June 05 Mommies - Walking our way to our first birthdays!!!

[kelseyledare]

Been a hectic past couple of days, but DH was finally able to take Ava to see Santa. He had to wait over an hour in line, but I think the photo turned out pretty well, considering.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc02b3127cce961cd8fcb76100000015108Aas2TNm2cuF

Love the photos of the other babies- do we have some cute kids or what?

I am on call tomorrow so if I don't get back in time- Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!!

[jmvan74]

Welcome Leela!

Kelsey: Ava is a doll! I can't beleive he waited in line for an hour! :eek:


Collin got his first tooth! It popped through last night! I can't beleive it. It is a sharp little thing...oooohhhh I'm so scared! I really hope he doesn't decide to bite me!

[golfer_girl]

I love all the pics of the little ones. Dreshny, Asher is just too delicious!!!

Here's my DS for his xmas card we sent out.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc06b3127cce967ce488d5c300000017108AYtWzdo4ct4
He's got the santa cheeks and a grin that just makes me crack up every time I see this picture. We got the outfit at BRU - It was so worth the money! We had him wear that outfit at least a half dozen times thru the month. hehe. That's more than some of his other outfits he's already grown out of!
And yes, I did some photo editing of my DH laying on the floor holding DS up! He was grabbing him by the back of his clothes. It was kinda funny but we have people asking how is that??? But most of our friends know I can do editing... :)

jmvan74 - I can't believe Collin got his first tooth! How exciting! AND, how scary!!! :P

Sophia - NICE necklace - I know just how special that is! My DH bought me some small diamond studs for a commemorative gift for our big year. I almost cried - it WAS whopping year with baby, house and wedding. I just wanted some nice earrings cause I thought my DS would tear off any necklace that I might wear. Keep yours safe!

usafwife - BTW, did I mention before that I had much better luck w/ Shout for stain removal than I did with Spray and Wash. For me, it was 100 times better! It still didn't get rid of mold, but it gets all the other stains out. I learned it from my days of poopie blowout.

Is anyone feeding their baby more than 2x per day yet? He started food just before Thanksgiving. I'm feeding DS a rice cereal "brunch" and then a dinner time veggie. He often gets mad when DH and I eat without him. He'll scream and cry! It's so sad but so funny! He's so into food already! What month can they transition to real table food? I know by 1 year they're eating table food, but is it at one year? I'm feeling so clueless about the food...

I have to share this product I got for xmas for DS. It's called Baby Safe Feeder http://www.babysafefeeder.com/. I just love this product! It seemed a bit funky till I tried it out. It has a mesh bag that screws onto a handle. I put some mushy fruit in it and DS just chowed on this thing. He LOVED it as much as I did. I hope some of you might try it out. I think this is one of my favorite gadget gifts I've gotten. :) Hey, does anyone else have a favorite gadget gift they want to share?

Anyone try the food mill? it seems like it might be a pain... we got that as a gift too but haven't tried it yet.

Can someone (or usafwife) take my name off the first page? I just want my alias on the boards. Thanks.

I hope all of you and your babies are doing well or are recovering quickly from their colds. I hate thinking these little ones are ever sick. Take care.

[sophiapb]

Welcome Leela. Why don't you post your stats so Meri can add you to the front page. When was your DC born?

Kelsey-Ava's adorable! What a nice photo. You got a nice Santa too. He looks authentic.

JMVan-Woah, congrats on the tooth! Hopefully some of Colin's fussiness and crankiness will ease up now that the tooth FINALLY made it's appearance (well, we can hope!).

Golfer-Love the photo. I honestly did a double take as well but then figured you had to have done some computer magic to have resulted in your self-standing genius!
To answer your question, Alexa is also very interested in what we are eating. That's one of the reasons why I started her on solids a few weeks ago instead of waiting until 7-8 months like I had originally planned. Because she is showing so much interest, we put Alexa in her booster chair at the dinner table while DH and I are eating and give her Cheerios. It will take her 2-3 tries before she gets the Cheerio in her mouth but it's more for amusement than nutrition. Monday morning we went out to breakfast and since I forgot Cheerios, she sat in the restaurant high chair and we gave her bits of pancake and dry rye toast. Once again, more for amusement than nutrition since most of it ended up on the floor but she did very well and seemed to feel "included". We make the bits totally itty-bitty so that she doesn't choke on anything but she really enjoys chasing these bits around the table and seeing how much she can get into her mouth.
I have begun making some basic baby food. Taking a very ripe apple or pear, cubing it up and boiling it in a small saucepan and then pureeing it in a mini-food processor. One piece of fruit gives Alexa four meals when mixed with rice cereal or a veggie (currently she eats solids twice a day). I'm going to just keep trying out different foods on her so that by the time she's one, the majority of her meals will be whatever we are eating (sans salt and heavy seasonings) pureed in the mini-prep.

I'll be back with Christmas photos and Alexa's 7 month photo.

[Dreshny]

Golfer: Great picture! I was gonna say, "wow! Ethan's standing!" but I knew it couldn't be possible yet. Asher's starting to pull up on things (and he's early doing that), but obviously can't stand without support yet.

You guys are getting great gifts! DH gave me a wall calendar and some lipstick, but I shouldn't complain because I gave him 3 pairs of boxers and some pajama pants. Seriously, though, Hanukkah isn't a gift holiday like Christmas is, and the best gift of all is that DH is home from work this week and spending time with Asher and me.

I love all the Christmas pictures. Keep them coming...

[tgr68]

Adorable photos everyone!! I need to get mine uploaded.

Julie~Yeah for his first tooth!! :cool:

golfer~I, too, did a double take. Then thought "No way." LOL!

Christmas here was so much fun. Shylah wasn't near as excited about the paper as I thought she would be. In fact, she kept throwing the paper to the side and reach for the gifts! LOL. :p

DD started holding her bottle this past weekend!

Also, our friend is home from the hospital and doing great, so that is a BIG relief!!

6-month WBV
Weight: 13lbs 10oz :eek:
Height: 24.75 in
We got three shots today, and we got a new immunization chart because the previous nurse accidently wrote on the wrong line what shots DD recieved. She is doing great, and the doctor was very impressed with her development!

[usafwife]

Today my little one is 6 months old!!!!!!!!!!! I have been telling her all day (since she woke up) what was going on 6 months ago today. I can't believe that she is 6 months old. That just doesn't seem possible.

Christmas ~ We had a really good Christmas. It took her quite a while to open all her gifts at our house on Christmas morning (or should I say afternoon). I was up until 5 am cleaning, finishing wrapping presents, and other things. So I definitely needed my sleep so I slept in a little. Next year things will definitely be planned better.

I had wanted to go to Christmas Eve service but my aunt, uncle and 2 cousins came on Christmas Eve so we didn't get to go. We would have went but they were getting ready to leave while we would have been at church so we just decided to stay at my mom's. After they left we drove around looking at the Christmas lights and decorations. Unfortunately it was not very fun. Either people were gone and they had turned their lights off or they didn't decorate. We ended up feeling like we had wasted our time driving around town.

We wanted to go to the movies on Christmas Day in the afternoon to see Cheaper by the Dozen 2 but by the time we got there it was really busy so we just decided that we would go on Monday afternoon. That was a much better decision. We went back to my mom's, ate, and had Christmas. DD loved the wrapping and tissue paper.

Naamah ~ Congrats on Shylah holding her bottle. My DD has been doing that for a few weeks now. In fact she hates it when we try and hold it for her. She wants to do it herself.

golfer_girl ~ Cute picture. I need to learn my photo editing software program. I should have made it a point to do it before DD was born. I don't use Shout much as it took the color out of a shirt and pair of shorts once. So I tend to stay away from it now. My tan shorts now have a nice round circle about the size of a quarter dollar on one of the legs that is white. I was told to try vinegar and Borax. So we shall see if that works.

Julie ~ Congrats on Collin's first tooth. I feel bumps on DD's lower jaw so it's only a matter of time before they emerge.

Kelsey ~ Cute picture.

Leela ~ Welcome. If you post your stats I can add you to the first page.

[june05Mommies]

Updated to here.

golfer_girl ~ I removed your name so it's just your ID. Feel free to check it to make sure it's how you want it listed.

leela13 ~ Please post your stats and I can add you to the first page.

[kimthebride]

SOPHIAPB
I LOVE that MAMA necklace! My 30th bday is coming up and I’d love a special treat. DO you know where I can get one?

BAM
So sorry you were dealing with the RSV.
The Xmas card is just preceious!

TGR
Yay for the talking and the babysitting gig!
Sorry to hear about that accident…hope everyone heals quick.

DRESHNY
Thomas had peas for the 1st time today and loved them!
Did I mention how awesome your email holiday card was? Asher gets cuter every day…

MRS CHAPPY
Prunes: I found some by Gerber in those little Tupperware-looking containers at my grocery store.

JMVAN
Yay for teeth!

KELSEYDARE
Ava is a great sport if she looks that happy after an hour wait!

GOLFERGIRL
LMAO a the Santa picture!!
We feed Thomas cereal in the a.m. & p.m. and a veggie at lunch.

AS FOR US…..
I am totally *DONE* with the holidays. I wasn’t looking forward to it, and now that it’s over I can say that my premonitions were correct! I unfortunately did not have a good holiday. It was rushed, exhausting, frustrating, expensive and hard on Thomas. Even though the flights went well and generous gifts were all abound, I jus wish DH & I could have stayed home with DS to have a more peaceful time. Both my guys were sick…ah…I’m too bummed to even complain right now. Let’s just say I am glad we’re finally home.

ON A HAPPIER NOTE…
Thomas is talking SO MUCH now – babbling, sticking his tongue out and making new sounds, going “mama” and reaching for me. He’s also almost learned how o give DH a high 5. Very cute.

[jmvan74]

Golfer, What a great pic! Adorable.:D Collin eats 3X a day. 2TBS cereal with 2 oz fruit in the am, 2TB cereal with 2-3 oz veggies and 1-2 oz fruit for lunch and 2TB cereal with 2-4 oz veggies for dinner.

Sophia,It seems a lot of the day time crankiness is going away, but he's still waking at night...I really hope there aren't more already getting ready to come through.

Roseanne:Glad you are enjoying time with your DH and Asher. BTW, I am loving my KK fleece pouch sling! So comfy. ;)

Thanks, Naamah!There are actually two teeth! :eek:

Meri: Glad you had a nice Christmas. Collin was a wrapping paper/tissue paper baby, too. So cute.

Kim:Sorry to hear that your holidays were so exhausting. I hope you get a chance to relax before the new year.


Correction: Collin has twoteeth! Both of his front, bottom teeth have broken through. So far, no nursing trouble....

[Dreshny]

Julie: Glad you like the sling. :) Wow, two teeth! I'll bet Collin's crankiness was due to teething. I've heard that it's not the bottom teeth that can interfere with nursing because the baby's tongue covers them when he sucks--it's more likely the top ones.

Asher's been seriously cranky at night and waking 5+ times :rolleyes:. I'm chalking it up to either his colds (he's had 2 in 3 weeks) or a developmental growth spurt (he's crawling like crazy and starting to pull up.) Then again, it could also be teething, though my mom says I didn't get my first teeth until I was close to a year, and DH's mom said his came in around 9 months.

