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

[solongtogo]

hmbay- serious cuteness....Colin has not changed one bit since he was a tiny baby :)

sleep so to elaborate on the issue I've brought up earlier, Court will wake up, and have a hard time going back to sleep. DH says we need to sleep train her in that we leave her until she fusses, go in comfort her, turn on mobile or aquarium, leave again, and keep doing it until she falls asleep. I told him I wouldn't do CIO. So we're going to start this new sort of training so that she associates her aquarium with sleep. I think this is all my fault because I nursed her to sleep or rocked her to sleep all the way up until this point. Also...she will take a nap at daycare usually around 6:30 or 7-8am, then again at 12:30. She usually takes a small nap around 4 or 4:30, which I'm thinking I need to cut out. Yesterday I tried to cut it, I stayed chatting with daycare provider for an hour after I picked her up, then we went on a walk and by the time I got home, she was asleep in the stroller.

So I'm going to plan on trying to keep her entertained the whole afternoon, and hopefully she won't nap. I need to prepare for a big huge crank pot. :(

[cr8zyforaf]

solong - can you ask the daycare to hold off on putting her down until later in the afternoon - I've been working with the daycare to push everything later for A...she used to nap from 8-9 and then from 1-2 and then fall asleep in the car on the way home...now, I've got her sleeping from 10-11 and from around 3-4 and for the past two nights - she has only woken once to eat (I am probably jinxing myself for saying anything)...she will cat nap on the way home and I used to drive around and let her sleep - now at 20 minutes - I wake her up and then I put her down for the night around 8.

I am also guilty of rocking and letting her fall asleep while drinking her bottle...and I am just going to keep doing it until it no longer works. We did try to let her CIO and it didn't work - it just upsets her to the point where she is so wound up, she won't sleep. I try to lay her down now somewhat awake and I will stay in the completely dark room (if she had anything to play with, she would play all night) and shush every time she starts to fuss...sometimes I have to get up and pat her.

[Brink]

Solongtogo - We do the exact same thing with Aimee and her aquarium. Some nights she does fall asleep with her last feeding, but on other nights I put her to bed awake but sleepy and turn on the aquarium. Sometimes I have to run back in there 3-4 times to turn it back on (sucker only runs for 5 minutes). She usually is out by the end of the second round. If she really starts getting upset (which is vary rare), I just realized she isn't tired yet and take her back out into the room with us and let her watch tv (I know horrible) until she shows more signs of being tired and then take her back in and she is out pretty quick. If she wakes up at night, I can usually just pop the paci back in, but on occasion I have turned on the aquarium and let her fall back to sleep that way. It has worked great for us, I hope it works for you too.

Cr8zy - Yeah for sleep. I hope your new schedule sticks! Thinking of your friend today - I hope all goes well.

Hmbay - very cute boys - those curls are just adorable.

Aimee is still not herself, but definitely better than she has been this last week. I think we are on the road to recovery. Thanks for all the advice.

[solongtogo]

Success! I made Courtney stay awake through when she normally takes her last nap, and she went down for the night at 7pm and was still asleep when I had to go wake her at 5:30!

[jo&sean]

Hmbay - Your two boys are so handsome!!

Solongtobo - Yeah for the successful night!

Cr8zy - Sending good thoughts your way for your friend. How is she doing? That is so scary and yes, it reminds all of us that it can happen to any of us!

Brink - Glad Aimee is feeling better.

Cr8nme - You are going to have fun on your vacation - you definitely need a nice break. Enjoy :)

Addison is having a rough time with her latest tooth. She has been having trouble sleeping the last few nights - up and down every couple of hours just restless and unhappy. Yesterday evening, she wasn't happy unless I was holding her so she slept on my lap the entire evening and then I just let her sleep with me instead of trying to get her to go down in her crib. It worked - she slept really good and just wanted to be cuddled and reassured. Her little gums are pretty red and I can feel the tooth poking out (top one this time!) so hopefully she will feel better soon.

I feel like I am coming down with a cold again - ick! Probably from not getting good sleep and I have been eating horribly too.

Hope everyone has a good day.

[BeachBum]

Great pics of Hunter

hmbay--Great pic! So, so cute. Your boys have the most beautiful eyes! If your avatar really looks like you then I assume that is where they got them! Is Alex out of the helment now or was that just for the photo op?

solongtogo-so jealous! I would love a good night's sleep

Cr8zy-I sent some good vibes for your friend. I'm so sorry that you are having such a rough time. I've been thinking about you a lot and just haven't been quite sure what to say. I honestly think your DH is being a brat--but I'm sure that he is just feeling stressed too. If sex is what he needs to reconnect then it's probably a good place to start. Hopefully if he is feeling more loved then he will be more loving by helping out more. Even though you are feeling alone right now--actually being alone would be worse. I know I wouldn't be ok with leaving Henry but if 2 nights away can get your marriage back on track then I think it is a must do. Plus, you might even have some fun. {{hugs}}

Brink-Glad Aimee is feeling better. You guys really had a bad run of sickness there!

AlisonBoy that is tough with both of them waking up!

As for rocking to sleep nursing/bottle--even Weissbluth says this is ok. So don't feel badly!


Guess who started crawling? He had been doing some serious scooting for weeks now but actually crawled yesterday. He still hasn't totally realized how far he can go, so he is still going kind of slow. I'm glad because we are having a hard time finding baby gates that fit!
I wanted to gate off our family room so it was a "safe" area 24/7 and then I could let him in the rest of the house when I was giving him my full attention.

We also started doing some Cherios (fake, oat ones not wheat). It is sooo cute to watch him chew!

[randysmandy]

Beachum Thanks!
I haev a crawler as well....get this: My MIL didn't tell me that he started moving more forward than he was because she didn't want to hurt my feelings. Little did she know I hadn't told her (I was going to surprise her when he finally started to really crawl) B%%H

More news: WE HAVE A TOOTH!!! It popped up yesterday. I HAVE get to get working, but will post soon!

[cr8zyforaf]

I am so jealous of the crawlers...congrats to Randysmandy and Beachbum!

randysmandy - woo hoo for the tooth!! I serioulsy doubt that MIL was looking out for your feelings...b*tch.

solong - woo hoo for the sleep success!!

Jo&Sean - so sorry Addie is having a hard time with the tooth. Ashley also had a horrible time with her teeth...it will pass - hang in there!

Brink Glad to hear little Aimee is feeling better!

Well, I had a really bad accident Wednesday night - I am ashamed to even admit what I was doing....I was trying to open Ashley's Leap Pad with a knife (I tired to undo the metal twists by hand, with scissors and nothing worked - who the he11 do they think is trying to open these toys??)... I ended up stabbing myself in the arm with a very sharp knife as I was sawing through a tie...I lost a lot of blood very fast and ended up having to call 911 - I had to leave Ashley with the firemen (which she loved..little flirt) because we couldn't wait for my BIL and SIL to get there. I ended up needing quite a few stitches - thank god I didn't do an nerve damage. I really thought I was going to bleed to death. This made me realize - I am doing too much - I need to slow down and take a deep breath.

And not to defend my husband but I have become a total nag....I scream and yell at him all the time - really that is the only time we talk. So, I've decided no more nagging - I am going to back off a bit. He is still wrong about some things, but my approach is way off.

Happy Friday to everyone!

[hmbay]

Thanks everyone for the compliments on my boys. I just can't believe how big they are! :)

wow teeth and crawling? We don't have either here yet but I know they're both just around the corner.

Alex slept better last night--sort of. He slept for a 7 hour stretch (but I only got 4 hours of sleep during that). But then was up for 2 hours... Grrr....

beachbum--actually both me and DH have blue eyes so it's a toss up whose eyes the kids got but I'm pretty sure they'll both stay blue. :)

ETA: cr8zy--oh how scary! :eek: Glad you're okay. Hmm the nagging thing. I was doing the same thing so I tried a little experiment. I grabbed a pad of postit notes and started leaving DH little notes around the house with things like "I love your smile", "I love that your kids love you" etc. I'll admit my goal was the entire pad of postits and I quit after about 15 but DH loved it and it made me think about things I love about him instead of reasons I wanted to strangle him. :)

[randysmandy]

Why do I feel like all of us have things happen to us at the same time!!! Literally-someone will post that something happened and I am like "WOW-that just happened to me" I hope you mammas don't think I am some sort of lunatic. BUT Last night I thought I broke my hand- I slammed it into the cabinet and cried for a good 30 min. I think I sprained something. It hurts to type-but I have to suck it up because I am an architect and use the computer ALLDAY! So like you said cr8zyforaf Slow dow and take a breath. I am not clumsy with DS in my hands, but you never know when that doorway may be closer to his head than I think. YIKES!!!! Glad you are OK cr8zy!!!!!

[AndreaMMS]

Trying to catch up...

Brink- glad that Aimee is doing better!

Randysmandy & Beachbum- Wow, I can't believe the kids are crawling! Congrats! I think Naomi is almost ready to crawl....but I don't think I'm ready for her to crawl!

Kim- You poor thing. I'm so sorry you got hurt! And I'm sorry you're going through rough stuff with your husband. It seems to be going around... I know Rich wants to be intimate more often too - I am completely uninterested. I suggested to him if he helped out more so that I wasn't so tired I might be more inclined- he seemed to take that to heart and is stepping up more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love my sweet girl, but she is sleeping like CR*P. I just posted an SOS in the 0-18 month thread out of sheer despiration. I also posted this:

I am so tired right now my entire body hurts. And I am starting to lose it - I tried to turn on the water in the bathroom sink this morning and I couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. It was because I had been flipping the light switch over the sink instead of turning the faucet!!!! Funny, but SAD....

Siiiiigh.

I had a check-up with my OB/GYN yesterday. She almost made me cry three seperate times. Meany.

1. I told her that sex still hurts - she said the only way to get that to stop is to have MORE sex to stretch out the scar tissue from the episiotomy. :( Greeeeeeaaaat.... made Rich happy though. Of course.

2. Due to my age (36) and a familial history of early menopause, she told me that if we wanted to have another child we really shouldn't wait too long. I'm not ready!!!!!! :(

3. I asked her if there was any way to prevent me getting such severe hyperemesis again if we were to have another child. She said that the only thing we could do would be to start me on heavy meds from the second we get a positive HPTin an effort to keep it from getting out of control. I knew she was going to say that, but still :(

To cheer myself up, my budding musical prodigy:

http://images.snapfish.com/346886653%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3242%3E7%3B7%3E998%3EWS NRCG%3D323366%3B2%3A47%3B5nu0mrj

And by the way, the "Little Tykes" piano picured above is a great and inexpensive toy. She loves it - I highly recommend it!

[philnikki]

Wow! Lots going on with everyone!

