October New Moms

[Megan James]

Happy October!

Will is 6 weeks old now.
Things are going OK. He's really smiley lately and man those smiles make a lot of the crying worthwhile! He continues to be a little fussy and to be a bit gassy. I've modified my breastfeeding some and that seemed to help quite a bit. I also have cut out dairy for the past 2+ weeks and I can't tell if that has helped at all. I think I'll give it another week and then try adding it back and see if the "tummy crummies" get worse.

We went on a trip this weekend and he was a real trouper sleeping most of the 6 hour trip each way with just 2 stops to eat. I was a bit worried we'd be stopping every 45 minutes!

[2HUNGRY!]

Hi all.

I can't beleive its October already.

MeganJames -- That's great that Will did okay on the trip! Sorry you're still having tummy issues. Yay for smiles!

Add me to camp teething and hungry. The poor thing has been having what I think is teething pain off and on for a week. It makes me so sad to see him in pain like that.

When he's not in pain he's been a lot of fun. He has been laughing at everything and has gotten very vocal. Plus, its fun to see what position he'll be in when I get him from his crib in the morning. Most often he's on his tummy with his knees under him and his butt way up in the air.

I always put him down on his back but that never lasts long. Its funny because he won't roll over in front of me, but put him in his crib and he doees all sorts of twists and turns!

We started solids too on the advice of our ped. I'm not sure he likes it given his facial expressions, so we continue to take it slow. So far we've done cereal, sweet potatoes and apple sauce.

[veschke]

Hello! Glad the little ones are doing okay (teething aside) and the trip went well.

me - Rebecca (35)
DH - Dave (35)
DD - Lydia (4)
DS - JJ (9 mo)

At just past nine months, JJ is a speed-crawler and determined cruiser, and the other day he let go and stood by himself for a few seconds. He'll be walking before we know it. After a few good weeks he's back on the teething thing, too, was up a lot last night. We've moved on to Stage 3 foods and I've given him a few tastes of unblended stuff from my plate, but he's still working on this chewing concept and seems quite uninterested in self-feeding so far. We were out on Sunday to get him some more clothes, all 12-month sized. A week from tomorrow he'll get his flat spot measured again, and the helmet might come off, which would be nice. I hardly ever get to see his hair!

Lydia is doing well, though she of course has her moments. Yesterday was a banner day: she wrote her name (fairly well given her age, I think) and she actually ate some carrots for dinner. We've stopped cooking separate meals for her, and this is the first real sign of capitulation we've seen on her part. She loves preschool. This is the first year we're taking her trick-or-treating; we got her a dragon costume, and she is adorable.

We found a house that we like pretty well but are dithering over whether we want to continue with our hunt right now, given the overall economic situation. I think my job is safe unless there's a *very* long recession, but it just doesn't seem like a good time to burn through all our savings. I have a big deadline two weeks from today, maybe after my stress level eases up I'll be able to think about it better. Nevertheless, we are pleased that houses do exist that meet our criteria. :)

Hope everyone else is doing well!

[AliKat11]

me: Michelle (34)
DH: John (40)
DS: Ian (6 1/2 months)

2Hungry--I could have written your post word for word. How old is your DS?

Ian has intermittent issues with teething, but nothing has actually come through yet. I can see most of his upper molars, on both sides, 'on deck' for lack of a better way to put it.

He's loving solid food, especially anything orange. Sweet potatoes, peaches, carrots, squash. We've dabbled in proteins, but he's not a big fan so I haven't pushed it. We're also getting started with the sippy cup, and he's a big fan of trying to drink out of my glass so we work on that here & there, too.

Not crawling yet, and boy does that frustrate him! He mostly lurches forward onto his face, then depending on the surface he cries or decides that being on his tummy isn't a bad outcome. He also sleeps butt up in the air and arms tucked up under his head. :)

Megan--I'm too cowardly to think of taking him on any kind of a trip. Glad your little one did well! Hope the tummy stuff goes away.

veschke--Ian's going to be a dragon for Halloween, too! Of course, he's way too young to go out, so this is solely for the sake of pictures and the little party here at work. :)

[2HUNGRY!]

2Hungry--I could have written your post word for word. How old is your DS?

He's 4 1/2 months.

[SusanPC]

Hi ladies, checking in here. Maddie is 5 months old tomorrow and doing pretty good.