Kim: I liked your holiday card, too. :D

[Ferris]

Solids My little guy I guess is just not interested in solids!! Well at least baby food. He only ate 1 tbs of oatmeal this morning, refused any for lunch and then ate 1 tbs of carrots for dinner!! What am I doing wrong???

Reaching out for you When Dougie does this, it just makes my heart melt.

[kelseyledare]

Love the photos of all the cute babies. Golfer, the photo editing turned out great!

jmvan74 - Wow- two teeth? No wonder poor Collin was fussing up a storm last week. Hope he is back to his usual self and glad that his nursing wasn't affeted.

Ferris- Maybe the cereal is too thick? I have heard to offer the solids before milk/formula when you know he is the most hungry to encourage solids. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much- put them away and try again in a week or two.

Dreshny- Wow- Asher's standing?? He is such the active guy! That sounds like quite the feast you cooked up.

kimthebride- sorry to hear your Christmas was so hectic. Maybe you can convince everyone to come to you next year since it will be harder to travel with a 1.5 yr old.

usafwife- How did you like the movie? I'm glad you were able to sleep in on Christmas- sounds like you needed the rest! My DD also enjoyed the wrapping paper and tissue, though she wanted to eat it. :)

tgr68- Glad Shylah enjoyed her gifts! Love her 6 mos stats- your little peanut is really growing! We've had DD hold her bottle a time or two, but mostly, she's pretty lazy ;)

sophiapb- I can't wait to see Alexa's 7 month photo. I love seeing her in the glider with her sign. My DH was also impressed with Santa. He did think the poor guy looked deathly tired right before his lunch break, though. I imagine it would be a tiring job.

Christmas: We had a good, though quiet Christmas. We opened DD's gifts with her help and then had a nice breakfast. We all napped and then went to our neighbor's house for Christmas dinner. It was so nice of them to include us, as our family is far away and we couldn't get there. We spoke with everyone on the phone, though, and are up visiting now for New Years. We'll do our family Christmas tonight and hopefully, DD will be interested in the wrapping paper again- it was so cute!

[jmvan74]

Roseanne:
I've heard that it's not the bottom teeth that can interfere with nursing because the baby's tongue covers them when he sucks--it's more likely the top ones.
I'd have to agree with that. I hope the top ones stay put for a while.

Asher's been seriously cranky at night and waking 5+ times
This is how Collin was for days before his teeth broke through. Now he's only up once a night! :D Whatever, the cause, I hope Asher feels less cranky soon.

Ferris: You're not doing anything wrong. Some babies, just aren't as willing as others to eat solids.;) I agree that when DS reaches for me, it is heart melting.

Kelsey:I'm glad you had a nice, quiet Christmas. How nice of your neighbors to invite you over. I hope you have a good time at your family Christmas. :)

[sophiapb]

Per kelsey's request (yeah, like I wouldn't brag on my own ;) ) here are Alexa’s 7 month photo. Lordy, this kid’s grown! Note the Beanie unicorn that we now have to bribe her with to keep her relatively still.

http://images.snapfish.com/3458%3A%3B297%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D323%3B%3E574%3E2%3B6% 3EWSNRCG%3D3233423%3B%3A5%3C%3A3nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/3458%3A%3B297%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D323%3B%3E574%3E2%3B6% 3EWSNRCG%3D3233423%3B%3B4575nu0mrj

Here is her 6 month photo for comparison.

http://images.snapfish.com/3458%3A%3B297%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D665%3D3%3A7%3 DXROQDF%3E23242688848%3B4ot1lsi

Geez, we have to get more consistent with the distance that we take the photo from. You get the idea though. For her one year birthday I'll post the series of photos from when we began at 3 months (kicking myself for not starting at 1 month :rolleyes: ) and you can see the amazing progression.
Okay, humor me! I've got to post her 3 month photo! I love my bald chunky dumpling!

http://images.snapfish.com/3458%3A%3B297%7Ffp46%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D665%3D3%3A7%3 DXROQDF%3E2323%3B%3A6336594ot1lsi

Kim-Jealous about being called "Mama". Alexa babbles but I don't think there is any meaning behind it...yet.
Here is a website http://www.ishopblush.com/vendordetail.asp?VendorID=81 that sells the necklace. What a nice treat for your 30th!

Edited 'cause the website wasn't showing up

[sophiapb]

DOH! I had too many images in my other post so this is the continuation from above:

ferris-Alexa did ok with cereal that I mixed with breast milk but likes it alot better now that we mix fruit in with it as well. It kills me to say that my mom is right (GAH!) but she's the one who started doing it and Alexa eats much better now.

jmvan-YAY for 2 teeeth!

tgr-Alexa used to hold her bottle but has since become lazy and makes us hold it. Like suckers, we totally cater to her and do it. :rolleyes:

Meri-Up on until 5 am wrapping gifts! What were you thinking? Get some sleep, girlie! ;)

[leela13]

Hi everyone. Thanks for including me. It sounds like Sophia is doing the same things all your babies are doing. I look forward to the freindly chats and support.


Me: Lisa, 33
DH: Michael, 29
Married: 8/9/03
TTC: Not really trying we just stopped preventing
BFP: 9/25/05
EDD: 6/2/05
Gender Prediction: Girl
DD : Sophia Natasha
DOB: 6/2/05
Time: 5:11 am
Weight: 6lbs 12oz
Length: 18 3/4

Lisa

[sophiapb]

It sounds like Sophia is doing the same things all your babies are doing.

I am such a goober. I reread that sentence three times before comprehending that your daughter's name is Sophia and that you were NOT referring to me. How self-centered am I!

[leela13]

Sophia- Yes. It will be fun trying to keep the names straight.

[BAM 9-21-02]

Sophia - can I say that I am so jelous of the mama necklace, I love it! I told my husband that I see it in my mother's day future!

Meri - You are nutty staying up till 5a to wrap! Next year gift bags from the dollar store!

Leela - welcome!

Sick - Emma is finally feeling better and the Dr has given us the ok to send her back next Tuesday. The daycare did call to check on her Wednesday and told me that another infant was just diagnosed with RSV. I really hope that Emma doesnt go back and get it again, I just can't see her go through it again, and I think my work will kill me!

Christmas - Emma was also more interested in the wrapping paper...

Here are a few pics...

http://images.photo.walgreens.com/3458%3B86%3B23232%7Ffp6%3Enu%3D3232%3E2%3B%3A%3E98 6%3E23232%3B%3A%3A77332ot1lsi

Emma with her Harley Hog from Grandpa
http://images.photo.walgreens.com/3458%3B86%3B23232%7Ffp6%3Enu%3D3232%3E2%3B%3A%3E98 6%3E23232%3B%3A%3A772%3B2ot1lsi

[Ferris]

solids We have been giving him solids for about 2 months now...and it hasn't gotten better. He actually ate them better at first and has gotten worse!! I've played around with thickness, mixing foods, giving it to him when he's hungry, but then he just starts crying to nurse !:p He goes eat them better when I am at work, so I guess he still prefers me!!:rolleyes: :p


about waking 5+ times
This is how Collin was for days before his teeth broke through. Now he's only up once a night!

I sure hope Dougies teething, he been waking up at 12:30, 3:30, 6:00. He slept better when he was a week old!!

[tgr68]

Meri~Not mine! She's lazy. :rolleyes:

Kim~I also may have a second gig lined up. My sister is moving down here with her DD. (Long story. You can read about it here (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=13193) if you want.) She'll need a sitter, so I could be making $100+ a week! It's not much in the way of babysitting fees, but that's what they can afford and we need the money.

Julie~I wonder how I missed the second one?

Kelsey~LOL! Same here. Last night she let go of her bottle, looked at it, and starting crying until we gave it back to her. No effort at all on her part to get it back, though! :rolleyes:

Sophia~Wow! I can't believe how much Alexa has changed in just a month! So cute! Like suckers, we totally cater to her and do it. How do they train us so easily? LOL!

BAM~Love the pics! Definately diggin' the Harley Hog!

Ferris~Sorry about Dougie waking so much. Hope it's short lived!

Well, I think we've finally got Shylah back on a reasonable schedule after the holidays. Let's hope we don't throw it out the window again with New Years!!

[leela13]

I am having the same problem with solids. We have to put on a big show to get Sophie to eat. She seemed to eat better in the beginning too. I think she would nurse for the rest of her life if she could. Unfortunately, I work and I am having a hard time with pumping. Every week I seem to get less and less.

Night waking- Do you all feed your babies at night when they wake up?

[tgr68]

Night Wakings~We usually just go in after a few minutes and give her back her paci.

[Ferris]

I just got a roll of film developed from when we cut down our christmas tree

http://images.snapfish.com/3458%3B%3A673%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3237%3E%3A86%3E297%3E WSNRCG%3D3233427965488nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3458%3B%3A673%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3237%3E%3A86%3E297%3E WSNRCG%3D3233427965465nu0mrj

and one of Dougie loving the ribbons on christmas eve
http://images.snapfish.com/3458%3B%3A673%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3237%3E%3A86%3E297%3E WSNRCG%3D323342797%3A5%3B%3Anu0mrj

[leela13]

Ferris- Dougie is so cute. I love his little vest.


I thought I would show you all some recent pictures of Sophie but I don't know how to get them into my reply. How do I do it?

[Dreshny]

Ferris: Dougie is so cute! :)

Leela: Asher is waking a lot at night these days, and I do feed him back to sleep. I've tried other things, but nursing seems to be the only guarantee he'll go back down. And I get the impression he's genuinely hungry, because he latches on and sucks hard. But we're co-sleeping, so I don't have to get up for him, and I often go back to sleep while he's still nursing. What do you do when Sophie wakes?

[tgr68]

Christmas pics!!!
Holding her bottle!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc11b3127cce96157184776400000016108EatmLRo2Zq

The obligatory bow/paper eating photos! LOL!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc11b3127cce961571be775e00000015108EatmLRo2Zq http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc11b3127cce96157624b66f00000016108EatmLRo2Zq

Sitting pretty with dad!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc11b3127cce96157613376800000015108EatmLRo2Zq

This one cracks me up! She's doing this thing where she wrinkles up her nose and breathes through it really fast. LOL!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc11b3127cce9615b758f6eb00000016108EatmLRo2Zq

[Ferris]

Asher is waking a lot at night these days, and I do feed him back to sleep. I've tried other things, but nursing seems to be the only guarantee he'll go back down. And I get the impression he's genuinely hungry, because he latches on and sucks hard. But we're co-sleeping, so I don't have to get up for him, and I often go back to sleep while he's still nursing.

Ditto What Dreshny said. Last night Dougie nursed and went to sleep at 9, he woke up at 12:30 screaming. I instisted that he could not be hungry so we rocked him, gave him is pacifer, nothing worked. I finally gave in and nursed him and he drank like there was no tomorrow!! So this leaves me wondering if my supply to getting worse. He just nursed 3 hours earlier, he shouldn't be that hungry!! Right? We are thinking about supplimenting with a bottle starting tomorrow, but Dougie doesn't like formula to much so I'll have to pump and mix it with the formula! I am just SO tired and need him to sleep like he used to.