Kim - I am so sorry about your accident, your stress, your situation with you DH....its all so overhwhelming for you, I am sure. You do really need to take a break and just reassess how you are looking at your life. Sweetie, you and I seem to be very, very much alike, and I am like that with Phil too often. But then I try to really see where he is coming from in what he says, and more often than not, I know that *I* am the one overreacting. I think you are right in trying to be more mellow for awhile. Things *will* work out with Ashely's sleeping. All of this you are feeling and going through is very likely a product of all of the stress you are under and really need to find a healthy way to deal with it. Taking time for yourself is of an utmost priority. This is hard for me too, but I realized that when I am ok, everything else around me is ok too. So please, take some time for you and your DH. Or just take some time for you, but I agree with another pp that said you needed some space. Gosh, I wish I lived closer to you so that I could take Ashely for awhile. I think she and Ava would have fun! I know I am just some random internet person, but I really think often about what you are going through and I do care. If you ever need a person to talk to, please do not hesitate to contact me. Email me at nicolez@healthplan.org and I will let you have my phone number. In the meantime, I am sending HUGE {{HUGS}}

randysmandy - I am so sorry about your hand!!! Yikes!!! And your MIL was a total B*&^% for thinking she was going to get away with not telling you that on purpose. Ugh.

Andrea - I am sorry that your OB made you want to cry. I would want to cry too if I heard that stuff!! She is right on the sex thing. My episiotomy made it hurt for months and months, but only now is it starting to get better. It does feel a little better every time. And I couldn't imagine going through hypermesis for a second time. You poor thing!!! And thanks for the reccomentation on the piano. Hmmm.....myabe I will pick it up at BRU this weekend....

So Ava is feeling much better these days everyone! We did a count and found out that from the period of November through March, she was sick for 98 days out of 150, or 65% of the time! :eek: Crazy times. She still is getting two breathing treatments a day. She is going to three solids meals a day next week. She is also very close to crawling. She gets up on her knees and just rocks back and forth. She also sleeps on her belly with her butt in the air. Too, too cute!!! No teeth in sight yet though. Ah, well. I am not ready for her to grow up just yet anyway! Oh! And she now says "mama" and "dada" often! Yay! :)

And here is a recent pics for your viewing pleasure!

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c139/philnikki/100_3542.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c139/philnikki/100_3532.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c139/philnikki/346863A5547Ffp3453Enu3D3273B3E4563E.jpg

[pixiecat]

wow - lots going on! I am keeping up (reading) but haven't had a chance to post s/o in awhile :( I'll try to catch a few now...

Brink - so glad that Aimee is feeling better!
solongtogo - good news about Courtney's sleeping! I've found that (for us at least) there is no one magical thing, but just little things and time. Growing up is the biggest help when it comes to sleeping better!

jo&sean - I can sympathize on both fronts... I have been saying that Lily is growing a tooth, some little devil horns & a forked tail! The perpetual cold remains at our house too... Hope you & Addison get some relief soon!

BeachBum -yeah for the crawling! (kind of! ;) )

randysmandy - oh your MIL is a piece of work! Great news on the tooth & crawling - hope your Hunter is in a better mood than Lily! Her tooth pisses her off!

Kim - omg! Thank goodness that you are okay. I have caught myself doing that (opening plastic dangerously w/ a sharp knife) more than once. That must have been terrifying! I also know what you mean on the DH front... (sounds like most of us do!). My DH is awesome, and I have *nothing* to complain about really, but I still do. I have made a concerted effort to not nag (actually I should renew this promise) and things have been better. Also I have become really sensitive - DH says stuff as a joke and I take it the wrong way & it becomes a fight. I think I have changed on this front. One thing though is that DH doesn't realize that he has changed too. He seems less happy & more stressed, so it's not just me.

hmbay - your boys are so gorgeous! I love the post-it idea... I'll have to try something similar.

Andrea - so sorry you guys are having a rough go right now... I would be scared to be pg again too if I were you - I remember what a horrible time you had! I know that we already have one pg lady in our midst, but personally, I can't imagine doing it again already! On a lighter note, Naomi is darling (as usual!) and we have that same piano. It is our most popular toy!

Nikki - wow, Ava is so beautiful! And I am very jelous that she says mama and dada! Lily barely makes a peep. She is very physical, but not vocal. Also, I think we have been sick more than healthy too. Nothing too serious, but a perpetual cold ever since we started day care.

Besides constantly being sick, I took a hard look at my salary less taxes and day care yesterday and became really depressed. I think I would honestly go crazy being a stay at home mom, but I also can't believe that I am dropping my baby off at day care 4 days/week for this amount of take home money. I have a lot to think about!

Hope everyone is hanging in there! :) Julie

[solongtogo]

OMG Kim, I'm glad that you are ok! How frightening!!

Don't despair to those who are...Courtney is still a toothless wonder and non mobile..and she's one of the oldest babies in the thread :D Gotta enjoy the non mobile time because it won't be long until we are chasing them.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

[jo&sean]

Kim - I am so sorry about your accident! I know exactly whaty you mean about those toys though - they way they secure them to the package is absolutely insane. So glad that Ashley was ok with the firefighters. I bet that was actually a treat for them to be able to take care of her for a little bit. I would agree with you and the others, this is a good sign to slow down and take a deep breath. Reminds me that I need to do the same thing too...(because I had a mini-meltdown again this morning!).

Randysmandy - How is your hand??!! That is exciting about Hunter starting to crawl :)

Beachbum - Yeah for Henry. He is always one step ahead of the curve - you have one determined and smart little man on your hands :)

Hmbay - I like your idea about the notes - although I can't think of anything nice to say right now so I better hold off until I can play nicely ;)

Andrea - Sorry about your appt yesterday - that would make me want to cry too. Having another baby is such a big decision - let alone feeling pressured to do it sooner than later. I hope that Naomi snaps out of the bad sleeping spell soon - you sound really, really tired!!

Nikki - Ava is so cute! How exciting that she is saying "mama" and "dada". The only time Addison says "mama" is when she is really ticked off. hehe.

I am officially sick. I really would like to just go home and relax but I can't for two reasons: 1. I am slammed with work today and have property showings all afternoon (that will be nice...do you think coughing on someone will make them want to lease something from me?!) 2. There is no where at home to just hang out and lounge besides my bedroom because the FREAKING HOUSE IS ALL TORE UP.

I have aboslutely had it with remodeling! Addy has been having the worst time sleeping the past few days, I probably got 3 hours total sleep last night and I am about ready to throttle DH in the man-area because all he did last night was complain on and on and on and on about a kink he has in neck and how much it hurt. I had to get up with Addy when she cried every 30 minutes so I finally just brought her back to bed with me at 12:30 which stopped her from crying but she kept waking up. Everytime she woke up and DH would have to move, he would whine about his freakin' neck while I am up with Addy couging all over the place. DH gets up this morning, bounds downstairs, does his thing leaving me to get myself and Addy ready by myself while I am hacking all overthe place and then proceeds to tell me how excited he is to go golfing today. WHAT!?!@ So your neck hurts too much to even lift a finger with Addy last night, you kept me awake with your moaning and groaning but it magically is better in time to go golfing. Hmmm. I am a golfer too and if my neck hurt as bad as he making it out to be last night - golfing would be the last thing I would do. Then he has to rush out the door leaving me to feed and water the dogs and cats too. And he told me I was the one with an attitude problem. Jerk.

Sorry, I just had to vent. I think Addy has a cold too - poor little thing. I hope that it's nice outside this weekend so I can air out the house and get her in the fresh air a little bit. I think that would help us a ton.

[fifibee]

I haven't posted in a while, but I've been following along whenever I can. There's been lots going on and I hope with all our stress, worries, and sleep-related or teething-related frustrations, T.G.I.F.!

One update here is that Max has decided recently that he is going for N.M.B. (aka no more boobies)! It was so devasting for me to see him reject me. I keep playing in my mind what might have triggered this and one only came to mind. Two weekends ago while he was teething (3 at a time!), he was chewing on anything and everything. When I was nursing him to sleep one night, he chewed on me. I screamed a little, and said sternly, "no." He gave me a confused look, but then continued to nurse a little. After that incident, he nursed less and less. Anyway, I was hoping to wean around 1 year, but it was surprising that he just weaned himself so early. DH and I can't help but wonder often where we went wrong.

He's got 5 teeth now and we're in the middle of introducing all the veggies and fruits to him. He doesn't show much interest in fruits though, for some strange reason. I'm thinking of buying some cheerios or "oatios" for him to munch on soon. Where do you get them anyway? WholeFood?

Finally, a recent favorite picture:
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/betsy808/Max/Picture375_small.jpg

Have a great weekend, everyone!

[BeachBum]

fifibeeIt is common for kids around 8-9 mo when teething to go on a nursing "strike". I would pump to keep your supply up because odds are he will want to nurse again. If he does wean, you know to give him formula until 12 mo, right?
You can get "oatios" at a health food store and I imagine they have them at whole foods as well. The box is bright yellow and Oatios is written in orange.
Great pic!

[Brink]

Wow, lots going on. I'll try to catch up, sorry if I miss anyone.

Cr8zy - OMG about the knife. That is so scary. I'm glad everything turned out ok.

Beachbum - Congrats on your Crawler!

Randysmandy - That is too cool about Hunter's tooth. Sorry about your wrist. How is it feeling today?

AndreaMMS - We have the same piano. Aimee doesn't seem to have any interest in it yet. She is just starting to like to bang things, so maybe soon.

Nikki - so jealous that Ava says "mama" and "dada". I can't wait to hear those words.

Jo&sean- I hope you get out of remodel he!! very soon. I can totally relate on the DH. Mine was complaining last night about a sore back and when I didn't give enough sympathy on that, he said he had a tummy ache. When that didn't work, he complained about his head. The other night, I got up at 3:30 with Aimee and was up for an hour before getting back to sleep. He had to get up early to take his friends to the airport. So, we basically got the same amount of sleep that night, but he had to take a nap in the middle of the day and still complained about being tired that night! Men!!!!!

OK, updates on us. Aimee is feeling better and almost herself. Guess what WE HAVE A TOOTH! I felt it last night. it has barely popped through, but it's there. So my MIL was over tonight and comes running over, "Aimee has a tooth", I said "I know, but what did you do, stick your finger in her mouth?". She said "yep". Excuse me, but DH and I are the only ones that are allowed to just do things like that!

I had my routine with my GYN yesterday. I have the greenlight to start TTC#2 (I know it scares many of you, but from an age perspective I need to get moving). We are going to start this month and if nothing happens in a few months, I"ll try Clomid again.

Funny story - My DH is constantly spraying my cat with water because he howls during the night. I know it is annoying, but so is having him shoot water across the room. So, some nights I take the squirter and keep it on my side of the bed and squirt the cat, but a lot nicer than he does. Well, last night the cat meowed and then jumped up between us on the bed. So I grabbed the squirter and sprayed my DH RIGHT IN THE FACE! I'm laughing just writing this and thinking about it. I was aiming at the cat, but it was dark and I was sleepy - what can I say!!!!!!!!!!

OK - latest picture of my little chic.

http://images.snapfish.com/34688%3B63%3A%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3243%3E782%3E874%3EWS NRCG%3D323366%3A55877%3Cnu0mrj

[pixiecat]

Brink - cute picture of Aimee! Funny hair :) Lily was sitting on my lap when I was looking at your post & got all excited when she saw A's picture! These guys crack me up sometimes! & I hear that it only gets cuter!!