2Hungry, she is doing the same thing in the crib, rolls back to front but then WAILS as she hates being on her tummy. I think she uses the crib bumpers to assist with the initial flip. Can't wait for her to flip back on her own so putting her down awake for naps doesn't continue to be such an ordeal.

Maddie's had diarrah (sp?) since last Friday and the DR said yesterday that she has rotavirus (she had her 2nd vaccine on the 23rd of Sept, go figure). Anyways, she has no symptoms except being exceptionally clingy and a sore/irritated bottom. But, we've been hunkered down so as not to infect others. I'm bummed b/c a bunch of friends and their babies met at a fall festival today and we had to miss it.

DR told me to cut out dairy as well to help her recouperate. I failed to ask if this is a temporary measure. I didn't realize HOW MUCH I eat dairy products. Oh well, it will help my weight loss efforts!

Other than this, not much new here. I continue to primarily BF, but have been giving Isomil DF as of yesterday to help speed up this tummy bug. Not sure that it is helping. We haven't tried cereal yet, waiting for the tummy to clear.


Rebecca--glad you found a house, even if you don't pull the trigger now. It sure is a buyer's market, our place has been on the market since Feb. We've gotten a few offers but all have been from trolls that clearly think we are desperate since it's empty (actually we have a friend renting from us now so cash flow is better). I want it to sell so I can remodel this place w/o giving DH a heart attack :o

Everyone else, hope you are well, must run as Maddie is fussing for some mommy time. I think she, the dog and I are due for a stroll around the neighborhood!

[Couperine]

Hi everyone - things are busy here; moved, went through a hurricane, etc, but things are calming down to a reasonable pace.

Megan, I'm glad that Will slept well - sometimes I go places just so David can get to sleep without fussing. :o

2Hungry - we're doing solids too; rice ceral, sweet potatoes, squash, tortillas, rolls, graham crackers (way too messy yet), and David is much more aggressive about shoving food into his mouth than Ethan was. He'll self feed in another month or so - wow they grow fast.

Rebecca - I'm glad that your two are doing so well! It must be nice to know that there are houses that meet your wishes even if now isn't the time to buy.

Michelle, it sounds like Ian can't be that far away from crawling - getting the butt up is a good thing. David can roll and push up on his arms in a 4 foot radius, but he still flails his legs without getting his bottom up!

Susan, I'm sorry to hear Maddie has rotovirus, but I know your friends are glad that you stayed home with her. :) Sounds like Maddie is getting closer to crawling as well!

David is almost 6mo now, and Friday we are leaving for 5 days to Boston sans children. I despise pumping so I didn't do extra to leave with the grandparents, but I will pump to keep up supply. It will be a nice trip to relax - we're likely to have some big changes ahead.

[SusanPC]

Question for you ladies, do you use crib bumpers? Last night, I went in in the middle of the night to check Maddie/change her diaper as the diaper rash is so bad with her tummy bug. Anyways, she was on her side in the corner of the crib with her head in the bumper. I've noticed just in the last 24 hours that everytime I put her down she rolls on her side once asleep. Do you think the bumper is a risk?

[2HUNGRY!]

Susan -- I have been looking into the mesh bumpers they sell at babies r us. I've never used bumpers because I was afraid of them, but now Ryan keeps bumping his head against the rails during his night time travels. He also has a habit of whipping his pacifier across the room. I'm thinking the mesh bumpers would help with both of those problems.

I'm interested to see what others say as well.

[Couperine]

2 for 2 on using crib bumpers for my kids. Ethan loved shoving his head in the corner, and David rolls all over the place, stopping whenever he hits the side of the crib. Nothing ever happened at all while I used them for Ethan aside from him trying to climb out of his crib using them (he went on the crib mattress on the floor the next day).

IMO it's just something for their head to run into when they hit an immobile object. Even though they are young, they aren't completely clueless - now that David can turn over both ways, he sleeps on his belly by choice, and he always leaves enough room to breathe.

Just my 2cp!

[TLee4]

Now that Nancy has "admitted it" ;) I'll de-lurk and say that I've used bumpers for both of my kids also, with no problems.

Terri

[SusanPC]

Thanks, this is sortof my thought too...at 5 months I'm thinking Maddie could push herself away from it if she was feeling smothered....

[AliKat11]

I use crib bumpers too.

