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

[Mrs.Chappy]

my DS has eczema..he is all rashy and yuck but delicious anyway: http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1568/1/66/40/8/36/7/736084066106_0_ALB.jpg

[Mrs.Chappy]

went to the MD and got perscription creams for it.

[LIZNKEITH]

Sophia,
Great pics! I love how How possessive Alexa is...as if to tel Frank Jr. Jr. to go get his own Dad. :D

Julie,
I know...it's breaks my heart. You can see the determination in their little faces, but they just can't propell themselves forward.

Sorry about the eczema, Mrs Chappy. Hope it clears up soon!

Napping Strike
Caroline has started a napping strike at dc. We dropped her off at 7:30 yesterday morning and I picked her up at 5:00. She did not nap once the entire time she was there. The last couple of days haven't been much better. Anyone else having problems? She naps fine at home, but lately has been having problems at dc.

[kimthebride]

Dry Skin
DS has eczema and I keep it under control in our TERRIBLY dry apartment by:
- Warm daily bath with no soap (unless its a Code 3 Poop Situation, then we use it in the diaper area)
- Lube up all over with Eucerine Original Lotion 2x a day
- Lube up excema-prone areas with Vaseline or Aquaphor 2x a day
He hasn't had a breakout since Thanksgiving, thank goodness. And his skin not only is sooooo soft, but whenever someone holds him they comment on how good he smells from it (kinda 'clean')

Nap Strike
Some days DS just decides to go 4-5 hours without a nap, but he'll go right back to doing his regular 3x a day usually the next day or two. The only other thing I can think of is her nap cycle may be changing and your day care may not be picking up on the new cues?

Moving Monitor
I have a video monitor that was secured/balanced at the top of the 'headboard' of the crib, but DS was getting so active and grabbing at the wires I had to move it. Its crazy how these safety issues you don't even realize are out there - God Forbid he would have chewed on the cord or got it wrapped around himself!

Crawling Forward
In just a couple days he has made huge progress in crawling forward. DH & I just can't get enough of it! We actually put him to bed late last night because he was on such a roll and it was cute to watch. :p

sophiapb
I am still laughing at the Frank Jr. Jr. comment! Thomas does the same thing, reaching for daddy in pictures. He also is usually eating breakfast when DH leaves for work, and after we get our kisses goodbye DS watches him walk down the hall and out the door, then stares at the door sadly like "Where'd daddy go?".

[jmvan74]

Glad I don't have the only baby with dry, patchy skin. Poor little guys/gals.:(

Naamah and Mrs Chappy: I returned your pm's! I'll keep my eyes peeled for more coupons for ya. :D

napping strike: we go through that every so often, but we seem to be on track for now (knocking on wood). Yesterday DS took an hour nap and 2 hour and a half naps!:eek: I think he is still recovering from our weekend away. The past three nights he has slept from 7pm until sometime between 4-7am. He stirs around 2am, but puts himself back to sleep. <sigh> I hope this is a new trend.

[tgr68]

Julie~Most days the babysitting goes really good (today was an exception :(). Usually as soon as the other little girl gets here, we go to the living room, and they sit and play for probably 1-1.5 hours! :eek: Then I put them both down for a nap. Shylah usually goes out in about 10 minutes, but the other little girl protests for close to 20 before falling asleep. Then I get them up, get mine and DH's lunch started, feed the girls, and then mom comes to pick her up.

Dry Skin~When DD's skin gets especially dry, I will keep lotion at our changing station downstairs and apply it with every diaper change to the affected area.

Sophia~Alexa is soooooo cute!

LIZ~Could it be that there is so much activity at DC that she's just too wound up to sleep?

Well not much going on here. I've had a bit of a rough morning, but I think things are under control now. Ugh! I'm tired.

[jmvan74]

Naamah: Sorry you had a rough morning. I hope you got a chance to relax.

[BAM 9-21-02]

Hi All

Dry Skin - Emma also has very dry skin, I will probably have the doctor check it out if it gets any worse.

Napping Strikes - She is also going through strikes, sometimes one nap a day and other times 5 :rolleyes:

Food strikes - she loves her solid foods but doesnt really care about a bottle. Some days she will eat as little as 14 ounces and other days up to 35??

Baby Fever - I have it so bad right now. I want to have at least a two year age diff between my kids, but seeing so many preggos and remembering where I was in my pregnancy at this time last year really makes me yearn for more babies!

An cute pic of my little Emma I couldnt resist sharing!
http://images.photo.walgreens.com/345%3B%3A74323232%7Ffp4%3Enu%3D3232%3E339%3E338%3E 2323339429293ot1lsi

[jmvan74]

Bam, Emma is beautiful! Love those big, blue eyes. :D


napping: Okay, I jinxed myself yesterday! When I tried to put collin down for his final nap yesterday he screamed for about an hour and a half. In my arms, in Jason's arms in his crib! Of course, as soon as I took the blanket off him and held him upright, he smiled! What a brat!:rolleyes:

[tgr68]

Julie~Thanks! Ugh! Sorry Colling did a 180 on you. :(

BAM~She is too cute!

Threadmistress~Could you update DH's age to 26? Today is his birthday!

[LIZNKEITH]

Napping
Thankfully, she did much better yesterday. I really think it's just difficult for her too sleep with so much activity going on around her. But I've found she'll sleep if she's tired enough. ;)

Julie,
Sorry for the jinx.:( Hope today is better. Collin is so naughty! :D

Happy Birthday to your DH, Naamah!


Ugh! I'm having the most difficult time finding 6-9 month clothes that are still warm & wintery. Seems like everyone already has their Spring stuff out. To top it off, I prefer things with bodysuits. I'm worried because DD has just about outgrown her 3-6 stuff and I've realized I have very little 6-9. :eek:

[allyray231]

Liz can you get her 6-12 month stuff?? It might be big but you can just roll the sleeves up-that is what I did for Aiden

[allyray231]

here are a few things from Childrens Place
http://www.childrensplace.com/www/b/TCP/images/styles/380494_m.jpg
http://www.childrensplace.com/www/b/TCP/images/styles/379835_m.jpg
http://www.childrensplace.com/www/b/TCP/images/styles/429507_m.jpg

[LIZNKEITH]

Thanks, Ally! I actually just ordered that second shirt two days ago. :) Re: 6-12 month stuff, I have even settled for buying any of those if I can't find 6-9. My biggest problem is still finfing WARM clothes. Everything is already sleeveless and legless. :confused:

[allyray231]

I know--I went to BRU and all the stuff was for spring!! You might want to look at the clearance stuff

[jmvan74]

Liz: Check online. Gymboree has awsome sales on their winter stuff. You might be able to find some stuff there. www.gymboree.com Make sure you check baby girl and newborn girl. Both sections have lines for 6-9/6-12

[LIZNKEITH]

Thanks, Julie...I just went to Gymboree in the mall and didn't see much of anything. I'll check online. :)

[kelseyledare]

Liz, I hear you on the warm clothes. I sent Ava to DC today in some 6-12 mos from Old Navy b/c I could hardly find long-sleeved onesies. The sleeves are rolled up, but the neck opening is too large so she looks comical again. I may resort to short-sleeves with a buttoned up, long-sleeved fleece over it. She only has three of those that fit so it may be a lot of washing and re-wearing... What's with this cold weather recently?

For those who shop at CP, do the clothes run big or small? In particular, the pants.

Julie, so sorry to hear Collin was playing games with you. I think they enjoy playing around with us some at this age- like they know they can get a response...

Naamah, happy birthday to your DH! Do you guys have big plans or a quiet dinner at home with Shylah?

[leela13]

Napping- Yes. Sophie is striking too. Half the time she refuses to take her third nap. I am thinking that they are trying to change to 2 naps a day??? We will see.

Julie-Sophie does the same thing. The minute we pick her up she stops crying and smiles or starts talking.

I just got a bunch of winter stuff from gymboree for next year. I love their sales.

I had a hard time find 6-9month sizes too. So many manufactures are doing the 6-12month thing. The problem is that that is such a huge range. It is ridiculous. Carter's has some 6-9 month clothes.

[LIZNKEITH]

Maggie,
I'm thinking about buying some plain white long sleeved onesies and layering. It's getting ridiculous! Can't answer your question regarding CP pants yet, as I have yet to put her in them. I had one 3-6 month outfit, which ran a little small, but it was knit pants so I'm not sure if that made the difference.

Lisa,
I think you may be on to something with the naps. I'm not sure if I am ready for her to switch to 2 naps though. ;)


Speaking of sales, ON's Baby sale starts Sunday. :D

[jmvan74]

Liz: I've had better luck online with Gymboree, but stuff is going fast! Thanks for the heads up about the ON sale!!

Kelsey: I think CP runs a little small in most cases. I think they are comprable to ON, except they do have a 6-9size.

Lisa: Yeah, I can hear Collin starting to whine right now...he is suppose to be napping. :rolleyes: I need to grab some Gymboree for next winter! I know I'll regret it if I don't.

[Winterbride1253]

CC Name: Winterbride1253
Me: Daria, 32
DH: Ron, 31
Married: 12/6/03
DD or DS: Cole Robert
DOB: 6/15/2005
Time:4:17 PM
Weight:7lbs. 6oz.
Length:20.5"

Yeah!!! I found you guys!! You have no clue how sad I was to loose touch! I have to read everyone to get caught up but I missed you all sooooooo much!!

Here is me and my guy at Christmas!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6df23b3127cce9601083a442e00000025108ActWzlk5bND

And just another that I love!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cf38b3127cce953452d7fe4d00000015108ActWzlk5bND

I'm so thrilled I found you all again!!

[Dreshny]

*waves* Hi, Winterbride! I missed you, too!

[usafwife]

Winter ~ I'm so happy that you found us! I sent you a PM at the other board. I started this thread because I just felt I couldn't keep up with the May board plus it seemed that my DD was so far behind the other babies. The July thread just didn't feel like home. I missed all of my June buddies that had gone through everything with each other.

I'll add your stats soon.


Not much going on here except doing a calm down after being told that the phone company was shutting off our phone service (which also includes our sat. and internet) because they hadn't received our payment yet. I mailed it two weeks ago this coming Monday along with Sakari's AKC registration. Neither check has cleared the bank. So today we ended up having to pay $30 to have a stop payment order on the phone bill check. The post office was about as helpful as a snake. As was the phone company people we talked to. I could see shutting off your service if you had been constantly late and didn't pay the entire bill. It's always on time and paid in full (as our all of our other bills). So I guess we won't be using the post office to mail our bills anymore. And we are also in the process of switching banks. We've had more than one problem with the current bank and this is the last straw that is making us switch. (The other bank couldn't believe they charged that amount for a stop payment.)

