August 2003 New Moms

[cchhbb]

Hi all,

It's pretty hard to believe that it's August already. It seems like the summer is flying by. School starts here next week.

Garrett's grandparents have been here a week and are leaving tomorrow. They have been such a huge help. They really love their grandson. I barely spend any time with him since they are hogging him! The number of new toys in the house is amazing. I'm going to put some of them away since Garrett is somewhat overwhelmed by the quantity.

Garrett is crawling really fast and is standing up all the time. He can now reach to the kitchen table. There is very little that he can't get into now.

I just wanted to get the thread going so I need to run. I'm taking advantage of the grandparents being here to get out without the baby.
It's amazing how wonderful it is to get out to run errands without Garrett.

Cheryl

[JoanneOR]

Cheryl, sounds like Garrett and your parents are having a great time! That's nice that you can get a little break too. Doesn't it feel strange to go out by yourself?! I always feel like I am forgetting something if all I have to do is get myself out of the car!

It's been so quiet around here with everyone's travels? AnnaSue, has the evil MIL arrived yet? :)

Well, we had an OK weekend. Lots of storms, though. We did make it out to our town's festival, so that was fun for the kids. Rick Springfield (remember him? Dr. Noah Drake and Jessie's Girl) was playing there. Kind of funny. But we left before then. It was getting too crowded and hard to keep an eye on the kids.

Then yesterday we went to the Cubs game. I should say we went to Wrigley Field and ate hot dogs, popcorn, and peanuts. Never actually saw a game. They had a three hour rain delay before the game actually started. Luckily we had seats that were covered. We left after two hours because the boys were getting restless and Caitlyn was at home with a babysitter. We didn't know if the game would be called off and we didn't want to leave Caitlyn that long. It did wind up being played, though! Kind of dissappointing, but, oh well.

Tomorrow Caitlyn has her appt. with the orthopedist. Hopefully we won't get any bad news! I'm a bit concerned about Jameson now. He started doing this thing with his eyes where there are darting back and forth and sometimes up. It's really weird. He doesn't know he's doing it. He did this before when he was about two or three. It only lasted a day and then it went away, so we never called the doctor. That time I thought he might be doing it on purpose. This time I called the doctor and we are going in tomorrow. I pray that it is nothing serious. He also has a small lump on the side of his neck which I'm a bit worried about. So, keep up all in your thoughts tomorrow!

[erinl]

Oh Joanne, I hope everything goes well tomorrow. Too bad about the cubs game, too. I wouldn't have lasted as long as you did.

We've had a truly eventful weekend. Saturday we put money down on a new home. It's new construction, so we won't be moving until June '04. For those of you in the Chicago area, we're moving to Bolingbrook. We are in the South Loop right now, so it'll be a big change. We're excited, but a little spooked, too.

Yesterday we visited DH's cousin. You may remember that she had an anuerysm the end of April. She is FINALLY starting to respond. She was kind of out of it yesterday, so we read Harry Potter to her. When she didn't fall asleep on us, she smiled. Everybody is very excited.

Hanne is doing well. She's got walking down and is starting to pick up speed. She is also consistently sleeping through the night. Yea! She goes to bed at 7:30 and gets up anywhere between 5:30 and 7:30. DH got up with her this morning and I went to the gym for a class. We're going to try to take turns getting up with her so the other can go work out.

I guess that's all. I hope all of the vacations are going well. I'll be thinking of Caitlyn and Jameson tomorrow!

Erin

[RunnerKim]

Hi everyone,

Back from my week at the Oregon coast. At first I wasn't sure why I'd ever thought it would be fun - just my Mom and I and 6 kids (ages 7,6,5,4,3 and Lainey at 10 months!). We arrived at the rental house at 6pm on Monday, everyone hungry and needing to unload all the stuff from the 2 vehicles. Lainey is going through major seperation anxiety these days so I had to do it carrying her back and forth each time. I'm defintely not used to being around that many active kids! Later that night I overhead one of the kids say to another "when you're a grown-up you get to do whatever you want." and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. After settling in it was much more relaxing and fun. Lainey didn't care for the sand too much but got so she could enjoy sitting on a blanket or my holding her on the beach. She loved the house though as there was much for her to explore and pull herself up on. In fact, she's really close to walking - took 3-4 steps on Saturday.

I've read quickly through the past threads and apologize for missing stuff. I do want to second Cheryl's recommendation for Robeez shoes (http://www.robeez.com). I love them! I ordered my first a few months ago after a camping trip when Lainey's socks just got all wet and muddy and wouldn't stay on. These shoes really stay on! And I gather they're suppose to be really good for early walkers for foot development purposes. I just picked the classic brown style so they'd go with everything. Now that she's in daycare she wears shoes every day so I just ordered the next size (12-18 months) and I ordered classic brown and splurged on the Orca design since she wears them so often. They arrived really quickly (but then they're in Vancouver, BC and I'm in Portland). I only wish that they offered gift certificates as I wanted to give it to an expecting friend -so I just sent a check and their brochure instead. I think some stores carry the shoes too - Nordstrom's out here does.

Joanne - my nephews love love love Spiderman! everything spider is so cool right now. Amazing things you do for your kids! I'll be thinking of Caitlyn and Jameson - let us know. Did you ever get your insurance thing settled??

Yeah Katie on crawling!!!!

Yeah Brenden on walking!!!

Oh one other update, on my sling. I'd ordered the pouch sling from Maya but ordered it too big (I orderd the XL - I'm a larger women and just figured that was what I needed - well I probably needed the medium actually! it's more torso length). Apparently I'm not the only one that's had trouble getting the size right (this in the non-adjustable sling they have an adjustable one but I was looking for the easiest to use). The woman on the phone was helpful and said they're just now selling a pouch sling that has zippers to change the size of the sling. It's only in prototype so could only choose denim or black verses all the great vibrant patterns they have for their other slings. I've used it a few times now (at the beach and this mornings commute) and it's really what I was looking for! Even with the medium size i'm using the zippers to shorten it some.

Kim

[RunnerKim]

Erin - I was typing my post when yours came up. Congratulations on the house!! change is always a bit nerve-racking. Getting used to a new grocery store etc. but what a wonderful opportunity to have a house built. Excellent news about your DH's cousin too.

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Erin, congrats on the new house! I'm sure it is exciting and overwhelming at the same time! I always wanted to buy a new house so we could start fresh and pick all the colors/carpets/cabinets, etc. But I don't think we'll ever move again. It would be a huge undertaking! But I actually like our neighborhood alot and the schools are great. We just need to get working on updating our house. It's only been eight years, what's the rush, right?!

Wow, Kim, I didn't realize it was just you and your mom and all those kids! That is alot of work. Almost sounded like my family, minus a couple kids! I'm sure they all had a blast, though.

I've given the insurance company our information about the other coverage. Now I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Hopefully they won't pursue trying to get the HMO to pay. We are now using the HMO for Caitlyn's visits. It's already been a hassle because I had to get a referral for the orthopedist. That was fine. But then they called today and said they were going to do an xray. So we had to go get another referral for that. She had an xray at six months but they want to do another to compare. I'm glad they're doing the xray, but it is a good thing they called, otherwise we wouldn't have the referral.

Thanks for your good thoughts about the visits tomorrow. I am really starting to stress out about Jameson. I have a feeling she might refer us to a neurologist. I'm just so nervous that it could be something really serious. Sometimes I just want a normal, boring life!!

Erin, that is great about your cousin. I remember when you posted about her. I had been wondering how she was doing.

[cchhbb]

Joanne, my thoughts are going out for you and the kids. I'm so impressed that you took the kids to a festival and the Cub's game over the weekend. Too bad about the rain delay.

Kim, Oh my! I can't imagine your vacation. Yea on Lainey walking!!!! I bet she had a blast exploring. Garrett is non-stop moving. You got a Maya sling didn't you? I have the adjustable original baby sling, but am considering upgrading to a Maya. Maybe I'll have to get a pouch.

Erin, Yea on the house! Bollingbrook is a great area. I would love to build a house, but I don't know whether my marriage could stand it. Ha Ha. DH and I wouldn't agree on where to put our money on adders.

Cheryl

[JoanneOR]

Oops, Kim, I missed the part on Lainey walking! Yea!! That's so cool!

Cheryl, now that you mentioned, my marriage probably wouldn't survive building a house either! That's half the reason we haven't painted some of our rooms; we argue about the color.

[RunnerKim]

So funny you all should mention about marriage and building a house. My mom just said that all couples should build a house together before getting married - that way they'd know they could make it through anything. They're just about to break ground on a house they've been talking about & planning for a few years (ever since they became guardians of my younger sister's 3 children and their little "log cabin" became way too small).

DH and my (older) sister did join us at the coast Friday night through the weekend, but yeah it was a lot of activity during the week!

Hey with all these birthdays being discussed, it has me thinking of Lainey's 1st one coming up in less than 2 months now. I was thinking about investing in a a really nice wood block set (the bigger blocks not the little colored ones or the letter cubes). Is she still too young to really get much out of these? I think its around $200?? Hoping it can be bought in smaller sets so other family members could help build the supply. I need to check the First Steps catalog (isn't that the name of the catalog with all the "old fashioned" toys in it? I can't find their web site). I'd love to hear what other toys/items 1 year olds really enjoy that will be used for awhile...

Kim

[nori]

Hi I'm back from Colorado.:) It's been very busy weekend. Wedding was very nice, and Noah did pretty well. Reharsal(sp?) dinner started at 7:45pm:eek: so we were expected Noah would be fussy, but he was happy most of the time, eating garlic bread and pizza (it was an Italian restaurant). Flights were okay, too. On the way home, as soon as we got on board, he pooped:o so I had to change him while the seatbelt sign was still on. He didn't like it and cried a lot. But most of the time, he did good, but we were tired from entertaining him all the time. It was definetely easier a few months back when he wasn't so mobile!

We wanted to see his great-grandma for the first time but unfortunately, she was hospitalized the day before we arrived...she had some colon problem and eventually needs surgery. We could have visited the hospital, but they thought it was not a good idea since West Nile Virus is around. So we missed her. Oh well. FIL was better this time,,, actually he kind of baby-proofed the house (nothing in lower shelf etc.) and according to his girlfriend, he was kind of excited to have Noah this time. He didn't like so much excited at first, but I noticed he was closely watching him play (but didn't play together).

We came home to the sad news, though.....our very close friend's mother passed away yesterday. She had 2 heartattack on Saturday and hospitarized, needed surgery but the hospital she was in could not do it so she was supposed to be transported. Sunday, she had 3rd heartattack and they could not stabilize her.:( She was very, very close to us, just like my own family. She once told me that last time she went to see a doctor was 50 years ago. She didn't have any apparent medical problem so everyone is so devastated. I talked to my friend and she just crushed on the phone....could not stop crying. They haven't figured out about funeral and everything, but I hope I can do something to help them out. I wanted her to come to Noah's birthday party and thinking I won't be able to see here here on earth makes me sooooo sad. She cherished Noah very much and such a wonderful lady.:(

DH left for his business trip today.:eek: It just came up last Thursday (on the day we left) and he could not avoid it. It's been pretty hectic around here.....Noah's schedule is messed up, too, and at 5pm, he's taking a nap.:rolleyes:

Joanne, hope Jameson's eyes are nothing serious. I'm thinking of him and Caitlyn tomorrow!

Kim, sounds like you had a busy weekend, too! That's a lot of kids and I'd be so overwhelmed, too. Yay Lainey for walking!!! DH wants to get nice blocks for Noah's first birthday. I don't think it's too early.....actually Noah likes to stack up the things so he'll like it. She may not play them as blocks for a while, but she'll learn soon enough, I think.

Cheryl, congratulations on your new house downpayment!!! That's exciting. Our house is very old, and although I like it, sometimes I wish I had a brand-new house. Having parents must be such a help. I agree with you about toys....you should hide some and just give him one by one so he'd appreciate it more.

Erin, glad to hear that your DH's cousin is getting better a little bit! I was wondering how she was doing, too.

Noah's birthday is coming up and I really have to get stuff together....but with my friend's mom's death, it's kind of hard to be totally happy. I'm sure everyone would think of her at his birthday party, too.

Gotta go get some stuff done! Nice to be back home, though.;)

[MrsReber]

Hi! We're back, too! The kids did great in the truck. On the way there, we only stopped once for gas. On the way home, we got gas about an hour into the trip. The kids stayed happy in the truck the rest of the way home - almost 5 hours of nonstop driving! I'm wondering why we'd ever want to potty train them :p ! The only bad thing that happened was when I fell out of bed yesterday morning. I heard Brenden get up. I was sleeping in the bed with Casey and DH was sleeping on the couch (his choice- he didn't want the kids to disturb him). I went to get Brenden and fell right off the side, landing on my left shoulder. It still hurts pretty bad when I move it certain ways. Getting dressed was difficult, but I still made it to work. I even went to the gym, but I didn't take the step class. I only did 40 minutes on the elliptical trainer. I'm debating whether or not to go to a doctor. I've had enough shoulder and knee injuries to know that they'll tell me to put ice on it and rest it. By the time I go to my GP, get a referral for an ortho, go to the ortho and then get a referral for an x-ray (insurance won't pay for it if it's done in the office) and then go back to the ortho- well, I might just be better by that time!

Joanne, I hope everything is okay with your son. That's really scary. I'll be thinking of you.

DH called and said Brenden is out of sorts this morning. He's been pulling at his ear when he's tired. We don't know if we should worry about it or not. They were so happy to be home last night. They just played and played for hours. They made a total mess out of the living room.

Kim, my mom bought Casey blocks for her first birthday. They were small blocks with letter and numbers and a set of building blocks. She was interested in them, but didn't really start to play with them (stacking, etc.) until a couple of months later. She did like to pick them up, examine them, chew on them, and put them in things, though.

Nori, glad your trip went well. Sounds like it was fun. I'm sure your FIL was thrilled to have Noah there. My dad is very laid back about things. When we went to surprise him, he didn't seem overwhelmed when we got there. DH and I thought he'd be so excited. I guess he was, but he doesn't show it outwardly so much. I'm the same way with that, though. So sorry to hear about your friend's mother. That's very sad news to come home to.

Well, DH is talking more and more about moving stuff and building something on our property. I have to keep the momentum going! I think our marriage will survive because we both seem to have the same ideas about everything. Odd how that worked out. We know where we want the kitchen, we both can imagine a little circular drive (we never really talked about these things, either!). He wants to have someone come in and clear some of the trees on the lot. Keeping my fingers crossed that we build something by next year!

[nori]

MrsReber, there's this couple at the wedding who came from VA. DH was talking to them how they like it overthere etc, etc, and it sounded pretty nice! DH looked he's kind of interested in considering to move to VA someday. (just one of the possibilities....it's so dry and we miss real river and lake:p ) And I was thinking about you.:) It'll be exciting once you really started to plan on building a house or something on your property. They said some parts of VA you have to buy a house (or lot?) with at least several acres in it, to keep them spread. We thought that's a great idea. We like wide, open space. Is it expensive to live in VA?? Hope Brenden is not getting sick!:(

We'll be bringing some food after the funeral tomorrow morning, and I'm assigned to bring chips and dips. I'll go shopping once Noah woke up from his nap. He woke up only twice last night! Yes that was a good night for us.:)

[MrsReber]

Nori, VA has so many different terrains. There's lots of beach, there's mountains, there's rolling hills. It's so diverse, but every part of it that we've seen has been very beautiful. The cost of living all depends on what area you live in. It's fairly cheap where our property is, but if you go north on Route 95, toward Washington DC, it gets more expensive. I think it's still cheaper than NJ! Tell your DH to come live near us when we finally move- Brenden can have be Noah's friend!

It's so hard getting back in to working after a few days away. I didn't want to come to work today and I'm not getting much done. Only about an hour left until I go home, though. I'm tired and I just want to be home with my kids. Poor Casey missed home so much. She kept telling us "I want home". She said that right after we got to VA. There was a sound in the house when we got there at 2:00am. DH said "it sounds like a bear". In all honesty, it did sound like a bear, but I told him I thought it was the fridge. It was. The water wasn't hooked up to the ice maker so it made a weird noise. Well, poor Casey heard him say he thought it was a bear. She was terrified and shaking. She wanted to leave right away and I couldn't put her down. The whole time we were there, she kept telling me there was a bear in the house. Then, on the way home, DH drove over those strips on the side of the highway. Every time she heard that noise, she told me it was a bear! When we got home, she got upset with her stuffed brown bear. I don't know where this all came from!

[RunnerKim]

Welcome back Nori. Glad the trip & wedding went well. I'm sorry about your friend's mom. :(

Susan - it sounds like you all are really getting somewhere with your VA property. You'd live there full time? Would that require you or DH to change jobs? I know all those states on your side are little itty bitty but don't know what kind of commute you'd be talking from your property. How far would you be from your Mom?

Joanne have you had your doctor's appts. yet??

I just read about a recall on Fisher Price Sparkling Symphony mobiles in case anyone has one -- read it on CNN http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/08/05/recall.fisherprice/index.html

Lainey's first swim lesson was last night. She did better than I thought, which isn't saying much since I expected her to cry through the whole thing. She really only got upset when the instructor took her to float on her back. She was clinging to me pretty good (and kept a close eye on the instructor after that point). DH managed to get a few half-smiles out of her. I'm pretty sure she didn't take an afternoon nap (wasn't marked on her daycare sheet and I didn't notice that until I was on the bus so couldn't ask if they'd just forgotten to mark it, she seemed really sleepy in the car so I'm doubly impressed that she didn't make a fuss. Most of the kids are older - only 1 other baby really, most are definitely over a year. Kind of surprised me.

Kim

[MrsReber]

Hi Kim! Our property in VA is about 6 hours from my mom. However, she and her fiance have a house in Maryland and that's about 3 1/2 - 4 hours from our property. My sister is a mere 90 minutes away in NC! NJ is a small state, but it takes forever to get anywhere with all the traffic! We'd definitely have to change jobs. I actually want to stay at home IF we move so I look for work for DH all the time. We've been subscribing to a VA paper for a while now, too. I would like to do something, though. It'd be great to even have a vacation home there that we can use for retirement later. It seems to be getting somewhat more populated in the area so jobs are bound to come up. There are 2 little restaurants in town. I wish we could buy one! One is for sale and the other, Grandma's Kitchen, just closed. It said that Grandma retired! They serve breakfast and lunch. I could do that! DH says "with the way you cook, they'd all want to eat here!".

Casey hates pools. No swimming lessons for us! Brenden isn't too fond of them either. I got him in once and he does like to splash his feet while sitting on the side. Both kids are terrified and Brenden will only go in if I am holding him. I'm kind of surprised that so many people bring babies to swimming classes. For us, it wouldn't matter too much. We don't have our own pool and probably only swim a couple of times a year ourselves. They'd just forget everything by the time the warm weather came around again. I would like them to learn when they're older, though. For some reason, I have recurring nightmares about drowning so water makes me a bit nervous, too.

[cchhbb]

Nori, Glad the wedding went well. Traveling with a mobile baby is much harder than one who is happy to sit on your lap. sorry to hear about your friend's mother.

Susan, good luck on building a house on your property in VA. You're lucky that your DH and you agree on what you want in a house. I'm sure DH and I could do it, but it would take a lot of planning and prioritizing.

Joanne, Have you heard from the doctors?

Kim, wow, it's great that Lainey enjoyed her swimming class. I don't think Garrett would like to float. He is really scared when you lay him back. He thinks he is falling.

My parents left today. I'm really sad to see them go. They were wonderful with Garrett and so generous. I think Garrett and I will fly to Ohio early next month to go to an Ohio State game and see them there.

Cheryl

[JoanneOR]

Welcome back everyone! Sounds like everyone had a nice time!

Nori, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's mom. I know how sad it can be to lose a friend like that. Our neighbor when we first moved in our house was a elderly woman and she became like a grandmother to the kids. She died last year and it was really sad.

We had both appts. today. The orthopedist took another xray and said the hip socket is slightly steeper than it should be. It's a really mild form of hip displaxia. She said for now we don't need to do anything. She said as Caitlyn consistently puts more weight on her legs it should resolve itself. She wants to see her in six months and if it hasn't improved at all she might put her in a brace just at night. So, no bad news, thank god.

Jameson's went OK, too. He isn't doing the thing with his eyes as much, but he did do it a few times in the office. The doctor seemed a bit concerned. She did a neurological exam (testing the reflexes and all that) and said all that was fine. She called the neurologist to see what he thought and he said it sounded like a tic. The doctor said she is confident it is nothing to worry about. She said to go ahead and make an appointment with the neurologist for a month from now. If he is still doing it, keep the appt., if not, cancel it. So, I feel pretty good about it, although I'm still a bit concerned. I think I'll keep the appt. whether or not it goes away completely. She said the lump on his neck is just a lymph node. It's not swollen, but it's right on top of a muscle, so that's why it sticks out. So, that was a relief.