I admit it freaked me out the first time I found him sleeping with his face up against it (I think I even posted about it here) but Ian is so active that I'm confident he tosses & turns all night long. Every time I check on him he's in a different position in a different end of the crib, so I'm pretty secure in the fact that he'll move if he's uncomfortable in any way.

These will, however, be removed immediately the first time he shows inclination to use them as a step to get out of the crib.

[Kerri]

Hello all,

Andy is 4 months tomorrow. He is doing ok. He has rolled over once both ways, but those might have been flukes. It is neat to see my little boy growing up already. He has started playing with things and looking around...so cute. Here is a picture from a pumpkin patch this weekend:

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o79/wirrek/october2008/DSC03028.jpg

I have been working on establishing daytime naps, but it isn't going well. He ends up going to sleep, but only for 20 minutes or so. By the end of the day, we are both pretty tired.

I also have bumpers on my crib, but they are pretty flat ones.

[Bawstinn]

Now that Nancy has "admitted it" ;) I'll de-lurk and say that I've used bumpers for both of my kids also, with no problems.

Terri

Same here. I actually did take the bumpers out once (pain changing the sheet) but put them back in. When she started moving around more, arms and legs would go through the slats in the crib causing middle of the night wake-ups and crying.

[lbd]

Hard to believe I'm back on this thread (and will probably just lurk for a bit) but here goes:

Me: Lorien, 34
DH: 36
DS: Ben, 2.3 yrs
DD: Abby, almost 3 days old

Abigail Elizabeth was born Tuesday night after a hard but blessedly short active labor period. I'd been at 3 cm for 2 weeks, then 4 for another. My exam on Tuesday (my EDD) put me at 5 cm and mild but regular and close contractions so off to the hospital we were sent. Once the OB broke my water, there was no looking back.

Things are going pretty well. She's latching on well for the most part and my milk has at least started to come in so hopefully she'll stop losing weight and start building back up soon (she's down 10 oz from her original 8 lbs 5). Some feedings are pain-free but I do have a fair amount of nipple soreness - I don't remember with DS, how long before it stops?

DS has been handling her arrival remarkably well, although we did have a breakdown today when he absolutely only wanted me (his dad and grandpa, both usually prime attention-givers, were there). This of course as we're rushing to get to a pediatrician appt and are late. But overall he's very enthusiastic about the baby and loves tickling her cheeks and whatever parts he can reach. Anyone have good tips on establishing the line of brotherly love? I so don't want to be nagging him constantly to be gentle/ don't push/etc but neither do I want him crushing her with his love. I'm hoping once the newness wears off a bit he'll settle down without getting into "send her back" mode. Is that totally wishful thinking? How have other moms handled it?

On the crib bumper question, I've never used one. However, my understanding that the recommendations against them only apply until they can roll themselves over. Once they get to that point, the chance of them turning into the bumper and not being able to turn back is virtually nil.

[Kerri]

Congrats Lorien! It sounds like you are doing great. James was very enthusiatic about the new baby until recently. I think he is teething his last molars and just doesn't feel all that great though. About establishing boundaries, well, it helps to keep the baby out of reach. I was changing diapers on the floor and had to move up on the couch for a bit. But other than that, we have a rule if the baby is on a blanket or in his play yard, James is not allowed on there. It does calm down after a bit, and we are back to changing diapers on the floor.

[tholbrook]

Congrats Lorien and welcome Abby!!! Glad to see you over on this thead already!

Kerri - he's precious! I can't wait until Maya gets to be that age!

I'm FINALLY getting the chance to post here (almost halfway through the month!) ... so here goes...

Me: 33
DH: 37
DD: Maya, almost 7 weeks


He's really smiley lately and man those smiles make a lot of the crying worthwhile! He continues to be a little fussy and to be a bit gassy.
We're in the same boat as Megan and Will, except she's a little smiley (in the a.m. only :rolleyes:) and a lot fussy (all day! but mostly the p.m.). And yes, those smiles do make the past 6 weeks worth it!

We do have some really good days where she goes several hours without fussing, and we were able to go out to eat for the first time, although I had to breastfeed her when we first sat down. We have a wedding to attend tonight and we're crossing our fingers it goes well.

She's doing really well when I carry here in the ring sling - most of the time, anyway. And she's also settling down for DH. She's still fussy most of the time for him, but he can get her to sleep once in awhile.

My biggest concern is her growth. She is still feeding a lot (every 2 hours and sometimes more frequently than that), and produces LOTS of wet/dirty diapers. So I don't think it's a BF problem. The ped says her weight gain is slow but okay. But when we go out, people ask me if she's a preemie - and I think that's getting to me.