We called the phone company back but the woman DH talked to wouldn't let him speak with a supervisor. He wasn't too happy and plans to call them back when he gets home. The post office gave us two papers to fill out to see if they can locate the letters. Real big help. The woman we spoke with there was like "well, it's just sitting on someone's desk. Well, you just mailed it on Monday so it's just 4 days later. No big deal." Nope lady, we mailed it two weeks ago this coming Monday. I think that is more than enough time. Especially considering that I mailed two other bills over the weekend and they have already cleared the bank. Seems a little strange to me.

I will never hand a letter to a postal employee EVER again. When I was at the post office there was an employee already collecting the mail. It wasn't even the posted time that they pick mail up (which is 5 pm). It wasn't even 4:30 pm. There were cars in front of me and behind me that he was collecting for. He wouldn't let us put it in the drop box. :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Mrs.Chappy]

Winter: Welcome..(we have that Gap onsie!!)

Wondering what time your little ones nap.. mine will take 30 min in the morning and then today took one from 1:15 to 2!! Wish he would nap later so he could make it a little later before bed..ususally around 7:30 but tonite 7..i hesitate to put him in early b/c i like when he wakes at 7!! My nanny was out w/ him on this beautiful day so he spend the rest of the PM in the park..still..i think ideal nap times for afternoon naps are around 3 or 3:30!

[allyray231]

Hi, Winterbride! we missed you! SO glad to see ya!

[june05Mommies]

Winter ~ Your stats are added. Welcome!!!!!

[jmvan74]

Yeah Winter! You came! Cole has gotten so big!

Meri: So sorry you are dealing with the post office aggrevation. What a pain. I hope you can get the phone issue resolved.

MrsChappy: Collin usually naps in the morning from about 9am to 9:45am and then he has an afternoon nap around 1:00 also. It can be anywhere from 30minutes to an hour and a half. Lately, that is the last nap he takes. he goes to bed around 7pm.

[Dreshny]

Naps: Um, well, we don't have any sort of schedule here, but Asher takes a morning nap sometime between 9:30 and 11:30 for about an hour and a half. Then he often takes an afternoon nap for about half an hour and an evening nap for about an hour. He generally goes to bed between 9 and 10.

But I'm really loose with times (he just sleeps when he's tired) and he takes at least one nap a day in his sling or carrier.

[LIZNKEITH]

Julie,
Thanks! Better head over there right now!

Winter,
Weeeeeee! I'm so glad you found us! I've often wondered how you and Cole are doing. It's always nice to be reunited with members. Love the pictures of Cole. He's such a handsome little guy. How's motherhood been treating you?

Meri,
:mad: I would be furious! Sorry that you have had to deal with this hassel.

Naps
Pretty flexible, too but they usually seem to happen around the same times. She usually takes a nap at dc around 9 or 9:30. This is usually her "short" nap and lasts only about 30 minutes. She generally takes another one around 1:00 and that's her "long" one. This one is usually at least an hour and often lasts 2.5 hours. She'll generally take another one around 5 or 6 which lasts an hour or so, but we're trying to phase that one out by giving her an earlier bedtime. Right now her bedtime is about 9, but I notice she's getting tired earlier so we'll probably drop it to 8.

[allyray231]

naps usually 9-9:30/9:45 in the am and then afteroon nap is usually around 2 and will be anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half (on a good day)

[kimthebride]

Hi winterbride! What a handsome young man you've got there. ;)

Naps
His a.m. nap is 1 1/2-2 hours and he takes it 2 hours after he gets up.
Then after being up 2-2 1/2 hours he'll take another 2 hour nap.
Then after a few hours he'll take another 1-2 hour nap.

8 Months Old Today
That came quickly. :) Here's some pics I took this morning:
PHOTO DELETED
PHOTO DELETED

And of course, getting a little yoga practice in before naptime. :D A Downward Dog:
PHOTO DELETED

Sleep
Still getting back on his regular pooping program, so nights are a bit rough. Hope it won't be too much longer before he's STTN again.

ETA: Diapers
I test-drove some Cruisers Size 4s on him last night and I think he may be ready for them (about 19lbs, 30"). I have some 3s I'll use up during the day, but I'm going to keep using 4s at night and buy a big box of them with my $5 BRU coupon ASAP.

[LIZNKEITH]

Kim,
Thomas is adorable! His eyes are so crystal blue! Love the Downward Dog pic. Caroline does the same and it cracks me up. I'll have to post a pic for ya. Happy 8 months to Thomas!

[LIZNKEITH]

I meant to ask...

Yogurt
I'm wanting to start DD on it for a little while because the antibiotics she is taking for her EI are giving her massive diarrhea. I've been trying to combat it with banana's, but with little luck so far. So, I went to the store at lunch, but the only thing of plain yogurt they had was like a 50 gallon drum. I'm not even sure if she'll like it. So, I saw that they has Yo Baby (an organic yogurt marketed towards paranoid Moms such as myself). Has anyone tried it? I was a little disappointed that it didn't come in plain, but was sold in the small, individual containers. Got it in banana and vanilla. But now looking at the back, it's pretty high in sugar. Darn it! Oh well...at least maybe she'll eat it. :confused:

[leela13]

Kim- Thomas is so cute. And his eyes. Wow.

Yo Baby- Sophie loves it. She isn't to fond of the vanilla. They also have peach and pear, I think. I know what you mean about the sugar but I think it is inevitable in our processed world.

Meri- Sorry about the post office and phone company ordeal. They are some of the worst on my list to deal with. I absolutely hate calling the phone company.

Naps- Sophie wakes up at 6 then takes her first nap at 8:30 for about 1 1/2- 2 hours. Then she is up for about 2 1/2 hours and takes another nap for about an hour. Then she needs a small nap ~30-40 minutes at about 3:45. She goes to bed between 7 and 7:30.

I am in a Working Mom's group and the teacher is really big on putting babies to bed at 7-7:30. I am not sure what everyones situation is but from what I have seen moving their bedtimes up usually helps solve some sleep problems. Apparently all our wonderful babies are sleep deprived. I guess it is a nation-wide pattern. As she says in every calss "sleep begets sleep". They are suppose to be sleeping ~14 hours a day. Putting Sophie to bed that early also gives me a good amount of time in the evening to take care of stuff or hang out with the hubby.

Lisa

[jmvan74]

Kim: Thomas is adorable! He looks so happy.

Liz: We tried yo-baby a few weeks ago. Collin liked it, but his stomach didn't. He almost immediately spit it all back up after we were done. We'll try again in a few weeks.


Lisa: I am a supporter of sleep begets sleep. When we started putting DS to bed between 6:30 and 7:30 instead of 8:30-9:00 he started sleeping much better.

[LIZNKEITH]

Yogurt
Thanks for your input, ladies. I'll let you know how it goes.

Sleep
As much as I would *love* to get DD in bed by 7:30, I just don't see it hapenning. I don't get home until 5, DH until 6. She is so excited once we are finally all together, I don't think she'd go down that early. I'm not sure if I'd even want her too. What little time I have with her is soooo valuable. With naps, I'd say she's getting close to 14 hours a day.

[leela13]

Liz- Yes, we all have to do what is best for our indvidual situations. I complete understand where you are coming from. I don't get home until 5:30 and I miss Sophie terribly.

[kimthebride]

Early to bed..
DH & I joke about how wonderful it would be for DS to sleep from 7pm-7am, but of course I know he'd hate it after a few days! He often times doesn't get home from work until just before 7, so literally he would not see his son awake except for the weekends.
I gotta say that when he sleeps from 9pm-7am and takes his 3 naps he is in fantastic form. :) If only he'd stop pooping at 3am so he could STTN...:rolleyes:

[sophiapb]

Winterbride, glad you found us!

Sleeping-Alexa wakes up around 8:00 am and is in bed for the night usually 9:30ish. She sleeps an hour in the morning and then 2-3 hours in the afternoon. Sometimes she'll sneak a 1/2 hour nap in the evening even.
DH and I don't get home from work until 6:30-7:00. I am NOT going to have her go to bed at 7:30. Those three hours in the evening with her is what keeps me going. Alexa gets her 14 hours of sleep and all is well. :D

[tgr68]

Cradle Cap Question~DD has developed cradle cap. :( How can I get rid of it? MIL says to just brush her hair a lot to loosen the flakes, but she cries whenever I brush the front where its the worst.

Today has been pretty good. DD is about to go down for her afternoon nap. Then we'll go grocery shopping. I think sis may come over this evening for chic flicks while DH is at work!

[sophiapb]

Hey Tgr. Alexa would get bouts of cradle cap and I would oil her scalp up with baby oil. I would only put the oil where the cradle cap was as oppossed to her entire head so as to save her sheets and blankets from oil spots when she would sleep. She would look like a greaser from the 50's until her next shampoo but it did help with flaking and dry spots.

[kimthebride]

Cradle Cap Question~DD has developed cradle cap. :( How can I get rid of it? MIL says to just brush her hair a lot to loosen the flakes, but she cries whenever I brush the front where its the worst.
Regular Head & Shoulders shampoo worked for DS pretty quickly (just avoid eyes). Since her head/hair will be all damp and slick when you wash it you can comb it with a very flat, fine-toothed comb then.

[LIZNKEITH]

Lisa,
It's so hard to be working parents, isn't it? What am I saying...we're all working parents, but you know what I mean. To be parents that WOHM. It's all about finding a balance between what works for us, and what works for the babes. Thankfully, Caroline functions well with her later bedtime and her multiple naps. That may change as she gets older though and eliminates naps.

Naamah,
I know they sell special stuff for cradle cap, but my Mom always used and swore by plain old baby oil.

Sophia,
so as to save her sheets and blankets from oil spots when she would sleep.

Hee hee! I'm picturing the couch in "Coming to America". :D

[Dreshny]

Sleep: My DH often isn't home until 8:00 or later, so I try to keep Asher up so his dad can see him. If for some reason Asher's tired earlier, though, he understands. And like Kimsaid, when he takes all three naps, he's usually fine.

[jmvan74]

cradlecap: I usually just try and use a comb when I wash his hair and sometime, I'll just pick at it with my fingers. :rolleyes:

[tgr68]

Thanks gals! I think I'm going to pick up some H&S, and we've got some baby oil. Hopefully to combination of those two things will tackle it!

[LIZNKEITH]

We tried out Vanilla Yo Baby tonight and it was very popular! DD ate the whole 4 oz container, which is saying a lot for my little Stage 1 eating daughter. And more importantly, she doesn't seem to be having any negative reactions to the dairy. Woo hoo! Now lets just hope it does the trick. I'm tired of these blowouts. When I'm having to do laundry every day, it's not a good day.:rolleyes:

[jmvan74]

Hooray for Caroline eating the yogurt! I really hope Collin isn't lactose intolerant. :rolleyes: I think I drank a gallon of milk every 2-3 days when I was pg....hmmm....maybe I caused this problem. :D Have fun with the yogurt Liz!

