year we should have a big home (I am only looking at ones with a big diningroom and enough space for multiple guests), so maybe we can host Xmas one year and trade off. That way my family can also come in and celebrate.
Ahhhh....the growing family....

tgray: plates
We went to one of the pottery places where you pick already-made pieces like ashtrays, plates, mugs, etc then paint them however you want. They have dinner plates, and I wanted to paint Thomas' hands and put his handprints on the plate and paint it with "Santa's Cookies". I also want to make some gifts for the grandparents with his hand prints as well - maybe a trivet or photo frame.

kgif
That picture is priceless! lol

dreshny
Did you check out UrbanMom?

rancherswife
I notice he likes some BE videos and doesn't care for others.

Need Help Pooping?
Thomas hadn't pooped in about 6 days, and being totally BFd I knew he couldn't be technically constipated, so I used the old thermometer trick to get him going.
I stripped him naked and put him on the changing table, then lubed up his rectal thermometer with Vaseline and inserted it in his bum. Within a minute, the last week's worth of poop came easily out and he became a MUCH happier little man. ;)

FYI: Holiday Shopping Advice
I made a thread under Parenting asking moms to recommend their babies' favorite toys and the age range, to guide us in gift-buying this year. :)

[cynder]

Low supply Well I figured out the cause for my low supply. AF. The b*tch decided to make her first appearance on a Friday afternoon. Greaaatt.

[Sasha]

Waving to Dreshny and KGIF - Another Philly area girl here, who grew up going to the Jersey shore. We always went to Ocean City. I told DH that we absolutely have to take Sarah there when we visit in the summer time.

Side sleeping- Yes, Sarah often sleeps on her side. She also flips onto her tummy a lot too. Even though I also flip her back sometimes, I'm not concerned anymore.

Bumbo - Another baby who looks down while she is in her Bumbo. She tolerates it for short periods of time. I try feeding her in there, but she is too busy looking down, so it makes it difficult (reminder to self to set up high chair this weekend!)

Baby Einstein-Trying not to introduce her to TV quite yet, but we'll probably try out BE DVD in the 6-8 month time period.

Rasberries -Does them a lot and has been for awhile now. It makes us laugh every time.

Cynder -Ugh, my condolences....

Rancherswife- Hope all goes well at Landon's baptism!

[DisneyGirl]

Side sleeper Oh yes..My DD loves to sleep on her side.

Baby Einstein Nope ..no TV yet. My son just turned two and had never watched any DVD. He would rather run around the house flinging toys..LOL

sitting up not by herself just yet. But if she hold unto my hand she can sit up.


feet my DD had been playing with her feed for the last 1 1/2. Which is quit odd to me since my son didn't discover his feel until he was like 5 1/2 months old.

squealing OH LORD! boy can she makes some noise..yikes


rolling over she rolls over from back to tummy all the time.



Had anyone bought their babies holiday outfit yet??

I just went and bought there holiday outfits yesterday. Now all i have to do it schedual and apt for the picutres.

[tgray99]

Holiday Outfit: Yup, I got Aidan's from Ebay. It's a new with tags Carter's dress that was originally $36. I got it for $8!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce22b3127cce94c53170ffa500000016108AZs3LFk0bNP

I'm pairing it up with white tights and black patent leather mary janes.

We're going to do family portraits in November in our Christmas gear, hopefully to use for our Christmas cards.

[kimthebride]

Score!!

[Carissa]

Cynder Sorry about AF yuck!

Holiday outfit Yup I got her dress last weekend. I'll have to post a pic. I am going to have to make some rules for myself thought because I love this time of year and they have some really cute outfits out there. We hit Baby Depot in Burlington Coat factory last weekend and found some awesome deals! :eek:

Baby Einstein We haven't started any TV yet. I think we will keep it that way for as long as possible.

