September 2005 Mommies - Our Baby's First Year!!!

[philnikki]

Kim - Yeah, we can exchange stories in my journal! Vent away my dear! Trust me, at my old job I was an auditor for a public company and had to audit the payroll cycle at our European entities. I was astonished at thier benefits! I went through this anger issue last year about this time. Yeah, it stinks. Our country has totally different priorities, I guess. I feel like we need to have a million mom march on washington and demand some $$ for maternity leave!!

[charmcitygirl]

cr8zyforaf i was just thinking about this... how our government does NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH to support mothers, esp. working mothers. just starting from the hospital (and i realize different hospitals have different policies)... when i was in the hospital (Johns Hopkins), there was next to no support for me to breastfeed. sure, they provided me with a pump, sent an lc, etc. but when the lc came to visit the first time, jake was sleeping and would not wake up. she told me she'd come back when he was awake. ummm... don't i need advice on how to wake him for feedings? esp. since they wanted me to feed every couple of hours... i can't just wait for him to wake up. when she came back, he wouldn't latch and she just gave up. WTF?!! i told her not to come back, i was just so frustrated. here i was with 2 preemie babies and while i appreciated the care i got for the most part, i was really frustrated with the lack of support in terms of their care. luckily, i felt pretty confident with my babies, and miraculously i was not a worrywort--even when zoe had her apnea episode and spent 12 hours in the nicu. but i saw so many women there who didn't have my confidence and didn't have help from their partners (if there even was one) or family.

if hospitals are going to promote bf'ing, for instance, shouldn't their LCs be available 24/7 and be geniuses at what they do? i was in the hospital for 4 days b/c of my c/s so my milk came in while i was there. but most women are discharged before that happens and are only getting bf'ing support for maybe a day. that just doesn't do justice to a wannabe bf'ing mama. not to mention how different it is once your milk comes in. i was totally unprepared for that to happen.

when i left the hospital, there ware next to no instructions on the care of my babies. now i didn't really need that type of support, but many new moms do. then you go home and you are completely on your own. if you need any type of assistance you have have to PAY for it. i just think that is so entirely f'ed up. in the uk, i understand that a nurse/midwife comes to your home every few days to check on your baby: weigh it, assess their health, etc. and it's all paid by their gov't.

i could go on, but i'll stop my ranting here ;) babies starting to whine...


ETA b/c of xpost with philnikki: yes! more PAID maternity leave for all.

[Cr8nme]

I totally agree with all of you on the treatment of new mother and help in terms of it. Also Canada get a year off paid when you have a baby. It just goes to show that our country is so tied up in wars and everything else that its own citizens can't get fair treatment. This type of stuff burns me up inside...I am getting mad typing this. i am a teacher...a special education teacher and while I think every teacher has a hard job...mine and every other special education teacher has it soo hard. I may not have 30 students but the ones I have is enough for 3 people. Not only do they have behavior issues but also mental issues. My job is hard and even harder this week without my husband. My heart just melts when I see Noelle and all of my day just fades away but while I am at work I could cry.

It pisses me off that teacher get paid practically the lowest amount out of all jobs. My grandmother who was also a teacher retired only making 50k a year. Granted I make more than that now but its just rediculous. With all of this being said I am changing professions once I move to Dallas. I never wanted to be a teacher but it was a safe haven when I moved to AZ and I ended up loving now what I used to love has now drained the life out of me.

[pixiecat]

Hi Ladies - Your day care posts are scaring the crap out of me! I'm going back to work on 1/31 & DD will be in care. I'm pretty confident about the center (ratio of 1:2 and the teachers seem great) but I am so nervous for myself - being away from her all day will be so hard! I will be able to go her during lunch for nursing.

mandy - wow, I can't believe what a good little eater Hunter is!

rolling - Lily just rolled from her back to her side the other day! I've also noticed that she is a little less vocal - maybe focusing on her other skills?

cr8mne - My mom was a special ed teacher for 15 years, and can attest to the burnout. It it the *hardest* job & is so unfair how poorly it is paid. For the past 8 years or so she has been teaching 8th grade history (needed a change!)

Things here are going well, but we are on the "back to work" countdown & it is bumming me out a bit! I really have to go find some work clothes that fit, but I keep putting it off! Hope everyone has a great day :)

[dbers]

So my little roller won't stay on her back now :D She immediately rolls over to her belly, which is great, but then sometimes she gets upset. I hope she learns to nap on her belly or else we're going to have issues with sleeping!

She was being extremely vocal last week, and now she's not talking much. I do think they often master one skill and then leave it for a while.

daycare - I'm sorry some of you are having issues. I'm very happy with Alex's center so far - although her naps are definitely an issue. I have been told by pretty much everyone that there is an adjustment phase, and that I need to be patient. She's only there 2 days a week, which is great - but I think it may take her longer to adjust.

[cr8zyforaf]

dbers - how cute that she keeps rolling - I think that is great. Yes, there is an adjustment period and it may take her longer since she isn't there every day.

pixiecat - that ratio is great - mine is 1 teacher for every three babies. Not great - I am not sure what I am going to do - I am going to switch jobs, get that change behind me and then think about finding us something else.

Cr8nme - growing up, my neighbor, who was like a grandmother to me, was a special ed teacher - it sucked the life right out of her. Now that she has retired, she barely gets enough from her retirement benefits to live off of. Really sad.

charmcitygirl - my mom and I had this discussion this morning. Don't even get me started on the lc's at Howard County General - there was no one on staff to help me for the first 20 hours after A was born and when she did finally come, she yelled at me and I never asked her to come back. I am convinced that, and some health issues, are the reasons I failed at breastfeeding. I was only in the hospital 2 days -hardly enough time and once I was sent home - no one even checked to see how I was doing.

I am almost scared to go pick her up. I can't see with that many babies, her getting on a schedule and napping. My mom says I should look for home based care but that to me just seems more dangerous (like at my center now - I know no one could hurt her or shake her if they are frustrated but at a home - there is only one person with no one watching).

[pixiecat]

My mom says I should look for home based care but that to me just seems more dangerous (like at my center now - I know no one could hurt her or shake her if they are frustrated but at a home - there is only one person with no one watching).

Oy, Kim - my *biggest* fear! That is why I am also happier w/ a center situation. Four teachers in the room at all times = lots of eyes! Also, the center is very professional, so at this point I am as "at ease" as I can be w/ strangers watching my child! Hope things go better for you.

[Sandie78]

Not trying to start a political debate here, but a lot of those countries with greater benefits also have much higher taxes. So it's like you end up paying one way or another. But additional support for moms and families would be a nice thing.

No rolling over here yet. Maybe someday...

[wife&wannabemom]

dbers -.

Well, I am having daycare issues and I have to really think - is it me just being sleep deprived and cranky or do I have valid concerns. she only slept twice Tuesday for 30 minutes each time - she came home exhausted, and was so tired I couldn't get her to sleep - then she is up at midnight, 2, 4, 5, and finally 6 and she doesn't seem refreshed. It has been this way all week. I talked to the teacher about trying to get her to nap better this morning and she just looked at me and said 'most of the babies only nap for short times'. I felt like smacking her. Am I wrong here? I think they should be putting a little effort into getting her to sleep. It is like they don't make her nap - she just falls asleep on the floor, or in the bouncy - when she is absolutely exhausted. Shouldn't they be encouraging structured nap times? Am I expecting too much?? And my favorite teachers last day was yesterday - talk about kicking me when I am down. With all this non sleeping - I am really nervous to start my new job.

YES, YES, YES!!!! Your daycare center should ABSOLUTELY encourage Ashley to sleep. You are not cranky and you are NOT expecting too much!!! Patrick is in a Kindercare. This will be his second full week there. THe first week he was only sleep 30 minutes at a shot and the teachers said it was because he was waking up when he heard other babies cry. But yesterday for teh FIRST time he had a 2 1/2 hour nap!!!!! Kindercare encourages naps. The teacher will rock each baby to sleep in the chair and only considers it a "nap" when they are sleeping in the crib. It was a concern for us becuase DS sleeps on his belly and they will only put him on his back (yeah for rolling over), but the first 2 weeks for him they have really, really, really helped him to start napping in the loud, hectic environment.

I'm not sure that if the fact that it is a Kindercare has anything to do with it but they are really doing a fabulous job with Patrick. We are VERY happy with our institution...is there a Kindercare near you?

I haven't been around in FOREVER so i have to go back and catch up but I wanted to chime in before I forgot.

[Brink]

I'm so excited - I got bling! We have been looking for my "mommy" gift for Aimee and had not found anything. I went shopping today at lunch and found a beautiful saphire ring. I called DH and asked if he would be dissapointed if I bought it without him there and he said go ahead. It is very pretty!

Thanks for everyones reassurance that Aimee is ok with her being quiet. It's so easy to worry about the smallest signs of something.

So sorry to hear about all of the daycare issues cr8zyforaf and Nikki - I second what pixiecat said about using a center instead of an individual since there are more eyes watching. The first day we left her there we were worried when we picked her up. Aimee doesn't cry very often and usually doesn't do more than fuss before we feed her. The daycare person told us "she really has a set of lungs" which meant she was really crying. They had to have left her in a dirty diaper for a long time or not fed her until she was starving to have this happen. Not a good feeling. I don't know about all of your daycare places, but they check Aimee's diaper every 2 hours. She gets really cranky if she has a wet diaper. I hope they are not just leaving her there until the "2 hours" is up. I think anytime we leave our babies with someone else there will be a fear. I just have to remember that they have been taking care of kids for years and even though it is not how I would do things, it really isn't harming her. With that said, I still think they should follow the parents direction as close as possible - that's what we pay them for!

dbers - yeah for Alex rolling over. Aimee still has shown no interest.

Well, I'd better get some work done so I can get out of here. I am going over to a girlfriends tonight and then tomorrow we are driving up to visit my mom and grandfather. The trip up and back will be 6 hours in the car for Aimee - I hope she does ok.

[solongtogo]

just wondering, is anyone doing sign language with their baby? I've been doing it with courtney since birth, and though she's not signing back, I think she understands the sign for milk, as she goes nuts when I do it!

[randysmandy]

dbers I wish I could get Hunter to roll....he hates being on his stomach even. I gave him a push today and asked DH if that counted-he said no. Oh well-I tried lol.

Brink Saphires are beautiful-nice gift from Aimee!


I'm so sorry for all your moms who are having trouble at daycare. That's where our babies spend the most time. They have to be comfortable and enjoy it. Nikki Do what is best for Ava-don't feel bad about changing daycares. If you can find one that is reputable than go for it!

YES-PAID maternity!!!!!

[Kay2003]

philnikki - your description of what you found at Ava's daycare made me so mad!! I hope the situation is resolved soon.