[LIZNKEITH]

Julie,
He wa sprobably still a little too young for it. I hear you on the milk...I drank it like crazy when I was pg, too. We were going through a gallon every other day during the first trimester. :eek:

[LIZNKEITH]

Some pics of DD:
http://images.snapfish.com/345%3C2%3A256%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D325%3B%3E874%3E%3A98% 3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A%3A43266%3Anu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/345%3C2%3A256%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D325%3B%3E874%3E%3A98% 3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A%3A43266%3Bnu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/345%3C2%3A256%7Ffp336%3Enu%3D325%3B%3E874%3E%3A98% 3EWSNRCG%3D32334%3A%3A3%3C88%3A5nu0mrj

[Mrs.Chappy]

cute pics liz!

[usafwife]

Thanks ladies. Now it seems that the phone company has magically found our check since last night it showed that we had made two payments for the exact same amount. We haven't had time to call them yet today but we will be calling them soon.

Liz ~ Wonderful pictures of Caroline!!!

Naamah ~ Good luck getting rid of the cradle cap.

kim ~ Adorable pictures of Thomas!! Happy 8 months to him. I can't believe that our little ones are getting so big!

[tgr68]

LIZ~Love the pics!!

Meri~Glad the phone company was able to find your check.

Ugh! My MIL is driving me nuts! She keeps buying stuff for us that we don't need and have no place to store. Then compains about how we have stuff just sitting around. Plus she keep making comments on how old some of our current stuff is and how we need to get rid of it (even though it still works). :mad: She also bought DD some shoes, so she had some to wear at home. Exactly why does a baby need to wear shoes at home? Well apparenty because all of her kids did. :rolleyes: She also keeps making offhand comments about my weight. :(

[LIZNKEITH]

Mrs. Chappy,
Thanks!

Meri,
Thank you! Ugh...I can't believe the saga continues. They really need to get their act together.

Thanks, Naamah! I'm sorry about the problems with your MIL. I can't believe she is making comments about your weight! You just had a baby for crying out loud! :mad:

[kelseyledare]

Meri: Phone companies are pathetic... it's like they know they can treat you badly and you have no alternative. Hope this all gets resolved as quickly as possible!

Naamah: Comments about your weight? How rude! She needs to mind her own business. If you want DD to wear shoes, fine; if not, she needs to mind her own business. Like you said, it's not like she needs shoes at this age anyway... Err, sometimes I'm glad my DH doesn't really speak with his parents and they live far, far away.

Liz, glad Caroline liked the yo-baby. We might need to try some.

Alright, I'm determined to try to post some photos of DH this afternoon. She's changing so much lately... I've noticed a definite hard spot on the bottom left of her gum where her first tooth will be poking through before too long!

PS I figured out how to get an avatar! I feel so high tech!

[kimthebride]

Binding/Non-Binding Foods Website?
I have NO idea where I wrote the link down, but I could swear it was one of you lovely ladies who posted a site that listed which fruits/veggies were binding and which weren't - it was pretty thorough.
Anyone have that?
TIA!

[LIZNKEITH]

Kim,
I don't remember a link, but Lisa listed some foods back on page 88 of this thread. HTH! :)

[jmvan74]

Liz, Caroline's eyes are stunning! What a sweetie pie. We tried yobaby again and this time no vomitting! LOL!

Meri: Glad the phone co found your check, but what a hassle.

Naamah: Sorry MIL is being so rude. Mind your business woman! :rolleyes:

Kelsey: Ooooh a tooth! They're so cute when they pop through. Hooray for your avatar, very cute.

Kim: Idon't remember a link, but I do remember that the "p's" were non-binding (pears, peaches, peas).

[kelseyledare]

Boy, did we do some damage today at BRU. Buy one, get one 50% off Carter's (which is what she mostly wears to DC). Found a lot of short-sleeved shirt and pants combo for the spring plus a few long sleeved items.

http://www.kohls.com.edgesuite.net/is/image/kohls/122361?wid=400&hei=400&op_sharpen=1

http://www.boscovs.com/wcsstore/boscovs/images/store/product/images/022425838118107.jpg

http://www.kohls.com.edgesuite.net/is/image/kohls/122332?wid=400&hei=400&op_sharpen=1

http://www.kohls.com.edgesuite.net/is/image/kohls/122449?wid=400&hei=400&op_sharpen=1

http://www.kohls.com.edgesuite.net/is/image/kohls/122456?wid=400&hei=400&op_sharpen=1

I also got two long-sleeved onesies from Carter's Cute Baby Blues line and a long-sleeved bodysuit in Sweet Daisy. I'm trying out some Miniwear socks, a pair of Koala baby leather slipper shoes and a Miniwear shorts romper.

We are heading to Florida on Tuesday to visit my grandparents so I bought a package of small Huggies Little Swimmers diapers and an iPlay baby sunhat, same style but different print as this one. http://www.babycatalog.com/layette03new/2390025.jpg

The little sunglasses were sooo cute, but I know DD would never tolerate those...

[tgr68]

Thanks gals! I just needed to vent to someone as she just left and DH was not home.

Cute clothes, Kelsey!!

I'm tired and really need to find some night this coming up week for just DH and I to spend the evening together. It seems like we haven't had a night to ourselves in forever. :(

[kelseyledare]

I finally uploaded some photos into Shutterfly... okay, they are from Christmas, but nevertheless. I am so bad about remembering to download pictures off my camera.

Julie: Is it possible that her tooth appears less prominent today? It's like the tooth receeded somehow. Maybe I was just so excited to see something definite...

Naamah: I totally understand your desire for time alone with DH. We got a few DVDs from the library on Friday, but never made it to watching them together. We're so tired at night. I returned the movies this afternoon; DH is in NYC on business.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc24b3127cce97186e2caab500000015108Aas2TNm2cuF

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc24b3127cce97186d0dea0d00000016108Aas2TNm2cuF

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc24b3127cce97185350ea4f00000015108Aas2TNm2cuF

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc24b3127cce971853c0eadf00000015108Aas2TNm2cuF

[kelseyledare]

Alright, while I am being a thread photo hog, I might as well add these three from our first trip to the park. Ava looked like such a big girl in the swing! She was mostly interested in staring at her surroundings and the other people around her (as usual). I can't wait to take her back with a picnic lunch when she's older!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc24b3127cce97199aa50b3a00000025118Aas2TNm2cuF

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc24b3127cce97199b6b4b6c00000015108Aas2TNm2cuF

[LIZNKEITH]

Thanks, Julie! She's my little punkin'. Glad to hear that the yobaby was a success this time! :D

Maggie,
I LOVE the pictures. Ava is such a doll. She looks like such a happy baby. Love the stuff you got at BRU. Especially that first outfit. Haven't seen it before and now I want it! :D

[jmvan74]

Naamah: I hope you can get some time alone with DH. I know that really helps me get through they week. ;)

Maggie: I love those new carter's lines. I really hope we have a girl next time around! :p It it totally possible that Ava's tooth receeded a bit. A friend of mine just had that happen to her. She was so excited and then...nothing. It may not be quite ready yet.
Love the pics of Ava. She is such a smiley girl!

Liz: What yogurt flavors have you tried with Caroline?

[tgr68]

Kelsey~Ah! A movie night would be awesome. :) Cute pictures!!

Hi, LIZ!

Julie~Thanks. I hope so, too. Last week was particularly rough, so I need some one-on-one DH time.

I think all three of us may have caught a stomch bug. :( We had niece the weekend, and shr threw up in the PNP Saturday night. Then last night DH had an upset stomach after we ate dinner, and this morning Shylah hasn't been able to keep anything down. Now I'm starting to feel a little woozy. :( Ugh! I really don't need to be sick now!

[LIZNKEITH]

Julie,
So far we've tried the vanilla and the banana. She liked them both. I was talking to my neighbor two houses down, and she said her daughter prefers the apple/blueberry pack, so we'll have to try that one next. She said it's like liquid crack for babies. :D


I was just saying in my journal that Caroline and sitting have really clicked in the past week. She can now sit unassisted for looong periods of time (pretty much sat the entire Super Bowl yesterday). I don't even have to put anything behind her anymore. My little girl is growing up. :(

Yeast Infection
I think Caroline has got one from the antibiotics. I was hoping the yogurt would help, but it doesn't seem to be doing the trick. I've been slathering her with Desitin, but it doesn't seem to be helping. I'm going to give the Ped a call this morning to find out what's safe to use on babies. Poor little girl...it looks pretty bad, but doesn't seem to bother her.

[LIZNKEITH]

Hi, Naamah! :) That's awful. How long did your niece have it for? Hopefully it's just one of those 24 hour bugs. Hope you all feel better soon. :(

[kelseyledare]

Julie: I will admit that the little girl clothes are usually cuter than the boy ones, but I noticed that Carter's has a really cute little duckie line of spring clothes for boys. There is actually a girl and boy line of duckie clothing. I also love dogs, but there is not much for girls with dogs. It seems like puppies = boys, kittens = girl in the clothing world.

Liz: I'm glad Caroline enjoyed her yogurt. Have you tried any of the veggie blends? I think there are one or two blended with sweet potatoes, if that's what Caroline likes.

I have to brag on my little girl this morning. We got up early (by vacation standards) to take my Saturn in for a recall replacement. I was planning to nurse her in the waiting room with my large blanket, but it was terribly crowded. So we just waited while the car was worked on for 35 mins; Ava was a total angel, smiling at everyone and laughing. Didn't fuss for her breakfast once! A fellow lady customer commented that we were lucky to have such a laid-back baby; definitely makes me scared for number two!

Has anyone bought a tag blanket for their baby? Ava loves the tags on her toys so I've thought about getting her one.

[kelseyledare]

Oh, Naamah, I hope it's not the stomach virus. Poor Shylah!! Kim posted an awesome list of things she did to combat the stomch virus on the may/june thread. That might be helpful. Hope you all feel better soon!!!

Liz, yeast can be so painful! So sorry for Caroline! Those antibiotics definitely were not kind to her! I think they will usually call in some nystatin cream for her unless they want to make sure it isn't a combo of yeast and bacteria.

[LIZNKEITH]

Maggie,
I haven't even seen the veggie blended yogurts. I'm sure they'd be a hit with Caroline. Awww...Ava is such a sweetie! Add me to the list of people who just KNOW #2 is going to be a brat since we were so blessed this time around. Last night, Caroline was too excited to sleep. It had been 5 hours since her last nap, and she was still as happy as a clam. My uncle was totally shocked.

Tags
Just noticed Saturday that she's starting to play with them. Haven't gotten a blanket yet, but may if she continues to show an interest in them. I wonder if she'd actually stay ON the blanket? :rolleyes:

[tgr68]

Thanks gals.