Congrats on starting to TTC#2! The idea of it does scare me a bit, but also I am engaging in some purposeful mind games b/c we really CAN'T be thinking of #2 right now... we have a 1-bedroom and barely have room for the kid we have! But I surprised myself by wanting another so quickly (originally thought I'd be happy with one!)

fifibee - I also thought "nursing strike!" when I read your post. http://www.kellymom.com has some good info on dealing with nursing strikes. The picture is so cute - Max is so darling in his little outfit!

jo&sean - just wanted to extend my sympathies on the remodel. We built our home (yes, the aforementioned 1 bedroom! - we had size restrictions based our area) and it was a LONG process! I totally remember crying because I had nowhere to sit but our bed. No chairs, couches or even a comfortable floor! But in the end it was so worth it! I love our little house! The thought of adding on - which we will have to do eventually - is very scary.

Lily didn't go to the easter bunny, but here is a picture of her in her easter outfit:
http://images.snapfish.com/346895%3A63%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D3235%3E248%3E85%3B%3EWS NRCG%3D3233675888365nu0mrj

[AlisonCO]

I am SO far behind! DH was out of town Wed-Fri so I am just now able to sit down and relax sans kids for a bit!

Great pics Andrea, Brink, pixie, fifi and nikki! The kids are beautiful and expressive and perfect!!!

cr8zy - How scary - I am so glad that you are OK and that A was OK with the firefighters - Caitlin would have seriously freaked out. Please try to take some time for yourself this weekend!

I am so sorry that some of you are going theu sleeping hell right now. I can totally feel your pain! Caitlin had a rough couple of night at the beginning of the week but has slept great they past 3 nights! I hate hate hate the inconsistency and to tell you the truth, after I have a good night sleep I am almost more tired the next day. Then when we have another bad day, I feel like hell. When she had her bad nights, she was up like every 2 hours (sound familar anyone?) and then I was so wound up that I couldn't get back to sleep when she did go down.

Although my DH is great and gets up and tries the paci and stuff, I just don't think that he understands the magnitude of my exhaustion! I have literally been pregnant or nursing a child since January of 2003! My body is tired and I think that this time nursing is taking a toll on me more than last time. I do not drink as much or eat as well because I just do not have the time and I think that nursing is starting to wear me down (as well as the sleepless nights). As much as I want to continue nursing past 12 months, I just wonder if my body needs a break. We will see I guess.

Caitlin is so darn close to crawling it is not even funny - well it is funny because she gets frustrated and huffs and puffs. She goes from sitting to on her hands and knees an then rocks back and forth. Then she pushes herself back up to sitting. When she is on her hands and knees it is like she is nervous to try and go forward.

She has been eating some finger foods this week and doing so well. She loves the Oaties, sweet potatoe puffs and chunks of sweet potatoe, avocado and banana. I have actually stopped making purees because she much prefers the chunkier stuff.

I hope that you all are doing well and enjoying the weekend. I am so far behind with SO's so HI HI HI to everyone.

[crow]

So many happy babies---naomi,ava, max, aimee, lily.

andrea--thank you for the tip on the popular toy! I really appreciate suggestions about which toys are good.

I really want to be positive today, but I have to get these silly petty things off my chest. My ILs are in town, and I have had it. It started ok, nothing major, but every day, little comments and actions just add up. They are leaving tomorrow am, and I just cannot bite my tongue any longer!

1. My ILs are still *extremely* upset that my DH did not call home on Easter. I had no idea this until later, when DH told me his mother sent him an email and later called, in tears. I have been with DH for almost 6 years, and never knew Easter was a big deal. We are not religious, and my ILS are even LESS religious than we are! Furthermore, Baby was sick and had been awake since 430 without any naps. Dh was also sick.

Anyhow, I am sick to death of comments from MIL and FIL to me--"you guys should have called us on Easter."

This morning I tried to be polite and say that my family does not celebrate Easter, and I did not know that ILs do celebrate. Still I wish I had said to MIL--look, the problem is between DH and you-- I don't know that I am *supposed* to call you on Easter, ALRIGHT?!

2. Again, my MIL *helps* in ways that actually produce more work for me. She cooks elaborate meals and desserts, which require multiple trips (by us and them) to the grocery stores. Because of forgotten items, like a run to the grocery store for berries this morning, Costco and another local grocer this afternoon. And protracted clean-up time.
The meal is fine, but I don't WANT fancy food. I'd rather pay for take out for all of us--it is actually WAY easier on me. Come on...I don't want to scrub creme brulee dishes or large burnt roasting pans every night. I have suggested this but like I have mentioned earlier, they refuse b/c FIL likes home cooked meals, and he will NOT tolerate meals from left overs.

When she is cooking (which takes the entire afternoon, every day), I am doing laundry (ours and theirs), taking care of baby, cleaning up (after their mess as well), etc. We have a nanny and cleaning people to help, but when ILs are here, they don't want our helpers around.

3. She keeps making comments about how "tense" DH and I are, and further, how that is rubbing off on baby. That we need to be more laid back. Well, baby is still getting over a cold. He really needs to rest, not play peak a boo for the 1000th time with granny.

Today, after keeping baby awake for over 3 hours, I told MIL that I really needed to put him to bed. We were waiting for MIL's friend to visit. WEll, friend is late, and I didn't want to wait any longer. Who knows when she would arrive?

So she remarks..."well, whatever YOU want" in a pointed way. (not nicely, but then again, I am pretty sensitive right now)

So I said loudly back (this was my breaking point): "it is not what I WANT, but what is BEST for the baby!"

After struggling to put baby to sleep (by then he was overtired and fussing, arching, crying) I came in here to type this. I have so much homework to do, but I had to vent this first.

I'm sure I'll look back and think this was silly, but I am just so tired and tired OF them right now. I can't complain to DH about these, b/c these are not very serious things (it seems inconsiderate to complain about someone cooking food for me). I reserve the big stuff to tell him. So thank you for letting me air this.

I hope everyone else had a good weekend. I will feel much better MOnday morning.
edited to add that DH went to Costco and MIL went to another local grocery store this afternoon to pick up ingredients for our last dinner. One store is never enough.

[pixiecat]

Hi crow - just wanted to let you know that I think all of those things you posted are very annoying! thank goodness they are leaving soon! the fact that your FIL won't eat non-fancy meals just kills me... I imagine he is *not* helping with the dishes???:rolleyes:

[dbers]

Hi ladies! I haven't posted in awhile, but I've been reading along. Such cute babies we have :)

Here's Alexandra at almost 8 months:

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3A7769%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3237%3E%3B96%3E%3B52%3E WSNRCG%3D323367%3A8%3B%3B%3A76nu0mrj

Enjoying a bath:

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3A7769%7Ffp33%3A%3Enu%3D3237%3E%3B96%3E%3B52% 3EWSNRCG%3D323367%3A8%3B%3B%3A7%3Cnu0mrj

All dressed up:

http://images.snapfish.com/3468%3A7795%7Ffp33%3B%3Enu%3D3237%3E%3B96%3E%3B52% 3EWSNRCG%3D323367%3A8843%3A4nu0mrj

[Kay2003]

cr8zy, randysmandy - I haven't been on this thread in the last week but I just wanted to let you know that you two are okay. How scary!


teething and lack of sleep - Count me in this club. Kaito has two bottom teeth and he's teething again. It seems like the top teeth now. I am EXHAUSTED today (Sunday night). My DH usually takes Kaito on Saturdays so I can work, but I was feeling like I hadn't spent much time with Kaito in the past few weeks because of a conference I was preparing for. So I ran errands with my DH and Kaito. I think in retrospect I should've taken Saturday to just do stuff alone, to recharge. I'm realizing in hindsight that that is what I needed. Oh well.


I want to do SOs but I am dead tired and need to get my butt in bed. Take care, everyone. I am thinking of you.

PS crow Can't your DH talk to your ILs????

[cr8zyforaf]

crow - I am so sorry - your inlaws sound like a real piece of work. Hopefully, they will be gone soon. I would have your DH speak to them - you do not need any added stress!

I am also in inlaw he11...MIL is no longer speaking to me...I told her on Saturday that DD and I would be gone for Mother's Day (we are going to the beach with my family - DH cannot get off of work and DH and I discussed me going and he is OK with it...I will also miss our anniversary). Why does this matter to her - it isn't Grandparents day, she is not MY mother - she got really sh*tty with me, and got off the phone. You would think she would be happy that I was able to take a vacation, but no...it is all about her. I worried about this all day yesterday even though DH told me to not worry - she also is not speaking to DH brother or wife - since Christmas (story is too long to get in to). I am so sick of every holiday having to revolve around what she wants. She is so selfish and hateful...and she acts horrible on holidays - who would want to spend the holiday with someone who complains the entire time?? She told me that she is no longer celebrating any holiday since no one has any time and everyone has better things to do – I am sorry that me and SIL have families – it is like she expects us to spend every second with her and none with our own families…never mind that DH step father hasn’t been allowed to see his family since Ashley’s baptism in December – she refuses to spend any holiday with them or let her husband go over there.

dbers - Alex is adorable, and so are you!

Andrea – I am so sorry your doctor made you cry. She sounds extremely insensitive. Please don’t feel rushed into TTC because of your age – I am also in the same boat however, I know that another baby right now would send me over the edge and probably cost me my marriage. You never know, in a few months, you may feel completely different. Also, can you get a second opinion/maybe find a doctor who is more sympathetic? The whole have more sex so it stops hurting really makes me mad – there could be a ton of medical reasons why you still have pain.

Naomi is adorable – her little lips are so cute – it looks like she has lipstick on! I will definitely try the piano – Ash loves music!

Nikki – thanks so much for your advice. Yes, I overreact a lot. I need to relax and realize that I cannot control everything…insane when you think about it. Glad to hear that Ava is feeling better!! And she is so adorable – she looks just like you!

Pixi – I am with you daycare- it is so depressing to drop our babies off and be paying what we are paying. I had a long talk with DH this weekend and hopefully this summer, I can cut my hours back to 30-35 hours. He needs to make more money but I think this will take a lot of pressure off of me…I will still have to pay for fulltime daycare which s*cks but I think having 5 more hours a week of free time will REALLY make a difference. I hope that you can find a happy medium.

RandysMandy – how is your hand?

joandsean – I am so sorry you are sick and I am so sorry about the remodeling he11. My DH is the same way – the other night he heard A crying at midnight (he was just coming in from work) and he said “what is she doing up so early” and I just couldn’t believe it – I told him she gets up between 12-1 EVERY NIGHT and had been doing that for months. Totally clueless. And this morning, he was complaining about how tired he is – hello – at least he can sleep at night – I am up and down all night…it is always about him and whatever his problems are – they are always so much more important and horrible than my issues.

FIFI – so sorry about the nursing strike. Max is adorable though!!

Ashley is back to sleeping like cr*p and I think she has allergies…her nose and eyes were watery all weekend.

[cr8zyforaf]

And here is a picture of A - her first swing ride...she loved it. The higher, the better. I think I have a daredevil on my hands!!

deleted photo

[hmbay]

cr8zy--my MIL is the same way--she expects norman rockwellian holidays and has a complete melt-down if anyone doesn't play into her little fantasy world. Plus she can NEVER plan in advance. DH called her every other day for like two weeks before Easter and they supposedly weren't doing anything so we make other plans and then they call everyone ON EASTER and tell everyone they put a big turkey in and everyone is supposed to drop their plans and come over.... And Alex is sleeping like crap again too. :(

[pixiecat]

cr8zy - your MIL takes the cake! I've been following in the "horrible MILs" thread & just can't believe how terrible these women are! Too bad DH doesn't stand up to her... sounds like he is used to ignoring her. BTW, Ashley is such a cootie-patootie! Amazing about the swing!

ugh! We are all sick AGAIN! Poor DH, who hasn't been sick for a day in his life practically, hasn't been well for weeks and now I am on cold #200 for the season. Neither of us are much fun when we are sick. I'm really hoping that things turn around when it starts warming up...

