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

[jmvan74]

Oh,Liz...That'll teach ya to get snarky! LOL! :p

Baby stuff: I've been packing away a lot of things as we go. I broke his bouncer...so it became trash. I'm not going to bother putting some things away, like the swing b/c I hope to be pg in the fall and we'll just have to pull it all out again! :D

Naamah: I hope your sis doesn't wait too long to call.:(

Wow, Ferris! I can't beleive Dougie is going to be 9 months!:eek: Our little babies are getting so big. I would probably feel sad if I was watching Collin's stuff leave the house (even if it was coming back.)

Formula! Ladies we have a miracle!!!! Instead of nursing this afternoon, I gave Collin 4 ounces of formula (cold from the fridge) in a sippy and he drank it all!! OTH, why do I feel so guilty about wanting to start weaning him.:(

[usafwife]

Naamah ~ I know what you mean about knowing that it wasn't clots. There are major differences between clots and what I passed.

Ferris ~ Congrats on the steps. DD started doing a little of that this weekend which makes me think that walking is not too far off in the future. Nine months already!! :eek: Geez, where does the time go?? Our little ones will be a year old before we know it. I couldn't stand it if it rained for 30 straight days. I would go crazy.

Liz ~ That will teach you not to brag so much huh? Just joking. Sorry that you had some cold temps. They definitely aren't very fun. Although our dogs didn't mind the cold temps at all. In fact they hardly spent any time in their dog houses when it was so bitterly cold. Hope you got everything packed up. I need to do that with the 0-3 month outfits but I just don't want to admit that DD is getting that big just yet. She is still able to wear some of the 3-6 month outfits though some a short on her. The 6-9 month ones are so big on her...especially at the waist.

Julie ~ Congrats on Collin drinking formula! I know how much of a struggle that has been for you.

[kelseyledare]

Ferris: Yay for Dougie's sleep, too bad it wasn't STTN. Glad to hear he was in such a happy mood- our babies are really getting to be so fun!

Julie: Horrary for the formula!!! :) I know how formula-resistant Collin has been. Maybe he'll like to drink formula from the sippy...

Meri: Wow- baby steps already? Maybe your Sarah will be one of those that skips crawling in favor of just walking! I totally understand on the clothes; it's so hard to see my favorite 3-6 mos clothes go away. My DD isn't in the pants/one piece outfits very long either b/c of the length. I have to enjoy them while they last!

Baby stuff: Hmm, I haven't packed anything away yet, but need to. DD is still sleeping in her PNP basinette and we'll have to move her down as she nears the 20 lb mark. I've set the bouncer and out-grown clothes up in her room, but no definitive packing yet. We haven't used our aquarium swing in awhile, but I'm not ready to pack it up!

Weekend- it was very cold here and rather overcast. DH caught whatever GI virus has been lurking around and was sick all weekend. So we watched some movies and just hung out. I was sick with it last weekend. Thankfully, Ava has missed it both times.

[Ferris]

Sleep I am beginning to think Dougie sleeps problems aren't hunger related. I am reading about babies who have allergies and snore with causes sleep problems. It talks about babies who sleep with their mouths open, who wake every 2 hours or so, who have restless sleeping (moving around a lot during sleep) and a bunch of other things that sound a lot like Douglas. I am going to ask my doc about it on Wednesday. I will be mad if it has to do with his sinuses because from the day he was born he has been stuffed up and I have always told the docs and they don't seem to be concerned.

The last 2 nights have been horrible. He woke up every 2 hours and went back to sleep easily if I nursed him, if I didn't he cried and cried and cried. :(

Julie Yeah for the formula. Don't feel bad for wanting to wean, I have been thinking about weaning to just morning and night, but I have to get him to drink the formula before we can even try that!

Meri Yeah for the steps!! The rain did suck, put it wasn't always a downpour. The rain here is usually heavy mist, so you don't even need an umbrella. In fact I haven't used one since we moved here over a 1 1/2 ago.

Training So tomorrow I have a math training and instead of working at 11:15 to 3, I will work 7:30 to 11:15. I am going to miss sleeping in. So I had to prepare for my sub, which in kindergarten took me an hour to type the lesson and tomorrow I still have to get the classroom ready. I hate having to prepare for a sub, its such a pain. I would rather just teach than do all this work. Next time I will just have them show a video!!

[kimthebride]

ferris
I would *love* to loan our baby stuff to a friend...we are out of room here! I have no more closets to stuff, under-the-bed to cram things into. :confused:
Can't wait to see those pics...

jmvan
I am also in the weaning process...you know, there's nothing to feel guilty about! I've been doing it really slowly, but I think we're ready to be fully weaned within just a couple more weeks.
It will be wierd (I love when he falls asleep on me while nursing :o ), but I am also really looking forward to DH getting more involved in the bottles so they can build their connection more.
Congrats on your success so far!

Not much going on here. Seeing some friends this week, had DH home yesterday. Just glad Thomas is still STTN. He woke up a few times after being put down last night, but he fussed it out and settled himself back down on his own each time within a minute. He even turned on his FP Aquarium and watched it while he fell back asleep. God Bless that thing! :D

[allyray231]

Hi ladies!! I will try to catch up soon!!

[sophiapb]

Loaning out baby stuff-Yup, I've sent off a bunch of gender neutral newborn clothes to Frank Jr. Jr. as well as some bath items and such. I'll also be sending over the door jam bouncer and the exersaucer once Alexa is done with them.
We received a bunch of items on loan from a couple of friends and they were such a help. So many things are only used for a few months and then they sit around and collect dust. I was thrilled to accept loaners and will do the same for other new moms. In fact, one of my friends gave birth a daughter last week and I need to get my bouncers out to her.

Yay for STTN and drinking formula from cups! Our babies are growing up!

[allyray231]

Loaning out baby stuff A bunch of the clothes I got where hand me downs so I gave most of those along with some stuff I didn't want to my nanny for her new grandson. Our bassinet is at my parents and our carseat is in the corner of the apartment. Man I need a house for all this stuff!

Teeth Tooth number 2 is coming in-right next to the other one. The first one is totally in yet but it is there. I love to watch Aiden play with it.

pacifer no more? I really want to wean Aiden from the paci soon--any suggestions? He only has it at night and naps but this weekend whenever he saw it he wanted it.

Ferris Yeah for baby steps!!

[jmvan74]

Meri: Thanks. We'll see how things go.

Maggie: It has been such a struggle and I'm so ready for a little more freedom. I think the sippy is the key here. Plus I didn't warm it up, so it wasn't like i was trying to pass it off as my own milk. :rolleyes:

Ferris: I'm trying to wean down to just morning and night and be completely weaned by his 1st b-day. Don't give up on the forumula...it just spontaneously happened here!

Kim: I know I shouldn't feel guilty, but I think I've read too much crap jamming the importance of nursing for a year in to my head! I know he will be fine. I was exclusively formula fed and turned out just fine! Well....at least I think so. ;)

Sophia, So you may not be a shoveller, but you're a "do gooder!" Sharing all of your goodies with other new mommies. :D

Ally, I'm sorry I don't have any advice on weaning from the paci. I'll probably be one of those mom's who has a 5year old with a pacifier in his mouth! LOL! (joking....I won't let him have it that long!):o

excema: Collin has horrible excema. I need to call his ped in a few minutes to see if I can bring him in for her to see. It looks painful. We've been bathing him with cetaphil and lathering him with Eucerine 2X's a day, but it still looks so bad. My poor pumpkin.

Napping: Why is that he became this wonderful, put himself to sleep kid and now he has been playing in his crib for an hour!! (without taking his nap!) Do I just let him play and give up on this nap. :confused:

[sophiapb]

Quick drive by to say that Alexa got her third tooth on Saturday. Her front upper left.

[Mrs.Chappy]

NAPPING: i think we are phasing out the morning nap... he fights it but then passes out around 11 am...its almost one and he's still asleep..i don't see him going for a nother nap until the 7:30 bed time. Looks like we are going to have to either skip out on some playgroups w hich are at 11:30 and change the time of other activities (good thing music class ends early April).

[Mrs.Chappy]

JMVAN: about leaving him to play..i also ask myself that ?? Like if you leaving him, will he just fall asleep..or get fussy then fall asleep or boycott the nap all together?

[tgr68]

Julie~Happy 9 months to Dougie!!

Baby Stuff~I have all of her 0-3 month stuff pretty well packed up and ready to give away. We have one mommy who just had a little girl (6wks) and another who is pg with a girl, so between the two of them I'll be able to get rid of a lot of stuff when Shylah outgrows it!

Meri~Definately! What I passed reminded me of a beat-up white pencil eraser. Can't think of any other way to describe it. :confused: I checked online and it would have been about the right size of a 9 week old fetus. :(

Ack! Just noticed the time. Must get off the computer and ready for work!!! :eek:

[allyray231]

Mrs Chappy So sorry I just noticed that you asked me a question about meats!! We are giving Aiden chicken-basically it is whatever I have--grilled, baked-whatever. I break it up into little pieces and feed it to him.

I haven't tried any other meats yet. I think turkey is next maybe

[usafwife]

kelsey ~ DD is crawling up a storm. She loves it now that she is able to get places. In fact I caught her going down the hallway the other day. She was either chasing me or the cat. DH couldn't believe that she was that fast. If her balance was better there would be no doubt that she would be taking more steps without holding on to things by now.

Ferris ~ Sorry to hear about the sleep problems. DD sleeps with her mouth open a lot. And she does move around some before she gets in a deep sleep. I'm sure that she will have allergies just based upon my history and my family history of allergy problems. I have to have the sun out some. Thanks.

ally ~ Congrats on the 2nd tooth. DD's 2nd one came in just a few days after her first one. Watch out though as two are very sharp! Wish I could give you some pointers on the pacifier but DD never really liked them so taking it away was never a problem.

Julie ~ I was never BF as a baby and neither was DH. We both turned out just fine. In fact DH went through 6 formulas before they finally found one that he could handle. What did the ped say?

sophia ~ Congrats!!!

[kelseyledare]

Napping/Playing: I have no suggestions for the napping/playing dilemna. My DD either goes to sleep right away or screams- no middle road. I guess I'd let them play quietly in the crib; I mean, they might be resting somewhat, right?

Kim: That is great that Thomas turned on his FP Aquarium by himself. I just took the mobile part off Ava's SIM, but left the music box part. Maybe she'll learn to turn it on too. Glad to hear Thomas is still STTN. You must feel like a new woman with a full night's rest!

Ally: Congrats on tooth #2. Aiden's birthday twin is also working on her second bottom tooth. Sorry, I don't have any advice on the paci weaning. We're junkies here :D

Julie: I can definitely understand that you're ready for some more freedom. Sorry to hear about Collin's eczema. Does it run in the family?

Sophia: That is great that you are sharing so much of Alexa's stuff. I agree that it is so much money for stuff they don't use all that long!

[Mrs.Chappy]

Ally t hanks..i was stressing over having to puree the chicken but i guess i can break it into bits and give it to him..he's getting better at guming things like ch errios and gerber puffs.

[jmvan74]

MrsChappy: We ended up skipping the nap all together. :( He finally fell asleep around 12:30 and has been up since 2! DH is trying to get him down for the night now.

Sophia: Hooray for another tooth!