Grace has started respomding to her name. She also started sucking her thumb not sure how that started unless it's so to teething. She also loves her index and middle finger in her mouth I think she thinks they are chew toys.
I am getting a little concerned about people coming up and touching Grace while I am out shopping especially with all the germs this season brings. I don't know when the last time these people washed their hands was. It's a little annoyance I have.

[allyray231]

4 month visit
My baby is a peanut!! 14 lbs 5 oz and 26 inches. Doc said hold off on solids for now-I am a little sad about that but ah whatever

Took his shots like a champ!

[allyray231]

ahh what a night. Aiden woke up at 1:30am with a fever-102-yikes. I hate shots. Gave hime some Tylenol and put him in a onsie. Hour later it was 101.5-better. Hour later again it was 102.5-not good. So I gave him more Tylenol. Today he is a OK.

He is such a good baby-he never cried-not once. Not even when I took his temps

Am I the only one with a kid that has a reaction?

[kelseyledare]

Ally- My DD had a similar reaction with her 2 mos shots. We pre-medicated her with Tylenol for the 4 month ones, and she did better. She was not as understanding about the temperature-taking process, though ;)

[allyray231]

see the crazy thing is I pre-medicated him too-but once he was alseep and missed that 4 hour window he got the fever again. How much Tylenol did you ped say to give?

[kelseyledare]

My DD is 14 lb so we were giving 0.8 mL or one dropper of the Infant's Tylenol every 4 hrs. We also missed doses when she was asleep and her temp came back up. Not sure the best way to deal with that...

[allyray231]

he he same bday same weight :)

My doc said 0.8 the first time then 0.4 every 4 hrs-but he is 14 lbs so I thin he can get 0.8 each time.

Yeah guess can't do anything about the sleeping!! Thanks

[kimthebride]

Holiday Outfit
We hit the sale at Janie and Jack and found an adorable outfit for him! He has 2 Thanksgivings, so he'll wear this 2x.
http://a116.g.akamai.net/7/116/2088/infinite/www.janieandjack.com/media/images/products/20050804_LOAD/1000-01555_Main_39749.jpg
http://a116.g.akamai.net/7/116/2088/infinite/www.janieandjack.com/media/images/products/20050804_LOAD/1000-01551_Main_3971f.jpg
http://a116.g.akamai.net/7/116/2088/infinite/www.janieandjack.com/media/images/products/20050804_LOAD/1000-01557_Main_3975f.jpg
http://a116.g.akamai.net/7/116/2088/infinite/www.janieandjack.com/media/images/products/20050804_LOAD/1000-01793_Image_Front_39a43.jpg

I am perusing eBay for his Xmas outfit(s), but saw a very cute deep blue velour overall set at The Children's Place.
http://www.childrensplace.com/www/b/TCP/images/styles/394239_m.jpg

[Sherah]

Ally: Arik had a bad reaction to his shots too.

kim: I can't see your cutie cute outfits.:(

Good luck to my fellow South Floridians. Are you all ready? I've been cooking all day, just in case we lose power for awhile. Hopefully Wilma will head way south so we don't get strong winds. On a good note, if we do lose power, at least the weather looks like it is supposed to be beautiful Tuesday and Wednesday.

[tgray99]

Holiday Outfit
We hit the sale at Janie and Jack and found an adorable outfit for him! He has 2 Thanksgivings, so he'll wear this 2x.
http://www.janieandjack.com/shop/dept_item.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=1523823&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1530627&bmUID=1130084027520&productSizeSelected=0
http://www.janieandjack.com/shop/dept_item.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=1523703&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1530627&bmUID=1130084027521&productSizeSelected=0
http://www.janieandjack.com/shop/dept_item.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=1522861&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1530627&bmUID=1130083935559&productSizeSelected=0
http://www.janieandjack.com/shop/dept_item.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=1523089&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1530627&bmUID=1130084061923&productSizeSelected=0

I am perusing eBay for his Xmas outfit(s), but saw a very cute deep blue velour overall set at The Children's Place.
Yeah, I can't see your outfits either. :(

I hadn't thought of a Thanksgiving outfit. I may have to peruse Ebay for a cute one!