LIZ We basically had her from Thursday night to Sunday night, and she seemed finr the whole time with the exception of throwing up Saturday. She was even in good spirits then. No fever, well hydrated, etc. :confused:

Kelsey~Thanks. I'll have to head over there and check it out!

Just got off the phone with the dr because Shylah spit up (or whatever) again, and this time starting crying. :( I have her wrapped up in a blanket on my lap right now.

[LIZNKEITH]

Maggie,
Thankfully, it doesn't seem to be bothering her. But it looks awful. I just tried calling the Ped, and I think they are closed today. :confused: I got their answering service.

Naamah,
Poor Shylah! :( I hope you can get her in to see the Dr. today.

[tgr68]

LIZ~Getting ready to head that way now.

[LIZNKEITH]

Good. I'm glad they were able to squeeze you in so soon. Poor little Shylah! :( I hope they are able to give her something to make her more comfortable.

[Dreshny]

Naamah: Poor baby! I hope Shylah feels better soon.

Liz: Ditto. I guess we're lucky that Asher hasn't had yeast yet, but aren't diaper rashes awful?

#2: If we ever have a laid-back baby, I'll probably wonder what's wrong with him/her. ;)

Asher is sitting much better as well, though he never, ever would have sat for the entire Superbowl. I think 60 seconds of sitting still is his max. But geez, when he sits that long, it's an eternity! He's always grabbing at wires, pulling things off shelves, investigating and eating whatever's on the coffee table. Can't turn your back for a minute around here.

He also got a tooth on Friday and may be getting the one next to it as well.

He's getting more interested in food, but only in what WE'RE eating. Yesterday he ate a lot of little pieces of carrot out of DH's lentil chili. He also seems to like chickpeas (fished out of an Indian curry dish!) But mashed banana? Cereal? Sweet potato? No thanks!

[kelseyledare]

Naamah, Poor Shylah! :( :( Maybe she's having stomach cramps? Isn't it terrible when they're not feeling well! I hope the ped is able to give you an idea of what's going on. Hope she has a speedy recovery!

[LIZNKEITH]

Dreshny,
So funny how Asher is in to everything. He's so mischievious! He's such a typical little boy. I love it! :)

Reaching for food
So bad...she reaches for everything! Coffee, water, beer, whatever food is in front of us. I was sucking on a Tootsie pop this weekend and she was literally pulling it out of my mouth.:eek: Haven't given in yet...except with water. When can they start eating more table foods?

[Dreshny]

Anyone have a bad-luck outfit? Asher has an adorable blue rugby one-piece with a car on it. It's really warm, too. But he never actually gets to wear it. The last two times I put it on him, he had a poop blowout within minutes. Today I figured it was safe, since he'd already pooped twice this morning. Nope. I got it over his head....and he vomited. :eek: Luckily, he has lots of other cute outfits.

[sophiapb]

I'm sorry Dreshny. Is it okay that I laughed at Asher's bad luck outfit?
Alexa is very good at knowing which outfit is expensive and throwing up orange mixed vegetables on them. Gerber onsies will survive unscathed but as soon as I put a Baby Dior on her, one end or the other will explode. :rolleyes:

[LIZNKEITH]

Hee hee. We have one, except that it is my shirt. Every time I wear it, I get spit up on. :D

[jmvan74]

Wow! I go to target and come back and I'm a page behind! LOL!:D Poor Collin was so tired he was putting his face down on the boppy and rubbing his eyes. I don't know why he's so tired..he took an hour and a half nap this morning. :confused: Ahhh.... I'll just enjoy the silence.
#2 I hope the next one is a low maintance child or I'll really go insane. Collin is so high energy and needs constant interaction. he will play by himself for short periods at a time, but definitley Type A personality. :p

Naamah: Poor Shylah. I hope the ped can tell you what's wrong. I hope you all feel better quickly.

Liz: Yeast infection...yuck! Poor little girl. I would guess nystatin would be the perscription there.

Maggie: I have fun dressing Collin, but I still dream about little girl clothes! :D

Roseanne: congrats on the tooth! I hear you on getting in to everything. Collin isn't quite on the go, yet....but it is so close and he has that look in his eye! He already tries to grab everything with in reach. Yikes!

Bad Luck outfit: Like Sophia said...Collin has a knack for knowing which clothes are on the pricey end and which aren't. His "nice" clothes always seem to suffer! LOL!

[allyray231]

Naamah Poor baby--hope she feels better soon

[usafwife]

Thanks ladies. The phone saga continues this week. Now it seems that they magically found the check on Friday and are now trying to cash it plus get the money out of the over the phone payment as well. If they found it in one day (which I doubt is possible) then it was there on Thursday but they just never got around to posting it in our account. Guess we will be calling later today to speak with them again over the matter. :rolleyes: :mad:

kesley ~ Cute pictures. We have gotten those same comments from people as well. Glad to hear that she was happy and content while you waited. It doesn't make me scared to have another because I think that baby would be the same way. I wish we lived closer to a BRU. We are going to be going next month. We got some really good deals when we were there in late November. Cute outfits.

Naamah ~ Hope the stomach bug passes quickly.

Liz ~ Sarah loves to sit as well especially when she finds something that interests her (something on TV, or playing with a toy). Caroline sounds just like Sarah in that she reaches for whatever is front of her as well.

Roseanne ~ Sometimes Sarah is that same way. She doesn't wait to stay still for too long. She is always pulling or trying to get whatever is front of her. Be it a cup, a pop bottle, a wire, the mouse (for the computer), Tigger, pen/pencil, paper, toy, etc. Congrats on the tooth!

[usafwife]

And in other news, my stepMIL is getting married in a couple of months. We thought that it was kind of sudden since they just met in December. Seems that DH's youngest brother is already saying comments that have some of us a little mad. DH's grandma is none too pleased with him at all right now because of the comments he said to her on Saturday evening.

[tgr68]

Dreshny~Thanks. Yeah for Asher's first tooth!

Kelsey, Julie, Ally, & Meri~Thanks.

Bad Luck Outfit~She doesn't have the more expensive items pegged, but she sure knows what is new and what isn't. :rolleyes: In fact, we had to throw out a onsie she got for Christmas just last night. :(

Well, dr took her off formula & solids for 12 hours. We are to only give her pedialyte or water during that time. She's not drinking as many fluids as usual, but she is still having lots of wet diapers. Dr also said that diarhea is a definate possibility in the next 24 hours.

[leela13]

I can't believe how much has happened over the weekend.

MIL- They should all stay out of our business unless asked. I especially hate the comments. If you have something to say, say it.

Taggies- Sophie loves tags too. I did buy her a small taggies blanket. She likes it but she isn't fascinated by it. She seems to prefer the tags on toys etc.

Naamah- I hope that Shylah is feeling better soon.

Yogurt- We started with the banana/vanilla pack but I got peach/? and she likes these better. I also found the same brand- yogurt, fruit and cereal. I haven't tried it yet but I will let you all know how it goes.

Table Foods- Sophie eats everything. She was eating filet mignon last night. Just start slow and see how they like it.

Lisa

[kelseyledare]

Lisa - did you get your Tag blanket from a store or online? I am looking at those made by Marissa on the breastfeeding thread. Filet? How gourmet! We'd better start Ava with plain old rump roast, least she get accustomed to only the finer foods in life... ;)

Naamah: That sounds like a good plan. I know dairy can really aggrevate a GI illness so I'd guess formula could do the same. How is she liking the Pedialyte?

Meri: Err, your phone bill saga continues. At least the wedding will be a fun chance to dress up Sarah and show her off a little- everyone loves babies at weddings! Will it be spring by then?

Reaching- definitely grabbing for everything, especially the TV remote. Can't quite figure out why that's so cool. Do I feel like a bad person b/c I gave her one of DH's magazine to tear versus my own while I type replies- nope!

[allyray231]

taggies Aiden sleep with his taggie each night :)

[Ferris]

FoodMy little guy HATES baby food. So we have stopped giving it to him. He has been eating cheerios, bread, pasta, and some fruit and veggies from his self feeder but I am just to worried about feeding him "real" food.

First B-day I keep getting this catalog http://birthdayexpress.com and thought a few of the first birthday plates and stuff were cute.


pulling himself up He started doing this 2 weeks ago and now he stands up on everything!!! He tries to move himself around the objects which has made for a few bumps and bruises on the head when he looses balance.

Usawife I totally know what you are going through. My FIL just meet a lady (via the internet) in May. She moved to America in August and they secretly got married in October!!:eek: It's funny because no one said anything to him about it, but he feel it's okay to comment on all of our business and everyone elses.:rolleyes:

Tgr Yikes! I hope she feels better soon!!

jmvan74 I feel the same way as you about hoping #2 will be a low maintence child! Some days Dougie makes me so tired!!! I really think #2 will do better because when Dougie is around his cousin (who is 2) he is less maintence. So it gives me hope!!!

Hates Formula? Does anyone elses little ones hate formula? Dougie refuses it! We try and put alittle in with my breastmilk, but I don't want to put to much in and then him refuse the whole bottle! Does anyone have any suggestions? I am hoping I don't have to wait till he's 1 and can have regular milk.

[LIZNKEITH]

Julie,
Yeah, if I don't hear back from the Ped today, I'll take measures in to my own hands.

Meri,
Grrr! By the time the phone company resolves all if this, next month's payment will be due. :rolleyes:

Naamah,
Poor Shylah! Hopefully the Pedialyte will do the trick and keep her hydrated. Hope she kicks this bug soon. Poor little girl!

Lisa,
Wow! Filet mignon?! Sophia has champagne and caviar taste! Can I come over for dinner, too? :)

Maggie,
Do I feel like a bad person b/c I gave her one of DH's magazine to tear versus my own while I type replies- nope!
Hee hee! I hope that doesn't make you a bad person, 'cuz I would be too. I'm always giving Caroline Keith's newspaper. :D

Ferris,
Congrats on Dougie pulling up! Seems like the boys are mastering this task first.


Caroline hated it at first. MY BIL (who is a major advocate of BFing) thought the faces she made were hilarious. She did not even try to hide her dislike for formula. After a couple of weeks though, it grew on her. Have you tried different brands? Caroline hated Similac. And based on my taste tests, Good Start tasted more like BM than Enfamil or Similac.

[B]Yogurt,
Where are you all finding these exotic packs? The Publix near my office has only the Vanilla/Banana and Apple/Blueberry.

[allyray231]

Ok I am confused about the yogurt thing--I thought no milk till a year?

[LIZNKEITH]

That's what I thought, too. But when Caroline had diarrhea last week, the Ped suggested she take it as long as she's tolerated all her other fruits and veggies okay. She's done fine with it. She LOVES the vanilla. I think since it's such a small amount maybe?

[allyray231]

Interesting :)

[Dreshny]

Yogurt and cheese have enzymes in them that partially break down the cow's milk proteins. Same with formula, which is also made of cow's milk.