Tonight Caitlyn felt a bit warm, I took her temperature and it was 102. So, I called the doctor and she said to bring her in first thing in the morning unless she gets worse tonight, then bring her to the ER. She doesn't have any other symptoms. I hope it's just a virus that passes quickly.

Last night we went to close on our refinancing. To make a long story short, all the papers were totally messed up. So frustrating. Then today they tell us we have to pay $350 to extend the lock on the finance rate another three days so they can fix everything. I pretty much told them they were insane if they expected us to pay $350 because they messed up! So, after about eight phone calls to various people, they are waiving the fee. UGH!!! Sorry, this has nothing to do with anything, but I just felt the need to rant! Lately, I just feel like it's one thing on top of the other for us. I just want a normal, boring life!! Nothing ever seems to go smoothly.

OK, I'm done whining now!

Mrs. Reber, it sounds wonderful to develop the property. Sounds like a beautiful place. That would be great if you could move and stay at home.

I'm going to sign Caitlyn up for a swimming class. It's more to get her comfortable with the water. Now she hates it. I'm very afraid of water and I don't want her to be the same.

Gotta go get the kids in bed.

[MrsReber]

Joanne, I'm so glad that the doctor seems to think there's no problem. I'm with you, though, I'd still worry about it. And those people are crazy to think you should pay an extra $350! How can they rationalize that? You didn't make the mistake! I do feel for you with all these little surprises that keep coming up. Don't worry about ranting on the BB. We're all here for support and friendship :) ! I hope Caitlyn is feeling better today, too.

Have to run to a meeting in a few minutes! Work is such fun!

[RunnerKim]

Joanne - what a relief on your appts. How's Caitlyn's fever? When I thought about Jameson a little more I recalled that couple of times in my life I've had funky eye things happen - spasmic twitching type thing. The couple of incidents were when I was in college (probably stressed, not eating sleeping well). It was freaky but nothing that seems to have any long lasting effects - hopefully Jameson's thing is also nothing. Good that it was doing it so the doctor could see it though - it always seems when stuff like that crops up that by the time you get to the doctor it doesn't happen at the office and they just shrug and say come back later.

Cheryl - I wouldn't say Lainey's "enjoying" her swim class but it's not freaking her out as badly as I thought it could. We figured out last night that she's a lot happier if she has support under her feet. The class happens in the deep (4') end of the pool. They had a big float thing that I sat her on and she smiled and laughed and played in in the little bit of water that pooled on top of it. Another mother there told me that her daughter took the class last summer when she was about 9 months and was very tentative about the water at the beginning of class and was being dunked by the end of the 2 weeks, so I'm hopeful she get more enjoyment out of this soon. I just want Lainey to be comfortable around the water as she grows. I love swimming and think it's great exercise.

DH thinks he saw 2 white spots on the her top gums. She doesn't like us messing with her mouth when she's teething (doesn't want to chew on our fingers etc.) so it's hard to tell for sure. It'd be kind of funny if she really were getting teeth in because she got her bottom 2 the week she started crawling.

Kim

[AnnaSue]

Hi everyone.. Sorry I've fallen a little behind after being really busy with a bunch of stuff around here lately.

Joanne.. How scary about Jameson! I was relieved to see your post by the time I got to the bottom of the thread that they didn't think it was anything serious. Is Caitlyn doing better today? That is too bad about the Cubs game. I'm a big Cubs fan, and I'm dying to go to a game. My brother bought Brendan a really cute Cubs outfit, and we've been thinking about taking him down there, but we'll see.

Nori.. Thanks for the suggestion about the harness device you can buy for planes. I'll definitely look for one of those if we end up going to Arizona. I have been to Tucson a couple times before since two of my cousins live there. Sorry to hear about your friends mother. Sounds very sad!

Becky .. What part of Montana do you go to? I have relatives there too. They live in the middle of nowhere, but the nearest town would probably be Bozeman, if I remember right. We visited them when we drove from Seattle to Chicago a couple years ago. How is your childcare search coming? Did you find anyone you feel comfortable with yet?

MrsReber.. I have a probably stupid question, but... what is a modular home? :o Sounds like a nice area though, and running a restaurant would be fun wouldn't it? Everyone time I cook something I really like.. I think how that would go on my menu if I ever had my own restaurant.

Erin.. Congratulations on buying a house. Sounds like we'll be practically neighbors! We are having a house built in Plainfield. I grew up out here, but then moved to Chicago for 6 years and was very reluctant to move back, but I really like it. I miss the city sometimes, but I don't miss living there, and it is certainly close enough to go visit when I feel the need. Glad to hear your DH's cousin is doing better!

Kim.. What are you going to do for Lainey's birthday? How exciting about her walking now!

Cheryl.. Glad to hear you had a nice visit with your parents. It's really hard when the good grandparents live so far away!

MIL doesn't arrive until September 14. I'm cherishing my remaining days of sanity. Our closing date on our new house is September 22, so it definnitely doesn't look like we'll be in and settled during any portion of her trip.

[MrsReber]

AnnaSue, your question isn't stupid by any means. There are many different variations of the term modular home. For some companies, it could be a glorified trailer. This one company that my mom and my sister found in NC puts the house on a foundation and builds it to state codes. The rooms of the house are actually put together in their facility and then they actually move the pieces and place them on the foundation. It's not like having your house built at the site (what they'd call 'stick built'). It tends to be much less expensive. There are good things and bad things about it. There's not as much flexibility as when you build a stick built house, but the modular companies do offer many floorplans. You can usually change them around a bit, too. This company builds all the costs into the price and includes all the appliances except for the refrigerator! They are, by far, the best company I've seen yet. All in all, the quality seems to be much better than it was 15 or 20 years ago.

I hope you enjoy every second of your freedom before MIL gets there! I can absolutely and completely sympathize with you. I always say the best thing about having an MIL living nearby is that you know she has her own place to go home to! DH mentions every so often how he wishes he could fix up the basement and let her live with us. Ha ha ha! He's too funny. I'd be packing up before she even pulled into the driveway!
Well, you can always come here for a sympathetic ear during her visit.

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, I certainly hope your DH is kidding!! What a nightmare that would be. Although I know you'd never let it happen! By the way, how's your shoulder?

AnnaSue, enjoy your upcoming weeks of freedom before MIL arrives! Do you have any out of town relatives that haven't met Brendan yet? Maybe you could schedule a visit with them while she's here. :)

DH said Caitlyn's fever hasn't gone back up and she's acting normal. But I did give her Motrin at 4am, so it still might go back up when it wears off. She has an appt. at 2:30 to see the doctor.

[RunnerKim]

I don't think this question has been asked about traveling with kids :D If the plane has 3 seats on both sides and you're not getting a seperate seat for your 15 month old - would it be better to be by the window or the aisle?

We're trying to make plans for Christmas to go visit DH's parents in St. Louis. I can't believe how expensive the tickets are to go around the holiday-- even on yucky SouthWest. It's such a long flight but I'm just not sure we can swing another half price ticket.

Kim

[MrsReber]

Kim, I don't think the choice of seat matters much. If you're on the aisle, you can get up and stretch if need be. However, if someone else is in the window seat, you may have to move for that person. DH and I had three seats. When Casey was asleep in the car seat, we passed Brenden back and forth. It was nice that we had all three seats to ourselves, but I understand the cost issue.

Joanne, DH wasn't kidding about helping out MIL, but I have a few things going for me. First of all, fixing up the basement is on his never ending list of things to do. It'll never happen. Secondly, I already told him that they cannot live together. They argue if they're together for 10 minutes. It'd be miserable having her around full time. I already told him that I would take the kids and leave. I know he wants to help her, but she's an adult and she should be able to take care of herself. You don't see my mom knocking on the door or crying for me to help her out with her car. She takes care of things herself. Hence, our relationship is great. We help each other out when we can, but we do not sit around feeling sorry for ourselves if we don't get help :rolleyes: .

Glad to hear the Caitlyn seems okay. It's so frustrating that they can't tell us what's wrong. Brenden is still a bit clingy, but playing and acting normal. We got a memo about pink eye going around at school now. First chicken pox, then coxsackie virus, now this. Oh well.

The shoulder still hurts. It's not too bad at work because I can sit still. Making left turns while driving and making sudden moves hurts (to put out the toaster oven fire last night or to grab the lamp that Brenden was shoving off the end table). I'm hoping it just gets better on its own. I've dislocated my shoulder enough times to know what the doctor will probably tell me. If it's not substantially better by the end of the week, I'll definitely have to make an appointment. Thanks for asking :) .

[RunnerKim]

I'm agonizing over this flying thing. I'm proposing to DH that we go in January (over MLK Day week) to be able to get cheaper tickets. Either buy a seat for Lainey or have more hope at least of there being one available for her. She doesn't even sit calmly on our lap for the 20+ minute bus ride we take to and from work - hours on a plane could be really stressful! If we even hint about it we think DH's parents would offer to pay for Lainey's seat but gosh we're big kids now and that just doesn't feel right.

Susan - I can't believe your DH is serious about your MIL! :rolleyes: At least you don't have to worry about it really happening. AnnaSue we feel for you. Have you resolved where she's staying yet? I think having Brendan at daycare so you all can get your new house ready (and old one packed up) is important ;)

Susan - there's a company out here that makes fabulous modular homes. I know they're very popular and beautiful.

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Kim, try not to get too worried about your trip with Lainey. I know that's easy to say and I would probably be the same way. You might be better off in January, since the flight would have a better chance of being less crowded and you could have a seat for Lainey. I traveled with Colin and Ian when Colin was 18 months and Ian was 3. DH and Jameson drove to Florida and met us there. I don't remember our rationale for all that! But anyway, Ian was great on the flight. Colin did get restless but the flight attendant was great at coming by and entertaining him. If at all possible, I'd try to get a seat for her. That way she can nap. We traveled with Jameson at 10 months and that was a very long three hours. There were no extra seats so we held him the whole way. We must have gone through at least 100 cheerios. Oh, I'd probably go with the aisle seat, too. Just seems like a bit more room.

[AnnaSue]

MrsReber.. What is it with our husbands? My DH always talks (hopefully joking) about fixing up the basement for my MIL too! No way would I ever agree to that! I'm not sure what is going to happen when she gets too old to care for herself, which I think is coming soon. The only other family member she has in England is my BIL, and he is completely irresponsible, and would never help her. I wish she would stop blowing all her money on her world travels and expensive dining and start thinking about saving some money! Of course, now when I suggest she should stay in hotel while she visits, she claims to have no money. :mad: I told DH that she can stay here, but only if she acts like a normal person. If she starts up with her usual behavior, I told him that I'm taking Brendan and staying in a hotel, and I really mean it! I'm absolutely not putting up with her this time. I suspect Brendan and I will be in a hotel by the end of day one. I won't budge about her babysitting though. I'd feel like such an irresponsible mother if I left my little baby with her! I forgot to mention that she is also a complete chain smoker, and I don't want her smoking around Brendan (especially with all his congestion problems), and I don't want her leaving him unattended while going outside to smoke 500 times a day.

Kim.. Did you decide what to do about your trip yet? I haven't flown yet with Brendan, but I'm thinking I'll request an aisle seat when we do fly with him. He is such a fidgeter, that I think he'd go nuts cooped up by the window seat. Probably depends on the baby though.

Joanne.. How was Caitlyn's appointment? Is she doing better today?

I forgot to mention earlier that we are thinking of buying one of those Pack and Play things (is that what they are called?) I set Brendan down on a blanket on the floor a couple days ago while making him a bottle, and was shocked to look over a minute later, and he was gone. Turns out he has mastered the technique of pressing his heels into the floor and pushing himself backwards all over the place! He had gone about 10 feet in less than a minute. I didn't think he'd be this mobile by 3 1/2 months, so I'm thinking about buying one of those things to keep him in one place when need be. Does that sound reasonable? And does anyone have any recommendations on any particular model?

[nori]

MrsReber, Noah would love to have Brenden as a friend! Wouldn't that be fun??? About MIL living in the same house....if it really happened, you'd probably be able to write a book about it, publish, and make $$$$.:p No, I guess money wouldn't be worth to threaten your sanity. Living in VA and owning a restaurant sounds like a great life! If you ever opened the restaurant, I'd want to eat there.

Kim, I'd go with aisle side....seems like it has more room to move around. I also like the idea that you can get up whenever you want without bothering someone you don't know. But, I think it's best if you can get an extra seat for Lainey. We flew last weekend, without extra seat, and it was so hard to keep him on our lap or on the floor that long. Does she like to play with cups or papers?? If so, you can entertain her without bringing so many toys on board. Noah played with a cup (for beverage) and ice for a while. In-flight magazine kept him busy, too. As Joanne said, don't try not to be stressed out about it so much. You'll survive.;)

Joanne, glad those appointments went well. What a relief! Hope Jameson's eye symptoms won't come back so he doesn't have to go to see neurologist. Extra $350 for refinancing error is ridiculous!!:mad: Good for you that you got thing settled down. Such a frustration!!!

AnnaSue, will your MIL stay with you all the time as she planned? Did you talk to DH about it??? Hope you guys came up with some "alternative" plan for her stay. If you need to vent during that time, this is the place to be!!!!:D

We've been busy with funeral luncheon's help and memorial service all day. I had to interrupt Noah's morning nap, and he only had 15 min. nap in the afternoon in the car.:eek: Memorial Service was very nice, it was a small church but there were so many people they couldn't have sit everyone, even with extra chairs. Noah did pretty well, too. Looked like pepole around him had been entertaining him. I was holding him upright, and Noah was looking back pew. I had a feeling that the guy on the back pew was making funny face at him. It kept him entertained for a while.;)

[nori]

AnnaSue, you posted while I was typing mine.:D Your MIL is a chain smoker also!!!??:eek: :eek: There's NO WAY you can leave Brendan with her. How can you trust she wouldn't smoke when he's around? You should ban smoking in the apartment, also. I hope you won't be end up in the hotel, but if that needs to be, that's you have to do, I guess. What a pain!! No advice on pack and play since I don't have one of those. Yes once the baby starts to move around, your whole life will change.:D

BTW MrsReber...hope your shoulder will get better soon!

[JoanneOR]

AnnaSue, the chain smoking just reinforces the idea that she should not be alone with Brendan! Will she be smoking in your house? I'd make her go outside. Especially if Brendan has congestion problems.

Sounds like Brendan is a strong boy to be moving already! We have a pack n play that we got when we had Jameson, I think it is a Graco. Ours is just a basic one, no frills. Some of them now also double as a bassinet, but Brendan is too old for that. We've actually only used it for traveling - the kids would sleep in it as babies. This might work, too: http://www.rightstart.com/global/store/product_detail.cfm?TID=02326841083958400307086083&Site=baby&rs_section=Safety&category=Child%20Safety%20%2D%20Gates&GroupID=2168275&GroupTP=Model

I don't know if that link worked. It's a bit long! If not, go to rightstart.com and search under gates.

Caitlyn seems to be doing good. Her fever did come back yesterday, but this morning she was OK. The doctor said she had an ear infection so she has an antibiotic, which she hates. She's really good at clamping her mouth shut when she sees it coming. She also told us to give her pulmicort for a few days to try to prevent any wheezing from developing.

Tomorrow we go back to close again on our refinancing. Supposedly, everything is worked out now. I certainly hope so! I'm going to look at all the figures closely to make sure they don't sneak that $350 in there!

Nori, is Noah's party coming up soon? Caitlyn's and Colin's is next Saturday. I'm getting a little stressed about it. We have about 20 adults and 15 kids coming. Our backyard is a disaster. We just took down our pool and I've been waiting for DH to get rid of it but it's still out there in pieces along with other junk. And, I have no idea what I'm doing food-wise. And, the house needs a major cleaning. I have to work Friday and we have a party to go to that night. So, basically, I'll be doing everything Saturday before the party. I'm thinking a cleaning service and catering would be good!

Well, better start working.

[nori]

Joanne, it's not fun that you have to give Caitlyn antibiotics.:( Poor baby, but glad she's doing okay.
Noah's birthday party will be Saturday after your party day. (23rd) It won't be any big, but I have more preparation to do. Catering and cleaning service sound good for that many people! Will you bake a cake??

[RunnerKim]

Joanne - look at it this way. You're being very efficient - you could have spent weeks agonizing and planning this party. Now you'll do it it mere days. :D Lainey hates antibiotics too - it'd take the 2 of us to give them to her and we'd have to sneak and do it so she couldn't "prepare." It took weeks for her to go back to liking her fluoride/vitamin dropper. I feel for you.

AnnaSue - I agree with everyone else. 2nd hand smoke is a big deal! I'd even think about requesting MIL wear a housecoat over her smokey clothes while holding the baby. Lainey's had her share of respiratory problems (hospitalized for pneumonia at 4.5 months even) so I take respiratory things seriously. My FIL smokes and he came to visit when Lainey was 2 months but he held her twice during the whole visit and he (of course) only smoked outside. Sounds like you have the situation well in hand though - we support ya :)

Brendan is quite the mover!! We have a pack 'n play (Graco 5-way) - it's set up all the time in our downstairs with the diaper changing piece on it. I've used it several times for her to sleep in (either when we have honored guests that I gave up our bed for when she was still sleeping in our room or when we travel). It's been very useful. That said - a lot of moms have told me their kids hate being in a pack 'n play awake. I know you're moving but can you just baby proof enough to feel safe letting him wiggle around? It's good for him to exercise those muscles. Maybe an x-pen might work better?? Umm - that's what they're called for dogs what are they called for kids??? a bunch of baby gates that form a circle (or you can just use them in a straight line to section off a part of the room etc.).

Nori - I think we will go with an aisle seat. DH and I talked last night and are leaning towards the January trip but we just don't know how strongly his mom wants us there for Christmas so he'll call her tonight and say "We looked at coming at Christmas but due to cost & availability of tickets we're thinking of coming the week of Jan. 20th" and seeing what she says. If it's important enough for her to have us there at Christmas and she offers to pay for Lainey's ticket then we'll go then. Otherwise they can just keep all their presents and we'll have Christmas in January with them. Not sure how much Lainey will be in to it at 15/16 months anyway? Figure she'll still be fascinated by the paper.

Glad Noah handled all the funeral activities well despite the disruption to his naps. You must be exhausted yourself, when does your DH return (he is on a trip right? now i'm second guessing my memory :confused: )

Kim

[MrsReber]

AnnaSue, I second what Kim says about the pack n' play. They're great to have for travel or if you have a 2 story house and you want the baby to nap downstairs. However, I personally wouldn't use it to keep a baby in one spot. It's very good for them to explore and be encouraged to learn how to move around. I second the vote for childproofing (which seems to be a never ending process, by the way!). We got our pack n' play from DH's sister. She said she only used it once. We don't use it that much, only when we go away, so I'm glad we didn't pay for one.

Yikes! No second hand smoke!! No!! DH has to agree with you on that! There are tons of articles that I've read about it. I read that even the lingering smoke on clothes and hair from chain smokers after they've had a cigarette is bad. I also support you 100% with your decision to not let MIL babysit. After you become a mom, your baby's health and safety is your first priority. Don't worry about whose feathers get ruffled. Hey, yes, if MIL did move in, I could write many books and then have enough money to buy her a new house and a new car so she wouldn't bother us anymore!

My shoulder feels much better today, but I still have a bit of discomfort when I move in certain directions. Silly me- I took the step class this morning. Probably not a good idea. My shoulder muscles felt very tired after that.

Kim, you'll do fine on your trip. Believe me, it's just fear of the unknown right now. I dreaded our flight to AZ with 2 babies and they did great. There was a little bit of fussing, but nothing we couldn't handle. Just try to stay relaxed so that Lainey picks up on your cues. I agree with Nori on the toys. Brenden's favorite toy was the plastic cup and a small empty bottle from DH's bloody mary. I felt like a weirdo letting him play with the bottle, but he screamed when we tried to take it away. Oh, and Casey was into opening presents last Christmas. She was 19 months then so Lainey may have fun with it.You'll be so surprised at how much she changes from a little baby into a little girl over the next few months. It's sad, but it's so amazing.

Joanne, glad to hear that everyone is okay for the moment. Have you thought about getting a cold cut platter and rolls for the party? Or maybe just pizza. That's all kids seem to eat anyway! Or cold cuts for the adults and pizza for the kids? Our local supermarket does a nice job with platters. That way you could just pick everything up Saturday morning. I'm sure your party will go well. I was surprised at how well Brenden's party went on what seemed like the hottest, most humid day of the year!

[nori]

Kim, your second guess is right, DH is on business trip since Monday afternoon. He was supposed to come home late tonight but I just got a call from him saying that he has to stay one more day. He rescheduled to the same flight so he'll be home late tomorrow night.:eek: It's been the longest time I spend time alone with Noah, and DH being away from him this long. I'm doing okay....not eating so well, though. I just can't cook well for one person. I've been eating cereal, some frozen leftovers etc, etc. Oh well.