Meri: I'm going to the ped tomorrow. The last time I was there he didn't have the skin issues. As far as formula goes...she told me to only offer him formula during the day, but I can't let him go thirsty...he'll end up constipated. She underestimates the stubborness of my child. :o

Maggie: I have pretty dry skin, but not "eczema" per say. I'm taking Collin to the ped tomorrow. I'm sure his sleep difficulties are tied in to his discomfort. :( I let him play in his crib until he started to cry and then we just skipped the nap. Blahh. I'm so tired.

[Dreshny]

I think Asher's setting a new non-nap record. He's been awake since 11:45 AM and it's 6:30 now. So that's almost 7 hours. He refused to walk out or nurse out (been trying off and on since 3:30.) :rolleyes:

ETA: He finally went down at 7:00. Whew!

[kimthebride]

pacifier
When do you use it? Just naps & bedtime? More often? Give us an idea and maybe we can come up with something...

STTN
Stupid stupid stupid me. :rolleyes: I haven't been good about making him take his water, so he's been a little bound up and thus not STTN yesterday. Bad me! I could kick myself! Oh well, lesson learned.
I have tried 2 Gerber sippy cups and the Nuby. Seems to do the best with the Nuby, though not great. When I'm home I give him a Dixie Cup to drink from, though of course that doesn't last long.
How else can I get this kid water? Is it setting myself up for trouble putting a touch of juice in water to flavor it up, and putting it in a bottle? I am anti-juice but my kid needs to be hydrated....

Pull Up
Yesterday he pulled himself to standing on his own for the 1st time. My big boy!

[allyray231]

pacifier-usually only at naps and at night-sometimes in the car

water-there is nothing wrong with putting water in a bottle or even giving him a little juice in it. Whatever way you can get it in him!!

tummy sleep AIden has started to sleep on his tummy--still freaks me out but he seems to sleep well that way.

yogurt tried it last night--LOVED IT!

chicken I make it really really small pieces and it just kinda breaks down in his mouth after a while

[tgr68]

Napping/Playing~This happens a lot with us actually because I have a very strict morning nap - 10am, no questions. Sometimes DD is right out and others she play for about 30 minutes. I just leave her in there.

Julie~DD is very prone to dry skin thanks to DH's genes. :rolleyes: To combat it, I usually lotion her up after both baths and diaper changes. We also use Huggies Shea Butter Wipes.

Pacifier~She has it with her almost constantly!

Kim~If you want to flavor it up, I would try just a little Pedialyte. Congrats on the pull up!! :cool:

Not much going on here. We got up a little earlier than usual, and the girl I babysit was being super fussy. So, everyone went down for naps 30-45min early today. Must go excercise while I have some quiet!! :D

[jmvan74]

Nursing/solids/sleeping strike! I don't know what to do. Collin won't nurse, he won't take formula or water. He doesn't want me to come anywhere near him with the spoon and he doesn't want to nap. Ugghh! I'm drained. I finally got him down for a nap. We're going to the ped this afternoon, so I'll ask for her suggestions, but I find I don't always agree with her when it comes to feeding advice.
** the nursing strike could be do to the return of AF last night. yippee! :rolleyes:

Pacifier: ~She has it with her almost constantly!
This is Collin, too, Naamah. He'll spit it out to babble or focus on what he's doing, but it's always with in reach.

Pull Up over Here, too! I can't beleive it. I was in the living room and I looked over and Collin was on his knees at his learning table. I turned away and then walked back in to the room and he was standing there playing! :eek: I'm not even sure how he got to the table b/c I didn't set him down next to it!

[usafwife]

For those that have the Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium how did you position it once you lowered the crib mattress? We had been loving it until we lowered the crib mattress to the lowest position and now DD has to stand in order to play with it. Can it be put down to almost/at the mattress level? If so, how can you attach it to the crib?

Walking Shoes ~ What type of walking shoes are going to be getting your DC? I was told that they needed good ankle support when starting to walk. The walkers I have found just don't seem like they have good ankle support.

[Ferris]

Walking Shoes Don't have any for DS yet, but my family insists we get Stride Rites. They are supposed to be really good for arch support. They sell them at Nordstroms.

Aren't these so cute!!
http://www.striderite.com/images/us/local/products/thumb/SPROUT.JPG
http://www.striderite.com/images/us/local/products/thumb/BACCIODARKBROWN.JPG

Oh I so want a little girl...but I can wait! :p
http://www.striderite.com/images/us//local/products/detail/BABYSPORTYSOPINK.JPG
http://www.striderite.com/images/us/local/products/thumb/BABYHALEYTSTRAP.JPG

On their website they had some neat info
http://www.striderite.com/custserv/whystrideritemain.jsp?cid=213

Dougie's 9 month check-up
weight 17 lbs 7 oz
height 29 inches
head 18 inches

He is super skinny, but long. She said he looks great, so not to worry about his weight. She did say we will have to do a "baby bootcamp" to get Dougie to sleep. She said to let him CIO and it could take him 3-4 hours to finally fall asleep. I don't really agree with CIO, and I am sure I can't let my little guy cry for that long, so I am not sure what we are going to do about his sleep. Maybe we can try it, but I will probably have a nervous breakdown listening to him cry.

jmvan74 Sorry about the "strike" hopefully things will return to normal soon.

Pacifer Dougie has never really taken his pacifer, only for naps. We always have it near by, but it usually doesn't get used!

Water A lot of times we just give it to him straight from a cup. He loves drinking from them, it makes a mess, but he drinks it!

Tummy Sleep Dougie started doing this when he started to crawl. It also freaked me out, but he sleeps so much better on his tummy. When he first started doing it I kept checking to make sure his head was turned enough to the side, so he could breathe. He was always fine, but I had to make sure!

Chicken I just gave it to him the other day. I have been worried about meat, but like allray I just made it into small pieces and he loved it!

Giving away more of Dougie things!! Our friends just found out they are having a boy. Which is nice because my DH grew up with him, and now our sons can grow up together. Our friend is so excited he's having a boy and is already planning camping trips!! Anyways I am giving them all of Dougies clothes, which I got most of them from my sister who has a son! I am so glad I wasn't the first to have a baby, its saved us so much money!!

[jmvan74]

Well, the ped thinks Collin's skin troubles are stemming from an allergic or sensitivity to something he has eaten. Now I have to start figuring out what it could be. I'm concerned it might be the "puffs" b/c there is wheat in them. She gave us a perscription hydracortizone cream and told us to use Aveeno (no lanolin in it) when we are not using the RX cream. I need to watch it and give a call back in a week. He finally ate his breakfast with out fuss and he nursed fine this morning. whew...

FP Aquarium: I've been trying to figure that one out, too. We are getting ready to lower to the lowest setting and I don't know what we are going to do. I might just look for something new that will attach to the side of the crib.

Walking shoes: We will probably go with stride rite, as well. I went and talked to them the other day. The woman told me that babies shouldn't really wear shoes until they are 2 years old, but if you have hard wood or slippery surfaces (or are outside) it was good to get them a pair of shoes. Like Ferris said, they have lots of info on the web site and their shoes are part of a system...crib, crawling, cruising, walking.... Pretty neat.
And they are gosh darn cute!

[allyray231]

Tummy Sleep Dougie started doing this when he started to crawl. It also freaked me out, but he sleeps so much better on his tummy. When he first started doing it I kept checking to make sure his head was turned enough to the side, so he could breathe. He was always fine, but I had to make sure!

OMG that is me!! I just can get used to it. I know he sleeps better but I keep making sure his head is enough to the side!!

watery eyes Aidens eyes water a lot outside and he seems to be rubbing them more the usual. It isn't pink or anything so I was thinking maybe allergies??

[kimthebride]

FP Aquarium
Just twist the straps and put them on the verticle crib bars instead of the horizontal one, then let it sit on the mattress. DS loves being able to reach it this way. :)

Pacifier
I too only use it for naps and bedtime, keep it out of sight all other times (though close by in case of a breakdown of some sort ;) ).
Hmmm...maybe you could just start putting him down to nap without it for his 1st nap of the day?

[tgr68]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Screaming. Baby. Driving. Me. Nuts!

[usafwife]

Ferris ~ Thanks for the information about Stide Rite shoes.

Julie ~ I guess we will be looking into shoes for DD since we are going to be ripping up the carpet in most of the house and redoing the existing hardwood floors that are underneath. I don't want her to slip on it. I'm so excited and can't wait for the project to be done. Her room will be the only one to have carpet. Hope you get the allergy figured out.

ally ~ DD loves to sleep on her tummy and always has. I used to lay her on her back in the crib and she would immediately flip over to her tummy. I would turn her back and she'd flip again. Used to drive me crazy because I knew that back sleeping was the best to avoid certain things. Then I read that if the baby kept turning over onto their tummy that might be the best position and what was comfortable to them. I have a feeling that I'm going to have a tummy sleeper on my hands for a long time. I'm pretty sure that DD has allergies as well. Her eyes were really watery and red (and he noticed that when we were at the doctor's the last time. We were told to keep an eye on it. There have been a couple of days since that I have noticed them. I expect them to get more watery as spring approaches. I have the most trouble with mine in spring and summer.

kim ~ Thanks. We will have to try that regarding the aquarium. Let me see if I understand correctly. Turn the entire aquarium on it's side or just the straps on the back?

[LIZNKEITH]

We've been fighting the stomach bug with DD for a few days now. She seems better today, but I still kept her out of dc to make sure that she's recovered. Why didn't anyone tell me to buy stock in Dreft? :rolleyes:

Pacifier
Mostly when she's sleeping, but she takes it when she starts to get fussy prior to going down.

Sleeping on Tummy
DD has been doing this for about 2 months now. I always lay her down on her back, but she always winds up on her belly. I was worried at first, but 90% of SIDS cases happen prior to 6 months.

Julie,
Hope the strike has ended! Congrats on Collin pulling up! What a big boy!!

Ferris,
I'm so not a CIO gal. Not that I'm against it, I believe you gotta do what you gotta do, but I just can't stand to listen to DD cry for too long. We tried CIO once with her when she was younger. It didn't work for her. I let her cry for one, long, agonizing hour before I finally gave in. Thankfully, he sleep issues have pretty much resolved themselves. She still wakes up during the night, but we only have to give her her paci and she falls right back to sleeep. We're even trying to eliminate that. I've turned off the baby monitor (so I don't wake up to her every peep) and started cracking our doors. If she wants me to hear her, she'll have to really get going. Must be working, because she's STTN the past couple of nights. At least I think she has. She hasn't been loud enough to wake me up.

[kimthebride]

We will have to try that regarding the aquarium. Let me see if I understand correctly. Turn the entire aquarium on it's side or just the straps on the back?
Just twist the straps and leave the aquarium itself in the normal horizontal position. A bit akward, but it does work. :)

Tummy Sleep
Thomas has been doing this for a while now, ever since he first started STTN. Bum in the air...its so dang cute.

Co-Sleeping
My husband is nuts.
We *finally* get Ds to STTN, he is more than happy in his crib, and we never did co-sleeping because I am a maniac in my sleep infamous for hitting DH in the head, moving all over, and DH has sleep issues so when he's finally out NOTHING can wake him up, including a screaming child at the other side of the bedroom - our bed looks like there was a wrestling match each night.
So the other day he asks when we're going to start bringing Thomas into our bed at night to sleep. :eek: Ummm...never? For the safety of our child and our sanity, I don't think it's the best idea he's ever had. :rolleyes:
So many people love it and it works for them, but I can only see it as disastrous for us. And he's now pouting that I "don't let" him make any parenting decisions. Ummmmm yeah, that's because he comes out of left field with Crazy Talk.

