August 2009 New Moms [Archive] - CookingLight.com Community

Beth G.

07-31-2009, 03:13 PM

Me: 39
DH: 40
DS: Michael, 6.75 months :)

Quick post since I have to pack. We are headed for an overnight visit to my parents tomorrow am. I am totally stressing as to whether Michael will sleep in the Pack and Play. I guess if he doesn't nap in the afternoon I can always decide to just go home :D

Tami - Your dinner story is reassuring. I think we will bring him to the rehearsal dinner. Thanks! I am no help on the mosquito front, and am totally not prepared if there are problems in the mountains this weekend! Yes, it sounds like we have had a lot of the same breastfeeding antics. Michael is equal opportunity though, and also likes to slap the bottle etc. Today he finally figured out he could also grab his feet while nursing in cross cradle position. Previously that was only a football hold thing, and not too bad since it is the outside foot. It is pretty annoying in cross cradle. I am seeing the beginning of texture issues too here - Michael will only eat cereal if it is so thin it's milk on a spoon (sometimes he likes to inhale it). On the one hand, it is still early in his solids journey, but on the other hand, we started late so he should be more tolerant of a slightly thicker cereal. Ack! Have fun this weekend and good luck with the bugs!

Beth H. - We had a bad sleep night last night too, and poor DH wasn't feeling well and had gone to sleep early. We still have the crib in our room :o so he's even more tired today. I had a credit so I got that Williams-Sonoma book you liked. I never thought frozen cubes of peas could look so pretty! I like the approach too - thanks. We are excited about starting more interesting stuff than cereal. Hope Will is sleeping better.

Michelle - hahaha, I knew she didn't sleep straight through but I know she loves her naps so I thought she really got a great overall night's sleep! What did you end up getting for lunch?

Heather - hope Quinn's sleep has improved and you have gotten some yourself!

Melissa - yay! tooth! No sign of any here. I am interested to see what the pediatrician says about his gums next week.

Everyone else have a great weekend!

This month's pictures:

This one is one of my all time favorites.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d939b3127ccec7f1c77e631800000050O00AbsmzZw2cN2 IPbz4e/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Today's cereal attempt.

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs186.snc1/6210_1194896557269_1374095276_533125_2065653_n.jpg

acginkc

07-31-2009, 05:13 PM

Hey everyone. Just dropping in with an offer for any of you. As I've mentioned before, I work in retail. We have our Friends and Family weekend going on right now and I still have 7 available invites. You'd save 30% off at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and the outlets (and online). If you are interested, you can send me a PM with your e-mail address. I promise not to sell you info or anything like that.

OK, we'll be back later to actually post something.

bekki

07-31-2009, 10:59 PM

Me: bekki
Boys: Will and Andy, 9 months

I kept meaning to post more on the last thread, but kept getting sidetracked. I'm sure some of you ladies understand that :rolleyes:

We had our 9 month appointment this week which went pretty well. A&W had their iron checked (fine) and the 3rd HepB vax. I was a little nervous about the shot, because they had a little cold, but apparently it wasn't a problem.
Stats...
Andy: 20lbs 15oz (50-75%), 29 inches (75-90%)
Will: 22lbs 8oz (75%), 30.5 inches (97%)

One bad part of the appointment, still no magical cure for the drooling or the sensitive/ezcema skin issues (which magically combine to produce one mess of a chin/neck, let me tell you). Good news is the drool should stop by age TWO OR THREE! I totally had the "Are you blanking kidding me?" face.

Um, it was wicked hot here the past week, getting to 108 on Wednesday (and will continue be HOT for the next few days) but luckily we have a/c. However, getting out of the house is a major PITA. I end up having to run the car for like 10 minutes (Sorry Mother Earth) before loading them in.

We seem to have dropped down to three bottle all of the sudden. Andy has just been refusing the middle two for the past few days, so I merged the 10:30 am and 2:30 pm bottles into one 12:00 bottle (Right before pm nap). It went well today, and I'm giving them a little more at the other feedings to try and compensate.

Any thoughts on teching babies to use a straw? They'll drink/suck from it if I do the whole finger of the end, and stick it in their mouth, but seem to have no clue if I give them the sippys w/ a straw.

EmilyD

08-01-2009, 03:21 PM

Bekki, just a quick note on the chapped chin. J.D. has been drooling now for more than a month and has gotten a chapped chin a couple of times. I find it clears up pretty quickly if I use the lanolin on it. I figured it if it was safe for him to nurse with it, surely he could have it on his chin. It's most effective if I wipe his chin dry just before bedtime and apply it, as that seems to help it stay on; I try to do it before naptime as well. I had a handful of the sample tubes from when he was born and I was getting freebies at the hospital, etc. A little dab goes a long way and even if you're using it twice as fast ;) any samples you have should still last awhile. HTH!

(and I hope none of these boys are still drooling in a couple of years!! :eek: J.D. spits up enough that a bib is nearly a permanent part of his wardrobe. I'm hoping that he outgrows the spitting up in a couple of months and hate to think that he'll then need bibs constantly for the drooling.... :rolleyes:)

tholbrook

08-01-2009, 07:40 PM

Beth H - Thanks for starting the thread this month! Sorry about Will's sleep regression. I hope it's just a stage, and a SHORT one at that!

Beth G - Great pictures of Michael! He really seems to like having his picture taken! I'm totally impressed that you've been able to keep Michael in a football hold ... we gave up on that a long time ago. How bad is it that I had to google cross-cradle hold because I don't remember the difference between that and cradle hold? :p:o I don't use any formal hold anymore - I lay Maya in my lap on top of a folded thick blanket (the "comforter" from her crib). Usually I just have one hand supporting her back so she doesn't go rolling onto the floor from her antics. But she's wiggling around so much (and the more I try to keep her still, the more she's determined to move around) while BF that she practically ends up standing on her head. :rolleyes:

Maya naps/sleeps fairly well in her playpen (it's a Phil & Ted's travel play yard). However, I don't expect the same sleep behavior from her as when we're at home - so I completely soothe her to sleep when we use it. It doesn't seem to set us back when she goes into the crib the next time. Good luck with your travels - hope to hear that it went well.

Melissa and Sarah - thanks for the suggestions. I saw that clip-on thingie at Target - or at least the display. All they had left were refills. And I've heard good things about Skin-so-Soft, but there wasn't time to place an order from Avon. So I bought a bottle of "natural" insect repellent (active ingredients were citronella oil, soybean oil, peppermint, cedar, lemongrass and geranium) as well as some "Family" Off wipes (7% DEET). Oh, and a citronella candle. We put the natural stuff on Maya, DH and I used the Off wipes, and we used the candle. Not too bad - DH and I had only a couple bites each on our legs, and Maya had one right below her lower lip. But it didn't seem to bother her at all.

Bekki - glad the shots went okay. I love how you refer to them: A&W... lol! And gosh, they're getting so big. Sorry about the heat - we've been lucky here lately with nice cool weather, but I feel a little guilty for running my car in idle when it's really hot... but what can you do??? :confused: No suggestions for you on the straw - I'm having a hard time to get Maya to drink from a sippy cup in the first place. She just chews on it - you'd think she'd get something but it's the only time she uses the corner of her mouth. It's like she doesn't [U]want anything to come out.

----
Okay, we're back from our "camping trip" so here's our update:

DH: 37
Me (Tami): 34
DD: Maya, 11 months + 1 week

The camping trip was a lot of fun - it was actually just a friend's RV on a 64-acre piece of property. We invited my mother-in-law to have dinner with us last night, and we fired up the grill. After she left, we put Maya to bed (at 10 pm!) and then cozied up next to a fire with a glass of wine. It was a beautiful evening and the frogs were singing (or whatever they do) in the pond...

Today, we rode around the property in a covered ATV (more like a utility vehicle, since it had a bench seat) and DH took Maya swimming in the pond. I couldn't get past the ick factor of the muddy bottom, so I took pictures from the shore. :D The Neutrogena sunscreen seemed to work great (it's that new "Pure & Free Baby"), as did the insect repellent (see above) - it was the first time using both, and no negative reactions to either. The only thing that freaked me out was that I found a tick crawling on her :eek::( so we made sure to check everyone really well every day. Okay, more like every 10 minutes! :o:)

We all had a great time, and Maya crashed when we got home in the late afternoon: a 2+ hour nap! She slept okay in her playpen last night, although I did bring her into the bed with us around 4 am.

Back at home, things have been going well. Maya is eating great, although still not interested in feeding herself. She did let me put a puff in her mouth the other day (usually she clamps shut) but she spit it out - but then opened up for another one... maybe this is progress.

Sleeping: we had a really, REALLY bad night a few days ago that left me quite exhausted and cranky, but I'm hoping it was a one-time thing. I think she might be teething again, as the drooling and chewing have really ramped up. I gave her Motrin tonight, so I hope she sleeps better. But overall, she does pretty well. We've had to add a new component to her bedtime routine... she now likes to be rocked for a few minutes. This is new for her, as she never liked to be cuddled unless BF was involved. She snuggles up on my shoulder, and then wiggles down to my chest after a few minutes (but no attempt to BF, which shocked me at first!). If I leave this out of the routine, she starts crying when I go downstairs. I'm not complaining: I'm rather enjoying this new snuggly side of her personality!

Mobility is still the same as for July: crawling and cruising. She seems to need less and less support for standing and can cruise around with one hand, since she usually is carrying around her toys. But I have no idea when she'll actually take her first real steps. I'm perfectly content with the way things are right now. :) Oh, she does "step up" now, so she's standing on top of her toys - mostly so she can reach further (for things she shouldn't have).

I haven't uploaded new pictures yet, so I'll post a few soon...

tholbrook

08-01-2009, 11:59 PM

All of these are from our little outing:

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/090801Havingfun.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/090801Mmmmbuckles.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/090801WaterBug03b.jpg

helios7

08-02-2009, 07:05 AM

Ladies - I never thought I'd say this about my little nursling, but he seems to be losing interest in BF! :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Quinn has been on a nursing strike. Or he was last Weds/Thurs. The past few days he will nurse (occasionally) but only on the right side during the day. At night he will do both sides. But he's even declining to nurse before naps! I mean, is this my child? :confused::confused::confused: I *think* he's teething, he has a diaper rash, is sleeping terribly (1 2 hour nap yesterday in which he woke every half hour to cluster feed) and constantly has his finger in his mouth. I've been thinking I should get him some Motrin, as the tylenol doesn't seem to help him at all. But I'm really starting to get frustrated. He's only 8 months old, so we've a ways to go to a year. My supply has definitely dipped (I'm going to bust out the tea today to start ramping it back up) but it has been so hard to offer and be refused constantly. His solids appetite has also suddenly ramped up. He went from eating one "cube" of veg/fruit per meal to 2 cubes and a 4 oz yogurt. Anyone (lurkers too) have any experience with this? Should I start a new thread?

Tami - the trip sounds great. I love the pictures! She's so adorable, especially in the duck. Hmmm, I'm not sure about this. Priceless! Sorry to hear sleeping has been rough again lately. One day we'll look back at this time, and it won't be such a big deal. Right? :D

Emily - Quinn was a champion spitter-upper and it just got better at 7 months. Now when he does it, it surprises me. And the daily bibs are a thing of the past.

Bekki - the boys sound like they're doing so well! I still admire you so much for handling two. When I have a tough day with Quinn, i think what WOULD I do with two? But I guess you learn to manage it. Still, kudos to you!

Beth G - love the pictures. He's such a cutie!

Beth H - I'm with you on the sleep regression. Although I guess you have to sleep well to regress... :rolleyes: Ah these babies!

I'm glad to hear discussion of cooling cars. We haven't had that many hot days, but I've been wondering what to do about the few we've had (except avoid the car, which I'm doing very well!). We use Nature's Gate giggleberry sunscreen, and that's been working well. Quinn has a farmer's tan ending at his ankles from his feet sticking out front in the stroller with his feet in a vertical position, but it looks cute. I think.

And that's all of our news. Time to get packing while the boy is still sleeping!

acginkc

08-02-2009, 07:29 AM

Hey everyone. Hope you are having a nice weekend. This is a super busy weekend at work so I've had to work all weekend :(.

Me: Ashley 30
DH 31
Matt 5 months (2/20)

So we are officially teething over here. A gf noticed something sharp as he gnawed on her hand on Thursday. It's still just peeking thru, but it's definitely there. Matt slept from 11pm to 6am the other day!! But unfortunately every night since he has woken up crying from the teething. We've started adding a second serving of cereal in the morning and he seems to be doing good with that.

So I have a question for any of you who had bad morning sickness during pregnancy. I never got sick during my nine months (just a 3 month hangover at the beginning). I work with a girl who is due in September and has been getting sick a lot, especially here at the end. My GM has asked if this is normal since she is calling in or going home sick quite often now and it is effecting the rest of the team since she is not getting her work done. I worked up until a few days before having Matt so I think that is what they think all pregnant women do (the other recent new mom had a very easy pregnancy as well). So my question is is this normal with moms that have extended morning sickness? If you had it were you having to go home after getting sick?

Another question about solids. How do any of you who use daycare manage that? Do you always offer new ones at home at night? Do you only do one serving of veg or fruit a day and have them do cereal? Just wasn't sure how to do that. Thanks for any tips (if my question even made sense).

So on to personals.
Tami- I love your pictures. It sounds like you had a great camping trip (and just my style, I gotta have some of the basics like a bathroom and shower as well). I hate ticks so I'm glad you found that one on her. I always strip Matt down after a trip to one of our local parks to make sure he is clear of them. Ick.

Emily- Thanks for the tip on the Lanolin. I'll have to try that with Matt. I have a tube of it I never used. And he is a drooling mess.

Bekki- The boys are growing so fast. Matt has a serious chapped chin/neck problem lately. We've started taking to wash his face with soap and water after he feedings of cereal and that is helping a bit, but he's still pretty red so I may try Emily's tip. And if he drools like this till he's 2 or 3 I will just die. Our nurse told us that as much drool as they produce, they are actually swallowing 90% of what they actually produce :eek:. I think Matt could fill a bathtub if that is true.

Beth- How did the trip to your parent's house go? Did he sleep in the P&P alright? Love his pictures. How do you always manage to catch that smile. I feel like I can never get Matt to smile for pics, even though he's a pretty smiley baby normally.

mabvt- Thanks for the repellant "recipe".

Beth- I hope Will's sleep returns to normal soon. I read somewhere that if they are learning a new skill (rolling, sitting, crawling etc) it can disrupt their sleeping patterns. Maybe he's about to do something new.

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs169.snc1/6333_242365410570_503150570_8090769_621746_n.jpg

This one cracked me up. Like he's about to start something. Have a great week everyone.

Bawstinn

08-02-2009, 10:27 AM

So I have a question for any of you who had bad morning sickness during pregnancy. I never got sick during my nine months (just a 3 month hangover at the beginning). I work with a girl who is due in September and has been getting sick a lot, especially here at the end. My GM has asked if this is normal since she is calling in or going home sick quite often now and it is effecting the rest of the team since she is not getting her work done. I worked up until a few days before having Matt so I think that is what they think all pregnant women do (the other recent new mom had a very easy pregnancy as well). So my question is is this normal with moms that have extended morning sickness? If you had it were you having to go home after getting sick?

I'll just toss out this experience ..... we had someone in our area that some people called The Princess (well deserved nickname). The Princess got pregnant and was out a lot during the first 3 months and then later on got in the habit of leaving 2 or 3 days a week after lunch because she didn't feel well or was *really tired* or something that someone heated up in the microwave was too strong of a smell for her to handle. Got to the point where it became apparent that her job was suffering and she was asked to bring in a doctor's note and was reminded that the time she was taking off, because of the pregnancy, was being deducted off of her FMLA. The remainder of her pregnancy was amazingly uneventful and she worked up until the baby arrived.

Honestly, I think it depends on the person and their work ethic. I was sick from 4-12 weeks with DS, throwing up every day and I went home from work once. If I called in and went home every time I got sick I never would have put in a 40 hour work week ... and then I probably wouldn't have had a job when layoffs hit.

Cute pictures!!

Sarah45

08-02-2009, 12:20 PM

Me & DH - 33
Jackson - 5 months (2/24)

As I have written so many times in the past, sleep continues to be our issue. I just started The No-Cry Sleep Solution, as recommended by my Mommy & Me instructor, and am crossing my fingers. BF and cereal continue to go well and Jackson has learned that he loves to play on his tummy for quite awhile. There are about 4 toys that he will go between and he is happy as a clam for 30 minutes or sometimes longer.

Beth H. - Sorry about Will’s sleep regression, we’re experiencing the same thing over here and I am at my wit’s end since nothing that was working is continuing to work.