[LIZNKEITH]

Interesting, Dreshny! Thanks for enlightening me. I was so worried about this Friday before I started her on it.

[jmvan74]

Yogurt: We are actually doing the yobaby with fruit and cereal now. It has apples and there is actually some cinnamon. Collin seems to like it. I only give him 2 ounces at a time...still a bit nervous. hehe.

Reaching: I'm surprised he doesn't jump out of my arms when I'm carrying him...he leans himself in every direction trying to get to things.

Tags: I was considering a tag blanket, too. Collin loves to feel the tags on his toys and especially the boppy.

Formula: Sorry, Ferris. I'm not much help. Collin hates it, too and refuses it, except in his cereal. I thought putting it in his cereal would help him get use to the taste, but nope. He has never taken a bottle either, sooo...lucky me...nursing until cow's milk is introduced!:rolleyes:

Jeeshh Meri, I can't beleive you are still dealing with this problem. Get it straight people.

Naamah and Liz: I hope your little gals are doing better today.

Table food: I always offer DS a little bit of what I'm eating. He has some chicken and sweet potatoes from my plate last night.

[LIZNKEITH]

Julie,
Mmmmmm...apples and cinnamon. That sounds good. I bet it would be right up Caroline's alley.
I'm surprised he doesn't jump out of my arms when I'm carrying him...he leans himself in every direction trying to get to things.

Caroline does the same thing! She reminds me of the maiden on the front of a ship. It's so cute!


Self Feeding
How is everyone's kids doing with feeding themselves? I've been trying to give Caroline Fruit Puffs. She picks them up but can't quite put them in her mouth. I am longing for the day that she makes this connection so that she can put her pacifier back in her mouth at night. LOL!

[allyray231]

Liz LOL at the self feeding--I look at Aiden playing with his paci and I say "You know it has been 8 months--and you STILL can't figure out how to put it in your mouth"

[LIZNKEITH]

Ally,
I know! She'll pick it up from all sides (the nipple, the holder, the edges), and bring it to her mouth, but can't put it in. I can't wait for the day I can just sprinkle a bunch of paci's in her crib at night and know that she can find one and knows what to do with it.

[sophiapb]

Alexa is a flippin' whiz with her pacifier and I really don't want her to be. Once she falls asleep I take out her pacifier because I am so afraid that she will become too reliant on it for sleeping. Too often I go into room during her nap or at night and she's found the pacifier which I tucked in the corner of her crib and stuffed it in her mouth. She's also a whiz at grabbing it while I'm taking her out of her crib. I'll take out her pacifier, put it in the corner and then pick her up and in that 2 second lag time, she's swiped the pacifier and stuffed it in her mouth. :confused:
My mom has mistakenly put the Nuk pacifier in Alexa's mouth upside down and Alexa will pull it out, flip it the correct way and put it back in.
It's like she's the Rainman of pacifiers.

Sorry, back to the original question of self-feeding. Alexa been eating Cheerios since 7 months and she's a pro. I now break the Cheerios in half just to stall her a bit because she will eat them fast. We just started Kix this past weekend and she does well with them although there's definitely a lot more of a chase since they are round and roll all over. We've also given her bits of toast and bits of banana. Her pincer grasp is developing very well although she will still do the "grab n' shove" caveman style feeding when we first put her finger food on her tray.
Alexa also is interested in the feeding spoon and I let play with it once I'm almost done feeding her. She's getting pretty good with the spoon although we haven't attempted an entire meal. I also give her a baby sippee with water and she has fun exploring that as well.
Slowly but surely!

[Dreshny]

It's like she's the Rainman of pacifiers.

LOL!

Asher loooves pacifiers, but doesn't know how to suck one and has never used one. He's so intrigued by them, though, that he steals them from other babies. We sometimes give him one when we change his diaper--he sucks the handle, chews the nipple, and lets us change him. :D

[allyray231]

Yeah I almost feel like it would be good to wean him before he figures it out!

[LIZNKEITH]

It's like she's the Rainman of pacifiers.

ROTFL! I can't believe how talented she is with a paci! :eek: That's so funny that she swipes it as you pull her from the crib. You need to keep an eye on that one. ;)

Dreshny,
That's adorable! Nobody ever said you have to suck them. ;)

Sophia raises another good topic...sippy cups. Who's using them? What kind do you use? We tried a sippy cup of water a couple of weeks ago and it didn't go over well. I noticed you have to suck real hard to get it to come out of the valve (not sure what kind I have..it's either a Munchkin or a Playtex). I don't think she realized it was for drinking and wouldn't suck on it. I saw Gerber has a transition sippy cup that's supposed to be more like a bottle. May try that one next.

[allyray231]

sippy cups we have the playtex one. Aiden loves it. Took him a while to stop chewing on it but now he really likes it--and drinks like a pro. He can hold it but not get it in his mouth to drink it by himself. Right now he has water in it at meal times. I am thinking of putting fomula in it so that he gets used to milk in it.

We tried the gerber one and I liked it becuase it was light but Aiden didn't really want to drink out of it

[Winterbride1253]

This Thread FLIES!!!

So I'm going to jump right in here!

Breastfeeding: Cole is almost 8 months and we are still BF'ing. I also have been using my freezer stash since I used to pump 1X a day before going back to work. I also have an excess b/c I double pump at work 1X etc.. etc.. so there is always some to freeze. When I'm with Cole I BF - BUT since he's eating ceral, fruit and veggies he only nurses like 3-4X per day. But the frozen milk gets used like crazy in his cereal. I'm shooting for my one year goal and I'm pretty confident we'll make it. Regardless of weird comments of family memebers! ;)

Sitting/Crawling: I could hardly believe the pediatrician at Cole's 4 month visit when she said he'd be sitting up by himself at 6 months! He was so wiggly! But he did! And now, just last week, he got up on all 4's and crawled! He was wiggling around and getting places on his belly but no real crawls, he's a little unsteady but every day he's better. He's stands great if he's holding onto us or something but he's still really unsteady.

Sign Language: I sign lots to him. Hopefully it will pay off in the future but it's something I really want to do. He has been screaming and doing little Ga Ga, Ba Ba,Da Da stuff but no real words.

Reaching: LOVE IT! He reaches for me, or DH and it's heart melting!

Sippy Cups: Yes! We've been practicing with water - Cole loves when we put crushed ice in it b/c it makes noise!

Anyway, gotta run - at work and soooooo busy! I work 4 days a week and might stay that way since my Mom watches Cole one day a week and my MIL will watch him 3 days (when DH goes back to work).

The babies are BEAUTIFUL!! So glad to read everyone (Liz, Dreshy, Ally, Sophia, Jmvan, USAWife etc.. etc.. ec....) More later!

[jmvan74]

It's like she's the Rainman of pacifiers.
OMG! Too funny Sophia! I have to admit that Collin is the same way. He is master and commander of the paci. He flips it, passes it from one hand to the next...give him two and he'll alternate! I keep them scattered about the crib. I don't mind the addiction! :D

Liz:She reminds me of the maiden on the front of a ship.
LOL! I guess I could compare Collin to a drunken sailor! hehe!

Sippy: We use the first years (trainer/disposable) cups. They aren't leak proof and don't recquire much sucking. To be honest, he prefers me to tilt a little plastic cup for him to drink out of, but we keep working on the sippy. He drinks when he wants to and shakes it the rest of the time. We have also use the "nubby". It has a softer spout and the water will come out when they chew on it.

Self-feed: DS does great with puffs and the like. He uses his thumb and finger to do the little pinchy motions. We haven't tried the spoon much. He wants it, but I'm afraid he'll gag himself! :eek:

Winter: We cross posted! Hooray for Cole crawling. These babies are really getting around!

[LIZNKEITH]

Winter,
Love the pic of Cole in your avatar. He's such a cutie pie! Glad to hear BF is going so well for you. I can't believe you're getting weird comments from family about going to a year. 1 year seems like the norm these days.
Cole loves when we put crushed ice in it b/c it makes noise!

Oooooh....gotta try this! caroline loves shaking things and making noise. The more noise, the better in her book. ;)

Julie,
LOL! I guess I could compare Collin to a drunken sailor!
:D Aye, matey!
he prefers me to tilt a little plastic cup for him to drink out of
That's Caroline. She'll reach for our water glasses and we'll give her a sip. Most of it ends up on her, but that's half the fun. Right?

[usafwife]

Lisa ~ Your little one has some expensive tastes, huh?

kesley ~ Yes, the phone saga/drama continues. The bank kicked the stop payment check back to them. I thought the least we deserved was a credit of some sort for all the trouble we went through but they never said anything regarding a credit. That's the last time we mail in our payments. We aren't going to go through that hassle ever again. It's hard to tell if it will be spring by then or not. We haven't had too much cold/bad weather so I'm thinking that it is going to come late when it's suppose to be getting warm. Good thing Easter isn't until April or we might be hunting Easter eggs in snow (we've had to do that in the past).

Ferris ~ We just thought that it was a little on the quick side. I figured it would happen but thought it would later this year or next year when it did happen. Oh well, his dad got remarried not quite 13 months after their mom passed away (she died in January and by the following Feb they were getting married). The boys weren't too happy about that but have made peace with it now (of course it's been 15 years as well). Congrats on Dougie pulling up. Sarah started doing that not too long ago. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her doing it.

Liz ~ I'm beginning to think that it would have been better just to have let both payments go through and have a really cheap bill the next month. No more mailing in payments for us. It's as if the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing.

Yobaby/Yogurt ~ Where are you all finding this? I haven't seen any yogurt for babies around here. Of course we are limited in our choices. I can't stand the main grocery store here. They are expensive on items, don't carry some items (like the Pace Enchilada sauce in the glass jar), have been known to sell outdated items, etc. I stay away from it as much as possible unless we just need something that the cheap store doesn't have. One of the reasons I love shopping at the commissary because they are cheap on a lot of things. I'll be glad when the new supercenter opens soon. Not that I'm all that fond of it but at least we won't have to do our major shopping once a month.

Julie ~ DD does the same thing. I really have to watch her when we go through doorways or she will hit her head on the doorjam because she just is trying to see what things are around her in every direction. And if there is something that she could possibly get her hands on.

Self-Feeding ~ I try to make her pick up the Gerber Puffs but she hasn't mastered being able to put it in her mouth yet. I'm kind of surprised because she's been holding her bottle for 2 months now (maybe longer). She loves to grab the spoon when we are feeding her baby food though.

Sippy Cups ~ We bought DD the Gerber transition/learn ones that the handles move (are closer together and then move to the side like a regular sippy cup) for Christmas. It came as a two pack. my mom bought her a Nuby one a couple of weeks ago. I tried the Nuby one with water but she got more water on her and her clothes than she got in her mouth. So I'm thinking of trying the Gerber one to see if she does better with it. She wasn't too sure about the water though. She had the funniest looks on her face (of course it was the first time she had water). What are you putting in the sippies? Water? Formula? We were told to stay away from juice for a while longer at her 6 month appt. She wants to drink out of our pop bottles, water bottles, or glasses/cups.