MrsReber, I didn't know even those lingering smoke from their hair or clothes are bad!:eek: When we went to Japan, there were so many smokers I was worried Noah gets second hand smoke. Even at the restaurant, there's a non-smoking section but it's so close to the smoking section that it doesn't make any sense. I hated that. Take it easy on exercise, until your shoulder gets healed.;)

[AnnaSue]

Thanks for the advice on the Pack 'n Plays. Sounds like maybe they aren't really worth the money. I actually wouldn't use it very much at all since I want him to move around and explore, but I'm mainly just concerned about if I want to take a shower and that kind of thing where I wouldn't be able to keep an eye on him for a few minutes. What is the best thing to do in that situation? Maybe I could just put him in his crib for a few minutes?

I hadn't thought about the smoke on MIL's hair and clothes. She definitely won't be allowed to smoke in here. We'll have to look for something for her to put over herself when she holds Brendan. I feel so sorry for him for having to be handled by this woman! Unfortunately, our computer is in the loft part of our apartment, and that is where she will be staying. I have a feeling my computer time will be limited while she is here. :mad:

MrsReber.. I somehow missed what happened to your shoulder. Did you have some kind of injury? Thanks for the explanation on modular homes too. I had heard that term before, but never knew what it meant. Learned something new!

Joanne.. How are your party plans coming?

[paula]

Just a few words on "baby containers"... with twins, there is always someone whom I am unable to hold, and I have become quite familiar with many of the baby containment devices on the market. First, neither of my children are happy when placed awake in their cribs. They associate their cribs with sleeping and are convinced that I want them to nap. Until she outgrew it, DD loved her swing and would be content in it for upwards of an hour sometime. DS had no tolerance for the swing, but loved his bouncy seat. Like some of the other mothers on this board, I could put him in it, place it in the bathroom, and take a shower.

Once they had good head control, we moved to an exersaucer (stationary, no wheels). DS loved it immediately because he adores standing. Even before he had interest in the attached toys, he was thrilled to stand upright. Although contained to one location, he was able to practice holding himself upright and play with a variety of toys. DD, with much less interest in standing, was perfectly happy to simply sit in the exersaucer and watch the world go by in front of her.

I think AnnaSue's little boy is about 4 months old and this might be a good "container" for him. These are a little expensive, but are excellent yard sale finds because they are virtually indestructible. There is a discussion in one of the older threads about how many toys should be attached... Between home and daycare, my children have used three different models, and IMO, the number of attached toys really doesn't matter. We are regularly adding toys to even the most decorated model. One hint with a particularlly active child is to find one for which the seat spins easily- DS loved going round and round!

Now, at 7.5 months, DS is enthralled with a "Johnnie-Jump-Up" and uses it enthusiastically, while DD is content to sit in it and watch. It frequently hangs in the bathroom doorway while bathing the non-contained child, or showering myself.

(Of course, for true safety, all children should be supervised at all times, but please this is the REAL world. We do the best we can.)

Also, we love our Pack-n-Play. We use it as a crib for long weekends at grandma's house, but we also use it as a familar place to naps during day visits to local friends. I find that they both nap better in a place the looks and smells familiar, and with the pack-n-play, we are less likely to disturb normal nap routines. Thus, everyone (mother included) are in a much better mood! We will be buying a second one soon because they are getting too big to squeeze together into one.

Paula

[RunnerKim]

Paula - that's an excellent recommendation about the exersaucer. I never had one but my sister does and Lainey used it frequently at her house starting at 4 months until she started really crawling (and then didn't like to be contained but still plays with the toys from the outside). We have a master bath and I've somewhat baby-proofed oru bedroom (nothing unsafe she could get to, just still books sitting on the floor that she occaisonally likes to eat) so I just close the door and have toys on the floor for Lainey to play with while I shower.

I also wondered if it wasn't best to keep the crib as a sleeping place (vs. a play place). I don't know if it helps her sleep when she's in there or not.

Nori- I agree, it is hard to cook for just one person. I'm sure your DH is going to be so excited to see Noah (and you :D ).

DH talked to his mom last night and she thinks coming out in January is fine so that what we're planning to do. For those of you that travel how often are there empty seats on non-holiday flights? We're planning to fly Southwest airlines too (where the child seat price I was quoted was actually more than the regular airfare I could get off their web site.) DH and I can be so frugal that I'm tempted to risk it but I'm thinking it's probably worth $200 for her to have a seat. And I think we'll have to take our carseat.

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Paula, those are great suggestions. I was going to suggest the exersaucer, too. My boys loved it and would stay in there when I took showers even after they learned to walk. Caitlyn was never crazy about it. I would put her in the bouncy chair on the floor in the bathroom. The last time I did that she got ahold of four rolls of toilet paper that were sitting on the floor, out of her reach, I thought! She had a great time shredding them and throwing the pieces around the room! If DH isn't home I try to sneak in the shower when she is sleeping.

Kim, it's really hard to tell if the flight would be full or not. If you're traveling on MLK weekend it there's probably a chance there are more people flying. All you can really do is gamble and just buy tickets for the two of you. You can call the day before and ask if the flight is full. If it's not then you'll know you'll have a seat for her. Don't some airlines offer discounts for kids under two? Maybe they don't anymore. It's worth a try to ask. Maybe a travel agent would know which airlines do.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Caitlyn is over her illness with no other complications. She's not coughing or congested at all, so that is good. Poor Colin came down with the fever last night. We didn't even know he was sick, he was napping on the couch and I felt him and he was burning up. We gave him Motrin and a cool bath. He was fine this morning. So, hopefully it's just a day or two thing. Now we just wait for Jameson and Ian to get it.

Well, the party is next weekend. I'm leaning towards getting it catered. Much less stress. Although I enjoy cooking, I just don't know when I'll have the time to do it all. Or, I may just order pizza and make some salads.

We put Jameson in his own room last night. Colin had his own room, but he says he's scared of the Grinch and has spent every night for the last month on the floor of Ian and Jameson's room. So, we gave Colin's room to Jameson, so now Ian and Colin are together. Jameson always complains they keep him awake. Last night he was so funny. He went in his room and locked the door to keep them out. I didn't think that happened until they were teenagers! Now we have to do lots of furniture and clothes rearranging this weekend.

OK, I'm rambling enough! I just got to work after our closing (it went fine this time) and should start working!

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

[erinl]

Paula has some really good suggestions. Hanne never cared for a swing or a bouncy seat, but loved the exersaucer and johnnie-jump-up. I always tried to shower when Hanne was napping when she was little. Once she started getting a little bit mobile, I brought her into the bathroom with me. She would crawl around and explore, I would leave her bath toys out, and I could keep an eye on her from the shower.

For some reason, even though I click the button to get updates when someone posts, I'm not getting e-mailed. Thus, I get busy, forget to check and get WAY behind.

Thanks for all of the good wishes for the new home and DH's cousin. We're very excited about both. The house won't be ready until next year, but we have an appointment this weekend to select all of our colors and upgrades. The in-laws will babysit and then we're going to a birthday party for a friend's little boy. I told Paul that we aren't doing anything on Sunday. We've been going nonstop for two weeks now.

AnnaSue, even though we are building in Bolingbrook, we are in Plainfield school district. I think Hanne will be a year ahead of Brendan, though. She just turned 1 last month.

Well, I'd better go finish the mortgage application while Hanne is sleeping. Have a great day, everybody!

[MrsReber]

AnnaSue, everyone gave you great ideas for "containment". I can't think of any to add and I've done them all. The only problem I had with letting Brenden hang out on the floor of the bathroom was that he'd open the shower doors on me. Then he'd stand there and get all wet. I normally try to shower before they wake up or when DH is around so I can actually enjoy the shower without rushing so much. We got an exersaucer from SIL. It only had one toy on it! Casey and Brenden still loved it. We'd just put things on the tray for them to play with. I think the biggest thrill was that they could stand up and get a different view of the world. My brother gave us one of those doorway jumpers. That was a big hit, too. Wow, we got quite a bit of free stuff. I used to put Brenden in one of those vibrating seats, but one day while I was in the shower, he tipped it over and got out! That was the end of that. We have an infant to toddler rocking chair that would also work well. I think it's made by Fisher Price. That was big enough that it wouldn't tip over.

Nori, I hurt my shoulder when I fell out of bed in VA! I was right on the edge and I heard Brenden crying. I went to get up to get him and fell right off. It's feeling much better, but it's still not right.

Kim, I had the same problem with airfare. America West had an internet special price. I could get that price for me and DH, but I had to call them directly to get the half price ticket for Casey. When you call, you can't get half off the internet price, you can only get half off the regular price. Then, I had to have the woman make sure that all three seats were together. The flight was quite full both ways. I think a lot of that has to do with the airlines cutting back on the number of flights, too.

Joanne, I hope everyone is feeling good today! Your life is quite hectic, but you are so blessed to have 4 great kids. I guess it goes along with the territory. I think if you want to make something for the party, making salads is a great idea. There are so many that don't involve a lot of work and can be thrown together at the last minute. Go for the pizza- I see how the kids devour it at parties.

[nori]

When Noah was still newborn, I'd used to carry him in his infant carseat whenever I had to some errands around the house (taking shower, laundry etc. etc.) We didn't get pack'n play, although I thought of getting it several times...now what I do is there's a gate in his room so I'd put him in his room, as long as he can play by himself, or just hold him one arm and do something with the another.:rolleyes:

Kim, I have to agree with Joanne, it's hard to tell. I'd say it is probably worth to pay $200 for Lainey's seat, if you can afford it. Keeping them on your lap all the time is such a hard work!

Joanne, I wonder if flu or cold is going around there....? Poor Colin, hopefully it'll stop there, not spreading to Jameson and Ian.:( Is Jameson the oldest? (sorry if I remember wrong...) so Colin had his own room and Jameson wasn't? I though Jameson was the one having his own room. (I think you mentioned about those room arrangement thing when Caitlyn came along, I don't remember so well...) How funny about locking the door to keep away his brothers.:D

erin, have fun choosing colors and stuff for your new house! That'll be a lot of fun. Hope you and DH would be able to come to agree nicely.:D

MrsReber, it was AnnaSue who asked about your shoulder.:D I almost fall off from the bed this morning. I hit my shoulder with the dresser and realized I'm getting so close to the edge, so I moved over toward more center of the bed. Noah was in the bed with me (since DH's gone:p ), and I was on the edge because I wanted to have Noah in the center of the bed.:)

DH called around Noah's bedtime last night. I was in his room, dark, and he was almost fall asleep. And there's that call.:rolleyes: I started to talk to him (it was my cell phone) and Noah got up and try to grab the phone. He sometimes managed to push keys and each time he did, it beeped and made the whole phone illuminated. Noah liked it so much, so he played that way while I talked to DH. At one point I put the phone on his ear so he could hear daddy. He was just listening to him.:) It was cute. It'll be nice to see him tonight.

This Saturday we have a supper club. Theme is "happy hour" and everyone is bringing appetizer and drink. I can't wait to get started cooking!:)

[MrsReber]

Whoops, Nori, you're right! I read through all the posts before my last response and I got confused trying to keep it all straight!

I still do things around the house with one hand. It seems that as soon as I get to put one child down, the other one comes over and, seeing that I have a free arm, wants to be held. It's rough, but I try to remember that someday they won't want to be held anymore. On the plus side, my left arm is becoming quite strong. I picked up a 5lb bag of potatoes at the store one day and thought "wow, this doesn't weigh anything". And to think, I used to get tired arms from holding a 7 pound baby! Now at times I have to hold both of them at once!

All this week, when I get to daycare, Brenden is at the table eating a snack. As soon as I get home, he wants to eat more. He's an eating machine. He's still nice and thin, though. He ate so much food at dinner last night. I gave him three helpings of macaroni salad! Guess he's a growing boy. Mom mom is at my house with the kids today. She said Brenden looks really big to her. He's a tall boy.

[RunnerKim]

HaHa Susan - you're going to have to continue working just to keep Brenden in food! :eek: I still remember my first week away at college and just being in awe over how much those boys ate (growing up with 2 sisters).

Okay I've decided to not be a cheapskate and just buy Lainey a ticket too. I don't need the stress - I'm worth it :D Otherwise I don't think I'll be too stressed about the trip. Just remind me I said that when January rolls around.

Susan - I'd assumed that America West half-price was good for any of their tickets! Christmas is definitely out now (as that would make it over $1000 probably). I love my in-laws but you know what I could do with money like that?!!

Nori - that's so cute about the phone!

Oh - Bad Mommy story. Lainey's been really fussy about being put in her car seat for a couple of weeks. Then I realized that it was probably time to loosen the straps - with the infant seat I did it adjusted every time you buckle so I'm not used to thinking about it. Well now that I've loosen the straps (but still snug) she doesn't fuss at all about being put in. :o I jsut thought she wasn't liking being restricted. :o

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Nori, yes, Jameson is the oldest. Then Ian, then Colin. Before Caitlyn was born Jameson and Ian were in the same room. Colin had his own because as a baby I put him in his own room so he wouldn't wake up his brothers. When Caitlyn was born and Colin went into a bed I told Jameson he could have his own room and Colin and Ian would share. Jameson wanted no part of it. He doesn't like to be alone. But since Colin's been sleeping on the floor we figured we needed to do something. We talked to Jameson about it again and this time he was excited to do it. I guess his brothers have been bugging him too much! He is so funny. He is like a little old man sometimes. He worries if he doesn't get to sleep at a certain time that he'll be tired the next day. Ian and Colin, on the other hand, usually play around for an hour before they actually go to sleep. Jameson gets mad because they are interrupting his sleep! That's more than anyone probably wanted to know, but it's Friday and I'm bored!

Mrs Reber, you're right, we are very blessed. Sometimes my DH has to remind me when I get a bit flustered! Sometimes we'll just look at the kids and be like, wow, I can't believe we made them!

I've gotten really good at doing things with one hand. Sometimes I'll even forget I've got Caitlyn in my arm; I'm so used to her being there.

The boys have been eating like crazy lately, too. We've noticed that they will go through spurts where they will eat everything in sight for a few days then slow down again. Must be growth spurts. They've been wearing shorts all summer; I'm afraid to try on their pants for school, they are probably all too short.

[MrsReber]

Joanne, your boys do sound like lots of fun. I wish I had a bigger family, but 2 is all we can handle right now and DH doesn't want more. I can live with that. At least I had the opportunity to bring these two wonderful children into this world. DH and I do the same thing that you do- we look at our kids and wonder how we got so lucky.

Kim, they do get you with that half price thing! It's not really fair, in my opinion. We paid $336 for our tickets and then I figured Casey's would be half of that. When I called up, they told me they could only give me half of the regular fair since they couldn't give me the internet price over the phone. Casey's seat was around $200! Our trip was quite expensive, which is why we don't do it all that often. That's only the second time DH and I have been to AZ. The first time, my dad paid for our trip because he was throwing a big party for my step-mother's birthday. He found us tickets for $200 a piece, too! Your trip will go much better than you expect. I always worry about trips with the kids, but they do great.

[nori]

MrsReber...I can handle most of stuff with Noah on one arm, but my DH can't even just hold him (without doing anything) more than, oh maybe 5 min. around the house.:rolleyes: Haven't seen him holding Noah longer than that. Now when we're out without stroller, he'd carry him, but most of the time he carries him on his shoulders saying it's much easier. Brenden sounds like a great eater. Kim is right, you may have to work just to support food budget.:D

Kim...that reminded me of our carseat's strap, too...maybe it's about time. Lainey must be so happy mommy noticed about tight strap.:)

Joanne, thanks for explanation! No it wasn't too much. I enjoyed that. It's funny to find out how kids are different...I autimatically thought the oldest would get his own room. But sounds like now Jameson needs his own room. 3 boys going through growth spurts sounds kinda scary.:eek: You should be doing your grocery shopping at Costco or Sam's Club. I've seen some familes with several kids buying tons of foods (like veggies, perishable etc.) there and so fascinated about how much they need to buy.:eek: Well if we have another boy or two (I'm thinking just one more...), it'll be our routine, though.

Noah was so funny today. He wanted to get to Cookie's cage. It's close to the table and chairs. I don't want him to get to it, since it'll probably scare Cookie (if Noah hold the cage and stand up). But everytime he was on the floor, that's his destination.:rolleyes: So I put two chairs around the cage so he won't be able to go through easily. He was trying so hard, ducking down and try to go through under the lower chair structure( supporting pole-thing). His head was almost on floor, and he was pushing so hard but could not go through. He was smart, though. He came back to the other side and come through from where I didn't put the chairs.

He finally went down for nap....it was around 4pm. I feel like his nap time is slipping back to later time...it used to be around 3-ish.

Have a nice weekend, everyone!

[JoanneOR]

Kim, your story about the straps reminded me about when we went to California when Jameson was 10 months old. We rented a car seat and when we put him in it he would scream. I could tell the straps were too tight, but DH said they were fine. After driving an hour with a screaming baby, we finally stopped. Took Jameson out and the poor guy had big red marks on his shoulders where the straps were digging in. DH finally believed me and adjusted them.

I'm thinking about baking a cake (probably two) for the party. This seems like a dumb question, but I'd be making sheet cakes. How do you get them out of the pan?? Before when I've served them I just serve them in the pan. But, I'd want to make this a bit nicer, so I'd like to be able to take the whole thing out and decorate it. Do you line the pan with something? I should probably go ask on the food board. Colin says he wants a chocolate cake with chocolate chips inside with chocolate frosting. You can tell he's his mother's son! I'm thinking about the texas sheet cake. Then I'll make a non-chocolate one, too. That can be Caitlyn's. I think I'm going to take Friday off of work. I have the time and it would just make things easier.

Nori, we do shop at Costco! We probably go there at least twice a month. I don't even want to know how much we spend there. It's scary. I'm getting nervous about the teenage years. I can't imagine how much food we will go through.

Do your babies still take two naps? Caitlyn does, but her morning one is getting later and then her afternoon one is, too. Sometimes she's waking up at 6:00 from her afternoon nap, so it's pushing her bedtime later. I can't remember what age the boys were when they switched to one nap. It sounds like maybe Noah is getting ready to give up one nap.

DH took the boys to Chinatown. So, it's just me and Caitlyn for a few hours. She's napping now. I'm going to go down and starting moving clothes around while I can do it without any "assistance"!

[valchemist]

Joanne,
I hope I helped answer your question about cakes on the thread you started on the food board. Let me know if I can be of more help.
Val

[nori]

Joanne, I love Texas Sheet Cake! As for your cake question, Val mostly answered I think, but if it's a sheet cake using jelly-roll pan (like Texas Sheet Cake), I'd definetely put some sheet underneath the cake, because it looks much harder to get it out than from 13x9-inch pan. Noah still takes 2 naps. One in the morning, one in the afternoon. I hope he's not ready to give up one of those naps!:eek: As you know, nap time is when I can do my stuff without little help.;) Shopping at Costco twice a month for grocery sounds pretty normal having 3 boys in the household.:D But I agree with you, kind of scary, huh? DH's cousins are 3 boys (in one family) and his aunt said she can't believe the amount of food she's preparing and how fast it'll be gone.:eek: Oh, all 3 boys are athletic, playing football and basketball, fields etc.

I got this coupon from Sears for pictures. Have any of you used them? The deal I have (at least shown on the coupon) is $7.99 for package (including 2 8x10, 2 5x7, 4 3 1/2x5 and 40 wallets, no session fee). Sounds like a great price, but I wasn't sure if there's any hidden cost or how's their quality etc. Maybe I can give it a try for his 1-year portrait...if anyone have comments or experience with them, I'd appreciate it. (I'm just being cautious since Erin's thread about Picture People.)

6am Sunday morning, Noah woke me up around 5 and went back to sleep, but somehow I couldn't!!! Oh well.

[cchhbb]

Nori, I love Sears for pictures, but I think a lot depends on the photographer. They have some cute props. I usually don't get the package, but use their coupon for sheets for $5 or so. For Garrett's 6 month picture, he's wearing a firefighter hat and is sitting next to a toy fire truck. It's really cute.

Kim, Thanks for reminding me. I've been saying for a couple of weeks that I need to move the straps to the next slot for Garrett. I mentioned it to DH, but I think he's forgotten. I need to get that taken care of.

Joanne, Garrett takes 2 -3 naps per day. They only last an hour each. Usually around 9, 12:30 and 4.

Yesterday was a crazy day. DH woke Garrett up from his morning nap after only 25 minutes. Garrett wouldn't go back to sleep. We then went to our Alumni picnic about 40 minutes away. Of course Garrett didn't sleep in the car. We were there about 4 hours and then drove home. Of course, Garrett didn't sleep on the way home. He crashed as soon as we walked in the door and slept from 5 - 8 pm. waking up once only to eat. Our neighbors came by then to visit and woke him up with the doorbell. Garrett then played until 9:30 before he went to bed. Poor kid. He's really tired today. They said that he was really clingy at Church.

Garrett starts Preschool September 2. I can't wait. He's going to go 2 days a week during the morning. His nurshery teacher is his preschool teacher. I think he should really like it.