Fruit
So DS has had:
Apple
Banana
Cherry
Prune
Strawberry
Apricot
Pear
Peach
Pineapple

I have some berry stuff to give him, saw papaya at Whole Foods that I can offer. What else have you all given?

Also, I swear I heard that the seed/nut of mango can be poisonous. Is that true? Should I be preparing the mango in a certain way? I peeling it, sliced it up, avoided the seed/nut and pureed it with peaches.

[LIZNKEITH]

Kim,
Ummmmm yeah, that's because he comes out of left field with Crazy Talk.

ROTFL! I can totally relate. Our sleeping situations sound very similar. There is no way I'm bringing poor DD, who can barely fend for herself, in to our bed. Right after I gave birth, I used to have nightmares that I fell asleep with her in bed...even though I never brought her in to bed with me. Even to BF. I'd wake up frantic, tossing the sheets and pillows, searching for her. It was horrifying.

Mango
Can't tell you about how to prepare mango, but Caroline has had the Apple Mango Kiwi Tender Harvest and loved it.

[jmvan74]

Ferris: I hope you are working on a STTN plan. I tried CIO and it wasn't for me. Our ped reccomended it, but I'm not a fan of my ped's parenting advice. I think she is a great doc, but definitley not in the same boat as me when it comes to parenting. :rolleyes: Like Liz, the sleep issues here have resolved themselves. (except for naps, but that's another story.)

Meri: Yeah, we have hardwoods in the living room, dining room and hallway. For now, I just let him be in his bare feet. He seems to be able to grip pretty well. I'm sure I'll invest in some shoes once he's walking on his own.

Solid strike: Seems to be over, but he's still being picky about what he wants. :rolleyes:

Co-sleeping. Not here, either. I'm such a poor sleeper, it would never work. We both sleep much better in our own beds.

Kim: men....my DH always comes out of left field, too. Bah!

Liz: I hope Caroline is feeling better.

tummy sleep: Not here, but he does sleep on his side...kind of in the fetal position. Too cute.

[tgr68]

Walking Shoes~Honestly haven't thought about it. We have several pairs of shoes that ILs insist DD much wear each and every day. :rolleyes: I usually put her in the soft-sole "grandpa shoes" they bought in case of any surprise visits. She also wears her dress shoes on Sundays to church. How cute are these?
http://www.striderite.com/images/us/local/products/detail/LILSPORTIEPINK.JPG

Tummy Sleep~She started sleeping better on her tummy very early (3 months). I would indulge her during naps when she was in the same room as me in her PNP, but put her on her back for night-time sleeping.

Kim~maybe you could just start putting him down to nap without it for his 1st nap of the day? I may try this. I would really like to start weaning DD of it, at least for during the day. DH was still taking a pacifier at nearly 2 yrs old, and his cousin until around 3.5 yrs old. I would really prefer it be totally gone by then!

[kimthebride]

Walking Shoes
When does DC start wearing these?
When he's started pulling himself to standing?
When he's cruising?
When he's walking on his own?

[tgr68]

Kim~On the Stride Rite (http://www.striderite.com/custserv/whystrideritemain.jsp?cid=213) website, they break down mobility into stages and have appropriate shoes based on what stage DC is in.

[usafwife]

Just twist the straps and leave the aquarium itself in the normal horizontal position. A bit akward, but it does work. :)
Gottcha.

kim ~ I understand your comments about your DH not hearing anything when he's asleep. Mine is the same way. He's never heard DD crying even once since she was born. Even when we had her in the PNP in our room. I would get a little irrked that he couldn't hear her because I'd dealt with all day and evening long. I thought the least he could do would be to hear her crying and wake up. Nope. Guess it shouldn't have surprised me because he doesn't hear the alarm even when it's all the way up and right next to it. I heard it two rooms away the other morning.

Baby Food ~ We started out just doing one fruit but then I was told by someone that we needed to give DD more veggies than fruits. Otherwise she would get too used to the fruits (i.e. meaning sweets) and not want to eat the veggies. Anyone else heard this? I was also told by this person to start DD on juice. We were told by DD's doctor NOT to start juice at all yet. When I told this person that they acted all surprised and said to start DD on juice. I just said okay to get them to go on.

[jmvan74]

Meri: What you give Sarah is really a decision you can make with the guidance of your ped. My ped said juice is fine, but I choose not to give it to DS unless he is constipated and I need to get fluids in to him. As far as more veggies than fruits....I have heard that, but I give Collin all kinds of fruits and veggies. If I am giving both at one feeding I do give the veggie first and if a particular veggie is bitter and DS doesn't want it, I'll mix in some pears to take the bite out (so far I only have to do that with green beans and squash). There are so many different ideas floating around it really comes down to doing what you are comfortable with. ;)

Naamah: Those shoes are so cute. What do her dressy shoes (the ones she wears to church) look like? I'm going to enjoy little girl things by living vicariously through all the mommas of DD's on here! LOL!:D

Kim: the Stride Rite site is great. Basically walking shoes are for when they walk independently, but they do make cruising shoes.

[LIZNKEITH]

Thanks, Julie! She's actually feeling much better! :)

Fruits
I know they normally suggest you start with veggies when you introduce foods because the baby may prefer the taste of the fruit and refuse veggies. That, and I think the veggies are supposed to be easier to digest (not as acidic). That said, eating a balanced diet of fruits and veggies is very important. We give DD a fruit (mixed with cereal) in the morning, a veggie in the afternoon, and either a yogurt and another veggie in the evening. I too refuse to give juice right now. I figure she's getting enough nutrition from the fruit and the juice is not necessarily needed.


Speaking of diets...I was reading my AAP book the other night and came across this:

Sample One-Day Menu for an 8-12 Month Old

Breakfast:
1/4-1/2 cup cereal or mashed egg yolk
1/4-1/2 cup fruit, diced
4-6 oz formula

Snack:
1/2 cup juice
1/4 cup diced cheese or cooked vegetables

Lunch:
1/4-1/2 cup yogurt or cottage cheese
1/4-1/2 cup yellow vegetables
4-6 oz. formula

Snack:
1/2 cup juice (they sure are saying a lot of juice!!)
1 teething bisquit or cracker
1/4 cup diced cheese or meat

Dinner:
1/4 cup diced poultry, meat, or tofu
1/4-1/2 cup green vegetables
1/4 cup noodles, pasta, rice, or potato
1/4 cup fruit
4-6 oz. formula

Before Bedtime:
6-8 oz. formula or water


:eek: Am I the only one who feels like I'm starving my kid? There is no way in the world she could ever eat this much!! The lunch they are suggesting is her dinner...not to mention, she eats a lot more formula/BM than they are suggesting.

[Dreshny]

Liz: That's crazy! Looks like MAYBE a menu for a very hungry 12-month-old to me, not an 8-month old!

[jmvan74]

:o Collin's pretty close to that food suggestion.

Breakfast: 1/2 cup (4oz) fruit with 2TBS cereal (mixed together)
10-15 cheerios
1oz water or more if he wants

Lunch: 1/2 cup veggies/ 2TBS cereal
1/4 cup cheese
2 veggie wheels
1oz water or more

Snack: 2-4 oz formula
1/4-1/2 cup yogurt
1 arrowroot cookie

Dinner: 1/2 cup veggie
2TBs cereal
1/4 fruit or yogurt
2 veggie wheels
1 oz water

Plus he nurses 3-4 times a day.

[Ferris]

Food Suggestions Dougie is no way close to eating that in a day! I am lucky if he eats 2 oz in the morning and 2 in the evening. He just doesn't like baby food, and only eats a little off of our plates. Maybe that's why he only weights 17lbs!! Yesterday he loved our rice pilaf and garlic naan. I guess our little guy is going to like Indian Food!

Baby Bootcamp At my Doc's suggestions and after my DH read the Healthy sleep habits book, we tried CIO last night. We did the bath routine as normal, and after DS was finished nursing I told him that we loved him and that we were doing this to make him a better sleeper. I couldn't bare to leave him in his room, so DH did it. My DH wanted us to go do something else and not listen to him cry, but I had to just lay in bed and listen. 15 minutes later the crying stopped. We waited another 15 minutes and DH went to check on him and he was sound alseep. Around 3:30 I heard a little bit of crying, and then some more crying around 5:45. That is when I went and got him and brought him back into our room and he nursed and sleep for another 1 1/2. I probably should have let me put himself back to sleep, but I missed him. So tonight is night 2 of "baby bootcamp" and since DH is on a business trip to California I had to put him to bed, and it was hard for me to do. So far it's been 10 minutes of crying, with a few breaks inbetween. Its not full on screaming or crying more like whimpers. Hopefully (knock on wood) that tonight goes well.

Mood So today he was in such a better mood. And DH swears that he was doing better with his motor skills. I think the good night sleep made him a happier baby.

***Edited to say 14 minutes later I have a sleeping baby! (again knock on wood)

[tgr68]

Julie~She has a black pair of Mary Janes, a pair of white sandals with pastel flowers, a pink pair with a ribbon bow, and a red ballet-style flat that ties up. She's got more dress shoes than I do!! :rolleyes: I got the pink pair from a friend, the black pair from Walmart, and the other 2 came from ILs. I think they got them at Walmart, but I'm not sure.

Meri~I've heard the thing about the fruit/sweet tooth connection. I pretty much ignore it. I figure as long as I'm giving a good balance of fruits/veggies/meats, then we're doing good. I usually do this by making sure that if her dinner (i.e. turkey & sweet potatoes, apples & chicken) has veggies in it to give her fruit at the next meal and vice versa.

Ferris~Congrats on Dougie puting himself to sleep these last couple of nights. I had such a hard time when DH forced me to let DD CIO those first few nights, but it was all worth it in the end because now she sleeps with no problem at all. And, when she wakes up in the morning, she entertains herself!

Okay, gotta run. DH just bought us an oval walker (we both seriously need to get in shape) and is puting it together!!

[kimthebride]

Stride Right
Thanks so much for that info! Yet another thing I didn't even think of...what would I do without my Cc girls? ;)

Veggies & Fruits
I only asked about fruits, because I feel like we are making good headway on veggies. I think that I'm not taking into consideration the seasonal fruits.

Speaking of veggies: how about tomato? Any idea when it's okay to introduce? I know it's fairly acidic, but DS ate pineapple with gusto and had no issues and that's acidic too.


Ouch Ouch Ouch
I am getting frustrated at the lack of space around here, and jealous of those of you with houses and bedrooms of their own.
This morning I was changing DS on our bedroom/nursery floor and needed socks. So I reached up, opened the armoir and grabbed a pair. Well, I forgot to close the door so when I stood up at full force with all 20-pounds-plus of DS in my arms I went straight up into the open door. It hurt SO BAD I cursed quite loudly and had to fight not to cry (I am so not a crier). I got DS into his crib for his nap and went upstairs...took my shirt off and checked out my shoulder. I tore through the t-shirt and cut my shoulder in 2 places, which I am sure would have been evenb worse if I didn't have my nursing bra on with wide straps. Holy heck does it hurt!
I just can't wait to have a big house with space so I'm not bumping into this and running out of space for that. DS broke 1/2 his toenail off the other day running into a chair - theres just no "cruising" room for us to rush around. It's like an obstacle course.
So frustrating.