Well, she's demanding mommy time right now (and it's probably time for her to take a nap). Have a great weekend, everyone!

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/MayaOutside2.jpg http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/tummytime10-08a.jpg

[SusanPC]

What adorable pictures, thanks for sharing.

Well, Maddie is now rolling both directions constantly. It is fun to watch. She sleeps on her side and is often on her tummy in the AM. I got scared and took out the bumpers, but will likely put them back in as my mom made them to match the curtains I had made...and the crib looks so bare at the moment. Once she is confident on her rolling I'll put them back.

We are still getting over the rotovirus....everytime I call the pedi she says to call back if it isn't better in a day....wtf?!? It's been a week and a half....it seems like she takes two steps forward and one back. I've cut all dairy out of my diet at the pedi's suggestion which has been a struggle...but good for my weight :o

It is a stressful time here. My mom has breast cancer and is having a mastectomy next week. We found out last week that she had some tiny nodules in her lungs....so of course, we are very worried about spread. We found out today too that my mom is positive for the breast cancer gene...so someday when this is all behind us, I'll talk to my Doc about what that means for me in terms of proactive testing.

Hope all are well. My DH is en route home from a business trip and I so need to see him. Today Maddie needed to be held ALL Day and we couldn't leave the house b/c I had furniture (that I ordered BEFORE she was born) being delivered. She was so out of control she was clawing at my face and flailing if she sensed I'd put her down. She is lucky she is so darned cute....b/c for the first time I asked myself why I had decided to stay home with her and not return to work....then she'd smile and I remembered why.

Have a great rest of the week everyone.

[lbd]

Susan - sorry to hear about the rotavirus. "Call back in a day" becomes so frustrating when it's day after day. Hope your mom's surgery goes well, and that DH's return was a joyous one. Boy, you have a lot going on - take care of yourself.

Tholbrook - Maya is beautiful, thanks for posting the pics. Easier said I know but try not too worry too much about the slow gain. DS was born at the 50th percentile but had very slow gain for several months and fell off the bottom of both height and weight charts. He's still off but has been through all the tests they could think of and none came up with any problem. He's just super active and a good but not huge eater.

We're doing pretty well given the lack of sleep. ;) Abby is a great sleeper during the day, usually needing to be prodded repeatedly to wake up and eat. But come sundown, she's up and ready to eat constantly. I'm trying to rest when I can with DS running around it's tricky. Don't know how I'm going to manage once DH returns to work. On the other hand, needing to rest a bit gives me a good excuse for a break from the visiting in-laws. ;)

[bbpizzapro]

Hi everyone!

It is nice to see some of you are still on the threads here...
I can't believe how time has passed. It seems like just a minute ago I was on the Vet ttc thread.
My sweet Emma is 8.5 months now! She has been my dream.
I am so happy to see how you all are... I lurk once in awhile but decided to say hi today.
Here is a recent photo of my sweet Emma and hubby!

[tholbrook]

What a sweet girl you have, bbpizzapro! Glad you stopped by to say hello!

Susan, wishing all the best to your mom - hope everything turns out ok and she has a speedy recovery from the surgery.

Lorien, thanks for the encouraging words... that's good to know. I'm just so afraid the pediatrician will insist that I supplement when she goes in for her 2-month visit. She's gained an average of about 3.5 oz per week - so I guess that's not too far from the recommended 4-7 oz/week, although obviously on the low side.

Megan - how is cutting out the dairy going? Have you seen any noticeable difference yet? Maya has been terribly gassy for the past couple of weeks, so I've eliminated dairy milk (although I wasn't drinking that much to begin with) plus the whey protein shakes I had every morning to bump up my calories. It's only been a week, and she's still gassy but it doesn't seem to cause her pain like it did previously.

Hello to everyone else, and have a great weekend (gosh, where did the week go!).

[bbpizzapro]

Susan....I missed the part about your mom in my lurking earlier. I am so sorry to hear of her cancer. My mother in law had it 2 times and thank goodness she is doing great. I wish the same for your mom!!