Beth G. - How did the overnight go? I was worried about Jackson in the P&P but now it seems that he prefers it to his crib! Great pictures of Michael. I have been trying and trying to get a pic of Jackson with his feet in mouth or close to it but he instantly gets interested in the camera and forgets about his feet, I would love to have one like Michaels…

Bekki - No idea about getting the guys to sip through a straw cause the idea of Jackson drinking from anything other than the bottle is really “out there” for me. The nurse leading our Mommy and Me class said that they can start to use a sippy at about 5 months - when did everyone here start? And what did you start with?

Tami - The camping trip sounds like a great time, I’m glad you found insect repellant that worked! The tick thing would freak me out - it’s one of my “things”. For about 2 months we get ticks in our yard since we have lots of field and the idea of Jackson playing outside and getting one on him really bothers me. I don’t know what to do about it though. Does Maya do a lot of chewing and mouth-feeling on her toys or is she just not interested in putting stuff in there? Or does that only refer to things you want her to put n her mouth?

Ashley - I didn’t have the bad MS issues but I know that my MIL was sick the entire 9 months, like randomly throwing up throughout the day, and it got worse towards the end. I have no idea if she was the “go home from work” type but she definitely had it bad.

Beth G.

08-02-2009, 04:14 PM

A lot to catch up on and I've only been away a day and a half. Michael slept well in the pack and play (especially a 1 hour 40 minute nap this morning :eek:) but there were some less than great sleep stories that I will get into when I have more time.

Quick reply for Heather - when Michael went on his one sided strike, my other side dropped production really quickly and he would only deign to nurse on it in the night as well when he didn't know any better. There weren't any solids involved, so I can't speak to that, but I'm pretty sure all the reading I did about strikes and one sided nursing said to go on a "nursing vacation" and drop the solids. I'm sure that's easier said than done with Quinn refusing to nurse. I got back to normal through some very devoted pumping, after every feeding and extra in the am. It was exhausting but it worked. Anita recommended a hospital grade pump rental, which I didn't go so far as needing at the time, but I can say from using the hospital grade pump at work that it's really great and I think I may have accidentally deregulated my supply using it :eek: as I have been running scared of the six month slump and the change to mainly pumping, so I've probably pumped a little too aggressively. Also read to pump the bad side while you nurse the other to take advantage of the letdowns. I could never do that with Mr. Hey, is that someone walking by outside? nursing, but I'll throw that out there.

ETA - It is also ok at Quinn's age for him to be a one sided nurser if you don't have any luck rehabbing the bad side and don't mind some lopsidedness. I needed to be more even so I could pump at work. I remembered this morning that what you've experienced is not uncommon. I had a friend who supposedly had an easy breezy BF experience and became pregnant when her baby was 7 months old. Like me, she suffers from Advanced Maternal Age, so I asked how she did that while BF and the answer was once her son started all the yummy solids he lost interest in BF and she had already stopped by then because of that. Not what everyone wants to do but her priority was getting pregnant again so she let BF go.

helios7

08-03-2009, 07:57 AM

Thanks Beth!

Just popping in to say things were a little better yesterday afternoon/today. He's feeding a bit more regularly. Still favoring the right side, but that's been my strong side all along so it can take it! :) I will keep pumping on the left though to keep things going. Hopefully this is just a blip but I am trying to start a freezer stash so that when the end does come if we're still short of a year we have some supplies. of course with our currently non functional fridge due to be replaced imminently (but I fear not today :( ) and our move at the end of the month this might be a challenge!

Now i hear whistles and raspberries coming over the baby monitor so I think morning nap is over! :)

Bawstinn

08-03-2009, 08:44 AM

Good morning!

You guys move so fast - it is hard to keep up!

Things are going well here. He is a great napper but night sleeping isn't exactly as I would like it. He takes a short morning nap, a longer afternoon nap and then a short one around our supertime. He wants to be put down around 8:30 9 o'clock and the first stretch is 3-5 hours and then he wants to eat every 3 hours. I go back to work in 2 weeks so I am hoping for some longer stretches.

Here is a picture from this weekend. My current favorite - he has started giving us some smiles when we've been interacting with us. Madeleine was making it her mission to keep getting him to smile.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l223/Bawstinn/DSC02703.jpg

Sarah - 5 months seems young for a sippy cup. I know with Madeleine, she went on a bottle strike at daycare at 8 months and they were trying a sippy to get her to drink. She couldn't grasp the concept of it at that point - holding the cup issues aside.

Nursing is going well. I started Weight Watchers last week. I figured I might as well take advantage of the extra nursing points. I have 15 pregnancy pounds left and I'd like to lose another 15 on top of that. So far no impact on my supply, although I am pumping in the morning and at night for a freezer stash so that pobably helps.

Ashley - I always tried fruits and veggies out at home before sending them in. When Madeleine first started, she was eating cereal in the morning and at lunch. We introduced veggies first, so I'd send in a cube to have at daycare with lunch. When she started eating fruits, I sent in fruit to have with breakfast (in addition to the veggie at lunch).

I also feel like I've been cheated. Even though I am exclusively nursing, I *think* I got my period back this weekend. I say think because it is very light. I got it back with Madeleine early too, but I at least made it to 4 months. :(

Time for someone to spend some time on their belly.

Pony

08-04-2009, 08:52 AM

Ahhh...just now checking in....

Me: 33
DH: 33
Evelyn: will be 7 months on the 9th

Hope everyone is doing well!

Sleep (favorite topic): For 2 weeks, Carl has been putting her down for bed to see if this helps w/ night wakings. I had been nursing her to sleep for about 2 months, which is when we noticed the trend of her waking up more throughout the night. The verdict: doesn't seem to make a difference. :rolleyes: Some nights better then others, but that was the same w/ me nursing her to sleep. There have been a few nights w/ longer stretches, but nothing more then 4 hours.

Naps: She pulled some great naps this weekend!!! Yesterday, Carl had to take naps w/ her in order for her to stay down. He said she was super clingy and upset yesterday. :( Not sure why. I just called to see how her first nap is going, but he didn't answer, hmmmm.....

Food: We've done sweet potatoes, zucchini, peas and last night was broccoli. Sweet potatoes were her favorite. Last night, I mixed the broccoli w/ some cereal, b/c when I gave her a taste she made some really funny faces. She took it fine w/ the cereal. However, she is not eating much. Maybe 1 TBS max, but that might be pushing it. She loves to feed herself.

She is scooting all over the place, pulling up in the crib :eek:, sitting up great, clicking her tounge, saying a lot of "b's".......

Ok, that is it for now and will go work on a long list of personals!!!

Michelle

ETA: Carl called and said she would not sleep unless he was with her. Weird, b/c she was fine this weekend with naps. She did start acting a bit cranky on Sunday. She really is not a cranky baby. She was quite fussy when he put her in the crib to go to the bathroom. I was on the phone and could hear her crying???????? She isn't usually like this and has gone through a couple of days where she needs him to lay with her. She got an hour nap with him, so that is good. She had 1 1/2 hours for one of her naps yesterday. I guess I can just say she is teething, ha! who knows??????

Pony

08-04-2009, 11:22 AM

Thanks for all the pump washing info!!

Here are my personals........ :cool:

Tami-glad you were able to get Maya's leg before she fell off the bed!! So jealous of your nice days. We are supposed to have record breaking heat this week. I was able to get out this weekend and take a quick walk. We were soaked by the end of it. I loved the video of you feeding Maya. To funny about Maya eating the asparagus and spitting it out. I love all the foods you are giving her! Thanks for bumping up the food thread. My ped doesn't want me giving her any protein for a while since she is sensitive to the dairy protein. Not sure when he will give me the ok. So, I am assuming no yogurts, beans, lentils, etc......but he might have meant just meats and dairy. I wasn't really thinking about it at the time. Oh well, I will ask him at her 9 month. Evelyn also twists her tongue like Maya in the picture from last months thread. I can't believe Maya will be one. For real???????? I'm glad she only got one little bite! When did you introduce the sippy cup? Glad the trip went well. I hate touching things with my feet in dark water.....or clear water for that matter! I'm such a wimp. Oh my, I'm glad you found the tick. Yay for the snuggles. Love the new pictures.

Beth G-too funny about that food record in last months thread. I'm glad Michael is napping well at day care. Are they having to rock him to sleep?? I haven't tried avocado yet. I understand your thoughts about breastfeeding and trying to have #2. You've already done a fantastic job with it! Evelyn has been pinching and scratching me, ouch! I'm bad about using the freezer stash too. I occasionally pull out a bag here and there for Carl to use. Our freezer is getting full again!!! Thanks for the cookie report! I ended up eating a salad they made for me, about a cup full of olive oil and bread (which i secretly love and would have been fine w/ just that), and some pasta w/ garlic, olive oil, and vege's. However, they were passing around artichoke dip, gnocchi in vodka cream sauce, tiramisu, apple crostada w/ ice cream.......Very sweet picture of Michael!

Melissa-Neal is adorable and looks so big!! I'm glad he is eating well. Sorry for the sleep issues......hopefully, things will all fall into place one day! Yay...a tooth!! Thanks for that mosquito repellant recipe.

Sarah-I'm glad the road trip was successful! Evelyn has also been doing better w/ naps, especially when she is on her tummy! Although, we are still assisting her to sleep. I feel the same way about living so far away from family. Carl's family is in FL and mine are in NC. I would really like to move closer to family, but of course, Carl prefers FL and I prefer NC. :rolleyes: hmmmmm.........How is the swaddling going? Did you try to get rid of it again? Looking forward to keeping updated w/ you on FB! I will be curious to see how the NCSS is working for you. I haven't introduced a sippy cup yet.

Beth H- Thanks for starting the thread. Evelyn likes to wake up a lot before midnight as well, but she doesn't go from 12-5:30!!! She used to, but not anymore, booooo. Maybe 12-3:30.

Ashley-I hate pumping too! Sorry about the reverse cycling. Same thing here! I hope his napping gets better. How is your husband doing w/ Matt when you work on the weekends? Overall, how are you doing w/ going back to work and daycare? Are you working full-time? Yay for him sitting up. Evelyn can have all her toys around her, but if Charlie is in the room she will scoot over to him and pet him. So cute, but freaks me out b/c Charlie was a rescue dog and has always been a bit off. However, he really seems to love her. How scary about the stroller going towards the road!!! I had the 30% off coupon and used it to buy myself 2 shirts from Gap. I was bummed, b/c I thought I could use my free money I have from my BR Visa Card and the 30% off coupon, but they said no. So, I used my $40 on Evelyn at Baby Gap. They were expiring so had to use it right away, but wasn't too impressed w/ their selection. And even though I had $40 free, I could not by the $35 dress I thought was adorable. I'm so cheap, ha! Hopefully, the tooth/teeth will pop thru and he will sleep better! I had a very easy pregnancy and worked the day I went into labor. I had a friend who had it rough, but got better after 20 weeks. A coworker is due this week and has said this past month has been tough, but mainly just the usual end of pg stuff.

Nancy-We've been using Mustela bath products and I've never smelled such a good smelling baby in my life, ha! I haven't thought much of PVC and phthalates, but would love any information you have!!!

Heather-love Mrs Meyer's products. I hope sleep is getting better...did he get new teeth yet? How many does he have now? I can't tell if she is getting her 2 top teeth or not, b/c she bites down on my finger and all I feel is the pain from the bottom 2. How is it going with the rolling over? That is great that your friend was able to help you out. Oh no, I nursing strike. :( It sounds like things were better yesterday. How are things today? I would highly recommend eating oatmeal to help w/ supply, if that becomes an issue. Sorry about the fridge. How are you feeling about the move?

Maria-I hope Christopher goes back to the 7 hour stretches for you soon! Evelyn's sleep schedule is not as good as Christopher's new sleep schedule! Glad the gas issues are getting better. It seems like all my friends who have 2 kids say their 2nd is the mellow one. Must be all of us frantic first time parents causing our first babies to be crazy, ha! Too funny about "the Princess". I had a friend who quit her job, b/c she just couldn't handle being pg and working. Must be nice! Very cute picture. I can't believe you may have started your period already! Holy cow.

Bekki-I love that their initials are A&W, ha! sorry about the drooling and I sure hope it stops before 2 or 3!!! Same here on the high temps. Evelyn is soaked when we get out of the car even if the A/C is running on high.

EmilyD-hi!

katluvsshoes

08-04-2009, 11:27 AM

:) Congratulations to all the new mothers this month, I'm new to Cooking Light and I have two boys of my own. You can find pictures of them on my fb. I'm so happy for everyone!

~Kat~
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Pony

08-05-2009, 08:12 AM

ETA: Carl called and said she would not sleep unless he was with her. Weird, b/c she was fine this weekend with naps. She did start acting a bit cranky on Sunday. She really is not a cranky baby. She was quite fussy when he put her in the crib to go to the bathroom. I was on the phone and could hear her crying???????? She isn't usually like this and has gone through a couple of days where she needs him to lay with her. She got an hour nap with him, so that is good. She had 1 1/2 hours for one of her naps yesterday. I guess I can just say she is teething, ha! who knows??????

Update on above: When I got home she was in need of a nap. I got her to fall asleep in about 20+ minutes and was able to put her in the crib once she was asleep. She didn't sleep long, maybe 35 minutes, but it was her 3rd nap and it took the edge off.

He did try to put her in the exersaucer this morning while I got my breakfast ready and he got himself ready. She would not have any of it. She was even in the kitchen with us. She had her arms stretched out reaching for us. :( Breaks my heart, especially since I know I can't stay with her.

And diaper changes have become brutal...even if there is a toy. She loves to flip over or turn on her side. She gets soooo mad when we try to keep her on her back. Why can't there be diapers that fasten in the back or on the side for squirmy babies!!!!

I gave her some plain broccoli and she ate it w/o a funny face :). Not much, maybe 3/4 of a TBS. She preferred playing and chewing on the spoon, but still she ate it!

good news is that the boss is bringing starbucks!

Beth H

08-06-2009, 07:14 AM

Hello all.

Will's sleep continues to be hit and miss - one night, he'll sleep through the night, and then the next night (like last night), he wakes up every couple of hours. Not sure what the "secret" is to the sleeping through the night nights. :)

I've been having an issue with feeding this week - I am doing sweet potato, which I roasted in the oven and am thinning with formula. But - I guess I'm not thinning enough, as last night, Will gagged on it (scaring me) and then projectile vomiting all over the place. He seems to like the flavor but not the consistency of the sweet potato - I'm going to try to steam and then puree with some water.

I'll come back for personals later - but hope everyone is having a good week! (Almost Friday!)

Sarah45

08-06-2009, 03:36 PM

So, I don't know if Michelle's question is putting imaginary things in my head/nose :p or if I just didn't notice before, but my pump parts and Jax's plastic bowls and such totally smell like dishwashing liquid now. I went out and bought some Seventh Generation Free and Clear and filled the sink up with every bottle, pacifier, teething ring, etc. and got it all CLEAN. And now I feel much better :D

Thanks for the thoughts on the sippy cup, % months seemed young to me too so I'm glad that i'm not crazy. I just don't think that he is anywhere near ready yet, he can't even hold a bottle, although he sure tries.

Not much new going on here although Jackson has learned that he doesn't have to try and get himself to his toys on the floor, he can pull the blanket - and the toy - to him. He thinks that this is a great new skill :D

Beth H. - Will's sleep sounds a lot like Jackson's at the moment. We've stopped swaddling and some nights he sleeps like a dream and others he's up 3-4 times. I have learned to expect nothing ;)

Michelle - I hear you on diaper changes. Jackson wants to play with the rails on the changing table and there's really nothin I can do about it, distracting doesn't work. I'm sorry that Evelyun has been so clingy lately, that has to be really hard on you - I can't imagine :(

Maria - Love Christopher's smile picture, he's a cutie!

Hope everyone has a great weekend, my brother and pregnant SIL will be here so I am sure we'll have lots of baby gear talk going on! ;)

tholbrook

08-06-2009, 03:50 PM

Hi all!

Maya has been asleep for 2 hours now, so I'm sure she'll be up any minute now ... but for the past 3 days straight, she's been torturing me with 30-45 minute naps, both morning and afternoon. Ack! What happened? She was doing so well with her 75-90 minute naps, even though it took her 20-30 minutes to go to sleep.

I'm not going to get to everyone today, but Beth H - we're on a hit or miss sleep pattern too lately. It's not terrible (we've certainly been through worse), but every few nights, Maya will wake up around 11 or midnight, and won't go back to sleep for 2+ hours. I do remember that between 7-8 months was when I was ready to pull my hair out because of Maya's constantly changing sleep patterns, so maybe this is just a stage for Will too. Maya settled into a more consistent sleep routine (with some work on our part!) around 9 months. There have been some hiccups, of course, due to teething and other interruptions!