I'm also borrowing your idea for plates with hand prints. That's what the grandparents are getting for Christmas this year. What a cute idea! I'll have to take Ryan with me. He's WAY more artistic than I am.

[kimthebride]

Fixed the pictures! (my iMac aggravates the heck outta me...)

http://homepage.mac.com/thomasbongiorno/.cv/thomasbongiorno/Sites/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-10-19%2013.23.35%20-0700/Image-D863B31840DC11DA.jpg-thumb_269_202.jpg

Anyhoo...here is a photo of Thomas and I at the pottery place. I am holding up the tile we made of his footprints - once it's fired it will be glossy and the colors get much brighter. You can see a serving bowl over my left shoulder, and to my right are the shelves of stuff to choose from to paint. It was a fun experience, and I definitely think tgray you can make some great holiday/bday/gandparents day gifts in a place like this!

You can use the tile as a trivet for the table, hang it onthe Xmas tree or wall. I am going to put it in a plate display to prop it up in my china cabinet. :) Not giving this one away!

And just for kicks, here's my little boy being bossed around by his girlfriend.
http://homepage.mac.com/thomasbongiorno/.cv/thomasbongiorno/Sites/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-10-19%2013.23.35%20-0700/Image-D863E66B40DC11DA.jpg-thumb_269_202.jpg
Ahhhh...young love...

[Carissa]

Here is one of Grace's Christmas Dresses
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce02b3127cce949dc128efb500000015108AcNG7Ji1atK

[christy1010]

I haven't even started thinking about holiday outfits! Hopefully soon! I will be going back to work starting on Nov. 7th, but only two days a week so have been spending lots of time with DD.

DD has started cooing while BF, anyone else's DC doing this. It is kind of cute in a way, but also causes the "girls" to vibrate when DD does this.

Just a warning from my experience I wanted to pass along. Dr. suggested we give Dimeatapp to DD for the congestion for her cold. DD has four hours of non stop crying, screaming, babbling after taking it. It has Pseduephedrin in it which can be used to make Methamphatamine.

[cynder]

Hope everyone in Florida is safe and doing okay.

[ahavnes]

I hope everyone in So. Fla is ok also. Although I just talked to my mother who lives on the beach in Miami. It sounded like they were having a little hurricane party (:rolleyes: ) so I assume everything is ok. ;)

[wendstress]

Hope all the FL girls are good!!!!

QUESTION - James is about 5.5 months old. The past 1-2 weeks he's gone from getting up 1/night to 3 times per night!!!! A little early for a growth spurt, but I don't know what else could be going on! He used to get up between 3-4 AM; last night it was 12 AM, 2:30 AM, 5:30 AM, and up at 6:30. Anyone else dealing with this??? I'm going crazy!!!

[diedra1027]

wendstress - OMG, YES!! My previously decent night sleeper has been waking very frequently. Last night she went down fine at 7, up at 9, up at midnight and stayed up until 1, up at 2:30, up at 3, up at 4, up at 5 and up for the day at 6. I think it's teething. Plus she has a runny nose (either from the teething or something DH brought home) and wakes because she's having trouble breathing.

[rancherswife]

wendstress:Oh! Thank GOD I'm not the only one going insane here, w/ NO SLEEP! Landon has been on this kick now for about 4-5 weeks! :confused: It's killin' me! He's SOOOO super easy to put down for the night, it's great, we bathe him around 8 o'clock, get him dressed, Brett reads to him, I nurse him, he's OUT! Used to, he'd go from about 8:30-4:00 am. But for the last month or so, it's been ALL OVER THE PLACE! I think in the last five weeks, he's only had ONE night where he only woke up once!:o It's been tuff. He'll nurse and go right back to sleep, usually. However, the NEW thing is, around 4-5, he's awake, ready to hang out, just chattin' away. I nurse him, burp him and he's WIDE AWAKE! If I put him back in his co-sleeper, he's just babbling on and on...sometimes, I'll stick him in the swing next to our bed,and he'll go back to sleep for 45 mins. or so, but it's hit and miss! I don't know what to do. Last week at the ped. he told me to start him on rice cereal before bed...just a tbsp. mixed w/ BM, buuuuttt....I'm really struggling with this, emotionally!lol, seriously, we haven't done it yet, dh keeps asking "can we try it tonight?" and I just can't do it, am I crazy? It's sad to me, to think he'll be getting something else BESIDES me BM! I know it's just ONE tbsp. once a day, BUT STILL!!!