I totally agree with you that this country should do more to support working moms. And heck, I'd be willing to pay more in taxes, all for the common good. And charmcitygirl, I'm glad you raised the issue about how long moms are staying in hospitals, seeing LC, etc. I stayed two nights at the hospital, but my milk didn't come in until late on Day 4, and poor baby was starving. I didn't know what on earth to do. All the breastfeeding books kept saying no pacifiers, no formula, so I didn't give him any of that. Then on the morning of Day 4 (after the first night at home) a home nurse came by and she SAVED us by giving me "permission" to give Kaito some formula. She also told me to take some vicatin so that I could be less stressed. Sure enough, my milk came down that night. I think it is kind of ridiculous to send moms home without their milk in. Also, there was no LC available for me since I gave birth on a Friday evening and no one was availalbe on Saturday or Sunday!!

[wildcat]

I've been so busy and had a lot to catch up on!

daycare - Sorry for all the daycare issues! I also worry about Lauren, but have decided that things aren't going to be done the way I would do them, but nothing is going to hurt her and I have to let go of what I can't control when I'm not there. It's very hard for me to do. She is in in-home care (a friend of a friends grandmother who's probably in her 70's). It does make me nervous that it is only her and no other "eyes" are there, but one of my friends used her for 2 years and loved her so I figured that a good reference was better than lots of eyes:). We are planning to maybe move her to a center when she's around 1, at least on a part-time basis, as we think there are advantages (sign, spanish, etc.) in the centers that the in-home can't/doesn't provide. What we did like is that Lauren is 1 of 2 kids (the other is a 3 year old), so she gets lots and lots of attention...that couldn't happen in a center with 3 babies for every caregiver! That being said, I'll never be totally comfortable where Lauren is bc it's not with me:rolleyes:.

rolling over - Lauren rolled over from tummy to back last night! She was laying on my chest and kept rolling off, so we put her on the gymmat and she did it pretty quick!

[BeachBum]

just wondering, is anyone doing sign language with their baby? I've been doing it with courtney since birth, and though she's not signing back, I think she understands the sign for milk, as she goes nuts when I do it!

That is fantastic! We planned to start at 4 months, but I jsut haven't done it.

[sabrespa]

I've been doing the sign for milk for a few weeks now, but I haven't been consistant. I started doing signs with my DD at around 4 months but she didn't really pick up on it until around 6 months or so.

[dbers]

So this rolling over is great and all - but now baby won't sleep on her back :eek: We put her on her back, and she immediately rolls over. I even waited until she was asleep and rolled her, and (in her sleep) she rolled back to her stomach! I have read that it's okay for them to sleep on their tummies once they can roll, but she hasn't figured out rolling back to her back, and it makes me so nervous!

[AlisonCO]

rolling - Caitlin has rolled twice, got stuck and frustrated and hasn't done it since - she still really dislikes being on her tummy! Just FYI - rolling isn't even considered a developmental milestone so don't worry if your child doesn't do it or doesn't seem interested.

sign language - YES - YES! I think that sign language significantly changed my son for the better! By 1 year he knew milk, more and all done and by 18 months he knew please, thank you, drink, eat and sleep. Because he had some way to communicate with us, we were able top avoid so much frustration because he could tell us what he wanted. He never threw food, had a tantrum or got over tired/hungry. He is extremely polite and has excellent verbal skills - much of that I contribute to early sign language. I have started with Caitlin doing milk and will do the same sign I did with Aidan.

I am so sorry to hear about the daycare issues - I cannot even imagine how stressful that must be. I agree that this country seems to talk the talk, but does not walk the walk when it comes to families and children. My SIL and her partner live in Canada and they get 1 year parental leave to be used between the two of them. They keep their jobs and benefits and also 60% of their salaries. I wish that there was someway to make that a reality here, without completely changing our tax system.

I also agree that there needs to be way more support for new parents when they leave the hospital. Insurance companies should pay for a nurse/LC to come to your house at day 7 and 14. I think that something like this would increase breastfeeding rates and decrease ped/hospital visits.

I hope that you all are having a great weekend and hopefully all of you have Monday off too!

[fifibee]

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

day care - It's infruriating to read about philniki's experience with daycare. DH and I have been discussing the possibility of sending DS to daycare, but we are still reluctant because we are still not comfortable with him being with complete strangers. MIL has offered to babysit if I decide to go back to work, but I'm not comfortable with that either. It's hard for this new mommy to let go. http://www.kenandkeli.com/images/smilies/ohwell.gif

sign - I'm glad solongtogo brought this up because we've been thinking about starting on this. Are we a bit late? Sounds like some of you have already started. From what AlisonCo says, it sounds like we should definitely get on it! However, we did know one baby who just never caught on, even though the parents tried for almost 6 months of signing. I am curious though, does baby-signing somehow interfere with baby's verbal development?

rolling - Max rolled over this past Saturday and it happened so quickly that I almost missed it! We've been trying again to get him on his tummy and have him roll, but he hasn't done it yet. He does enjoy tummy time more these days though. I can see his neck and arm muscles getting stronger every day.

crib-training - Not sure if any of you noticed a thread I started in the Parenting section regarding crib-training. In any case, we were having the most difficult time moving Max from his bassinet (in our room) to his crib (in his own room). Well, our little champ finally slept in his crib this Saturday without a peep! DH and I were jumping up and down celebrating big time. We finally have our room back! http://www.kenandkeli.com/images/smilies/hifive.gif

Happy Monday!

[randysmandy]

fifibee Since I haven't said it yet-Welcome! I don't think it is too late to start signing-they do say around 6 months like sabrespa noted-I am planning on buying the BABY SIGNS the book today as a matter of fact!

My MIL watches Hunter and I hate it when she talks to other people and says things like "he loves it when...." or when she sits in front of him when he does anything...swinging, bouncing, playing in his exersaucer. Now he expects me to do the same rather than alloing me to make bottles or get dinner ready. And when she keeps the house SO quiet during nap time. She doesn't listen to my wants either. She even let him drink out of a GLASS! YES I real GLASS. Now when I drink while holding him he wants a sip. Fine and dandy IF I wasn't against it and if it was a plastic cup! She doesn't believe in sippy cups either. I am in for it let me tell you.
FLIP SIDE: I get to see my baby 3 times a week-ALL DAY long while I work at home and she watches him. I have to suck it up and accept that she brought up her children 30 years ago and alot has changed. And he gives me kisses-only me and not her. She gets hugs :-) I have to take everything with a grain of salt or he would be in daycare-I am greatful for that.

On that note-I hope things get better for all you daycare mommies. [HUGS]

Happy day off to everyone who gets it!

[Sandie78]

The sniffles and sneezes your kids had a couple weeks ago must have made their way to Florida because now my little guy has them. :(

[sabrespa]

fifibee~ Some will argue that signing does interfer with language development. From what I've read, as long as you say the word everytime you do the sign, then they are still learning the word. My DD was a late talker and signing helped to get rid of so much of her frustration.

[BeachBum]

Good Morning Guys :)
Man, I love Florida. It is in the 70's here today! DH is taking off early so we can all go for a walk on the beach this afternoon. I'm really looking forward to it. Good weather just makes my mood so much brighter!

rolling
We had a fun weekend. H had been rolling over sporadically, but this weekend he just exploded. DH was playing with him yesterday and he rolled over 12 times in a row. He would roll and DH would turn him back, and he would do it again. It was so much fun to watch. Last night when he rolled over in his crib, and couldn't roll back wasn't so much fun though. :)

purchases
We bought him an exersaucer at BRU this weekend also. He had fun, but doesn't LOVE it, at least not yet. I think he will though.
I've totally decided that the bumbo was a bust for us. I am going to re-sell it. We are also going to go ahead and get a convertible seat. He is growing so fast and I just want to be ready. At the last minute I exchanged the snugride I bought for the new model with the higher height limit. I'm so glad I did because he would have outgrown it before his 4 mo WBV. Crazy!
I bought a really nice big rattan type basket at Target this weekend. I am sick of the toys and things taking over our family room! It is so hard to keep all of his stuff contained. How are you guys organizing?

cleaning out his closet
I also started cleaning out H's closet. He has outgrown so many clothes! We have so many clothes it is disgusting. Most of them he only wore a handful of times. So many of the clothes gifts we got just weren't that cute. I always seem to dress him in things I picked, KWIM? So I'm having the real debate about what to keep for possible future kids (not sure if we will have them), and what to sell. I mean it is so unlikely that we will have another boy that will be in the same sized clothes in the same season. But, I am having such a hard time getting rid of things. Advice?

pictures
I think I'm the only one that hasn't done professional pictures yet. I mean we did some at christmas at Olan Mills because they were $5, but I don't count that! So we are finally going this week. I found what seems to be a great guy in a nearby town. I'm really excited. His work is kind of funky and artsy. Actually he has a website here http://www.jaywshoots.com The portraits 2 are his baby shots.

VacationWe are really itching for a vacation in this household. I see that Andrea is too. Anyone else got fun travels planned? We are so torn on where to go and what to do. I just feel like we will be trapped after H goes to bed, and he typically goes so early. We are usually very "active" travelers, so I'm just not sure how to adapt our likes to our new realities. :p

Oh Brink, I forgot to comment on your Sapphire ring a while back. How nice! I had really hoped that DH would buy me a "mommy" gift too, but he didn't.

[Cr8nme]

I too am itching for a vacation. Dh and I are actually considering going on a cruise or flying to maybe the cayman islands or something this summer. I will probably leave Noelle with my aunt if I decide not to take her. I am now looking for family friendly resorts to take her to.

[pixiecat]

Hi Ladies! Hope everyone is having a good holiday!

baby sign - DH and I REALLY want to do this w/ Lily, but just haven't started... looks like we are not too late!

rolling - she is doing more and more rolling to her side! It is so cute b/c she sticks her little feet up in the air!

clothes & toys - we don't really have a good system for this yet... mainly I put her small toys in her crib (she doesn't use it for sleeping much!) and stack other things under the playmat. As for her clothes, I just packed up all of the 0-3 month things and unloaded all of the 3-6 month... Beach Bum - I know how you feel, but I am just going to store things for awhile & make a decision on them later.

pictures - we haven't had professional pictures taken yet either... I have taken about a million, but I'm not very good! I have a friend who is a professional photographer & may ask her to take some of DD.

vacation - gosh, we could use one, but I don't think it's going to happen for awhile :D

[Brink]

Well, my office is open on this holiday. Aimee's daycare is closed, so DH is with her today. He is working at a job next to his parent, so she is going to spend most of the day over there. Maybe I'll take off early today.

Sign Language - Yes, we plan to start this also. The book I read says the best age to begin is around 6 months but it doesn't hurt to start earlier. I think we will start with a couple of signs for the next month or two and then expand from there. Since we have to learn them too, we'll see how fast it goes. Only problem is they don't sign at her daycare so I hope it's not too confusing for her.

Fifebee - congrats on your little one sleeping in his crib. It makes a huge difference.

Cleaning closet - I have been putting outfits away as she grows out of them. She got so many clothes at the shower that I have to keep moving them or I don't have enough room. I have been saving the ones I like and giving the others away. I have probably saved about 90% of what she got.

Vacation - not sure what we will do. We don't have anything planned at this point. My DH's grandmother in England is not doing so well so we might have a trip there this year. I'm just worried about the time change and what that will do to her sleep schedule. She is now sleeping between 12:00 and 9:00 in the morning and while I wish she would go to bed a little earlier, I can't complain and don't want to mess that up.