[crow]

How strange that so many of the babies are sleeping funny. Crowbaby was up for 2 hours last night, including a screamfest. We would rock him and after a peaceful bit, he would scream again. He also did this almost exact way about 5 nights ago. Teething or crawling energies, I hope.

Oh my cr8zy, hmbay MIL is also so controlling about holidays. We could have our own little MIL club.

cr8zy, it is so great that Ashley is fearless...and cute!

dbers sweet Alexandra! I love her grin in the bathtub--it is infectious, and I am smiling just looking at her!

pixiecat, BeachBum Thank you for answering my ? in the exersaucer thread. I don't understand why baby can't be flat footed, but we'll be raising it for him as that seems to be the right thing.

Yippee! ILs have gone away! Yes I am being mean spirited, but I can't help but feel a tremendous load lifted.

[jo&sean]

Brink - YEAH for the tooth!! Your story about the spray bottle is priceless :)

Crow - Thank goodness your IL's are gone!! I would have had a meltdown too. Sorry that Crowbaby was up last night - it seems to be the pattern around here.

Cr8zy - Your MIL is a real piece of work. To turn a negative into a positve, at least she is showing you how NOT to act when Ashley is an adult with a family of her own ;) Ashley looks so cute in the swing. I didn't even think about taking Addy for a swing ride yet...might have to check that out.

Dbers - What a cutie you have! I really like that bathtub too!

Hmbay - This totally cracked me up:
she expects norman rockwellian holidays
Isn't that so true?!

Pixie - Sorry you guys are all sick - hopefully everyone will get to feeling better soon. Thank you for the sympathy on the remodeling he!(. It's nice to know that others have gone through a similar experience. I know it will be worht it but I would like to be around to see it be worth it...

Alison - Caitlin is doing all kinds of cool things. Did she just decide that she liked finger foods? I have been offering Addy oaties but she just plays with them and hasn't even tried putting one in her mouth (which is really bizzare since EVERYTHING else goes in her mouth). I guess they will decide when and how right?

The remodeling He#@ continues. DH and I are at each others throats and I feel like I am going to have a meltdown (yet again) at any given moment. We are getting closer but it always one thing after another. I have never felt like jumping up and down and throwing a temper tantrum but it seems like it would feel really good right now.... I just want it done. I want my house back!

Enough about that. Addy is doing great - she seems to be over the worst of her teething for now and has been back to her happy little self. She took some good crawling steps yesterday but she didn't realize what she had done. It jusst amazes me how much stronger she gets everyday. We were sitting her room playing last night and she scooted over to me and pulled herself to a complete stand without one grunt or groan - it was so easy for her and boy was she thrilled!

[charmcitygirl]

real quick post... hi everybody!

we have crawlers! both j & z are doing the army crawl. yikes! i am SO not ready for this.

in other news, i just ordered a valco twin stroller and am so excited to be able to go for nice long walks without having to stop every 2 seconds to get the tires over all the bumps and cracks in our neighborhood sidewalks.

j's got 6 teeth going now and z is working on 2, though they haven't broken through yet.

[AlisonCO]

Hi all - I feel like we haven't had a QOTD in awhile.

1. What has been the most rewarding part of becoming a mother?

2. What has been the most difficult?

3. What has been the most unexpected?

1. This time the most rewarding thing has to be the interaction between both kids and I also love how much more relaxed I am this time - I feel like I am able to enjoy the small things. I also really enjoy the times when C sees me and just lights up. I love how much confidence I have as a mother and how much pride I take in being a mother.

2. I think that sleep deprivation is high on the difficult things list. I am getting more sleep than I did with Aidan, but still not as much as I need. I feel like just when I start to feel more rested, we have bad nights and I am back to square 1. Also I find the general ups and downs of being a mom difficult. I also find it difficult to make sure that Caitlin gets one on one time with DH and I.

3. Not much is unexpected this time, but after Aidan was born I was surprised at how much I loved nursing, how little sleep you really got and could survive on. The wild emotional/hormonal swings were totally unexpected - how one minute I could be so happy and the next I could be bawling at the TV.

Cute pictures cr8zy and dbers!

[cr8zyforaf]

charm - I was starting to wonder where you had been...wow - that is a lot of teeth. Woo Hoo for the stroller.

jo&sean - I am so sorry about the remodeling he11. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be...hugs!! Glad to hear that Addy is doing well and that is so great about the crawling and pulling herself up. Ashley is still too lazy to do that..she just screams because she can't seem to get her limbs to cooperate.

crow - so glad that the outlaws are gone!! Sending sleep vibes your way.

Pixi - so sorry you are all sick. Thanks for the compliment on Ash...and yes, MIL is a piece of work.

hmbay - MIL is this way too - she has a picture in her head of how the holidays go (and it all revolves around her) and then gets p*ssed when they don't go exactly as she has planned. Plus, she is always not speaking to someone - imagine us not wanting to be around that. So sorry Alex is sleeping like cr*p...

I think many of us are having sleep issues - perhaps it is developmental. Who knows. Ashley slept last night from 8 until 5 this morning and then I fed her and she went back down until 7:15...great. However, I am not getting my hopes up...a good night is usually followed by many bad nights. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

She has started shaking her head no - and she now does this when she is falling alseep or drinking a bottle - it is funny but it has me a bit worried - I always think there is something wrong with her. Is it normal to do this kind of thing in her sleep?

[cr8zyforaf]

Cross post

1. Rewarding - I love seeing her face light up when she sees me, having her stop crying the instant she sees me coming to get her, watching her develop and grow into a little girl. Also, I think other kids look at you differently when you are a mom - my neices and nephews are closer to me now than the were before - it is hard to explain but it is like I am part of the 'mommy club' now and kids can sense that. Also, the love I feel for her and my family - it takes my breath away and makes me so proud.

2. Difficult - without a doubt - sleep deprivation. I am so tired I could scream. I hate getting up many times a night for months on end. It is also hard to HAVE to be home by 7 to go through our routine and get her to bed. And, I feel like i've lost my old, carefree self...and with that, I've lost a lot of my childless friends...which really hurts. But, I can't go and do the things that they do anymore, especially with a husband that is never home. Also, the work/family balance is horrible - I feel guilty all the time.

3. Unexpected? - it has all been pretty unexpected since I really didn't have much experience with tiny babies. The emotionally rollercoaster during the first few months - many warned me about it but I have always been pretty good with controlling my emotions...even now, I am way more emotionally about things that I ever thought I could be. Just hearing about an abused child makes me cry (it upset me before, but now...I can barely stand to listen to it). Also, I knew I would love my child, but the amount of love I feel for her knocks me off my feet...there are some days when I just can't get enough of her.

Great questions Alison!

[Cr8nme]

Rewarding~ Being a mother and experiencing the love that I have for her...watching her develop and grow into a wonderful young lady...understanding what my parents did (which I thought was mean) was out of love and wanting to protect your child.

Difficult~ Having to raise her myslef since DH is in another state :(

Unexpected~ Honestly I never expected to be blessed with such a great child who has a great disposition and so happy all the time. I am blessed to be able to sleep and to go to work and know she is well taken care of. What I didn't realized that just hit me is how much I take for granted the small things and then I realized that those "small" things that I am taking for granted my husband or any of our family even get to experience.

[hmbay]

rewarding--Alex is a much more touchy-feely child than colin was. He loves to snuggle and give hugs very freely. I love this about him and the huge smile he always has for me when I get him in the middle of the night or first get home from work.

difficult--his complete inability to find a sleep schedule. sleep deprivation sucks.

unexpected--since I already had one most of the stuff wasn't unexpected but I've been amazed how much harder it is to get out the door with two and how nicely my oldest adapted to having a little brother.

[charmcitygirl]

rewarding that my kids love me unconditionally, seeing them so happy to see and play with dh when he comes home from work, watching them learn and develop

difficult getting out, dealing with 2 crying babies at the same time (does not happen often, but when it does, it's really tough), sharing parenting roles with dh

unexpected that they have been much easier than i expected, that i have been able to handle 2 babies needs, that i have much more patience than i ever knew, that i would so easily forget how little they were in the beginning

[philnikki]

Sorry I have been MIA the past few days...I have kidney infection! :( Blah. It really stinks. I have been really out of it for a few days now!

Kim - I hope you didn't think that I was saying that you overreact too much :o I felt like maybe that was what you thought I was saying...TRUST me, I know how idiotic men can be at times! eh, gads, I think I am too much of a worrywart sometimes too! lol A looks adorable in that swing!!! So cute!!!

1. Rewarding - The look in her eyes when she sees me. I can tell she knows that I am her mommy, and she just lights up and smiles and squeals with joy when I come home everyday. I also love how she snuggles up to me and will give me little hugs and kisses. Its just such an amazing feeling being a mom. Knowing that this little person completely depends on you...makes you feel so important yet also inferior at the same time, like how did you get chosen to be a mom to the most amazing little person that ever existed, ya know? *sigh* I love my baby girl!!!

2. Difficult - Losing my identity. I feel like at times I am just Ava's mom, and not Nikki anymore. I feel like I have lost some of myself. Its most evident in my marriage. We aren't the same anymore. Not that that's a bad thing necessarily...just different. It definately took getting used to!

3. Unexpected? - The depth of the love I have for my daughter, is definately the most unexpected. Before you give birth, you have this idea of what being a mom will be like and the bond you will have with your child. Its almost tangible. But after having Ava, I can say that the love I have for her is so beyond tangible and is the most intense thing I have ever experienced. I also agree with Kim, there are days I just feel like I have not gotten enough of her!

Great questions!!

Have a great evening everyone!

[pixiecat]

good questions!

rewarding - the silly smiles & sweet look she gives me when I walk in the room. Knowing that I am her mom & pretty much her most favorite person (besides DH!) in the world. Watching her grow into a little girl.

difficult - being sick so often. definitely feeling as though I've lost "me" (like what Nikki said) - although that is getting better. The toll that sleep exhaustion, sickness and who knows what has taken on my marriage.

unexpected - how much I love being a mom and the fact that I am really good at it (if I do say so myself!). I had serious doubts before (so silly!) that I would be a good mother.

So many other things, but those are the ones that immediately come to mind.

[crow]

Rewarding--watching him grow and develop is most rewarding. Most endearing are his smiles.

Difficult--probably conflict with my DH, esp during the first sleepless, volatile 6 weeks. 2nd most difficult was baby colic, which frightened me and made me wonder if baby was in pain.

Unexpected--I can't believe that we brought to life this wriggling, giggling, miracle.

Also, I really can't believe I was completely TOPLESS in front of my ILs (including BIL!) and my family (esp my little brother, who was probably traumatized first seeing his sister breastfeeding). The first few weeks, my boobs were so painful, airing them out helped the burning pains. NOw, I blush and cringe a little thinking about it.