[usafwife]

Thanks, ladies. We started out giving the fruit (appleasauce) mixed in with her cereal. It was the only way to get her to eat the cereal. So far the only fruits she has had have been applesauce and pears. And she wasn't all that fond of the pears at first. I can tell that applesauce is definitely her favorite. We have gotten some veggies (mixed veggies, carrots) and more fruits (bananas, peaches, apples and bananas), a mixed fruit and yogurt, and a chicken noodle dinner. I bought a box of instant mashed potatoes as well. They used to have a recipe on the box for baby's but now it isn't on there. Anyone know what you aren't suppose to put in them when you prepare them for babies?

Naamah/Julie ~ Sarah has a black pair and burgundy pair of Mary Jane type shoes, a pair of boots, tennis shoes for right now. My mom bought her a pair of sandals the other day for spring/summer. I couldn't figure out what this reddish rash was on her chin one day. Then we figured out it was from the from of the pairs of Mary Jane's and the boots. They are both burgundy in color and she tries to put whatever pair of shoes (or socks or her barefeet) in her mouth. So we only put those on very rare now.

Naamah ~ I do believe that I have saw the pairs that your ILs got at WM.

kim ~ OUCH!! I hated when we lived in our apartment. There was never any room for anything. We did have that problem in the months following DD's birth here as well but that's because we had so many baby related items out it wasn't funny (swing, chair, PNP, car seat, diaper bag, toys, etc.). Plus we still had other furniture as well. We have since moved and rearranged the placement and removed some items to make more room. And when we move our bedroom it will give us even more space (until the next baby arrives and then I'll have to move my computer/office back into our bedroom again). Hope you feel better soon.

Food Suggestions ~ No way my little one eats anything even remotely close to what is suggested. She is lucky if she eats cereal and some baby food once each day. Now she does like her cherrios and puffs.

[Mrs.Chappy]

how does everyone handle it when you plan your entire day around naptime but the baby doesn't take that morning or late morning nap...then your entire day gets wasted.
Ben is giving me a very hard time...i am packing us up, bringing jars of baby food, hope that he will nap in the car and will feed him before/after my store errands.
i am so frustrated.seems my nanny does everythign right and i can't get it doown pat. i only work 3 days a week so you would think i could handle the other4 days no problem..i just cna't figure our my own childs schedule. not that he has one..even w/ the nanny there is a different nap time every day. and sometimes its for 30 min and some times for 2 hours!
can anyone relate?

[kelseyledare]

Just a quick drive-by post, but stopping in to say.... we have mobility!!! My baby is crawling!!! She's still pretty slow, but definitely crawls forward toward a toy.


I'm happy yet sort of sad at the same time, as there's no turning back now. She's definitely not that helpless little newborn I brought home. Guess we'll be hitting the baby-proofing aisles this weekend!

[tgr68]

Congrats on the crawling, Kelsey!!!

[Ferris]

Congrats on the crawling, Kelsey!!!
I second that! :)

We babyproofed the house, but we hadn't gotten a gate because our DS never crawled away from us. Well tomorrow I am off to Target to get baby gates. He has all of a sudden started crawling everywhere! So we have to get one of those playpen gates (we have a large opening in our den) plus 2 gates for the stairs. That should set us back $120 dollars.

On tuesday he even crawled all the way up our stairs! It was so cute!

Night 3 of Bootcamp Well tonight it was only 13 minutes of crying. Hopefully this will keep getting shorter!!

Mrs.Chappy That sounds like me and my DS. When I plan to do something after his naps, he never takes them as usual. :rolleyes:

[allyray231]

Can you please change my age to 31. Also can you please change DH age to 30

Today is my birthday! Hope eveyone has a good day!

kim I feel your pain :) NYC is not for people with kids-unless you have a BIG apartment!!

[jmvan74]

Ferris: I'm glad that the "bootcamp" is going well for you. Stay strong! :p We're putting up gates this weekend, too.

OMG, Kim! Ouch! I can't imagine sharing a room with my little guy anymore. I have to give you one bedroom girls a lot of credit! However, I can tell you, no matter how many rooms you have, there is never enough space! We have four bedrooms and I still have crap everywhere and no storage!

Meri: I'm not sure about mashed potatoes, but I know if you make pancakes you aren't suppose to put eggs in. With instant mashed potatoes you just use water and milk, right? I guess the milk could be an issue? I've just confused myself! Sorry!

MrsChappy: I can relate. Whenever I try to plan something around Collin's schedule, he changes it up! I often end up cancelling plans or changing them around. Although I try not to be a slave to the nap, if I know I can work around it, I will.

Maggie: Hooray for crawling!!!

Naamah: Thanks for sharing Shylah's shoes...ahhhh....<dreaming of a daughter for #2!)

Happy Birthday, Ally!

Update: Collin's skin looks so much better! It is just about clear. We are only using the RX cream once a day and will probably only need it for another day. I am being diligent about putting lotion on him 2X's a day. He is sleeping much better now, too. I think his discomfort was keeping him from getting a good night's sleep.
On another front...we are sooo close to crawling. He slides and pushes himself around and scoots on his bottom. It's so funny. He also starting pulling himself up in his crib. Yikes! This is happening so quickly!:eek:

[kelseyledare]

Happy Birthday, Ally! Any big plans?

Ferris: I'm so glad baby bootcamp is going well. The lack of uninterrupted sleep really wears you down. We are going to be doing some baby proofing tomorrow as well.

Oh, Kim, I feel so bad for you! Ouch! I have to agree with Julie, though. I think you just let your stuff spread out to fill whatever space you have, no matter how big. At least I do... ;)

MrsChappy: I totally understand. It is so difficult to make plans. I will say that DD's schedule has become more predictable over the past 2-3 months.

Naamah: Shylah's little shoes are so cute. I'm looking forward to getting Ava some shoes. I will check out Stride-Rite's website on crawling shoes.

Julie: Glad to hear Collin's skin is so much better and that he is sleeping better. He will be crawling any day! Ava was scooting and rocking, trying to move her arms forward and then last night, she finally got a little more coordinated. It's so amazing to see the determination in their eyes. We moved Ava out of the basinette back on her PNP into the bottom- she was sitting up and reaching over the sides.

Update: Well, Ava's fevers are finally down, and she seems back to her normal self. She's really trying to crawl, still un-coordinated, but moving slowly. She is so determined- she seems interested in our electrical cords already. :D I'll be buying some baby proofing supplies tomorrow!

[Mrs.Chappy]

Follow-up to my napping saga: today (we planned to be in all day anyway b/c FIL came to do some work w/ DH around the house) DS took a 2 1/2 hr nap in the morning and an hour in the PM. I'm sure he will change it up again tomorrow. Gotta love him:)
have a good monday everyone.

[sophiapb]

Mrs. Chappy-Alexa is pretty good with power napping in the car when we go out but her schedule definitely rules our weekends. I just make sure that she gets a good morning nap and that will pretty much carry her through to the afternoon.

Happy birthday Ally!

Kelsey-Congrats on your crawler!

Meri-I'd cook the mashed potatoes up with water and then thin them out with formula.

Ferris-I must be pretty cold hearted because I had Alexa CIO starting at 10 weeks. I read that you could start as early as 8 weeks with sleep training and I leapt on the bandwagon. DH was miserable when Alexa was crying and kept wanting to go in an pick her up but I refused. I was an exhausted basket case and told him that he was welcome to pick her up but then he would have ALL the night time feedings and 3 AM playtimes because I was DONE! I made sure that Alexa was fed, changed, clean, comfortable and checked on her and stroked her head every 5-10 minutes. By the third night she was STTN and has been a terrific sleeper ever since.

Alexa got tooth number 4, her upper right, and I was the last to know! DH was talking about baby teeth vs. permanent teeth and commented on her two upper teeth. I said "She's got two upper teeth?" and he said "Yeah. I thought you knew!". My mom came home that afternoon and I told her that Alexa now has four teeth and she says "Oh yeah. Didn't you know?". I felt like an idiot! :confused: Aparently it came in a few days ago and I was so busy watching the left one coming in that I didn't pay attention to the bump next to it. I'm a goober. :rolleyes:

[allyray231]

Thank you all for the bday wishes!!

Aiden moved a bit yesterday. We realized that he couldn't move that with te blanket on the floor so we put him on the rug and he pushed up and moved with his elbow. He was sooo excited! Of course he hasn't done it again.

Sorry for eveyone with sleeping issues. We go between good and bad night. Now that Aiden can find the paci-things are a little easier ;)

[tgr68]

Ferris~Hope you continue to have luck with bootcamp!

Ally~Happy belated birthday!! :cool:

Julie~No problem!!

Kelsey~I haven't purchased any from Stride Rite. Will have to talk DH into looking into it though! The pair I posted were some I've got my eye on! ;)

MrsChappy~Sorry about the sleep issues.

Sophia~I must be pretty cold hearted because I had Alexa CIO starting at 10 weeks. Not at all!! We started with Shylah around 8wks! Congrats on the fourth tooth!

Not much going on here. I've had a surprisingly productive day with CC being down. Shhh! Don't tell DH! ;) LOL. Nah, it's been a decent day. Both girls have been great today. Right now though, I've got a screamer who is fighting sleep :rolleyes: and DD just gave me a look and turned beat red in the face, so I've gotta run take care of diapers and naps!

[Mrs.Chappy]

Anyone elses hubby not proactive about baby-proofing...its like pulling teeth to ask him to do things. Granted he's an accountant and its busy season..but our child's safety is the most important thing. So here i am (with my baby who is so overtired from o nly taking a 20 min nap all day) and i'm babyproofing.

[usafwife]

Quick post. I was meaning the instant mashed potaotes. Not the real ones. If I remember correctly you are supposed to leave out the butter and salt (you use butter, salt, milk to prepare them). Maybe you just prepare them with water or formula and not butter, salt or milk.

[jmvan74]

Thanks, Maggie. How's Ava's crawling going? I found Collin standing in his crib yesterday after his nap! :eek: We just lowered the crib, but it looks like we need to move it all the way down.

Mrs.Chappy: Isn't that always the way it goes with the naps. I hope Ben slept well for you again. My DH is also dragging his feet when it comes to babyproofing. I don't think he realizes how mobile DS is becoming. He also isn't as paranoid as me. :o

Sophia, I'd say you're cold hearted for not shovelling your walk, but not for CIO! :p (sorry, must let it go.....) :D Everyone has to do what works best for their family. Congrats on the 4th tooth!

Ally: Hooray for Aiden moving! I found that a blanket was slowing movement, too. Just not enough grip. :rolleyes:

Naamah: I wish I would be more productive when CC is down....I just find other sites to occupy my time! Or I shop...bad me!

Meri, I'd just prepare them with formula to be on the safe side.

Well, today I really need to get my butt on the treadmill and get to the post office. Plus, there is a going out of business sale at a local dept. store...need to hit that up as well. :D

[kelseyledare]

Just a quick update while I pump and eat on my lunch break... Ava has conjunctivitis in her left eye, poor thing. She's back to fussing and seems irritable again, but no temp. Ears checked out okay so maybe it's just the eye. It looks terrible! My ped recommended some drops which we're doing twice a day (of course, she hates this). The tiny eye drop vial cost $50 even with our insurance :eek: :eek:

My poor baby; it's like one crawl forward, two steps back...