[Dreshny]

Ferris: We had another bad night last night. All the patting in the world couldn't put Asher back to sleep, and he was nursing like crazy again.
I'm thinking he might be teething. Could Dougie be teething? My nipples are killing me (they're sore like they were the first few weeks), and I've heard that some moms get sore nipples when their babies teethe because the babies have different enzymes in their saliva. Asher's diapers smell awful, too, and since he's not eating solids too often, I'm guessing it's teething poop.

[Ferris]

Dreshny I hope he is teething!! My nipples are not to sore, but he has been bitting them lately!:eek: He has been drooling like crazy, and his poops have been super smelly too and he does not eat solids that often either. Even his farts smell horrible! Every morning when he wakes up I feel his mouth for teeth, but nothing. I sure hope one breaks soon!!

[Dreshny]

Ferris: Another guess: is Dougie often too distracted during the day to eat? Asher is nursing waaay less often than he used to during the day. At night it's dark, so he's less distracted, and I think he's hungry. Could be that, in addition to teething.

I'd suggest you not give him formula if you are worried about your milk supply and want to keep nursing until he's a year. Any replacement for your milk that you give him will decrease your milk supply.

[sophiapb]

I thought I would show you all some recent pictures of Sophie but I don't know how to get them into my reply. How do I do it?

Hey Lisa. You need to have your photos posted on a photo website like Snapfish or the Kodak one (forgot the name). You can't just post them off of your own computer. Once you have them on Snapfish or whatever, right click on the actual photo, scroll down to "Properties" and open that. It will show a whole string of string of numbers and letters as it's properties. Copy that string of numbers and letters, come here to this thread and "Reply". At the top of the "Reply" box, there's a row with fonts, undo arrows, etc. Click on the square that looks like a picture postcard. In the box that comes up, paste your string from the photo website and you'll be good to go. To double check, I always preview my post to make sure that the pictures show up. I'm notorious for forgetting to hit the "picture" icon and just pasting the properties right into the message body. :p
Hope that helps.

[jmvan74]

Naamah, Love your new avatar! LOL! too funny. Collin does something very similar, but he breaths fast through his mouth. :p

Ferris, Aww, I love the pic of Dougie with the ribbons! I don't think I got any still pics like that. We had the camcorder running.

Leela, Can't wait to see Sophie. :)

Roseanne: Speaking from experience...my nipples were so sore before we saw the teeth. I was wondering why that was happening. Learn something new every day.:o

Sleeping: I hope you all get some sleep soon. Our nights are inconsistent. Some nights Collin is only up once and sometimes he's up 3 times. However, since the teeth have come through, he's much happier around the clock.

Happy New Year!

[sophiapb]

Holey moley, Alexa has a TOOTH! For the past three months she's been gnawing on everything and drooling like a maniac but I kept rubbing her gums and never felt anything. No bumps, no hardening of the gums, nothing. I figured we had a long way to go but this evening she was fussing a bit so I rubbed her gums thinking that she might finally have a bump or something and there was a tooth! I can't believe it just appeared and on New Year's Eve! Oh, she also started sitting by herself today as well. I sort of felt like we really didn't have any milestones for a while and then, BOOM, suddenly Alexa's sitting up and she has a tooth. OMG, my little girl's growing up!

Happy 2006!

[jmvan74]

Sohia,Congrats on the tooth and sitting. Isnt the tooth the cutest thing!

[LIZNKEITH]

Wow! I can't believe how many teeth we have in here!!

Sleeping
Caroline has been sleeping horribly the past two weeks. No lying, we're up 5-8times a night. usually we just have to put her paci back in and she falls right back asleep. But it's still wearing on us. I can't figure out if it's because her cold/cough or possibly teething. She does have a little bump on her lower left gum. Whatever it is, I hope it passes soon and we can finally catch some zzzz's around here. I'm exhausted!

Ferris,
Love the new pictures of Dougie! He's the cutest little lumberjack ever! Caroline is not big on solids either. She only eats 1-2 tbsp of cereal at a time. At my Ped's advice, I've started adding pears to her oatmeal this week though and she seems to like it more. She's definitely been easier to feed at least.

Welcome, leela! Sophia is adorable! What a precious little girl!

[Ferris]

Dreshny Yes! Dougie only nurses for about 5-7 minutes at a time now!! I try and go to quite places, but it does not work!!:( That is one of the frustrating thing about BF, I don't know how much be eats during the day!

Liz I tried applesause with his cereal, but not pears. I guess I will try that tomorrow. Today he has not had any solids, but we bought a bunch of new foods to try out! Yesterday he ate half a stage 2 jar of green beans and mashed potatoes!

I took this pic of my nephew on Christmas, he did not see me outside or he would not have put the light in his mouth because he knows he is not supposed to, but it turned out to be such a cute pic!

http://images.snapfish.com/34593%3A3%3B3%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3237%3E%3A86%3E297%3E WSNRCG%3D3233429774466nu0mrj

one of Dougie from new years eve, I tried to get his hair into a mowhawk. You can also see his drool chin!
http://images.snapfish.com/34593%3A468%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D3237%3E%3A86%3E297%3EWS NRCG%3D32334348%3A26%3A6nu0mrj

[leela13]

Happy New Year everyone. I hope that you all had a great night.

Sophie was getting distracted too with feeding. I now have to breastfeed her in bed with no one else in the room.

Here are some pictures from the last month.

We went to Mammoth in early December. This is SOphie playing in the snow.
https://www.babyjellybeans.com/sites/B/2001/depot/2001_55650_1136174700682.jpg

Me and Sophie
https://www.babyjellybeans.com/sites/B/2001/depot/2001_55650_1136174694919.jpg

Michael and Sophie
https://www.babyjellybeans.com/sites/B/2001/depot/2001_55650_1136174697751.jpg

We went to a scenic point near our house on a beautiful southern California December day.
https://www.babyjellybeans.com/sites/B/2001/depot/2001_55658_1136175820568.jpg

[leela13]

Sorry about the picture size.

[kimthebride]

TEETHING
I can't believe how many of you have teeth already! (Well, the babies, not the moms ;) ) Thomas is still toothless, though he's a drool machine. DRESHNY I am guessing that Asher must be teething, from the way you describe. Tomorrow we can pry his little mouth open and poke around in there with a bright light to see what's going on. :)

REACHING OUT
I love love love this!

XMAS NEXT YEAR
We are *SO* buying a house and hosting everyone for Xmas next year.

SOPHIAPB
Wow! Alexa had a big burst from 6-7 months!
Thanks for the necklace info....hmmm...diamonds or no diamonds...?

LEELA13
Welcome!
Love the pics - that last one looks professional.

BAM
Rocking pig! lol!

TGR
I'm so happy you're getting all this extra income. Yay!
That nose breathing picture is hilarious!

SOLIDS
Maybe those of you having trouble feeding DC solids, it's because they are teething? Or maybe they want a thinner or thicker consistency?
When DS is cranky, he won't take solids from his highchair - he needs to sit on my lap. A little messy, but it gets thejob done.

Speaking of solids, Thomas is eating like a champ only after 1 month of eating cereal & food! His days are like this:
For breakfast it's a 2.5oz applesauce and 1 1/2oz BM, 1 1/2oz formula mixed with 3 TBS Mixed Whole Grain Cereal.
For lunch it's a 2/5oz jar of a veggie (so far he's tried and liked sweet potatos, sweet peas & carrots)
For dinner it's 1 1/2oz BM, 1 1/2oz formula mixed with 3 TBS Rice Cereal.
Plus BFing in between.

FERRIS
Love that you got to cut your own tree!
That last picture makes me want to add the caption: "Mmmmmm...ribbon..."

SITTING UP
Thomas is doing so well now! I am one proud mama.

XMAS TOYS
We have SO MUCH STUFF now, he just rolls around on the floor from toy to toy exploring. I love watching him grab a soft book, roll onto his back and 'read' it. Ahhh....a nerd, just like his mommy. :D

[Mrs.Chappy]

Happy new year everyone..i guess i am looking for su pport here.
DS has a cold. Last Thurs was the worst i think..he was so congested and wou ldn't fall asleep so DH rocked him..He slept most of the night. Everyday we've tried to put him to sleep in the crib..most of the time we've had to go in and soothe after a few min but lately he needs to be rocked. I swear, i have the perfect son. In his crib since day1 and always self soothing. He is definately on the upswing from the cold but i just spent 2 1/2 hours trying to get him to nap. I've been doing the ferberizing method i gu ess if you call it that. However, i have had to finally rock him into a nap. DH went in there after an hour and brought him downstairs. After a few more min i knew he waws tired so i went upstairs. Sure enough not two min in the rocker w/ him and his eyes were closed. I transferred him to the crib. Sometimes after 2 hrs he wakes up or after 30 min. I had thinking that we are creating a monster here..Do i just assume that its the cold and keep rocking him until he is back on track (hes not even eating the solids anymore!! so we are back to bottles for now and i'm sure that is affecting the napping too). OK, i'll stop rambling..i want to know others' experiences with the sick/napping/sleeping sagas!

[BAM 9-21-02]

Mrs Chappy

From my wonderful experiences with colds and such, it seems to me like your little one may have an ear infection. Not wanting to sleeping lying down is one of the tell tale signs of an ear infection. Also because he is just getting over a cold, some of the runny nose probably went down the back of his nose into his ear canal instead of dripping down the front.

I am no Dr. just an observation based on what my DD did.

[allyray231]

Does anyone use Efimil AR Formula? I have 2 RTD cans and I hate to throw them out if someone can use them. PM me

Happy New year to All! Aiden is doing OK on Solids-I am still trying to figure out the timing and the formula--when to give him what. Yesterday he ate a TON so we will see how today is. I have been giving Aiden his solids about an hour after his bottle-does that make sense?

He wants to crawl so bad. I can't put him down without him rolling over and sticking his butt up. His sitting up is getting better and he can support himself for about 30 seconds now. Can't wait for him to sit up.

He reaches for EVERYTHING-it is just insane!

[jmvan74]

Liz, sounds like teething to me! Wishing you some restful nights.

Ferris,Your nehew is too funny! Loving Dougies mohawk.

Leela,Sohie is gorgeous!

Ill be back later when I get on a different comuter...the letters are not coming out...any key on the far right of my keyboard is not showing, so sorry about all the misellings....LOL! I know there are several letters missing.

[LIZNKEITH]

Ferris,
That is such a cute picture of your nephew. LOL! Pears are the only fruit I’ve actually tried mixed with her cereal so far. I start with a tbsp of cereal, mix some formula with it, and then add about 1/3 jar of Stage 1 pears. She eats the whole mixture. I then mix up another ½ tbsp of cereal, add some formula, and then a little pears and that’s usually enough to finish her off. Still not a lot, but at least she’s eating more than she would otherwise.

Leela,
Love the pics! Especially the last one. It’s beautiful!

Kim,
Wow! Thomas is eating like a champ! I’m so jealous of those of you who actually have children that enjoy eating. Feeding Caroline veggies can be somewhat of a task.