Cheryl

[erinl]

Hanne has been on one nap a day for a couple of months now. It's usually about 9:30-10:30 and lasts for about 2.5 hours. Her sleep has been a little messed up lately and she's only been napping for 1.5 hours. Then she'll usually snuggle up to me and fall asleep for a little bit in the afternoon.

[navandoren]

hi everyone - this thread sure does move fast. i am trying to keep up, but getting used to being a mom is keeping me very busy, as i am sure you all know.

mrsreber - i hope your shoulder is feeling better. sounds like you had a nice trip though, despite the fall.

kim - i know southwest does the same thing where you can only get the half fair on the full price ticket. we just bought tickets to go to arizona in oct and the internet deal was actually cheaper than the halfprice infant rate, so we bought 3 tickets at the internet rate. my mom and i are going to see my sister to introduce my new little guy to her family. i am really looking forward to seeing griffin with his cousins.

joanne - wow, you do sound busy with your kids. how do you manage to find time for yourself? i am wondering how i can find time for myself with just one kid. though i am already thinking about baby #2 - DH would like to wait a bit. i think in about 6-8 months we will begin to try though. i had such a difficult time getting pregnant this time, that i am nervous about waiting too long.

nori - thats soo cute about playing with the phone. i try to let fin listen to his daddy on the phone too when i call him at work. he is probably a little young for that but he seems to enjoy it anyway.

erin - congrats on the house - it sounds like you are in for a lot of fun picking everything out!

cheryl - preschool - how exciting! thats nice that he will have a familiar face in his teacher.

well, fin and i have been pretty busy getting used to each other. he is soo amazing, and i am feeling blessed every day - even if he is screaming his head off. breastfeeding is going tremendously better. thanks to everyone for all of your encouragement on that last month. i am not feeling like a pro yet - but i am feeling much more confident. i am soo glad i stuck it out as it was something i really wanted to be able to do for him. now we are trying to work on establishing somewhat of a schedule.

he is sleeping pretty good at night, although he doesnt go down until about 11 or midnight, he does sleep until about 5 or 6am. then he will eat and usually sleep for another 3 hours. i just need to figure out how to get him to go to bed earlier in the evening. he is pretty fussy from about 6pm until about 9pm - which is hard because during the week that is really the only time DH gets with him. i let him nap in my arms alot during the day, and as a result have a really hard time getting him to stay asleep if i put him in his crib for a nap (he is still in a basinnett in our bedroom overnight). any tips on getting him to nap in his crib during the day?

we are having a christening for him at our house on saturday so i am looking forward to that. it will just be a small crowd - just grandparents, godparents and SIL and her family. i am hoping that he will be good so i can show him off. my mom is going to help me get everything ready on friday, so hopefully saturday will go off without a hitch.

hope everyone else is doing well. i better run and get a shower while he is still asleep.

nicole

[MrsReber]

Hello. I have to make this quick. I hear Brenden stirring. I thought he'd sleep later! I do have to get started on my real work, too, thouhg. I'm a bad employee right now, playing on the BB!

About 2 weeks ago, Brenden stopped taking 2 naps. Now he seems to go down around 11:00 or 12:00 and he'll sleep for a couple of hours. Actually, he slept for 3 hours on Friday and almost 4 hours on Saturday! At daycare, he tends to only sleep for an hour. We were really blessed with him, though. He hardly ever even stirs at night. It's amazing. Then there's Casey, who is up almost every night. She's been better about climbing into our bed. She did sneak in Saturday night. Other than that, she was in her own bed for four out of the past 5 nights. It's an improvement.

I better go get my little man before he wakes up his sister! I was enjoying the quiet morning. She was up late watching the beginning of shark week on Discovery. She just loves fish.

[JoanneOR]

Nori, I've used Sears with mixed results. When Jameson was a baby, that's where we had all his pictures taken. They were fine. But, it all depends on the photographer. I took the three boys there when Colin was a baby. It was a nightmare. The girl was just not kid friendly. Then she got mad at the kids because they wouldn't smile. Just to warn you, you'll probably wind up spending much more than you think! The first photo they take is the one they use for the promotion. Then they take at least three of four more. I always wind up purchasing some of those sheets, too.

Nicole, I totally understand how it is with a new baby! I'm not sure when I find time for myself! Actually, now that the boys are older, they entertain themselves alot. When Caitlyn naps I can get a few things done. Once Fin starts going to bed at an earlier hour, you'll have a few hours in the evening. My DH is great about taking the boys out for a few hours when he can see I am getting a bit flustered! He's on disability now, but is going back to work next month, so things will be a bit more difficult when he's working again. I'll be on my own more with kids.

I've found with all my kids that they would go to bed late (around 11 or 12) when they were newborns. I'm not sure exactly when they starting going earlier, but it was probably around 3-4 months old. The same thing with naps in the crib. I wish I could remember how I got them to nap in the crib, but it's a blur!! I just remember that they all spent most of their time napping until they were about 3 months old either on my chest, in a swing, or in the car seat. I think they are just not used to the big world yet and the crib is too overwhelming. Sometimes I would put the car seat in the crib and they would sleep there.

Mrs Reber, do you get the Discovery Kids channel? Jameson just loves it. He learns so much. He's always telling me stuff that I had no idea about. He would rather watch that than cartoons.

Caitlyn took a four hour nap yesterday. She must be having a growth spurt or something. It was good, because I finally finished stripping the wallpaper off the kitchen. I spent four hours scrubbing glue off the walls. If I never see another inch of wallpaper, it'll be too soon! Nothing but paint for us. I'm glad I got it done before the party, though. We also got all the kids room's rearranged. It was good to get some things done around the house.

Valchemist, thanks for the cake advice on the food board. The orange cake looks good. If I don't make it this weekend I'll probably try it for Jameson's birthday next month. He loves anything orange.

Hope everyone has a good week!

[MrsReber]

Joanne, we don't have Discovery Kids. Actually, I'm not even sure if our cable company has it. Interesting. Casey would rather listen to music than watch tv. She's constantly turning the tv off and putting her cd's on. I think that's great. DH, on the other hand, is getting tired of the same songs over and over!! I saw that they offer Time magazine for different age groups, too. Casey's a bit young for that yet.

I'm glad to see the picture debate about Sears. I really need to get pictures of the kids done. The last time I had any taken was for Christmas! I was going to go back to the Picture People, but I'm kind of bored with their props. They don't seem to get any new ones or any new ideas, for that matter. I was thinking of JC Penny or Sears. My SIL has had good luck with Walmart, too.

[RunnerKim]

Nicole - Griffin's night time routine sounds just like Lainey's was. I remember people asking if she slept throught night and I'd say yeah - if you count going to sleep at 11pm (considering I like to be asleep no later than 10pm, it wasn't exactly what I needed). She just gradually started going to sleep earlier -- I'd realize she was tired and go hmmm I wonder if I could get her to sleep now? I returned to work when she was 11 weeks and I'm pretty sure she was going down by 9pm then. It quickly moved to 8pm within the next month and she started sleeping a little later too. Just in the last month moving from 5-5:30 to after 6 most mornings (I think because she gets so worn out at daycare). We held Lainey almost all day when she was less than 4 months - I still recall how excited I was the beginning of Dec (so about 12 weeks) when I put her down for her first nap in her bouncy seat (okay she actually just fell asleep on her own in it). She still mostly slept in our arms but about that time would often nap in her infant car seat (DH was convinced she slept better in that position than in the pack 'n play or upstairs in her crib and since he was the one home with her I didn't argue. It wasn't until she was more mobile and it wasn't safe to leave her unstrapped/napping in her car seat that we started putting her in her crib. Her nap schedule had siginificantly become more predictable by then too.

I'm so pleased that breastfeeding has improved for you!!

Lainey's still on 2 naps. Often a decent one in the morning 1.5-2 hours and then shortly after I leave her at lunch (1pm) she'll take another one for 45-60 minutes. ON the weekends these naps often happen while we run errands or go somewhere.

Joanne - a 4 hour nap!! Wow, she must be growing. I don't think Lainey's ever napped for 3 hours. It does feel good to get stuff down around the house -- I need some of that feeling :D DH is building the L shaped babygate for kitchen that has a couple of stairs down from it. By the time we get it put up she's going to have figured out how to go down stairs. She already goes up our entire flight of stairs but keeps wanting to go down them forwards. She's definitely a climber.

Kim

[MrsReber]

Kim, Casey is a real climber, too! She NEVER went down the stairs backwards. She always insisted on going forward, like everyone else. As much as it scared me, I noticed that the only time she would fall was when I'd help her! She was quite good on the stairs by herself. Don't know how that happened. Brenden has the good sense to go down backwards. The only problem we have is when we're out front. We have a short step that certainly would never conform to building code. We have no idea why it was built that way, but Brenden will stand on it and cry because he can't figure how to step down a 2 inch step. How is everything going with DH's job and the daycare situation? I hated daycare at first, too, but it's reassuring now to know that my children are having fun all day. Sometimes I feel a bit jealous because they do so much fun stuff there. When they're home with me, we just read, play on the floor or take a walk. Casey is going through a weird phase where she wants to be home all the time. If I take her out to the store real quick, she'll be asking to go home after 10 minutes.

Well, I'm trying to work, but nobody at my office is responding or giving me anything to do! I'm going to call out on Wednesday. DH is going for a colonoscopy and he has to be there at 6:30am. He said he'd get someone else to take him, but I don't see any volunteers for coming over at 5:30am or for watching both kids for an unknown amount of time (daycare opens at 7:00 so they're coming with us!). I don't have many vacation days left so I'm forced to call out sick. My sister thinks I should explain to my boss and tell him that I'm taking a sick day. I don't think it really matters one way or the other. I'd hate for him to tell me to take a vacation day. I haven't been out sick in a while, if ever, this year.

[RunnerKim]

Susan - sounds like a sick day to me :D My company has actually switched to "personal days" and I don't think there's the criteria to use it only on myself anymore. I know DH only has a certain number of his sick days he's allowed to use for dependents. Seems silly to me to distinguish like that.

DH's job is going well. He's really enjoying being back at work - I think he even relishes talking about all the annoying politics that go on. We've been able to work our schedules out so we ride the bus in and home together. He's temporarily working at a building only a few blocks away (while a co-worker is out on leave). I hope they keep him at this building vs. sending him back to the one about a mile away. I have a half hour shorter work day so I have time to feed her breakfast in the morning and one of us is always there mid-day (sometimes both). I love watching her for a bit when I arrive to see her playing. We're getting to know the teachers since we spend time there. the teachers were just talking about how sad they were as school was approaching so they'd lose a couple of the kids that have been there since they were babies (apparently all their pre-schoolers have been there since being a baby). She does cry when I leave which makes it hard but she cries when I leave the room at home too. The funny thing is she doesn't get all happy when I arrive - she often cries. My intrepretation is she sees me but is across the room and is instantly unhappy that I'm not holding her. I have to figure out what to do for her birthday there. I'm bummed I can only take in commercially made food.

Oh, I'm feeling like a good mommy. Yesterday I gave her some black beans (we were having taco salad) and she ate them right up! This morning I'd made a rye bread for breakfast (sweeter - has molasses, cinnamon, ginger) and Lainey wanted some and she loved it. Makes me feel good to think she's eating nutritious foods! Now if I could just manage to get dinner ready by the time Lainey needs to eat. How do you all manage family dinners???

Kim

[JoanneOR]

I am so bored at work today! I have things to do, but am just not into it. Only anther hour and a half. I felt so bad last night. Colin asked me if I had to go to work today and I said yes. He started crying and asked me to stay home. I told him mommies and daddies have to work sometimes. He asked if he could come visit me. Then he said, but who will make my breaf-kist (that's how he says breakfast!). I told him daddy would like always. He was just really out of sorts yesterday. I'm not sure what's going on with him. Just normal four year old stuff, I'm sure. Maybe his birthday party this weekend will make him feel better.

Kim, it sounds like you've all made the transition to DH working well. That's great that you and Lainey are both happy with the day care. Caitlyn does the same thing, if she see me walk into the room, she cries because she wants me to pick her up. She is perfectly happy until she sees me.

Alot of times I'll wind up feeding Caitlyn before we eat dinner. I can tell she's hungry, so I'll feed her while I'm getting our dinner ready. That way, she's happy and I have two free hands! Then while we eat, I'll give her some crackers or something to munch on. Lately, she hasn't been eating solids too well. She throws most of them on the floor. I guess it's a new game for her.

Caitlyn loves to climb too. She doesn't do the stairs very often, I think it scares her a little. But, if I am sitting on the floor, she always wants to climb up me. She's really gotten pretty strong.

Mrs. Reber, I remember when the boys were Brenden's age. We have a small step in front of our house, too, and they would always have a hard time getting down it. More than a few spills!

Good luck with your DH's test. Hope it turns out well. I would go ahead and take a sick day. They changed our to administrative days from sick days. That way you can use them for other things.

[nori]

Thanks for your opinion about Sears photo. I'm still deciding what to do. It says with very fine print "No session fee. Package is made from first accepted pose. Additional poses taken-no obligation to buy....." does this mean if I stick with one pose, it'll be only $ 7.99 as it says on the coupon? Joanne, I have a feeling that I might end up buying some other stuff, though.:D

MrsReber, I'd say it's a sick day, too.:) Hope your DH's test will turn out good.

Joanne, it must have broken your heart to see Colin being so sad.:( What a sweet little boy! I'm sure he'll be happy to have a party this weekend, though.

Kim, I usually give Noah some snacky thing (cherrios, pretzel, corn chips etc.) while I'm cooking dinner, then before I sit down, I'd bring some baby-food (jar, or mashed food) in case he's in mood to eat some of those. Nowadays, he usually ends up eating food from my plate, unless it's spicy. He doesn't like to be fed anymore. He even eats his cereal (I make it very thick) with his hand.:o

I was looking at the Pregnancy thread last year in August when I had that scary bleeding. I read some posts after I left to the hospital (which I didn't read at that time) and I'm so touched so many people cared for me. I could not have gone that through without all of your support. This is really a great place to be! I remember now at the hospital, I was thinking of this board a lot since my last post was something you'd want to know the conclusion. ( I believe I said "I'm heading out to go to the hospital just in case", then no posting from me for several days) I can't believe it'll be almost an year!:eek:

[JoanneOR]

Nori, yes, that's what the fine print at Sears means. They make the 7.99 package from the first portrait you select and then they take some others using different backgrounds and props. Then you have the option of buying those or just sticking with the 7.99 package. I would usually go in for the package and wind up spending close to $100. I just couldn't not get the other pictures, which is what they are counting on, of course! When we were cleaning out our desk this weekend, I found a bunch of extra pictures of the kids that I never used. Some I had forgotten about because I didn't frame them. They are so cute though. The boys look so little. It's amazing to see how much they've changed. I'm glad that the boys now get their pictures taken at school, so I'm not taking them in anymore. I do need to decide where to take Caitlyn for her one year pictures, though.

Nori, I was doing the same thing a few weeks ago. I went back to look at the old pregnancy threads and I was reading the ones after I had found out about Caitlyn's heart defects. Everyone was so wonderful and supportive, just like you said. It was a really difficult time for me and my DH, while really supportive, doesn't like to talk about stuff like that. We handle things like that differently. I need to talk about it and know what to expect. He'd rather keep it inside.

[MrsReber]

Kim, that's so great that Lainey eats healthy stuff. I'm still working on Casey! Brenden eats anything. I made very high fiber mini carrot muffins and he just eats them up! Casey won't even try one. Dinner time is rough. We walk in the door at 6:00 and most days the kids are starving. I have to sit them down with a snack. Sometimes I can hold them off if I'm making something quick for dinner. However, since Casey most often will not eat what we're eating, it's not a big deal to feed them before we eat. I do try to get everyone to sit down at the table together and I offer each child a small bowl of what we're eating. Brenden will usually pick. Casey will usually tell me "I don't like it" even if it's something she's eaten before :rolleyes: . It's a wonder that kids gains any weight at all! I've been giving her the high fiber smoothie so at least she gets some fiber. If I ask her what she wants for dinner, she'll tell me fruit snacks or cheese.

Looks like it's a sick day. DH is still telling me that I don't have to drive him. He says he'll drive himself there and then I can pick him up. I told him it'll be too much of a hassle to drive back later and get the truck. Then he says we should let the kids sleep and have someone come over to babysit. Oh, yeah, no problem. At 5:30 am?? I can't rely on his family to show up for dinner at a certain time. They're really going to help us out at 5:30am? Besides, we don't know how long we'll be at the hospital. I don't think the kids would react very well to waking up and having someone else there (a virtual stranger). I can't believe that I have to convince my own husband that I want to be there for him! I feel like shouting at him "I am your wife!! It's my job to do these things for you!" Also, I think I'm quite capable of handling the 2 kids since I do it all the time. I figure I'll just take the kids to eat some breakfast while we're waiting.

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, your DH sounds exactly like mine. When he had his hip replacement, he told me he didn't want me to come to the hospital. He was totally serious. I told him of course I would be there, I wanted to be there. He said I should stay home with the kids. I think his sister came over that morning to stay with the kids. It doesn't sound like your DH's procedure will take too long, I'm sure the kids will be fine. It'll be an adventure for them.

Casey sounds like Colin as far as eating. He is so picky. Ian used to be the same way, but has gotten better. We always make them at least try whatever we are having. No matter what it is, Colin always acts like it is the worst tasting stuff in the world. He mostly eats starches, like pancakes, waffles, toast. Only bland stuff. Caitlyn will try just about anything, which is good. Hopefully she'll be a good eater.

Is anyone starting the transition to whole milk yet? It will be nice not to buy formula anymore! I'm going to wait until her one year appt., though, and ask her ped. if we should switch. I don't know if they want her to stay on it a little longer because of her heart condition.

I think we've got the party figured out. We decided to make the food. So far we're having baked ziti (I think I got the recipe from this board), fried chicken (we'll buy that), a chopped salad, fruit salad, burgers, hot dogs, and maybe italian sausage. Nothing too fancy. I may add another side dish and I have to think of a few appetizers. I decided to get the cake at Costco, instead of baking them. I got my DH's birthday cake there and it was delicious and inexpensive. I'm going to make Valchemist's oreo cookies from the food board, too. They sound great and it would be too dangerous for me to make them just for us! I'm going to take Friday off so I can do all the shopping and make some of the food.

[MrsReber]

Joanne, what is wrong with these men? I feel like telling him that when I took my vows, I signed up for trips to the hospital and a life time of worrying about him. I'm probably more nervous about the test results than he is!

I wanted to mention before how sad it must have been for you having your son ask you to stay home. That would break my heart, too. Casey loves being at home. For now, she doesn't know the words to use to tell me she wants to stay home. We try to put a real positive spin on daycare on Mondays. We tell her she's going to go and see all of her friends again. She's been telling me no lately when I ask her if she wants to go to school on Tuesday.

We switched Brenden over to whole milk just before his first birthday. We took the bottles away, too. I have to admit, it was great to get rid of all of them. Much more room on the counters! The doctor says Brenden should drink 24 oz of milk a day! That seemed like a lot to me. I think we get a good 12-15 oz in him, but I also let him snack on cheese. That should count for something, right? The doctor gave me new vitamins at his one year visit. These don't contain iron. Is that right? Do they not need the iron when they drink whole milk? I would think they wouldn't need iron when they're on formula, which is high in iron. I must be confused.

Wow, Joanne, you will need Friday off to make all that food! It does sound like fun, though. I love making stuff for parties. Of course, when the party rolls around, I get all stressed out. I do that to myself. I really do love to make food for other people. I always worry that they won't like it. I'm way too paranoid.

[erinl]

We switched Hanne to whole milk about a week before her 1 yr appt. She had no problems, and drinks 16-24 oz a day. She won't drink it out of a sippy cup, though.

[RunnerKim]

I was wondering about the whole milk switch too. Lainey already drinks cold formula so I'm hoping it won't be a big deal. She drinks water from her sippy cup without any problem. Since that's all she's ever gotten from a sippy cup I'll bet she'll be surprised when we put milk in it (which is I guess what we should do). She does get about 24oz of formula now (3-4 for breakfast, 6-8 at lunch, 5 for snack, and 8 at bed time). I want to switch her snack to food and give her formula/milk at dinner though.

Susan - I think the iron has more to do with needing so much during the first year of development (particularly for the brain). I'm guessing they're not growing quite so fast after the first year and thus don't need so much (and you can have too much iron).

I think DH's must be the same in regards to "needing help." My DH would do the same thing - "don't bother, I can handle it etc." I knew he was in a lot of pain the one time he wanted me to drive him to the doctor's office.

Joanne - that sounds like a fabulous menu!! I love the baked ziti recipe I got off the food board. I always make up an extra pan or two and freeze it. I use the one with sour cream. Hmmm - I might have to squeeze that in to the menu this week now. I have to admit my foodie status has lowered since parenthood - just converted to using jarred tomato sauce. It's actually pretty good and so much less work. I'll have to go check out Valchemist's oreo recipe - I don't read the food board much right now.