[Mrs.Chappy]

Kelsey..i know..its crazy with the copays and the meds for the baby..ben has eczema and had to get this medicated moose for his head for like 30 bucks..you should see the size of the bottle. My hair care doesnt even cost as much :)

[Dreshny]

kelsey: Just a thought...can you nurse Ava while your DH puts the drops in? Asher had to get eye drops for an exam once, and I nursed him while they put them in, and he didn't even seem to notice.

[june05Mommies]

Updated to here.

[tgr68]

Just a quick update....

DH picked up DD's new carseat tonight after work. We decided to go with the Evenflo Triumph LX. He also surprised me with a bottle of sparkling white grape juice (we rarely drink) and a bouquet of flowers. :)

Oh, and DD soothed herself to sleep without her paci!! :eek: I'm taking it up and laying it in her crib, just in case, but I'm so excited!!!!

[Ferris]

kelseyledare Sorry about the conjunctivitis!

tgrYeah about the no pacifer!!

Baby Bootcamp Tonight the crying lasted less than 6 minutes! However, his naps during the day have been horrible!! Today he only took a 1 hour nap at 12:00 and a 35 minute nap at 3:15 and then he was fussy until he went to bed at 7:45!:rolleyes:

[golfer_girl]

Hi Ladies, I've been so swamped trying to finish some work and then we went on vacation to Hawaii (one flight was hell), then had family visit from the east coast for a week (partial hell)... I haven't posted in so long. I tried to catch up a bit but missed a bunch of weeks. Too many to go back to read. :( I have been consulting but I swear it's taking any fun time out of being with my DS. I don't feel like I'm being a good parent cause I don't have enough time to put into it. I haven't been proactive with what's to come, foods for him to eat, things he should learn... I feel guilty.

It's exciting to see most everyone's little ones are scooting, crawling, standing, etc. Since I haven't been on the thread in a while, I have been feeling really lost in terms of what next for my DS! Thanks for everyones posts on the foods. I had some new ideas for foods when I went grocery shopping tonight.

I'm trying to figure out what to do about the sleep issues... I read some posts on babybootcamp, etc. I just started Health Sleep Habits... I can't take the CIO in the night. I just can't sleep through it. I know a few of you aren't goint the CIO method, but I have to ask the ones who did, did your DC sleep through the night but woke up with a little cry once, twice or 3 times a night? In a 10 hour stretch, DS will wake up 1-3 times. Usually a quick pat and sticking the binky in his mouth gets him right back to sleep. Does the CIO methods get rid of those few wakings? Did your DC use a binky before/after?

I'd like to get rid of the binky use but it REALLY is a lifesaver for ME sometimes. DS is so soothed by it at times where he would've been crying, he just sucks. I hate the thought that he "needs" it too. I don't want him so dependent, but he is now! :( I try to limit the binky use just for naps/sleep or outings (if he cries).

My DS started the body drag at the latter part of January and quickly changed into crawling within a week or two. It went so quick! He was crawling by the begining of Feb. Did it all move so fast for all of you? It was so exciting but I have to admit, it was a little bittersweet... I knew I'd never get to sit down again! DS is now ALL OVER THE PLACE and touching everything he get his little hands on!

BTW, is anyone being strict on the "no's" yet? I started doing it now that he's touching everything and DS is starting to vocalize a demanding cry... I hate doing it. I feel like such a mean mom when he looks at me startled. I just want to hug him and say, nevermind! :(

[LIZNKEITH]

We've had an exciting couple of days!!

Guess what...WE HAVE CRAWLING!! She's been inching around for a week or two now, but last night she crawled forward about 10 feet. In similar news, we have our first crawling-related injury. She was moving right along on the carpet, but when the poor little dear reached the linoleum in the kitchen she lost her footing (er...kneeing) and fell face first. Poor little thing screamed bloody murder. I swooped her up, checked her over, and saw no visbale injuries. So, I gave her a cold, wet washcloth to suck on. That helped. She stopped crying immediately. Poor girl, I hope the experience didn't dampen her confidence.

We also have Clapping! She's so cute..whenever she gets excited she starts to clap her hands together. We can't get her to do it. She has to do it on her own. And she usually stops as soon as she sees us watching. The little bugger!

She was doing the funniest thing the other night. She was on all fours and huffing like a bull. She'd breathe really forcefully and rhythmically through her nose. It's like she finally realized that breathing was not just an involuntay action, but could also be voluntary as well. It was so funny! Keith and I were laughing hysterically!

Maggie,
Poor Ava! I hope her little eye gets better soon! $50 for some stinkin' eye drops?! That's crazy!

No's
We've been playing around with it. Doesn't have much of an effect at this point, but I read something in my AAP book that we should start during this period. I guess you've got to start sometime.

Golfer,
I hope the consulting slows down soon. I can relate with the guilt of being a working Mom. Sometimes i feel like I only get to spend an hour or two of actual quality time with DD when we get home. It really sucks. :(

[allyray231]

Hi guys--checking in. My kid wanted nothing to do with me last night. I was so upset I was practically in tears on the couch eating ice cream :(

No crawling yet--he is trying to move but I think he thinks if he sit and humps the floor really hard he will move ;) Hence we now call him "Humpy" :)

[jmvan74]

Maggie, Poor Ava. I hope her eye is looking better. $50!:eek: Holy Heck! I hope we can avoid that problem for a while.

Naamah: Congrats on the self soothe! How does shylah like her new Carseat?

Ferris: Glad you are getting less crying. Have you tried to put him to bed a little earlier? If Collin doesn't take a good afternoon nap, we put him to bed earlier and it seems to work for us.

Hi Golfer! Hawaii....ahhhh. Can you feel the envy illuminating from the screen! :p What island(s) did you go to? Sorry you had a hell flight. We went for our honeymoon and our flights were hell....it took us 17 hours to get there from Philadelphia! Blech!

NO! I have started to use a gentle "No", but I have a feeling it will escalate to a full blown "NO" quickly. I feel guilty about it , too, but it really is one of those necessary evils. :rolleyes:

Liz, Congrats on the crawl! I'm sure her fall will be quickly forgotten. Collin has been falling like crazy from pulling himself up, but as soon as he stops crying, he is clamoring to get up again. :rolleyes: Collin huffs, too. I love it. He's been doing it for a few weeks. It's how he shows excitement! Too funny.

STTN: Collin has been doing this for about a month or so, with some minor exceptions. The past week he has been waking up 1 or 2 times and DH and I have been going in to soothe him or I'll nurse him(if he won't go back down). I didn't want this to become a habit, so last night I decided to just see what he did. He woke up 3 times whimpering, but all 3 times went back to sleep in about 10 minutes with out intervention. I really think he is waking himself up b/c he moves so much. Does anyone else have a DC that they find in multiple positions in the mornings?

[tgr68]

Ferris~Thanks!

Golfer~Don't feel guilty. I'm sure most of us here wished we were doing something better/different/more often/less often with our DCs. ;) DH forced me into letting DD CIO at 8wks. I'll be honest - the first two nights were utter hell! After that, we've had very few night wakings, and those usually occur shen she's not feeling well. She has used a binky since about 5 days old, but I'm wanting to break her of it. There are so many 2-3 yr olds around here who still rely on the binky. :eek: We've started with the "no's" and the temper tantrums that have resulted I know are punishment for me because of all the one's I could throw at a young age. ;) LOL! Congrats on the crawling!

LIZ~Congrats on the crawling and the clapping!! Poor Caroline! LOL at the breathing! Shylah does that as well, and then she points at one of us until we do it back!!

Julie~I still need to get it our of the box. :o DH works late, so he didn't get home with it last night until after 10. Not sure when we'll be installing.

Shylah will stand and hold onto the couch now!! Last night, she stayed there for probably 10-15 seconds! :D

[usafwife]

Maggie ~ Man, that is some very expensive medicine. Would hate to see what it cost without insurance.

golfer_girl ~ Hope the consulting slows down so you can have more time to enjoy with your little one.

Liz ~ Congrats on the crawling!

She was doing the funniest thing the other night. She was on all fours and huffing like a bull. She'd breathe really forcefully and rhythmically through her nose. It's like she finally realized that breathing was not just an involuntay action, but could also be voluntary as well. It was so funny! Keith and I were laughing hysterically!
This happens with DD as well. She loves doing it. She has the strangest looking faces when she is doing it as well. It makes us laugh when she's doing it.

ally ~ Sorry about the rough night. That must have been pure misery for you. {{{HUGS}}}

NO ~ We have been doing this a for a little way now. I read in one of my books that they can start to understand no sometime around 9 months. She is starting to understand what it means now. Especially when DH says it in his voice. She doesn't just look at like us like what do you mean? We use it mainly when she is getting into something she shouldn't, doing something that she isn't suppose to, or putting something in her mouth.

STTN ~ We have had that for a while now (I don't remember exactly when DD started doing it) but it's been at least a couple of months now. Last week we had a bad week in that she would sleep for just a few hours and then wake up. This week is already better (back to the usual pattern). I rarely find DD in the same position as I put her in the crib at night in the mornings. She has really become a tummy sleeper.

Naamah ~ Congrats on the standing!

[tgr68]

No
Today at lunch, Shylah kept spitting her food everywhere playing. I told her "no" in a very firm voice but not yelling (sis is a yeller and I can stand it). She gave me the cutest, most pitiful frowny face and then started to wail. (I nearly snickered. How mean is that?) After a couple of seconds, though, she was fine and back to eating - without the spitting!

[kelseyledare]

Thanks for all the well wishes for Ava! Her eye was better 24 hr later and seems totally resolved today. We are almost done with the drops; I wish I had thought about trying to put them in while she's nursing, except now she recognizes the container and immediately starts pushing away. I'm definitely hanging on to the bottle- 75% is left.

Naamah: Congrats on the self soothe! Sounds like she is grasping the meaning of no. And standing -wow!

Ferris: Glad you are getting less crying. I know CIO can be really hard, but soon, your whole family will be better rested. It sounds like the crying end is in sight...

Golfer: Hawaii....boy, am I envious! We went after graduation and the flight there was terrible. I was so jealous of the 1st class... I think we all have our guilty moments (I know I do), but you have to look at the big picture overall-- you're a great mom!

Liz, Congrats on the crawl and the clapping! The huffing sounds so cute! Sorry about the fall. I bought some baby proofing stuff yesterday so that is my goal for Friday night.

Meri: We also have a tummy sleeper on our hands. It's definitely her preference.

[tgr68]

Night #2 with no paci!!!! :D :D :D

[tgr68]

Cradle cap has return in our home. :( Last night, we picked up some head and shoulders shampoo and used it this morning. Poor thing looked down as I was rinsing her head and got soap in her eyes. I felt so bad. :( I quickly finished rinsing her hair as I called DH upstairs to get me another washcloth wet with just water and rinsed her eyes. Then I wrapped her in a towel and cuddled her for the longest time. I kept tearing up I felt so bad. :(

[jmvan74]

Naamah, Congrats on Shylah standing! I can tell Collin is going to have a bit of temper, too. He does the same thing when I tell him NO. ( I also laugh).:o As for the head and shoulder's incident. I'm sure DD knows it was an accident. Oh and congrats on no paci, too.

Maggie, Glad that Ava is doing well. I would be holding on to those eyedrops until the day they expire! :p

Meri: I often wish I had one of those monitors with the video screen. I would love to see how DS gets in to the positions I find him in. :rolleyes:

I've decided to go to Toys R US today and buy Collin one of those walk behind toys. He is causing me major back pain. I have to walk him all over or he gets all whiny! He's gotten so great at pulling himself up, he can do it just using the floor. Of course, he doesn't have the balance yet, so as soon as he's up he's back on his bottom! LOL!