Pictures - we went to Sears on Sunday and had pics taken. We ended up spending about $300 on a package. Ugh, but she's only this age once, right???? Here are a couple. I LOVE them!!!!!

http://images.snapfish.com/345%3A666%3B2%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3243%3E782%3E874%3EWS NRCG%3D323346%3B856958nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/345%3A666%3B2%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3243%3E782%3E874%3EWS NRCG%3D323346%3B856965nu0mrj

Wish I could share them all. They took about 10 really great shots.

[hmbay]

sign language--didn't with DS1 and doubt i will with DS2. Heard great things about it and the daycare we briefly considered did teach signing but we ended up not putting the kids in daycare and DH stays home with them.

vacation--we could REALLY use one. Haven't had one in a few years. We had planned to take a cruise in May for our anniversary but now we've been sitting on two housepayments for so long we can't afford to take one. Oh well we'll do something to get away for a few days but it will be hard as I've never been away from DS1 for more than the 3 days I was in the hospital having DS2 (but he stopped in to visit) and never been away from DS2 longer than to go to work.

clothes--I just pack them up. We're undecided on #3 or not and 1 and 2 didn't really overlap on clothes--some they could share but most not so I have almost two different wardrobes for them. Once we decide we're done I'll most likely keep a few sentimental items and sell the rest either on ebay or a garage sale or donate them to some goodwill-type organization.

pictures--just had Alex's 3 month ones done just shy of 4 months (oops). I get them back tomorrow.

qotd for moms with a toddler too--DS1 isn't old enough for a "regular" booster but they do make some high-back ones with a 5 point harness that you can start using at 20 pounds. He's somewhere between 25 and 30 right now and DS2 needs to move out of his infant carrier. Are you buying another convertible seat for DC2 and leaving DC1 in the convertible and eventually moving them both to less expensvie boosters (the ones I've seen that start at 20 pounds cost almost as much as an Evenflo Triumph which is the convertible seat I have for DS1) or moving DC1 to a booster with the harness and giving the convertible seat to DC2? Cost-wise what I'm considering for brands/models will run about the same but I'm not reall thrilled about the reviews I've read about the boosters I've looked at.

[solongtogo]

I've got a roller! Courtney has rolled from back to belly 4 times this weekend! I'm so excited :D

eta, a few pics! We started her on rice cereal this weekend...she is eating both sides of bb, and still acting starving afterwards. We're gonna wait until 6 months to add any of the other solids...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/solongtogo/a8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/solongtogo/a10.jpg

[Kay2003]

rolling - Kaito is almost 4 months old but hasn't started rolling yet. He does roll to his side, but not all the way over. I was wondering, the first time your babies rolled over, was it because they were frustrated with tummy time? I'm tryin gto figure out how long I should let Kaito fuss on his tummy during tummy time. Do I need to leave him even when he fusses that so he will roll over?

looking at me while b/f When I have Kaito on My brest friend, lately he stops eating and turns on his back to just stare at me (maybe to just make sure I'm still there). When I look at him, he smiles. THen he gets back to the breast. But it's no longer continuous eating. Are any of you experiencing this of late? Am I enabling him by smiling at him??

[Sandie78]

Solongtogo-Courtney has some gorgeous lips!

[hmbay]

kay2003--Alex is doing the same thing--smiling/laughing/while eating etc.

[AlisonCO]

I am curious though, does baby-signing somehow interfere with baby's verbal development?


fifibee - I agree that as long as you say the word that you are signing that it shouldn't affect your childs speech later on. I went to a seminar on baby sign taught by a speech therapist who teaches a sign and play class and this is some info she gave us (sorry it is long, but I think it is good info:)
In a long-term study funded by the National Institute of Health, researchers found that signing actually makes it easier to teach a baby to talk. Children who had signed as a baby consistently scored higher on standardized tests of both receptive language development (how much they understand) and expressive language development (how much they can say). There are several reasons why this might occur:

Because signing babies communicate earlier, brain development is “jump started” in the development of the neural substrate of language since babies use thinking, planning, and decision-making skills earlier.
Parents who sign with their babies actually speak with their children more. And the more language a baby hears, the faster the language is acquired.
Parents who sign with their babies actually look for reasons to interact with their babies on a verbal level more often. That also increases a baby’s interest in communication and enables the brain to develop faster.
Babies who sign can direct their parents’ attention to objects they find fascinating rather than just listening to labels for things their parents think are important. That means babies are more interested in the conversation.
Signing increases a baby’s interest in even better ways to communicate. When babies see how much they can achieve using signs, they often discover quickly that speaking gets even better results (since Mom can hear requests with her back turned and can’t see the sign).


solongtogo - She is a beauty!

Brink - What a doll! Great pictures!

hmbay - I just got 2 more Triumphs, so yes we are keeping DS in his convertible until he outgrows it. I didn't do any research, but I assumed that the convertible is going to be safer until they are ready weight and height wise for a booster (eta I didn't know that they made a booster with a 5 point harness - sounds good.)

Kay2003 - Cailtin looks at me frequently while she eats - it cracks me up so I always smile (she usually has milk dripping from the corner of her mouth:)) I wouldn't worry too much unless it hurts or bothers you.

Beachbum - I too have a few baskets around to put toys in to kepp things semi straightened up. As far as clothes, I kept everything until #2 arrived because you do end up using alot again even if #2 is a different sex in a different season. I am starting to go thru stuff now to sell and give away.

:)

[BeachBum]

rolling - Kaito is almost 4 months old but hasn't started rolling yet. He does roll to his side, but not all the way over. I was wondering, the first time your babies rolled over, was it because they were frustrated with tummy time? I'm tryin gto figure out how long I should let Kaito fuss on his tummy during tummy time. Do I need to leave him even when he fusses that so he will roll over?
H rolls from back to tummy--not the other way around. The rolling to his side was definitely a precurser to rolling all the way.
As for tummy "torture", I tried to guage if he was frustrated because he was trying to work his muscles, or if he was really mad/ unhappy. Then I acted accordingly.


looking at me while b/f When I have Kaito on My brest friend, lately he stops eating and turns on his back to just stare at me (maybe to just make sure I'm still there). When I look at him, he smiles. THen he gets back to the breast. But it's no longer continuous eating. Are any of you experiencing this of late? Am I enabling him by smiling at him??

Yes, I think it is so cute. My Dr. Sears book says that babys at this age start "gazing" looking more at you, and really seeing the details etc. I assumed that is what he was doing. I always smile back, and engage him if that is what he wants. It is just so sweet to me.


Alison-Thanks for the signing info. That was very interesting and helpful.

[hmbay]

carseats--yes they do make a few boosters that start at 20 pounds that have the five point harness but a lot of reviews I read people said they didn't really hold up that well for keeping a kid in them for several years (using the harness first then switching to the booster) so I really think I'll just get Alex a Triumph and leave Colin in his until he hits 40 pounds as well.

helmet----(from LJ) Well he got fitted for it today. Never heard the kid scream so loud and so much in his life. Colin screamed with his too (they put wet plaster strips on the kids head after wrapping them up so they can't see to keep the plaster out of their eyes) but not as much as Alex. It will be here in two weeks. I'm not sure how i feel about this. I've made my peace with it and I know it's not the end of the world and it needs to be done (although his plagio has receeded and it's a full case of brachy now so repositioning DID help--it just contributed to the bracy getting worse since the kid's head is so darn squishy). Still not really thrilled knowing in two weeks my kiddo is going to be wearing a helmet 23 out of 24 hours a day for the next 4 months or so and I get to deal with all that entails (nightly head/helmet washes, hot babies, people's stares, fitting appointments etc). :(

[BeachBum]

[QUOTE][I'm not sure how i feel about this. I've made my peace with it and I know it's not the end of the world and it needs to be done (although his plagio has receeded and it's a full case of brachy now so repositioning DID help/QUOTE]

I am just so sorry. It must really suck. We both know that you are totally doing the right thing for the long term. I know that people will probably stare and wonder about it, and you probably feel embarrassed. But you are doing what you gotta do for Alex.
As you might remember I worried about H's head as well, and was anticipating what you are going through. I do want to thank you though for talking about it. It is something that I think many people feel embarrassed about and that new mom's don't really know to watch for. I feel like now I could do a better job if I would have known upfront.
We had to talk H to a pediatric orthopedist for his hip, and I asked her about his head while we were there. (It's fine). But I feel like my Ped should have talked to me from the get go about rotating him in the crib, rubbing his head etc etc.

[hmbay]

BeachBum--thanks. Our oldest was in a helmet as well so we've dealt with a lot of the emotional issues involved in this previously. Even our orthotist commented she usually has to hand a box of kleenxes to the parents during the casting but we were very matter of fact about it all--held him while he screamed, cleaned him up and made our next appointment. I'm glad there is something we can do to "fix" the problem but I'm just disappointed we have to deal with this hassle a 2nd time. The first time we were not told a THING about plagio/brachy other than "oh he'll outgrow that" when Colin's head was getting all out of shape so I had much much much more guilt issues with Colin than I do with Alex--with Alex I know I tried my hardest to keep him out of it but it just wasn't meant to be.

[solongtogo]

rolling - Kaito is almost 4 months old but hasn't started rolling yet. He does roll to his side, but not all the way over. I was wondering, the first time your babies rolled over, was it because they were frustrated with tummy time? I'm tryin gto figure out how long I should let Kaito fuss on his tummy during tummy time. Do I need to leave him even when he fusses that so he will roll over?

looking at me while b/f When I have Kaito on My brest friend, lately he stops eating and turns on his back to just stare at me (maybe to just make sure I'm still there). When I look at him, he smiles. THen he gets back to the breast. But it's no longer continuous eating. Are any of you experiencing this of late? Am I enabling him by smiling at him??

Court rolled for the first time this past weekend...4.75 months. Way later than loads of the babies here that are a whole month younger. Re: looking at you...C does this too. It's so hard for me not to laugh when she looks up and smiles, so I hear what you're saying. It's much too cute.

[fifibee]

Thanks AlisonCo for the informaiton on baby signing! DH and I are going to start with a few simple ones and see if these two overtired parents can increase their sign vocabulary later.

rolling - The past two times that DS rolled over, he wasn't really doing it out of frustration. It happened quite quickly, in fact. I turned him over to his tummy and within 2 seconds, he turned himself back. Kay2003, I think this rolling thing will come eventually, so don't worry if Kaito isn't there yet. :cool:

bf-ing - I've noticed the same thing lately too! DS would stop, stare at me for a few seconds, and start again. Sometimes I'd smile and get a smile back. Other times, we would just stare at each other and wonder what each other was thinking. :P For me, bf-ing is definitely getting to be a more wonderful experience each day.

hmbay - Sorry to hear that you have to go through this experience again with DC 2. I don't understand much about plagio/blachy, but I know that it takes a lot of strength in your part to stay strong for Alex during the next few months. In the long run, he will definitely appreciate what you are doing for him and what you and DH had to endure during this time. *hugs*

solongtogo - I agree with Sandie78. Gorgeous lips! She's a stunner. :)

[Cr8nme]

breastfeeding for me is such a great experience! Noelle is a smiler and a looker! She will just pop off of the breast and turn all the way around leaving it just hanging there! She is sooo nosey,lol

[randysmandy]

NO rolling over here.....at 19 weeks. :( It will come in time. I am convinced Hunter just doesn't want to. However, he does sleep on his side now!