Well - the black beans probably weren't the best idea. They ummm came out pretty much the way they went in. I just bought frozen carrot coins (crinkle slices) and that's working great for her (I do break them up into pieces as her top teeth are still tiny. I'm happy to start getting more veggies she can eat herself. Although it looked like those were coming through intact too. :confused:

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, I think my ped. told me that once they are eating solids, they are probably getting enough iron that way. Since Brenden is such a good eater, he's probably fine without an iron supplement. I found these chewy vitamins for the boys that are like gummy bears. I think they have iron, I have to look at the label. They are for kids two and up, though. They are the only vitamins I can get them to take.

Kim, that's funny about the beans. I'm not sure why that would happen. They are probably still good for her though, maybe some of them got digested!

The baked ziti is the one with sour cream. Must be the same one you are talking about. I'm glad to hear you like it. I'm always nervous about making food for other people, too, like Mrs. Reber said. I probably stress way too much about it! Usually everything turns out fine.

Colin did make me feel sad the other night. I do feel bad leaving them to go to work. It really has made a difference going from two days a week at home to one. Colin goes back to preschool next week already. He loves school, so I think that will be good for him. He is so funny. He always talks about this little girl in his class. I had asked him who he wanted to invite to his birthday party and he said "Delaney". I said, who else? He said, no one, just Delaney! I thought that was cute. Jameson and Ian start back the week after. Jameson will be in first grade and Ian in kindergarten. Yikes! They're growing up so fast.

[MrsReber]

Kim, lots of stuff comes out the same way! Isn't that fun?! Corn is especially in tact when it comes out. I think we have had episodes with bluberries and maybe even grapes.

What is this about a baked ziti recipe with sour cream? I'm not on the food board much either. Now I feel like I missed something really good! I'm always looking for something that's easy to put together and freeze for later in the week. I've been trying to get back over to the food board. I need more time and less work!

Okay, so I shouldn't be worried about the vitamins not having iron. That's good. I'm making all this high fiber stuff for Casey (mostly breads and muffins). Brenden is always eating her food- and all the food. He is certainly reaping the benefits of a high fiber diet! DH says he is doing well, too. Anyway, I have been trying to up the milk intake. They're more interested in watered down juice and plain water. Not that they don't like milk. I add some Ovaltine and both kids will drink a cup before going to bed. Their diapers are plenty wet, too, so I know they're at least getting enough fluids. Guess we just need to be more diligent with the milk, although the doctor was okay with chees, too.

[RunnerKim]

Susan - I haven't given Lainey any juice yet so that's probably why she's drinking more formula too.

Joanne that has to be tough when they can ask you to stay home. :( It's bad enough when they cry. I'm sure it will really help when school starts.

Here's the baked ziti recipe I have, although I think I've altered it from what was originally posted:

Baked Ziti

1 lb. uncooked ziti [penne]
½ lb. ground sweet Italian sausage or turkey sausage
½ cup onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
52 oz pasta sauce
15 oz. light sour cream
12 oz mozzarella cheese -- shredded
½ cup parmesan cheese -- grated
12 oz mushrooms, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook pasta until barely al dente (will cook further in oven).
3. Brown sausage in a skillet, add garlic and onion. Add the sauce and simmer.
4. In a 10x15 pan coated with cooking spray, spread half of the ziti. Layer half the mozzerella cheese on the ziti, then spread the sour cream over the cheese. Evenly distribute half the mushrooms. Ladle half of the sauce mixture over the sour cream. Spread the remaining half of the ziti in the pan and then the mushrooms. Cover with remaining sauce, top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
5. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes. Let the pan sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serving Size : 10

I think we actually just end up mixing the pasta and meat sauce and layering the sour cream and cheeses. The instructions I had the first time weren't clear/complete and DH did it that way and we thought it was easier and tasted just as good and kept the pasta from getting dry where it wasn't covered. (Previously) we used homemade sauce so I can't tell you if that amount is correct or not -- we just put in enough to get the right consistency. We've often made it without sausage but I prefer it with this yummy turkey sausage we get in links at our store. As you can see a highly precise recipe.

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Kim, you beat me to it! Actually the recipe I had is a bit different, but it's probably the one you started with. It has half ground beef and half sausage. And no mushrooms or onions. I'll probably add onions, but not the mushrooms. It seems like people either hate them or love them. The oreo cookie recipe should be on the first or second page of the food board. I'll let you know how they turn out.

[RunnerKim]

I think I do recall it having half beef, half sausage but I never bothered with having the 2 kinds of meat and we had 'shrooms to everything. I'm glad i got over to the food board (looking at those oreo cookies :o ) because I saw the review for the superfast dinner cookbook and that looks really worthwhile and we're stopping at CostCo tonight to pick up some photos and a few other things.

Off to visit Lainey :)

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Kim, that's so cool that you can go visit Lainey!

That's too funny, I was also reading that thread about the superfast suppers book and thought to myself, I'm going to stop at Costco after work and get it since I need to pick up my contacts there. Like I need another cookbook! Too bad we don't live in the same city - I'd see you there!

I think I'll do all sausage. That's a good idea and simplifies it a bit.

We are going to a 40th birthday surprise party for DH's best friend on Friday night. Actually have a babysitter! I'm a bit nervous, because we rarely leave the kids and when we do it's usually family that watches them. But this girl lives right down the street. If there are any problems, I know her parents are really close. This will be the first time she has babysat for us; her sister did a few weeks ago, but she's busy. It'll be nice to get out and see some friends, though.

[nori]

Ohhhh, I love baked ziti! I have to try that one. (And oreo cookies:o like everyone else, I don't go to food board so much, unless I have some question I want to ask. I used to go there a lot when I was working, though.)

Noah has been having this black, tar(sp?)-like poop for several days and I was going to ask you guys here what's going on. Well today, I looked it at closely (only mommy can do that:eek: ) and found some blueberry halves. Yes, he's been eating it everyday, and I never thought about it. Blueberry is his fav right now.

I'm thinking to ask my doctor at 1 year appointment about milk. Since I'm breastfeeding, it'll be great if giving milk will help him wean gradually. I'm not really sure how I'd do it, though. I may be giving him a bad habit, but nursing is the one certain way I know of calming him down anytime. He often nurse to sleep, too....I'm expecting weaning might take long time.

I told DH that unless he changes his attitude (regarding help with Noah), threre's no way having more than 3 kids. He thought I was joking, but I was serious. He's been kind of tired after long day at work, so when he's home, he's close to crash. I'm expecting him to play with Noah, do some baby-duty at night so I can have my own time a little bit. But most of the time he'd end up dozing off in Noah's room, while Noah is fussing for more attention.:rolleyes: Seems like to me he's not doing enough to take care of Noah, when you can do a little bit better. And he knows it, but he just choose easier way (for him). I love him, but after a long day at home with Noah (who needs a lot of attention nowadays), sometimes I feel like I'm raising him by myself. (well not financially) Sorry to vent, I guess I'm tired.

[MrsReber]

Kim, thanks so much for posting that recipe. I am definitely going to try it soon. We have tons of sausage. I got it on sale for 99 cents a pound so we have a good 10 lbs of it in the freezer!!

Nori, I understand what you're saying. My DH does the same thing, only I work full time right along with him. I really think he forgets about that. I'm just as tired as he is at night and, except for dinner, I don't get to sit down until around 9:00pm or later. It is very tiring to have to take care of a child all day, especially if the child is having an off day. I was mad last weekend. Even though DH didn't work on Saturday, he still slept for the whole afternoon! I finally just took the kids out and left him.

Well, DH is at the hospital now. He wouldn't let me stay there. He was still telling me last night that it's no big deal. To be honest, I was quite offended. I got up the morning and was packing a diaper bag for the kids. He asked what I was doing that for since I was just going to come home and bring them to daycare. I said "huh?" I never said I was bringing them to daycare and there's no way I could drop Brenden off. If I am holding him and anyone at daycare gets near him, he starts to scream. It'd be torture for them to have to listen to him scream for an hour or more- and I know he will because he does that to DH on the rare occasions that I leave him home with DH. I was all set to go to the nice cafeteria or restaurant at the hospital. DH told me he was worried about me "having to deal with" the 2 kids. I told him that I do it all the time. I have gone grocery shopping several times with both of them. Hanging out at the hospital would've been a breeze. So now I have no idea what's going on, if they found anything, if he's having a bad reaction to the anesthesia. I told him that I am legally his next of kin. He cannot sign anything while he is under. Oh well. Now I'm just mad at him. He told me that I don't need to worry about him ever.

Well, that's my vent. I think I'm going to take the kids for pictures today. It should be fairly slow. I'll probably end up going to the Picture People again because they're in the mall. I desperately need some new undergarments. I haven't bought myself anything since before Casey was born. I am still wearing maternity bras :eek: !

Joanne, I can see you being a bit nervous leaving 4 kids with a babysitter. I'd be nervous leaving 2! The party does sound like fun, though. Seems like you and your DH have lots of good friends. That's a great thing to have. I sure wish we had more friends like that.

[nori]

MrsReber...I really think you (and all working-outside-of-home moms) are amazing. I say this to you especially because seems like our DHs are alike.:rolleyes: Mine would have done and said the same thing about this test. It's a big deal, when you have to go under anethesia and it's just natural you want to be with him. But I think guys don't like to look like "wimpy". Hope everything goes well with him!

Last night wasn't any better. He came home later than usual but didn't call me to tell so. I had pizza ready to bake, just assuming time he'd be home. I made dough, so it was sitting on the countertop on the pizza plate ready to be topped and baked. Well since he was late, it rised too much (in Arizona heat) and it was so puffy when he finally got home. I was upset and told him that if he'd be home late, he could have called me so I could feed Noah even before our dinner. I was just holding off it last night, giving him crackers etc. He said he'd call next time. The thing is, usually he's home by 4pm or something, when it's early, it's okay but when it's late, I just don't like to be messed up my plan for dinner. Am I being selfish a little bit?

DH took Noah to play after dinner in his room, but he was out although Noah was active and ready to play more.:rolleyes: I think he's alredy loaded with things to do, but yesterday he told me that he wants to take some classes at the university. It's for his job and the company would pay for that. He also told me to look into the classes and see if I want to do something. Maybe I can take night class or weekend class and he can watch Noah while I'm gone. On top of that, starting September, we're going to host community group for our church (kind of bible study group, but it's like dessert party) once a week. I can't see why he thinks he can handle more at this point....oh, and we're teaching Sunday school for 3rd graders, too. And he seems tired at night, I can't imagine how he'd be after taking classes and getting ready for those bible study groups etc. And when'd be "our time"??

I don't want to complain, and I know some people work harder than I do and I know I shouldn't complain, but just needed to vent. Thanks for listening.;)

It's 8am and Noah went back to sleep about 20 min. ago. He was up as usual around 5:30am, I gave him breakfast around 7 but didn't eat so much. He acted tired and sleepy. I haven't had this quiet morning for a long time....it's kind of nice.

have a nice day, everyone!

[RunnerKim]

Nori - You have every right to have your feelings! Don't feel like you shouldn't (or shouldn't vent about them). I think you were justified in being upset about him coming home late without calling. It was dis-respectful to you. It's not being selfish - you're trying to do a good job - make a good dinner, keep Noah fed and happy etc. Make a good home. I think it's a great idea for you to take a class. It sounds like your DH honestly doesn't know how much you do and even if it's only short term it would probably really help if he spent time being the sole caretaker of Noah.

Neither DH nor I work highly stressful/demanding jobs (at least not most of the time) and we've discussed and agreed that until Lainey goes down we're both working to get family responsibilities taken care of. While I'm bathing, feeding,reading and putting Lainey down he's doing household chores (dishes, laundry, vacuuming). We alternate nights of who "gets Lainey" right after work. One night I play and feed her primarily and he makes dinner, feeds the animals, works on the kitchen etc. It's not as cut and dry as that and we're good about making allowances if someone's particularly tired (normally me) or has something else to get done (normally him). I think it's hard when one parent stays at home for this type of arrangment to naturally fall into place.

and Nori if you don't mind the nursing (and obviously Noah doesn't :) then I wouldn't worry about it-- breastmilk is still really good for babies even after a year). Now if you're ready to start weaning then I'm sure the doctor (or others here) might have some good advice for you.

You're sounding a bit frustrated/down so hope you don't mind the pep talk.

Susan - I can understand how frustrated you are with your DH! I think his comment about you not ever needing to worry about his was very telling. He doesn't want to be burden to you. Maybe he's even a little scared himself but doesn't feel like he should be. I hope the proceudre is going well (or perhaps is already finished). Let us know when you get a chance. And of course share pictures (of your kids that is!).

Isn't it Friday yet?
Kim

[RunnerKim]

My MIL just offered to purchase some items to have on hand for when we visit (in January). I know this trip is months away but I think she'd like to look out for sales (and is just generally excited about our coming).

She offered to get a car seat but I think that's too expensive for her to do. There aren't any other grandkids (and aren't likely to be for several more years -- other than perhaps us and we're not likely to return for another visit for at least a year probably 2). We can take ours, although we're thinking about checking it as we think Lainey would prefer "dancing" in her seat like she does on the bus. She'll be almost 16 months when we travel, what have others done?

On my list for MIL is a simple pack 'n play and a portable booster seat with a tray. I'm thinking about having her get an umbrella stroller too. Or do you all think we'd want ours for the airport? We found it too much hassle on the bus so I'm thinking we'd find it easier to just carrier her (we will have 1 layover stop each way). I do have the sling that works great.

Anything else? I think I'll also mention outlet plugs and perhaps a baby gate for their big flight of stairs (or will she be successfully doing stairs by then?). Closer to the trip I'll request she pick up some diapers, wipes and whole milk.

Kim

[nori]

Thanks, Kim, yes I needed that pep talk.:D

I admire your DH is so involved with everything. Maybe I'm a control freak.:rolleyes: I just don't like the way DH does sometimes, and I'd rather do it by myself since it's easier and less-stress (at that time, not in the long run).

Taking classes might do me a good. If it's academic classes, I'd go with accounting. But I'm also thinking just take some culinary classes on weekends or nights. Someday I'd like to do some food-related business (thinking of personal chef a little bit at this moment), so cooking classes will be a good training. Plus, I love to cook! :D

Traveling with 16 months old....I'm not sure what your MIL should get, besides the stuff you already mentioned. Looks like you're pretty well covered! It's very nice of her to be willing to make her house baby-friendly. Maybe the latch to close up the cabinet in the kitchen???

[cchhbb]

Wow, There have been a ton of posts. I'm sure I'm going to leave out something that I wanted to say. Sorry.

Nori, I totally understand the situation that you are in. I get DH to call everyday as he leaves the office. That allows me about 20 minutes to get dinner going. Usually we eat about 10 minutes after he gets home. We did have some issues about him not calling when he had to stay late, but after a long discussion he seems to understand.

I also get frustrated with DH when he is watching Garrett. I had to get some things done on Sunday so DH was in charge. I came downstairs and DH was watching TV and Garrett was standing with his nose about 2 inches from the screen. I finally said to him that I know that he'd be mad if Garrett spent all day watching tv during the week. He then got down and played with him. Hang in there. I've found that if I jump in then DH backs off. It's really important for daddys to spend time with their babies. I think it's hard for some men to really get into play with a baby who isn't verbal, can't play sports ect.

Kim, My mom bought a car seat and it's heaven for her to have it. I travel with DH so would have a tough time to haul the car seat with me. In your case, I don't think it's that big of a deal. She also got a pack n play and a booster chair with tray. I actually bought another boose chair with tray for my aunts where we visit 2 -3 times per year. I found it at Kmart for $15. I'd take the umbrella stroller with you. I rarely use my stroller, but am really glad to have it when it comes to the airport. If nothing else, you can use it to carry the diaper bag. I always have my mom buy diapers, wipes, food, ect so then I don't have to take that with me. It really helps with the packing. She also bought a couple of gates to keep Garrett off the stairs ect. I used wooden spoons and rubber bands to keep him out of the cabinets.

Susan, MEN! I hope the procedure went well. DH had one last year and was pretty groggy for the rest of the day. It's amazing what men say when they are scared themselves.

Joanne, can Garrett and I come to the party? I love ziti. I'm going to have to try that recipe. It sounds like we were all at Costco the other night.

Garrett is being a real pill. He used to sleep for at least 10 hours and then get up nurse and go back to sleep for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours. He's started getting up at 3 and won't go back to bed. That's why I'm posting in the middle of the night. I'm not sure what his problem is, but I hope he gets over it quick. I think we've been too busy and he isn't getting enough time at home. For the next couple of days we're going to hang out around the house and see if that helps.

I've been so busy this week. On Sunday and Monday nights I helped paint the church nursery after Garrett went to bed. Our church is huge and we painted 8 rooms. I had a Mom's night out tonight and tomorrow. Since Garrett goes to bed at 7 he's sleeping when I leave.

Garrett has outgrown all of his clothes. He is really getting tall. I've had a hard time finding summer clothes for him. He can wear shorts into October here. I finally went to Rich's and found some rompers for $3. One of my girlfriends works there and is going to pick them up with her discount so I should get them for about $2. Better than the consignment stores. I also bought Garrett some frog shoes from Robeez. We should get them in about a week.

Sorry this is so long.
Cheryl

[JoanneOR]

Hi everyone. Caitlyn was up at 4:00 this morning and then I couldn't go back to sleep, thinking about stuff I have to do for the party. I put together the treat bags for the kids and now here I am! I have to get ready for work in a few minutes, but just thought I stop in!

Nori, I think the classes for you sounds like a great idea. Especially a culinary one. It would give you a little time for yourself, and DH some one on one time with Noah. I can totally understand how you feel about needing some help from your DH. I honestly think that men just don't get it. The only way for them to understand what we do and how tiring (emotionally and physically) it can be to care for a young child is to do it themselves. I've been in the reverse situation this summer. DH has been taking care of the kids while I work. When I get home I take over. He's usually cranky because it's been a long day. Since I've been there, I know he needs a break so I take care of them until bedtime. I've been getting very frustrating, though, because lately he hasn't thought about dinner or fed them anything. So, the minute I walk in the door, they are all over me saying they are hungry or thirsty.

Cheryl, sure you can come to the party! It would be so much fun if we all could get together sometime, but I know we all seem to live at opposite ends of the country!

Mrs. Reber, how did your DH's procedure go? Men can be so infuriating sometimes! I could see my DH saying the same things as yours did and telling me not to go. In fact, he has! Hope everything went OK.

Kim, sounds like the stuff your MIL is getting is good. I'm not sure about the car seat on the plane. The one thing to think about is she might nap if you put her in the car seat on the plane. She probably wouldn't be comfortable napping in the seat without it. If you think she'd nap at all.

Kim, it sounds like you and your DH have a great arrangement with taking care of Lainey.

OK, gotta run and get ready for work. Yuk!

[MrsReber]

Hi! I tried to post yesterday afternoon. Just as I was writing about how the kids were attacking me at the computer, Brenden grabbed the mouse and clicked it, sending me to some other webpage!

So, let's see- DH's procedure went fine. He was pretty groggy, even though he told me he felt fine. He said the procedure was really nothing at all and he was given a clean bill of health. He admitted that he really was scared of what they might find. He came home wanting to be more healthy. He does well, except for the beer. He eats lots of fruit and vegetables. We have salad almost every night. I'm sure that contributes. Also, since the beginning of the year, I've been making and keeping more high fiber foods around the house. I think the seriousness of the situation didn't really hit him until he was at the hospital. He kept saying how his father died when he was 13 and that his dad was only 7 years older than he is now. He called SIL to tell her that he's fine. She had told him he needed to go after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. On a "lighter" note, we also found out that they're having a birthday party at the beach for DH's sister on Friday night at 6:30. Don't think we can make it. It's tough to make those after work events and we have lots of running around to do this weekend. Plus, the kids hate the beach. So SIL tells DH that MIL is moving to Florida! (I apologize in advance to the state of Florida :D ). I asked DH if this was for real. MIL called later on and told him herself. She's even selling some of her stuff off. It seems that her brother is taking her in for free! Don't understand that whole deal, but I sort of chuckled and told DH that it seemed reasonable. Her brother is gay and he's probably as picky and meticulous about things as she is. I think it might work! MIL is trying to get her mother to move down there for health reasons and so that her brother can keep an eye on her. He's in the health care field.

Kim, your MIL sounds very excited! I agree with Cheryl. We took the double stroller to AZ. If one of the kids was being held, we just loaded bags into it. I think DH put the carseat in it at one point, too. We brought along a bungee cord (my idea- well, really my sister's idea) and DH was able to strap the car seat into the stroller or onto our luggage, which has wheels.