Michelle - Yep, one year old in 2 weeks and 5 days!!! EEEEK! But I've been stuck on Evelyn being 5 months old, and was caught off-guard when you said she was almost 7 months. See my comments above on sleeping to Beth - good luck!!! ;). I don't know about legumes falling into the same category as meat and dairy ... peas are legumes, I believe, and most vegetables also contain some protein, albeit small amounts... I would think the pediatrician would have warned you if E shouldn't have peas, as that's a typical "first food". I'm curious how this will play out, so keep us posted! And yay for her wanting to feed herself (loved the FB video and pictures of the sweet potatoes!)

Maya can be rather hit or miss on her exersaucer - depends on her mood. I had to get down next to her and play with her to get her interested in all the toys and gadgets. She does okay in it most of the time these days (I use it when I take her with me to work). But we always reach a certain point where she's had enough.

Oh and the diaper acrobatics... maybe (hopefully) that's one of those stages where she's learned to do something new, and will move on eventually. Maya would arch her back off the floor and completely turn on her belly - while I was holding onto her feet. I was thinking she might have a future in the circus! :p But she only does it occasionally now, and will stop if I pause the diaper change and tickle her / blow raspberries on her belly / etc.

Okay, she's awake. 2 hours and 20 minutes. That's a new record for at least the last 3 months or so. Wow.

Beth G.

08-07-2009, 09:16 AM

Hey everyone. We had Michael’s 6 month pediatrician visit on Wednesday (he turned 7 months the next day). He weighs 16 lbs 11 oz and is 26 ½” long. He only cried when the doctor was testing his reflexes and during the shots. No sign of any teeth, the doctor just said his gums were getting harder. The doctor nearly gave me a heart attack when he told me he should be having 6-7 ounce bottles :eek:. There is no way I could keep up with that pumping. So I took a deep breath and said, how many bottles a day, and he said 4. Phew. He is doing smaller bottles/breastfeeding usually 6 times a day, so the math evens out. He wants us to get moving on solids too. Sweet potatoes begin tomorrow and hopefully he’ll like them better than cereal. He changed the vitamins to one with fluoride and I’m really bummed – Michael loved the old ones but these he made a face and gave me a hard time. Makes me sad to have to take away something he enjoyed. He also said 3-4 ounces of water twice a day, which seemed like a lot to me. He has changed his poop pattern to a much less frequent one although he does not seem bothered, so we have to watch that. He didn't go from Thursday afternoon to Tuesday afternoon - DH was so happy to pick him up at day care and find him in a different outfit ;). Hopefully the veggies will make him more regular again.

Speaking of solids, can someone please explain why it is ok to start Cheerios at 7-9 months but corn is supposed to wait for one year (Cheerios have both corn and wheat starch in them)?

My BF baby is obsessed with bottles :eek: (not his milk bottle though, he’s still not a big eater). He loves DH’s green sports bottle, diet pepsi bottles, Poland Spring bottles. Just looking at them makes him smile and he wants to play with them.

The weekend - it was my parents, my brother and his fiancée, my cousin, her husband, and their 12 and 6 year old boys along with us. We went blueberry picking on Saturday – I was surprised they were ripe all the rain and limited hot weather. As I started getting bug bites Michael got hot and bored in the stroller so we called it a crop and headed to the store for blueberry ice cream. Which my brother wanted to let Michael lick :eek:. Michael continues to do great with people and crowds now. He was very interested in DH’s water glass so DH let him try some and he loved it. He was also reaching out to pet my brother’s dog – like he knew he was supposed to do that. So cool :cool:.

The house has paper thin walls and there were 5 adults and 2 kids using the guest bathroom overnight (DH went home and came to pick us up the next day) and the room we were sleeping in shares a wall with the bathroom. Took awhile but got him to sleep in the p&p until 12:15 or so, perhaps woken up by the parade of people using the bathroom during the night or the fact that they set the p&p up on top of the a/c vent! – and it’s so low to the floor, brrr. Nursed him, moved the p&p and he went back to sleep. I was woken up at 2:15 by my brother’s dog whimpering in the hall but Michael slept through that.

What he did not sleep through, however, was my parents printer suddenly deciding to print eight backed up print jobs a foot away from the p&p at 2:30 am :(. My poor baby! He did not deserve this. He tried for twenty minutes to self soothe (sucked thumb) but no luck and started crying at 3. I didn’t want him waking my dad who really needs the sleep so I nursed him again and he went back to sleep. He was up again at 4 babbling (“egg”) which my brother could hear from his room but no crying and went back to sleep. The whole weekend tired me out, I didn’t have any down time.

We also have problems many nights with early wakings. I am not sure what the trend is, other than there is maybe something off those days like me getting home very late from work due to bus issues. Last night was the best in two months. I am probably jinxing a trend even mentioning it. I had a hard time getting him to sleep but he finally did a little before 9 PM and then he slept until 5:45 am! I nursed him and he went back to sleep until almost 8. This would be an ideal schedule for us, but the odds it will ever happen again are about the same as me winning the Mega Millions tonight, especially since I don't think we sent enough milk to day care.

Tami – love the camping pictures, especially Maya in the float. Glad the trip went well and the bug bites were minimal (scary about the ticks!). I had to do exactly what you said and do a full soothe to sleep for bedtime in the p&p (although he was tired the next morning from the fabulous :rolleyes: night so he went straight to his nap with no help). Believe me, our football hold (or cross cradle) aren’t going to be pictured in any BF books. Don’t be impressed – he just prefers to be on my side rather than in front as it gives him so many more options – feet to grab, a better angle at my nose etc. It is acrobatics keeping him there, especially on my right side in bed which if he fell he’d go off the bed. I am less careful on the left and he once rolled off the Brest Friend onto the bed. I’m not sure if I should tell you this, but I was talking to a friend whose 16 month old still won’t eat any chunks. Glad Maya gave you a long nap after all the short ones. I’m pretty much giving up and assuming Michael will take long naps at day care and short ones at home. We are trying to follow their schedule but it doesn’t seem to help. I can’t believe Maya is going to be 1. Do you have anything planned?

Ashley – we plan to start the new foods on the weekend so we have a couple of days to monitor reaction before sending them to day care. I would rather do that and call the pediatrician on a Saturday than have a problem in the middle of the night if we tried them in the evening. Hope you can get more rest this week and have a normal weekend. Sorry to hear about the teething disrupting sleep. Is Matt eating better at day care now? I got Michael six outfits for fall, thanks! Matt looks so pensive in this picture, you are right, he's about to start something. I always notice your bumbo in the background, ours is the same color.

Sarah – hope you are having better sleep. How is the book? We have a Playtex sippy that is supposed to be something you can start using at 4 months. I think it’s called the First Sipster. It has handles but I think you would still have to hold it for Jackson. We were told to have Michael cup trained for day care at six months and no bottles there, haha. Maybe if I had more energy. We are going to do water in the sippy starting this weekend. I will let you know how it goes.

Heather – glad Quinn is nursing better. Now on to sleeping better, right? ;)

Maria – Christopher is so cute! Does he like tummy time? I am glad to hear the WW has not impacted your supply. I still have some weight I would like to lose and have been scared to try (and still ravenous from nursing so I haven’t bothered :o ). Sorry to hear you didn’t get the break – I’m on the other side and hoping mine will come back soon, but no signs of that.

Michelle – haven’t started the veggies yet, but Michael maxes out on a small amount of solids too. My friend’s just about 6 month old ate an entire banana! :eek: Of course, he weighs like 20 pounds. Sorry to hear she is not giving you longer stretches at night. Our ped said only cereal, fruits and veggies until the 9 month appt and then we’ll talk turkey (and chicken). Dairy/beans was not even a discussion yet. I don’t think they are rocking Michael at day care for naps. They may roll the crib a little (it’s a portacrib on wheels). I am going today for the first time to pick him up so I will be asking all those questions! I hope Evelyn starts giving you some longer night stretches soon. Michael will give us some occasionally, but never at a time concurrent with my needs – so he’ll sleep from say, 1:30-7 or a little later on the days I get up at 5:45, but when I could sleep until 7:15 he’s up at 6. Stinker! I want to figure out how to get the long stretch at the beginning of the night so I can maximize my sleep too. I am sure you must be very tired at work! I am too. I still can’t believe Evelyn is pulling up in the crib. I am hoping for several more months before that starts so we can keep the mattress at the middle level. Michael is babbling some weird combinations these days, but for some reason egg is his favorite thing to say.

Beth H. – Glad you posted about your sweet potato experience, we will keep it very thin for the first time. If you figure out the secret to the sleeping through the night nights, please tell!!

Bekki – you must have some strong arms, the boys are big! Has it cooled off? Michael gets really sweaty in our car seat too.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Bawstinn

08-07-2009, 10:33 AM

Hello!

Christopher had his 2 month check-up today. He is 12.7 pounds and 24.5 inches long. Good sized little boy who is quickly outgrowing his 3 month clothes. He got 3 shots today - cried when he got them but now he is sleeping them off.

I, on the other hand, have mastitis. I spiked a 102 fever yesterday, it went away and came back again with chills and aches. I woke up and my left side was tender but as time went on it felt hot. I am now on antibiotics.

Beth - Cheerios are OK because the amount of corn present in 15 Cheerios is far less than eating corn straight. wholesomebabyfood.com talks about a lot of this stuff. Kind of along the same lines as yogurt and cheese being OK before a year old too.

Beth G.

08-07-2009, 11:22 AM

Thanks, Maria. I hope you feel better soon!

Forgot to mention, the bad day care got cited with another serious violation. This one was pretty bad: Children cannot be left without competent direct supervision at any time. The one we called in had a very obtuse write up, but that one seems pretty clear. I am so glad the state is keeping on top of them. We are so lucky to be out of there/in a great center. They sent home a picture yesterday of Michael with the two other babies his age doing tummy time. They all looked so happy. It was great to see.

Beth H

08-07-2009, 11:46 AM

If you figure out the secret to the sleeping through the night nights, please tell!!

Ha - I guess if I could do that, I could write my own baby sleep book. Last night was another one in which he woke up a few times.

We did sweet potatoes again last night; this time, I steamed one in my Baby Cook machine and then pureed it with some of the cooking water. I also added in a bit of formula before I fed it to him - much better. He seems to like the flavor of the sweet potato. My day care wants me to start bringing Cheerios, etc. but I'm not sure if he's quite ready for the "finger foods" yet.

Beth G Sorry about the rough sleeping. Going away from home always presents a bit of a sleep challenge, doesn't it? I'm so glad you got out of the bad daycare situation and into a good one - it makes such a huge difference to be happy with where your baby is spending his days.

Michelle That's exciting about the broccoli eating. Broccoli is one of the few foods I don't particularly like - especially cooked. Guess I have to get over that aversion in the coming months, as I know it's often a kid favorite.

Tami - thanks for the words of advice on sleep. Perhaps it is just a phase. How exciting that her first birthday is approaching - are you planning anything big, or just something low-key?

Maria - that's a great photo! I appreciate you talking about the sippy cup - it seems like some books/sources urge parents to start it sooner than later, but Will doesn't seem quite ready for it yet.

Sarah - I'd be interested to hear how the No Cry Sleep Solution Works. I think it's more the uncertainty from night to night that is making my sleep a bit difficult. :)

Ashley - exciting about the teething! In terms of trying new solids, I started solids (other than rice) with Will at 6 months. For this past month, I've been the one doing fruits and veggies (sometimes mixed with cereal) at night, and the daycare has continued doing just cereal in the mornings. Starting next week (now that he is 7 months old), I'll be taking fruits and veggies to them too - but I think I'll stick with ones that are familiar (and well-liked) at first, and do the introducing of new things in the evenings.

Bekki - your boys are so big! I'm sure that is a lot of baby to transport around. :)

Heather - hope nursing is going more smoothly!

Hope I didn't forget anyone - but if I did, have a great weekend everyone!

Pony

08-07-2009, 01:24 PM

Just a quick update...

Evelyn crawled today! I haven't seen it yet, but Carl and my friend confirmed it! ahhhh!!! We were wondering if it is easier for her to crawl when she is in disposables??? Carl had her in a disposable while the cloths were outside drying. I'm hoping I get to see some of her new moves tonight, but also am terrified of her crawling, ha!

Maria, I hope you feel better!

Re water: I haven't given Evelyn any water. My ped didn't even mention it and I didn't think to ask. Is everyone giving their babies water?

Beth H

08-07-2009, 01:38 PM

Exciting that Evelyn has crawled! Wow - watch out (have you childproofed yet? :)).

Re water: I haven't given Evelyn any water. My ped didn't even mention it and I didn't think to ask. Is everyone giving their babies water?

We haven't given Will water yet either - when he was smaller, I actually was somewhat paranoid about water as right around the time Will was born I saw a story on CNN with Dr. Sanjay Gupta about a mother who had given her child watered-down formula (as they couldn't afford the formula), and he had developed a serious illness from having too much water in his system.

I was kind of waiting until he starts using a sippy cup, and then introducing water then. We have done pedialyte once or twice (on doctor's recommendation) when he had diarrhea.

Beth G.

08-07-2009, 02:12 PM

Michelle - wow, Evelyn crawling!! Awesome, and scary! Michael wears disposables and isn't crawling yet although he'd love to, so not sure it makes a difference. He does this thing I can't describe where he shoots backwards somehow, but no forward motion.

I asked the ped about the water because I read it in Ellyn Satter's book, that you should start offering when you start solids and try to promote a lifelong healthy habit. She said offer it when you drink water - I drink way too much water to do that, but we'll probably just give a little in the cup. My neighbor whose son was born the same day as Michael uses a different ped, and her ped believes the night waking is sometimes from thirst and suggested a little water then too. I have also read about the dangers of water, but what I read was for small babies. I think we'll end up just doing a few sips a day to learn the cup. I would not even consider giving it in a bottle just to get to the amount the ped suggested. Seems every ped is different, another friends told her 3 oz a day. Her 16 month old hardly drinks any (although he drinks a lot of whole milk still) and he's fine.

tholbrook

08-07-2009, 07:31 PM

Sheesh, this thread is really hopping today...

Before I get to personals...

Maya's pediatrician never said anything about water either. I do give her some in her sippy cup (which she mostly dribbles all over her clothes). I would be afraid that she would fill up on water and not want to BF. We started the sippy cup late - maybe too late. 9 months, I think? I've been trying to be more consistent on offering it to her lately, but so far she really just likes to chew on the spout. We use the Avent brand, but we have some others we haven't tried yet too.

Plans for the big event (1 year birthday) - yes, we have big plans! We have family flying in from the West Coast, so I figured we should have a party to celebrate ... we have a place rented already at a local park. We expect a bunch of people, but I really need to find a way to request that they not bring presents (the whole etiquette thing where if you say something, it's like you "expected" them to bring a gift in the first place). We have too much stuff already, and I know the grandparents will go a little crazy as it is.

I also find it odd about the Cheerios - I was thinking that even the smallest amount of corn/wheat would bother someone who had a sensitivity or allergy... I'm thinking of the people I know who scrutinize labels to make sure none of the many derivatives are listed. But I've never heard of Cheerios as a "no-no", so maybe it's also something in the way it has been processed. I know there are some Stage 2 baby foods that have corn.

Michelle - yay (or yikes!, depending on how you look at it ;)) for Evelyn crawling. Hope you get to see her in action tonight! Oh, and I should not have opened my mouth about Maya's diaper antics being a stage. Ever since I wrote that, she's been doing her turning and twisting again. :rolleyes:

Beth H - sorry about the sweet potato incident with Will; that must have been really scary. I hope that he takes to solids better than Maya has!

Beth G - those people at the bad daycare must be morons! :eek::( So glad you moved on to something better. That's actually the reason I won't leave Maya at my gym's daycare ... I don't know that they are subject to the same regulations, but when I walked in just to look around, there was a 7-8 month old in a swing with no one directly watching him. The (ONE) woman watching the kids was on the other side of the room with the toddlers/older kids. With the way the room was set up, the swing was around the corner and facing in the other direction, so she would not have even been able to see him unless she got up and walked over there. Thanks but no thanks. Oh, and the infant area (swings and cribs) is near the child care entrance. So if someone REALLY wanted to, they could simply step over the half door leading into the room, grab the kid and run.

Maya loves to play with bottles and cups too. One of her favorite "toys" is DH's half-empty Gatorade bottle - bright orange - which he'll put in the freezer for awhile before he heads home. She could play with that bottle for an hour.

Sorry for the sleep disruptions on your family trip ... but it sounds like overall, Michael had a great time!