Winter ~ Congrats on the crawl! Once Sarah learned to crawl she has been so mobile.

Reaching ~ DD has recently started reaching for me when she wants to be picked up. DH tried to have her reach for him but she didn't. She just reached for me. He tries his best to get her to let him do things for her but she won't. It seems that most of the time she would rather have me do them. Sometimes I just need a break and he wants to do those things for her. Hopefully it's just a phase and it will pass soon.

[LIZNKEITH]

Meri,
I got Yobaby at Publix. It was in the yogurt section with everything else. Haven't checked at Kroger or Wal-Mart yet.
What are you putting in the sippies? Water? Formula?
I've just been putting water in it for now. I've only tried her with it a couple of times though.

Juice
Anyone else as against this as I am? I really don't want to introduce it until she is much older, and when I do it will be extremely diluted. Every kid I know who drinks it, that's all they will drink. I'd rather Caroline be a water and milk kind of gal.

[allyray231]

Juice I am so anti juice. When the ped told me I could give it to him at 8 months-I just kinda looked at him like-yea ok. I don't understand why. I don't think juice has any nutritional value. Maybe at 3 or 4 but not now

[jmvan74]

juice: I don't give it to Collin on a regular basis, but I do give him dilluted pear or prune juice when he gets constipated. I'm not anti-juice either, I just think water is better. ;) IMO.

[june05Mommies]

Updated to here.

Naamah ~ So sorry that I didn't see your change until today. Please forgive me. :o

[Ferris]

Yogurt So we decided to give him yobaby (got it a trader joe's) and he LOVED it. I mixed it with alittle rice cereal to make it thicker and he ate almost half the container!!! Which is so good for Dougie!

Usawife Sometimes I don't understand why people get married so fast when the are older! My friends dad got remarried 6 months after his wife died!:( He might have been ready, but he should have thought about his sons too.

Juice Every so often we give him some, but we usually stick to water and milk.

BF I will breastfeed until he is at least 1 year and probably until I go back to work in September (after summer break). That way I can dry up in the summer! I am also getting comments from people :rolleyes: and in June we are going back to inlaws, who don't believe in breastfeeding in the first place so I know I will get comments from them.

Formula So today I mixed 2 oz of formula with 5 oz of breastmilk and he drank it! So tomorrow we will do the same.

Night w/o Kids? Has anyone done this yet? It's my DH 30 birthday so we are going out to dinner and a movie and my mom is going to watch him that night for us. It will be the first night without him and I worried I won't sleep well! Has anyone spent the night without their DC? How did it go?

Sippies Everyday I make him a sippy with water in it and ask my mom if she gave it to him and off course he didn't!:mad: I told her that I wanted her to start giving him his milk in a sippy as well, but she said he was fine with the bottle. My nephew who is 2 still takes a bottle and I don't want Dougie to be 2 and still drink from the bottle!

[LIZNKEITH]

Ferris,
Awesome! I'm so glad you found something Dougie likes so much! Caroline gobbles that stuff up. It's nice when we can actually find something our picky eaters will eat. :rolleyes:

Night w/o Kids
We actually did 2 nights without Caroline back in October while we were out in Vegas. My SIL lives about 2 hours from Vegas and offered to take DD for two nights so we could actually go out on the town. It was so hard leaving her. I actually bawled for about two hours after she left, but after we got out, I did much better and actually had a great time. It was nice to finally spend some much needed quality time with DH. Of course, I called like 3 times a day to make sure she was okay. ;)

BF
Well...not technically, since I exclusively pump. My original plan was 6 months, but now that I've made that, I want to stretch it to a year. However, I was sick 2 weeks ago and my already very limited supply took even more of a dive. I figure now that I will assess how I feel at 9 months and see if I want to go the extra 3.

[allyray231]

Night w/o Kids? THis weekend will be the first time. DH and I are going to visit my parents and staying overnight at the hotel where we were married. Granted I will only be 10 minutes away but it is gonna be strange. I am excited

Yogurt Might have to give it a try

Milestone Alert!! Aiden FINALLY fed himself last night. Took about 10 times till he got it and there were puffs everywhere but he did it once. I was very proud. I also tried formula in his sippy cup to see if he would drink it and he did-that also made me happy

However, poor kid got some irritation on his cheek last night playing with DH from his stubble. Look better today but I felt so bad for him.

[jmvan74]

Man, I am soo jealous of all these babies who take bottles. :(

Ferris: Congrats on Dougie taking some formula and eating yogurt. :p

N/O alone: Nope, not here. We did go to the movies the night before Thanksgiving and my mom watched him. I was totally fine. Didn't worry or call. DH was nervous, though!

BF: I'll be going to a year, unless Collin weans himself before that. This is not my choice, but his. I would've stopped at 6months if he had taken a bottle. I feel so bad b/c I'm not sure I will bf the next time around b/c of this. It would be different if I felt I had a choice, but feeling forced is not so fun. I just keep telling myself it is what's best for him. :o

Ally: Congrats on Aiden feeding himself.

[LIZNKEITH]

Ally,
Wow! Busy night at your place! I can't believe Aiden fed himself and drank from a sippy. I tried letting Caroline feed herself with the spoon last night and it ended up everywhere but in her mouth. Then, she'd get really mad when I took the spoon from her. :p

Julie,
You just have to try and remember that every baby is different. Just because Collin won't take a bottle doesn't mean the same will be true for the next. How old was he when you tried to give him his first? Maybe it's just a matter of starting younder. I gave Caroline 1 bottle a day starting at about 4 days old and didn't have a problem with nipple confusion. Only at about 4 month old after she'd been off the breast for two months or so would she not go back.

[Dreshny]

Julie: Asher won't take a bottle, either. He chews on it, but can't figure out how to suck. Same with the sippy.

Time without DC: I think we're going to see a matinee of a Broadway show the first week of March and have my parents watch Asher. It'll be hard, especially since he won't take a bottle, but for three hours, I'm pretty sure he'll be fine. Luckily, we live 15 minutes from the Broadway theatres. :rolleyes:

[allyray231]

Liz Oh I can totally not give Aiden a spoon-he wil freak if I take away. I did get him those little dipper things, but he just puts it in his mouth-won't really use it to eat

[leela13]

Yes, Sophie already has expensive tastes. :p What am I going to do when she is a year old? No really we went to a birthday dinner and she ate from our plates. Sophie loves food. She will open her mouth for anything.

Yogurt- She loved the cereal, fruit, yogurt mix. She ate the whole container.

BFing- Sophie is still on 100% BM. She takes bottles during the day when I am at work. My goal was 6 months. I am not sure why I am still doing it. I guess I am just in the routine. It seems easier than trying to get her to take formula. The problem is that it has tied us down a bit.

Sippy Cup- Sophie has been using a sippy cup for a while now. We have the Avent cup. It has a soft nipple? spout? what is it called? She loves it. And she doen's have to suck very hard to get stuff out.

Juice- Sophie only gets juice if I am having some. She drinks it from my glass. She really likes carrot juice. I am somewhat opposed to bottles of juice unless they are 100% juice. Does anyone have a juicer?

Self Feeding- Sophie is very caveman like. She generally picks something up changes hand and trys to shove her hand as well as the food in her mouth. Her failure rate is dropping. I guess she has fine tuned her method.:D

Naamah- How is Shylah feeling?

Lisa

[tgr68]

Thanks girls for all your thoughts!

Kelsey~She didn't mind the Pedialyte at first. After a while though, she would refuse it and cry because it just didn't stick with her.

Self-Feeding~It's hit and miss actually getting the Puffs into her mouth, but she's doing really good at picking them up!

LIZ~LOL at sprinkling paci's around her crib! Kinda of like rose petals but for babies! ;)

Pacifiers~Most of the time she puts it back in her mouth. Othertimes, she'll just stare at it and cry until we pick it up for her. :rolleyes:

Sophia~LOL at the Rainman comment! Shylah is doing better, just really tired.

Sippy Cups~We've tried one a few times (Gerber softspout), but she just hasn't seemed interested.

Winter~Congrats on the crawling!! Cole loves when we put crushed ice in it b/c it makes noise! Hmmm....Maybe this will get her more interested in the sippy.

Juice~She won't be getting any for a long while! I just don't think it's necessary. Besides, I think the fruit flavored Pedialyte has maybe scarred her from fruit flavored drinks for a while! :p

Threadmistress~No problem!

Ferris~Answered your question in your journal. Everyone did fine our first night apart.

Ally~Congrats on Aiden feeding himself!

BFing~I just have to give all you mom's a big pat on the back for BFing this long!! You are awesome!

Update cross-posted from my journal: Well, gals, we're still not completely over this. Still very tired! I did end up coming down with the junk, as did DH. I felt like I was going to throw up, but never did. Nothing I ate made me feel any better, but I was so hungry not to eat. Then yesterday I developed the most horrid migraine. I finally went to bed around 9:00pm. My headache was gone by 10:00, and I was asleep by 11:00. Shylah did wake up around 1:00am, but then slept right up until 8:00. She woke up long enough to play for a little while and drink her bottle. Poor thing was about to fall asleep sitting up, so I took her back up.

[jmvan74]

Liz: I know. I keep trying to remind myself of that, but it creeps in. We started trying a bottle with Collin at 4 weeks. We tried everyday from 4wks to 4mo. :eek: We even tried again a few weeks ago and now he is smart enough to clamp his mouth closed! :p Oh well. He's healthy.

Roseanne: Most of the time, I don't mind that he doesn't take a bottle, but every now and then a break would be nice. :o

Lisa: Collin likes the fruit/cereal yogurt combo, too. MMMM.

Naamah, I hope you all feel better soon. Blah.

[kimthebride]

Holy cow this thread is moving faster than the May/June thread! :eek: I'll catch up what I can, but I am sleepy and a friend is on her way over...

Self-Feeding
He oves the mesh feeder thing, and can pick up little bits of the puffs. I just feel I should wait on more finger foods til he has some teeth or is chomping more.

Pacifier
He only takes his for naps/bedtime and if he's totally inconsolable (like when he was really sick and cranky). He is a whiz at taking it in and out, fixing it if I put it in wrong. But he doesnt always need it for a nap, so I'm happy with that.
However, I still have him using the 0-6 month Nams with the mindset that at some point they'll be annoyingly too small for him and he'll lose interest. He also self-sooths with his fingers, singing and sucking on a blanket.

Chicken
Anyone else bake some and grind it in a baby food mill yet? Mmmmmm...powdery chicken - yum! ;) I am adding some to avocado & apple for Thomas' lunch today. Hope he likes it! Its the 1st intro to chicken.