Brenden was up Tuesday night. I was glad to be home yesterday. I think he's having pain from teething. We're not totally sure about it. It just seems like the most likely thing. I know he has 2 teeth coming in and one of them appears to be a molar. There's a huge bump on the one side. He has felt a bit warm, too. I took his temperature last night. It's no more than 99, but just enough to make him irritable. Poor little guy. On top of that, the eczema on his back has returned and he has a heat rash on his chest and neck. He's been rather cuddly lately. I don't mind. DH doesn't have the patience to calm him down. He said he heard him wake up, but knew that he'd only want me. I told him Brenden doesn't want me, he just wants comfort and relief from whatever is bothering him. The trick is to figure out what works. Casey woke up when she heard Brenden. I sent her to daddy :D !

Nori, a cooking class sounds great! You should definitely look into that! DH's can be so frustrating. Mine seems to think that women are just born with certain things. I'm going to have to start calling some home builders to see what we can do in VA. I now have more specific questions to ask them based on what DH and I have talked about. However, if I don't get this process going, it will never happen. We also have our new life insurance guy coming by tonight. I got a call on Tuesday from the company saying that they were cleaning out our rep's desk and they found DH's policy! I told him we were wondering what happened to the guy. He had a whole bunch of financial stuff of ours and was supposed to run some numbers to see where we could save, if I could quit work, etc. He'll talk to us tonight. I'm going to be tired, but I'm also very interested to hear what he has to say.

Oh, and thanks for the ziti recipe! I have tons of sausage in the freezer. I'll probably make that soon! No mushrooms for me!

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, so glad to hear DH's test went well. I'm sure its a relief for both of you. And, congrats on the MIL move to Florida! That would be nice. Except, no more stories :(.

Hope Brenden is feeling better. Sounds like he just really uncomfortable between the teeth and the eczema.

We went to Colin's preschool orientation last night. I was really happy to find out he has Ian's favorite teacher from last year. Ian can be very shy and she really helped his self-confidence. She's been there a long time and is great with the kids. Colin was there last year and loved it. But, last night, he kept saying, don't leave me here, I'm scared. Made me apprehensive about next week when he starts. I know he will be fine, though, it'll just take a few days to readjust. I haven't experienced this with Jameson and Ian, but Colin doesn't seem to want to be a "big boy." He's saying he wants to stay in the three year old room at school, he refuses to wear a bigger shoe size than 10. His toes are hanging out his sandals, but he gets so upset when you tell him to put on the size 11 (Ian's old shoes). He wasn't happy about turning four (except for the cake and party to come, of course). We found some of his old pull-ups in his closet and he said he wanted to wear them. I know it has alot to do with his not being the baby of the family anymore. We keep telling him he'll always be our baby boy.

We have a very busy weekend. 40th birthday party tomorrow night, our party Saturday, and a christening on Sunday. I'll have to come back to work Monday to rest!

[RunnerKim]

Suan - glad your DH's procedure went fine and perhaps even better that he's coming to terms with his family healthy history etc. And a big ole congratulations on your MIL moving to Florida! Let the countdown begin. :D

That's a great suggestion about the bungee cord.

Lainey's run a mild fever (1 degree) off and on during this teething episode. Poor Brenden with all that stuff going on - did day care have fits again?

Cheryl - my first thought was maybe Garrett's teething? Lainey woke up in the middle of the night when her first 2 teeth came in. Went on for about a week and they finally broke through. She's not waking up this time around (knock on wood) but is drooling like crazy. Maybe that has more to do with it being top teeth though.

I know what you mean about finding clothes. I have to shop the clearance rack. It's hard to think about buying all this winter stuff that's out. I love those frog shoes! I thought about them too as Lainey wears a lot of those colors but went with the Orca ones (and the classic brown).

Nori - I'll just agree with everyone else :) and say the culinary class sounds fun. Have you looked at any particular topics/classes? I'm thinking it would be neat to take a cake decorating class now that I have someone to make all the cute/fun cakes for. I was just reading about fondant icing (the really smooth stuff) and had no idea it's supposedly so easy to do - roll it out like dough. I think I'll try that for Lainey's birthday cake.

I think it helps that DH staid home by himself with Lainey for several months. I think taking care of a baby is a learned skill - can't know how just by watching :D I'm (and Lainey) are very fortunate that he really wants to care for her. It does drive me nuts when we're out and he gets credit for changing her diaper, mostly by older women. "Oh it's so great he does that..."

Kim

[MrsReber]

Thank you, thank you! The anticipated move week is the third week of September. We'll see what happens. I think the big attraction for her is free housing. I just wonder what she'll do for work or if she'll have to work. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll still hear plenty of stories! Well, SIL called. They moved the birthday party for DH's sister to Saturday, but we still can't go. My sister is coming up this weekend and we already have plans to have dinner at my mom's house. I love how we get 2 day's notice for all family events. The other thing I loved about her message was how she said she was going to come over this afternoon to see the kids. I guess they forget the I actually work. We won't be home until 6:00, sorry! On Sunday, our neighbor across the street is having a birthday party for her son. He'll be four. I'll be thinking of you and your party, Joanne!

Poor Colin. He sounds so sweet and sensitive. Don't you wish you could help him out and make him stay little? As much as I love to see Casey learning new things, I miss the little baby girl that I had. DH and I both feel like we miss out on so much with Brenden. It's hard to pay attention to every milestone with two of them running around. I was just saying last weekend that Brenden is now the same age that Casey was when he was born. She seemed so much more grown up than he does at this age. I wonder if that's just a boy/girl thing. Or maybe it's that DH and I don't realize what he's capable of? We know we have to pay more attention. After waking the kids up at 5:30 yesterday, Casey refused to nap all day. At 5:10pm, she fell asleep for the night! DH tried to wake her up for dinner, but she wouldn't get up for anything!

Kim, let me know if you try that icing. I have this great cookbook that DH bought for me. It has the most awesome looking birthday cakes using fondant icing, I'm just afraid to try them!

My DH changes diapers and will, when asked, help with basic care stuff. My one SIL is so jealous that he changes diapers. It seems that his brother NEVER changed even one!

[lhall]

Susan,

YEAH!!!! On MIL's move!!!!! :D:D:D

Leigh

[MrsReber]

Well, like DH said..."we don't see her now anyway. She can move if she wants." The only problem is, if we move to VA, does this mean she'd have to come for extended visits? Although, to be honest, I could probably deal with her in that capacity for maybe 2 days. Or 2 hours.....

[nori]

Cheryl, that TV thing happened to us, too! DH was watching TV while I was doing something else, Noah in the living room. Well when I went in there, I found him nose-to-nose with TV screen.:eek: DH knows I don't like that, so he said "I was just about to take him away.":rolleyes: I don't like it because I think it's bad for his eyes...I'm not sure if DH meant it when he said that, since he's been saying that quite a few times.
I'm thinking to "buy" no-cry sleep solution book. Noah wakes up in the middle of the night, then he'd stand up because he can now. Then he'd cry until someone (me) come in to get him. I need to read that book again and this time, seriously getting involved with that plan. I miss my sleep.

Joanne, Colin is so sweet! That's interesting each boy is so different. I can't even imagine Noah being that age now...I thought it's silly mother considers her child as a baby forever before, but now I understand. I'd think Noah is always my baby boy.;)

MrsReber, glad to hear that DH's procedure went well. What a relief! And.....big, big congrats on your MIL's move to Florida! (Your comment "My apology to Florida" made me chuckle:D) Hope Brenden is feeling better. :(

Kim, I'm not sure what class to take yet. I have to look into what they have. Fondant cake decorating looks so intimidating to me, too. But it'll make a great birthday cake for Lainey for sure.

We set a date for Noah's birthday party on 24th, Sunday. I was planning on 23rd but it turned out one of our friends are moving that day and needs some help. I also decided to do lunch thing. Only thing I know is I make the Noah's Ark cake, and make shortbread cutout using Noah's Ark cutter. In fact, I ran the test bake this morning. It's cute, but since it's a shortbread, it was hard to handle. But I'm sure I'll do better next time. Oh, the recipe is from Val and it's yummy! I still have to plan on what to serve.

Joanne, what you put in favor bags???

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, I have noticed with some of my friends kids, that the girls seemed "older" at two than my boys did. I'll have to let you know when Caitlyn gets there! This sounds silly, but sometimes I look at the kids and I think to myself that in a few years I won't have that same kid anymore, he'll (or she'll) be a totally different person because they change so much. Does that make sense? It's kind of sad, but exciting to see them grow and change.

Colin is a very sweet kid. I think he is having more of an issue with not being the baby anymore, because there is a bigger age gap between him and Caitlyn than with the others. He was old enough to realize he wasn't the baby anymore when she was born. Jameson was so young when Ian was born that he didn't have a chance to realize he wasn't the baby! Same with Ian and Colin.

Well, DH has nixed my baked ziti for the party. It's going to 90 and very humid and he doesn't think it's a good idea to have the oven going. So, we're doing potato salad instead and another pasta salad. I'll have to try the ziti when it cools down. He's not going to stop me from making those oreo cookies, though! I can do those the night before.

Nori, I put different things in the treat bags because the kids are different ages. I couldn't think of something they would all like. There are 17 kids coming and only four of them are girls. The two youngest got bubbles and playdoh. The older girls got miniature etch a sketchs and hello kitty stickers. The younger boys got these litte he-man figures and play doh. The older boys got yu-gi-oh cards. Target had a lot of the little toys on sale, so I got lucky. We are also doing a pinata, so they'll have candy, too.

[MrsReber]

What is it with these men and their tv? When I'm home with the kids, Casey would rather sing and dance along with her cd's (we need to get more!!). DH comes home and doesn't feel like listening to Big Bird singing about the alphabet so he says "Casey, let's watch tv!" Note to self: cancel cable. I see no need to get the kids hooked on it. We can buy Elmo videos and whatever else they want. DH has a habit of saying "let's see if Spongebob is on!" so on occasion, Casey will get upset with me because I can't make Spongebob appear on tv at will. Many nights, he'll have the tv going along with the stereo. Not good!

Joanne, I'm upset about the ziti! I want some! We just had pasta with meatballs last night so ziti won't be on the list for a while. I can always freeze it, though.

My neighbor does the same thing with her goodie bags. She puts a lot of thought into them, which is nice. Of course, for the past 2 years, DH and I have eaten all the edible goodies! We still don't have a gift for the birthday boy. Joanne, what does your son like? Any ideas? I'm at a loss! DH said he'd take care of buying the present this year since I really don't have time to do it. I have a feeling I'll be running out on Sunday morning to get something!

I absolutely understand what you mean about not having the same kid. I love Casey's babble and the way she says certain words. While it'll be nice to completely understand her one day, I am going to miss the way she talks to us now. She now tells me "I hungry!" and climbs up into her highchair. Then she'll tell me "I hungry, Mommy!" until I bring her some food. She just started doing this. I feel good because now I know when she's actually hungry as opposed to guessing, but it's hard to see her getting so big so fast and becoming more independent. It's a big help that she wants to put her shoes on by herself (velcro is a great invention!) and now she wants to put her pull-ups on by herself, too. That's too funny, though. I tell her to let me know when she needs help. She can't ever get the pull-up on right so after about 5 minutes she comes looking for me saying "need help, Mommy!" Last week we were at the park and Brenden was playing with a stick while she went down the slide 10 times. She saw the stick, stopped what she was doing, and took it away from Brenden. I told her it was okay for him to play with it. She looked at me funny and said "Yuck, Mommy" before tossing the stick to the side. The other day, I asked her to bring me my sneakers. I have 2 pairs. She picked up one pair, looked at them, and then picked up the other (cleaner) pair to hand to me.

[RunnerKim]

Susan that is the blessing and curse of living so far from family. Just wait for the pressure for you to visit her (despite how difficult it is to travel with kids, taking vacation days etc.).

Susan - that's so funny about Casey's cleanliness.

It's kind of silly to do a fancy birthday cake for Lainey because we're not having a party for her. Just planning to take the cake and ice cream to my sister's house where a bunch of her in-home day care kids love Lainey. My Mom's group will do something special in Sept. I'm sure and we'll do something small at daycare. I figured the fondant icing had to be really difficult but I actually think it'll be easier than regular icing - I can NEVER get that to look nice, not have crumbs in it etc. Nori - I hope you're planning to share pictures of your cake.

Joanne - I'm disappointed about the baked ziti too :D but can certainly understand. We grill a lot during the summer so we don't heat up the house (no a/c).

I often wonder what Lainey's going to be like as she grows up (and becomes more independent). We're researching college saving plans and a couple of people warned us about custodial accounts where the child gets full control of the $ at age 18. And as much as I hate to even think it's possible I wouldn't want her to have control of a good amount of money that she could waste on something in a moment of "independence" (or god forbid on an addiction or something). Scary and horrible to think about.

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, how old is your neighbor's son? If he's four like Colin, he'd probably love any kind of superhero stuff. Spiderman is popular and so is the hulk. Although I'm not too fond of the hulk; too mean looking.

Kim, we set up 529 accounts for all the kids. We had money market accounts, but switched them over. For some reason Jameson's was set up differently and it is a custodial account like the one you mentioned. I don't know how it happened, but there's nothing we can do about it now. So, hopefully he will be a responsible 18 year old! So far, he seems to be the most responsible of all of them. The other day he was watching how fast I was going in the car and kept telling me I was over the speed limit (he reads the signs) and we were going to get arrested. Another time I was having a margarita (desparately needed at the time!!) and he told me I shouldn't drink alcohol because it wasn't good for my body. It was good for my sanity at the time, though!

[nori]

Kim....my cake for Noah will be all with crumbs on icing etc. I'm not good at. Hope you can't really see it in detail in the photo I'm planning to post.:p Custodial account information was new to me. Good thing to know!

MrsReber...It's so cute about Casey! I can see how she prefer dancing with CD music than TV, but your DH suggesting her to watch it with him.:rolleyes: Yes, it's easier just sit there and watch, but we don't have to help them make it a habit!

Joanne, I'm dissapointed about ziti, too! (as if we all are going to attend your party.:D ) Sounds like your party will be so summery! I asked about favor bag, since we are going to have 2 kids (age 11 and 9) for Noah's party and besides the cookies for everyone, I thought I could make favors for those kids. They're very nice kids and loves to play with Noah. I'm going to go to the party store and toy shop to see what's there. Oh, Target, too. Thank goodness they're all close together.

Well Noah went down for nap about 10am this morning. He woke up several times, but went back to sleep by rocking and nursing. He's still sleeping (it's 1:30pm). I bet this will be his only nap for today. I need to go to run some errands and waiting him to wake up (and he has to have some lunch). It started raining (yes, in Arizona) for a minutes ago and it's kind of nice. Hopefully it'll clear up when we're ready to go.

[cchhbb]

Hi, Yea to Susan's MIL moving. It is wonderful when they live far away.

A tip on the icing. My mom makes wedding cakes and she puts a crumb layer on first. Essentially it is a really thin layer of icing. Then let harden. Then do your top coat. The thin layer 'seals' the cake.

Joanne, so bumed about the baked ziti. I need to make that one day. So funny to listen to you talk about the different personalities of your kids.

I don't think Garrett's teething. He just got his bottom teeth about a month ago. I don't see anything on top. I just think he's over tired and is having a hard time rolling over to another sleep cycle. We've been really busy and he missed some naps in the last few days. I also think it might be that he's just using so much energy right now. It's funny the babies that were so fat in my breastfeeding group now are sliming down as they start to be mobile. Garrett doesn't have that fat to use up. He's a really skinny boy.

I'm so bummed. I got my period last night. I was really enjoying the absence of it. Now I won't have to wonder if I got pregnant I'd know for sure.

A slight rant. Some parents are so irresponsible. My neighborhood playgroup met today and the mom of one year old twins was feeding them raisins. She said the doctor told her that they were a big choking hazard at their 12 month visit, but since they like them she'll keep feeding them. Also, she still had them in their infant car seats. Both of them were way too big. She didn't realize that height and weight both determined when they would grow out of the car seat. The little boy is as tall as Garrett and weighs 22 pounds. I'm so glad they haven't been in an accident because they probably would have not gotten the protection they needed.

I'm off to another Mom's night out. Two nights in a row!
Cheryl

[BeckyM]

Hi All!

Just a quick post now that we're back from our trip to Montana. I've only made it through reading Page 1 of all the August posts -- hopefully I'll find time in the next couple days to read more and respond to the more recent things.

Our trip was wonderful, with only a few minor difficulties. AnnaSue, I think you asked where we went -- we were in northwest Montana near Glacier Park. My parents & sister live in the southeastern part of the state, in Billings, and they drove up to meet us there. My grandmother lives in Kalispell, near where we were staying, so we got to spend time with her AND go hiking in Glacier. There were lots of forest fires in the area, so the air was pretty smoky at times, but they didn't ruin any of the things we wanted to do.

Katie did pretty well with the air travel, though at 10 months, it's a lot less easy than it was earlier. We didn't have a separate seat for her -- we had the window and the middle seats, and that seemed to work fairly well. Since I had to nurse her, I wanted the window seat, with DH separating me from any other passengers. We did have to ask the person on the aisle seat to let us get up a few times, but not any more than we would have if travelling alone and just needing to use the restroom. On the way to Montana we were travelling at night, so Katie slept most of the way. On the way back it was early morning, and she hardly slept at all. I agree with nori that the in-flight magazine is a great entertainment tool. Since the airlines encourage you to take it with you, I didn't feel bad about Katie ripping all the pages! :rolleyes:

While in Montana, we took Katie swimming in a lake for the first time. She actually enjoyed it, though the water was cold enough that we thought she would be upset. She splashed around and was happy the whole time. Remember when we first took her to swim lessons and she cried the whole time? She sure has come a long way. We also took her swimming in an indoor pool while we were in Montana, and she enjoyed herself there too. So I'd say our swim lessons are paying off!

Joanne -- I remember Rick Springfield! He was popular when I first started listening to "Top 40" music. I played his "Working Class Dog" tape so often as a kid that it wore out and started squeaking. At times I have been tempted to see if I can find it on CD, just for sentimental reasons. Glad to hear Caitlyn's orthopedic appointment went okay.

nori -- sorry to hear about your friend's mom. That must be awful. By now you might have already had Noah's birthday party -- guess I'd better read more posts to see if you've had it and how it went. Hopefully well.

MrsReber -- your plans to build in VA sound great, and the MIL room in the basement sounds awful! Maybe if you get DH to focus on VA, the basement thing will never happen.

AnnaSue -- don't you dare let your MIL smoke around Brendan. That would be absolutely awful for him. You can use that as a great excuse to get her away from him and not to leave him alone with her.

Cheryl -- congrats on building a house. DH and I did that when we were getting married, and I agree it's quite a test of a relationship. For us, it wasn't really a challenge to agree on choices for the house though. It was more of a challenge just both dealing with the stress of the house (things kept going wrong, being delayed, etc.) and of planning a wedding at the same time. DH is a worrier, and going into any kind of debt was a big deal for him, so obviously building the house was stressful for him. We got through it fine though, and we are really enjoying our home.

By the way, I'm getting back into my childcare search. I got a packet of info from the new daycare center opening near us, and they look great so far. I need to make an appointment to meet with them. I also have appointments to meet with two women who do daycare in their homes and have openings. Right now I'm leaning toward the daycare center, but I want to look into other possibilities before deciding. The in-home option would definitely be cheaper, but the daycare center sounds more regulated and more professional. We'll see.

Well, I'd better get to bed! Tomorrow I need to get up early to get showered and stuff, because Katie and I have a lunch date with two friends of mine from work. It will be fun to see them!

Becky :)

[RunnerKim]

Welcome back Becky. Sounds like you had a great trip and thanks for sharing how the airplane travel went. I'm impressed that Katie liked the lake as they are cold. I think the swim classes really do help. Tonights our last one (2 weeks straight) and I can't believe the improvement from the first night when she basically clung to me and was on the brink of crying the entire time. Noe she smiles an claps all the time and loves it when she "swims" through the water (one of us holding her obviously). Tonight she'll get to go down the big waterslide on our laps - she normally likes a good thrill so we think she might like it.

Good luck with your day care search. Sounds like you have some good options. When do you return to work?

Wow Cheryl - your neighbor is incredibly ignorant. How are her babies even fitting in the infant car seat at this point? I'd think they're heads would be over the top and their feet sticking out/pushing on the back of the car seat.

Isn't it interesting how skipping naps actually makes babies sleep worse at night. That's been my experience too.

Joanne - that's so funny about Jameson's safety conciousness. I was driving with my 7 year old nephew in the back seat and apparently he could see the speedometer and did the same thing to me. :eek: :o

Nori - do you give Noah a bottle at all? I've heard (so take it for what it's worth) that giving a bottle with water can help reduce nursing at night. They stop getting used to caloric intake and eventually stop waking up "hungry" but still get to comfort themselves by sucking.