[sophiapb]

Alexa had her 9 month check up a couple of days ago. 19 lbs 1 oz. and 29 inches. She's doing very well.
I'm jammed at work but I'll try to post her 9 month photo later today or if not, then sometime next week.
Enjoy the weekend!

[LIZNKEITH]

Caroline has got Pink Eye. I swear, it's just one exciting ailment after another around here. :rolleyes:

She's also started shaking her head no. She did it twice today! :D

Naamah,
Poor Shylah! Don't worry...we all have bad Mommy moments. If it makes you feel better, I dropped the nail clippers on Caroline's face as she was quietly drinking her bottle a couple of days ago. :(

Julie,
Wow! Collin sure is getting around these days! :eek: I can't believe he's already walking assisted so well! :eek:

Sophia,
Great stats! Can't wait to see her picture!

[usafwife]

Liz ~ Sorry to hear about the pink eye. hope it clears up soon.

sophia ~ Great stats! Looking forward to the pictures.

Julie ~ DD loves to walk by holding onto our hands or my pants. Sometimes I can't even move.

Naamah ~ Sorry about the H&S incident. I'm sure she knows it wasn't intentional on your part.

Maggie ~ Glad to hear Ava's eye problem cleared up.


Last night I was at my mom's and DH had gone to class. DD pulled my mom's hair and I told her no. She starts to get her look: bottom lip starts to pucker and then she starts crying. I felt horrible. She has never had that reaction to when I've said no before. At least the crying didn't last long and we cuddled afterwards.

[usafwife]

Would you like to have stats of weight/length added on the first page of the thread? What about for the new thread?

Anything else you'd like added/deleted?

[Ferris]

cradle cap I read on CC somewhere that olive oil got rid of cradle cap so we tried it on DH when he was younger and it actually worked! All we did was rub a little on the bad spots.

Sleep Tonight Dougie only cried for 1 minute! Yesterday it was about 5 minutes and he slept till 5:30. I fed him and he slept until 7:30! I don't know what to do with all my time now. I usually would crash out with him at 8:30 because of all time he would wake up at night. Lately I have been staying up till 10:30 or 11. I have been working on my thesis :( but I have also started reading books for enjoyment again. Haven't done that in 9 months!

[kelseyledare]

Liz ~ So sorry to hear about the pink eye. I guess pink eye would clear up faster (and stay away) vs. allergies- so here's hoping it's a really quick case of pink eye!

Sophia ~ Great stats! I always love the monthly photos of Alexa.

Julie ~ Wow! Collin is really on the move! I bet he will love the push toy once he figures it out. Ava still won't stand flat-footed. I am definitely hanging on to the drops till they expire!

Naamah ~ Sorry about the H&S. I've gotten shampoo in DD's eyes before. I think they understand it's not intentional. I tried to wipe it out with a clean washcloth like you, but I think that only upset Ava more :rolleyes:

Well, ladies, it's going to be a crazy week. My DH is in NY for a trial so I have special childcare arrangements set. I am meeting one of her teachers at 6:10 every morning who will watch her till daycare opens. I am on call today and DH got an early flight out tomorrow morning (errr :mad: ) , so I have another teacher watching her Sunday morning until I'm done with rounds. It's going to be hectic in the evenings - can you say frozen dinners and sandwiches for me? We'll be fine, though; two cool chicks on the town... :D

[tgr68]

Well, I have officially gone crazy. I've decided to start potty training Shylah. :eek: It's all because I ran across this book (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0757001807/sr=8-2/qid=1141520667/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-7797601-4993404?%5Fencoding=UTF8) at our library! I read through the first few chapters, and thought that if I ever wanted to try this to do it when I just have one kid, instead of two or more. I asked a couple of the older ladies I work with and my mom if they thought that this was legit or just another money maker. They all swear that their kids were trained around 18 months or before. Well, tonight she peed in her potty!!! :D Totally coincidental at this point I know, but it's a start. Plus, whenever I take her off her potty, she starts clapping. It was extra cute when she clapped after actually going! LOL!

[HedgeGirl]

Not sure when I last posted...I've been reading along, but trying to minimize my time on the computer so I haven't had much time to do much else. It doesn't help that DS's naps lately have only been 30 minutes.

Crawling: Brady has graduated to doing a full fledged all fours crawl now (he did the army crawl for probably a month). DS also loves standing and cruising along the couch or coffee table too. We are in a mom's group and several of the other moms have commented on his mobility and that it is probably tied to the fact that he is a lightweight -- he's never been higher than the 25% for weight and was down to 12% at his 6 month appt at the beginning of January. The consensus among the moms in the group is that the bigger babies usually take a little longer to become mobile.

Potty Training: Naamah, you haven't gone crazy. I did some reading on it (started with this website on Infant Potty Training (http://www.timl.com/ipt/); at least according the this method, it is hardly a money maker for anyone -- if anything, I'm saving money because I'm using fewer diapers though we are still definitely using them). I believe Roseanne has commented that she has friends doing it too. You can also do searches on Elimination Communication. I say it is totally worth trying if the idea resonates with you.

I've been doing it with Brady for the last month. It still is hit or miss on getting him to pee in the toilet, but I haven't changed a dirty diaper in at least a couple of weeks (maybe even a month). When I started, I figured I had nothing to lose by trying it and was very excited when he peed the first time I tried it. Now, I can tell Brady totally gets it! To me, it is amazing, but really makes sense too -- we can communicate with our babies about this in the same way we learn their hunger cues and they can learn about using the toilet instead of a diaper, even at this young age.

Parenting Style & Pediatrician: I read both this and the May/June thread and forget what gets said where. I may be commenting in the wrong thread....Dreshny: You made a comment about not knowing what kind of parent you would be when you choose your ped...that totally resonated with me and I wanted to thank you for saying it. I haven't been thrilled with our ped and it really comes down to not knowing what kind of parent I would be when we selected them and letting the unwanted parenting advice they give out really bother me (I inevitably leave the office questioning my parenting). It was good for me to be reminded that we have a choice and hear that others have had similar experiences. Thank you.

[tgr68]

Hedgirl~Thanks for the website! :) Glad to know I'm not the only one trying this method! It sounds like you are having luck with it! I did start a Early Start Potty Training (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=16766) thread over in parenting if you want to hop in over there.

Cradle Cap~I think we have finally beat it this time around!! :D I combed a few flakes out of her hair, and even though I didn't see anymore, we went ahead and wash her hair in the H&S again - this time w/o soapy eyes! ;)

Gotta brag on my girl here. A little bit ago she started fussing, so I tried setting her on the potty. She pooped!!! :D

[jmvan74]

sophia: Wow! Alexa's getting so big. Can't wait to see her pic.

Liz; I can't beleive he is getting so mobile. He crawled a little today and he stood by himself for a few seconds!:eek: I hope Caroline's eye is better. Collin's is looking a little pink, but I have no clue where he would pick up pink eye. I'll call the ped tomorrow.

Meri: I think your thread idea for stats is great. Gotta love the pucker before the tears! :p

Ferris: congrats on only 1 minute of crying! Great!

Maggie: I hope the week goes quickly and is uneventful. ;)

Naamah: Wow! Potty training! You go girl. Hooray for Shylah going on the potty!:D

Hedgegirl: Hooray for Brady crawling! Collin's a big boy and has been slower to get mobile, but he's on the move now. :p Wow, another early potty trainer! I have to give you credit...I don't think I'd have the patience just yet. :o

Mini-break: DH took Collin today so I could have a little me time. I went and signed up for a cake decorating class at Joann's, I bought some scrapbooking stuff and then went tanning. Ahhhh. That felt good. I haven't gone since before DS was born. Then he took Collin with him to visit some friends and my IL's. I cleaned the house and rested a bit. It felt great.

[sophiapb]

Photos deleted

[LIZNKEITH]

Naamah,
Wow! That is incredible! I think I'd go to the bathroom in my pants if I actually saw Caroline use the potty. Way to go!

HedgeGirl,
Congrats on the full-fledged crawling and cruising! Can you believe how fast our babes are growing up?

Julie,
Yay for some personal time. I'm glad you signed up for that class. I remember you mentioning your desire to do so in the birthday thread. Can't wait to see what you come up with. No pressure. ;)

Sophia,
An Ewok photo for comparision:

ROTFL!! The resemblence is uncanny! :D Really, she is adorable. She's got a smile that lights up the room. Look at her flashing those pearly whites!


Pink Eye has left the building. Still have no idea where she picked it up. Maybe this is a certain strain that travels via internet and she got it from Ava. ;)

[Mrs.Chappy]

sophia Alexa is delicious!

Curious..who rocks their baby for a nap. Ben is teething like crazy so rather then let him 'play' int he crib for an hour before nodding off, i helped him by rocking him. he wasn't crying or anything. i just peeked in and he was standing in the crib. i knew he was tired b/c he put his head down while playing earlier and hadn't napped since the morning. I almost never rock him (absolutely never for going to sleep at night unless he is sick). As i was rocking him i was thinking about how i should just forget about what the books say b/c soon they will be too old/big. i was enjoying the moment..plus, its not like its a habit. Curious as to what others do.

[sophiapb]

Mrs. Chappy, screw the books and enjoy the cuddle time. I WISH Alexa would let me rock on her occasion. I have a very independent daughter who is not really into cuddling. DH says she takes after me and I think he's right (I'm not a touchy feely person). When she is overtired, she will fall asleep while drinking her bottle and sleep against me. ~sigh~ I love when she does that. I just snuggle and cuddle her because if she was awake, she'd be pushing off on me, wanting to play. :(

[HedgeGirl]

Rocking to Sleep: We rock DS to sleep way more than we should according to some books (and our ped)...Even those times that he goes into his crib awake, I usually rock and cuddle him a bit first. Both DH and I enjoy it and so does he so we are still doing it regularly.

[tgr68]

Sophia~Cute pictures!!

MrsChappy~I wouldn't worry about what the books say, especially if he is not feeling well because of his teeth. We break our own rules when DD's not feeling well. ;)

[LIZNKEITH]

Rocking to Sleep
I'm in the same camp as Sophia. We began sleep training very early, and by 12 weeks or so, she no longer cared to be rocked to sleep. Wile it is very liberating to be able to lay my DD down while she's still awake and have her fall asleep on her without so much as a peep, there are times I try to hold her and rock her and she fights me. I still try to steal my 60 seconds of rocking her and there, even if she tosses the whole time. I just enjoy feeling my baby. I say do it! Especially now when he's teething and uncomfortable. Like you said, take it while you can get it. Sixteen years from now we'll be lucky if they admit they're even related to us!;)

[usafwife]

Rocking babies ~ We do this. Most every night DD is put to sleep while laying on us. We all love it. After all these times only happen once and soon enough they will be too big to rock or want to be rocked or cuddled. Just this afternoon DD got fussy and I was sitting in one of our recliners watching a movie and I picked her up and started rocking her. She went to sleep in no time. Usually rocking is the only way to get her to sleep (or the rocking motion). DD goes to sleep on her own other times (i.e. naps). I say go ahead and rock him and enjoy the time while it lasts. Soon enough it will be gone and then we won't have the option of rocking them.

sophia ~ What adorable pictures. And yes, she does look like an Ewok.

Liz ~ Glad to hear that the pink eye has cleared up.