Mrs. Chappy,
Ugh! I am right there with you. Caroline has been getting up 5-10 times a night with her cold. Thankfully, we stick her paci back in and she goes right back down. Is your DS doing breathing treatments? I ask because I think that may be our biggest culprit. Our friend is a respiratory therapist and was surpised we were giving DD her Pulmocort at bedtime. We did the Pulmocort earlier last night and she only woke up once. She said it tends to make kids crazy and cagey…

Ally,
Caroline is so wanting to crawl, too. She gets up on all fours and rocks. She has also begun scooting backwards. Still hasn’t mastered the whole sitting thing though. At this rate, I think she’ll be crawling before she is sitting.


Had Caroline's 6 month WBV on Friday:

Weight: 14 pounds, 12 ounces (25th %)
Length: 26 inches (50th %)
HC: 43 cm (50th %)

She's such a tiny little thing! Dr. is not too concerned about her weight. She thinks it's just because she has been sick for a month. She just wants us to be a little more liberal with the solids and see if that helps.

[jmvan74]

Okay, a computer that works!

Sorry about all of the missing p's and apostrophe's in my previous post!

MrsChappy:I'm sorry your little one is having a tough time at night. I don't really have any advice, but it seems that Bam and Liz may be on to something.

Ally:It sounds like you are doing fine with feeding. In the beginning I would feed solids 30-60 minutes after nursing, now I only nurse every 31/2 to 4 hours so it's a bit different. Also, Collin eats 3 times a day...fairly large quantities. Keep it up. Aiden will get there. ;)


Liz: It seems like Caroline has pretty average stats. I'm sure the doc is right about her weight being due to her being sick. Poor baby.


I don't want to jinx myself, but I have to tell someone.... Collin slept from 8pm last night until 7:30 this morning! :eek: Can I get an AMEN!! I finally uploade my pics from Xmas. Here's one of Collin and the cat getting ready to open presents.

http://images.snapfish.com/34595449%3B%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3238%3E66%3B%3E8%3A3%3E WSNRCG%3D3233435459499nu0mrj

[LIZNKEITH]

Julie,
OMG...Collin looks so cute in his Santa hat. I just want to pinch his cheeks!!:D

[leela13]

Julie- Congratulations on the sleep. I love the picture. How do the cat and Collin get along?


Solids- Just wanted to pass on some info. Sophie doesn't seem to like the jars of food too much. I was having a very hard time feeding her. She does like pears, sweet potato, carrots, squash and apples. She absolutely hates cereal of any kind. My friend who has 3 kids suggested that I start giving her regular food. Well I did and she loves it. At first I thought she was going to choke to death but within 2 days she learned how to chew. So far she has eaten corn bread, brown rice, potstickers, apples, cherrios, crackers, rinsed canned peaches and bananas. I am very impressed with her. :D

It is so hard to know what the right thing to do is. I always find it comforting to know that other people have done or are going through what I am.

Lisa

[Mrs.Chappy]

thanks for the advice...Ben has been doing better (slept 12 hours last nite). Not sure if its an ear infection b/.c he is not pulling at his ears. It is possible that he has fluid in the ears b/c of all the congestion. i'll wait and see about that.
here is a x-mas day pic (We are jewish but celebrate both for DH's family).
http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1479/1/85/26/16/13/3/313162685106_0_ALB.jpg

[jmvan74]

Thanks Liz!I kiss his cheeks all day long!

Lisa,In the beginning, the cat and Collin had a love/hate relationship...Collin loved the cat, the cat hated Collin. Now it's more a love/tolerate(almost like) relationship. The cat has been doing really well considering Collin pulls his fur out in clumps! LOL!:D

MrsChappy:I hope Ben feels better soon. Glad he slept for you.

[golfer_girl]

I love all the new pics!

Ferris - Your nephew's pic is soooooo funny!

Dreshny - My DS had a short phase where he wanted to nurse in the middle of the night too. He wouldn't take a paci, he seemed geniunely hungry too. Maybe it was a growth spurt? It lasted a few weeks and then stopped thank goodness! :eek:

[tgr68]

Ugh! I am so tired. DD decided to wake up 3-4 times between 1 and 2am last night. We finally gave her a bottle and she went back to sleep. This is the second night she has gotten us up. DH thinks she's going through a growth spurt and is more hungry, so tonight we are going to give her an extra 2oz before we put her to bed and see if that helps.

[jmvan74]

Naamah, It sounds like some extra food might do the trick for you. wishing you a restful night. We are on 3 meals a day now and DS has been sleeing in 8 to 11 hour stretches! :eek: amazing. I had forgotten what slee felt like.

[LIZNKEITH]

Sounds like you had a night like ours, Naamah. Caroline kept waking up between 1 and 2 so finally around 2:30 I got up with her and gave her a bottle. Seemed to do the trick because she slept another 2 hours. Our little girls are probably doing a little bit of growing.

[Dreshny]

Oh, man. Asher was up too many times to count last night, the first two times screaming frantically in a high-pitched pain scream. We gave him some Motrin, and DH rocked him back to sleep both times, but he couldn't seem to stay asleep until I nursed him. Then I nursed him the rest of the night.

We just ordered him an amber teething necklace from here:
http://www.novanatural.com/product.phtml?pr=4389&sec=372

The amber is supposed to have calming properties (they're not to chew or teethe on.) I'm not one to believe in the healing properties of crystals or anything, but I have friends who swear by this necklace, and at this point, I'd do just about anything to help us get some sleep and to help Asher feel better.

[allyray231]

OK I am ready to ditch the pacifier Aiden wakes up for it 3-4 times a night. Anyone have any advice? Any good books out there?

[Dreshny]

Some of Asher's 6-month pro pics (I'll post three here and three different ones on the May Moms board):

http://ashermodell.com/photos/asher_proofs/Picture-5.jpg

http://ashermodell.com/photos/asher_proofs/Picture-1.jpg

http://ashermodell.com/photos/asher_proofs/Picture-2.jpg
(He fell asleep in the sling at the end of the session.)

[leela13]

OK I am ready to ditch the pacifier Aiden wakes up for it 3-4 times a night. Anyone have any advice? Any good books out there?

Sophie had trouble sleeping from the beginning. I think I read every sleep book out there. I would recommed Good Night Sleep Tight by Kim West and the Ferber book. If you can't imagine doing the Ferber method Kim's is a little less harsh. The thing with sleep training is that they will cry. You just have to accept it. I think the key is consistency.


Our story- We did some massive sleep training when Sophie was 5 months old. She had a pacifer and would wake up 6 times everynight. We took the pacifier away and started to do some moidified ferberizing. We also put her on a strict sleep schedule. It was painful but we stuck to it and now Sophie sleeps from 6:30-7 to 6:00. She wakes up once, usually between 4 and 5 and we give her her lovey and a little pat she goes right back to sleep. I also dream feed her at about 10:30 to help her make it through the night. Although this was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done it has really paid off. Her naps have improved tremendously too. We do a modified bedtime routine by reading her a book and then we put her in bed completely awake and she goes to sleep by herself. Oh I forgot the lovey. We really pushed the lovey on Sophie and it was very helpful.

If you decided to do it it is always helpful to have some one other than your husband to vent to everyday. I would be more than happy to listen.

Lisa

[allyray231]

Lisa Thank you so much. I might get the book and check it out. Some night he is great and others it is just a mess. I know it is something that is going to be hard and I need to stick to it.

He has a lovey-his taggie and that seems to help a bit.

[LIZNKEITH]

Love the pics, Dreshny. They turned out great. My favorite is that last one...so beautiful!

Wish I could help, Ally but we're in the same boat. I'm a sucker though, I just keep giving it back to her. I know it makes her feel better, especially now when she's sick, so I just can't tell her no. It usually isn't an issue with her, only since she's been sick. Yup, I'm whipped. :o

Speaking of sick, had Caroline to the Ped yesterday because she started running a low-grade fever. We've got a double ear infection. Dr. thinks it's because she has had this cold for so long and that it is now draining in to her ears. :( Poor little thing...she's been so good you'd never even knew she had one.

[allyray231]

Lizyou are not a sucker! you just what your baby to be happy-I understand :)

Hope she feel better soon!

[jmvan74]

Roseanne: Great pics! Asher is so photogenic. :D

ally: Sorry I can't help you with the paci situation. We actually keep about 4-5 pacifiers in Collin's crib. When he wakes up at night he grabs one is back to sleep. It's funny b/c he'll go to bed with one and wake up with another one. :rolleyes:

Liz: Poor Caroline! I hope she feels better soon. What a little trooper.

[usafwife]

ally ~ Wish I could help you out but I can't. DD has never really taken a pacifier. I even tried this week when nothing else seemed to work and she wouldn't take it now either. See my comments to Liz about DD crawling. She can sit up alone now. DD reaches for EVERYTHING in sight as well.

Liz ~ Hope Caroline feels better soon. {{{HUGS}}} DD is on the verge of crawling as well. She rocks back and forth and has even went backwards. She can get to something on the floor if she really wants to. She moved to me from DH on the bed the other night. I am seriously thinking that she has some strong attachment issues with me. It seems that whenever I go out of a room she starts crying even if DH is holding her.

Roseanne ~ Those are absolutely wonderful pictures!!! Thanks for sharing them. Hope the necklace helps. I know all too well about having a screaming baby in the middle of the night. It's happened here a few times this past week. I'm thinking that her teeth are bothering her.

Julie ~ We weren't sure how Tigger was going to react to having a baby around. Surprisingly he had done wonderful around DD. He wants to rub, have her pet him, etc. She pulls at his fur too and I make sure to tell him that he is a good boy for not attacking her when it happens. We try to limit their time together as much as possible. Cute picture.

Mrs.Chappy ~ Glad to hear Ben is doing better. Hope he continues to get better.

kim ~ DD is still toothless as well but does have numbs on her lower jaw. So it's only a matter of time (who knows how long is anyone's guess) before they show up.

Lisa ~ Love the pictures!!!

Ferris ~ Love the pictures as well!!

sophia ~ Congrats on Alexa's tooth! I was trying to get the presents wrapped (DH said he'd help me but he was asleep in the rocking chair with DD so I was stuck doing it all myself). I really could have used his help that night but he did get up early and finish what I hadn't got accomplished. So I did thank him for it. You can really see how much she grew in a month in those pictures.

Namaah ~ Love the pictures too!

BAM ~ Love the pictures! I probably would have done gift bags but they were DD's presents and I knew that the wrapping paper would be a big hit with her.

kelsey ~ We loved the movie. We can't wait for it to come out on DVD. We went and saw the original one 3 or 4 times. I don't think that we'll do that this time since we have DD now. Yes, I definitely needed the rest and to get over the killer headache I had (I think my migraine headaches are coming back...gggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr). DD wanted to eat the paper as well. And even did eat some (and some tissue paper as well).

[usafwife]

DD had her 6 month WBV earlier this week. Everything went great. Her doctor said she might be suffering from allergies (wouldn't surprise me because of my family history of it...my parents both have allergies bad. Mine is just certain times of the year but my dad suffers from them year round). Told us to keep an eye on it. Also said that she might develop asthma so to watch it as well.

Weight: 16 lbs
Length: 26 inches
HC: 16 1/2

We were given the go ahead to start solids if we wanted. We were told to just introduce one new thing and then wait to see if there was any reaction to it (I already knew that). She did get her shots. She was really excellent when they gave them to her. She did cry but it just for less than a minute. Before she would cry for 5 minutes with each of them. We do have to go back and get another shot because they were out of one of them.