I love love love my husband and how he takes responsibility for getting things done BUT this morning it was a real PIA. I get Lainey's stuff ready in the morning but we were running a little late this morning so he stepped in to finish up a couple of things while I was doing something else. Very thoughtful BUT it resulted in the carrots for her lunch not being cooked (even after I said they needed to be nuked for 4 minutes he just didn't hear me, somehow) and he put her bread pieces in a non-zip top baggie so I managed to spill it all over the place at daycare this morning as I was getting out her breakfast - and it was crumby zuchini bread. It's been a long couple of weeks with the swim class in the evenings and a handful of other stuff going on - I really need some down time (oh and a little PMS to top it off). TGIF!!


Kim

[RunnerKim]

Susan - are you affected by the blackout? Not that you could write and say Yes, I have no power. But I hope you and your familyo are safe.

Do we have any other posters in the NE? Barbara (BosunsWife)???

I just read more about the blackout that had a map showing the affect areas. I don't know where in NJ Susan lives but it said commuter train service was shut down and it went out at 4pm. Susan has such a long way home, I hope she was able to get home and get her babies. :(
Reminds me DH and i need to better discuss our disaster plan. We know what our daycares plan is, but we haven't discussed what we'd do. Forunately it's only a 5 mile walk home for us.

Kim

[slknight]

Originally posted by RunnerKim


I just read more about the blackout that had a map showing the affect areas. I don't know where in NJ Susan lives but it said commuter train service was shut down and it went out at 4pm. Susan has such a long way home, I hope she was able to get home and get her babies. :(


Delurking to say, oh no. I suspect she got stranded. I really hope she's ok. :(

[nori]

Cheryl, I can't believe about that infant car seat at age 1!!! It must be pretty uncomfortable for babies, too.:( I suspect it's more expensive to have twins but still....
So you got your monthly friend back, huh???:D Are you still nursing, or did you stop? I don't have mine back yet (which is very nice), but wondering the same thing...how do I know if I'm pregnant?

Becky, welcome back! Sounds like you had fun. Isn't in-flight magazine great? And that safety information sheet. He could not rip it off, which is good, since you're not supposed to take it with you. Noah had a great time with one of those cups for drinks...actually we took one back home and it's still sitting in his room. He still plays with it.:rolleyes: Noah's party will be next weekend, so I"m still planning stage. This weekend will be for Colin and Caitlyn's at Joanne's. She should be busy getting ready for it today.;)

Kim, I haven't given him a bottle, and my doctor said I shouldn't introduce him to the bottle at this point, just give him a sippy cup, which he takes very well. Do you think sippy cup may work? I can give it a try tonight.....Oh, I bought the no-cry solution book so I'll see if I can do more to get him sleep longer.:)

I hope MrsReber is okay.:( It's pretty awful over there. I hope she didn't have to walk home (which seems impossible) or something.

Stay safe, everyone!

[MrsReber]

Hello! I left the office at 3:55 last night, ran to make my train. I usually leave at 3:50, but my boss asked me to do one last thing. I ran to the station and got on the 4:05. Then DH called and said he left work at 4:00 so he'd pick up the kids. I said "okay, great. Oh, the train just stopped." We hung up and that was it. We didn't move. Somehow or other, there was power for the train, which is electric. Go figure. I got off the train at 6:14 (my butt hurt!!) and got home just before 7:00. My sister called here twice in a panic because nobody knew what the problem was and everyone, of course, was thiking the worst. I admit that I was a bit scared on the train. We had no outside information at all. People were on cell phones to family. My cell phone wouldn't let me call anyone. The woman next to me was kind enough to let me call DH on her phone. There was power at my house, but not on the main highway 2 blocks away. DH seemed a bit nervous when I called home. He never gets nervous about things like that so that made me a bit jumpy. There was also a very weird guy on the train who was, I swear, cutting the skin off his hands with a toe nail clipper. He looked very middle eastern, with long dark hair and dark skin. He had 2 bags with him and he was acting quite nervous. He eventually got up and walked away from the bags, leaving them on the seat! I got up and walked to the other end of the car and waited for him to come back. About 15 minutes later he hadn't returned so I asked this other woman who I see all the time what she thought. She went with me and saw the bags sitting there. Then the guy came back. She took one look at hime and said "I would've reported that!". Well, he grabbed his bags and moved to another car, but it really freaked me out. I just wanted off the train.

I got home and the life insurance guy was already at my house! I thought for sure he wouldn't show up since he works in the city! He gave me lots of hope and told me that he's not such a fan of 529 accounts because you'll get penalized if your kids decide not to go to college and you try to take your money out. I don't know about all that, but, hey, MY kids will go!!! He said that we need help. We're making all this money, but we don't have any extra at the end of the month. He seems to think he can free up about $1,000 a month for us! I said "show me how! We're building a house in VA!!!" We'll see what happens. We're bad parents, we still don't have a will. We really need to do that very soon. Heaven forbid my children end up with my in-laws! My brother and SIL are first choice as guardians and I just asked my mom if she'd mind if I put her down. She told me that's fine. DH agreed with me before that there's no one else we feel would be appropriate. I won't sign if his family is listed. His one sister and BIL just became grandparents, his brother made it clear that he's not overly fond of babies (at least caring for them), his other 2 sisters just have the WRONG values.

Oh, so good news. I get up at 4:45, as usual, this morning and turn on the news to see whats' going on with the trains. Apparently, my train was the last to leave the station before they shut everything down! I got lucky in that way. I don't know how else I would've gotten home. Anyway, they said they were operating on a "limited Saturday schedule" but they wouldn't elaborate. I got dressed and ready to go, told my mom to meet me at the train station. I was running about an hour late. When I got to the station, she said I just missed a train. We waited a bit. Brenden was getting fussy so I told her to go, I'd just wait for the next train. At 8:30 (still waiting) I called my boss. He said "you're at your originating train station?" I said "yep, there's supposed to be a train soon". He said "turn around and go home. You can work from there." So I left. I came home. I had no kids. What else could I do? I cleaned the house!! It's clean! I almost hate to go get the kids. But I will. I'm going to pick up some lunch for me and my mom.

So, that's my story. Joanne, thanks for the advice on Superheros. Yes, Freddie will be 4, just like Colin. I just talked to DH who said he didn't get anything. So, I will be running out on Sunday! Ahhh! Well, I'll try to stop in again. I feel bad because I don't have time to read through everything that was posted! Joanne, hope your party goes well! Kim, I always make something to take into daycare for a birthday. I think that's more fun than a family party, too! The kids are so cute! I'm really curious about that icing, though, so let us know when you try it!

[MrsReber]

One more thing...there was a sort of state of emergency this morning and the governer was encouraging people to stay home if they could. They're still unsure about the stability of the power grid once power is fully restored. The trains were running very slowly, from what I heard- and there were no tolls on the parkway and the turnpike!! Very weird situation. My work building has power (good thing, since I work for a power company!) Okay, I'm off to buy lunch for me and mom!

[RunnerKim]

Susan - I'm so glad you made it home! and that you were able to talk with your DH and new everything was okay. That man on the train sounded really weird. There's always weirdos on public transit but they really stand out when something happens like that.

I wouldn't have even tried to go to work today - good for your boss to send you home.

I've been reading a ton about 529s. There's a great web site http://www.savingforcollege.com that talks all about 529s. I've requested the book they talk about from the library. They rate and list all the 529s for each state. I had no idea you could invest in another state's 529 (although often have to pay an annual fee or something). Oregon looks to have a good one - it doesn't have to just be a traditional 4 year college. Vocational, 2 yr and a variety of other things are allowable. I find it hard to believe that my child(ren) won't need/want some kind of post hs education. As to 529s only being for education, I'm not scrimping and saving a bunch of money for Lainey's wedding - forget that. I will support her education though. If she ends up not wanting to go to college then I can transfer the account to another beneficiary. Heck I'll go back to school!

But Susan that would be great if he can really figure out how to save you that much money. Virginia here you come. And yes get a will done! WE got ours done for only $200. Very simple. I think you can even just buy software and have it notorized if it's fairly straightforward.

Nori - I would try the sippy cup at night with water. He's still getting to calm himself by drinking/sucking but will hopefully stop waking up in time because his body isn't getting any calories. It's worth trying -- only try eliminating one feeding at a time though. I don't know how often he's still waking up (and how regularly) but start with maybe just the first time he wakes up and the rest still nurse. Maybe someone else who's done this will have more advice??

Kim

[cchhbb]

Kim, You must know Garrett better than I do. Remember when you thought he might be teething and I didn't think so? Well, you were right. I kept looking at the center top gum and nothing. Today when I was fishing something out of his mouth I felt something on the side and it is the beginning of a tooth. Its not one of the two center teeth. He wouldn't let me take a better look. I'll try again later.

Becky, I'm glad you had a great trip. DH and I aren't building a house. I just commented that I don't know if we could. Someone else is. Anna Sue I think. DH and I have been remodeling a house for the last two years though.

Susan, glad you made it home okay and have power. It sounds like you were very lucky.

Last night I went out with some moms from my breastfeeding group. We had a blast, but I didn't get home until nearly midnight.

DH hooked up a wireless network at our house so now I can use my laptop downstairs with no cords. It's awesome.

Gotta run.
Cheryl

[BeckyM]

Wow! It took me FOREVER to read through all this month's posts. I'm sure I read too fast and have some details confused, but at least I know the basic things that are going on.

Cheryl -- sorry about my confusion on who is building a house. I actually was thinking to myself last night that maybe I had that wrong, because I thought you had been posting on the pregnancy thread about the work you guys were doing on your older home. Anyway, I figured out it is Erin who's building a house. So, congratulations Erin!

Kim -- thanks for posting the link about 529 plans. We've been talking about doing something like that for Katie, but we haven't gotten our act together enough yet. Since I'm going back to work the last week of September, we figured we'll see how our finances are, then we'll try to set up something where we put a certain amount of money into the account each month. We had been putting money into a retirement account each month but stopped that when I quit getting a paycheck.

I need to check out those Robeez (I might not have the name exactly right) shoes. We haven't had Katie wearing any shoes yet, but we probably need something since she is pulling up to standing now and can't go barefoot forever. We do have some hand-me-down shoes that have hardly been worn (so they're not conformed to another kid's feet yet), but they seem to have harder soles than what I've heard is recommended for first shoes. Katie was able to kick them off when I tried putting her in them anyway, so I figured they wouldn't do much good.

Joanne -- enjoy your parties this weekend. I hope everything with the kids' birthday party goes well. I agree the ziti sounded good, but having cooler foods will probably work better with the weather.

MrsReber -- congrats on your MIL moving to Florida! You'll have to let us know if it actually happens. It sounds like one of those things you don't want to get too excited about in case it falls through. Though since you don't see her much these days, it probably doesn't make a huge difference. BTW, I'm glad to hear you weren't stranded somewhere in the power outage.

nori -- you asked for advice / thoughts on eliminating feedings in the middle of the night. We followed our pediatrician's advice, and it worked well for us. He said when Katie wakes up, I should breastfeed her a shorter time each night until she isn't used to getting much food at that time and doesn't wake up for it. At the time we did that, I had been feeding her for 15 minutes per side each time she nursed (she was a slow nurser). So I cut back to 10 minutes per side for a while, then 8, then 7, then 6, etc., until I got down to only letting her nurse a couple minutes on each side. Since we did it gradually, she still felt comforted by nursing, but she was getting less milk and her stomach was getting less used to having a "meal" at that time of night. She then just stopped waking up at that time and slept through until her next normal feeding. Just a thought of something you might try. I have also heard the idea of giving a bottle of water or watered-down milk/formula, but Katie wasn't really taking many bottles at that point, so I figured it would just make her madder.

Well, I've got the Carrot Quick Bread from July's CL in the oven right now. I've become much less of a "foodie" these days too, but I wanted to try something new, and that sounded good. I am really tired though, because Katie woke up around 4am last night and wouldn't go back to sleep! :confused: I went in and rocked with her, and that made her less upset, but she was still wide awake and fidgety. I think she's still adjusting to getting back on Eastern time. I figured she'd just get mad and scream if I tried putting her in the crib while she was so agitated, so I let her nurse for a bit. :eek: I don't want her to get used to nursing every time she's upset though -- especially in the middle of the night. But I was just so tired I couldn't think of anything else to do. So nori, I can sort of understand what you're going through. I just hope this doesn't become a habit!

Time to sign off -- I can't believe how long this is! I guess I really missed you all!

Becky :)

[MrsReber]

Kim, I'll have to check out that link on the 529 plans. I probably wouldn't have set one up except that it's offered through my job. My employer does payroll deduction. The plan that I have is with the State of Rhode Island, of all places. I contribute through bi-weekly paychecks so I really don't miss the money at all. I agree, though, 18 years from now, you won't be able to be a gas station attendant without some sort of training! I know if I applied for my job today, I wouldn't get it because I don't have a Bachelor's Degree. I agree, our kids will need some training even if it's a trade school or vocational school. I was just talking to my mom about that. I think most 529 plans allow for that type of education. Also, one thing to remember is that these plans are fairly new so the laws will change in the next 18 years. I really don't see how they can tax you again on the money. Sure, maybe they'll tax you on the interest, but it's all after tax dollars going into the account.

Anyway, looks like the city still has power problems. Those poor people. If I still worked there, I never would've ventured into work today. Thanks for the concern. It did take me forever to get off that train, but there was no traffic on the roads because most of the commuters were stuck. I still can't believe that if my train was 10 minutes late (which it sometimes is), I would've been stuck in the train station.

Yep, I agree. Can't get too excited about the move until it happens. DH said the same thing- we hardly see her now. He informed me today that he's not going to my mom's with me. I had a feeling he was going to say that. I'm still going there for the day without him, but I'm annoyed. I go to all of his family things and his family is much larger than mine!

Nori, I heard the same thing about offering water at night, only it was explained to me a little differently. They said that if you give water at night instead of nursing, the baby will soon sleep through the feeding time because they'll get discouraged after only being offered water.

By the way, where has Bosunswife been? I don't think she's posted anywhere on the BB for quite some time. I hope everything is okay with her.

Brenden has really been out of sorts. He's got a molar coming in. The bump on his gums is huge and you can see a white spot on top. He is so irritable and I feel so bad for him. Even the tylenol doesn't seem to help. I think I'm going to have to try Motrin. He's been up crying at night, which is out of character for him.

I better run. I left the kids with DH in the livingroom. I figured he needed some bonding time :p !










:p :p

[nori]

MrsReber, glad to hear that you're okay! You were lucky to be able to get on that train!!! Must be scary.:eek: Hope things will get back to normal soon!

Noah woke up about every hour last night.:rolleyes: I don't know what's up with him. This is more than usual. I was so tired, but kept going in to his room to comfort him. Around 4am, I just tried to rock him to sleep and he didn't like it, he cried pretty hard in my arms. I was so sleepy, but hoping somehow DH would come to check us in see how's everything. Wrong. I heard the door slammed closed, and of course, it was our bedroom door.:mad: I was upset. I just wanted to have some encouragement or comfort.

Oh well. He thinks I should let him cry out, but I don't want to. So he said "Look, if you do in that way, don't get upset with me, okay?" It was this morning. It's been awful day today.:( He said I'm being selfish deciding what to do about Noah's sleeping issue. Am I??? I just read a bunch of stuff saying cry it out isn't good for the baby, so I just want to avoid it. Is it wrong??? I've been in such an awful mood all day.....hope tonight will be better.

Sorry to be miserable. I jsut needed to vent. Now he's crying again I have to go to see what's goingon.

[AnnaSue]

Hi Nori..Sorry to hear you are having such a rough day. That must really be difficult when you and your DH prefer different methods of handling the situation. Do you know why Noah gets up so much? Hunger? Teething? Do you think maybe your DH would be willing to work with you on coming up with methods/ideas of ways to get him to sleep more? In our case, Brendan has always been a fairly good sleeper (aside from his nasal congestion :rolleyes: ), but we found that giving him a couple extra ounces in his bottle right before he goes to bed helped him sleep longer, and now he has been sleeping at least 8 hours every night. Took a bit of trial and error to figure out what would work though. I know when Brendan did wake up at night, he was definitely not going back to sleep any time soon without being fed. Crying it out would've taken a LONG time!! Maybe your DH thinks Noah would cry it out sooner than he really would. My DH returns to work tomorrow, so it is probably good that Brendan has been sleeping better. He has been very good about getting up with him on days where I have to work the morning shift, but it would probably be really tough if we both had to work in the morning and Brendan was up at night all the time. I'm feeling a little stressed today though about having to bring him to daycare tomorrow.:( :( Anyway, I hope your day is getting better, and that you'll be able to work something out. Let us know how things turn out.

I've been trying to catch up on posts all week! Just when I'm almost caught up, I'm suddenly behind again. I have to work in a little while, but I should be able to post more tonight when I get home. The low number of posts over the weekend gives me time to catch up.:)

[cchhbb]

((((Nori)))) I'm sorry that you've had such a difficult time. I've always found it difficult when I don't get enough sleep. I hope you've managed to take a nap when Noah does. You really need to take care of yourself.

DH and I don't agree on the crying it out thing either. I think that moms are programmed differently from dads. Garrett falls asleep at night on his own if DH puts him in bed, but he expects/wants me to rock him to sleep. He makes a big fuss if I put him down awake, but for DH it's no big deal.

A friend of mine had a child who had frequent night wakening until she cut back on her breastfeeding. She now nurses about 4 times per day instead 10 for a one year old.

I wish you luck. I had been making really good progress with Garrett on napping and we have backslid. I think I let him get too tired and he is also getting some teeth. He seems to be working on the top 4 teeth at once. Poor thing.

I am still nursing Garrett about 5 times per day. I need to decide what to do with the feeding that he gets when he will be in preschool. Do I pump and send breastmilk or begin the weaning process and send formula? I do want to wean him at 12 months especially since I am going to be having my foot operated on then.

Cheryl

[nori]

Thanks, I'm feeling much, much better today. Amazing what sleep-deprivation can do to you.:p Seems like the night before yesterday was especially tough one, since Noah only woke up twice last night and it was easy to put him back to sleep. Maybe it was teething??:confused:

Last night I was still upset, I slept in the guest bedroom. DH was already sleeping by then, so he didn't really know that I spent whole night in the separate room. This morning he asked me about it, since he saw the guest bedroom had been used. He said he was hurt by my action, but we talked about those issue this morning (with refreshed mind;) ) and he apologized calling me selfish yesterday. I told him I want to follow the No-cry sleep solution book and I actually started keeping nap log, prebedtime log. Noah has been good at bedtime...I'd nurse him, then put him in the crib still awake. He'd toss and turn, sometimes try to get up, just lean against my shoulder a while, then he'd go back to lay down. He'd repeat that for, about 20 min. then fall asleep. I don't remember if he was that way on the night when he was terrible, but yesterday and tonight was that way...hopefully he'll sleep better. I'd keep night-awakening log tonight, then start making my bedtime routine plan. I think we might have been overlooked the routine part before....I just want to see how this plan works.

He was also very good at the church this morning. We had an early morning meeting to attend before the service and our friend's kid (who is the second of 6 boys in the family!) looked after him in the nursery. He didn't really cry at all. Then, during the service I took him to the nursery and left while he was playing with the toys. When we went there to pick him up, they said he did really good. Noah was playing with toy truck on the floor. Usually he is sleepying by the time we get there so it was a surprise. He didn't really have morning nap, then took 1 hour nap in the afternoon.

Cheryl, I think you're right saying mommies are programmed in the way to respond to the baby! How old Garrett will be when he goes to preschool? If he's very close to one-year old, maybe it's okay to give him milk??? (I saw some of us gave babies whole milk a few weeks before his/her birthday....)Maybe that's something you can ask your ped. If you want to wean, pumping milk might not be a good idea since it'll promote more milk production.

AnnaSue...it must be tough to take Brendan to the daycare for the first time...hope everything will go well, and he'd adjust the new environment as soon as possible.

:)

[AnnaSue]

It sure is easy to get behind on this thread! We have been really busy with stuff for our new house. Just a little over a month now until our closing. If only they could've finished it a little earlier in time for the dreaded MIL visit. We've been trying to pick out furniture, blinds etc. etc., but it is really difficult to visualize what everything will look like since the house isn't even done yet. We'll be moving into a very empty house if we don't start making some finalized decisions soon though!

Erin.. Did you get all your colors and upgrades picked out? I wonder if Hanne and Brendan will end up at the same school. Sounds like they might!

Mrs.Reber.. So, your MIL is moving away?? How wonderful for you! Unless she stays with you when she comes to visit... then you'll be in my situation. It is amazing how much of a pain they can still be from a distance.:rolleyes: Glad to hear you made it home alright after the blackout, is everything pretty much back to normal now?

Joanne.. How did your party turn out? Sounds like lots of us are going to end up making that baked ziti sooner or later. Probably good you didn't make it yesterday - it sure was hot!! I really enjoy reading your stories about the cute things your boys say and do. They sound like they are so good, and so much fun. I hope Brendan turns out like that.