[jmvan74]

Sophia: I want to squeeze Alexa's cheeks! I love 'em! What a sweetie.

Liz: Hooray that pink eye is gone. Collin's eye cleared up, so I think he just irritated it by rubbing it too much.:rolleyes:

Rocking baby: Do it! Many times Collin will put himself to sleep, but many times I or DH rock him. It gets exhausting for me, but at the same time, I love it. Our babies are getting so big. :(

[Mrs.Chappy]

thanks for making me feel better about it. He went to sleep on his own tonight. I feel so bonded to him its nuts!Have a good night. Off to watch Deal or No Deal..its my new obsession.

[Ferris]

This thread is moving slow...I expected to come on here and have to read 3+ pages!!

Rocking to sleep We only do that for his naps, and at night he goes to sleep by myself (he's gotten down to less than 1 minute of crying!! :)). Don't feel bad Mrs Chappy for rocking him to sleep! I enjoy doing and it allows me to spend more time with him. I just love watching him drift to sleep.

[kimthebride]

No
I find it funny that they don't like that we are trying to teach it, yet they will shake their heads at us. :)

tgr
Rock on! Congrats on the potty.

jmvan
Alexa is so cute!
The Ewok thing made me pee my pants laughing. Thanks.

Rocking
I rock/sway standing for maybe 5-15 seconds before putting him down, just as one of the signs I do to say its time or sleep.
Funny, everyone in my ILs famiy had a rocker in their nurseries and think every baby needs to be rocked to sleep, but DS never was. So when we visit them, they insist on rocking him to sleep but it never works - they refused to believe me! lol

WBV: 9 Months
Went well - here are the stats:
Weight 20lb 6oz (about 50%)
Length 29 3/4" (about 91%) though I say 30" since he was smooched up

They have a list of things they ask if he's doing, like clap, wave, saying Dada/Mama, mimic phrases, sit up, stand up holding on, etc. He does everything, but not in front of her - he was too busy flirting. :rolleyes:

Ped insited I start feeding DS beef, fish & egg yolk 1x a week since they have certain things in them they boys need for development of testosterone, muscle and other manly things. Since I don't eat meat or seafood, this will be interesting! Lol - I have never cooked meat or fish, so I am taking any tips I can get. Off the top of my head I am thinking of making meatballs and freezing them (ground beef is crumbly enough for him, right?), maybe baking salmon, pureeing it with veggies and freezing that up as well.

Since we always have feeding questions, here's the onfo I have on the food guide my Ped gave me for this month:

9-10 Months - Daily Totals
* Finger foods (meats, fruits, veggies, soft breads) - Small servings, developing biting movements.
* Cereal - 2-3oz
* Fruits - 3-4oz
* Veggies - 3-4oz
* Meat, fish, poultry, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, egg yolk - 2-3oz
* BM/formula - 24-32oz
* Water - As desired

Thomas eats more than this, I'd say about:
4-6 oz cereal
5-7oz fruit
5-7oz veggie
2oz yogurt, 1oz of chicken
And he's at the high end of the BM/formula range.

[allyray231]

Rocking to Sleep sometimes yes-sometimes no. Depends on how tired he is. Sometimes after his last bottle-he will want to be held and he will fall alseep. Other time he just wants to be put down.

[sophiapb]

jmvan
Alexa is so cute!
The Ewok thing made me pee my pants laughing. Thanks.


JMVan?!?!?!? :eek: By golly, if I make someone pee their pants, I want credit for it! It's because Julie shovels her walks and I don't, isn't it? ;)

Okay, Alexa's new trick is the "So Big" gesture. My mom taught it to her a few days ago. We say "How big is Alexa?" and she raises her arms and we say "Soooo big!". Of course, we get all excited and clap and Alexa starts to laugh and I think "Wow, this is what it must feel like to have a trained monkey." ;) Yeah, I'm a goober!

[jmvan74]

Sophia: JMVan?!?!?!? By golly, if I make someone pee their pants, I want credit for it! It's because Julie shovels her walks and I don't, isn't it?

ROTFLMAO!! Man, I needed a good laugh. It's been a roung morning.:rolleyes:

MrsChappy: I like Deal or No Deal, too. :o

Kim: I boiled some eggs yesterday, but I'm still a little leary about giving Collin the yolk...don't know why. **shrugs** We go for our 9 month WBV next week. I think Collin is pretty close in size to Thomas.
Meatballs sounds like a good plan. I'll have to consider that, too.

[kelseyledare]

Sophia- that is so cute about the so big gesture. Does Alexa clap as well?

Julie - I am also a chicken about foods. I haven't given Ava any meats or eggs yet. I finally got on the yogart train after everyone else's kids seemed to be loving it. Can't wait to hear Collin's stats.

Kim: Thomas' 9 mos stats are great- what a tall guy! I'm going to have to start some meats after our 9 mos visit so I'm interested to see how the meatballs go over...

I also like to rock Ava when she's sleepy and in the right mood. During the day, it holds her back so the only time she allows it is at night. I can't believe how big our babes are getting!

We're still hanging in here by ourselves. At first, DH thought his trial might go longer, but now he's confident it will finish on time (thank goodness). I don't know how single parents do it!

[LIZNKEITH]

Some new Caroline stuff I’ve been meaning to mention!

Shaking Head No
It started Saturday when I went to wipe her face after eating lunch. Did it again at dinner when I offered her water, and again when I went to wipe her face. She now uses it whenever she expresses displeasure: a certain veggie, when she doesn’t want her paci, when she doesn’t want water, when Keith puts her eye drops in. It’s the funniest thing! She looks so cute doing it, you can’t help but laugh. Which is probably the worst possible reaction.

Crawling
The girl can get around! This past weekend was exhausting…we’re now having to drag her back in to the room, out from under tables, etc. And she’s in to everything! Especially Lucy’s toys, which completely grosses me out. She’ll spot one across the room and beeline for it. I don’t know what to do about this. Lucy needs her toys, but at the same time I don’t want Caroline playing with them. But, I don’t want to confine Caroline in any way (or Lucy for that matter). So, I may just have to deal with it and continue to try to curtail it whenever I can.

Dada
Yup, she started saying it about a week ago. I haven’t said anything because I thought she was just babbling. But, she really seems to be directing them towards Keith. So cute! Little bummed that Mama didn’t come first, but we all said Dada first, too so I doubt she’s showing preference.

Table Foods
Actually gave her some cheese toast last night and it was a real hit. I couldn’t tear it apart fast enough. She ended up eating about a third of a slice. I’ll probably start trying to incorporate it with dinner more often.

[LIZNKEITH]

Kim,
Nice stats! I can't believe our babies are at the 20 pound milestone!

Sophia,
That's sooooo cute! It's so fun when they learn something new.

[jmvan74]

Maggie, Glad that things are going well with out DH. Thank goodness his trial won't be extended. I'm going to try egg yolk tomorrow. :)

Liz: We started cheese and toast, too and Collin is also a fan. Gobbles it right up. I've also given him toast with a little of the jarred fruit on it. It acts kind of like jelly. He likes that, too. I have to smile that Caroline is playing with the dog toys....I wouldn't worry too much about it, I'm sure there are worse things she could be getting in to. ;)

We've also got some new things going on here.
Crawling: Finally! He's not real fast and he kind of uses one knee and pushes off with the other foot! It's pretty funny. But, he gets around.

New Words: He said "hi". I always wave and say Hi to the cat and this morning when the cat came in the room, Collin said hi! I was so shocked. Then we were at Michael's and some lady said Hi to him and a few seconds later, he said Hi again! I guess his first word isn't mama or dada. He says both, but with out any comprehension. His favorite is Bababababa, wich cracks me up b/c he never even took a bottle!

[kimthebride]

JMVan?!?!?!? :eek: By golly, if I make someone pee their pants, I want credit for it! It's because Julie shovels her walks and I don't, isn't it? ;)
(ummmm....can I still use the "I am a new mom!" excuse if my kid's almost a year old?)
:o Oopsie!

I love the So Big, head shaking and Dada updates!!! This morning I got a "Mmmmm bawahhhhhh!" after his FP Learning table said "Mmmm berries!" and I almost dies of cuteness exposure.

Tall Boy
DH's entire family prays every Sunday that Thomas takes after me: I am semi-Amazonian, and his family is well....a bit wee. ;) Let's just say that I lose his MIL & SILs in the crowd veeeeery easily. :p

Fish
Okay ladies, my fish-eating friend held my hand and brought me to the store to buy some salmon and I am gonna cook it up tomorrow. I think I'll puree it with some acorn squash and freeze 2oz servings. We'll see how that goes!

[Ferris]

Food Gosh, I feel like I am starving my little guy. He doesn't eat a lot of solids, he won't even touch baby food or anything that has the same texture! It seems that he loves everything spicy, I guess he got used to me eating that while I was preggo and he gets it from my BM. Also is it okay to give them sugar free jello?

Sleep Dougie has been sleeping so much better. Today he stopped crying about 10 seconds after DH kissed him goodnight! He has been sleeping until about 5 (although last night it was 4:30) and then I nurse him and he sleeps until 7 ish.

Dougie 9 months pics
They turned out a little blurry when I loaded them to snapfish. I have a few more I need to scan. of course he fell an bonked his head the night before we took the pics. He was trying to climb onto his bike.
http://images.snapfish.com/3464%3A%3B5%3A6%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3237%3E%3A86%3E297% 3EWSNRCG%3D3233578%3B95389nu0mrj
http://images.snapfish.com/3464%3A%3B5%3A6%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3237%3E%3A86%3E297% 3EWSNRCG%3D3233578%3B95388nu0mrj

[allyray231]

Ferris Doug is sooo cute--look at that smile!

[sophiapb]

Oooh, Ferris that first photo looks like a class picture! Dougie Doug in 1st grade. He does NOT look nine months old there. Very cute. :D

Kim, I plan to use the "new mom" excuse until Alexa's in college. It's very convenient for getting out of little mishaps (Honestly, Officer, I didn't see the red light. You must understand, I'm a new mom!") and I plan to use it for as long as I can.

I'm getting more adventurous with Alexa's menus. Yesterday Alexa ate plain pasta (I know, I'm WILD!) and finished up with fresh blueberries, which I quartered. I went on the "What is your child eating" thread and was amazed at what some kids Alexa's age were chomping on. I've really got her limited to fruits, veggies, chicken and Cheerios and need to broaden her horizons a bit. She does well with yogurt and I started her on Farmers Cheese last week (like cottage cheese but without the whey part) so I need to start adding in other items as well.
I'm really trying to keep her to organic foods and low salt/salt free foods but figure the occasional non-organic blueberry won't hurt. However, I will not give her anything with artificial sweetners. I know that sugar isn't the best thing but at least it's not made up of chemicals. Ferris, I guess that gives you my viewpoint on sugar-free Jello. ;) My mom is all excited to start Alexa on baby soups and bought little pasta shapes to put in them. My mom is a soup fiend and is very eager to introduce her granddaughter to her favorite food. `shrugs` Whatever makes her happy. *mutters* Baby soup? :confused:

[Dreshny]

Ferris: Dougie is seriously cute! I need to take some 9-month pictures of Asher (not that we don't take pictures every day. :rolleyes: )

Sophia: So I guess you can't enlighten us as to what makes baby soup different from, um, regular soup? My mom is a baking fiend, and can't wait to give Asher homemade cookies. I vetoed them last month when she baked him butter cookies (we see my parents a couple times a month), but I don't know how much longer I'll be able to do that.