[charmcitygirl]

we've had a few rough nights lately. on saturday, dh was at his parents painting and then stayed to watch football. j&z napped well (they've gotten off track with their naps recently) but started to fuss around 7:30pm. both got changed and ate but still were fussy. then the tag-teaming started. one would cry, then the other, i'd settle them and it would start all over again. so frustrating. dh called around 10pm to say he was on his way home and all three of us were crying. we realized we've had it so easy. i didn't get them to sleep until 11:30pm. i thought that they might let me sleep in the next morning but at 8am, like clockwork, they were up. i had dh get them and bring them downstairs but i ended up getting up anyways. so i decided to go shopping and to the grocery. he had a rough time with them b/c they wouldn't nap. i got home at 3pm and took a short nap. they went to bed with minimum fussing though :) last night it took some coaxing to get them to bed but not too bad. i was sweating it out though.

speaking of sweating... is anyone else getting super-crazy hot at night? maybe some pg hormones still making their way through my body?

on saturday, they turned 5mo.

oh, and before the great meltdown of 2006, zoe rolled over--back to front. and i missed it! i had walked out of the room for maybe 20 seconds and when i came back she was on her belly. she did the same thing with dh on sunday. no rolling since. and she started blowing raspberries on friday. now she's obsessed. her tongue is constantly hanging out of her mouth. it cracks me up.

yesterday, after much debate with dh, we decided to give them some cereal. i wanted to wait until they are 6mo but since the ped said they could start at the last appt, dh has been chomping at the bit to start. they each only had about 2 spoonfuls and did okay. this morning, jake was less interested. zoe hasn't pooped since. i'm going to add a little prune juice to hers tomorrow instead of formula and see how she does (she usually poops 1x/day).

lots of looking around and smiling during feedings here too. they are also starting to laugh when i tickle them.

[cr8zyforaf]

Way behind. The babies are adorable. Great pictures!!

We've had a BAD few night - worse than ever - she has been up all night pretty much every hour for the past few nights and will only sleep in my arms. She thrashes around all night long. And, I tried to get her to sleep in her crib last night - big mistake - it was horrible for everyone here. I guess she will be sleeping in her carseat until she is 16. Note to self - next baby (if I can stomach going through this again) will be thrown in the crib from day one.

Today, I had a spa day (a Christmas gift from hubby) and for the first time EVER since she has been in daycare - I got TWO calls from the teacher because she was screaming her head off...so much for a relaxing day. I called the doctor - she thinks it might be the cereal - so I am stopping that - we had so many digestive issues in the beginning so she might not be ready - however, she is STARVING most of the time - bottles no longer seem to satisfy her. Does anyone know - if rice cereal doesn't work - is there anything else I can try - the doctor suggested oatmeal.

hmbay - so sorry you are going through this. I can't imagine how hard it must be.

rolling - nothing. She doesn't even seem close to rolling - and no raspberries either. She is belly laughing though - and screaming...she went from not very vocal to extremely vocal over the weekend (could it be the lack of sleep??)

vacation - we will be going to the outer banks in May - my parents rented a place that is dog friendly and has a baby wading pool...and to top it off, it is a free vacation! I may be going with the dog and baby - DH is unsure if he can get off of work. :(

organization - yes...we have been taken over by baby stuff - I have big wicker baskets for the toys - which keeps thing in piles at least - but then there is the swing, exasaucer, pack and play, bumbo, bouncy...the clutter is driving me mad.

Oh - and I forgot - for Christmas - my daughter got me a beautiful platinum diamond and sapphire bracelet (she must have gotten herself a part time job) she slipped it in my stocking with a card telling me what a great mommy I am.

charmcitygirl - thanks for the coupons. Ashley has had a constipation issue from day one - I started with prune juice and it caused major blowouts...I switched to pear juice and that worked for her - plus, it doesn't stain like prune juice. Yes, I am still hotter than normal...in our house it is opposite - I like the thermostat at 68 and DH keeps jacking it up - then I wake up in the middle of the night soaked.

Thanks for all the great info on signing - it wasn't even something I would have thought of on my own - it sounds very interesting.

I better get to bed - with my luck - A will be up soon. I pray for at least 2-3 hours of solid sleep - I am running on EMPTY.

[Kay2003]

cr8zyforaf - I'm hoping you're getting some sleep tonight...

smiling while eating - thanks for the reassurances that your babies are doing this, too! It's so nice to know. My husband has been talking about how babies at this age are supposed to be more aware of their surroundings, hence waking up in the middle of the night and flailing, etc. I guess looking up while feeding may be a part of that too.

hmbay - hang in there. You're doing the right thing for your baby longterm...

beachbum, fifibee and others - thanks for answering my question about rolling. I guess I won't try to leave Kaito on his tummy for tummy time so he will roll over. I don't want tummy time to be something he doesn't like.

Good night, everyone! Sweet dreams.... My DH is yelling at me to get in bed - he's right, as Kaito has stopped sleeping through the night. Who knows what time I"ll be up with him again!!

[cr8zyforaf]

Just wanted to pop in and say - Ashley slept through the night - I didn't give her any cereal yesterday - I think her system still can't handle it. I put her down at 7:30 and I didn't hear a peep from her until 5:30. I also wrapped her in one of my shirts that I had been wearing all week - a friend suggested putting something near her with my scent since she is demanding to be held all the time now. Poor thing - the cereal was making her miserable!

[Cr8nme]

I am glad all is well with everyone and that the babies are progressing nicely... I am however having a hard time with everything. I have been late to work almost everyday this and last week :( I am having a hard time being without my husband. Its not just being without him its that I have Noelle and I have to keep the house in tip top shape for showings since its for sale. Ugghhh I am literally stressed so bad...my hair is falling out. I have to go to the salon b/c right now I have a mullet(sp) my hair is soo short on taop and long at the bottom. Right now I am just trying to think what type of style would look good on me. My husband hates short hair and I guess he will have to get over it. I don't have any family here to help and thank goodness Noelle is a GREAT baby.

So I guess I have taken up enough space venting about me.

Everyone have a great day

[pixiecat]

cr8nme - you vent as much as you need to! I'm so sorry you are having a rough time... Do you have any friends near by who can watch Noelle for you for an hour or two while you go for some "alone" time? I'm thinking spa! Also, your hubby will be so happy to see you, he won't care how long/short your hair is!

crazy - wow, great news on Ashley sleeping through the night! I've also heard that idea about putting your shirt in the crib... might have to give it a try!

sleep - Lily has been going to bed earlier, but now she is back to getting up at 2:30 & 5:00... When I go back to work, I'll have to decide whether to try to go back to sleep for an hour or so, or just get up!

Hope everyone has a great day! Looks like we are on a "rainy day" schedule here :)

[Brink]

Aimee has slept through the night since she was 7 weeks old and last night decided to wake up at 1:30. Luckily my DH doesn't have to get up early for work, so he went in and took care of her while I slept. I guess he just went in and rubbed her belly for about 1/2 hour and she went back to sleep. I hope this was just a one shot deal.

She has definitely started eating more. I'm pumping away like made at work and feeding her when I get home but it's just not enough. We are having to give her 1 or 2 bottles of EBM at night because she has just drained me. She is now getting 8-9 oz between those two bottles before bed. I don't know how long I can hold off giving her formula - I think the day is getting close. For those of you BFing - have you had to supplement with formula? If so, how did you do it? Did your baby accept it ok?

Hmbay - I can't imagine how hard it must be to see your baby go through all of that with the helmet. Good for you for staying strong during the process.

Cr8zyforaf - Congrats on the bling for Christmas. Our little babies sure have good taste in jewels at such a young age. Another congrats on figuring out why she isn't sleeping at night. It's amazing how sleeping through the night makes all the other stuff durin the day easier to deal with.

Cr8nme - so sorry to hear you are stressed. I can't imagine having to take care of a baby alone on top of selling the house, etc. How long before you get to see your DH again?

Well, off to work. Can't wait for the day to be over (and it's only 9:00 am!!!)

[Brink]

I think we figured out why Aimee woke last night. I leave for work before she wakes up, but when DH went in there this morning she has a cold. He said she has sneezed a few times and icky stuff comes out. I guess her breathing is a little raspy too. Is there anything I should be doing for a cold or does it just need to run it's course?

[charmcitygirl]

formula checks/coupons i know i "owe" a few of you (philnikki, andreamms, wife&wannabemom) some enfamil checks, but i haven't gotten any recently. hopefully i will soon and i will send them out. again, i really appreciate the similac checks you've all sent!

sleep so the babes woke up at 7am this morning... an hour earlier than usual. dh and i each took one, fed 'em, and went back to sleep. we didn't get up until almost 11am! yikes! but it felt really good to get some sleep, i have to say. and luckily, dh is doing some work down the street at a friends (he renovates houses) and can work a little later than usual.

feeding time... gotta run.

[Cr8nme]

I have a ton of similac samples and checks if you want them Charmcitygirl just let me know!

[charmcitygirl]

cr8nme yes please! pm'ing you now...

[solongtogo]

speaking of similac, I've got 3 5 dollar checks...does anyone want them?

[hmbay]

carseat bargain alert--http://www.specialtybaby.com/br20macocars8.html

Marathon in one fabric choice for $219 shipped! (normally $249).

[randysmandy]

charmcitygirl
Hunter went through his rasberry phase-now he is onto trying to stick out his tongue, but it ends up just rolling around. :)
Yah for getting some sleep. I don't know what it is, but Hunter wakes up at 12:30 every night and then around 4am. He used to sleep through the night!

Cr8nme Go for the short cut-I'm about to. I end up putting my hair in a poneytail everyday. Mind you I got my hair trimmed 2 weeks ago. I wish I cut it off! It doesn't matter if I have it upor down though-Hunter finds it and pulls on it LOL. I guess that's why they call it a mommy do!

Pear juice has worked wonders for Hunter. He actually doesn't like drinking anything else. It's very hard to find around me though!

Oatmeal I heard Barley was easier on them-any thoughts?

Brink You just have to let it run its course, but you can try OCEAN drops. You can get them at CVS. They are gentle enough for Infants.

QOTD DH is worried to eat Shrimp or Peanuts around Hunter. It started when DH heard the story about the teenager dying of an allergic reaction after kissing her boyfriend (he ate peanuts). I know we aren't supposed to feed babies either or these until they are over 1 year old. However-what about kissing them or even holding them after eating either of these foods?

Hope everyone is having a good day!