[solongtogo]

rewarding That I can calm her cries, when her face lights up in a smile and she does an excited wiggle when she sees me, when she gives me open mouth kisses and great big hugs, seeing DH who was so afraid of breaking her when she was a newborn turning into one fantastic father, the thought of things to come (her first step, first words, etc), and watching her grow up, the curiousity and wonder in her eyes, it truely makes you stop and appreciate things around you that you took for granted. Now just sitting on the lawn and having her feel the grass with her hands is a neat experience because it's all so new to her.

difficult as nikki said, the loss of "me", some days (more in the beginning than now) feeling like a complete and utter failure, and in all humor, trimming her fingernails. I hate doing that. It's worse than changing poopy diapers.

unexpected How much I love being a mom, and that I am good at it. I had serious doubts before the birth. Also, how proud I am of my c-section scar, which seems a little wierd but it's a badge of honor.

[jo&sean]

Rewarding - To wake up every morning (or night!) and see that beautiful little smile and those big blue eyes. To see her reach all these milestones.

Difficult - The constant struggle to balance life: baby, work, home, business, rentals, projects....The guilt I feel about not being able to do it all sanely anymore is really hard to swallow sometimes. Feeling really guilty about not spending enough time with the pets as we used to.

Unexpected - The intensity of the love I have for her. The intensity of the love I see DH have for her. To see DH be such a great father. To LOVE being a mom so much!

Those are great questions!

[Kay2003]

rewarding - how Kaito "jumps" up and down for joy with a big smile on his face (in his exersaucer or when he's being held) when I come home from work, how he turns on his back to look up at me on MyBrestFriend, taking a break from breastfeeding, to sometimes just gaze into my face.

difficult Without a doubt, sleep deprivation. The cumulative sleep deprivation is really really taxing.

unexpected - Before having a baby I was really good about getting exercise everyday. That seems to have gone out the window and makes me unhappy. I never would have guessed that this very important part of my life would fall by the wayside. That's sad. But then I have to reread the "rewarding" part and all in all I feel so lucky to have a baby boy whom I love so much.

PS cr8zy, Ashley is adorable in that swing. I need to find a park with a baby swing like that!

question - Are you giving your babies water? In what? I just read the Super Baby Food and it says I should be giving Kaito water but not in a bottle. Why not? He can't figure out how to use a sippy cup - the kind with a slit in the plastic covering the opening to the cup....

[Brink]

It has been really busy at work. I have really missed having my CC time during the day.

Aimee has been sleeping like cr*p too. I think she was up almost every hour last night and threw up all over the place around 3:00. She had another tooth come through, so I'm sure that is part of it. She also has ANOTHER cold. I'm so sick of both of us being sick!

Jo&sean - very cool about Addy standing up. She is gonna be walking before you know it.

Cr8zy - I don't think it is odd about Ashley shaking her head when eating or falling asleep. Aimee has this horrible habit of hitting herself in the head when she is having her bottle and going to sleep. I don't know if she is trying to keep herself awake, but she hits herself in the face really hard, tons of times in a row.

Nikki - Ick with the Kidney infection. I've had those and I know the pain you have been in the last few days. Get better soon.

Water - Our ped said not to worry about giving water unless it is a hot day. They get so much water right now (bfing or formula) that it wasn't necessary to supplement. With that said, we have given her a sippy cup the last two night just to let her try and figure it out.

My DH is racing this weekend down in S. California. He is leaving tomorrow and Aimee and I are going to stay here until Friday and then head down there. It will be interesting to see what this does to her sleep schedule. We are usually racing until midnight and back up really early the next morning. Hopefully it won't affect her too bad.

Well, better get to bed - tonight might be a long one.

[dbers]

Kay - our ped told us to give Alex water at dinner in a sippy cup. said the flouride in tap water is good for her, and she can start to practice drinking from the sippy cup. she definitely only gets a bit, and doesn't really "get" drinking from the cup yet, but I figure it's a good start! my ped did recommend the "take and toss" sippy cups, they seem easier for Alex than any others.

[solongtogo]

Water We give Court water with her solid meals out of a sippy cup, but she dosen't drink a whole lot really. The only reason you're "supposed" to not give water in a bottle is so that baby starts learning to drink from other types of cups. Playtex makes a nice line of sippys that have handles on both sides of the cups that the baby can hold on to...it works really well for us.

[BeachBum]

QOTD

rewarding - Feeling so loved! And hearing that giggle--It is the most wonderful sound I've ever heard.

difficult- I never felt "grown up" before. Being married now is different...so much less focus on us as a couple, more platonic, I guess? So much less time for silly, so less spontaneous, so less carefree.

unexpected - That I would be so happy. I was really unsure about having a child. If I would have known it was this wonderful...


Are you giving your babies water? In what? Yes, in a sippy. But we use the "nuby" brand with two handles and the "spout" is a flexible silicone not a hard plastic. (We got it at Walmart.)We do the cup at meals, and when playing outside. Henry rarely has a bottle, so holding it was an all new experience. He has done pretty well with it.

[charmcitygirl]

water since the kiddos won't use a sippy cup--i have three different kinds and they can't seem to figure any of them out--i just give them water in a bottle. we'll strart trying agin with a sippy cup in another week or two.

[cr8zyforaf]

Nikki - I didn't take your comments to mean that I was overreacting...I appreciate your support...no worries. So sorry about the kidney infection - I have struggled with bladder issues all my life and they have gotten so much worse since having A.

Brink - thank you so much for replying to my question about Ashley shaking her head - it really had me worried. she shakes it so fast from side to side in spurts - she is probably just trying to keep herself awake. So sorry that Aimee is having such a hard time - Ashley also puked when her teeth were coming in - although the doctor told me it was totally unrelated. Hoping you guys get well soon!

Kay - thanks for the compliment on Ash - I would recommend finding a swing - she loved it! Now I need a swing set in my back yard!!

water- we also use the nubby brand from Wal Mart - it has a soft tip so she can still 'suck' the water out - she just chewed on the hard sippys and really couldn't figure it out. I give her a bit of water in the evenings with dinner.

solids - does anyone feel that they are not introducing enough new solids - I read the super baby food book and I feel so behind - they say that 7-8 month babies should start getting egg yolks, tofu, cottage cheese, and I think meat plus all these new veggies and fruits - I feel like I am falling behind.

And on the food front - I just don't have time to make the baby food - so I bought a ton of organic jar foods - same stuff she has been eating - peas, squash, etc...she hates it. She is rejecting the jar food. I don't understand it. Yesterday at daycare, she refused the lunch of jarred squash.

I love reading all of your responses to the last QOTD...it is amazing that most of us have the same responses...I am so glad to hear I am not the only one who feels that I've lost my 'old self' and that my marriage is totally different. Glad to know that it is normal, and not selfish on my part.

Oh, and I knew that one great night of sleep meant cr*p nights ahead...she was up around 2 for 2.5 hours....and then back up at 6. I am exhausted.

[cr8zyforaf]

Oh and I forgot - crow - I got a good laugh about how you had your boobs out for everyone. I also did this when I was trying so hard to breastfeed and it wasn't working- I would whip them out wherever- looking back, I didn't even notice how my BIL, FIL, and Dad would scurry from the room everytime I started to unbutton my shirt.

[Cr8nme]

Water~ We also use a Nubby and Noelle has the whole sippy cup and regular cup down to a T... She cries when she sees me drinking something and has to have it...good thing I am usually drinking water. She doesn't drink a lot but I usually keep it in her car seat with her and she can get can drink it when she feels like it.

[AlisonCO]

water - I offer water at every solid meal and sometimes in between if she sees her cup:) I actually measure 3 oz into her cup every morning to make sure that she isn't drinking more than that and she has never finished a sippy - probably 50% ends up on her or the floor! We also use the Nubby ones.

solids - I haven't done any new ones in awhile either. She has 5-6 things that I rotate throughout the week. I am going to wait until ~9 months to try yogurt, egg yolks and meat/tofu.

cr8zy - I think that A is just used to your homecookin:) and that is why she might me rejecting the jars - different taste and consistency. Maybe you could do half and half to see if she will take the jar when it is mixed with some homemade.

jo&sean - sorry, I missed you earlier. I just started giving Caitlin some finger foods about 10 days ago to give it a try and she really likes it. I do small chunks of sweet pot and avocado as well as the Oaties. I put a few on her tray so that she can play/practice picking them up but I also feed them to her since not many end up in her mouth if she does it.

Crap sleep here too - man this "club" that most of us are in is not fun! Caitlin was up 3 times before midnight when I fed her and gave hr Motrin. Slept until 4:45am when she started fussing, 15 minutes later I brought her to bed and she slept for maybe another 30 minutes. Thankfully DH fed them both and played for a bit so I could sleep for an extra hour.

Thanks for answering the ?'s - I really enjoyed reading them. I especially love that a couple of you weren't sure about your mom abilities when you were pregnant but now think that you kick butt as a mom - that is awesome!

Have a great day!

[Kay2003]

water just a quick post, but I wanted to thank you all for telling me about how you're getting your babies to drink water. I'm going to try to find a playtex or Nubi sippy cup today. Thanks so much. I love this community....

[jo&sean]

Water - We do the same as Alison when we are home all day. I put about 3 ounces in her sippy and she can do what she likes with it. Addy is getting the hang of the sippy pretty well.

Alison - Thanks for answering my question about the finger foods. I gave Addy some chuncks of banana last night and ended up feeding them to her and she LOVED it. After I gave her a couple, she was eating her oaties by herself. Guess she needed a little nudge.

Cr8zy - I forgot to mention that Addison does the same thing with her head when she is really tired and starting to fall asleep. I have seen my nieces and nephews do similar things too so I would say it is perfectly normal.

Re: Foods - I also feel like we are a little behind on trying new foods. What is everyone else eating these days? So far Addy is eating a variety of vegatables and fruit, chicken (which she doesn't like yet), oaties, cottage cheese and plain yogurt. Has any one started string cheese or any other kind of cheese yet? I just tried offering her chunks of banana last night and she really liked the consistency so I think I will start backing off on the purrees.

Addison was such a little monkey last night. She kept giving me the biggest wet kisses all over my face while giggling up a storm and rolling around on the floor and pulling her self up. She kept it up for almost an hour. It was so much fun!!

[randysmandy]

QOTD:

Hunter hates riding in the car now. He used to LOVE to ride and now he cries after about 30 min in the car. He looks for me and so I rode in the back with him and he tried to get out so I could hold him. We are going to Cape Cod this weekend (2 hour drive) and I am afraid he is going to cry the whole time.

OK so here is the heavy ended question:

Is anyone considering forward facing their baby when they reach 20 lbs???

Not sleeping H was up at 9:30, 1:00 and 4:00-He has a slight fever and so I think his second tooth is coming in! He is doing an army crawl lately-SO cute.
Water Like Addy, Hunter LOVES water and drinking from my bottle-he does rather well. He only drinks a small amount though. I still boil the rets of the water I give him. Thanks for the sippy cup head up. H uses Gerber and Nubbi!
Nikki How are you feeling?? You poor thing.

[Cr8nme]

Facing forward~ I have considered facing Noelle forward and shamishly have done it 1 time... We were out of town and had a rental car and the seat was sooo snug facing rear so I faced her forward in the middle and she LOVED it she was laughing... I think she like seeing more than just the seat...At 20 pounds I probably will face Noelle forward she only weighs 14 pounds right now so I have a ways to go...I still haven't put her in the big girl car seat

[AlisonCO]

Is anyone considering forward facing their baby when they reach 20 lbs???