I think DD might be suffering from an attachment problem. It seems that whenever I go out of the room (even if DH is there) that she will immediately scream at the top of her lungs. She quits crying when I come back into view. Anyone else having these issues?

[jmvan74]

Hi Meri! It looks like Sarah is growing like a weed! :D It's so funny the way our animals act around the babies. As far as attachment goes... Collin is the same way these days. It's pretty common for separation anxiety to strike around this time. I went to a friend's house this morning and as soon as I sat him down ( I didn't even leave the room) he was crying. Once he got settled it was okay, but whew!

[june05Mommies]

Updated to here.

[Dreshny]

Hi Meri,

Sounds like separation anxiety. Asher has learned to say "Mama," so now if I put him in the crib and run to the bathroom, I hear him crying, "Mama! Mama!" If he wants me and DH holds him, he also cries. It's a developmental phase--she suddenly recognizes when you're there and when you aren't--and she'll eventually grow out of it.

[LIZNKEITH]

Meri,
Glad to hear the WBV went well. Sorry to hear about the allergies though. Poor little thing! Caroline has a pretty bad case of separation anxiety as well. It was kind of cute at first, but now I miss going to the bathroom without a baby screaming in the background.

Dreshny,
Awww...I can't believe Asher knows how to say "Mama"!! Your heart must just melt when he calls your name.

I went to a friend's house this morning and as soon as I sat him down ( I didn't even leave the room) he was crying.
This is Caroline to a T. It's only been worse since she's been sick, too. The other day when she had her fever she would not let me put her down. I was burning up!

[LIZNKEITH]

Forgot to mention...had Caroline's 6 month pics done yesterday (despite the ear infection). She did really well, considering. Here's the link if any one wants to have a look-see. I'll take it down in a little while since it contains some personal information.

Go to www.imagesbyrainy.com
Click on "Clients"
Enter "Furlong" for customer name
Choose Liz Furlong 6 months
Password is "furlong"

[tgr68]

Well, while I was at a crop and DH ran in to work, ILs watched Shylah. FIL thought that she had a fever, and when DH picked her up he said there was some yellowish gunk running out of her nose. By that time her temp was normal, though, so we may have the beginnings of a cold. :( She has not wanted to go to sleep until just a second ago, and it's after midnight. DH is making her a bottle. Then, we'll try again to put her to bed.

[Mrs.Chappy]

TGR..i hope your little one feels better soon.

Ben is 7 months today!! i can't believe it. He is boycotting anything that is not the bottle..won't take solids, anything from the spoon..clamps his mouth shut..i basically have to trick him into taking the food..i hate mealtime..its stressful. i'm completely done pumping/bfing..so now its only formula for him and whatever little stash of EBM is frozen..i hope this hungar strike ends soon. we try at every meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). I may call the ped. this week! here are some pics i took this weekend.

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1421/1/16/80/46/98/8/898468016106_0_ALB.jpg

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1421/1/16/80/96/56/2/256968016106_0_ALB.jpg

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1421/1/16/80/46/59/6/659468016106_0_ALB.jpg

[LIZNKEITH]

Naamah,
Hope you caught it in time and Shylah is feeling better.

Mr. Chappy,
I can't see your pics. :( Sorry about the hunger strike. I know what you mean about meal time being stressful. Caroline is such a picky eater. She's finally starting to get better about it, but is really choosey about what foods she'll eat. Best advice I have is to just keep working with him and when he starts to get fussy, stop. You want to keep it as pleasant as possible. He'll come around again. Congrats on successfully weaning! Did you make your goal of New Years?


Speaking of weaning, I had every intention of doing so, but I just can't bring myself to make the plunge. I don't know why. It's not like I'm producing much (DD only gets about 1-2 bottle of BM a day, everything else is formula and solids). I've bumped down to pumping every 4 hours, and I only get 1-2 ounces per session. But, I can't bring myself to go any further. My original goal was 1 year, then 6 months when things didn't go smoothly. So, I've made my goal, but I just can't bring myself to stop. It's almost acknowledging the fact that my little girl is growing up.

[LIZNKEITH]

I noticed the May/June Mom's were posting feeding schedules. I'd be interested to see ours. Here's Caroline's

6:00- Wakes, 4 oz EBM, 2 oz formula
9:00- 2 T of cereal (1.5 T if at home), 1 jar fruit (.5 at home), 3 oz formula
12:00- 1 jar veggie (.5 at home), 3 oz. formula
3:00- 5 oz. formula
*sometimes she postpones this feeding until 4 & won't eat again until 8:30, dropping the 6:00 feeding of formula
6:00- 5 oz. formula
9:00- 4 oz. EBM

For some reason, she eats a lot more at dc than she does at home.

[jmvan74]

Liz, Those pics of Caroline are stunning! She looks so beautiful. :p I have a little boy that will need a wife someday....LOL!
Weaning: My goal was 6 months and then I wanted to wean. Collin never took a bottle and still will not. It's the opposite problem. I've decided to try and make it to a year, but oh how I wish I could get a little break.

Naamah: I hope shylah feels better soon.

MrsChappy: I'm sure the strike will pass. Just keep offering and he may surprise you. Ben is such a cutie pie. I just love little boys in overalls. Collin is always wearing them. ;)


Feeding schedule:
7:30am nurse
8:30 2TBS cereal 4oz fruit
11:00 nurse
12:00 2TBS cereal 3-4oz veggies 1-2 oz fruit
3:00 nurse
5:00 2TBS cereal 4oz veggies (sometimes 1ozfruit or more veggies)
6:30 nurse

The times aren't exact. It depends on what time he wakes up. He occasionally will still nurse once or twice during the night, but not too often anymore.

[jmvan74]

liz, I meant to comment on your hesitance on weaning...I can understand the connection. There's no rule that says when you should stop, so if you are hanging in there than I say more power to you! Keep going.

[kimthebride]

Feeding Schedule
He's eating more and more every day...here's his usual schedule as of yesterday:

Nurse
3oz Formula, 1oz BM mixed with 4+TBS Whole Grain Cereal with a side of 2.5oz fruit
Nurse
4-5oz of a fruit & veggie combo and I add about 2TBS Oatmeal to it
Nurse
3oz Formula, 1oz BM mixed with 4+TBS Rice with a side of 2.5oz veggie
Nurse

I space at least 1 1/2 hours between nursing sessions and food. The actual times vary, since he now has a cold and his sleep schedule is a little scattered.

[sophiapb]

Speaking of weaning, I had every intention of doing so, but I just can't bring myself to make the plunge.

OMG, me too! I want to be done by the end of January because we want to TTC fullforce by March and want my hormones to get back to normal but I just feel so guilty. I have enough EBM frozen to be able to give Alexa 12 oz. a day until she's a year old and I have cans and cans of formula which were free with all the checks I got but I just feel terrible. I am down to only pumping three times in a 24 hour period and get about 20 oz. which is enough for her bottles plus a little for the freezer stash. With each day it seems to get less and sometimes I freak at how little it is compared to what it was just a couple of months ago but then I remember that I WANT it to go down. Aigh! Somewhere there was a thread that basically said something like "It's formula, not rat poison!" and I have to keep reminding myself of that. Alexa is doing great with solids and a lot of her bottles are 3 oz. EBM and 2 oz. formula anyway since I'm trying to get iron into her as well having her adjust to the taste of formula but I am still feeling so sad about this.

Okay, I'm done whining. Here's Alexa's feeding schedule.

8:00- Wakes, 5 oz EBM
12:00- 1/2 jar veggie, 1/2 jar fruit mixed with 1 TB cereal, 2 oz EBM mixed with 1 oz formula
4:00- 3 oz EBM mixed with 2 oz. formula
6:30- 1/2 jar veggie, 1/2 jar fruit and about 20 Cheerios and Veggie Puffs, water in a sippy cup (about 1 oz)
9:30- 3 oz. EBM mixed with 2 oz. formula

Alexa seems to be eating less than others posted here. What's up with that? There are days when she will sleep less (usually the weekends when we are taking her out all the time) and so I'll give her an extra bottle but otherwise this is pretty much her standard schedule. If I give her much more of anything, she spits it up. She is growing well but these other schedules have me wondering.

[kimthebride]

Alexa seems to be eating less than others posted here. What's up with that?
Well, as for Thomas it has come to my attention that he's a little pig, considering he was only on BM up to 6 months. :D And the info sheet my Ped gave me listing the foods and serving sizes for 6-8 months old has a pretty good range. I'm sure if I looked, we'd all be in there somewhere.

CRAWLING
DS is crawling backwards, and this morning he started trying to go forwards. Love it!

WEANING
I had every single intention of having him weaned by Jan 31st, but he was SUCH a WRECK after the holidays I just didn't have it in me to add weaning into the mix of having a cold and not sleeping and leaning to poop. :rolleyes: Once this kid is sleeping again (PleaseGodMakeItHappenSoon) I'll get back on the weaning bandwagen.

[tgr68]

I'm being lazy today. ;)

Copied from my journal: So, DDs gunk has turned from the yellowish color to clear on its own, so I'm not too worried. She's still coughing like crazy, but no fever or anything. DH's allergies started up really bad the last couple of days, so I'm thinking it may be this and not a cold after all. We're still keeping an eye on things though. Feeding Schedule (copied from May/June moms): 7:30ish ~ 6oz bottle
12:00 ~ 4oz jar, 2Tbsp cereal, 4oz bottle
3:00ish ~ 4-6oz bottle
5:00 ~ 4oz jar, 1Tbsp cereal 4oz bottle
7:00 ~ 4-6oz bottle
8:30ish ~ 4oz bottle before bed Sometimes we'll skip the 3:00 feeding, and we are just now transitioning to 6oz at some feedings.

PPD~I finally gave in and called my dr this morning, and she was able to get me in this afternoon. Most of the time when this comes on, it's around AF, but according to my chart I just now ovulated. I definately can't handle another breakdown this soon! I know part of it is that I'm totally frustrated with DH, but there is so much going on right now that I feel like everything is crashing down on me. :(

[LIZNKEITH]

Julie,
LOL! You are on. I'll go to the wedding planning forums and start planning their arranged marriage now. Sorry your man won't take a bottle. I'm sure you've probably already tried every nipple made, huh?

Kim,
Hmmm...maybe I should try spacing the feedings. Right now, I feed the solid, then offer formula.

Sophia,
Yeeeee! Glad I'm not the only one. It seems I looked forward to this day for so long, and now that I am here, I just can't bring myself to do it. I never thought it would be this difficult. I can't even imagine how much more difficult it would be if I was EBF'ing. That's great that you have that much of a freezer stash. Wow! Kudos to you!

Naamah,
I'm so sorry to hear of your difficulties. At least you were able to recognize it on your own and deal with it. If you need to talk, I'm here for ya. :)

Feeding
Looks like many of you are already on Stage 2's, huh? We're still on Stage 1's only because DD has a hard enough time even finishing those jars.

Crawling
DD has been scooting backwards for about a month now. I can tell that she's trying really hard to go forward. She gets on al fours and rocks, etc. She just can't quite figure out how to make those knees go the other direction.