[cr8zyforaf]

randysmandy - my daycare provider suggested barley. I am holding off on anything right now. We've had two nights of good sleep (I am sure it is no coincidence that we've also had two days of no cereal) and I am not messing with a good thing right now. She tanks up at night - she only drinks about 10-12 ounces at daycare - but then when I get her home - she eats about 4-6 ounces at 5 and 4-6 ounces at 7 right before going down. It is so funny - she wakes up starving and fusses until I get the bottle ready but as soon as she assumes the eating position and sees the bottle coming her way, she smiles and sighs. She is also 'holding' her bottle with loose hands. I also have a problem finding pear juice and when I do find it, I stock up.

QOTD - what a great question. I don't have an answer - I do know that we've eaten shrimp and held/kissed her afterwards without really thinking about it - and nothing happened. I would be curious to know if anyone has a good solid answer to this question.

charmcitygirl - oh, sleeping until 11. HOW WONDERFUL.

Brink- Ashley has been fighting the sniffles for a few days now - I use Ayr saline drops (all natural) in her nose 2-3 times a day - it usually makes her sneeze and then all the goopy stuff comes out and I run the humidifier at night. With the Ayr drops - if she doesn't sneeze - I use the blue snot sucker thing and then swivel a few q-tips around in her nose to get the last of the nasty stuff - it seems to be working well for us and it hasn't progressed into a full blown cold.

pixiecat - it stinks having to make the decision to get up or go back to bed. A sometimes wakes around 4:30 and that stinks because she is still tired but by the time I finish feeding her - we need to start getting ready. The earlier we get out the door, the better our day goes.

Cr8nme - I am so sorry you are having such a hard time with DH being away. I can't imagine how hard and stressful it is. How much longer do you have to keep this up? Is there anyone in the area that can help? Cut your hair off - I am sure DH will think you are beautiful. I will be thinking of you guys.

I went and got Ashley bathing suits the other day - they are so cute! I can't wait to start swimming lessons in march!

I got her this one:

http://www.oldnavy.com/Asset_Archive/ONWeb/Assets/Product/360/360482/big/on360482-00vliv01.jpg

And this one:

http://www.oldnavy.com/Asset_Archive/ONWeb/Assets/Product/360/360491/big/on360491-00vliv01.jpg

I had to get 12-18 months because the other smaller sizes were too small- I got her home and tried them on - they fit :eek: !

Tomorrow I have the day off and Monday I start my new job - I am nervous. A is going to daycare tomorrow because I have a ton of stuff to do - I feel guilty but she will slow me down!

[dbers]

However-what about kissing them or even holding them after eating either of these foods? I'm going to make an educated guess here.. I would say you should be careful with kissing and make sure you wash your hands after eating those foods. It's unlikely that a baby would have an actual reaction this young, but I think the issue is that they could be exposed to the allergen, which makes it more likely that they might have a reaction later on. Anyone agree/disagree?

[Cr8nme]

OMG!! Could thos bathing suits be any cuter... I have to get Noelle some,lol

[fifibee]

Brink - Max went through a crazy eating period a while back. He was pounding 7 ounces and wanting more within 3 hours during the evenings! Since AF did come back around the same time, I had to supplement one feeding per day with formula. DH and I had mulled over the decision for a while, but my supply just wasn't keeping up. In any case, we did that for about 1.5 weeks and then Max slowed down. Now we're doing fine without the supplementing and we're back to BF or EBM.

Thanks hmbay! Since Max is rapidly growing out of his Graco Snugride, we're definitely going to look into that.

QOTD - I don't have an answer, but I am very curious of what others have to say. I love pb sandwiches and have it almost everyday. :p I'm allergic to shrimp myself, so I'm wondering if Max will have same reactions to it even if it's just from other people's kisses and touch.

cr8zyforaf -- Keeey-ute swimsuits! Even though I don't have a daughter, I still find myself shopping in the girls section every time I'm in a store. I wonder if there are boys swim trunks that are as cute as the little girl ones.

Cr8nme -- I had the same dilemma for a while too. I say just cut it off cuz it'll help give you a peace of mind. Plus, if you find a reliable stylist, you're going to look fabulous. Once you and DH see each other again (hopefully, very soon), I'm sure he'll find you looking gorgeous.

4-month doc visit -- We just went to our 4 month appointment yesterday and it went very well. Our ped was very impressed with how Max is growing. Here are his most recent stats:

Weight: 17 1/4 lbs (90%)
Height: 25 3/4" (75%)

Max took the vacs like a champ too! He cried a bit and then felt tons better after we got into the car. For the first time EVER, he slept 8 hours straight last night! It probably had something to do with the shots, but DH and I had to wake up and check that he was okay. LOL.

[Cr8nme]

Yeah I guess I will cut it off I just don't know of a style that I will love,lol I guess I should start looking at styles

[charmcitygirl]

reading back, i realized i meant to address the issue of clutter/baby stuff. my simple rule, especially since i have twins, is this: no non-essentials. i decided early on that i didn't want my house overrun with baby gear so only things that they/i use on a regular basis is allowed ;) currently in our living room there's 2 bouncy seats and the activity mat. we got a jumperoo--the kind that hangs from a doorway--but since they are still too small for it, we put it away. they also got 2 fp feeding boosters for hanukkah and those are kept tucked away in the dining room. i didn't want highchairs b/c they are just so freaking big. the bumbos are tucked away in a corner. little toys (stuffed animals, soft books, rattles) are in baskets that sit on a bookcase. as they get older, we'll use a toybox i guess. there's more clutter around the changing area, but mostly stuff is put into baskets. in the kitchen, a shelf in our pantry is dedicated to all feeding supplies.

last night, jake & zoe were on their activity mat and both of them grabbed the elephant toy at the same time. jake started to whine and then all of a sudden, he grabbed onto zoe's hand and started to peel her fingers off of "his" toy. not convinced he did this purposefully but it was funny all the same.

[BeachBum]

Thanks for posting that deal, Heather. I bought one! I wish the fabric was cuter, but I've seen worse!


I wonder if there are boys swim trunks that are as cute as the little girl ones.
Of course not, but I did fine a cute one at BRU. It also had a matching t-shirt and hat.

Love the new avatar, randysmandy. Hunter is soooooo cute!

For those of you BFing - have you had to supplement with formula? If so, how did you do it? Did your baby accept it ok?
I haven't. But, there have been several threads about this and it seems that mixing it has worked well for many people. Apparently BM is sweet, whereas formula is not. So mixing kind of eases them into it.

I saw a pic of courney wearing her valentines shirt (cute!). Anyone else have V-Day outfits? How about easter, anyone shopping yet?

[PrincessCrappy]

Griffin got these for Christmas. All super cute in person!! I just need to go pick up the hat. (From Janie and Jack):
http://a116.g.akamai.net/7/116/2088/infinite/www.janieandjack.com/media/images/products/20051111_LOAD/1000-02318_Image_Front_3b927.jpg http://a116.g.akamai.net/7/116/2088/infinite/www.janieandjack.com/media/images/products/20051111_LOAD/1000-02316_Image_Front_3b90f.jpghttp://a116.g.akamai.net/7/116/2088/infinite/www.janieandjack.com/media/images/products/20051111_LOAD/1000-02824_Image_Front_3bb8b.jpghttp://a116.g.akamai.net/7/116/2088/infinite/www.janieandjack.com/media/images/products/20051111_LOAD/1000-02397_Image_Front_3bab7.jpg

[AndreaMMS]

Oooooooooo, cr8zyforaf- where did you get those bathing suits! Very cute!!!!!

[solongtogo]

I saw a pic of courney wearing her valentines shirt (cute!). Anyone else have V-Day outfits? How about easter, anyone shopping yet?

there is some *cute* stuff at www.ellabeebaby.com

[philnikki]

Wow! I am going to have to catch up for a few days, but I just wanted to let you guys know there is some video of my peanut rolling here (http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=38763&cdate=20060116&ctime=102702)!

[hmbay]

boys swim suits--one step ahead had some cute ones a few weeks ago when I ordered a few things. I got this one for Alex on clearance for $5.95:

http://www.onestepahead.com/images//product/family/11068a-v.jpg

4 month growth spurt--how long did this last for everyone else who has gone through it. Alex went from 4 nights in a row sleeping from 10:30 to 6:30 to the last five nights in a row he's been up at 2, 4 and 6.... Mommy is about to strangle someone....

[philnikki]

Ok, caught up! Hmmm, as far as shopping for V-day we got Ava this at Old Navy:

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c139/philnikki/on336229-00p01v01.jpg

We got the same suit Kim! I bought her this too from Old Navy:

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c139/philnikki/on360465-00p01v01.jpg

[solongtogo]

Wow! I am going to have to catch up for a few days, but I just wanted to let you guys know there is some video of my peanut rolling here (http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=38763&cdate=20060116&ctime=102702)!

OMG look at the wild hair! I love her!!
Way to roll Ava!

[Cr8nme]

Nikki~ How cute is AVA?????????????? rolling over and everything like a big girl!

[randysmandy]

Nikki That is SO great and the coolest website I ever saw-I signed up!!
I can't wait for Hunter to roll now!!!!!

[philnikki]

Thanks to Lisa, cr8nme, and Mandy for their compliments! Yeah, its pretty exciting! She is rolling everywhere now! We have to strap her into everything now! And her hair gets crazy bc she will lay on her back and when she moves her head back and forth it makes it stick straight up ;) Personally, I think she is going to have some curly q's!


*****
THREAD MAINTNENANCE REQUEST

Ok, so I was just looking at the first page, and there are a lot of us who never officially re-joined the thread after we had our babies! So, please check first page and post your information for us in red.

Also -- being a crazy busy co-mod (and kind of lazy somtimes :p ), I was not able to post the stats that you guys posted before, so if its possible to re-post the latest stats on your baby that would be great: Here is what I need:

CC name:
Baby Name:
Weight: actual weight in pounds, percentile if known
Hieght: actual length in inches, percentile if known
Stats Current as of: Date of appt, Baby's Age

So, for example mine would like this:


CC name: philnikki
Baby Name: Ava Grace
Weight: 14 pounds 10 ounces, 75th percentile
Hieght: 24 3/4 inches , 75th percentile
Stats Current as of: 12/13/05, 4 mos

[hmbay]

CC name: hmbay
Baby Name: Alexander Jonathon (Alex)
Weight: 15 pounds, 50th percentile
Hieght: 26 inches , 75th percentile
Stats Current as of: 01/11/06, 4 mos

[dbers]

CC name: dbers
Baby Name: Alexandra Claire
Weight: 14 pounds 9 ounces, 90th percentile
Hieght: 24 1/2 inches , 50th percentile
Stats Current as of: 12/28/05, 4 mos

Thanks Nikki! Just noticed that our dd's are almost the same weight, but I was told 90th percentile and you were told 75th.. isn't that strange?