Maria! So sorry about the mastitis :( - I hope you get better soon. I had a blocked milk duct not long ago, and I was miserable, so I can't imagine how you must feel right now. I love the picture of Christopher - such a happy little guy! Cute about Madeleine getting him to smile!

Ashley - Cute picture of Matt - always the serious one! How is teething going (and the directly related sleep)?

I got an email with that deal from Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic too, or I would have taken you up on your offer... I used mine all on ME! :D I bought some new yoga tops from Athleta... my old ones don't fit very well in the, ahem, top area.

For your question on pregnancy symptoms, I have known a couple women who suffered terribly throughout their entire pregnancy - had MS in both the 1st and 3rd trimesters, and were generally miserable. Not sure if that's what is going on with your coworker, or whether she is just taking advantage of being pregnant. With a few exceptions, I had a very easy pregnancy and never had MS or any aversions... although a lot of smells annoyed me, but not to the point of being sick. So it's hard for me to relate. But I was tired enough at some points, I would have done almost anything to curl up and take a nap. I frequently would zonk out in my car for 30-45 minutes after work, before heading to the gym to teach a class. I always had a pillow and blanket with me!

Heather - any signs of the BF strike at all, or is Quinn back to feeding normally on both sides? Sounds like he has a lot going on, rather than being ready to wean. I definitely recommend the Motrin instead of Tylenol since he's older than 6 months (Maya's ped told us not to even bother with Tylenol! :confused:) I know exactly how you feel being shocked by the nursing strike. I think Maya would hang out on the boob all day if I let her. If she refused to nurse, I'd probably have her DNA checked.

As far as solids go, I know that Maya has gone from maybe a tablespoon to around 1/2-3/4 cup total of food per meal. This has been over the past 4 months, and I know there must have been some point where there was a noticeable increase, but I can't remember the details now. I really should start writing this stuff down ...

Oh, and did you get your new refrigerator yet?

Sarah - very clever of Jackson, using the blanket to pull the toy to him! :D So glad that he likes tummy time. I agree that 5 months seems young for a sippy cup (but don't wait too long like we did either!). And I totally agree with your motto of "expect nothing".

Emily - hope J.D's spitting up starts to disappear soon. Of course, the drooling probably won't go away anytime soon ... but hopefully it won't last as long as Bekki's ped said! I don't recall seeing many 2-3 year olds that drool like infants, but that might be wishful thinking. I could see ezcema continuing to be a problem, however.

Okay, I think I caught up on everyone I missed last time ... for anyone else - and any lurking new moms! :) - have a wonderful weekend!

Beth G.

08-08-2009, 08:21 AM

Just in case anyone was wondering, I did not win the Megamillions last night. Nor did Michael repeat his feat of sleeping through - wakeups at 10:30, 12:30 and 5.

The daycare teacher says they pat his butt for 5 minutes and he goes to sleep. She thinks that's excellent and says she wishes her son (who is 2 weeks younger) was more like Michael - it takes him 10 minutes of butt patting. Speaking of which, Beth H., does Will take better naps now?

Tami - I wouldn't use that gym daycare either. After the blankets over the heads, my second "favorite" was the daycare we saw that only took cash. There were a lot of other things wrong there, but the thousands upon thousands of dollars in cash that would be there on tuition day seemed pretty dangerous to me. It is amazing how many bad day care situations are out there. And I agree that I would think for an allergy even a small amount is a problem. Here I've been stressing over lactose issues on DH's side and the formula Michael had in the hospital before my milk came in. I'm sure at 1,2 days old it wasn't that much...

FWIW they also said in the nutrition class to introduce water sippy with solids. After BF, then some cereal, I gave him the sippy with a little water in it. He drank a little and gave me a face like, um, Mommy? This isn't milk! He was more interested in playing with the cup. At least he seemed to like the barley cereal today.

Sweet potato is heading for the oven...

helios7

08-09-2009, 07:35 PM

Hi ladies...

I hope everyone's doing well. I can't believe how fast August is going - time is just on fast forward for me! We're hoping to close on our house the week of the 17th, we're living in boxes and chaos and hoping to move in the last week of August. Crazy! :eek:

And through it all, Quinn's sleep has deteriorated even more. He's waking up every 2 hours through the night (and popping up more in the evening too). I'm not sure if it's teething (tooth #3 is cutting through and I'm not convinced there isn't another somewhere, but he doesn't love my attempts to see) or if it is separation anxiety which has also kicked in this week or what. But it's rough. I'm gritting my teeth, reminding myself that one day (one far off day) he will sleep through the night, and we're hanging on for now. My sleepless brain can't remember if we've talked about separation anxiety yet. Anyone else going through it? Tami? I first noticed it when people came into our apartment (neighbor, Electricity company man etc). If I wasn't holding him, he'd cry. But now he's super-sensitive, when people (usually men) talk to me at the supermarket he'll cry. He cries on playdates when other babies "shriek" (which I find so ironic because he's such a shrieker himself). We tried to have ice cream with a baby and her mom last week, we lasted 45 minutes and he cried 4 times. Luckily he tolerated my MIL's visit (and babysitting) today but he cried when Grandpa came. I know it's developmentally normal and we'll ride it through, but the timing stinks.

Our last piece of news is that we're scooting, but backwards. Quinn pushes too hard with his arms and pushes himself in reverse. He doesn't seem to mind too much, but I'm relieved to see him moving.

A few quick personals...

Beth - sigh, you and me both on the Megamillions. :) I'm sorry you're having a tough time too.

Tami - our ped encouraged water at 6 months, and wanted to be sure that we were teaching him to drink from a regular cup as well as a sippy cup. Now he gets quite demanding when someone drinks from a cup and he doesn't get some. He dives right into the cup, makes a horrible mess but loves it! We are chilling out with a new fridge (finally!) and have moved past the strike. He's still iffy on the one side, refuses it more then he'll take it but I just pump it and the side he prefers supplies enough. And he'll nurse on the less preferred side at night. :confused: I cut back on his solids - 2 "cubes" of food a meal, and I did notice his appetite dropped a bit as the strike waned. But I am definitely working on a stash. We've come this far, if he weans at 11 months or a similarly "close" to the 1 year goal I want to be ready!

Beth H - We give Quinn these (http://www.happypuffsfood.com/). They dissolve in the mouth, as I too am a bit scared to start with Cheerios. At first I broke the puffs in half but now I give them to him whole. He's gotten much better with them. At first 1 in 5 got into his mouth, now only 1 gets away. Hope that's helpful!

Bawstinn - Hope you're feeling better! Mastitis sounds like no fun at all. :(

Beth G - I find weekends/trips away stressful. Sounds like you coped with it as best you could, but it is hard being out of your comfort zone. And I would have been tempted to throw that printer out the window! Arrggh!

Michelle - I hear you on the wriggles on the changing table. Quinn's getting really frustrating to change diapers/dress. Shorts in particular are so annoying to get in. One leg in, first leg comes out as the second leg goes in, and repeat. He kicks too, and hard! Ah, I didn't realize how good I had it when he just lay there. How's the little crawler doing? Sleeping better still? I think Quinn is starting to explore stomach sleeping, but it doesn't seem to be helping him sleep longer!

Sarah - Quinn's a big fan of pulling things to him too. We're trying to encourage toppling forwards as a means of jumpstarting crawling, and it is hard! He likes the easy route (of sitting still and chilling) better! As I mentioned above, we've been using a cup with Quinn for several months now but I don't think you're late in not starting yet if you don't want to. Although it's messy, so this is the season for jackson to drench himself with water while he learns! :)

Hi to anyone I missed...

Beth H

08-10-2009, 07:28 AM

Heather - thank you so much for the recommendation on those puffs! Although I'm making most of my own food, I have bought and tried that Happy Baby brand frozen food, and I really like it - Will loved their "apple" (so I might just use theirs since it evidently is the right taste in terms of tartness/sweetness). I'm going to look for those at our organic market.

Beth G - no Will is not napping any better; in fact, I would say he is napping less now if that is possible. Saturday, he "napped" for 15 minutes in the stroller while a friend and I walked around a sidewalk sale, and then he took another 25 minute nap around 1:30. That was it. I really don't know what the solution is to get him to nap - he just seems to fight off sleep and also appears refreshed after these cat naps. It's frustrating as it makes it hard to get anything done on the weekends in terms of house projects, etc.

Other than the napping issue, the weekend was a good one with a generally happy baby. :)

acginkc

08-10-2009, 07:46 AM

I have started writing this post about 5 times and then get distracted and never finish. So here we go again.

We are doing well here. My new boss started at work so it has been a bit stressful. It has made me miss Matt more, but I made it thru another week. Pumping is still going, I still don't love it, but going to stick with it.

Thanks for the advice on introduction of solids. We are still just on cereal for another couple of weeks, but getting excited to start this. We started the sippy cup this weekend. He doesn't have the hang of it quite yet, but loves trying to drink from out big glasses so we figured we'd start working on it.

Well we are still in the midst of teething. He has one bottom tooth that has come thru and we are just waiting for its partner. Matt has figured out how to get himself up to sitting so he's all over the place now. We'll sit him down on the floor and he'll roll and scoot around then sit up precariously close to a piece of furniture or other hard surface. This has led to his 1st black eye. He toppled over or dove into the metal base of his jumper. :rolleyes: He's also very into being on all fours and rocking. He just wants to move I tell ya. :eek:

My OB/GYN once told me that at every new stage in his development he's going to get more fun, and I totally see that now. I have really enjoyed watching as he learns new things, develops and discovers his world. Sorry, feeling really sentimental this morning.

Ok, a pic then a new post for personals. This is how I found him sleeping the other morning.
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs189.snc1/6333_247602900570_503150570_8224789_975958_n.jpg

acginkc

08-10-2009, 08:45 AM

Beth H- Matt has had some similar nap days to Will's. I agree, it is tough to get much of anything done on those days.

Heather-Hope you make it thru the move ok. I absolutely hate the process of moving and living out of boxes. It stresses me out. I hope Quinn starts giving you some better stretches at night. Matt was doing that to me recently, and it is completely exhausting.

Beth G- I wish Matt went down that easily. And I'm so glad you got out of that one day care:eek:.

Tami- Maya's birthday sounds like it will be quite fun. How has she been doing with her food textures?

Michelle- Very exciting that Evelyn is crawling. Is she all over the place now?

Maria- I hope you are feeling better. Very cute picture.

Ok, Matt is back up and I know I have missed several of you all, but I will try to come back and finish up later.

tholbrook

08-10-2009, 09:11 PM

Reporting in from Zombie Land... where's the sleepwalking smilie when you need it? :o

So the good ol' days of Maya sleeping through the night have come to a grinding halt. Boo. I hope this is a phase (teething - ????) because I'm more tired now than when Maya was a newborn. She's been up for 2+ hours in the middle of the night for the past 4 nights, and it's shaping up to be a 5th night. Last night, I went to bed at 12 ... fell asleep around 12:30 ... and she was up at 1. She didn't go back to sleep until 5 am - and I had to leave at 5:30 to teach a class, so I never did go back to bed :(. So I got a whole 30 minutes of sleep.

She's not crying, but she's doing the sleepy-fuss and muttering thing - not even sure if she's completely awake, but of course I can hear her on the baby monitor, so I can't sleep. We've had several bad nights back to back, so I'm thinking that maybe she is severely overtired at this point. But how can she ever catch up if she won't sleep at night!?!?! :confused: [advice and suggestions are welcome, by the way!].

The only upside to this setback is that she's super cuddly - velcro! - when I finally do go up and get her (in a last ditch effort to get her back to sleep so we don't continue to get caught in this vicious cycle of tiredness). She goes right to sleep when I rock her, but if I put her in her crib, she's awake again within 15-30 minutes. But it is hard to be frustrated with her when she has burrowed against my shoulder with one hand resting on my cheek :rolleyes:. Until the next time I hear her on the baby monitor, that is...

Anyway ... I'm off to bed now (but she's fussing already, so it might be a long night).

Before I go:

Ashley - hilarious picture of Matt!!! Like he fell asleep sitting up and just fell forward! The weird contortions these kids can get into!

Heather - Maya definitely has stranger anxiety (started to see it at 9 months)... she'll only let me and DH hold her... sometimes MIL if she's spent some time with us first. She doesn't fuss around strangers (provided they don't try to touch her) but then again, no one has come into our house other than MIL. She does okay in public (well, not today, but usually). Maya hasn't been around very many other kids -our lunch "dates" usually are with my non-mom/older friends. So I have no idea how she'd act. I suspect Quinn's behavior is probably normal, although he might be more sensitive to other people. But good luck and (((hugs))) to you. I know on top of the crappy sleeping, it's hard to deal with another issue. I wonder if part of Quinn's sleeping issues - and Maya's too - has to do with separation anxiety. I read briefly tonight (although I was too tired to absorb much) in Sleepeasy Solution that separation anxiety CAN cause night wakings and restless sleep.... hmmmm. Now what to do about it - ?.

Hi to everyone - and hope you sleep better tonight than I do! :) :rolleyes:

Sarah45

08-11-2009, 05:25 PM

tholbrook

08-11-2009, 07:18 PM

Hi all, i've got a quick question/info request :)

FOr those of you feeding solids, what does your evening routine look ike time-wise? I'm trying to figure out how to fit everything in, in terms of cooking dinner for me and DH, feeding Jackson and getting him down to sleep and us eating. I don't want him to eat solids too soon before bedtime but I am also trying to get him to bed earlier than our current 9 PM. And trying to fit in an hour long bedtime routine seems like an impossibility. Maybe seeing what you guys do would help? :o

Thanks!Hi Sarah, I don't think my answer will be much help because DH and I eat REALLY late - like 9 or 10 pm. But Maya eats at 5:45 or 6 ... it generally takes about 30 minutes. We start the bedtime routine right after that - it's about 45 minutes, so she's in bed by 7:15 (on a good night). I figure she has always filled up her belly with milk before bed, so I don't mind her eating her dinner fairly close to bedtime. I figure that reduces the chance she'll get hungry during the night.

I start our dinner after she goes to bed. There are also a couple nights a week that DH puts Maya to bed because I don't get home until around 9 or 9:30, so we eat extremely late on those nights. But I know that's definitely not a solution for everyone...

Maya had a 30 minute bedtime routine until lately, when we added another book and some cuddle time. I rarely give her a bath as part of the routine because it adds 20-30 minutes ... so I try to get the bath done during the day.

acginkc

08-11-2009, 08:38 PM

helios7

08-12-2009, 07:22 AM

Morning ladies,

Sigh. We're still having bf trouble during the day. He really will not do it these days. But happily feeds all night long! I wonder if it's distraction, or lack of interest. I'm going to call our ped in a few minutes to just check in (hopefully by phone) as I am finding it stressful. He is also teething two teeth (that I can see) which I had suspected from how rough it's been lately so that may be a factor. Who knows? All I know is sleep is hard to find around here. Quinn's naps have been really poor lately - he's rolled over onto his stomach in sleep a few times and wakes up crying. He does not like it. Awake he can get out of it, but I think half asleep he can't figure it out. But poor naps, very frequent wakeups at night ... it's rough.

Tami - but not as rough as your night the other night! Yowza! I'm so sorry it's been so rough. That sounds awful. And helps me put my "rough nights" into perspective. I hope Maya gets back into a routine soon - yikes! I have wondered if separation anxiety is a factor, particularly as he sleeps wonderfully when I bring him into bed next to me. He curls up right next to me, and barely wakes for 3-4 hours straight. When we move we're getting a bigger bed (we only have a full which is why cosleeping now is a last resort because it means I have to sleep on my side in a tiny bit of bed). While I think it is still so important for Quinn to go down in his crib for naps and at bedtime, if he ends up in our bed after nights like last night where he was up 5 times between 12-3, so be it. Better for us all!

Sarah - Quinn's bedtime is 7. As in in his crib doing whatever until he falls asleep. That is optimal. When it doesn't happen (in bed at 7:15, or later) things get messy. Usually. I will read him, usually I start his bedtime routine with dinner at 6 (heating the frozen babyfood cubes etc). After dinner (20 minutes) we go upstairs and have a quick bath (10 minutes), dress/change into pjs (5) and nurse (0 minutes these days) and read 2-4 books (5). So the routine is about 45 minutes, but I can crank it out in 20 when he's really tired (bath becomes a quick splash and out, one thing instead of several for dinner etc). We don't eat until afterwards right now. I am hoping to introduce family dinners in the future (hopefully after we move) but right now DH doesn't get home until 8 or so. I am trying to be better about starting dinner earlier in the day so it is ready as trying to cook between 7--8 while running up and down as Quinn needs attention going to sleep etc is stressful and doesn't work out well. But yesterday I tried to start dinner, Quinn barely napped all day and I STILL didn't get it done. So it is an imperfect process. I find prepping things like a lasagna earlier in the day (or using the slow cooker) work best because they can be in the oven while I'm putting Quinn to bed. But they aren't very seasonal, and there's only so much of that kind of stuff you can eat. So I hear you on that. Maybe we need a "busy mom's dinner" thread? :cool:

Beth H - glad to help. I hope Will likes the puffs. We have banana flavored, but some of Quinn's friends really like the greens kind. We'll try that next, but we're not exactly flying through them so it'll be a while. There are a lot in the container!