[leela13]

Mrs. Chappy- Sophie doesn't like to eat either. We do a big song and dance to distract her while I shovel food into her mouth. Yesterday I went to a working Moms support group and everyone seems to be having the same experience. The teacher told us that food is just an exercise and they won't be relying on it for nutrion until they are about 1 year old.

Weaning- I thought I would wean Sophie by now too. I can't give it up either. I don't even supplement. It is very hard on me but I just don't want to give up that time I spend with her. I gues I will keeping going until it is impossible.

Sophia- Are you concerend that you aren't ovulating due to nursing? I know plenty of women who have gotten pregnant while nursing. Most have continued to nurse while pregnant. Biologically women are capable of doing both.

Sophie's Schedule-
6:00- Nurse
7:30- small jar of fruit and some oatmeal, she also gnaws on some cheerios
10:00- 6oz bottle of BM
Snack- Piece of fruit and a biscuit
1:00- 6oz bottle of BM
4:00- 3-4oz bottle of BM
5:15- Nurse
5:45- Lar jar of veggies, small jar of fruit, she also gnaws on some veggie puffs and pieces of our food.
7:00- Nurse
10:00-Nurse

Question- I have been given some conflicting info. My Ped says that Shopie will drink less and less as she eats more. She said the minimum is 18 oz a day. But the teacher of my working Moms group said that they should drink about 30 oz a day until they are 1. Can you all tell me how much your babies drink each day?

Crawling- Sophie strted crawling on Friday. She is still moving pretty slow but she is definetly getting faster everyday. :)

Lisa

[Mrs.Chappy]

TGR: hugs to you..let us know what happens.

WEANING...I totally know what you are saying about not being able to take the plunge..i swear i was addicted to pumping...giving EBM but i made my goal of 6 months and took a while to come to terms w/ the fact that DS is just as happy w/ formula..i do feel that my baby is growing and i miss the closeness of nursing and even giving BM in a bottle..BUT..i think we are all better off now that the pump is going into the attic..DH certainly has said he won't miss that sound!! Anyway, i started increasing the time between pumpings and saw a huge dip in supply..i always had problems with BFing but glad i stuck it o ut as long as i did. I do have to say, though, its nice not to fit a pumping session into my day..i feel freedom (and some guilt). I've also learned not to dwell in the guilt..i think as moms it is in our nature.

[LIZNKEITH]

Consumption
The LC told me 6 months is a great goal because they reduce their consumption as they begin to eat solids. Pre-Solids, Caroline was eating about 24 ounces a day. Now, she is at about 22. So, she hasn't tapered off that much.

Congrats on the crawl, Lisa!

I know how you feel, Mrs. Chappy. I know once I put that pump away, it will be like a huge weight has been lifted. I don't have the pleasure of BFing...just the chore that is pumping. The only satifaction I get is that I give my daughter something healthy. I think one of my biggest reasons for not being able to give it up so easily is that I feel almost like I "owe" it to her since our BF relationship didn't work out.

[Mrs.Chappy]

LIZ: you hit it on the button...just before i went back to work at 6 months pp i stopped putting him to the breast..he was only getting it for the first feeding anyway..it became such a chore...it was since the beginning...with being at work it made the decision easier..i still hav e a few ounces in the freezer that i am giving to him (sparingly). Frozen EBM is like gold!..whatever decision you make, try not to feel guitly..easier said than done!

[tgr68]

Thanks, girls!

Well, my dr appt went pretty good. The weighed me, and I am back up to almost my max pgcy weight. :( My blood pressure and pulse were good, and they drew blood to test my thyroid. She did give me a mild anti-depressant to see if it would work. She also said that I have to get out of the house 15-30 minutes a day for a relaxing activity. I am really going to struggle with this one because part of my stress is the house cleaning, and when Shylah is asleep I try to get housework done. Plus with DH working Tuesdays and Fridays 9am-9pm, it is going to be very difficult to get away on those two days. I honestly don't know where I'll get out too with it being winter and the nearest mall/large store is in the next town, but I am going to try my best to do so.

[kimthebride]

She also said that I have to get out of the house 15-30 minutes a day for a relaxing activity. I am really going to struggle with this one because part of my stress is the house cleaning, and when Shylah is asleep I try to get housework done. Plus with DH working Tuesdays and Fridays 9am-9pm, it is going to be very difficult to get away on those two days.
DH has literally got in my face and yelled to say "STOP CLEANING AND RUNNING AROUND LIKE A MANIAC WHEN HE IS NAPPING. WHEN HE NAPS YOU REST!!" I feel like when he's not sleeping well and being clingy my only chance to do my 'SAHM Duties' is when he's napping, and well it burns me out. DH has made it very clear he'd rather have a pigsty home and a relaxed wife, than a cooked dinner, clean laundry and a woman on the verge.
Do you mean you never leave the house all day, or the doctor wants you to get out alone for 15-30 minutes a day? I've found on really bad days, even just having DH watch DS before he goes to work and I just walk outside for a quick breather is helpful. Yes, it's early :p but better than nothing.

DRINKING
The info sheet my Ped gave me says:
6-10 Months 24-32oz BM or formula/day
11-12 Months 24-30oz BM or formula/day

SNOT
Okay, who can tell me what each color snot means?
Clear
Yellow
Flourecent (sp?) green
Dark green
Thanks!

[LIZNKEITH]

Naamah,
Glad to hear the appointment went well. Don't stress about the weight gain, it will start coming off as soon as you get everything else in order. I know many anti-depressants are sometimes prescribedfor weight loss. It's just one of those side effects. FWIW, I'm not anywhere NEAR my pre-pregnancy weight. I'm still about 20 over. I hear you on the housecleaning. Keith gets so mad at me because on the weekends all I want to do is clean, clean, clean. I feel winter has really put a damper on my mood. We've been lucky with weather in the high 60's the past week so I've been getting out and walking with DD. I have found it does help. Not easy to do when we're having our usual winter weather though. Maybe even just go for a drive around the block or something. Anything to pull yourself away from household chores and have some YOU time.

Snot
Yup...it's official. We're Mom's now!:p My understanding is that a cold usually starts with clear and around the third day turns to yellow. Perfectly normal. Neon yellow or green usually signifies an infection.

[sophiapb]

Weight-Oh Lordy! Yesterday I put on a pair of pants that I could easily zipper just two weeks after the delivery and now they are flippin' tight! Grrr. Everything I lost while pregnant, I gained. I'll blame it on all the Christmas parties I went to but I need to get my rear moving.
I went for a walk last night and it was great to get out of the house. I feel like since I work all day I need to spend all my off time with Alexa but I found that I was actually more attentive last night after the walk. I've got to back into a walking routine. It makes me feel so much better.

Drinking-Okay, this thread had me semi-freaking yesterday since Alexa only drinks about 16 oz. a day. When I got home, I warmed up a bottle and got her drinking. My mom said that her last bottle was 3 oz. at 5:00 and I started feeding her at almost 7:30. It was 4 1/2 oz. of breastmilk and I had to force the last ounce or so down. She ended up spitting some up an hour later. At 9:30 as we were putting her down, I gave her a 3 oz. bottle and she would not finish it. There was still about an ounce left. Today I left my mom strict instructions to have Alexa drink, drink, drink. Alexa is growing well and wetting her diapers but this still has me freaking a bit.

[LIZNKEITH]

Sophia,
Personally, I wouldn’t worry about how much Alexa is consuming as long as she is gaining properly and having enough wet diapers. Especially is she’s spitting up. There is always going to be the baby that is the exception to the rule. My Ped doesn’t even ask me anymore how much Caroline eats. She just looks at her growth chart. BTW, I got the checks yesterday. Thanks a bunch!

[tgr68]

Thank you all so much!! I'm doing a little better today, and I think most of my "bad feelings" are due to a lack of sleep. My medication ended up wiring me! :( DH took some decongestants and was awake the whole night as well. Shylah, of course, slept with no problems at all. :rolleyes:

Kim~Do you mean you never leave the house all day, or the doctor wants you to get out alone for 15-30 minutes a day? I very seldomly leave the house on my days off - Monday, Thursday, Friday. I work Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. She wants me to get out of the house preferibly alone, but it would be better to take DD along than to not get out at all. My DH is very understanding if I don't get stuff done around the house. He know that I have rough days where she is clingy or fussy. It's my MIL that is constantly making comments and criticizing any of my efforts. Most days I can let is roll off my back, but others her comments totally get to me!

LIZ~Thanks! That would definately be a nice side effect! :cool:

Sophia~ITA with Liz! As long as she's gaining weight and not having problems with diapers, she's fine!

[usafwife]

Naamah ~ If you want to talk, I'm here. How are you liking the snow?

Lisa ~ Congrats on the crawl! My little one is on the verge. She can get to where ever she wants to go but that may not mean that she gets up on her arms and legs and crawls. It's more of an army crawl thing.

Julie ~ Most of her weight is in her length. When we weighed her on our scales it said that she was more like 15 pounds. I had a feeling that it was the seperation anxiety and the fact that I'm around her for almost all of her waking moments.

Roseanne ~ Thanks. How cute that your little guy is already saying 'Mama!' DH tries to get DD to say Dada. I hope she grows out of it soon. It's really hard to get anything done when I hear her crying. When DH is around I'm not so worried that I need to be right there but when he's gone I feel like I need to stop doing what I was/am doing and pick her up. Anyone know if that what I should be doing? Or just let her cry (which I hate)? :confused:

Liz ~ Thanks. I kind of expected that she would have allergies given the family history of them. I know what you mean about going to the bathroom and hearing nothing but this loud crying/screaming in the background. The pictures are absolutely wonderful!

Feeding Schedule ~
Wakes up 6 oz of formula
afternoon 6 oz of formula
evening 6 oz of formula
bedtime 6 or 8 oz of formula
we also give her 1 T of rice cereal in the evening. The time varies a little bit each day.
We were just given the go ahead to start fruits so we plan on doing that soon. We will see what that does to the schedule above. She rarely wakes before 10 or 11 am.

As I was typing this post out DD started to crawl. It is definitely the army type of crawling but she's crawling!!!!!

Weather ~ It's been snowing here all day long. So it looks as though winter has finally arrived here! We got some snow (and cold temps) in December. I was really looking forward to DD's first Christmas as being a white Christmas but that didn't happen. It looks like we are going to get more today than we had the two times it snowed back in December.

[allyray231]

Shots at 6 month WBV
Did anyone not get all the same shots at the 6 month WBV as the other visits? When I took Aiden in he didn't get one if them -I think it was the Pneumoccocal one (I have to go look at his book at home). Is that

[usafwife]

DD got: Pneumococcal, Hepatitis B, Hib, DTP, and Polio. They didn't have any more of the flu shots or we would have gotten that one. Hopefully with DH and I having one we will make out okay.

[Dreshny]

Ally: At the 6 month WBV, Asher got DTP, Polio, and Pneumococcal Conjugate (no Hib or Hep B, which he got at 2 and 4 months.)

Meri: Congrats on Sarah crawling! How exciting! Sounds like she is active like Asher. He crawls FAST now and pulls up on everything. I generally do pick him up right away when he cries.

[leela13]

I pick Sophie up when she cries too. Especially if she is actually crying for me.