The "rule" is 20 pounds AND 1 year old, not one or the other. It is actually SO SO much safer to keep them rear facing for as long as possible. C was getting bored so I rotated some toys and bought a couple of new ones and she is much happier. We have also been listening to funny kids songs and we all sing so that keeps her entertained:)

From the NHSTA

Rear-facing is the safest position the child can ride in. It is recommended that all children stay rear-facing beyond the minimal requirements of 1 year and 20 lbs, and not be turned forward-facing before they reach the maximum rear-facing limits of a convertible seat - either the maximum rear-facing weight limit or when the top of their head is within one inch of the top of the seat shell. While most parents are aware that they must keep their children rear-facing "until they are AT LEAST 1 year old AND 20 lbs", very few are told that there are significant safety benefits when a child remains rear-facing as long as the seat allows. For most children, rear-facing can and should continue well into the second year of life.


In a forward-facing seat, there is tremendous stress put on the child's neck, which must hold the large head back. The mass of the head of a small child is about 25% of the body mass whereas the mass of the adult head is only 6%! A small child's neck sustains massive amounts of force in a crash. The body is held back by the straps while the head is thrown forward - stressing, stretching or even breaking the spinal cord. The child's head is at greater risk in a forward-facing seat as well. In a crash, the head is thrown outside the confines of the seat and can make dangerous contact with other occupants, vehicle structures, and even intruding objects, like trees or other vehicles.

Rear-facing seats do a phenomenal job of protecting children because there is little or no force applied to the vulnerable areas. In a rear-facing seat, the head, neck and spine are all kept fully aligned and the child is allowed to "ride down" the crash while the back of the child restraint absorbs the bulk of the crash force. The head is contained within the restraint, and the child is much less likely to come into contact with anything that might cause head injury.

Many parents have the misconception that children are uncomfortable or at risk for leg injury by having their legs up on the vehicle seat or bent when kept rear-facing. These concepts are completely incorrect. First, children are more flexible than adults so what we perceive as uncomfortable is not so much so for the children. Second, there is not a single documented case of children's legs, hips, etc. breaking in a crash due to longer rear-facing. Even if a leg were broken, it can easily be fixed. A damaged spinal cord (from forward-facing too soon) cannot be repaired and subjects the child to lifelong disability or death.

Any expert will tell you that rear-facing is DEFINITELY safer. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that rear-facing seats are 71% safer than nothing and FF seats are 54% safer than nothing. Other experts say that "Crash studies have shown that, in a front-end collision, injury rate is reduced by 30 to 60% if a passenger is rear facing rather than front facing."

[solongtogo]

QOTD:



Is anyone considering forward facing their baby when they reach 20 lbs???




Though I don't think Courtney will reach 20 lbs until she's closer to 1 year old, I most definitely would never consider turning her around before that point. The safety restrictions are out there for a reason.

[hmbay]

QOTD: No. As was posted the earliest most people feel a child's neck is not strong enough to possibly withstand a crash FF is 1 year. It is preferred to keep them BF as long as possible. We kept Colin RF until about 15 months. Alex I will probably do about the same. We had to finally switch Colin due to him getting bored and it being too hard to keep handing him sippies etc while driving. Alex will have colin to entertain him so it should be easier to keep him RF for a while.

Foods--we're way behind here. It's just too hard to find time in the day to do everything with working FT, DH working nights and having two of them to keep track of. So far we've tried squash, sweet potato, carrots, green beans and pears. I have applesauce, peaches and peas in the cupboard but haven't gotten to them yet. Also not giving water or tried a sippie yet.

[Brink]

Ugh - another horrible night with Aimee. DH is now out of town so it is just me for the next two nights. I hope she sleeps a little better tonight but I am not holding out hope.

Foods - we have tried a few things but seem to go back to the standard (carrots, sweet potatos, applesauce, pears). We have tried a few of the meats and green veggies and she gags and throws up with both. We even tried macaroni and cheese last night and I didn't even get two mouthfuls before she threw it up. Oh well, I'm sure she will like it some day.

Rear Facing - we will also wait as long as possible. We do have a large mirror (the one made for the headrest) and she seems to enjoy watching herself in it. I can understand being forced in a rental car to switch it. When we originally tried our carseat in my car, there is no way we could have fit it rear facing. I had to have my seat so far forward that my chest was touching the steering wheel. We ended up putting that one in my DH's truck and bought a smaller one for my car. Definitely something to keep in mind if you are renting a car to get one big enough to accomodate the seat.

Question - Are your babies heads still really flat? Aimee's is really flat and we asked the ped about it and she keeps saying not to worry. Just wondering what everyone else's experience is.

[randysmandy]

I have read alot abour rear facing, but needed some insight from Mommies....Thank you for your input! I read the car seat thread and got alot of info there as well. the mirror doesn't work for Hunter-I hope he isn't getting carsick :confused:
I will keep him rear facing as long as I can

Flathead H never had that-I don't have anything to offer-sorry.

Foods Hunter has meats, veggies and fruit. We gave him mashed potatoes, mashed banana, and a few bits of real chicken (not jarred). He also has the biter biscuits. He does well with everything we give him.

[cr8zyforaf]

forward facing - nope...I think the rule here in MD is 20 pounds AND 1 year of age...plus all the research points to how much safer rear facing is. It stinks with the big carseat - I can't reach around and pop the paci in and she is constantly throwing toys and the pitching a fit.

flathead - A's has rounded out somewhat, but still I can see a flat spot. I also asked the doctor and she said not to worry.

Jo&Sean - thanks for mentioning that Alison also shakes her head. I do feel so much better...I love this place!!

Nikki - how are you feeling?

Brink - sorry you are alone and Aimee is sleeping bad...it does stink. It is so hard to keep in mind that this will not last forever.

RandysMandy - how do you feed Hunter the chicken - do you just bake it and then cut it into small pieces or do you puree it?

Sorry that our babies are sleeping like cr*p. Ashley, thank god, has only gotten up once for the past two night - however, it takes me hours to get her back down. And she seems so tired when she gets up - she is only getting about 12 hours of sleep (10.5 at night and then two naps a day ranging from 30-45 minutes)...she seems fine and happy but it seems like other babies sleep so much longer.

And, I am sick again - it is either allergies or a cold - or probably a bit of both. The pollen here is awful!!

Happy Thursday to everyone.

Question what is everyone doing for their Mom's/MIL for Mom's day. I am at a loss - do I get a gift from Ashley also? And my MIL, I would like to give her a sack of coal...but that will not fly. Her birthday is next week also - so I have to figure out something. If I leave it to DH, he will spend way too much money!

[randysmandy]

mother's day
I am getting my mom a gift from me-I usually just send my grandmother's a card, so I will do the same from Hunter.
Chicken I bake it and then break it up REALLY small and pop it in H's mouth-He gets a weird look on his face from the texture-it's cute.

[hmbay]

Brink--flathead--PM me if you want. I've had two kids in helmets for this and I know WAY more than the average person (perhaps more than the average dr seeing as our first kid wouldn't have gotten nearly as bad if my dr had actually known something about the problem). I've got several good websites I can point you to so you can do your own assessment independent of your dr.

QOTD: No clue really. My MIL's b-day is in a few weeks as well. We usually get her something very small. I picked up some cutsey little angel pin a few months ago (she loves angels) and she will most likely get that, some other small gift and a card. My mom--no clue either. I was going to get her a willow tree figurine but I did that for xmas since I was out of ideas for her and wanted to get her one more thing.

[BeachBum]

Food
Picky eater here. So far, he has refused (after a few bites) anything green (peas, green beans, avacado) and will make throat clearing noises with anything that isn't pureed smooth. I have given him Oatios, and he does ok with those but not with chunks of sweet potato. It is odd! It bothers me that he is so limited on what he eats (although we still only do 1 meal/day)

As for making food-- Do you have a food steamer? That makes things so much quicker for me! It fits a ton of food in there (without mixing the flavors) and makes steam in 30 sec so the food cooks pretty fast. It think it was $30 at Penny's. I know it may not be worth it since they eat pureeed food for such a short time, but I've found other ways to use mine.

Carseat We rotate toys often so that helps. He hated the infant seat so I know how miserable it can be.

[cr8zyforaf]

and will make throat clearing noises with anything that isn't pureed smooth

Too funny. I gave Ashley chunks of banana last night - she made this face that was so hysterical and then couldn't figure out how to get it out of her mouth. Ever since she puked banana, she refuses to eat it. Also, she cannot figure out how to put small things in her mouth - she will do a teething cookie, but puffs or small chunks of food - they stick to her hand and she screams in frustration.

She did hold her bottle for the first time with DH this morning, but as soon as I tried to feed her (I only gave her 4 ounces to start with and she wanted more, so I fed her 2 more ounces) she refused to hold it...lazy and spoiled..she knows mommy will do everything.

[Kay2003]

doesn'ty get the sippy cup - Kaito can't get any liquid out of the sippy cup. So I took out that plastic insert (I have the playtex sippy cup) so we could just tilt the sippy cup and water would come out. Is that bad? I figure he will eventually have to learn how to drink from a regular cup which doesn't require sucking.

solids hmbay, I know what you mean about struggling to fit it in when you're working FT. He's tried the following once (3-4days): carrots, green peas, apples*plums, banana, avocado, yogurt, apple&mango, sweet potato, pears, applesauce, winter squash. So far the only things he seems to like are sweet potato and yogurt.

gifts - I think DH should pick out something for his mom! I better remind him. He normally doesn't do anything but call home. That doesn't seem fair, given how wonderful she is. I have an artsy necklace I picked out for my mom. We will have almost-matching ones.

[fifibee]

Hi everyone ~ Thanks for sharing the information/link on "nursing strike" a while back. Unfortunately, I had stopped pumping for two weeks already and so, I guess we're completely off b**bs now. :(

carseat -- Max is currently at 20lbs and we're planning on having him stay rear-facing as long as we can (hopefully, at least until 18 months). It's definitely a big bummer that I can't reach him easily, but we try to keep him entertained with Baby Mozart CD and other children sing along CDs.

flathead & baldhead-- Max does exactly have that flat of a head, but the BALD SPOT is getting worse! ILs keep complaining that he doesn't have enough hair and want to shave it off so that it'll grow back more. Anyone's baby still has that bald spot in the back?

Food -- We've tried apples, pears, peas, beans, sweet potatoe and avacado. The avacado is definitely his least favorite - makes vomiting face whenever he eats it. I'm trying to do two meals a day (breakfast and lunch), but we haven't been that consistent. I've noticed that he has some eczema-looking patches on his arms. I wonder if he's allergic to something, but since he's tried so many different ones, I'm not sure which one he might be allergic to. (bad mom confession here...) Beachbum, I concur with your suggestion on food steamers. It's easy and steaming is one of the best ways to retain all the nutrients on the food for babies.

Mother's Day gift -- My mom lives abroad, so I'll be sending her tons of recent pictures of Max so that she can add them to her growing collection. As for MIL (who is a little harder to please), I decided to get her some skin care thing, as usual. Last year, we got eye cream. This year, we're going with spot-whitening serum thingy. I don't think we'll have Max do an extra gift for mom/MIL. I think celebrating mother's day with MIL (i.e. MIL spending lots of time with Max) should be good enough. :P

Crappy Sleepers -- Teething has been such a pain for us too! We're on teeth #7 and it just seems endless! Orajel hasn't been working that well for us, unfortunately. Someone has suggested to give Baby Tylenol to appease the pain, but I'm reluctant to pump him with too much tylenol.