Ashley - Yes, I'm not loving the mostly packed up but not quite existence we're living in. And it's been super hot here too... not much fun all around. Glad Matt is taking to solids well, and that picture is just too cute!

Beth H

08-12-2009, 10:45 AM

FOr those of you feeding solids, what does your evening routine look ike time-wise? I'm trying to figure out how to fit everything in, in terms of cooking dinner for me and DH, feeding Jackson and getting him down to sleep and us eating. I don't want him to eat solids too soon before bedtime but I am also trying to get him to bed earlier than our current 9 PM. And trying to fit in an hour long bedtime routine seems like an impossibility. Maybe seeing what you guys do would help?

Our routine is very similar to Heather's. I do the solids around 6 or 6:15, which takes 15-20 minutes or so depending on how well he is eating the food. I actually do baths in the morning, so after eating, I take Will back to his room and put his night diaper and pajamas on. We sit and read 4 - 5 books in his rocker, and sometimes we rock for a few more minutes. By the time the whole routine is finished, it is between 6:45 - 7, and he usually goes to sleep fairly quickly. I then cook dinner for DH and me, and we eat around 7:45 - 8 (often I start chopping, etc. before bedtime routine, either with Will watching in his chair in the kitchen or being watched by Daddy - I'm very lucky in that my work and daycare is less than 5 minutes from home, and I'm off work by 4:45 most nights). I also have used my crockpot a ton since having Will - after not using it much at all for the first 10 years I owned it, I now use it about once a week. (I have found good crockpot recipes on Everyday Food magazine's website.) Then we can eat whenever he goes to bed.

I'm more "worried" about how to start incorporating a routine in which Will begins eating with us ("real" foods) in a few months. My sister said it actually was easier with their 2nd child to do this, as he just had to sit near or at the table while they ate dinner from the beginning.

Bawstinn

08-13-2009, 08:01 AM

Good morning

All I can say is, if you get a fever and have even an inkling it could be mastitis, make a doctor appointment to get checked. Fever started on Thursday and I just happened to already have an appointment first thing Friday morning. I started antibiotics Friday morning and I can't even express how much it hurt Friday night - like it was on fire. I wanted to strap frozen veggies to my body. My PSA for the day. ;)

Christopher and I are going to get his stuff together for daycare next week <sniff> and go meet his teacher and drop it off this afternoon. I am sad I have to go back to work but will admit to being eager to get us all on a schedule. I thrive on schedule and structure - my poor kids don't have a chance as the kids of 2 engineers.

Sleep - I am having a hard time complaining. He ate at 7:30 last night and fell asleep soon after. He woke up at 1:30 wanting to eat and then again at 4. I tried giving him a pacifier instead of eating but he wanted no part of it. He must not have eaten enough at 1:30 (he fell asleep). When he falls asleep when eating I try poking and everything else to keep him going, but he wants no part of it. I love that he wants to go to bed early BUT we need to work on that second wake-up. Even if he extended it to 5 I would be happy.

Mealtime routine: David and I are lucky since we work for the same company and have flex time - as long as we get in early enough we leave earlier. In order to make things easier, I bulk cook on the weekends so we do a lot of reheating during the week. I also have a stash (or had) in the freezer of soups, stews, chili, lasagna, etc., to be able to pull from and reheat. If I want to stir fry, I have everything prepped ahead of time.

I got Madeleine settled and fed first - one of us would feed her and the other would get our supper together. We eat around 6 which works for us - I can't eat late at night with out ending up feeling blech. Bedtime routine consists of a bath and stories and Madeleine is in bed by 7:30 - kind of tight but we are up early. My issue is trying to fit Christopher in there. I was trying to get him in bed after Madeleine (thinking he can nap whenever he wants at this point) but he isn't having any part of that and wants to go to bed at 7:30.

Ashley - I love the picture.

tholbrook - I have no advice. :( Madeleine was a horrible sleeper and did not consistently sleep through the night until she was a year. I had problems like you would describe- I get her asleep and put her in the crib and she would wake right up.

Beth H - I second the puffs. They will melt in his mouth (at lest the Gerber ones did - they didn't have a lot of organic products here when Madeleine was a baby).

helios7

08-13-2009, 09:38 AM

Checking in from no sleep land... well, no. Checking in from interrupted sleep land. :rolleyes: I skipped my tea today, and went straight for a cappucino. Which meant a fun walk to the coffee shop which got us out of the house before it starts pouring. All good things.

I have a question about nap dropping. Quinn still takes 3 naps. But I've noticed that the past few days (really all week) his first nap (the one about an hour 15 minutes - hour and a half after he wakes up) has only been a half hour. It used to be reliably an hour, and sometimes even longer a few months back. I'm wondering if he's starting to phase it out. Which would be fine by me, I would love a few hours in the morning before his noon nap time to go out and do something. Although I guess the noon nap may move up a bit if he drops the first one.

Does this sound like the beginnings of a nap drop? I'm just new to this nap dropping thing, and am wondering if anyone has any light they can shed on it for me. I'm taking his naps very seriously these days since the poor guy is waking so much at night, so I would hate to deprive him of any precious sleep.

Maria - Glad you're feeling better. And I'm jealous of Christopher's sleeping habits!

Beth H - I agree, I'm worried about how to implement "family dinners" with Quinn at a time that will suit us all. It will be quite a change!

Tami - how's life in lack of sleep land?

Michelle - how's your crawler doing?

Nancy - How's Natalie feeling? Poor little girl. :(

Hi to anyone else lurking about.

Pony

08-13-2009, 01:55 PM

Hi all.

Evelyn is doing well. She is pretty much crawling instead of scooting, but she isn't fast yet. I still can't get over it. She just wants to move all the time these days. Fun fun! She has her 3rd tooth in and what feels like her 4th, but not sure. She has had some great naps this week, but night sleep has not been good. Last night was awesome, but I couldn't sleep. Hate when that happens. :rolleyes:

We've moved on from broccoli and are on carrots. She has liked everything, but eats just a little. She attacked the sweet potatoes and hasn't really had that passion for anything else.

I heard Evelyn babble "dada" yesterday. Too cute. I don't think she has any idea that she is saying "dada", but it is adorable. :)

We were supposed to go to Dallas this weekend for a memorial, but I think just Carl is going. I don't feel like dealing with sleep somewhere else! It will be my first time 100% on my own w/o nighttime help. I'm sure it will be fine, b/c I usually do everything at night anyway but it is nice to know there is backup if needed.

Carl had a dentist appt. today, so I met up with him to pick up Evelyn and met up with the mom's from the bf support group I used to go to. It was nice seeing them, but I left feeling jealous that they got to go home w/ their babies and I had to pass mine off to Carl. :o:( Granted, it is her dad, but still...why not me. pity party.:o

Has anyone read askmoxie.org (askmoxie.org)? I recently found it and read a few things about parenthood. It seems like another helpful resource from a mom. I haven't read a lot, but just a couple of things.

I love that you all are reading to your babies as part of the routine. Evelyn just goes for the book and won't sit still. Lately, she is standing in her crib and I'm standing reading to her. All she does is grab, grab, grab, which means she is one handed standing.

re: diaper changes-Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one! Evelyn does the circus tricks, however she isn't quiet about it. She voices her opinion very loudly and gets quite mad at us trying to keep her in place. I think my little girl is going to be a lot like me, which freaks me out, ha! :eek:

re: feeding routine-I typically bf when I get home and then 1 hour later try to feed her solids. We don't have much of a night time routine and she doesn't get a bath everynight except for when she has created a disaster at the highchair. Last night, I just didn't see how it was going to work, so I didn't give her any carrots. Just bf her when she was hungry. We are late eaters as well. I'm more worried about family mealtime later on then now. I also try to cook on the weekends or Carl will prep things during the day if Evelyn will allow. We do a lot of leftovers.

Beth H-We haven't really had a STTN night in a long time. I'm just assuming it has to do w/ all her new adventures. She would rather crawl then sleep, ha! Sorry for the scare w/ the sweet potatoes. I get freaked out as well. She gags sometimes, but hasn't vomitted. Sometimes her food is really thin and sometimes not. I keep changing it up on her. I'm nervous about "finger foods" as well and my friend also recommended the puffs Heather linked. Nope, haven't babyproofed yet. She pretty much is on the floor in only one room in our house. My husband has sooo much stuff everywhere which drives me crazy and I'm hoping he will finally find a place for these things!

Sarah45-too funny about the soap! Hope all is well over there!!

Tami- Nice to see you in zombieland. I've been here all week and it sounds like Heather is also joining us. ;) Oh wow. I can't believe she was up from 1-5. Wow. I'm so sorry to hear it has been that rough. She must be excited to turn 1. Maybe her bday present to you will be better sleep. Evelyn tortured me w/ very short naps last weekend. After 30 min., you would hear her screaming (playfully) and standing in the crib. Then on Monday, she took 2 2 hour naps! Of course, when I'm at work. Does your husband help with nightime duty? Can he sleep in Maya's room, so you can turn the monitor off and get some sleep? At least you have found the positive side of her being up....the velcro baby. I love cuddle time. I feel like Evelyn is so into being mobile that I don't get much cuddle time these days. Too funny about you thinking Evelyn was 5 months. Nope, that little girl will be 7 months 1 week tomorrow! Sounds like her bday will be lots of fun. My friend celebrated her daughter's 4th bday at her house. Somehow 85 people showed up!!!! :eek:

Beth G-how is Michael liking the solids? Evelyn loves our water bottles. I'm glad he did so well away from home. Oh my! The print job in the middle of the night would have been so annoying. 9-5:45am!!! Awesome! 12:30-5 sounds good too. I just bought the Playtex Sipster you were mentioned. We haven't started to use it yet. Yes, tired at work especially this week. I was pumping yesterday and forgot to attach the bottle to one of the pumps. I didn't realize it right away and was wondering why there was something dripping on my leg. Thanks for the water info. I don't think Evelyn would lay still for me to pat her butt, but it sure would be nice! Have you started doing that at home?

Maria-Glad Christopher is doing well. So sorry about the mastitis. Does not sound fun!!! So sorry about going back to work. :(

Heather-very exciting about the move. Now that we have Evelyn, I wish I could look for a new house. I would love to buy with her in mind. I don't think we have separation anxiety going on yet. Carl mentioned stranger anxiety the other day and it seems to happen w/ men. He took Evelyn to a museum yesterday and she was around women. I forgot to ask if there were tears or not. I assume not, b/c I think he would have told me. I'm sorry sleep isn't good. I can relate and wish I had advice, ha! My friend's two kids both scooted backwards. Sorry about the bf issues. My friend is experiencing the same thing, but her son is Evelyn's age. He eats fine at night, but not interested during the day. I can't remember (head in fog), but is he fine taking the bottle? My friend had BF issues from the start and has come a long way with BF, so she thinks her issues are linked to him prefering the faster flow of the bottle. Plus, he just loves to look around these days. That sucks that he doesn't like belly sleep. I'm sure this is one of those things that will take time, but it just makes it worse when there is teething, nursing issues, and other developmental things going on that are already interrupting sleep!!! Not sure about nap dropping, but maybe I would test it out and see how he is if you put him down around 11am. If he is Mr. Grumpy pants, then maybe he isn't ready to stretch out that morning wakefullness or maybe he will get a long nap in if you put him down at 11????? Evelyn still can't handle being up longer then 2 hours. 2 1/2 is max.

Ashley-sorry about the new boss and missing Matt more. When things are stressful or annoying at work, I am always thinking why am I working and I should be home with Evelyn. Sorry about the black eye. Poor guy. They just love being mobile. Evelyn was very into rocking back and forth on all 4's. She started crawling about a month after really being into it. Oh my goodness, i love the picture.:)

Pony

08-13-2009, 02:03 PM

Oh my...that post was long. Sorry, a bit overwhelming. I'm just obviously not into work today ;)

Here are some recent pictures.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d629b3127ccec785ddd32ce000000060O08AaOGzhy1aNQ e3nwc/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d631b3127ccec7819d15e1b500000060O08AaOGzhy1aNQ e3nwc/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Pony

08-13-2009, 02:15 PM

Heather-Michelle's (SooCookie) FB status was about her son giving up his morning nap. Maybe she can help you! :)

Sarah45

08-14-2009, 07:40 AM

Oh how I wish I weren't joining all of you in zombie land :(

My life these past 6 months have really sounded like a broken record. Sleep, sleep, sleep. I've had a few weeks where I thought things were going to change but we've always reverted. I'm trying a couple things out of the Pantley book and if they don't work, I will try something else.

Oh, and I am really tired of every single person we meet (only a slight exaggeration) asking if he's sleeping through the night yet :p Can you tell I am a bit cranky this morning? ;)

Pony

08-14-2009, 09:13 AM

So sorry Sarah. I was with 3 other moms and out of the 4 of us, only 1 has a baby sleeping through the night. So, I'm thinking it is just the norm and one day it will pass. At least, that is my outlook today as I got maybe a few more hours of sleep last night, but I'm still in the negative ;):p

Stranger/Seperation anxiety--The bug man came this morning. Prior to him coming in the house, Evelyn was totally fine on the floor playing by herself. After he left, she needed to be held the entire time. She even cried when I put her in the crib to play, which she never does. She was really clingy. I asked Carl about how she did at the museum the other day and he said she was fine. Three different women held her, but no men. So, I'm assuming it isn't 100% stranger/seperation anxiety, but just a little anxious around men.

Beth G.

08-14-2009, 09:57 AM

Hi everyone. I am glad it’s Friday. I had to work in the office Mon-Thurs this week (normally I can work at home on Wednesday) so I am really tired. I hardly feel like a mom since I’ve had so little mom time this week. I get home, spend a little time with Michael while inhaling my dinner and skyping with my parents, and then it’s bedtime. It really stinks. The only positive about commuting four days has been some excellent naps on the bus :rolleyes:.

We still aren’t doing any dinnertime solids since I get home so late – I don’t want to ruin his nursing appetite on the days we only nurse twice a day – I think it helps my supply if that’s a good feeding. He’s started taking 5 ounce bottles so I need to pump about 21 ounces at work. I’m a few ounces short and we’ve had to dip into the freezer a little. I’ve read some dire stuff on that saying it’s terrible for supply and to only send what you pump and he’ll eat better when nursing at home but I’m not willing to take the hit on sleep now that I’m back at work and we’ve just started seeing longer stretches more consistently and it’s summer and it’s warm at the day care, outside in the afternoon, and he’s active. I have to send the milk he needs since he’s only taking a few sips of water and I’m not going to do a water bottle.

Our routine is pretty much unchanged for months now – bath if needed, book, get in undershirt/sleep sack, nursing. I have noticed he’s much more tired when he goes to day care (even though he naps twice as long those days) and sometimes falls asleep immediately after nursing, but I don’t feel like I have to nurse earlier and then read the book. He’s going into the crib awake without nursing for all his naps and sometimes awake at bedtime. Even if he is falling asleep while I burp him (which is so pointless he never burps) he is awake enough to flip onto his side or belly when I put him in the crib before he goes to sleep. We had one bedtime this week during a bad thunderstorm. The power went out here briefly and a power line fell on the roof of a building about a mile away causing a fire that required 100 firefighters (and a lot of noisy sirens). Printers, nature, what next???

Sweet potatoes are going well and we gave him some avocado this morning. I don’t think he was a huge fan but I think it was a great learning food, he was having to do more with it in his mouth than just swallow. Or he was just trying to spit it out :p. Next will be carrots or squash. He’s still not eating much cereal.

I have learned my lesson on making bedtime exceptions. One night this week just before bathtime my neighbor rang the bell with her son (born same day as Michael) and invited us to come outside. We haven’t seen them in a long time and it was a beautiful summer night. We ended up starting bedtime quite a bit late and had wakeups at 10:30, 12:30, 3:30 (and I get up at 5:30). I can’t 100% say there was cause and effect, but the next night he went to bed on time and slept 8 hours straight. Or I was so tired and didn’t hear him get up!