[pixiecat]

Nikki - wow, that is such cute video!! I love the rolling & the crazy hair! Lily has some crazy hair too... she rubbed it all off in the back, so she has a stripe of missing hair! I'll have her stats after her 4 month appt on 1/23. :)

[jo&sean]

I never rejoined the thread after moving over from WC. I have been lurking though...
CC Name: jo&sean
Me: Jo, 31
DH: Sean, 31
Married: 5.18.02
Baby's Name: Addison Marie
EDD: 9.15.05
ADD: 9.8.05
Time of birth: 8.57 pm
Weight and Length: 6 lbs, 17.5"
Other children: just furbabies :)

Current stats:
Weight: 14 lbs, 10 oz, 75th percentile
Hieght: 25", 75th percentile
Stats Current as of: 1/16/06, 4 months

I have been following along but just haven't posted at all. Addison is doing great and growing like a weed. She has been rolling over for the past couple of weeks, is working on getting a tooth (it keeps going up and down through her gum) has been eating oatmeal with a little bit of fruit and veggies for the past month, is "using" the spoon mostly on her own (we still help her so she doesn't shove it too far in her mouth though!), chatters up a storm and is very into all of her toys. Everyone that sees her can't believe how alert and talkative she is. She has been going to school since early December. I didn't start back to work until Jan 4th but we started her p/t in December so we could all get used to the new routine and her teachers. I am really glad we did it that way because it has made going back to work much less stressful for everyone as I was already comfortable with her teachers and the program so I didn't worry as much about her the first day. It is still soooo hard to leave her in the mornings though! Her school is amazing - it is mostly Reggio Emillia based with a little Monterssori mixed in. She absolutely loves to watch the older babies in her class and has been working on mimicking their movements and sounds. Her teachers told us she is by far the hardest working baby in class ;)

It is so great to see all of the other babies and to hear about what they are doing. It is nice to know that there is a group of us that are all experiencing the same things right now.

TGIF!

[September05Mommies]

Upated to here!

~Philnikki :)

[dbers]

Okay - so now I see that both Ava & Addison weighed one ounce more than Alexandra at 4 months, and you both were told 75th percentile versus my 90th percentile. What gives?

[philnikki]

hmmm. I don't know Diane??? Anyone out there have an explanation?!? I could see the line on the chart where Ava's progress was marked in the ped's folder and it was pretty clearly 75th percentile. hmmm....maybe it has something to do with their birth weight?!?!

Thanks Julie! :D She does have some cazy hair sometimes! I was worried Ava was going to start rubbing hers off too (she would get these awful knots in her hair) but there is just so much of it, I don't think its possible :)

[AlisonCO]

CC Name - AlisonCO
Baby Name - Caitlin
Weight: 12 pounds 3 ounces - 25%
Height: 23.75 inches - 30%
Stats Current as of: 1/10/06 - 4 months

Thanks Nikki! Yeah Ava:)

dbers - % seem to vary greatly so I really don't know if all peds use the same scale. It is based purely on age, not birth weight so who knows!

CUTE CUTE swimsuits moms - I love babies in swimsuits - the belly, the fat rolls:)

We are doing well. DH leaves next Mon-Thurs so I am trying to get as prepared as I can now. My BF is coming into town this weekend so I am going out to dinner, drinks and a movie and a pedicure with her:) Can't wait!!!

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

[jo&sean]

Percentiles - I thought it did have something to do with birth weights too but I looked it up on babycenter and it didn't say anything about that. I looked at the chart at the dr's office too and like Nikki, saw that it was definitely 75th all the way. Strange...

[Sandie78]

CC Name - Sandie78
Baby Name - Zach
Weight: 15 pounds 8 ounces - 95%
Height: 26.5 inches - 99%
Stats Current as of: 1/6/06 - almost 4 months

[AndreaMMS]

Funny, I looked at the stats page and was about to post the same question regarding the percentiles. I'll post it on the general parenting board- the mystery must be solved!!

I know BeacBum posted a while back about planning vacations - we just booked a trip to Jamaica! I am soooooooooooooooooooo excited!

Question about baby bathing suits...I feel lame asking this, but do you put diapers under them? You do, right?

Nikki, that video of Ava is awesome! Her hair is hilarius!

I managed to get a good pic of Naomi smiling the other day...:)

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6df01b3127cce96aabbeec4bb00000016108AZOHLFo4ZuK

[solongtogo]

CC name: solongtogo
Baby Name: Courtney Elizabeth
Weight: 12 lbs, 5 oz, 25th percentile
Hieght: 23 3/4 inches, 25-50th percentile
Stats Current as of: current as of Dec 27, 05, 4 months old

[Cr8nme]

CC name: Cr8nme
Baby Name: Noelle Alexandra
Weight: 13.0 pounds, 43rd percentile
Hieght: 26 inches, 84th percentile
Stats Current as of: January 4th, 4 month WBV

[fifibee]

CC name: fifibee
Baby Name: Maximilian
Weight: 17 lbs, 4 oz, 90th percentile
Hieght: 25 3/4 inches, 75th percentile
Stats Current as of: current as of 1/18/06 4 months old

Thanks everyone for posting the cute boy swim suits! :) I guess I never looked hard enough at what's out there for little boys.

philniki - Ava is tooo cute -- I wished I had caught Max rolling over the other day too. She is absolutely adorable. It cracked me up when she giggled. :)

diapers under suit -- I believe you put those swimmers (swim diapers) under the trunks. At least that's what all the babies did in our community pool this past summer.

Andrea -- Naomi is sooo pur-teeee! She's got a shy smile, and beautiful eyes.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[AndreaMMS]

So I posted about the percentiles confusion, and here is one resopnse:


I find that most peds use the CDC charts for weight gain/growth:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/...cal_charts.htm

They are available in PDF format on this page. There are different charts for boys and girls, of course.

It looks like a boy weighing 14 lbs, 9 oz at 4 months would be in the 50th percentile for weight, while a girl would be just above the 75th for the same weight.


fifibee- thanks for the compliment!

[randysmandy]

CC Name - randysmandy
Baby Name - Hunter
Weight: 15 pounds 12 ounces - 95%
Height: 26.75 inches - 75%
Stats Current as of: 1/4/06 -4 months old

JO Addy is on the same track as Hunter-cereal and fruit/veggies!

pecentiles Thanks Andrea for shedding some light on a confusing topic. (Naomi is adorable by the way!)

[dbers]

Thanks Andrea! We were blown away by the 90th percentile figure - so it actually makes sense to me. I'm going to ask my ped about it next time I see her. Very weird that she would use a different chart?!?

[sabrespa]

CC Name - Sabrespa
Baby Name - Anthony
Weight: 17 pounds 3 oz
Height: 26 inches
Stats Current as of: 1/10/06 4 months

[wildcat]

We've been so busy that it's going to take me awhile to catch up! I LOVE the bathing suits, I've bought Lauren a few so far as she starts swimming lessons in March! (hopefully they fit, I bought 6-12 months for the summer, so I might have to buy one smaller for the lessons. Here's the ones she has so far (from Gymboree):
http://s7ondemand1.scene7.com/is/image/Gymboree/140006417?$240x305$
and this coverup:
http://s7ondemand1.scene7.com/is/image/Gymboree/140006418?$240x305$
http://i17.ebayimg.com/04/i/05/db/32/8d_2.JPG

I can't remember who asked, but yes, you wear a diaper underneath and I imagine it would have to be a swim diaper. However, these suits that I bought are actually swim suit covers or something, so I think you can just put a normal diaper under them.

And a couple newer pics of Lauren!
http://www.billyandashlee.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20060117/normal_IMG_2211.jpg

http://www.billyandashlee.com/gallery/albums/wpw-20060117/normal_IMG_2217.jpg

We have friends in town this weekend, so we're just finishing cleaning before they get here. I'll try to get caught up soon! I hope everyone has a great weekend with your babies!

[AndreaMMS]

QOTD - is your baby rejecting his/her daddy? I just posted this in parenting:

Oy vey. Over the last few weeks when my (now) 4-month-old starts getting tired she will FREAK OUT if my husband holds her. It's really sad - he's great with her and very gentle, but she wants nothing to do with him and starts shreaking and screaming and crying like he's killing her when all he's tying to do is shush and rock her! Swaddling doesn't help. It goes on and on until I give in and take her, and then she immediately quiets down.

We're formula feeding and he's always helped with bottles, so it's not a food or breast=comfort thing.

I hope someone out there has somewords of wisdom- it's painful to see them struggle with each other, and Mommy needs a BREAK sometimes!!!!

[pixiecat]

qotd - not exactly, but I think that she definitely prefers me right now b/c we spend so much time together... poor DH is at work for days at a time :( We are also bfing, so that probably has something to do w/ it. I've heard "mommy preference" is pretty normal, but I don't know how long it lasts. Give your DH a big hug!

wildcat - Lauren is so darling in her exersaucer! (I think that is what that is?!) And her swimsuits are so cute! Lily has a swimsuit but we haven't had time to go to the pool yet.

percentiles - I totally don't understand them... I'll post what the doc says tomorrow!

[jo&sean]

QOTD - Addy is actually more prone to go to Daddy now then me but she has just started that within the least three weeks or so. He was out of town working so much the first 3 months of her life that she wasn't quite sure who he was at times but now she goes nuts for her daddy. I know she loves me too but dad gets a funnier, more excitable reaction.

Percentiles - Thank you for posting that information AndreaMMS. That makes more sense.

I love all the adorable bathing suits! We are still working on liking the whole bath experience so swimming is not even on my list right now ;) I really want her to like the water though because I never went to swim lessons and still can't swim great so I have a fear of the water. I so don't want that for her!

Hope everyone had a good weekend with their adorable babies :)

[Kay2003]

HI,
I'll post updated stats soon. Kaito has his four month appointment (with shots, poor thing) on Tuesday. I may have to postpone his appointment, though. He has a really bad runny nose cold and he is so stuffed up. He's asleep now but wakes up constantly with a little cry because he can't breathe. when I go to see him with th ebulb, he is asleep with his eyes closed. I'm trying to figure out whether to wake him up to use the nose bulb thing or let him sleep. I would hate for him to get the four shots in addition to this. I will call the ped tomorrow morning to figure out what to do.

rain cover for universal car seat carrier? Okay, I've spent a ton of time online trying to find a rain cover for the Kolcraft Universal Car Seat Carrier with the Graco car seat on top and I can't locate a single one! Do you have a rain cover?

[solongtogo]

QOTD
I love all the adorable bathing suits! We are still working on liking the whole bath experience so swimming is not even on my list right now ;) I really want her to like the water though because I never went to swim lessons and still can't swim great so I have a fear of the water. I so don't want that for her!



The first few baths I gave Courtney was in her baby tub and she screamed...so the next few times I did it in the bathroom sink. She stopped yelling and we went back to her baby tub..no yelling since. Maybe try something like that?

[BeachBum]

swim diaper I think that you are just trying to keep the poo in. Because it can't be absorptive b/c it would absorb the pool water.

AndreaMMS OOH how fun, Jamaica! If you don't mind sharing which resort are you going to? We are still trying to decide on something.
Cute pic of Naomi :)


Is anyone else thinking about spring and summer clothes? I just don't know what sizes to buy! Right now H is wearing 6-12 mo, and some of those are snug in the length. Any advice or commiseration?