QOTD: Max has been teething like crazy and we've got different teethers to help appease his discomfort. However, I've noticed that he loses interest in them quite quickly. I can stuff my diaper bag with tons of the teethers when we go out, but I really don't want to. So, someone has suggested that I can give him a hard bagel or french bread for him to gnaw on. Any thoughts on this? Too dangerous? Should I stick with the teethers? Or should I stick with the fruit in mesh bag option? TIA

[solongtogo]

QOTD: Max has been teething like crazy and we've got different teethers to help appease his discomfort. However, I've noticed that he loses interest in them quite quickly. I can stuff my diaper bag with tons of the teethers when we go out, but I really don't want to. So, someone has suggested that I can give him a hard bagel or french bread for him to gnaw on. Any thoughts on this? Too dangerous? Should I stick with the teethers? Or should I stick with the fruit in mesh bag option? TIA

Why not stick the bagel or frozen banana in the mesh feeder for him to knaw? Or a biter biscuit?

[randysmandy]

fifibee *bump-love the frozen banana in the mesh!

[charmcitygirl]

finally! jake is sitting, unassisted, for 5+ minutes at a time. zoe still fights it some... she's got this "you're not the boss of me" attitude lately. she really likes to do things herself. for instance, both started to consistently hold their own bottles about 2 weeks ago but zoe prefers to pick it up and feed herself. or she just refuses it altogether.

we've also entered a new phase of pulling and grabbing EVERYTHING. esp. my hair. we went to a store they other day and jake pulled down an entire display of candy.

i really, really need to get on the ball with baby proofing. we have a very large opening (60+") in our living room and it's been hard finding a wood gate. i finally found one on petsmart.com and will be ordering today. i also need to figure out what to do with the electrical cords. those, of course, are the things they go to the most. this crawling thing... oy.

solids we are consistently doing "brunch" and dinner. not sure when we will do breakfast and lunch separately... maybe once they start to self feed a bit. they don't really try to chew anything so this may be a while. the ped. told me at their last appt. to have them on 3 meals a day by 9 months. but since their eating habits can be pretty inconsistent, i have been putting it off.

so far, we've tried pears, bananas, apples, peaches, mango, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, yellow squash, avocado, yogurt, couscous. pears, bananas, apples, peas and butternut squash are, by far, the favorites. i snuck some yellow squash (yucky to both) in some butternut squash last night and they loved it. i'm thinking of maybe adding brown rice to the mix soon.

mother's day gah! no idea. i'm really terrible at gift-giving it seems. we tend to give plants for the garden or flowers on mother's day. it'll probably be the same this year because, seriously, it's really hard for me to go out and shop.

teethers we don't use these too much. i'm lucky and have had minimal fussing during teething for both babies. they just like teethers as toys. i know you're asking for teething solutions away from home, but i've found that a frozen washcloth (fold in half, then in quarters, wet the corner and freeze) works really well at home. but for outings, i dunno. my kids like to chew and rub their gums on anything they can get their hands on. i think the mesh feeder is a good option because you can almost always get something to put in it... ice, fruit, etc. no matter where you are.

anyone know where i can get COTTON halo sleep sacks (or any brand, really) for less than $20? the lower-body swaddling thing just isn't cutting it anymore.

[randysmandy]

charmcitygirl YAY for Jake! We have an issue of electrical cords as well-I don't know what to do-if you find something let me know!
Halo Sleep sacks: I have been fortunate to find them at TJ MAXX-I don't know if you have them around you. I haven't been able to find them recently though. Now that the weather is getting warmer-we only use PJ's w/ a onsie now. And against all ruled-a light blanket when he wears a pant/shirt PJ. He does fine with it and naps with a blanket anyways. Good luck in your findings.

[cr8zyforaf]

wow - you mom's are on the ball with introducing foods...I am way behind. I may try some egg white or cottage cheese this weekend.

Cord holders - One Step Ahead has this but I am not sure if it is overkill...although Ashley is also into EVERYTHING:

OneStepAheadCord (http://www.onestepahead.com/product/85216/150755/117.html)

Ashley slept like cr*p last night and she woke up with bright red cheeks...could more teeth be in our future?

Charm - Yeah for Jake - how exciting. Ashley also grabs everything - I got a card for my friend and layed it away from her - she was sitting in her bumbo on the counter - somehow she got it and chewed off the corner in a matter of seconds. Also, bumbo is being phased out - she has now figured out if she arches her back and pushes her feet on the surface, she can pop legs out. If you find the sleepsacs let me know - I am still swaddling A but need to phase it out - she is getting to big and it is getting too warm - I had to buy special large blankets to wrap her and I am not going to buy anymore - the ones have have are flannel..too heavy.

For those of you who knew you were having boys - do you have any favor ideas for me? I am throwing my sister a shower in June and want to make it really special!

[philnikki]

Hmmm interesting topics!

foods- Ava has breakfast lunch and *sometimes* dinner. It all really depends on her mood at night and whether or not she takes a late nap, etc. We are going to be introducing meats this weekend. I have a feeling she might not like them. Frankly, the idea of pureed jarred meat, makes me want to retch, but hopefully she will take to it until she has the teeth to chew the real stuff. She has had: Oatmeal, Bananas, Applesauce, Apricots, Peaches, Pears, Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Peas, Green Beans, and a frozen Bagel. She also has had frozen peach slices, cantaloupe and honey dew in her mesh feeder and gerber puffs & Zwiebeck Toast. By far her favroite is sweet potatoes! Mommy likes em a lot too!! We are introducing chicken to the rotation starting this weekend. Wish us luck!

mother's day I am not sure what I am going to do this year. Ava will NOT be getting anything for her grandma's..that just seems to be a little much (especially considering she as 4 of them). I always get a plant of some kind for my MIL and mom. Works for me! :) :)

[charmcitygirl]

cords i think the cord cover, along with a powerstrip keeper (also at onestepahead.com) might just do the trick for me.

bumbo the other day jake was in his bumbo and i was busy doing something else and all of a sudden i realized he had escaped. i have no idea how he did it. i must have been very effortless because there was no thump. lol

sleepsacks thanks for the tj maxx tip, randysmandy. i was hoping to shop online for them, but maybe i'll let dh take the babes to his parents tomorrow while he works and i can do a little shopping.

like the negligent mother that i am, ;) i have been lightly wrapping cotton blankets around j & z at night but they usually end up getting out of them and i'm thinking that once we get the a/c going, they'll need something to keep the all snuggly.

frozen bagels/waffles i forgot to mention that i've tried these as well but they defrost so quickly in their little hands that i find they get bits stuck in their mouths and gag a bit. it just becomes a big crumbly mess. again, these will probably wait until they start to make more "chewing" motions.

nikki feeling any better?

cr8zy i think little arrangements of blue flowers would be nice. esp. hydreangas. they could be used as centerpieces grouped together on a table and then everyone could take home an individual vase.

oh, and i forgot to mention, my kids are seriously shoe-obsessed. driving. me. crazy.

[AlisonCO]

I may try some egg white or cottage cheese this weekend.



Hi cr8zy - it is actually the egg YOLK that you want to do as the white is the part that can cause allergies (I am sure that you know that, just wanted to make sure!)

foods - Caitlin has had: Sweet pots, white pots, winter squash, peas, green beans, pears, peaches, banana, avocado and Oaties. This week I started a bit of oatmeal in her breakfast to thicken it and add the iron. That is all that I have done and plan on doing until 9 months or so when I will do egg yolks, yogurt, beans and tofu. We are not big meat eaters (maybe chicken once a week) so meat will come later.

head - Caitlins isn't flat, but it is pretty bald!

Mothers Day - The year after Aidan was born I gave my mom a terra cotta pot with Aidans hand prints on it. This year I am making her a garden stone (got the kit at Hobby Lobby) with the A and C's handprints and initials on it.

teethers - C hates all the normal teethers too, fifi! I have heard a frozen bagel is good (I have never done it), but she did like chewing on a cold/semi frozen washcloth yesterday. C also loves ice in the mesh feeder.

sippy - Kay, I have taken the valve out of Caitlin's also. I am not worried since she is young. I am sure that she will eventually learn to suck (It is alot harder to suck from the sippy than a bottle.)

Happy Happy Friday. It is our 5 year anniversary today so DH surprised me with a huge white mocha and a dozen long stem pink roses this morning:) Too bad Caitlin has such bad seperation anxiety that we can't go out to dinner tonight - she freaks when we try and leave her with my mom.

[philnikki]

Oh I totally forgot to tell you guys, yes I am feeling, much, much better!! This antibiotic really makes me nauseated when I take it, but it really has also made me feel a lot better too. Thanks so much for you guys thinking of me!!! :) :)

[cr8zyforaf]

alison - yes, I meant Yolks...I am exhausted....thanks for pointing that out - whites should be held of until at least a year.

Nikki - so glad you are feeling better.

I am so excited - there is a HUGE secondhand sale this Saturday at our counties fairground..I am looking for clothes (like she needs clothes), toys, and books...

[charmcitygirl]

alison the garden stone is a great idea... i think maybe i'll do that this year. thanks.

happy anniversary.

cr8zy are you in howard co.? is the sale all kids stuff or what?

[cr8zyforaf]

Charm - yes, I live near the fairgrounds. It is all kids stuff - my friend has sold for the past few years - she said it is unreal the amount and variety of stuff - she said the entire fairgrounds are filled with baby stuff. I am really excited. A bunch of people are meeting at my house to head over together.

Alison - I forgot, Happy Anniversary.

[fifibee]

Thanks for the mesh feeder tips everyone! As charm said, I'll be careful to introduce the frozen bagel, but perhaps frozen banana is a better option.

Happy Anniversary, Allison!

Yay for feeling tons better, Nikki!

Happy Friday, everyone.

[solongtogo]

Have you guys started thinking about the big 1st birthday yet??

I think we're going to go with a lady bug theme...I can't believe C will be 1 in just 4 short months.

[philnikki]

Lisa - Well you know from LJ that I am :D

[hmbay]

1st b-day--haven't given it a thought. Most likely I'll be combining Alex's 1st b-day with his cousin MacKenzie's--she was born two days before him and they have a cousin who will be 3 the day in between, (8, 9th and 10th for b-days) so most likely there will be one big party on DH's side for MacKenzie, Ariel and Alex. I'm an only child and my parents are going to be on a cruise that weekend so no party on my side. We didn't really do a theme for colin's but we did get a really cool Spiderman cake from a local baker--DH thought it was cool and Colin also shares his b-day with BIL who is a big superhero fan so it was kind of a joint Chris/colin b-day cake idea.

[AlisonCO]

1st b-day - Wow, I haven't given it a thought either. It will be small with family only and we will probably use the "1st Birthday" theme. We did this with DS since you can only do it one time in their lives and it made for cute pics.

Thank you all for the happy anniversary's:)

[charmcitygirl]

do any of you guys have stroller toys? i need something that will keep the bebes occupied but they need to attach somewhere because otherwise they just get thrown on the floor and i'm constantly stopping to pick them up.