[Megan James]

Tholbrook I still am not eating dairy. I go between really thinking it's made a difference and thinking that it hasn't made a difference at all! He's still a bit gassy though no where near as much as he used to be. Part of it may just be a maturing digestive system. Another thing I read is that sometimes babies burp up majorly after a crying jag b/c they inhaled so much air while crying. I did eat some "hidden" dairy, crackers & muffins, last week and then he had a worse than normal night. So I am going to keep it out of my diet for another week or so and then try introducing it back in. The thing that scares me is that if it worked it took 2+ weeks to get all the dairy protein out of my system. If I drink a glass of milk and he's noticeably fussier will I have to wait that long again??

Susan All my best to you, I am sorry for all the illness in your family.

Will is really starting to interact, he likes to look at his Nittany Lion mobile and smile and coo at it. He also likes to smile back at people and make cute sounds. It is so fun when he does that.

[2HUNGRY!]

Hi BB! Good to "see" you.

Megan James -- Isn't it fun when they start to interact? You're a great Mom to cut out dairy!

lbd -- I hope the sleeping gets better. You must be so tired.

Susan -- So sorry about your mother and your added health concerns. Is Maddie over her virus yet?

We're doing good. I finally figured out the secret formula to Ryan eating solids -- 3 tsp rice cereal mixed with 1/4 pureed fruit and 1 oz water. Any other combination and he spits it out! We're doing two "meals" now, and he has started sleeping through his normal 5 am feeding. Yay!

[SusanPC]

Hi ladies. Thanks for the thoughts and kind words. My mom had her mastectomy yesterday and is doing remarkably well. I am sure she will have her moments, but she is home and doing great. So, that's a big relief.

Maddie is over the virus and back to normal, thanks. And, she's had cereal 2x and loves it....I just mix it with breast milk and she has devoured it. Of course, she loves her meals so I guess it shouldn't surprise me.

Nothing else new here.

2Hungry--wow, you are into full meals already? I am scared to try anything but the cereal...sounds like it is going well!

Nancy--How was the trip to Boston? I am sure it was great to get away. Any new news in your life (I think you alluded to something a week or so ago, I was just curious).

Megan--How fun with the interaction. It amazes me each day how much Maddie changes.

Briget--Great to "see" you. Looks like our TTC Vet pals are on a role!!!

Everyone else, hope you are well. What is everyone planning for Halloween?

[2HUNGRY!]

2Hungry--wow, you are into full meals already? I am scared to try anything but the cereal...sounds like it is going well!


Not really meals, just cereal mixed with pureed fruit or vegetables. That's just what the info. my doctor's office said, so I copied it. Although, I did let him chew on a french fry the other day :eek:

[SusanPC]

Funny about the FF! Maddie majorly reaches for food/drinks when on my lap at a table...so I think she is ready!

[Couperine]

Boston was a nice break - gave us a nice time out. In a completely unexpected turn of events, I'm now 7 wks pg again (took years for Ethan and over 2 for David), so it was nice to just get over the wow factor. I'm on progesterone now, and it's completely killed my breastmilk supply, so I'm doing comfort nursing before nap and bedtime with bottle the rest of the time. It was nice to have David adjust to the bottle without screaming for me instead.

Can I just say how much more cavalier about feeding I am with the second baby? :) He's eaten all the vegetables in the first feedings line, prefers them all mixed with rice cereal, and he's tasting our food at every meal. He loved beef stew, refried beans, roasted cauliflower, and he is a vicious grabber at any food he can get his hands on. He's currently devouring animal crackers while dinner cooks. I'm going to get some of the finger food puffs that dissolve in the mouth next trip to the grocery store - he's soooo much more hands on than Ethan was.

I hope your mom continues to recover and keep good spirits, Susan. Cancer sucks.

Back to making dinner!

[SusanPC]

Nancy--Congrats! That is exciting news. We plan to try again in the spring ourselves. Are you tired yet?

[2HUNGRY!]

Nancy -- how great! Congrats! You give me hope that maybe my next one won't be so hard to come by! Does David have teeth? I tried to give Ryan a cheerio but he just kind of sat there with his mouth open until I took it out. I thought I would be a very high strung mom but I would also say I am much more cavalier than I thought I would be -- at least about feeding. I still haven't bought the bumpers!

[Couperine]

2Hungry - David does have two teeth - I could see him biting his mac and cheese noodles last night, and he was a happy little camper. Try the puff things (still haven't hit the store so I don't recall the name yet) - they dissolve when they hit the tongue, much more so than cheerios.