[AndreaMMS]

Beachbum- Yeah, I can't WAIT to go! We are actually staying at two different resorts - the Holiday Inn Sunspree

http://www.montegobayjam.sunspreeresorts.com/

and the Rose Hall resort

http://www.rosehallresort.com

We're only going to be in Jamaica a week, but we coudn't decide where to stay so we thought we'd try both!

As far as clothes go, I have the opposite problem. Naomi is just now growing out of the three month stuff, and the 6-12 is huge on her!

[randysmandy]

Summe clothes
Hunter can fit into 3-6, 6-9 and 6-12...depending on the manufacturer. I tried 2 shirts on him (they were exactly the same, but one was 3-6 and one was 6-9) They fit him the EXACT same -too small! They were made by SONOMA (Kohl's?). I am also confused too BeachBum.

I believe that the manufacturers should make clothes for weights, not ages. It seems that all the PJ's are listed by weight, but not clothes-what gives?

Andrea I'm SO envious!!!!! It is snowing like crazy today-getting 8" +

[AndreaMMS]

Clothes question- what brands have you found that run small?

[randysmandy]

Somoma of course
Hunter can still fit in 3-6 for Old Navy (and no other brands), however he IS 4months-so I am not sure if they actually run small or the others run big :confused:

[wildcat]

clothes - I believe Lauren is running pretty true to size. Her 3-6 month clothes started fitting her better around 3 months. She's 4 months this week and still has plenty of room, so I think we'll make it another 1-2 months in the 3-6month clothes. Between my mom and I, we've already bought a ton of 6-12 month clothes. She has quite a bit of pants/long sleeve stuff as if she starts wearing them in March, she'll need warm stuff for a few more months where we live. Then at the end of May she'll get into the warmer stuff, and we've just started buying more of that. I haven't taken the tags off anything and figured I could ebay stuff or save it for the next kid if it doesn't fit. Most of her stuff comes from Baby Gap and Gymboree and it seems to a bit on the big side, IMO. However, I've been so tempted to buy winter clothes for next year with all the great sales, but have held off, not knowing what size she'll be.

[cr8zyforaf]

real quick post - today is my first day at my new job - and of course, Ashley has been sleeping good -until last night. I think she is teething. And, i think she is starved - but the cereal didn't agree with her - I am thinking of starting her on veggies -any thoughts on ones that are the best to start with?

I will post stats when I get home - I can't remember.

clothes - Ashley is growing out of her 3-6 month stuff very fast. In fact - I just purchased a pair of 6-9 month pants at old navy and they are snug around her belly :eek: . Spring clothes - I purchased a few outfits from gymboree over the weekend in 6-9 month but I am keeping the tags on it - I tried them on and the pants are huge in length but snug around her middle.

QOTD - it depends on A's mood - but usually she is only good with DH for a small amount of time. And, the other day my MIL came over and picked her up and A SCREAMED the entire time - but as soon as she gave her (translation - as soon as I pried A from her clutches) she stopped. MIL told me I was spoiling her.b*tch.

All the babies are so cute - Nikki - that is great video - Ava is adorable. wildcat - adorable pictures!!

AndreaMMS - so jealous of your vacation. DH refuses to take A out of the country - poo on him :mad: .

[jo&sean]

I am thinking of starting her on veggies -any thoughts on ones that are the best to start with?

I was told to try squash, sweet potatoes or peas first. We actually did fruits first without realizing that Addy may not like veggies after that but so far, she eats whatever we offer her. Her first veggie has been squash and so far she really likes it. Next week we are going to try sweet potatoes.

Clothes - I am so frustrated with clothing sizes too. Old Navy and Gymbo seem to run small for us. She is just starting to wear some size 6-12 pants from Old Navy and Greendog which I found at Macy's. I haven't bought any more Gymbo stuff (yet)...promised DH that I would cut back on her clothing budget ;) I actually found some cute jeans for her at K-Mart while I was waiting for my Grandma to finish poking around the store last weekend. They seem to be better quality then the Old Navy ones I purchased plus they were quite a bit cheaper :) I bought 6-9 month sizes because I thought she could wear them longer but they fit her almost perfectly in the butt and are a little long in the leg...

Vacations
We decided over the weekend that we are for sure going to Europe the end of July! I am sooo excited. I need to apply for Addy's passport this week :)

[solongtogo]

Court wears a lot of old navy stuff, and it's pretty true to size.

I've found that childrens place jammies seem to run small on her, also I had one pair of gymboree jammies that barely fit her at 5 lbs 11 oz, and they were a 0-3 month size...

[September05Mommies]

Stats are updated to here!!

Please don't forget to post your user info if you are not on the thread members page (fifibee, I don't think we ever officially added you).

I was inspired by one of the co-mods of the August mommies to do some stats for our thread. Please correct me if I am wrong!

Most Popular Day to be Born: September 10th (AlisonCO, Sabre, hmbay)

Biggest Baby: Henry Stephen 8lb 11oz (BeachBum)

Littlest Baby: Zoe Logan 5lb 2oz (charmcitygirl)

Most Popular Girls Name: Grace (Ava Grace & Katherine Grace) (philnikki & Michie G)

Most Popular Boys Name: Christopher (Griffin Christopher & Jake Christopher) (PrincessCrappy & charmcitygirl)

~philnikki

[charmcitygirl]

wow, my zoe was the smallest? crazy.

[wife&wannabemom]

I haven't been around in forever (darn job) but wanted to pop in and say hello...Patrick is 20 weeks today!! His actual 5 month birthday is this Sunday.

Please update my age to 30 and DH's age to 31. Thanks!

vacations- we are going to the Outerbanks the last week of May-first week of June with DH's family. That will be nice because we'll have a pool and kiddie pool right in the back yard. We're also going up to New Hampshire for 5 days in August because DH is doing the Half-Ironman triathlon.

clothes- Just this weekend I put away all the small clothes and washed all of the 6-9 months. DS is long and suddenly most of the 3-6 months clothes are too short. He's fine with the shirts/sweaters but all of hte jammies, one-piece and pants are too short. I can't figure out what size spring summer clothes to get so I'm holding off to see how much he grows in the next month.

[fifibee]

Thanks philniki for reminding me. Here are my stats, so that we can make this mama an official member of this thread. :)

CC Name: fifibee
Me: Betsy, 32
DH: Felix, 32
Married: 6/19/2004
Baby's Name: Maximilian (aka Max)
EDD: 9/22/2005
ADD: 9/16/2005
Time of birth: 5:32pm
Weight and Length: 8 lbs 15 oz, 21 3/4 in
Other children: None

[jo&sean]

It looks like Max takes the biggest baby honors :)

QOTD - Has anyone bought their babies a pair of Robeez shoes? http://www.robeez.com Addison's school recommended them and a couple of friends have them for their babies too. They are great! They don't slip off like socks and help them get a better grip for crawling and walking. I bought her these so far:
http://www.robeez.com/i/8T_2.jpg

And these "knock-offs" on ebay.
http://i18.ebayimg.com/03/i/05/47/63/87_1.JPG
http://www.fwdnet.com/kg/bee.jpg
The knock-offs stay on just as good as the Robeez and are about a 1/3 of the price.

[AlisonCO]

am thinking of starting her on veggies -any thoughts on ones that are the best to start with?

I am not starting until 6 months or later, but I plan to do banana, sweet potato and then avocado and stick with those for awhile - personally I think that they are the most nutritious and mild and the easiest to make at home! Sweet potatoes are naturally rich in iron and beta carotene (squash is good too and more mild - high in potassium.) Avocado are smooth and mild and very high in good fats and calories.

clothes - Caitlin wears 3-6, but not if it has feet then she needs 6-9. I am mostly liking 2 piece outfits (long sleeve onesie and pants) right now and still love Carters, but also have loads of ON. I only start buying Gymbo after 12m so that they can get some actual wear out of it - it is too $$$ to only wear 3-5 times!

vacation - We are going away to the mountains for July 4th weekend and then to Vancouver in the fall - Aidan and DH might do that trip alone since I get WAY stressed out travelling with the kids!

QOTD - Caitlin is fine with either DH or I, but she is having some stranger anxiety even with my mom who she sees frequently.

Has anyone bought their babies a pair of Robeez shoes?

Yes - we love these! My son had a couple of pairs and wore them everyday until he was really walking at 16 months. They wear so well, wash up great and keep socks on! They keep their little feet protected but enable them to learn to walk basically barefoot which is much better. Caitlin has a pair of Robeez and a pair of knock-offs for 6-12 and 12-18.

[hmbay]

foods to start first--most peds will tell you to start with the yellows/oranges first and to do veggies before fruits (fruits are sweeter so they might refuse veggies later if you do fruits first). I tried rice cereal with Colin and he hated it. Added in a bit of banana on the ped's rec. Still hated it. Opened the carrots and he ate a whole jar. :)

[Sandie78]

Ack! Do you see what time I'm posting this? I'm up right now because I think Zach has his first ear infection. He screamed for almost two hours (starting at 11pm) until we thought to give him baby Motrin (duh!). 15 minutes later he was happy as a clam, but he won't go to sleep. His symptoms match an ear infection so we are taking him to the doctor first thing in the morning.

[BeachBum]

Henry was the biggest baby? Wow! I mean he felt big ;) but I didn't know he was the biggest in our group!

CC Name - BeachBum
Baby Name - Henry
Weight: 15 pounds
Height: 26.25 inches
Stats Current as of: 12/20/05

Robeez
Love them! H had the frogs in 0-6 mo which he is just now outgrowing. We have 3 pairs of knock-offs in 6-12 mo, which seems to be just about as good. The robeez do seem to have the best designs though--at least for boys. The new robeez designs are out for spring. You can see them at Nordstrom here
http://search.nordstrom.com/SearchResults.asp?KeyWord=robeez&CatID=

Yeah, the clothes thing really has me stumped. All of his clothes are gymbo, so I don't have a good feel on how the sizes run compared to other brands. To my husbands annoyance I have decided that I am going to dress H in "baby boy" styles. I just love the smocked outfits! and the applicates. I can only pick his clothes for so long, (before he starts telling me what he will wear) so I am going to indulge! I misspoke before--H is in 6-12, but they aren't snug yet. He can still fit in 3-6 but they are very tight in the length.

For you girl mammas there are the cutest 18 mo Baily Boys girl clothes up for sale on the Baby Bargains swap board for super cheap.

Vacations Boy you guys have some great stuff planned! Europe,
Jamaica, Canada, outerbanks! I'm so jealous! I need to get busy planning something.

Sandie-I'm so sorry to hear about the ear infection! What are the symptoms (other than crying)? Hope that Zach is feeling better soon.

[Sandie78]

This is what makes me think he has an ear infection: painful crying that started at night, he just got over a cold, his ear was hot, and when my DH accidentally brushed it with his hand our calmed down Zach started screaming bloody murder. We're going to the doc at 10am.

[hmbay]

Sandie78--hope Zach is feeling better soon. Ear infections are the worse--I've had two of them as an adult and forgot how just awful they are until then. Luckily DS1 has gotten to 26 months without a single one. i have a feeling we won't be as lucky with DS2 as he's been sick more already by 4.5 months that DS1 has been by 26 months.