Sippy Cups
Some days he'll take it, others he'll just chew on the handle.

Juice
I am not a fan and neither is my Ped. I did give him 1oz 100% organic pear juice with 7oz water when he was constipated, but that was 2x and he didn't drink it anyway.

Alone with DH
Friday night will be our 1st night out alone, since MIL is in and wants to watch him. The annoying thing? When we get back from our hot date his mom will be staying with us! Not too romantic, if you catch my drift...

BF/Formula
I was going to wean in January, but BFing is so much easier for us now than over the holidays so I am just going as long as I feel like it with no plan. I figure I did 6 months so at this point anything else is icing, you know?
At this point I BF him 3x a day, give him 1 bottle of formula, and 2x a day he gets 4oz formula with cereal. He took Good Start right away, no problems - his Ped suggested it.

Yogurt
Still scared of it! I don't know why I am such a wimp. I should just try it and get it over with, if it ruins his sleep I'll stop.

Baby Yoga
We started the new level of yoga (www.ItsyBitsyYoga.com) yesterday. We've been doing the infant, and now it's toddlers - crawling and up. It was SO CUTE!!! I love how all the crawling/walking babies interact.

[tgr68]

We are all feeling much better!!! Shylah did throw up again last night, but I think it's because we tried to move her to full power formula too early. Since then, she has been great! I've kept her on a 50/50 water/formula mixture. I think we'll try bumping her up to a 25/75 mixture tomorrow to see how she does. My mom is supposed to be coming into town Saturday, so I hope she is feeling really good by then!

[leela13]

I just feel I should wait on more finger foods til he has some teeth or is chomping more.

I have a friend that is also nervous about food. The thing is that front teeth won't help with chewing. I think we have to teach them how to chew. We spent a lot of time making exagerated chewing motions for Sophie. Now she has it down and loves to eat.

Chicken- We have given her chicken. At first we made it in the food mill but now we give her piece of ground chicken. She loves it.

[LIZNKEITH]

Dreshny,
Have fun! I really applaud you and Julie. I can't imagine never being gone from Caroline for more than three hours.

Ally,
What's with our little babies and their attitude with the spoon? I need to try the dipper.

Lisa,
I haven't seen the cereal, fruit, and yogurt mix? Where did you find it?

Naamah,
Kinda of like rose petals but for babies!
LOL! She'd wake up and think that she'd gone to heaven!
Glad to hear that you are all feeling better!

Julie,
Wow. He's a tough little guy. Everyday for 3 months?! Yup, he's NOT taking it. :p

Kim,
That yoga class sounds so cute! The other day I went to dc to pick Caroline up and two little babies (maybe about 10 months old) were crawling around the floor in circle chasing each other and laughing hysterically. It was adorable! Made me all excited for Caroline to start crawling...for a second. ;)

Chicken
Not yet. Ped had instructed us to wait until 9 months to start meats.

[kimthebride]

Chicken
Not yet. Ped had instructed us to wait until 9 months to start meats.
Yeah, our Ped wanted me to introduce chicken & turkey in January, then beef & pork in Feb/March. But I don't eat any poultry or meat other than chicken breast so this is a weird step for me...and I find jarred poultry/meat ewwwwwwwwwwwwww. He seems to like the chicken, I just don't know what I am going to do yet about all the meats/poultry I don't eat. DH only eats turkey on Thanksgiving, beef at restaurants. So...not quite sure how we're going to do all the intros. :confused:

[LIZNKEITH]

Kim,
Hmmm..that does make it tough. I'm with you. I find all jarred food revolting. I wouldn't eat it, and I certainly don't expect Caroline to eat it. Chicken is easy...just get the canned chicken salad stuff. They've got the all white meat kind. I don't know what to tell you about pork and beef though. That's tough.

[allyray231]

I have 2 chicken in the jar things and we tried one last night-I gotta say though the jarred stuf freaks me out.

Any ideas how else I can make it? Make a poweder?

[sophiapb]

We're going to start Alexa on meats next month. I'm planning on just pureeing some chopped chicken in the mini-prep with peas or green beans or whatever. I want Alexa to get used to the taste and consistency of it before I just give it to her straight in chopped up little finger food form.
I'm in the same league as Liz when it comes to leaving Alexa. DH and I can't even enjoy a movie unless she's right next to us so I don't see a romantic weekend away happening anytime soon.

[LIZNKEITH]

I'm in the same league as Liz when it comes to leaving Alexa. DH and I can't even enjoy a movie unless she's right next to us so I don't see a romantic weekend away happening anytime soon.
You must have me confused with another Liz. ;) Keith and I have gotten out a couple of times, though I prefer for Caroline to be with us. Usually one of us will stay with her, while the other goes out. But we've had a couple of nights where we've both gone out together and Mom or my Aunt will stay with her.

[sophiapb]

Uh, Liz, didn't you almost throw yourself in front of SIL's car when she took Caroline for a few days while you and Keith were in Vegas? Stop pretending to be so stoic! I know you're a marshmallow on the inside! Okay, so you can leave Caroline for three hours while DH and I grumble through 2 1/2 hours of Harry Potter if Alexa isn't by our sides. Fine, Miss Fancy-Pants, you are a braver woman than I (or at least not compulsive and derangely obsessed like me).

Edited to ask why can't we put winking smilies that say "I'm just kidding" in our edits?

[LIZNKEITH]

Sophia,
ROTFLMAO!

As long as you recognize who the stronger woman is. ;) In all seriousness:
Uh, Liz, didn't you almost throw yourself in front of SIL's car when she took Caroline for a few days while you and Keith were in Vegas?
YES! I'm ashamed to admit I actually lingered behind the car so they couldn't back up. LOL! :o

[leela13]

Kim- Don't worry about the other meats. I have a friend who is vegetarian but her husband eats chicken. So they let there kids have chicken but nothing else. There is nothing wrong with not giving you kids all meats or meat at all for that matter.


Lisa

[tgr68]

Sophia & LIZ~LOL!!! You two are cracking me up!

Kim~The baby yoga sounds fun!

LIZ~Thought you'd like the rose petal comment! ;)

Meats~I won't give her the jarred meats unless they are mixed with something - chicken & noodle, turkey & sweet potates, ham & mixed veggies, etc. They just look nasty!! When I do give her a dinner, I usually heat it in the microwave for about 10 seconds and stir it really well.

Not a whole lot going on here. I did manage to get in 2 workouts today - one in the morning and one this afternoon. Still not seeing any results though. :( I am working really hard on eating more but smaller meals throughout the day. Hopefully that will help. I've also been trying to drink a glass of water anytime I get the urge to do "taste tests" while I'm cooking to help me curb my appetite until dinner is ready.

[Dreshny]

Meats: DH and I are vegetarians, so we're not going to introduce them. My parents are worried, so I guess we're going to have to find lots of alternative protein and iron sources for Asher (eggs, beans, lentils, spinach, etc.)

[jmvan74]

I had a nice long reply and then cc ate it! So shortened version..

Meat: We give here and there, but I'm not in any rush.:rolleyes:

[LIZNKEITH]

Meats
Yeah, a lot of the mixes don't sound too bad. I saw one for Chicken & Apples that I think DD will like. No way in hell I'm letting those gross meat stick things in to my house...EVER! :p

[allyray231]

Yeah we did Chicken and pears--he seemed to like it

[tgr68]

Meats~Last night I gave Shylah some of the sweet & sour chicken I had made for dinner and she loved it!! I just broke it into really tiny pieces, and it was gone in no time!

[sophiapb]

Meats
No way in hell I'm letting those gross meat stick things in to my house...EVER! :p

Okay, who actually buys those things? :confused: The color and consistency remind me of the fetal pigs floating in formaldehyde that we had in science class. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwww!

[tgr68]

The color and consistency remind me of the fetal pigs floating in formaldehyde that we had in science class. http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/sick007.gif

[LIZNKEITH]

Bwahahahahahaha!

[jmvan74]

Nasty!!!!! ROTFL!!!:D

[jmvan74]

Okay ladies...Those of you who are bfing or pumping and have AF....did your supply start to suffer prior to her return? Does it continue to suffer?

I think my supply is starting to suffer. Collin seems to be needing both sides per feeding (he has always been a one side nurser) and he's doing a lot of tugging (ouch). I don't have AF yet, but I've been feeling like she could come at any time. Maybe it's a growth spurt...but he's only 8 months...well 8 months on Monday.

[sophiapb]

Julie, my supply would plummet a few days before AF. Within a few days of AF showing up, my supply would be back to normal. Hang in there! Is this your first time getting AF since Collin's arrival?

[usafwife]

Okay, who actually buys those things? :confused: The color and consistency remind me of the fetal pigs floating in formaldehyde that we had in science class. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwww!
I can't stomach to look at the meat sticks either. Glad to hear I'm not the only one. DD won't be eating them either.

[Dreshny]

Ewwww. Even if I wasn't a vegetarian. Ew.

[LIZNKEITH]

Julie,
Ditto what Sophia said. It usually dips a few days prior to her arrival and is back up in a couple of days.

Meat Sticks
Okay, so now we know why they are the color and consistancy that they are. They've been sitting on the shelf since 1986. :eek:

[jmvan74]

Sophia: If I get AF, it will be the first time since Sept. 2004!:eek: I still feel like she's coming, but so far..no show. Thanks for the reassurance.

Liz: Thanks for sharing your experience. I don't really want her to show, but at this point....I keep thinking I'm pg, so I'd rather have AF. :p I don't want to buy stock in pg tests!


Okay, so now we know why they are the color and consistancy that they are. They've been sitting on the shelf since 1986
LOL!:D

[kimthebride]

AF
Still a no-show, and I am now only BFing 3x a day. :confused: I keep feeling like *somethings up*, and a couple weeks ago I had almost a week of spotting but no PMS feelings or anything like that. Maybe I'm gearing up?

Meat Sticks
DH and I tried to figure these out. They are sticks made of "meat" . Not even those people who eat pork rinds when drunk on cheap beer would eat a jarred stick of meat floating in bile-looking fluid.
How are they even on the market? Who buys these things?
Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew.

[LIZNKEITH]

Julie,
Uh-oh! Yeah, AF would definitely be the better option. Will you take a pregnancy test to be on the safe side? Not to scare you, but there was one Mommy in the BF thread who found out she was pg because her supply dipped.

Kim,
Not even those people who eat pork rinds when drunk on cheap beer would eat a jarred stick of meat floating in bile-looking fluid.

LOL! I'd put it up there with potted meat and SPAM.

[allyray231]

Meat sticks someone gave me so left over baby food from her son and there was a jar of them in there-FREAKED me out

[Ferris]

Night w/o Dougie I am getting his bags backed for my moms house. I am excited that DH and I get a night alone, but I will worry about how he is doing. I am SO looking forward to a good night sleep, since I have a little one who doesn't STTN yet, this change in sleep patterns won't really effect him.