[kimthebride]

Ferris
Oh. My. God. Could he be any more adorable?

sophiapb
Lol! I am literally sitting on the couch anxiously awaiting Thomas' waking from his nap, so we can go to Target, get back and then give him his lunch: Salmon with Carrots I made this morning. Woo hoo!!!! Maybe a little fruit on the side, unless I pick up some string cheese while we're out. Of course, I will likely end up eating a bowl of cereal or Lean Pocket. :rolleyes: Who has it better than our kids??
I also keep a list of What To Try in the kitchen to make me be more adventurous.

As for soup...NJNYB's mom makes a chicken soup for her daughter that I am considering recreating for Thomas. I think its just like normal soup, with less stuff in it (and possibly not as salty??).

dreshny
LOL! I know - I make a big deal about taking "9 Month Pictures" when I also have 8 Month And 30 Days pics, 9 Month And 1 Day Pics....:p

I Wouldn't Believe It If I Didn't See It
I can't believe I forget to mention this!
My cats - yes, CATS - play with Thomas.
The livingroom is all gated in, and the cats can easily jump right over them to escape from Crazy Child. But some days, they will sit there and let him crawl over to them, laughing and screaming. He'll get to Homer, pet him then Homer will run over to the other side of the room and sit down. Thomas will laugh hysterically and crawl at lightening speed over to him...pet him, grab him...and then Homer will walk back over to the other side of the room. They can do this for 10, 20 minutes at a time. It is so funny! When they aren't in the mood, they'll sit high on the furniture or jump the gates to escape.
I swear, my cats think they are dogs. Or human. I am just not sure, but it cracks me & Dh up to no end.

[sophiapb]

what makes baby soup different from, um, regular soup?

Yeah, that was my "what is up with this crazy woman I call a mother and her baby soup" muttering at the end. I'm guessing it's low salt, whatever meat is in there is very small bits and all the veggies are either cooked until they are very soft or maybe pureed. Or very likely, all of the above. Last night my mom was excitedly talking about the little pastas she got, like mini-stars and tiny Os, and all but eagerly rubbing her hands together in anticipation of making some soups for Alexa. :confused: She's a nut job but she loves Alexa and if making soups for her granddaughter make her happy, fine! I'm sure your mother is salivating over the thought of making her grandson breads, cakes and Hamentosh! ;)

[allyray231]

soup I just got "First Foods" and there are some soups in there. I know my GF gave her kid soup and he LOVED it.

Cats Kim that is too funny! Aiden goes INSANE when he sees our cat--yelling and screaming. The cat has gotten so much better at letting Aiden touch him and pull at him. When he has had enough-he gets up and leaves. Now that Aiden is mobile-the cat better look out :)

[Dreshny]

Soup: Hmmm, are we bad parents then if we've already given Asher udon soup and miso soup from our Japanese takeout? :o

[kimthebride]

Soup: Hmmm, are we bad parents then if we've already given Asher udon soup and miso soup from our Japanese takeout? :o
Mmmmm...Udon is my fav!
Funny, I wanted Thomas to try mine the last 2 times I had it. But the 1st time it was fire-hot and the 2nd time he fell asleep when it arrived. Oh well!
BTW: My ped told me to start deliberately giving him seasonings, spices and the 1st thing I thought of was International Food Expert Asher and his Indian Chick Peas. :cool: Thomas aspires to be like him.

[Dreshny]

International Food Expert Asher and his Indian Chick Peas. :cool: Thomas aspires to be like him.

Embarrassingly, it's probably because I'm often too lazy to cook. Though I was proactive yesterday and made dinner during Asher's morning nap. Of course, DH chose last night to work late, so I guess it's tonight's dinner.

Speaking of which, how do you all manage to cook dinner? I can't see any other room of my apt. from the kitchen and the kitchen's too small to let Asher play in it while I cook (it literally fits two people with no walking space.) I've tried slinging Asher on my back while I cook, but again, the space is so small that he can grab a pot from the stove behind me if I stand at the counter. I think my next attempt is to put him in his highchair in the doorway (chair won't fit into the kitchen. :rolleyes: ) Otherwise, it's more takeout for us, which is a shame, since I really CAN cook.

[allyray231]

International Food Expert Asher

Ok there is a onies somewhere on CafePress that says "Future Food Critic" I think you should get that for Asher :)

dinner I oon't usually do dinner till Brad gets home-that way Aiden has someone to entertain him.

[LIZNKEITH]

Ferris,
Dougie looks so grown up! What a strapping young lad!

Animals
Caroline loves out dog, Lucy. She smiles whenever Lucy walks by and loves touching/grabbing her. Caroline gets all excited when I'm unlocking the front door in the afternoon because she knows Lucy is on the other side. Lucy is pretty good with her. Sometimes she's a little jealous when we're playing with Caroline and she'll try to get in between us. But when Caroline is alone on the floor playing with her toys, Lucy will bring her tennis ball over to Caroline in hopes Caroline will "throw" it. Are you seeing how difficult it is for me to keep the dog toys away from Caroline? *shudder*

Cooking
LOL! What the heck is that? I've only done it a few times since I've gone back to work. Usually, I'll sit Caroline in her highchair and give her a Biter Biscuit to naw on. usually keeps her pretty preoccupied.

"New Mom"
LOL! I still use this. Especially when I think about the extra baby weight I'm still carrying around. Hey, I just had a baby! ;)

[sophiapb]

Dreshny-Every high chair I wanted was discontinued five minutes after I registered for it so finally I just gave up. My mom suggested just getting a booster so we got the Fischer Price Healthy Care Booster Seat:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000DEW8N.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

It was $25 and I had a $5 off coupon. Honestly, it all but kills me to admit when my mom is right but she absolutely was in this case. We don't have a small kitchen but high chairs take up a LOT of room. With this booster, it straps to a regular kitchen chair and Alexa can sit at the table with us while we eat. It can also be folded up and transported like for when you are going to your parents. If you can fit a regular kitchen chair in your cooking area, Asher can just sit in this while you cook. I give Alexa wooden spoons, plastic measuring cups and various other things to play with while I cook and she does great in this little seat. Would this work for you?

[LIZNKEITH]

Sophia,
That's the same booster seat I have my eyes on now that DD is growing out of her Bumbo.

[allyray231]

FP Booster We have it at my parents-Aiden loves it

[jmvan74]

My oh my, it's busy in here today!

New Mom excuse: Yeah, I'll be using that one for awhile. I think just plain old "mommy brain" works, too. ;) I swear, I use to be an intelligent woman until I had a baby.

Kim: That is so cute about the cats. Our cat has learned to love Collin. He pretty much plops himself down right next to DS wherever he is. He's just begging to have his fur pulled out! :p Collin is learning to be gentle and pet instead of pull. Of course, it probably helps that every time Collin pulls his tail, I pull out the kitty treats! LOL!

Baby soup: Sounds rather yummy IMO. Hey Sophia, can your mom make some for us, too! :D

Cooking: I cook 4-5 times a week. Nothing elaborate, though. I usually try to get stuff started when Collin naps or I just wait for DH to get home and then cook. I also have a walker I put him in the kitchen when I do dishes, but I'm afraid he'll try to open the stove if I'm cooking! :eek:

Booster seat: The cheapy one I had broke, so I want to get that FP one. We have a full size FP HC in the dining room, so I know I'll love the booster, too.

Ferris: What great pics of Dougie! Sooo cute.

[sophiapb]

Hey all. One of the members of the "Support for a late term loss or stillbirth" thread is doing a walk for the March of Dimes. I am thankful everyday that I have a strong healthy child and am willing to help the March of Dimes find a way to ensure that more children are born full-term, healthy and alive. In rememberance of Alexander, DH and I sent in a check. If anyone else is interested in making a tax deductable donation, here is the link:

http://www.walkamerica.org/personal_page.asp?w=488996

[tgr68]

I have posted in a few pages!

Kim~Thanks! How did the salmon go over? My ped told me to start deliberately giving him seasonings So, I guess the spicy jalapeno sauce on the tomato from my plate last night was okay! ;)

Food~Daily Totals
*Veggies - 4oz
*Fruits - 4oz
*Dinner (Meat w/ fruit or veggies) - 4oz
*Cereal - 3-4T a few times a week
*Formula - 24-30oz
She still has no use for water what-so-ever! :rolleyes:

Maggie~Glad to hear that DH's trial won't be extended!

LIZ~Especially Lucy’s toys, which completely grosses me out. I feel your pain. The other day I ran to the bathroom, and when I came back, Shylah had one of the dog's toys in her mouth! :eek: Eeewwww! ?Turns out the dog brought it to her, so she would play!

Ferris~He is so adorable!!

New Mom Excuse~I still use it as much as I can, especially on the weight issue! :p

Pets~Shylah loves our pets - dog and 2 cats. She loves to pet the cats, and we are still working with her to be gentle. Luckily the cats are pretty docile and know to be gentle with her. The dog and her get along great! Everybody was so surprised over at ILs when our practically hyper-active psycho dog laid down next to DD and played very delicately with her! :)

Cooking~Our kitchen has a breakfast nook, so it's a pretty good sized room. I usually just put her in her high chair while I cook.

Booster~We don't have one, but ILs have one (by Safety First, I think). It's so easy to set up and take down whenever we have dinner over there!

Whew! I think I'm caught up. It's been a pretty good day today! I think Shylah may be teething because she's been more fussy than usual, and she hardly fussed at all with her naps. Also her morning nap was right at 2hrs! Right before her morning nap, she fussed until I put her on her potty. She had a major stinky poo that I'm pretty sure was the bits of burrito with cheese & salsa from last night! :p

Well, gotta get. I've got a friend coming over for scrapbooking, and I need to get a few more dishes done before she gets here!

[allyray231]

sophiapb good to see you :)

I just made a donation-

[usafwife]

I don't have much time as we have some place to be in little while. So this post is going to be a quick one. I will post more later.

Standing unassisted ~ DD stood up all on her own two days ago while we were at my mom's! I couldn't believe my eyes. I actually missed it the first time (I was talking to someone). DH saw it the first time. Then a few minutes later we all got to see it when she did it a second time. It wasn't long (maybe 30 seconds each time) but she did it.

Waving bye-bye ~ She is also waving bye-bye now as well. I received bye-byes all morning today. She even waved to DH when he left at lunch.

Rain ~ And I'm very thankful that it rained today. It's rained pretty much all day and that is a very welcome sight around here. We've had a burn ban in place for 8 months now and they are talking about the water levels being dangerously low. We are seriously in the red. So every little bit helps. Hope it keeps raining for a while.

New Mom Excuse ~ I have used it a few times. I swear that I used to be able to remember stuff without having to write it down and then I sometimes still forget things.

Pets ~ DD absolutely loves our cat, Tigger. He looks like Puss in Boots from Shrek 2. I have a picture of Puss in Boots on my laptop as wallpaper (only because I haven't saved any of DD's pictures to the laptop). Anytime she sees the picture she thinks it is Tigger and starts talking to him. We weren't sure how Tigger was going to react (he has been known to scratch/bit before when he gets in the mood) to her but he's been wonderful. He used to lay in the crib before she was born. I didn't know how we were going to keep him out of there once she was born. He's never once gotten in the crib since she's been here. If he's had enough of her pulling or hitting him (which we tell him he's a good boy for letting her