Sleep has been generally better, I certainly can’t complain given what everyone else is going through. He’s slept 8+ hours 3 nights in the last week, and some other 6 hour stretches. I’m still exhausted though, as when he sleeps 8 hours he usually wakes up at 4 something and I have a hard time getting back to sleep before my alarm goes off. I am also stupid and stay up too late on the night after he’s slept well as I’m rested but inevitably the next night goes poorly and I end up tired again. All four days I had to leave at 6:30 this week he was still sleeping and I didn’t get to have any time with him, but this morning, when I could sleep until 7:15, he woke up at 6. No teething here so far as I can tell, so I should try to rest up now based on what I’m hearing from everyone.

Michael is still not getting up on all fours so he can’t move forward but he is spinning 360 on his tummy super fast. He’s doing the same thing as Quinn where he pushes hard with his arms and ends up moving backwards. He’s doing pretty well sitting unsupported but not getting up to the sitting position on his own. He has no interest – being on his tummy is his raison d’etre. Makes him very hard to dress as he’s always rolling over and I can’t get to those snaps in the front.

Another busy summer weekend coming up, no rest for the weary. We are going back to the mountains to my parents tomorrow (although just for the afternoon, no sleepover) and some friends are coming on Sunday. I hope we can get Michael in the pool again Sunday morning, it looks to be a good weekend for that.

It will still be a few more weeks but we really have to move the crib to his room. He's always looking around for us, smiling at us charmingly and calling to us when we he gets up etc. He's way too used to being our roommate. It will be so hard for me but I know it has to be done.

Heather – good luck with the closing next week! Sorry Quinn’s sleep and nursing have been so difficult – any improvement? I am trying to build my stash too but I doubt it will last through 1. I don’t have much that will help you on the separation anxiety. I know it is supposed to start at 7 months but Michael was showing many similar behaviors to what you’ve described as early as 5 months. The cure for his separation anxiety was separation. He is a totally different baby since he’s gone to day care. He smiles at everyone, lets people hold him, and when we were playing outside with the neighbors I was holding her son and she had Michael, and she was kidding around and started taking him inside her house to see how they’d react. Not a reaction at all. Maybe he needs a little separation/stranger anxiety. Michael naps twice a day now, around 10 and 2:30. We try to follow the day care routine at home (usually unsuccessfully). He’s pretty much dropped the late afternoon nap. He doesn’t usually fall asleep in the car going home, so he’s probably dropped that one. When he’s tired the car is an instant baby napper.

Beth H. – We also have had to adapt our weekend routine to a minimally napping baby. If it’s kitchen stuff, he’ll be in the bouncer or high chair, and if we are doing things in the living room, he’ll be on the mat, in the jumper, or playpen. We are lucky that he’s very content to entertain himself most of the time. I want to do family dinners too but I don’t know if we’ll be able to do them on the nights I’m commuting. Sometimes I don’t get home until after 7! Maybe we’ll have DH do Daddy and me dinners with foods I don’t like on the nights I commute, so Michael can learn to like fish and I don’t have to eat it ;) I am going to check out the Everyday Food website, we love our slow cooker too.

Ashley – Awesome picture of Matt! So cute! I can’t believe he could sleep that way. I sometimes see Michael sleeping in ways that appear very uncomfortable, but this takes the cake. I am with you on the pumping, I spend so much time doing it and then I get depressed when I can’t keep up. But I am loving every stage too! I can't believe how big my baby is already. I don't even care that he's not pulling up to sit or crawling. I'm enjoying him still being a baby.

Tami – Many good thoughts coming your way for better sleep. Hugs! What a rough time you and Maya are having. Any improvement? I don't know how (either of) you can even function on that little sleep. What did you figure out to say about gifts for her birthday? In the last two weeks, Michael has received seven gifts. He is already seven months old! While I’m touched by everyone’s generosity, it’s not necessary, and I don’t need to restart this in a few more months for his birthday. When did you stop nursing at bedtime?

Maria – hope you are feeling better and day care and work go well next week.

Sarah – sorry to hear about the continued sleep difficulties. I feel the same way about people asking me about STTN (and all the unsolicited advice I get about how to make it happen, night weaning, etc). I hope the book helps!

Michelle – Michael loves the sweet potatoes too and DH assumes he’ll be the same with all the other solids, but I doubt it (until we get to fruit if he is anything like his sweet toothed mother). In the class I took they even said most babies love sweet potatoes the best. I expect butternut squash will be similar. That may be next or carrots or a yellow squash I bought which will probably be watery and need to be mixed with some cereal (which he should be eating more of anyway). Sorry your night sleep has not been good, probably like you said related to all the exciting new things Evelyn is doing! Michael’s four month sleep regression started with him not doing long night stretches at 3 ½ months. It’s taken four months to see an improvement! Even though this week has been better it is still hit and miss and we had the one night where we was up 3 times. It was a work night and I was sooo tired so I just nursed him each time. Michael babbles dadada too but it’s not directed. I know exactly what you mean about having to go back to work and give Evelyn to Carl. DH basically does everything with Michael (although he insisted we wait on the avocado so I could be there) from wakeup through my short max 1 hour 45 minutes I get when I get home (which includes bedtime BF). On the weekends I am always sharing him. Evelyn looks so steady sitting up and standing in the crib! LOL about pumping without the bottle. Have to find humor in these moments. I do some butt/back patting now but I try first to put him in the crib without any help – figure let him try himself first. I do it more when he wakes up one hour after bedtime to try to get him back to sleep. I know at those times a boob is not necessary. Good luck being on your own this weekend! I am going to tell DH about the 75% of babies that are not STTN. When you talk to people, you get the idea that not STTN is the minority but I am pretty sure it's the majority.

tholbrook

08-16-2009, 10:48 PM

Hi to all you Moms! Hope everyone has had a nice weekend!

I am happy to report that I'm on vacation from Zombie Land :p, although Maya is still waking up once at night (not counting the muttering and crying between sleep cycles that still wake me up). It's not so bad when she wakes up before I go to bed - like tonight - but I'm not a happy camper when she's up at 2 or 3 a.m. At least she goes back to sleep within 10 minutes or so, unlike last week. She did have a big growth spurt over the past week or so: 8 ounces in 5 days, which is HUGE for her. Still no top teeth (although I swear I can see the outline - but I can't feel anything at all), so I wonder if this growth spurt is the reason for the horrible sleep, which was then compounded by her being overtired.

I'm also happy to report that food is going so much better these days. Maya will let me give her some chunks of food, like small pieces of cheese or the baby puffs, and will actually eat them instead of spitting them out. I put a small pile of "puff halves" (she won't eat the whole ones) in front of her while I'm getting her dinner ready, and they disappear, although I still haven't managed to catch her in the act. But I'm only finding a small amount on the floor or in her chair, so she must be eating them, right? :D

Anyway, she's also doing better with the "real" food. I have been making her food really thick and/or chunky lately, and she has been eating it willingly. We've added all kinds of new things lately (eggplant, beets, spinach, black beans, ...) and she gobbles it all down. I even made her Thai Coconut Curry a few weeks ago (complete with lemongrass, garlic and ginger - I strained out the inedible stuff, of course) and she loved it. She still isn't showing a lot of interest in feeding herself, although if I hold a spoon in her hand and help her feed herself, she is pretty cooperative. She is also more willing to gnaw on larger-sized food items (see picture below) than to eat the smaller pieces. [Heather, after your story of Quinn biting off a big piece of melon, I was watching Maya like a hawk - I did have to retrieve a couple of larger apple pieces, but thankfully, no incidents]

Maya's balance is also improving and she can stand on her own for about 5 seconds before plopping onto her butt. I've been trying to get her to walk to me from about a foot away, but she'll just drop down and crawl into my lap instead. :rolleyes: Not that I really am ready for her to start walking, anyway.

We've had a pretty uneventful week, other than my car leaving me stranded last week - and I had Maya with me. It was the middle of the afternoon, and really hot. Fortunately, we were able to walk across the street and hang out at a bakery in the air-conditioning (and enjoy a cupcake while waiting for DH to pick us up :)). But with my car having a lot of miles on it (and needing a lot of work), we're thinking about a new(er?) car, so I guess we'll start shopping around really soon. Funny how things change: instead of horsepower and a nice sound system, we're looking at cars that have enough room in back for 2 carseats (no, that's not an announcement ... just thinking ahead! :D:p) and lots of safety features.

Back with personals later, but here are a couple recent pictures...

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/090809aStillworkingonit.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/090803Awwwsweetgirl-1.jpg

Beth G.

08-17-2009, 08:25 AM

Well, it's not exactly zombie land here, but... I have noticed that Michael, a former self soothing thumb sucker, no longer sucks his thumb much at all. It happened around the same time he started sleeping on his belly and went to day care so I'm not sure if it's the new positioning making his thumb less accessible or that he's gotten addicted to butt patting and is declining to self soothe. I suppose in the long run it's better if he's not a constant thumb sucker, but some nights I would really like him to help himself more in getting back to sleep.

It also seems he wakes up more often on the nights he's had a bath :confused:

For those that remember my pregnant friend who was exposed to swine flu, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy yesterday. They had not found out the gender in advance but had interpreted something the ultrasound tech said to imply it was a girl, so everyone was a little surprised.

acginkc

08-19-2009, 02:40 PM

OK new moms. I need some good vibes sent my way. It's been an exhausting week...and its only Wednesday.

DH is out of town on business. My mom who came in town to help me out is on crutches. Matt, my mom and I all have colds. Matt is teething and has some crazy rash all over him. Not even sure what that's about. Looks a bit like baby acne, but it's on his body as well. Just showed up over the weekend. My one shining moment is that he has had 2 great nights of sleep. Monday night he went down at 8, I fed him at like 11, slept till 5. Last night he went down at 8, fed at 10 and slept till 5. I'm sure its a total fluke, but I'll take it.

We have our 6 month appt on Friday. Where did the last 6 months go??? It has flown by. Ok, I have the next 2 days off so hopefully I can get some rest and re-energize. I'll be back with personals tonight. Hope you all are well. We've had a quiet month on here so I may be able to get them all done.

fancyn

08-21-2009, 11:43 AM

Disclaimer: I’ve been working on this since Tuesday so it MAY be a bit choppy. Sorry!

Me: Nancy, 30
DH: 37
DS: Nick, 4.5 yrs
DD: Natalie Jayne, 6 months!

Hey all! Busy summer for us, but I try and read along even if I’m just now posting. This has been a month of sickness for us. Nick was sick the first weekend with diarrhea and then Ms. Natalie Jayne was sick from last Sunday to this Sunday with excessive vomiting and diarrhea (totally different than Nick’s). IT WAS AWFUL! We ended up at the children’s hospital for dehydration at one point. She was vomiting 5-6 times a day and pooping 12-15 a day. It was a nightmare and I can’t even believe that we only managed to stay home 1 day from work. My poor baby was such a trooper though! Smiley and happy almost the entire bout.

We had our 6 month appt Tuesday and it went fine, though she was exhausted since we had missed a nap. Her stats are: 12 lbs, 11 oz (5th percentile), 24.5 inches (20th percentile) Head is still in the 50th percentile – that’s my chrome dome! ;):D When she was weighed the week she was sick she was 12/10 so I’m pretty confident her weight was low due to a week of illness. Shots went down with minimal crying but just like before, it took 2 days to shake the after effects.  She did manage to show off her sitting ability and her commando crawling for the doctor and nurses. That’s my girl!

So are latest is attempting to crawl on our hands and knees. Ugh, it’s wreaking havoc on our sleep which puts her in a grumpy mood which messes with her naps which messes with her sleep at night, etc. I could keep rambling but I know I’m preaching to the choir here. :D She’s had several drooly days where she’s gnawing on everything in site and shrieking in her sleep with hand in the mouth so I suppose it could be teeth. Or a growth spurt. Or anything else I can blame it on. :o

So Nat starts daycare in 2 weeks. I don’t think I’ll have as hard of time with it as I did with Nick but I know I’m just going to miss her to death. She’s been so wonderful at work and I hate having to send her (and so does my wallet). But on the upside we have major projects in the works so it will be nice to be more efficient during the day. I just hate that we’ll have a whopping 2 hours of awake time together to cram in playing, eating, bath and stories and be in bed on time. AND spend time with Nick!

OK, I’ll be back with more, later. Someone thinks they need to eat… ;)

fancyn

08-21-2009, 02:56 PM

Our adventure with solids is going very well. And she loves food. :D So far we’ve done sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, yellow squash, zucchini, plums, applesauce, peaches, pears, bananas and oatmeal. Tonight’s new adventure will be broccoli and I think we’ll do carrots next. She’s so funny though, HATES the green beans but we barter by alternating with applesauce. By the end though, she’ll either refuse or stick her tongue out just a little bit so she can taste what is about to be spooned in. Question for you all – I know most are BFing, but if you offer bottles, how much in the bottles? And if you had to guess, how many ounces are they taking a day? I’m torn as to increase her bottles or not – we’re currently doing 4 ounces every 3 hours….

Also big thanks for your replies on the personal care products. If you’re interested, I can post some links that show the research.

Ashley – Happy 6 months to Matt! How’s the rash doing now? I hope your week without DH has flown by.

Beth G – I bet the butt patting does have something to do with him not wanting to self-soothe. Does he protest nap time with them or do you think they just want him asleep as quickly as possible?

Tami – how are the nights going? I’m hopeful that you’ve returned from zombie land permanently! And I’m so glad she’s doing much better with the foods. And it sounds like she has an adventurous palette. Yay!

Michelle – Congrats on the crawling! We’re just now figuring it out (see above). We were at my mom’s the other day and I left her for 2 minutes to go in the kitchen and she was about 4 feet from the stairs when I came back in – obviously she’s not child-proofed. ;) You know what’s funny about our stranger anxiety is that Natalie has issues with women, not men. And you’re still not alone with the gymnastics that occur at diaper changes… That’s so CRAZY she’s pulling up – eek!

Heather – how are the naps coming along? Some days we can get by with two but most a third one is needed. And this week I’m lucky if she’s down longer than 30 mins. How are the nights going – any better?

Maria – how was your return to work? And how is daycare going? Please tell me it was easier the second time…. And how is the mastitis? I had it with Nick and I agree it’s excruciating.

Beth H – wow! Daycare and work both 5 minutes from home? Very lucky indeed. I’ll let you know my 2 cents how 2 kids goes when we incorporate Natalie with the family dinner. I do try to feed her when everyone eats but that everyone does not include me at this point. If you have any crock pot recipes that you absolutely love, please share!

Sarah – Our nightly routine starts with solids around 6:30, followed by a bottle. Then bath, story and bed by 7:30. I ‘try’ and make dinner before we start solids but it depends on how cooperative she’s being and how late we got home. When Nick was a baby, I’d just do the whole bedtime routine and then cook for DH and I. Since Nick goes to bed at 8, that’s not an option anymore. Have you found something that works for you yet?

OK, I’m going to *try* to be better about posting. Might be a little easier too when my helper isn’t with me at work. :D Have a great weekend all!

tholbrook

08-22-2009, 12:37 AM

THREE MORE DAYS!!! :eek::D The first birthday is fast approaching... I have SO much to do before my family gets here next week!

Anyway, I have a pot of marinara simmering on the stove (yes, I know it's the middle of the night, but I never have time during the day!), so I have some time on my hands between stirrings, so here are personals at last:

Beth G – so sorry you did not win the lottery ;)! And I know it must be rough to not spend as much time as you would like to with Michael… hope you can get some catch-up time on the weekends with him. Yikes on the fire trucks!!! I cringe when a single emergency vehicle goes wailing by during naptime or bedtime. You really have bad luck when it comes to crazy noises at night :eek:! We experience the same problems with keeping Maya up way past her bedtime – although she’s usually so tired, she’ll sleep okay that night. But the next night is usually a disaster, and it takes a couple days to get back on track.
Re: baths before bed – I’ve read in a couple places that for some babies, baths are actually more stimulating than soothing. Not sure if that could be the reason for the increased wakings on bath night?
So glad your friend had a healthy baby – I’m sure everyone is relieved!

Heather – yay for Quinn scooting! He’ll figure it out – don’t worry! :) Maya had a really bizarre crawling style where she had one foot in front of the other knee – then she would hop both knees forward at the same time. She also did the opposite of Quinn: she would push with her legs without moving her arms, and go right down on her face :o. It wasn’t until she started cruising that she also started crawling “normally”. Has his stranger anxiety gotten any better? I hope his sleeping has improved. Re: naps, I think Maya dropped her 3rd nap somewhere around 8-9 months, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Quinn is doing the same. Naps right now are somewhere around 8 a.m. (since she wakes up at 5! :() and 2 p.m.
What did the pediatrician say about Quinn’s BF strike / reduced feedings?