Meat sticks! That just sounds gross.

[jmvan74]

Liz: I already tested! BFN! Whew!

Ferris: Hope you are having a great time and getting some sleep.

[Mrs.Chappy]

meat sticks..yuck!! i don't eat my meat out of a jar..neither should my baby...that's my take on it.

here's a pic from music class
http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1591/1/76/9/51/56/7/756510976106_0_ALB.jpg

and another..i couldn't resist
http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1591/1/76/9/51/83/1/183510976106_0_ALB.jpg

[tgr68]

Not a whole lot going on here. We have friends coming over later, so I desprately need to get going on making my house presentable. I just need to convince myself to get up! :p

[kimthebride]

Snow day - woo hoooo! :D
DH, DS & I are snowed in today, so its pajamas all day, movies and munching on my favorite pizza, which we picked up on our way home from a arty yesterday. Its nice to have a day in with my boys, ya know?

[LIZNKEITH]

Ally,
I'd be insulted. Send them back. LOL!

Ferris,
Have a great time and get some well-deserved rest! Can't wait to hear how it went.

Julie,
What a relief. I want to TTC again in 2006, but not this early. ;)

Mrs. Chappy,
I can't see the pics. :(

Naamah,
I'm in the same boat. I really feel like taking it easy today though.

Kim,
I'm so jealous! I want snow! Sounds like you've got the perfect day planned.


Milestone Alert
Caroline has started dancing when we sing to her! She kind of bobs up and down. I was singing to her on Friday and saw her do it. Thought it was just a fluke. Tried it again and she did the same thing. Showed Keith a few hours later, and she proved me right. She's been doing it on and off since. It's so freakin' cute!

[Dreshny]

Liz: I love the bobbing to music. I've seen other babies do it, but not Asher yet.

We're snowed in here, too, but we've got piles of laundry to do and DH wants to work on taxes. :rolleyes:

[jmvan74]

Snow! Wheee! I love snow and we don't get too much of it down here, but we have 16inches!!! I'm loving it! I took DS out to play and took some pics. I haven't uploaded them yet, though.:D

Liz:Yeah, we want to TTC in the fall or early winter, but not quite ready yet. Getting there. ;) That is so cute that Caroline is bobbing to the music! I thought Collin might be doing this, but I'm still not sure if he is bobbing or just "wobbling". hehe.

MrsChappy: How does Ben like music class? It looks like he likes the instruments. :p I want to enroll in some kind of class, but haven't decided what yet.

Naamah; I hope you were able to get your house in order for your guests. ;) I'd be embarassed if someone walked in my house right now. LOL!

Kim: Have fun with your boys.

Roseanne: Oooooh Taxes... goody. :rolleyes: I hope you take some time to play in the snow.

[Mrs.Chappy]

snow day here...Ben is crazy off the wall...too snowy to bring him out in this blizzard.. Instead, he is perfecting his crawling..sooo fast..he's going backwards and forwards. Now he has tons of bumps and bruises to show for it too.

MUSIC CLASS: He loves it..it is overstimulating for him so he falls alseep right after (and i have a great lunch our with my mommy friend).

[LIZNKEITH]

Dreshny,
At least taxes should be a little more interesting this year with our little "tax deductions". :)

Julie,
Wow...16 inches?! I'm so jealous. Can't you send a couple down this way? At first, I thought it was wbbling, too. Then I noticed she'd stop when I'd stop, and it was always to the beat of the music. Yeah, we think we'll TTC December 2006 or January 2007. Took us a year last time though, so we're prepared for another wait.

Mrs. Chappy,
Poor little guy. If it's bad now, can you imagine once they start walking? I shudder at the thought.

[jmvan74]

Liz, I would send you some if I could figure out how to keep it snow and not water! LOL! DH and I were joking about trying to sell some on ebay! hehe!:D

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b44/zoecat52/snowbaby.jpg

Our first big snow!

[kelseyledare]

Wow- so much to catch up on!

Julie- what great snow! Did Collin like the snow? Love the photo of Collin in the snow!! Too cute!

Dreshny- we did our taxes the other day. Bought Turbo Tax and it was definitely worth the $30 (which you can then deduct). Anyway, we're getting a good return this year, in part due to baby :)

Mrs. Chappy- I dread the bruising, but it seems inevitable. Glad Ben is enjoying his music class so much. I was looking for something, but they all seemed to meet during the daytime. :(

Naamah: Hope your cleaning went well. It just never ends, does it? With our dogs, we're always vacuuming up dog hair.

Kim: I'm totally envious! Your day sounds wonderful- enjoy your guys!

Liz - congrats on Caroline dancing! That sounds so cute! Some babies just really love music from a young age.

[kelseyledare]

We had a great time in Florida with my grandparents. They just had a ball with the baby and treated us like royalty. It was a very nice relaxing week. The weather was the coldest it's been in Florida this year :( so we only went to the beach once and tried swimming with Ava once. Their pool was heated, but the outside air had a cold breeze.

We also had no trouble on the plane, and Ava did very well. She even got compliments from several previously-wary fellow travelers. My DH was on business in NY and then Florida and had terrible flight delays. He actually ended up stranded in Atlanta with no luggage in a hotel overnight- not a happy Delta customer!

Anyway, here are some photos of our trip and I'll read the back pages I missed to catch up!

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc33b3127cce973eac03a97500000015108Aas2TNm2cuF

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc33b3127cce973eaf8f685000000015108Aas2TNm2cuF

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc33b3127cce973ead61e98f00000015108Aas2TNm2cuF

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dc33b3127cce973ea21ea96f00000015108Aas2TNm2cuF

[LIZNKEITH]

Julie,
Love the pic! Collin's little rosy cheeks are so cute. How weird is it that in one part of the country you post those pics, and Maggie posts Ava sunnin' it up? Talk about extremes.

Maggie,
Great pictures! Ava looks like she's already a Sun Goddess. I love her lower lip in the first picture, and her little belly in the last. So sweet!

[Mrs.Chappy]

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1421/1/86/63/73/48/5/548736386106_0_ALB.jpg

Sharing one from today's blizzard

[jmvan74]

Maggie: Collin didn't know what to think of the snow. He was cranky yesterday and he hates to get bundled up. He probably would have been much happier poolside with Ava! LOL! She looks so adorable. I can't wait to go to the beach with DS. Glad she did well on the plane.

Liz: The extremes are crazy. I love a good snow, but I also can't wait for the beach. Last summer we didn't go at all. boo hoo.

MrsChappy: Cute pic. Ben seems to be having the same reaction as Collin....Not sure what to make of it, but ok. :p

[LIZNKEITH]

Mrs. Chappy,
I wonder why I can't see any of your pics? :(

Julie,
We went to the beach once last year...when Caroline was 6 weeks old. A little too soon for me to be hopping back in to a bathing suit. :rolleyes:


I'm so exhausted this morning. Stayed up a wee bit too late to watch the Olympics and Caroline got up at midnight and 4. Just for a minute, but enough to throw off my sleep schedule. It was worth it though. Good, quality t.v.!

[Dreshny]

Mrs. Chappy: For some reason, I can't ever see your pictures...

[kimthebride]

Mrs Chappy
I cant ever see your pics either...any tips?

liznkeith
Every time the Olympics are on, I *think* I'm not really into them, but then I end up watching them for hours on end too :D

kelseyledare
Sooooooo CUTE!!! What a tummy!

jmvan
You have inspired me to go outside today in the 25 degree weather to introduce Thomas to Big Snow! :) Adorable pic!

Night Out
I was supposed to have one on Friday, since MIL was in and demanded DH & I have a date. Well...I had SUCH an exhausting week with Thomas and running around with MIL that when DH got home on Friday after work, he took one look at me and said "you look compltely fried - I am ordering in and you are going to bed early". Very romantic :p !

Play Time: What do you do?
Just wondering what you all are doing with DC for play time. I wanted to get inspired! Here's some things we do:
- I lay some toys out in groups around the room (balls, stacking boxes, musical, rattles...), so as he wanders about he may learn to associate the toys to each other.
- I'll sit with him with his stacking rings and show him different toys in the same color of each ring, repeating the color over and over
- He'll sit with me and go over a function on one of his toys over and over. On the FIsher Price table there is a napkin, and if you lift it it says "Peek A Boo" then the next time "I see you" then the next time "hee hee hee". We focused on this one day a few times, and now he does it for his Daddy - he knows to lift it a few times in a row.
- I crawl and have him chase me
- We read (I give him a book to chew while I read another one)
- I put small toys in his stacking boxes to pull out, and bright ones under big clear Tupperware bowls.
- And I give him 'free time' every day, where I let him play all alone, explore, and I just leave him be (obviously I stay right there, but don't interact unless he looks for me).

[Jessiesmama]

I haven't been in here in forever - I'm so behind I couldn't catch up - so I'll just jump in.

Sickies
Jessica is sick - she came down with a cold last Saturday that turned into an ear infection. She saw the Dr. twice last week (Monday and Thursday). At first he didn't want to put her back on antibiotics becasue she had just gotten off of them, so he prescribed a decongestant - but by Thursday she still wasn't feeling any better so I took her back and they gave her the antibiotics because there was fluid in her ears. :eek: DH was also sick all week - the Flu!

jmvan
Awesome snow photo! I'd love to take Jessie out there but it's just too cold for a sick babe.

kelseyledare
OMG - she's so cute! Did Ava like the beach? Great pix!

Activity
Jessica loves to "fly" so we've set up stations. I'll fly her around and have her stop at the stations.
-She has the photo station where she looks at everyone’s picture and I name every one - she loves that
- then we have Mr. light (It's a huge flash light that I put a blue crystal ball on top of) we turn off the lights and spin the ball on top of the light
- then we move to the couch for a book, then to the other couch for her activity center and her piano/microphone (got this at a dollar store years ago for my neices) - Jessie shoves the microphone in her mouth and "sings" to the music.
-then we fly over to the computer. I have 2 CD ROMs for infants - One is a game called "knock knock who's at my door" every time she its any key, the door opens to reveal who's at the door. Now when I sing "knock knock who's at my door" she looks right toward the door - I'll only do that when someone is there - otherwise she gets pretty mad.
- we also practice things - like hugging, blowing kisses, that kind of stuff -
- when I run out of steam, we hit up her toys, jumperoo, exersaucer.

[Ferris]

Milestone Alert
Caroline has started dancing when we sing to her! She kind of bobs up and down. I was singing to her on Friday and saw her do it. Thought it was just a fluke. Tried it again and she did the same thing. Showed Keith a few hours later, and she proved me right. She's been doing it on and off since. It's so freakin' cute!

Dougie just started this the other da