Susan - I've having same first trimester symptoms as before - needing afternoon naps, food aversions, and WOW breast tenderness. I've been hoping it was milk fullness, but nope just tenderness. I pray it doesn't mean they'll try to expand yet again - when I'm 60 I can't even imagine the droop. :p

[veschke]

Wow, congratulations! That's a lot to have going on.

I am, personally, at about my wits' end with JJ's sleeping. We thought he was over the current teething patch, but last night he was up three times. I suspect he's having gas, though it didn't ever seem to be an issue when he was littler, and I'm not sure why it would come on now that he's older. That or we're just not feeding him enough in the daytime, though every night I stuff him until he won't eat another bite. He wakes up, he cries, and it sometimes takes him ages to settle back down.

I do think it is discomfort--he sometimes does the "wake up and want to chat" bit, or the "wake up and just want to be held" bit, but last night it seemed to be "wake up and thrash for five minutes and cry like it's the end of the world until I am nursed back to sleep".

I am wondering if I should start keeping track of what he eats during the day and see if we can figure out what might be doing it? He's never seemed to have any sensitivity to anything *I* ate, and my diet hasn't changed. I feel like I would know better what to do if he was littler, but I'm not sure with a ten-month-old. He was such a good sleeper until his teeth came in, and ever since then, it's like we've been paying for those easy months.

Thanks for listening....

[Kerri]

First of all, Nancy, WOW, congrats! And I am glad it isn't me. :D

Rebecca - Just wanted to give you some sympathy about the not sleeping. I am so sorry. I was reading in my copy of healthy sleep habits happy child book that night wakings aren't usually caused by teething, but by a lack of good napping or too late a bed time. HOWEVER, I do remember clearly during DS teething routine that he would often wake up at night whining, but then just go to sleep. I would keep the monitor down low so I would only hear him if he got really upset. Does he take a pacifier? That is probably what helped us so much.

So my DS#2 was sleeping GREAT, but has stopped. I did expect it, but he has just been doing really bad at night. And that makes for a grumpy mommy. Daytime sleep has been better, but inconsistant. Andy is now 4.5 months old and both his teeth on the bottom are in?!?!? How did that happen. We had his 4 month check up and he is 17 pounds, 3 oz and 27 1/4 inches long. We also had a little nursing strike yesterday. It hasn't been a good week! But here is a cute picture:

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o79/wirrek/october2008/DSCF1731.jpg

[SusanPC]

Kerri--Andy is too cute! I hope the sleeping issues work themselves out as well. Maddie's been waking much earlier the last couple of weeks and even that is killing me.

I posted a pic of Maddie in her Halloween costume on the other stuff board. She was cute as a button but not in the mood to be in costume. We did two parties with other little ones during the week and then DH and my Dad walked her around to a few neighbors' houses just to show her and her handmade costume off.

Maddie is 6 months on Sat and I am starting to wean her. I nurse her first thing in the AM but give big bottles before her two naps and now, before bed. I nurse in between but have noticed a drastic decrease in the full feeling so I know supply is dwindling. I have very mixed emotions about this....I so love the bonding. But, I had an abnormal mammogram right before I got PG with her. I did have 2 u/s while pregnant and the surgeon said she is pretty confident that it is nothing! But, she wants me to get a mammogram 6 months after I stop BFing. Well, we want to start trying for #2 in about that timeframe so I really need to stop if I am going to get checked out before trying again. Since my mom has just had her second BC and was tested positive for the genes, I think I shouldn't ignore it. But, it is sad and I feel a bit anxious about stopping.

Nothing else new here. DH continues to travel nonstop and there continue to be rumors about a potential transfer....but he assures me not in the next couple of years which is fine by me since my parents live 2 miles away.

I am busy trying to decorate our house--while not overdoing it given potential for moving...sigh. In the process, I have formed a company so that I can get access to "To the Trade" only items w/o hiring a designer, since I have a pretty good sense of what I like and how I want to decorate. I am actually thinking of starting a word of mouth business...basically helping people who know what they want but don't want to pay steep design fees/mark-ups. So, that is keeping me busy researching, etc. But, as you know....doing anything with a baby fulltime is a challenge.

I started back on the WW plan yesterday and decided to eliminate the nursing points to see what happens. Really want to lose about 20 lbs before I start trying for #2.

Phew, I wrote a book here. Off to go check the progress of our pool which is being drained and closed today. Sigh, I only got in once all summer with Maddie....where does time go?!?