[dbers]

FWIW - I saw my pediatrician friend this weekend, and she said that all doctors use the same charts for percentiles, and suggested that someone had plotted the weight incorrectly. My guess is that it was my Ped, since a couple other babies had the same stats...

[randysmandy]

Poor Zach-I hope he feels better now that he saw the dr.

Veggies Hunter started with sweet potatoes then carrots. He is now eating peas, squash and green beans and loving all of them! I started him on fruit a week after the veggies. He didn't like bananas, but loves applesauce, pears and peaches. WOW-he really is eating quite the variety isn't he??? He still eats his rice cereal as well.

I am jealous of you vacationers!!

[cr8zyforaf]

Another sleepless night - at this point, I can't figure out what I am doing wrong and I am at the end of my rope. I am so tired I could just scream.

Sandie78 - so sorry about the ear infection. Let us know how it goes at the doctor.

I love Robeez - she has two pair and I just love them.

I've got to run - not much spare time at new job :(

[philnikki]

Robbez - Never knew they existed until about a week ago. Now I am obsessed!

Vacations - We are going on two! A mini vaca to San Antonio in March (three days, three nights) and a week long vaca to Carlsbad (southern cal) in May) I am *so* excited for both of them

Sandie - Keep us posted on Zach's ears!

Kim - I wish you lived close bc I would tell you to bring Ashely over to our house and take a nap! I know how you feel though! Its so tough to not get sleep!

solids - We started Ava on fruits first, per our ped recommendation. We'll be starting veggies in a few weeks. We also are going to do it by color (oranges, yellows, and then greens) no particular reason though, just my plan :)

We are trying to pick out an umbrella stroller. See my journal if you want to post your thoughts! I posted two that I like and I serioulsy cannot decide.

Off to do updates!!

[September05Mommies]

Updates are in!

~philnikki

[AndreaMMS]

Sandie78- I hope Zach feels better, poor baby.:( Keep us posted!

[AlisonCO]

i have a feeling we won't be as lucky with DS2 as he's been sick more already by 4.5 months that DS1 has been by 26 months.


hmbay - I agree. Aidan didn't get sick until right before his first b-day and it was only a cold - he has never had an ear infection or even been on antibiotics! Caitlin has already had 2 colds! I guess it will build their immune system faster, right?

Sandie - Hope Zach is feeling better!

Andrea - That is such a cute picture of Naomi in your avatar - love the hat!

cr9zyforaf - I am so sorry that Ashley is not sleeping well - my son was a terrible sleeper so I know how you feel and it sucks! I truly hope it gets better soon! Is she having frequent night wakings or will she not fall asleep after eating or is it something else? Are you making sure that she is going down for the night 2 hours or less after her last afternoon nap? I find that if I wait much past that window, that Caitlin does not sleep as well. The other night she went to bed right at 6 but still slept until her regular wake up time.

nikki - I don't think that you can go wrong with a pink stroller:) I had no idea they even made pink strollers!

DH decided to come back early from his trip - YEAH! It is so hard being alone with the munchkins 24 hours a day for 4 days! They are both sleeping fine it is just hard - I could never be a single mom! I have started putting a bib on Caitlin every morning because she is drooling but now she has a rash where it rubs - I am sure that it doesn't help that her neck is always wet.

Have a great day!

[Sandie78]

Arrrgh! The doctor couldn't find anything wrong. But I know something was wrong because he was crying in pain last night. He's been happier today, but I'm still worried. They checked his ears and did a throat culture, but aside from a little congestion he was fine. He said he might have some sort of viral infection, but they can't do anything, I feel sad because Zach was so upset last night. I guess I'm glad he doesn't have an ear infection, but it would be nice to have something to blame it on.

[BeachBum]

Exersaucer Love

Oh man, I forgot to mention this before. Henry LOVES his exersaucer. I don't think I've seen the kid this happy. We have the baby einstein one (but I don't even know if that matters). He just laughs and smiles and I have to drag him out of it. I can't believe I considered not getting one. I do worry about him using it (the spine pressure debate), but overall I think (hope) it will be ok.

[cr8zyforaf]

AlisonCO - yes - her last nap is 5:30 to 6:15 and I started putting her down at 7:30 on most nights. Her problem - she won't go to sleep and then when she does go to sleep, it isn't deep. I rock her to sleep (I know, big mistake but I've tried just laying her down and after an hour of screaming I just gave up) and as soon as I put her in her carseat (yes, she is still sleeping in her carseat - again, I've tried SO HARD to get her out of it but it just turns into a nightmare and I need sleep at this point) she is awake - WIDE AWAKE. Or, I will get her down, and then she is awake at 10 and I know she can't be hungry. So from then on, it is a restless sleep where she is up every few hours and finally, around 3AM I give in and pick her up and just hold her for as long as she will sleep - again, it is a restless sleep even when I am holding her. I am literally at my wits end. I am exhausted, trying to start a new job - I am so tired I can barely stand up. Does anyone have ANY advice...I am at the point where I just don't know what to do/what I am doing wrong.

Sandie78 - could it be teething? Pulling on an ear is a sign

[AlisonCO]

cr8zy - Are you able to get a good idea on whether or not Ashley is sleeping and eating well at daycare? Do you think that she is overtired and can't settle down? Could she be hungry at 10pm? When you say that she is restless, do you think that it is gas pains? Have you tried Gripe Water? It worked really well with my son - it is to calm their tummy's but also seems to settle them down. I use it occasionally with Caitlin when she seems gassy or restless.

Again, I can totally sympathize. I won't tell you when :D but my son did start sleeping better without any real "training" and is now a good sleeper. I just think that some kids deal with "stress", new milestones etc differently and more strongly and that affects their sleep. Have you tried posting in the Sleep thread over in parenting? I lurk and see some great advice.

Sandie - Glad that it wasn't an ear infection!

[fifibee]

cr8zy - I have no particular advice to give since it sounds like you've tried many ways already. Just wanted to give you some support and hope she gets better real soon. Could it be teething?

sandie78 - Good thing it's not an ear infection. I've had those myself when I was in grade school and I still remember the misery. However, I do hope they find out what's wrong soon.

Robeez - I didn't find out about these until recently as well. Though Max isn't crawling yet, this is definitely something we should start looking into. Ebay knock-offs seems pretty reasonable to me. How long do they last though? How many pairs do we need?

starting solids - Thanks everyone for sharing their experience so far. We're probably going to wait until Max is 6 months or older, but it's good to know what other babies are starting with.

vacation - DH and I are very scared to take Max on the plane. I have to admit I use to be one of those meanies that secretly complained whenever I saw a baby sharing my flight. So, I have a feeling that's going to come back and get me if I ever decide to take Max on an airplane. <sigh> However, I am very excited for everyone who's got some vacation time planned in the near future. :)

QOTD - Has anyone applied for passport for their DC yet? I'm wondering how you got DC's passport photo taken?

[Brink]

At work typing one handed while pumping!

cr8zyforaf - just a thought - have you tried a chiropractor that specializes in babies? I didn't believe in the concept but a neighbor had a baby that was constantly uncomfortable and after trying EVERTHING else they took her to the chiro. One adjustment to her spine and it was like a different baby.

jo&sean - thanks for the info on the Robeez - I just ordered 2 pair for Aimee - I love the little boots!

Excersaucer - We just put Aimee back in it for the first time since before Christmas - I think it is going to be a real hit.

[Brink]

QOTD - We did get Aimee's passport. We went to longs and had her picture taken there. If you look in the phonebook there are a ton of places that list passport photos. It took about 4 weeks to get hers back.

[jo&sean]

cr8zyforaf - I am really sorry that you are having so much difficulty with Ashley. I would definitely look at the sleep threads. Addison had difficulty sleeping when she was younger. Some of the things we did were:
* swithced her formula because her ped thought some of her issues could be caused from a silent reflux issue. We switched to Enfamil Gentlease and doing that alone helped a great deal. If I remember correctly you are FF Ashley correct?
* resorted to co-sleeping for a while despite not wanting to (but after we did it, we really liked it!). She finally started getting solid, deep sleep when we did this. She started out sleeping with us all night for the first 5 or 6 weeks then we started transitioning her to her crib. For example, she would start out with me then I would put her in her crib at her first feeding then she would sleep there until her next feeding. Now she usually goes to sleep in her own bed around 7:00, sleeps until 11:30, eats, then sleeps until 5:00. At 5:00, I usually bring her back to bed with me so I can snooze while she eats before I have to get up at 6:00.
* Someone else mentioned Gripe Water already. It has worked wonders for some other babies we know. (didn't help with Addy though)
* Do you get a report on what she did at daycare during the day? For example, our teachers write down when they went down/woke from naps, ate, how much, etc.
* I remember a few pages back you had mentioned you had tried some cereal before bed. Did you try rice or oatmeal? Our ped doesn't even recommend rice cereal because it is harder for a lot of babies to digest. Perhaps oatmeal would settle on her tummy better and help her feel full and content.

Lastly, at our last appt the ped mentioned that babies tend to dream a lot at this age. Perhaps she is having really vivid dreams? (What a baby has to dream about, I am not quite sure...makes you wonder!).

I wish there was a magic button we could all hit for you! I can't imagine trying to start a new job while getting no sleep!!! Hang in there.

[randysmandy]

Beachbum
Hunter is in LOVE with his Baby Einstein exersaucer too! He has this new thing where he tries to eat the animals that make the sounds. It isn't good cause it's hard and he slams his mouth against it. He yelled at it yesterday instead-I think he told it off lol. He also loves spinning the 3 part spinner and grabbing the dragon. We put a steardy cushion under his feet because he is still short.

Cr8zy
I wish I had better advice, but Hunter did this about a month ago-would SCREAM everynight. We started to give him baths with J&J Lavendar bath lotion in the water (purple bottle). He is calm now before bed and it helps him sleep so much more content. He does seem restless at times because he tries to sleep on his side but can't stay put. We have also tried Mylecon for gas and swear by it when nothing else seems to work. No matter if he has eaten 20 min prior he always wants milk before bedtime. Some tid-bits that may help you.

[cr8zyforaf]

You girls are great. I knew as soon as I started my new job, her sleeping would go to cr*p again.

randysmandy - Yes, part of our evening routine is bath with the lavender bath wash. She is just a very high strung baby...I don't know where she gets that from :rolleyes:.

jo&sean - thanks for taking the time to write out that list - yes, I FF and she is on the gentlease which pedi says is the most broken down formula out there. We went through about 5 before we found this one. I do give her gripe water after she eats - it did help but this seems to be different than gas. I tried rice and it was awful for her - I did barley last night (which might have been an issue) and sweet potatoes. I think I am just going to do a veggie for dinner. She has never been a napper - she takes 3-4 30-40 minute naps at daycare and then a final nap at home before bed - so she naps about 2.5-3.5 hours a day and when she was sleeping at night, she was down for about 9-10 hours - so that is about rig