Beth H – how is napping going for Will? I don’t have any advice, other than to mention that Maya’s sleep – both day and night – really changed at the 7 month mark --- and I remember we struggled with those catnaps for quite some time as well. I also recall that she rather abruptly stopped sleeping in her swing, and I couldn’t get her to sleep in the sling either. It was tough because she wasn’t as portable anymore, and we had to schedule around naps and bedtime.

Ashley – how is Matt’s teething coming along? I saw new FB pictures, so it looks like his black eye has healed up! Poor guy – but I bet he’s going to be a rough-and-tumble little boy, and he’ll just keep right on going! I totally agree that he is at a great age … the rate of change/growth between 6 months and a year is just amazing! How did Matt’s 6-month appointment go?

Sarah – did you come up with a plan for integrating Jackson’s dinner with your own? I hope to come up with a better plan for us in the near future, but it seems like we’re always rushing just to get Maya fed and off to bed. I hear you on the STTN – I still get asked the same thing, and usually have to hear about how their kid slept 15 hour stretches from the day they got home from the hospital (okay, slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean!)

Maria – I hope you are over your battle with mastitis – sounds so painful! How did Christopher do at daycare this week? And how did YOU do? ;)

Michelle (Pony) – wow, can’t believe Evelyn is crawling! The “dada” is so cute… I wish Maya would say it but the closest we get is just “da” (poor DH, he was really hoping that dada would be her first word). She says “mama” all the time these days, and it has become quite conversational: Mama? ... Mama! ... Maaaa-maaa (that's the whiny voice :rolleyes:)
Up until very recently (maybe the last 2-3 weeks?), Maya just grabbed at the books we were reading to her. But she suddenly started paying attention – at least for a short time! – and actually sitting still while we read. And just a few days ago, she brought me a book and wanted to climb up in my lap… she listened intently while I read it to her 3 times.
How did your weekend go without Carl? I’m on my own with Maya this weekend – I’ve done a night by myself before, but this is a little longer stretch this time (DH will be back Sunday afternoon)

Nancy – glad to see you back here again! And I’m so happy that Natalie is better. Wow, I can’t believe how rough your week was (for both of you). Haha, I do the “alternating” thing too when Maya doesn’t want to eat her food. When she finally catches on to which dish has the food she doesn’t want, she either yells when I dip the spoon into that dish, or she clamps her mouth shut. LOL on the different percentiles for her weight / length / head size :D! Sorry about the impending daycare transition – I’m sure it will be hard at first, but as with everything else, you’ll get into a routine.

Good night, everyone - have a great weekend!!!

acginkc

08-24-2009, 07:54 AM

Well, I have had about all I can handle for one week so our update will be action packed, but hopefully condensed. Then personals, promise.

So DH was out of town all week, and we did pretty well, though we missed him like crazy. Matt turned 6 months on Thursday which seems unreal. Friday we started the day off with some excitement. Matt crawled!!!:eek::eek: His 6 month appt went well. He was 18#13oz (75%), 27.5 in (80%). He took his shots well, though we had more fussiness that night and Saturday than previous times. Maybe I didn't start the Tylenol soon enough. We started carrots on Friday as well and they went well (next up sweet potatoes). Saturday was highlighted by more crawling and Matt falling out of his crib:(:eek:. To say the least his crib is now on the lowest slot so hopefully we'll avoid any of that. My mom says he was trying to pull up this weekend as well. I don't think I'm ready for all this mobility.

Tami- I can't believe Maya is 1. How is the party shaping up? Hopefully not too personal, but are you going to continuing to BF? Just curious how weaning has gone if you have started (or finished) doing that. Have fun at her party.

Nancy- I'm so glad Natalie is doing better. You had a rough health month. Here's to September being diarrhea free ;)

Beth G- Hopefully Michael gets back to his self soothing. How are solids going? Any new favorites?

Sarah- I am so with you on the "Is he sleeping through the night yet" question. You'd think I had said he never slept more than 20 minutes a day. Hope you are out of zombie land by now.

Michelle- How did E like carrots? So cute with the "dada". Matt is the same way with books. We still try to read, but we usually do only boardbooks that he can chew on (and that I know by heart since I won't really be able to see the pages to read). I still try, but sometimes we have to get pretty creative.

Heather- I hope Quinn has been sleeping better for you. Has he dropped the morning nap or is it still just short? Any improvement in the BF?

Maria- I'm glad you are feeling better. How is daycare going?

Beth H- I'm with Nancy, if you have any good crockpot recipes, please share. We are also having a hard time figuring out how to get the family dinner going. If we eat before he goes to bed he'll sit at the table with us, but my schedule is pretty erratic so we'll have to figure out something that will work once he's eating more table food.

Ok, did I get everyone? Hope so. Have a great week.

Beth H

08-24-2009, 08:28 AM

Here are some links to the crockpot recipes from Everyday Food (sorry, CL) that I've really liked in the past few months:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/soy-ginger-chicken?autonomy_kw=crockpot

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/slow-cooker-beef-and-black-bean-chili?autonomy_kw=slow-cooker

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/slow-cooked-tex-mex-chicken-and-beans?autonomy_kw=pinto%20slow

All three of these have become tried-and-true recipes that I've made multiple times.

We had a good weekend with a bunch of different activities. We went to a local farmers' market on Saturday, and to a pool party on Sunday. Will seemed to be having fun. He's been sleeping well at night, but this past weeks his naps (if possible) have gotten even shorter! Yesterday, he took one 20 minute nap before the pool party. He seemed fine, though, and didn't have the meltdown I was expecting.

Hope everyone is doing well and having a good Monday!

fancyn

08-24-2009, 03:24 PM

Just popping in to say

HaPpY bIrThDaY, MaYa !!

Also, Thanks Beth to the recipe links!

tholbrook

08-24-2009, 11:00 PM

Aw, thanks so much, Nancy!!! :D

I'm up late baking her birthday cake (small family party tomorrow night ... oops, make that tonight!) since we'll be gone most of the day. It will be really interesting to see if Miss-I-am-not-interested-in-feeding-myself :rolleyes: will help herself to some cake.

We're going to the zoo tomorrow before we pick up my dad at the airport - I'm looking forward to her reaction to the zoo since the last time we went, she was 4 months old and slept most of the time.

Good night, all!

Beth G.

08-25-2009, 04:32 AM

Happy Birthday, Maya!!

Insanely busy here between work and weekends on the go. Hope everyone is doing well.

Sarah45

08-25-2009, 05:46 PM

Thanks for all the thoughts, you guys. I guess I haven't posted since my cranky day in zombie land and i'd love to report that things have gotten better - but I can't :( One good thing is that my Mom decided to drop everything and fly here for a week to help out - I think she could hear the exhaustion in my voice. We had a great week and it was amazingly helpful having someone else around all the time. She left yesterday and I already miss her!

We had Jackson's 6 month appt. today, he's 27.5 in (75%) and 17.5 lb (50%). Everything checked out great and he's a healthy happy boy - except for the sleep issue. I told the doctor all about it and he thinks it's just a behavioral issue and we should just let him CIO. Ugh, that's so not helpful.

Question: Someone here did Pick Nick's Brain - who was that and was she helpful?

Food: So far Jax has rejected bananas and avocados, sweet potatoes are up tomorrow :rolleyes:

Tami - Hope you have a great time at Maya's party - and I hope she loves her cake :D

tholbrook

08-25-2009, 09:00 PM

Hi Sarah - I used Pick Nick's Brain as a sleep resource - I believe she was recommended by Anita (Luv to Cook). I really like her advice - she seems to fall in line with SleepEasy Solution too, which is what we ended up following.
Glad your mom was able to help you out, and I hope Jackson's sleep gets better really soon! I'm not crazy about pediatricians who recommend CIO across the board either. I think it really depends on the baby's and the parents' temperaments whether it will work - and whether it will be easy or excruciating for all involved.

Ashley - Maya shows zero interest in being weaned, so (within reason) I intend to follow her lead. I'd like to make it to 2 years. At that point, if we're thinking about a 2nd, I may not have a choice.

Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone - both here and on Facebook. We had a fabulous day, and Maya was simply wonderful. I was going to post some pictures, but I'm exhausted! So maybe tomorrow ...

tholbrook

08-26-2009, 06:03 AM

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/090825cCarousel04.jpghttp://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/090825bZoo10.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/090825dMyParty01.jpghttp://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/090825dMyParty11.jpg

Beth H

08-26-2009, 07:24 AM

Happy (Belated) Birthday Maya! Looks like she had fun with the cake.

Things here are OK. For the past few weeks (more like 5 weeks) Will has had this funny red patch under his eye. It doesn't seem to itch or bother him, but it's fairly unsightly, and the daycare keeps asking about it (to make sure it's not contagious). We've had him to the ped twice about it, and none of the different ointments, etc. seem to be working. Frankly, I don't think the doctor knows what it is, yet they have seemed reluctant to refer us to a dermatologist.

Eating is going OK. Some days Will seemed to not like his food, and he gags a lot. Other days, like yesterday, he eats great. He has consistently liked apple and peach so far, though. I started reading a book called Hungry Monkey, which is a father's account of eating with his young daughter. I thought it might be instructive or inspirational - instead it's made me feel insecure! Apparently this child was eating Pad Thai at 8 months old! Somehow I don't see Will going for a bowl of spicy noodles over Labor Day weekend. I'm still in the puree stage. . .

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Sarah45

08-26-2009, 07:51 AM

I started reading a book called Hungry Monkey, which is a father's account of eating with his young daughter. I thought it might be instructive or inspirational - instead it's made me feel insecure! Apparently this child was eating Pad Thai at 8 months old! Somehow I don't see Will going for a bowl of spicy noodles over Labor Day weekend. I'm still in the puree stage. . .

My DH bought and read this book and as I mentioned before, it gave him a really skewed view of what we should be feeding our son and when. I really can't decide how I felt about it after I read it, I found myself rolling my eyes at the author a lot and it felt a little "name droppy" as he talks about his famous food blogger friends. But it's am amusing book and I laughed out loud a lot. One thing I did like about the book is that it shows that even the best eater SPOILER ALERT can become a picky toddler :D

I think that Jackson is just messing with me now. He slept from 8-12:30 and then 1-7:30 and that first sleep was through the loudest thunderstorm we have had this year - seriously, it was making me jump. I really wish I knew what I did differently...:confused: I'm hoping it wasn't just that he was worn out from his shots cause that can't be replicated.

Pony

08-26-2009, 12:10 PM

Hello everyone!

Things here are fine....

We have been giving Evelyn a sippy cup with a little bit of water during mealtime. She seems to think it is a teething toy. She sucks occasionally, but prefers to chew on it.

Evelyn has her fourth tooth. She has been grinding them sometimes. :o The sound makes me cringe and I am assuming she is just doing it b/c there is something new in her mouth???

I cheated on my diet last week. A friend celebrated her daughter's 2nd birthday, her son's baptism and her husband's 40th bday at one of my favorite Houston restaurants. It was a lunch and even had complimentary wine, sangria, and margaritas. :eek: I could have done some serious damage w/ the margaritas, but stuck w/ wine. The dessert was Tres Leches and was out of this world. Also, had some of my husband's chicken enchiladas. I was in heaven. Evelyn's diapers look normal, but she seemed a little cranky, constipated, and gassy. So, I'm assuming it was due to me cheating, but who knows.

Sarah45- That is great that your mom helped you out. I'm so sorry you are so exhausted!!!! Keeping my fingers crossed for better sleep for you. Glad the appt. went well. How did Jack like the sweet potatoes?

Beth G.-I know what you mean about not feeling like a mom when you work so much. It is rough. I worked late on monday and had to turn around and go to work tue. morning. I felt like I barely saw Evelyn. I get a bit jealous of my husband. WOW!!! 8 hours straight. Sounds lovely. Evelyn pretty much wakes up 4 times a night. Coffee is my best friend and I think I'm just used to it now. Not sure how I function! Hope you had some relaxing days in the mountains. I'm glad your friend's baby is healthy. Yay!

Tami-I can't believe you have a one year old!!!! I'm glad she is sleeping better and eating better. That is amazing about the Thai Coconut Curry!!! Oh my, so sorry your car left you stranded. I hate that feeling, but can't imagine having Evelyn with me! We are having car issues. Carl's car needs ~$4000 worth of work, but it is a '99 Pathfinder. We don't know if we want to invest in it, it has low miles, or get a used newer car. We just bought his parents Avalon for an awesome price and were hoping to have more years w/ the Pathfinder. I hate dealing w/ cars. grrr. What are you thinking of getting? I can't believe you were making marinara in the middle of the night. ha!!! The weekend w/o Carl was fine. Charlie, our dog, kept barking at night which freaked me out!! He only woke Evelyn up once. How did she like the zoo? I love the picture w/ her at the table and her cake in front of her. "Come on mom, snap the camera and let me get to business!" or she is wondering why you adults are standing there singing to her. ha! :p

Ashley-I'm sorry you had an exhausting week when your DH was out of town! Yay for some good stretches of sleep! Yay for the crawling. Matt and Evelyn seem to be a pair. They were the about the same size at their 6 month appt. and crawling!! Well, I think Evelyn was a bit older then 6 months. So sorry he fell out of the crib. :( He is ready to GO!!! Sweet potatoes are definitely Evelyn's favorite with carrots and summer squash tied at 2nd. How is Matt doing w/ the solids?

Nancy-I'm so glad Natalie is feeling better. Poor girl and poor mommy. That must have been rough. Sorry the crawling is causing some sleep issues. Same thing happened here! Evelyn gets 3 4oz bottles at home when I'm working. I have no idea how much she gets from me, b/c she nurses a lot at night. I feed her twice before bedtime. So, I assume she is getting about 4 oz from each of those feedings.

Beth H- glad the nights are going well!!! Evelyn is the same way w/ her food. Sometimes she attacks her food and some nights she may eat 3 bites.

Beth H

08-26-2009, 02:08 PM

Evelyn has her fourth tooth. She has been grinding them sometimes. The sound makes me cringe and I am assuming she is just doing it b/c there is something new in her mouth

Will has been an early teether (he has six teeth now) - and he does the same thing. I am certain he is just interested in the sound or in exploring what he can do with the new teeth. But it is a very annoying sound! Hopefully the novelty will wear off soon. . :)

helios7

08-27-2009, 07:46 AM

Ah the tooth grinding! Quinn does it too. Weirds me out to no end!

Life is all a chaos here. We had internet issues this week, which made me more effective as a housewife but bored out of my mind. I don't think I could have been a SAHM before internet! We're closing on our house tomorrow (finally!), maybe moving next week or the week after. Maybe. We have a wedding here in Brooklyn on the 5th, so moving next week would complicate life. But still doable. I'm a little freaked by the wedding as it'll be our first night out away from Quinn (yes, I know. Please don't throw tomatoes! :D) But we're leaving him with Mike's parents, and I know my MIL will do anything to help him. She'll sit for hours if he falls asleep on her etc. So I know he'll be in the best of hands, plus I'm looking forward to a night out.

What else is going on? Quinn had a decent night sleep two nights ago (woke a lot in the evening, then 10:45, 2:30 and 4) but last night he woke crying much more. I noticed on the night with the better stretches he woke happy as opposed to crying. I really think (hope) its the eternal teething that's causing us so many sleep problems. He was really teething yesterday (even the checkout lady at the grocery store commented on it) and as a result woke crying each time last night. One day he'll sleep... one day! He took great naps though - almost a 2 hour one yesterday at lunch. I couldn't believe it! Today though, he's been in his crib (happy, and i do check on him) for almost an hour and a half. Still awake! Maybe he's finally dropping the first nap! I should be careful for what I wish for. ;)

Eating goes well, I'm getting the hang of some more interesting baby food despite my limited kitchen. This week I made him some nectarine/quinoa food . I think I overdid the quinoa a bit, as he looked unhappy at the texture but otherwise he ate it. His peers are all chugging the finger foods, Quinn will slam puffs but has not yet attempted to eat peas or chopped banana chunks. In fact, he's kind of off bananas in general right now. My goal is to step up the finger foods, but I have to be realistic with what I can handle right now.

Question - i bought some Yobaby yogurts with cereal added to them because they looked different and I thought they'd be handy for a quick on the go breakfast/lunch etc. But one flavor (so 3 of the 6 cups) is strawberry banana. And I believe (although there are so many rules, and some of our friends aren't following any rules and doing just fine) strawberry is one of the things you're supposed to hold off on until a year. Would you give it to your baby? Or pass it off to a rule breaker?

It's quiet upstairs. I knew he was tired. But man, an hour and a half? Dude!!