So, yeah, you're soooo not alone on the sleeping delima! I hear ya, LOUD AND CLEAR!!;)

Baptism:Landon's baptism was a success, everything went great! He's was a doll the entire day. The little boy in front of us started crying, Landon started laughing at him, we cracked up! Party was great, now my house is a wreck and I'm waaay to pooped to do anything about it!:rolleyes:

Holiday Outfit:Yeah, haven't found any yet, but haven't really looked too hard. Need to start working on that, now that the baptism is done!

Hope all the FLA. girlees are O.K!:(

[allyray231]

My kid is up a lot too--hanging out and talking. It is insane

[cynder]

Seriously, do these kids all get some memo that we don't know about? DS up at 4:30 this morning ready to play and then ready to cry. Arggh.

[ahavnes]

My kid got the memo also. She has a cold, but was pulling all-nighters before then too. I'm starting to get that feeling of dread when nightfall comes, like I had when she first came home from the hospital and had her days and nights mixed up. :rolleyes:

rancherswife- Glad the baptism went well! :)

[wendstress]

Glad to hear James is not the only one with sudden sleep issues!!! Driving us nutty! DH and I have been second guessing ourselves all the time.... I guess there is comort in misery! I'll think of you all tonight when we're up at 12, 3, 5, and 6! :D

wendstress: Last week at the ped. he told me to start him on rice cereal before bed...just a tbsp. mixed w/ BM, buuuuttt....I'm really struggling with this, emotionally!lol, seriously, we haven't done it yet, dh keeps asking "can we try it tonight?" and I just can't do it, am I crazy? It's sad to me, to think he'll be getting something else BESIDES me BM! I know it's just ONE tbsp. once a day, BUT STILL!!!


We've had James on rice cereal for about a month now. I guess I'm very pragmatic by nature, but my thought is that "it's not going to hurt him", so why not? We don't make it a priority, but we try to fit it in as the day will allow. He probably gets 4-5 rice meals a week, usually about 2 TBSP at a time. We can tell he really likes it, too! I don't think it helps at all with the sleep issue. Besides, we make it up with BM, so I don't think of it as "something else besides BM". I think of it as a "a little extra to go with the BM". It's actually a fun time for us!

[tgray99]

Seriously, do these kids all get some memo that we don't know about? DS up at 4:30 this morning ready to play and then ready to cry. Arggh.
Aidan apparently got the memo too. She's been reluctant to nap (try none today) and getting up at 5am. This morning I popped the paci back in her mouth and she slept a while longer (until nearly noon!) Her schedule is so completely messed up. She has never been like this before, she's always been a 12 hour a night sleeper with 2 1-hour (minimum) naps during the day.

We took Aidan to the Pumpkin Patch this weekend. She wore her costume, we took pictures and picked out 2 pumpkins to carve. One pumpkin for her with Cinderella's castle carved into it and one pumpkin for us with a freaky looking skeleton/jester carved into it. Here are some pics:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce02b3127cce94bb695faf0700000016108AZs3LFk0bNP

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce02b3127cce94bb6fa12eca00000016108AZs3LFk0bNP

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce02b3127cce94bb63c52ea800000015108AZs3LFk0bNP

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce02b3127cce94bb60c3ef0700000016108AZs3LFk0bNP