Lisa

[allyray231]

Thanks Roseanne It was the Hib he didn't get! I was confused! Thanks again

[LIZNKEITH]

Meri,
Congrats on the crawl! How sweet! I pick up Caroline when she cries, too. I can't stand to hear her cry for any length of time. Mostly because she's not one to cry a lot. So I know when she does, she really needs/wants me.

[jmvan74]

I've been reading along, but my darn laptop has a crappy key board, so I haven't been able to respond...I'll try and catch up now.

Liz: There was a segment on Dr. Phil about parents trying to encourage they're kids to marry a friends child (kids were like 12) LOL! Anyhow, they said it's a bad idea to try to arrange marriages, so I guess we can put a hold on the wedding planning, but it wouldn't hurt to introduce them when they are adults! Hehe!

Sophia, I'm sure Alexa is getting enough to drink. Like you said, she is growing fine and spitting up if you try to give her more. She just has a peanut tummy. :p

Naamah: I'm glad you sought help through your doc. I know it really helped me. I'm actually almost ready to wean from my meds. I think the lack of sleep factor is a major role in the "losing" it momentarily. I'm sorry the meds made you wired. I hope you got some sleep. As far as leaving the house goes, I do try to get out at least 4 or the 5 week days. Even if we just go walk around target or the mall. Sometimes, we just go to McDonalds and I get a coke or we just take a ride around the town. It helps just to be out of the house.

Meri: I'm so jealous of the snow. :( I grew up in "mid" state NY and there was always snow. Now we're in MD and it hardly snows at all. boo hoo. Anyhow, when Collin cries, I pick him up (unless it is a low whine and he's sleeping). I'm not a CIO participant. I actually tried once or twice (when I needed a break) and it honestly made me physically sick to my stomach. I hope you come with a balance that's right for you and Sarah.

Lisa and Roseanne: congrats on the crawling! I wish Collin showed some interest in this skill. If I put him on his hands and knees, he just slides himself down to his tummy and fusses! :o

Ally: We didn't get HIB at the 6 months.


Things here are not too exciting. Just hanging around, trying to keep busy. We bought a walker and it has been such a help to me. I can put DS in it while I do dishes or get dinner started. I feel like I'm starting to get a little bit of work done during the day. Last weekend we went to my parents and spent the day. It was nice. They just got a pool table and a new dart board, so we were "gaming" all day!

[vegasgirl]

ladies, i would love any help...

my dd who is almost 7 months old is a great sleeper with one big issue - she wakes up at 4:30 each morning -- uuggh. i thought it was a one time thing but now it is a habit and happening everyday for the last two weeks. she goes down between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m. every night no problem. Takes at least 3 hours a of naps a day (sometimes more) Her big nap is usually two hours after she wakes up which leads me to believe that she needs to just sleep later!

normally i have no issue with her crying at night as she usually puts her self right back to sleep but not at this wake up - she is ready for the day. Any ideas? Should I go in and feed her/change her and put her back down and hope she goes back to sleep? Do i try to sleep train her like we did for earlier wakings? I wouldn't even mind if she slept until 5:30 (later would be better of course) but 4:30 is just too early!!

any thoughts would be greatly appreciated for this very tired mom!

[LIZNKEITH]

Julie,
Damn, Dr. Phil for putting a damper on our plan! How is Collin liking his walker? Is he stepping?

Vegas,
I would feed a quick bottle and put right back down. DD has been doing the same thing and usually just sticking the paci back in puts her back. But, if she wakes again within an hour of doing that, I generally feed. She's usually good for another 2 or 3 hours after that. I would even avoid doing a diaper change (unless the bottle doesn't work). Anything you can do to keep her as sleepy as possible.

Ally,
Seems like you've already got your answrs, ut I'll check my record book when I get home. I know she only got 2 this time.

[vegasgirl]

one thing i should add is that DD does NOT take a paci - never has so there is nothing that really helps soothe her at night.

when are they old enough to put toys in the crib so if they choose to be awake at 4:30 they have something to do?

[LIZNKEITH]

I would think that you can start putting non-plush toys inside her crib now. I confess, I even have a couple of plush toys which are secured to the side of the crib. She doesn't play with them though. Usually when I walk in on her playing in her crib, it's with her paci, her feet, or her hands. LOL!

[tgr68]

Meri~Thanks! I'm actually liking the snow. I had just made the comment on Monday that I was actually missing not having any (which is very unusual for me). It's even better that there are no slick roads with it!! :D As far as crying it out, you need to find a good balance. Shylah usually fusses for a few reasons - hungry, wet diaper, something is out of reach, or protesting a nap. I will usually tend to her needs pretty quickly, but when she's protesting a nap, I'll let her cry for a few minutes. Then go in, give her paci back, cover her up, and rub her back for a couple of minutes. Most times this puts her right out! :) CONGRATS ON THE CRAWL!!!

Julie~Thanks! I took my meds this morning to see if that helped. I'm a little tired, but I think it's mostly sleep deprivation! Anyhow, they said it's a bad idea to try to arrange marriages Oh great! There goes our hospital betrothal to our best friends little boy! :p LOL!

Vegas~I would try the sleep training again if it worked for earlier wakings.

This are going pretty good here. I've got to do a little last minute cleaning before a friend comes over. We are meeting about me babysitting her DD. I thought about backing out of this with the PPD, but I thought it best to keep on with my regularly scheduled programming! ;)

[LIZNKEITH]

but I thought it best to keep on with my regularly scheduled programming!
I totally agree. if you can't get out, it's best to have people come and visit you. I had a friend come visit me a couple of weeks ago and it really helped to lift my spirits. Like you, I was kind of dreading it until she was actually there. Hope you have a good time!

[allyray231]

vegas Aiden was doing this the last few night and didn't do it last night for the first time. One thing I did was take his mobile down becuase he was waking up and trying it play with it!! SO any advice you get I will take :)

[jmvan74]

Liz, Go figure...letting people fall in love on thier own. Who knew? ;)

Naamah, It hink your right to stick to a normal routine. Besides, the company will be nice. Don't worry about your house being too tidy. This woman has a child, so she should certainly understand. ;)

Vegas: Is your little one sleeping too much during the day? I wouldn't reccomend keeping her up later, but maybe if you could try and keep her up a few extra minutes before each nap. Good luck.

Toys in the crib: Right now we just keep a "lovie" and some extra pacifiers in the crib. DS does have the FP aquarium and sometimes I hear him in the middle of the night(i think the bubble noises soothe him)turning it on. He goes right back to sleep though. We also have another crib side contrapment that has different pictures and a mirror tied to the side of the crib.

[leela13]

Vegas- Sophie had the same problem and she also does not use a pacifier. She does have a lovey (a little blanket with a stuffed animal head). I would not feed her. I think that will encourage her to keep doing it. Also if you have already done some sleep training and elimnated her night time feedings it will confuse her. What we did was put Sophie to bed a little later. We did it by pushing her naps back a bit during the day rather than just doing it at bedtime. It worked beautifully. I think your daughter is naps are fine. According to 2 Drs I have talked to babies need to sleep 11-12 hours at night and 3 hours during the day. It is also quite normal for her first nap to be 2 hours after she wakes up.

This is Sophie schedule-

6:15-6:30- wake up
8:30- nap, usually 1 1/2 hours
12:30- nap, about 1 hour
3:45- nap, about 1 hour
7:30- bed

Sophie always wakes up once at night and makes a little noise. If it turns into a cry we go in and pat her and give her her lovey. I think loveys are a great way to help them self soothe. She loves hers.

Sophie has been sleeping with stuff in her crib since she could roll over and move around. She has a big stuffed sea turtle, a lovey and a few smaller stuffed things.

I hope this helps.

Lisa

[LIZNKEITH]

My Mom sent me this email today. It had some great pictures in it, too but you'll get the idea. Made me cry my eyes out!

Before I was a Mom I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.
Before I was a Mom
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom I had never been puked on.
Pooped on. Spit on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.
And before I was a Grandma
I didn't know that all those "Mom" feelings more than doubled!
Send this to someone who you think is a special Mom or Grandma.

I just did.

[Mrs.Chappy]

I keep plush toys in the crib too..this gund doggie that Ben loves..plus about 4 pacis sprinkled about.

[December27JJB]

Beautiful Babies!! Cant believe they are growing soo fast!!

I am a little concerned about DD. She refuses to roll over on her own (although she as once or twice), sit up on her own (for long periods) before she throws her back, or crawl. :confused: Is this normal. I asked her ped and he said she was fine. She will be 7 months old on Friday. She's never liked tummy time...she only would sit in her Bumbo for a limited time as well as stand in her exercauser for a limited time. Although, when I hold her as she "stands" she loves it. She was born on June 13. Is this unnatural or are any of you experiencing the same? TIA!!!!!

[allyray231]

Dec I wouldn't worry about it too much. DS is 7 months old and just started rolling all the time a few weeks ago. He still doesn't sit up all the time on his own and he scoots but doesn't crawl. Give her time!

[kelseyledare]

Ah, Liz, that posting is so moving!!

My DD eats 18 oz of EBM/formula daily plus 2 4-oz jars of babyfood and two big bowls of rice cereal/oatmeal. Her weight gain has slacked off so we are trying to offer extra "snacks" throughout the day. But she is sitting so well on her own and otherwise developing so I try not to worry about the amt of food too much. I think each baby's appetite is different.

How do you get your child attached to a lovie? I'd like to give Ava one, but not sure how to introduce it.

[sophiapb]

December-Alexa doesn't like sitting up on her own either although she does like her booster seat. Also, it's only just recently that she has become a rolling machine. Seriously, just within the past week. I think because she is able to get wherever she wants to go through rolling that it will be a while before she crawls. I was stressing that she wasn't developing as fast as other children her age but her ped just brushes it off.

Okay, since I've been panicking about Alexa not drinking enough, I've increased all of her bottles by about an ounce. She is now drinking about 21-22 ounces a day which I am more comfortable with AND she's keeping it all down.

Alexa's bottom right tooth came in yesterday giving her a grand total of TWO! She also has a raging rash which will not go away. I'm doing everything possible to make it go away but to no avail. It's probably caused by the teething so maybe now that the tooth has broken through, the rash will clear up.

Oh crap, it's 3:00 already and I haven't pumped yet! Stupid work!

[leela13]

Dec- Don't worry all babies develop differently. There is no set time for anything.

Kelsey- We introduced the lovey by giving it to Sophie while I nursed her. I also slept with it one night so that it smelled like me. Then every time she went to sleep we would put it next to her.

Lisa

[tgr68]

Hey girls! Not a whole lot going on here. It's been pretty uneventful, but a very good day (even considering that I forgot to take my meds this morning). I'm hanging out with my sis at her house now helping her do some cleaning. Then I think she's going to come over when her DD gets up from a nap to help me get caught up!

Later! :cool:

[jmvan74]

Liz,My mom sent me that poem, too. It's so sweet.

december: Collin was born the June 13, too. He doesn't roll and doesn't show any interest in crawling or being on his tummy. I'm sure your DD is just fine. She is probably working on her fine motor skills instead of her large motor for now. :) I know Collin is more interested in using his hands.

Kelsey: We introduced the lovey the same way Lisa did. DS is not attached to it completely, but I think it really helps him when he wakes at night.