Michelle - I try to give Quinn a sippy cup fairly often, but I forget. He likes the Nuby ones, but mostly to chew on. Although if I help him hold it up, he will drink from it. Your cheat meal sounds awesome. :) No, Quinn doesn't take a bottle. At all. Hence my nervousness at leaving him for the wedding. But he will (more or less) drink from a sippy cup, so in theory if he's hungry enough....

Tami - Happy birthday to Maya! Wow. A year old already. Her special day sounded awesome... didn't see any mother daughter pics on fb! ;) Would love to see some Ms. shy! Her cake enjoyment looked awesome, I should start planning Quinn's cake now. :) Or maybe not. I treated myself to the Martha Stewart cupcake cookbook (which has tons of great ideas) but now regret it as I have no kitchen with which to start baking! How much do you worry about salt? I have plenty of friends who follow the "puree what you have for dinner" philosophy, but I worry about too much salt. What did you do with the curry? And all the way to 2 years... go you! I confess I'm so fixated on getting to a year that I'm not sure what I'll do when I get there.

Sarah - I'm sorry Jackson's messing with you. Quinn's slept through a few thunderstorms too, which I found weird. The white noise of his AC has helped though. Without that maybe he would hear them more. I hope you're getting more sleep....

Beth H - we have a couple IRL baby friends who were slow to take to the food. But now at 9 months they're cranking it up. So hang in there. I hope the mark gets cleared up soon... always something with these babies.

Ashley - I can't believe Matt crawled already! Quinn's still happy just sitting. He's definitely more mobile, he likes to turn around in his bathtub, and scoot around on his mat. And he scoots backwards, but he's generally happy just sitting and chilling. I think we're well away from walking, that's for sure!

Nancy - Glad the food's going well, and that Natalie's feeling better. She really went through the ringer a few weeks ago.

Beth G - The nursing has been better lately although he still has off days where he'll barely do it. I try to pump at least once or twice a day, but I can't stash too much as we still have to move. Once we move though, I may step it up as we'll have more freezer space. A little more. How's the moving crib experiment going? It's funny, we just always assumed his crib would be in his room. I'm not sure our room is big enough for his crib anyways, but I would think it would be quite a change if you're used to him in the same room with you.

Okay... I'm done. This was quite a novel - I hope I didn't miss anyone. If i did, sorry! Hope all's well!

Beth G.

08-27-2009, 07:00 PM

Hi everyone. Wednesday was Michael’s last weekday without day care so I took the day off to spend with him. Even though he had a bad sleep night the night before he took three thirty minute naps. I had really thought if I kept to the day care nap times he might take the 90+ minute naps. Oh well. I took him swimming again and it went much better (not smiling and laughing, but splashed and tolerated being floated around). I was off today as well, and we took Michael to day care, went out to lunch and then to see Harry Potter. We haven’t been out alone since he was born! It was great. If only I had Friday off too.

We had a rough night Tuesday night. After falling asleep at 8:30, Michael was up at 9 something for awhile, and then from around 10:30 – almost midnight. There was tons of screaming and crying and the only thing that made him stop was the boob. He wasn’t eating much, but he finally calmed down. His thumb goes nowhere near his mouth anymore. I tried to put it in there myself! I am not sure what it is; he’s not teething, and my MIL told me DH didn’t have teeth until 9 months. I was hoping he’d sleep later after this, but he was up at 6 pooping and that was that. While I can’t complain since there was a 6 hour sleep stretch in there, that was the only sleep I got. I found myself wishing I was going to work so I could get my naps. That was not the first night where he’s woken up early in the night, but then slept from 11 something to 6. I miss when he slept until 8 (with a middle of the night feeding) – more sleep overall. He’s also babbling in his sleep starting anytime from 4 am on. So fun.

Still pumping adequately, but output trend is down. I am going to start pumping before I leave for work, too. A pain but if I double pump at my last work pumping to get enough then he doesn't have enough at bedtime. Hoping that will work better. I need at least 21 ounces to cover bottles and cereal (and occasional purees) - it's a lot!

Last Friday I had to leave work early to be home to do some testing for work at 5:45, so I took the train instead of the bus. DH brought Michael to pick me up so he could show him the train and… it was the only time in the last three weeks he’s fallen asleep in the car on the way home.

Latest breastfeeding antic – Michael is obsessed with my bra clasp. He plays with it constantly while he’s eating. If it’s first thing in the morning and I don’t have the bra on, he’s still playing with it – which means he’s pinching the spot where it should be.

Solids are going ok although it is hard to find time to feed him! Not much luck with the sippy but he loves getting water from my glass. Of course, much more ends up on his clothing than in his mouth.

“Hits”: sweet potato, acorn squash (DH really liked it too), butternut squash – not sure he knows they are any different, barley cereal
Miss: Avocado
Next up: Carrots, peas and then the other green veggies and fruit.

Nancy – He is protesting the naps. You are right – I am sure the butt patting is why he’s not sucking his thumb any more. I guess in the long run that’s a habit we’re better off ending now. He must be self soothing in some way as I can’t imagine he’s not waking at all during his longer stretches, but I have no idea how since I am sleeping then. I would love to see the research – here I am keeping all parabens out of everything and our ped prescribes a vitamin that has them – Michael is ingesting them! I am glad Natalie and Nick are feeling better. Good luck with the transition to day care! Michael’s been taking 3 5 oz bottles and 1 4 oz bottle and I usually BF him twice (bedtime and sometime at night). The only other "bad" thing he's picked up at day care is he won't take his milk straight out of the fridge anymore. Has to be heated.

Ashley – Matt on the move! Can’t believe he fell out of the crib. Glad your week without DH went well. How did sweet potatoes go? How is the crawling? Any more 8 hour stretches?

Sarah – too funny about the Hungry Monkey baby becoming a picky toddler. My parents often tell the story of me pounding the table for more moo goo gai pain as a baby and then later becoming a picky eater. Sounds like Jackson had a good night – I hope the trend continues. I am sure our ped would say exactly the same thing about sleep so I don’t even ask.

Beth H. – thanks for the recipes. I am going to try one. Michael won’t be eating pad thai next weekend either. I have a friend whose 16 month old still only eats purees. Given the four day rule we're following on new foods it will take forever to accumulate enough acceptable ingredients to eat something interesting.

Tami – looks like Maya had a great birthday and looks like she enjoyed her cake! Sounds like she’s doing really well with food. How was the zoo? I’m glad you are on vacation from zombie land.

Michelle – Tres Leches Cake, mmm. That sounds like a great cheat. We haven’t had any 8 hour stretches since the last time I posted. I actually got more rest last night since he was up at 4 because then he slept until 7. The other days he’s been getting up at 6. Glad your weekend without Carl went fine. Michael does try to drink from the sippy, but can’t get the sucking right. Four times a night is a lot – hopefully that will get better soon.

Heather – good luck with the move! The crib is still in our room. I am finally ready to move it, but we can’t until the windows in his room are replaced. They are not good for the winter and I found a dead bee in there this week. We ordered the new windows over two months ago. They were supposed to be installed in 2-3 weeks. We are still waiting. I don’t expect he will be out of our room before October now. After the windows the room has to be painted and recarpeted. So he stays put. I am glad Quinn’s nursing a little better. I hope your night out goes well.

Michael likes to nurse with his caterpillar mom.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9d606b3127ccec7a328bab27100000040O00AbsmzZw2cN2 IPbz4e/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

tholbrook

08-27-2009, 09:24 PM

Hi everyone!

Michelle, we've been looking at Subaru (the '10 Legacy) but can't seem to commit. We've been car payment free for 5 years, and I'm not too thrilled about starting up again, especially with my severely reduced income. But we won't have a choice for much longer. I bought my '01 Jetta new, but I've put almost 170K miles on it, and it's showing the wear and tear. I do a lot of highway driving and I just can't get stranded with Maya.

We hope that the 6 of us singing "Happy Birthday" will prepare her for the 30+ at the party on Saturday. :D

Your "cheat" lunch sounds awesome! I hope that you'll eventually be able to eat all your favorite foods without guilt!

Heather, on the food questions:

Strawberries: I gave Maya some jarred baby food early on that contained strawberries, but I've read that it is processed at a temperature that renders the allergens inactive. Maybe YoBaby is the same? At about 10 months, I gave her some strawberry frozen yogurt that I had made, and it contained "real" strawberries. I watched her pretty closely, but she was fine.
Her birthday cake was strawberry with cream cheese icing (smitten kitchen's "Pink Lady Cake", since I know you follow her blog) ... so we did cream cheese, strawberries, buttermilk and egg whites all at one time :eek:. But I think I've mentioned before that we don't have any food allergies in the family, so I might be a little less cautious than some. After about 9 months, I was a little more relaxed about "one new food every 4 (5, 6 ...) days.

Salt: now that's where I'm a bit more strict. Everything I've made for her up until recently has been modified to be without added sodium (including the Thai Coconut Curry I made for her). Now that she's a year, I'm starting to give her straight-from-our-table food that does have some salt in it. But knowing that she'll be eating it, I do cut back on the salt. We made Mexican food for her birthday, and Maya had small portions of the rice/black bean/corn salad and guacamole for her dinner. So I guess that was also her first time having jalapeño peppers as well! She loved it, so ... I guess she's okay with (slightly spicy) food. We did skip giving her the enchiladas with red chile sauce. This time. :D

Maya loves her YoBaby yogurt too - she especially loves it if it's been in the freezer about 45 minutes first. Oh - FYI: I don't know if you plan on Quinn being raised vegetarian, but just so you know, some kinds of YoBaby (with the DHA) have fish oil.

PS - Good luck with the closing (was that today?) and the moving.

Beth G - Ouch, sorry about the rough night. Glad you had the next day to spend with Michael however. Your day with your DH sounds nice. It's been a year and we STILL haven't been out together minus Maya (so don't feel too bad, Heather!). One of these days...

Funny about the continuing BF antics. Maybe the clasp fiddling has given you a break from the hair pulling and lower lip tugging? I can identify with the pinching, unfortunately. Maya apparently thinks it speeds up the flow, because she constantly kneads that side (read: pinches the skin). I can't get her to stop, even when I try to block her hands. It doesn't really hurt but it's annoying. It's been an interesting few days trying to nurse her under a cover ... plus with family visiting, she's so easily distracted. I have one of those covers that has a loop around my neck - well, she wants to stick her head out the top, and gets so mad because she can't fit her head through the same opening as mine :rolleyes:.

The zoo was great! MUCH different than our trip when Maya was 4 months. We only got to spend a couple hours there since we had to pick up my dad at the airport, but she was really fascinated by the animals this time. Especially the fish in the manatee exhibit. So I think our trip to an aquarium tomorrow will go really well.

That picture of Michael (and your caption) made me laugh. Too funny!

Beth H - weird about the patch under Will's eye. I hope you get an explanation soon for your own peace of mind. So crazy that he has 6 teeth already. Maya still doesn't have those darn top teeth. Heather used the phrase "eternal teething" and I totally agree!

Sarah - maybe you can play the sound of thunderstorms for white noise??? ;) How crazy that he slept through the whole thing. I hope you get some sleep stretches like that again! On the (thankfully) rare occasion that we have a storm, Maya seems to be up every few hours. But I can't sleep through storms either, so I'm up anyway.

I've been trying to get Maya to have an "adventurous palate" (probably not to the extent of the author you mention, of course). I will be terribly disappointed if she turns out to be picky, but I've heard many times that toddlers can get picky about food almost overnight. So I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens. My dad tells me that I was always an adventurous eater, so maybe Maya will have that in her favor...

Ashley - so sorry that Matt fell out of his crib! You are going to have your hands full with that boy! We have Maya's crib on the next-to-lowest setting, but we'll be moving it again soon, because she holds onto the rail and jumps up and down. I'm afraid she's going to jump herself right over the side one of these days.
Yay for the crawling! Bet your DH was excited to see that when he got back home.

As for us...

Maya has really warmed up to having everyone around during the day, but we were exhausted when we got back from having pictures taken today (in addition to her 1-year photos, we had some done with her sitting with each set of grandparents). She didn't cry [too much] but we couldn't coax a smile out of her either. Everytime she saw me or DH, she'd start whining/fussing, so we had to hide out in the other room. When we finally called it quits, I picked her up and of course, she started grinning and bouncing around. :rolleyes:

Gee, this is a long post ... with everyone here playing with Maya, I've had my hands free all day except when I'm feeding her. I sent everyone to the kid's discovery museum yesterday and I stayed home - first time at home by myself for more than an hour since she was born. Instead of relaxing, I baked 5 different bread recipes :rolleyes:. But I rarely get the opportunity to do it uninterrupted, so it was kind of nice.

Beth G.

08-28-2009, 11:34 AM

Well, last night started promisingly... Michael slept a 6 hour stretch. I nursed him, put him back in the crib, he seemed to go back to sleep, but he was yapping. I thought it was sleep yapping, until the aquarium came on. He was up for over an hour (2:15-3:15 am). Playing. And up for good at 6:30. Yawn. This is not at all like him, as he normally goes straight back to sleep after his night feeding. I am wondering if I might have had too many sips of DH's diet coke during the movie. I never have soda and only caffeine in chocolate, but it was a long movie and I did not have my own drink so I was stealing some sips. I guess I will be more careful.

I forgot to mention what Michael did at day care yesterday - Finger Painting! My 7 1/2 month old baby was finger painting! I am hoping the creation was drying and I get my baby's first artwork but they may be hanging them up in the room. He looked to be having such a great time in the pictures, although he is a major camera hog so it's hard to know if he's really enjoying himself or just mugging for the camera :D Seeing how much fun he was having stopped me from feeling guilty about sending him to day care when I had a day off.

I am delighted with myself as I had the opportunity this morning to put some polish on my toenails. I haven't had a pedicure since before Michael was born and the shoes of choice for DBs wedding are sandals, so my toes need some rehab.

Seems our carefree days are ending soon as the day care summary said yesterday he's close to getting into crawling position and DH saw him almost up on all fours this morning.

Tami - Michael has been better about his various antics lately, or maybe it's just that I mainly BF when he's tired - bedtime, night, first thing in am. I am sure during the weekend he'll be up to some tricks. You will notice that even while he's sucking the leg off the caterpillar he's grabbing the other toy too! Glad you got to try all those bread recipes and are having some hands free time. I haven't tried the nursing cover in a long time as even the slightest noise distracts Michael I just take him to another room. I did however, use it in the car yesterday to pump after the movie :) Too funny about Maya trying to get her head through the loop. I hope she enjoys the aquarium. Sounds fun to me!

helios7

08-30-2009, 07:58 AM

Just popping in to say we closed! The house is ours! Yay! Quinn did really well, he had a long day with few naps and a 2 hour closing, and he was a trooper. Much adored by all in attendance. And the lawyer took his important info being punctuated with raspberries with good humor. :rolleyes::D

And Quinn has even celebrated by sleeping 4 hour stretches at night (more or less). Hooray! I never thought 4 hours in a row would be exciting, but it so is.

Now commence the chaos of moving. For real.

Tami - ooh, that sounds like a great first birthday cake. Can I get one? :)
We're not actually planning to raise Quinn veggie. BUT I don't cook meat. So when my husband is motivated (which to be fair is not really going to be this month with all that is going on) he will be cooking occasional meat/fish for Quinn. Quinn will obviously be largely veggie (which I'm happy with) but I do feel like he should make the choice for himself when he's old enough. BUT we'll do everything we can to ensure he only gets hormone/antibiotic free meat etc. My goal is that he'll be comfortable with tofu, and other vegetarian meals but won't be fazed by being offered chicken nuggets or equivalent at a friend's house. If that makes sense. So he has had the fish yogurt, and that's fine by me.

We had pancakes this morning (from a TJ's mix... sigh) but we gave Quinn a few bites of a plain one and he loved it. So that was encouraging. My other attempts at finger foods lately (edamame, cheese, peas) have not been successful.

Beth G - Here's hoping those 6 hour stretches continue! Maybe Quinn will graduate to 6 hours soon. I can hope. I hear you on the pedicure - I've been wanting one all summer. Sigh.. maybe next year. Bummer about being ready to move the crib, but not able to. Here's hoping things get fixed up soon. I have a question for you (and everyone else) about your foam mats. We have the skip hop ones, like this (http://www.amazon.com/Skip-Hop-Play-Spot-Brown/dp/B000RZNJHY) and Quinn is obsessed with pulling them up. It's become quite a problem - I have to put a blanket down to try to slow him down. But I can't put him down on the mat and turn around to do something because when I turn back, he'll have pulled apart half the mat and be trying to chew it. Does anyone else's baby do this??? Or am I just lucky... ;)

Hope everyone's doing well...