[BeachBum]

I love lurking on the 1st birthday's thread--but so much of it is for girls! We will certainly have a party, but will keep it small I imagine. Just our regular crew of friends and family that lives here. We actually had a "birthday" party for Henry in the hospital when he was born--with a cake and hats and such. It was fun :)


Stroller toys I use toys that have a loop (like the ones that hang from the gymini) and loop it around the harness straps of the stroller. I also have a haba brand "toy loop" with a clip on one end and a string loop on the other that you can attach a toy (or paci) to.
I would be interested in other ideas as well.

[Cr8nme]

Well ladies I am in Miami :D currently waiting for DH to get out of his meeting...


1st birthday~ I have been planning this for about a month or so...I already have the place booked and am sorta in between on theme's and color scheme...I am planning to go to the scrapbooking store for imnspiration. We will be having about 75-100 people and we are also planning to have ours in Maryland since that is where all of our family is.

[Kay2003]

cr8nme - wow! That's a big party you're planning. Sounds like fun. Enjoy Miami!

alison - I'm glad I"m not the only one who abandoned the sippy cup insert. Makes me feel better. Happy anniversary!

1st birthday - I hadn't given it much thought yet. I am thinking something small (mainly family) - but that's what I thought about my wedding too and that didnt' happen!

stroller toys - I also just take the gyminee toys and thread them through a cord I bought at the babystore. It has snaps on it. ONe side clips on to the stroller and the other keeps the toy in place. I took down the arches of the gyminee so the gyminee toys now occupy Kaito on his stroller.

[solongtogo]

Just dropping off a few of Courts 8 month pics!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/solongtogo/8mo1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/solongtogo/8mo5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/solongtogo/8mo6.jpg

[cr8zyforaf]

solong - as usual - what fantastic pictures. Courtney is absolutely adorable! She has a lovely smile!

charm - cotton halo sleep sacs - found them here: babythisbabythat.com (http://www.babythisbabythat.com/sleepsack.html) - not sure if you are still looking. Stroller toys - A is too nosey - she wants to watch people and can't be bothered with toys..

1st birthday - yes, started to think about it - no idea what theme I want. I had to lie to MIL - I told her I had everything planned because she started in on me months ago about the stuff *she* wanted to do...so I had to nip that in the bud very quickly.

Well, Ashley is back to sleeping like cr*p and I am so sick of people telling me what I need to do to fix it...Questionhow many of you are still feeding baby at night? Everyone tells me at her age, she should not be eating...however, she is sucking six ounces down - I've managed to not feed her until about 4:30 but she wakes about 1-2 times between 7-4:30 - last night the second time she woke, it took me almost an hour to get her back down. My SIL called to tell me about this book I HAD to read - by Ferber - I was like, NO.

Happy Monday to everyone.

[BeachBum]

Cutie, Courtney!

Kim-I was just re-reading Weissbluth last night. He says that most babies our age will be up 2x per night for feedings. Plus, 6 oz sounds like a meal to me. I would be hesitant to cut it out. Yes, we still feed at night.

Our sleeping problem is now that when Henry wakes up he stands up! He certainly isn't going back to sleep by himself if he is standing at the crib rail! On days I'm not so tired it is really funny! But other nights..... :)

I haven't shared pics in a while so here's a few. The first one is Easter (obviously), the second one is Henry helping my DH brush his teeth this morning. I thought it was so sweet. And the 3rd one is my little jaibird.

http://images1.snapfish.com/34696%3C383%7Ffp344%3Enu%3D3248%3E4%3B5%3E2%3B%3A% 3EWSNRCG%3D323368%3C%3B75%3A53nu0mrj

http://images1.snapfish.com/34696%3C383%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3233%3E59%3B%3E%3B8%3B% 3E232459%3B%3C7%3C4%3C4ot1lsi

http://images1.snapfish.com/34696%3C383%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3248%3E4%3B5%3E2%3B%3A% 3EWSNRCG%3D323368%3C%3B87%3B48nu0mrj

[hmbay]

middle of the night feedings--guilty. It's the quickest way to get him back to sleep. I usually let him fuss a bit first to see if he'll put himself back to sleep on his own (sometimes he does) but I nurse him 1 or 2 times between midnight and say 5 or 6 am. If it's been less than 3 or 4 hours since I last fed him I try just rocking or whatever first which sometimes works but after a few minutes if it looks like it's not working I use the bb because I get so little sleep anyhow I need what I can get. Last night was a night from hell again. Down at 8, up at 10:45 until 12:15 screaming (gas and teething I think). then up at 1:30, 2, 3:20, 4:45 and has been sleeping ever since (it's 8 now) no I just heard him fussing (I'm working from home today).

[sabrespa]

Anthony goes down at 7pm, we feed him somewhere between 3:30 and 4:30am, and then he goes back down until around 7am. I'm with hmbay, it's the easiest way to get him to go back down.

[philnikki]

Ava is less consistent, but yes, I still feed her at night. Ava goes down between 8:30 and 9:00pm. She sleeps until about 4am. She will eat about 6 ounces at that time. Of course, she has been sttn the past 3 nights in a row, but who knows about tonight? *sigh* someday this will happen all the time, right??????

[AlisonCO]

cr8zy - Yes Caitlin still eats overnight, usually around 2am. I agree with BB that 6oz is a meal, not a snack. If she were taking 2oz than it might be a snack/habit. I would trust your instincts on this and keep feeding her overnight - BTW, "everyone" that you are talking to is wrong - some babies need to eat overnight up until 12m!

BB - CUTE pics - I love the easter outfit!

solong - Beautiful! That denim outfit was a great choice because it really brings out C's eyes!

sigh* someday this will happen all the time, right??????

Yeah, I am thinking right around high school:)

Rough night last night - C was up and down all night. I finally brought her to bed around 2am and she slept pretty well until 6am. I must go make coffee and get dressed - we are off to gym class this morning. I will be back later. Have a great Monday!

[jo&sean]

Solong- Great pics! Courtney is such a cutie :)

Beachbum - Henry is adorable. I love the toothbrush pic!

Kim - Yes, Addy is still eating at night too. She is up around 2:30 am and eats 6 oz's. Last night, she was up three times and had two bottles - she was a hungry little peanut. She still wakes up between one and three times a night - sometimes she can put herself back to sleep but others not and I have to go in and give her some loves. It is obvious when she is hungry though and only a bottle will do.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. I got to finally order my new kitchen cabinets so I am happy today. Addy had a great weekend. We played and played and played. She is really moving around but not quite crawling - she is almost there. DH got the new flooring down in the dining room and half of the living room so we finally have a nice place to play downstairs. She LOVED it. Yesterday morning she was sitting in her chair in the bathroom with me while I was drying my hair. I didn't have her buckled in so she turned her self over, slid off it into a sit on the floor than pulled herself up on the edge of it and moved around the entire thing. She was extremely proud of herself :)

Anywho, better get back to work. This is the week I am going to ask my boss about re-arranging my work schedule. Just need to wait for a good time to do it!

[charmcitygirl]

cr8zy how was the sale? get anything good? i considered going but i don't really need anything and i was worried that i'd see the stroller i just ordered at a much lower price, so i skipped it.

night feedings i haven't done this since they started to sttn... so at about 3 months. i'm sure i've given jake a bottle during the night since then a few times, but it's not a regular thing. maybe i'm just lucky. but my advice is to try to stop night feedings if at all possible. my friend has a 18mo old and always fed him on demand day and night and he still expects to be fed at night. she says he usually wants water, but still. he is not sttn. never has.

hi-5! last week, dh started to teach jake to "hi-5" and yesterday morning, he did it on demand. then we went to my aunt's for my cousin's b-day party and i told some people that he'd done it and when they asked him to do it, he did! so cute!

lots of crawling and scooting going on around here. i finally ordered a gate last night and have pretty much babyproofed the living room.

saturday i got the day off and spent almost all of it cleaning the floors of my house... both upstair and down. it took hours and afterwards i went out to do some shopping and errands. it was all very exhausting so after it all, i went and got a pedicure. ahhhhhh..... i have been pretty sore since and very tired. i need another day just to recouperate.

[Brink]

So we are back from our weekend in S. Cal racing. Aimee did really great and everyone there couldn't believe what a good baby she was.

Not a lot of time for s/o's, I have to get caught up at work.

Hmbay - I will PM you later (if I can figure out how to do that) about the flat head. I'm sure I will learn a lot.

Nightfeeding - Aimee has not woken up for nightfeedings unless she is sick. After she gets better it's almost like she is in the habit and we have a couple of nights of her waking up and us just putting in the paci and then she is back to STTN.

1st Birthday - we haven't thought about it yet. I'm sure we will end up doing a BBQ or something at our house that weekend.

Better get back to all this work waiting for me.....

[cr8zyforaf]

charm - yes, I got a ton of toys, books, baby gates and clothes (I am no longer sending her to daycare in her nice clothes - already two gymbo shirts are ruined because she spit up and they let the stain set). I also purchased an exasaucer and some toys/books for her daycare. It was really unreal the amount of stuff. And, I was excited to see the resale value for the gymbo clothes. So cute that Jake is hi-5ing.

Jo&Sean - woo hoo for the cabinets. It sounds like the remodeling is slowly coming along.

Beach - such cute pictures..DH is a hottie! I love the bunny ears..Henry is so cute! I read your thread about crawling...A isn't quite there yet but I can't leave her sitting alone any longer because she is scooting and trying to get up onto things. I was just telling DH that I miss my little baby so much.

Thanks so much for all the advice on the night feedings everyone. I did cut out the feeding at midnight - now if I could just get her to stop waking up...it is taking FOREVER to get her back down - I am trying the baby whisperer technique of pick up/put down...it isn't working very well as she wants to be rocked and held. I am not feeding her until 4-4:30 - so she is going almost 10 hours at night without eating, but still waking numerous times....it makes me so sad and tired. It also ticks me off when people call me or talk to me about all that I am doing wrong – it is one thing to give advice, another to make me feel like a total failure.

Our beach vacation is just around the corner...DH isn't coming but at this point - I don't care...my family will be around to help out. DH has more issues at his business and worked all weekend - from 8AM until 1-2 AM...he did take A to his mom's house while I went to the baby sale which was a nice break, however, being alone all the time really blows

[jennylou]

Mod here - In trying to reduce server errors, we've been asking people to keep threads to about 1300 posts. Since ya'll are above that, we'd request that you start a new one. Thanks. :)

[hmbay]

Brink--I emailed you. :)

[fifibee]

So I guess we're going to have to move to a new thread soon... we're definitely an active group of mamas! :)

night-feedings: I know I'm late but we're definitely guilty here. Max goes down around 7~8pm and wakes up around 11pm~12am for one feeding and then around 4am for another. He would take anywhere between 4~7 oz. DH and I have been talking about weaning him off the 4am one, but seeing that he's actually drinking more than 3 oz most of the time, I think we'll wait. Like hmbay, it's definitely one of the quickest way to get him back to sleep too.

1st Birthday: I've been thinking about this for a while now, especially after getting so many inspiration pics from the 1st Birthday thread. It's amazing how creative some of the moms are. I feel like I'm such a copycat sometime because I just can't come up with anything better. :P In any case, I have been thinking about reserving a spot in ou