Sophia: Congrats on Alexa's 2nd tooth. Aren't those little razors so cute! :D

Teeth: Well, collin got his first two teeth in December and I think we have more on the move. He was up for 2 hours in the middle of the night and he isn't eating well. That's the same pattern that evolved about 2 weeks before the first teeth came in. Ahhh. The fun.;)

[allyray231]

Well nothing like a scare tonight. I got home and Aiden seemed a bit upset. Bibi (my nanny) said that while he was in the swing today at the park (they have those baby swings and he has beenn going in them for months) that he was leaning foward holding on to the swing chain and his body weight shifted back and he was still holding on. He got scared a bit and started to cry so she took him out and he was fine. She put him in the stoller he was fine and when she got home and took off his jacket he started to cry again. She put him down to change his diaper and every time she touched his left hand he cried. That is when I came home.

Of course I got all scared and told the ped I was coming right over. He cried a little bit when the doc was looking at him but he gripped fine and played fine sitting up, laying down, and on his tummy. They said he seemed fine but just to keep and eye on it to make sure it didn't swell or wasn't using it.

He of course was totally fine once we got home and was playing like normal. Bibi called 4 times while I was at the ped to make sure she was ok. I left my cell phone in the car. She was so upset she was going to try back to my house and make sure he was ok. She is sweet

Kids are funny that way

[December27JJB]

Thank you so much girls! I shouldnt be comparing what DD can do to some of what the other babies can/can't do. It freaks me out! Some of the July (when DD was due) babies are already crawling. I think thats what got me worried! DD is a VERY clingy baby to begin with, she hates to be put down. So I am pretty much always holding her. Today I did give her some time on the floor so she could 'sit' and to my surprise she is doing MUCH better. She isn't "throwing" herself to her back right away! I think she's enjoying sitting on the floor but I dont want to push her--only to encourage her to sit when she wants to. I think I will make that a routine, rolling the ball to her as she sits on the floor, reading a book or something. But, again, thanks!!! DH was like "Something is wrong with her" whenever I updated him with whats happening with the July babies lol

AllyRay- Aw poor thing. I hope he feels better soon!! DD slid off the couch once and she cried and cried. It was awful!

Still no teeth for us. DD is definitely teething though. I am in no hurry for her teeth to start coming. But I am sure it will feel better for her once they push through. I've found that Hyland's Teething Tablets help ease the pain.

DD is losing interest in food. She used to love her peas. Now she goes days without eating solids. Only breastmilk. She loves Mommy's milk more than anything!

[golfer_girl]

tgr68 - PPD... I'm thinking of you. I know that this time can be really hard. I have faith that your meds will help give you the extra boost you need to have you feel sane. I know this is SUCH a lame thing to say, but try to take a little walk for your 15 minutes. I've been walking more and more and the exercise really helps clear my head. I'm with all of you SAHM and non SAHM's about the vicious cycle of needing to do EVERYTHING while DC is down. If you don't do it, it doesn't get done... well, sometimes, so be it, DON'T do it. I'm often guilty of that too. We all need the break now and again. I sure don't want Bells Palsy again too from "overdoing it". Take that nap once in a while or chill watching something on the tube. It doesn't have to be all the time, just do it when you need it, and a few more times than that just cause you deserve it. We all work harder than we ever did in our lives. You deserve 15-30 minutes for your health/sanity. tgr68, I think we've all been at that breaking point, don't feel bad you're having a tough time. You'll feel better soon enough. BTW, do you have a mommy friend to buddy up with once in a while? Try to find one if you can. It really helps. You can buddy up and go to one another's house or out for lunch and playtime, coffee, etc. There's a lot of lonely SAHM's out there looking for your company. I just signed up for a baby music class and an infant swim class. They should be fun for me and DS. If you are worried about having friends over cause your place is messy, meet at the mall or somewhere. Most people will understand anyhow and you shouldn't worry - the moms understand the most!

usafwife - attachment issues... I have the same issues. Only sometimes, I can get out of my DS's sight without him crying for me! UGH! He has to be really enteratained/distracted for me to slip away for a few minutes.

liz - weaning... I'm now transitioning to only 1 BF session per day. I was at 3 right after my episode with Bells Palsy but have been at 2 for about a month and a half. I'm going to only 1 feeding (on my way to totally weaning) because DS is starting to get fussy with the bottle again! He's totally rejecting it! BTW, I saw DD's pro pics! They are just amazing!

I'm sad too about weaning, but i'm so sick of the fussy drama when he gets too comfy with boob! In the meanwhile, the engorgement is killing me. Any suggestions from anyone to help with the weaning this last step? I only BF at around 7-8 am and at about 5-6pm. So, around 12 hours in between feedings. I'm just skipping the evening feeding and it's so hard jumping from 12 hours to 24! After I get to this last one, I'll stop the morning one in a few weeks. :(

allyray231 - the paci - I was all for it, then against it, and now I'm stuck with it too. I have been limiting DS's time with it though. As soon as he is soothed, I take it out of his mouth. I don't let him keep it in long at all. I also try not to give it to him unless "absolutely necessary" I take it away whenever possible. It's helped a little but it hasn't been a cure... sorry.

vegasgirl - I would try to get your DD's bedtime a little later. You can push it later a few minutes each week until you get it as far as you can. It seems like she's getting her fill of sleep with her sleeptime starting at 6:30 or 7. I noticed most of the babies here and on the other board sleep is about 10-11 hours for the major sleep cycle.

dreshny - how exciting your little one can say mama!

crawling - no crawling here yet. scooting backwards and DS can do 360's on the belly and roll back to front, front to back. he seems content with that and I'm not pushing it! I don't want to chase my DS around any sooner than I have to!

[LIZNKEITH]

December,
Like the other have said, I wouldn't worry about it. Each kid developes at their own pace, some kids even skip certain milestones. As for DD, I was concerned because she wasn't rolling from tummy to back, but she just started doing it within the last week (most of the other babies around here were doing it pretty consistantly at 4 months). I had asked the Ped and she wasn't concerned. Sooner or later, if they want to move badly enough, they will. :) BTW, love the pic of your DD. Her curls are adorable!!

Sophia,
Congrats on the next tooth! They're coming in so quickly now! Glad to hear that you were able to increase DD's consumption in to a range that you are comfortable with. I find it's difficult to tell when Caroline needs a bump. She's pretty content with anything around 4 ounces, but will sometimes go as high as 6 ounces. She usually won't cry to signal that she's still hungry. I usually just observe her suck and see how slow/fast it is.

Naamah,
When ya'll finish, can you come do mine next? ;)

Julie,
Hope those suckers pop through soon so you can all get some sleep again.

Ally,
How scary! Glad to hear that everything is okay. Your poor Nanny must have been terrified.

Golfer,
Thanks! Sorry to hear about your engorgement problems. I hope someone here can offer you some advice, as I have not made it that far yet. I have heard cabbage leaves help to relieve engorgement. For me, it's going to be as easy as stopping the Reglan.

Lovey
Caroline has to sleep with a crocheted blanket. It's her thing. Must go back to her swaddling days, I just started putting it in her crib to keep her warm and only felt comfortable using something that was "breathable". Now, it's definitely more of a comfort thing.


Question for you ladies...I started DD on bananas this past weekend and they really bound her up. I'd like to continue to feed them to her, but am afraid this will continue to happen. What do you ladies do?

[jmvan74]

Liz, I try to give Collin a mixture of foods that are binding and not binding in a day. If he has bananas at breakfast then I make sure to give him peas or pears at lunch. A lot of the time, I will mix the bananas with pears or peaches to try and counteract it. We are still working out the kinks. :p

[LIZNKEITH]

Thanks, Julie! What foods are typically binding & non-binding? DD won't eat peas. :(

[leela13]

Liz- We had the same problem with bananas. I guess I should have known since they bind me up. We have tried the mixture too but it hasn't worked for Sophie. For now we are just not giving them to her.

Here are some non-binding foods-
beans, peas, lentils, spinach, broccoli, and avocado
raspberries, pears, prunes, plums, blueberries, raisins, kiwi, and apples
oatmeal, whole-wheat bread and crackers, brown rice


Lisa

[HedgeGirl]

Milestones: December, don't forget that for every person that mentions some milestone their DC has hit, there is likely others that haven't spoken up that haven't hit it. I agree with Liz that they'll do it when they are good and ready (not when we are)

Brady has been rolling from his tummy to his back for months (maybe since 4 months). It started out that he'd roll kinda accidentily by looked up at a toy or us or something. Then in the last month it started becoming much more deliberate. You could tell he wanted off his tummy and he'd do it. But he never rolled from his back to his tummy whereas many babies seem to do that roll first (I guess he was plenty happy on this back). Well, last night he finally did it and did it deliberately several times (he wanted to get to a toy). Of course, he didn't stay there very long (rolled right back onto his back) but its nice to know that he knows how. :)

Lovey: DS has a lovey but I don't use it consistently enough for him to really be attached to it.

Staying Home: So far its going pretty well though there have been some tough days too as I get reaquainted with DS's cues and we start setting up a routine. We haven't gone out much during the day though I'm feeling pretty good that I've been able to get a thing or two accomplished when DS is napping (I've tried to set up 1 simple goal (yesterday the goal was to clean the kitchen floor, one day I cleaned the bathroom, etc) for the day so I have some feeling of accomplishment, but don't keep myself from having some downtime too). I intend to join a mom's group in our area and maybe do some sort of class during the day (like music or swimming...golfer, I'd be interested in where you are taking the classes and what you think of them) but plan to ease into it since its important for me to know our routine and there are some things I need to do at home (like baby proof!)

Signing: We've been signing "milk" to DS for quite a while now when getting ready to nurse and DS certainly knows what it means (though I don't think he's tried to do it back yet...from what I understand I shouldn't expect him to sign back until 8 or 9 months). Its really cool to see him get all excited when we communicate this way. We also started a baby signing class on Monday evenings which is fun and a chance for the whole family to spend time together, learn new signs, and a way for DS to interact with other kids. DH has started getting alot more into signing after just one class.

QOTD: How much have people baby proofed their homes? Any tips or things to make sure you do? One of my big dilemmas is what to do about the power cords for our PowerBooks which are in the family room and usually on the floor when we don't have a computer plugged into them (which of course, DS sees and instantly wants in his mouth).

I just learned about the kind of outlet covers that swivel to allow you to plug things in and spring back when you unplug something...Seems quite a bit better than just the plastic covers you plug into the outlet.

tgr: Sorry about the PPD, but it sounds like you are doing the right things to help improve it...I think its great you are hanging out with your sis today and you are helping each other out!!

[BAM 9-21-02]

Rash? Emma has gotten a rash on her back, it is kind of blotchy and you can feel it on her skin, tiny little bumps. She got it three days ago after her second flu shot, but with no reaction from the first one, I doubt that was the cause. It is only on her back, and has not spread at all and doesnt seem to bother her. I read earlier that someone wrote sometimes babies get it when the teeth?

[BAM 9-21-02]

QOTD - Baby proofing We really have not done anything, but with Emma rolling around everywhere we probably should do it soon. I would love to hear what everyone is doing. Also has anyone lowered the crib mattress yet? My husband and I are thinking of doing it soon. DD doesnt sit up or pull herself up, but we dont want to be caught off gaurd if she does.