Nicole.. Glad to hear breastfeeding is going better for you. Griffin's schedule sounds a lot like what Brendan's was for awhile..staying up late, and getting fussy between 6-9 p.m. Brendan has been working his away out of that over the last month or so though.. hopefully Griffin will soon too!

Becky.. Welcome back! Glad to hear you had such a nice trip and that the fires didn't interfere too much with your plans. Has Katie readjusted back to Eastern time yet?

Cheryl.. How frustrating about those irresponsible parents. Why would anyone feed their child something that is a choking hazard? I used to work in a children's hospital, and saw way too many kids who died or had severe brain damage after eating hot dogs, grapes etc. I don't know why parents would risk that. Speaking of irresponsible parents.. I was at work the other day, and this woman pulls up to the pharmacy drive-thru with two little kids jumping around in the car like maniacs (no carseats). We asked for her drivers license since she was dropping off a prescription for a controlled II substance, and she says she doesn't have one. :eek: Turns out she was the kids nanny. I wonder if the parents are aware that this woman is driving their kids around with no drivers license, and doesn't put them in their carseats! What a nightmare.. reinforces to me that whatever daycare costs at a daycare center is worth it to keep Brendan safe.

Paula.. Thanks for the advice on exersaucers etc. I'm definitely going to get Brendan one of those. He loves standing up! I think he'll really like one of those.

Nori.. I thought of you as I put Brendan to sleep a little while ago. Usually I put him in his crib and he laughs and plays for around 10 minutes before he falls asleep. Not tonight! For some reason he started screaming like crazy when I put him in there. That is definitely hard to listen to, and I ended up rocking him to sleep. I can understand why it is hard for you to let Noah cry it out. Did you get a chance to talk to your DH any more about the situation today? Hope you're feeling better!

Alright, this is long enough. I better go get Brendan's stuff ready for his first day of daycare tomorrow.:( I was hoping DH would have to bring him, but I don't have to work until 2:00, so looks like I'll be bringing him. Hopefully I won't start bawling.:rolleyes: :(

[JoanneOR]

Hi everyone! It's been busy here the past few days! I'm trying to catch up, but I might miss some things.

Mrs. Reber, I thought about you, too, when I heard about the power outage. Glad to hear you lucked out and made that last train.

Welcome back Becky. Sounds like you had a great time.

Nori, glad to hear your DH and you talked about the sleep situation. It's so hard to deal with sleep deprivation and even harder if your spouse isn't supportive of how you deal with it. I think trying the water at night is a good idea. Actually, I'm going to try that with Caitlyn. She's gone back to getting up once or twice a night for a bottle. You'd probably have to get him used to a sippy cup during the day before you try it at night, though.

AnnaSue, good luck at work today and hope all goes well with daycare! I know how hard it is to leave them that first day. Ian starts kindergarten next week and I know I'm going to cry. I cried when they all started preschool!

Well, the party turned out good. Although it was so hot! We wound up inside the house most of the time. We had the jumper for the kids. They loved it. We had to limit the time they were in there, though, since it was so hot. We had it all day, so once it cooled off a bit they got to stay in it more. Even the moms had a turn! The food turned out pretty good, too. Although, next time we'll do pizza, I think. I spent the entire day Friday shopping and running last minute errands. I did most of the cleaning, too. Then we went to a 40th birthday party. That was fun. The babysitter was great. I really like her. I'm sure we'll use her again. Not that we go out that often (once or twice a year!). Then Saturday we spent the morning setting up the back yard and filling coolers. I made all the salads then, too. I never got a chance to make those oreo cookies. :(. I was bummed. I have the bag of oreos hidden in the cabinet.

Colin really had a good time. There were about 17 kids there aged 1-10 and it got pretty chaotic at times, especially since we were inside more than I thought we would be! But, they all had a good time. The last people left around 11. Poor Colin was so tired, but was determined to play with every toy he got. He finally passed out on his bedroom floor.

Caitlyn was funny. She's never seen so many people in her house. Took a nice nap during the time we were getting the food ready, so that was good! I got some good pictures; I'll try to post later in the week.

Now I have to start thinking about Jameson and Ian's party! Jameson's birthday is the end of Sept. and Ian's is Nov. 12. I'm pretty sure we'll combine them.

Gotta run. I'll check in later.

[erinl]

Hey ladies, Hanne and I are visiting my parents for a week, so I'll actually have time to post while she's napping. It took me a while to catch up, though.

For everyone considering putting water in a bottle--it can backfire. We started trying that with Hanne a while ago and she would drain an 8oz bottle in 10 minutes. Then she would wake up more frequently because it wasn't as filling as formula.

The best thing that worked to get her to sleep better was putting her to bed awake. We finally put a bedtime routine on paper and follow it whenever possible.
6-6:30ish dinner
7:00 bath
brush teeth
lotion/jammies
read 2 books while we rock
rock approx 5 min while I talk softly to her about the day and say prayers
7:30 bed

Becky, welcome back! We're very excited about the house. We never intended to buy new construction or move that far out of the city, but it ended up being the most practical thing to do.

AnnaSue, we picked everything out last weekend. They only allot 2 hours for your design appointment, which is absolutely nuts. Paul and I picked things out rather easily and it took us 4 hours. Among other things, we upgraded to the "gourmet" kitchen--double oven w/separate cooktop and 42" cabinets w/crown molding. One of my ovens will be convection. Yea! We will be living in a very empty house for a while, too. We're doubling our square footage and I don't want to buy cheap stuff just to fill it. I don't know what elementary school Hanne will go to. That would be funny if they ended up at the same place.

Well, I think I'll go do a little reading while Hanne is asleep.

[RunnerKim]

AnnaSue - how did drop off at daycare go? (((AnnaSue))) The first couple of days are particularly tough. How old is Brendan now?

Oh my no car seats?? I think I might have called the cops while she was sitting there! I would be livid if those were my kids and I did not know an un-licensed driver was driving my kids - and without carseats.

(((Nori))) It's so hard to deal with these things when you're so tired and frustrated. It sounds like you're doing the right thing with talking with your DH about what you are doing (the No Cry Sleep Solution Book) to make it better. He may think you're just doing the same thing over and over and hoping it gets better. Maybe he doesn't know another way to deal with the sleeping problems than CIO (cry it out). Will he read the book too? That would probably really help him understand what you're doing and hopefully why you're doing it that way. I have no judgement on CIO - Lainey's been a good sleeper so I have never had to agonize over that. I can say though that I need my sleep and something would have had to be done if she had a schedule like Noah's, so I can understand your frustration but haven't been in your shoes so won't tell you what's right or wrong. I can understand why your DH is frustrated too (although saying you are selfish is not fair at all) -- I'm sure a part of it is that he doesn't like seeing you so tired and stressed and perhaps even feels guilty that he's not helping you.

Erin - your kitchen sounds fabulous. Dual ovens. Drool drool.

Joanne - glad your kids exhausted themselves having so much fun. :D Wow you definitely have a birthday season at your house. And just when you're done with that Christmas comes along.

Cheryl - when does Garrett start school? If it were me making the decision (for my next child obviously) I'd go to formula - it's not worth the pumping IMHO. How strict will the daycare be about throwing out the rest of a bottle he doesn't finish? It would kill me to have them throw out breastmilk. If you do it make sure it make small bottles of it so they don't have to waste as much. It's a lot of work/stress messing with the extra bottles, making sure you pump enough etc. If you're still breastfeeding him other times I wouldn't worry about him getting a little formula.

Susan - have you tried tag teaming the tylenol and motrin? They're 2 different drugs so you can use them together. My doctor's office had me do this when I couldn't get a fever down with just one. I think motrin lasts a little longer (6 hrs vs 4) so that's what I use at night anyway. Lainey's still working on her 4 upper teeth - one's completely through, one is partially through, one is swollen and the other just barely is visible. Poor thing.

Oh I bought fondant icing this weekend. $6 for a box that covers a 2 layer round cake (8 or 9" I can't recall). Pricey stuff! I'm going to try something with it just because I'm curious but my sister has me mostly convinced to give a pastry bag and star tip a try. My office is going to love all the practicing I'm going to do.

Kim

[AnnaSue]

Well, I've just returned from the dreaded daycare drop-off. Of all nights, Brendan had a very bad return of his congestion last night, and barely slept at all. He has been terribly fussy all day today, and then I had to bring him for his first day of daycare. He finally fell asleep in the car on the way there, and then I didn't know what to do. I ended up letting him sleep since I knew he was exhausted and fussy, and needed his sleep, but now I'm feeling guilty and thinking I should've woken him up so he won't wake up in some strange place.:( Maybe he's too young to really realize that though, I don't know. He'll only be there for a couple hours today, so maybe with any luck he'll sleep until DH gets there. Alright.. off to work.

[JoanneOR]

AnnaSue, sorry to hear that Brendan had a bad night with the congestion. It was probably better for you that he was asleep when you dropped him off. Maybe he'll sleep most of the time he's there today. It will get easier. :)

Friday night when we went out Caitlyn was already in bed, for the night, I thought. The babysitter said she woke up around 11 crying. She said she looked really confused when she saw her, but then she was up laughing and smiling at her for about 15 minutes. Hopefully Brendan would have the same reaction. And, Caitlyn does not take to other people very well. Especially if I am there. She only goes willingly to three people: me, her dad, and one of our neighbors. It's strange. Oh, yea, and Ian. He has started to pick up her now and carry her around. He loves taking care of her. I needed to take a shower Saturday and I knew she wouldn't be napping anytime soon. So, I asked him to stay with her on my bedroom floor and keep her occupied while I showered. Anyway, I digress!

Erin, that kitchen does sound great!

Cheryl, I would have to agree with Kim. I think it would be added stress to try to pump and bring the milk with you. Especially since Garrett would be close to a year anyway, right? You could start weaning him when he starts school. That way it you can still breastfeed him in the morning and night, but it would be a gradual process for both of you.

[MrsReber]

Hi everyone. Joanne, I'm glad that the party went well. We got rained on at the party across the street. My neighbor's son was so funny. Whenever someone would ask how old he was, he'd say "I'm three. I won't be four until tomorrow. This is just my party". HIs mom says he seems to think something magical is going to happen to him when he is EXACTLY four years old. I got him a little Spiderman diving toy for his little pool and some Lego's that make 40 different little trucks. That was fun. Casey seemed to really enjoy the party, although she doesn't interact too much with other kids that she doesn't know.

Well, today I took them to the Picture People and got pictures done. I had a coupon for no sitting fee and I entered a picture of Casey into the Parent's Magazine contest. They did get some very nice pictures of her. At first, we got a man photographer. Casey wouldn't even look at him. He tried, too. I asked him if we could have the woman do the pictures instead. She did a great job. Brenden wasn't very cooperative so I only got 2 pictures of him and Casey, but none by himself. I feel bad, but we did try! I just hate waiting around for the pictures. It takes about 40 minutes to pick them out and get everything paid for! Now I remember why I hate getting pictures done. It's nice to have them, though. They're both napping now. We may go to the boardwalk when DH gets home. Seems like a good night for it. I wish I had a nap, though! I'm "working" from home. Nobody is sending me any work!

Nori, I'm glad you talked to DH about the sleeping thing. I know exactly how you feel. My DH does the same exact thing! If one of the kids is crying and I get up, he'll close the bedroom door! He used to close Brenden's door if he cried in the middle of the night. He wouldn't go to him, he'd just close the door so it wouldn't bother him! I got upset and told him that I will always go when I hear my child crying. You don't know if there's something seriously wrong or not. I have to at least check. Brenden woke up crying last night around 3:00 am. Seems he got himself turned sideways in the crib. Every time he'd try to stretch out, he'd hit his head on the side of the crib! I turned him back the other way and he went right back to sleep. Silly kid. I hope Noah starts to sleep a bit better. Sleep deprivation is not fun!

Ack! My MIL would never stay with us! First of all, DH would probably start fighting with her after only 10 minutes. When she does come over (which is rare) he's usually out looking at her car and I'm left to entertain her. After our last go round where she said nasty things about me to DH's sister, DH knows better than to leave me alone with her. Anyway, she still says she's moving. I guess there's only about a month left. I don't think she'd want to stay with us. She thinks I'm a slob since I can't work full time, raise 2 kids and keep my house spotless. I knew it'd pay off sooner or later! Besides, we don't meet her requirements - no pool, we can't (and won't pay to) entertain her and we don't keep it warm enough in the house. :D !

[RunnerKim]

AnnaSue - for what it's worth i think you were right in letting him sleep. I hate waking a sleeping baby, particularly when they need it and if you were able to keep him asleep, so much the better. Lainey's first day of day care she had this congestion thing going on and vomited on me (and later on one of the teachers) on her first day. At his age I think it won't be such a big deal for him. (hopefully).

Susan - will you post a picture of your babies? I agree about checking on them when they cry - Lainey has gotten her foot through the bars before. Last night she was coughing so bad that she actually vomitted quite a large amount. She'd simply rotated 180 degrees and gone back to sleep -- we wouldn't have noticed it if we hadn't checked on her because of the coughing. I'd hate to think of her sleeping in her vomit if we didn't check on her. We think the coughing is because drool from teething is pooling in her mouth - she sleeps on her tummy now. She doesn't cough when she's awake/vertical so that's all we can think of.

I posted this on another thread but have to share here too. The people on my morning bus are so great. Don't know them at all but you get to know by sight people that ride at the same time. We like to get 3 side-ways seats in the front of the bus so Lainey can have her own seat to stand/sit/dance/jump around it. Makes the trip fun for her (and not stressful for me :D ). We get on at the last stop before it expresses to downtown. There weren't 3 seats together one morning so we went further back and sat in 2 forward facing seats and kept her on our lap. I heard someone in front ask "where's the baby?" well ever since that day the people in the front of the bus will re-arrange so we have 3 seats together.
Kim

[cchhbb]

Kim, You have some great people that you ride the bus with. It's amazing how a baby can make people melt.

Anna Sue, I wouldn't have woken Brendan. He's really too young for separation anxiety so he'll probably be okay. I bet the teachers would be able to get him feeling comfortable.

Nori, I'm glad you and DH worked things out. I think it's a tough decision to make to get serious about sleep training. It is a lot of work. We really found that a routine helps Garrett. His nighttime routine is pretty strict. I get grief from other people about how he should be able to stay up later, ect., but they aren't the one that gets up with him in the middle of the night.

Joanne, sounds like a great party. I think pizza sounds like the right idea. I think we're just going to have my parents in town and that is it. Did Caitlyn like the cake?

I think I'm going to send formula in a sippy cup when Garrett's at preschool. He's going 2 times per week for 3 hours each day. I don't think I can face pumping anymore. I pumped so much when he was small that I have a mental block against it. I also have a difficult time producing for a pump. I really do want him weaned by my surgery in October (he'll be one).

Susan, too bad about the picture experience. We always end up with some kind of drama when I get Garrett's picture taken. It really shouldn't be that hard.

Garrett is working on his 4 front teeth. The poor thing must be hurting. He was really clingy all day. I hope tomorrow is a better day.

Cheryl

[nori]

AnnaSue, how did Brendan do at the daycare? I'd not have waken him up either. As everyone said, he's probably still too young to get the separation anxiety.

Joanne, sounds like you had a nice party! So cute Colin fell asleep on the floor.:) He must be very, very tired. Did Caitlyn get a lot of toys???:D Looking forward to seeing your photos!

Erin,thanks for the warning about giving water at night. I might still try it, but it's good to know that it could backfire. Really, every baby is different, I guess. Our night time routine starts around 7-ish with bath, too. Talking softly about the day to her is a great idea!

Kim, what nice people you have on your bus ride! I often take Noah to stroller ride in the morning to the park. There are a lot of people walking at that time, and for some reason, if I don't have Noah with me (DH watching him), they'd ask "Where's the baby?" As Cheryl said, it's amazing what babies can do to people's heart.:) As for CIO, I also understand under some circumstances, sometimes parents just have to let babies cry. If sleep-deprivation is taking over your life, it's not a good sign anymore. I deal with it pretty well, just once in a while it hits me. Plus, letting him cry puts more stress on my side....but I know for some people, it's the only solution. As long as your heart is in the right place, parenting varies in such a wide range, and I think it's okay. (Of course, as long as babies are not in pain or harm) I wish DH would read that book, too, but he said he might, but I don't think he will, unless I really push him. So, I can maybe read some parts from the book aloud to him, so he has no other way but listen.

MrsReber, your MIL thinks you can't work full-time, raise 2 kids, and keep house spotless!!!!!?????:rolleyes: :mad: She'll be so upset with me, then. I don't work outside of home, but can't keep house spotless either. Plus I only have 1 kid. I wonder what she'd say about me.:p Did you take pictures of both of your kids, or for each of them??? I loved your Christmas picture! That's funny Casey prefers woman photographer.

Cheryl, you're right, no one can tell you what to do or criticize what you do, it's you dealing with all those nighttime awakening, not them! Tonight Noah went to bed by himself (without nursing) again, which makes 3 nights in a row! He got a little fussy tonight but I could calm him down by rocking. I'm going to read further of that book to really make nice plan for the routine. Hope Garrett will have a better day tomorrow!

I really think Noah is having teething. Today, he was playing happily and suddenly he started to cry with his fingers in his mouth. I gave him ice cubes to play with and he really liked it. But that sudden cry (and fingers in the mouth) surely sounds like teething! I don't feel any coming out yet, but he must be working deep inside.

[JoanneOR]

Kim, that's a cute story about the people on the bus. It probably makes their morning to see Lainey every day. Babies do bring out the best in people. Most people anyway!

We have a grocery store a few blocks away that we go to all the time. They all know us. DH always brings all four kids in with him. Not me. If I'm missing one or two, they always ask, "where's so and so?"

Caitlyn has gotten her leg stuck in the crib, too. Last night she was up twice. The first time she was hysterical. I always close her door when I put her to bed so the boys don't wake her, then I open it when they go to sleep. It's still a bit light when she goes to bed. Last night I forgot to open it. I think she freaked out because she woke up and the door was closed and it was really dark. It took awhile to calm her down. Then she was up around 4, but DH got her.

Nori, that sleep thing is so tough. It sounds like you are making progress. It's good that Noah can go to sleep now without breastfeeding. I was reading in a sleep book a few years ago about sleep associations. It said you need to get your baby to sleep without depending on you. If he goes to sleep every night in your arms, when he wakes up in the middle of the night not in your arms, he's going to be scared because that's the last thing he remembers. He associates it with sleep. Then he'll need it again to go back to sleep. Same thing with breastfeeding or even a pacifier. It's like if you fell asleep with your favorite pillow and woke up and it was gone. You'd have a hard time falling asleep. I don't know if I explained that too well :), but it made alot of sense to me at the time. That's why it's good for babies to have a favorite blanket or stuffed toy to sleep with. They fall asleep with it and it stays there in the bed with them.

Nori, Caitlyn mostly got clothes. Lots of cute stuff. She got one doll and a V-tech book. She really doesn't have many toys. It's funny, but the few girly things she has, she's not really interested in. She always goes over and plays with the boy's toys. Colin got all toys, except for one outfit. Jameson was funny. He came over to Colin and whispered to him "don't people know that we don't like clothes?" I told him that was rude, but in a way it was funny the way he did it. Actually, poor Colin has mostly hand me down clothes that have been worn by his cousins and then his brothers. So, new stuff is nice for him. Although he doesn't care!

Colin started preschool yesterday. I was a bit nervous, because he kept saying he was scared and wanted me to stay with him. When I got home from work he said it wasn't scary and he liked his teacher. So, that was good. Next week Ian starts kindergarten and Jameson 1st grade.

Gotta run and do some work!

[RunnerKim]

Joanne that is funny about the "not liking clothes" statement. What's a v-tech book? Wow your house is going to quiet down a lot during the day - will Caitlyn be able to sleep without all the noise? :D

Oh guess what I'm having for lunch today - Baked Ziti leftovers :D (well technically Baked Rigatoni as I can't find ziti)

Nori - it sounds like you're making good progress! You are so right about the wide range of parenting styles and for the most part as long as your consistent as a parent it's all fine. So you just have to find what's good for you and your child.

Cheryl - you've done an amazing job breastfeeding Garrett. Way way way above and beyond the call of duty. Kudos to you and don't feel guilty about your choice now, it sounds like the right one for everyone. Lainey drinks really well from a sippy cup but all we've ever put in it is water. Boy will she be surprised when we put milk in the first time. :eek:

It was an early morning for us. Lainey woke up around 4:15 screaming, DH was up right away, but he calls me in to help. She vomited again but this time got it smeared all over herself. So I got in the tub with her while DH changed her bedding. Of course the bath really woke her up and there was no way she was going back to sleep. I thought about trying her in our bed or letting her play on our floor while I returned to sleep but I knew it'd be crappy sleep at best for me and I'd not get my morning walk in. So we stayed up and did some household stuff. Little stinker :) fell asleep on the bus and I just laid her down in a crib at daycare. I miss not getting to feed her breakfast. :( Oh well - I technically could get off a half hour early today (but it's easier just to take the same bus home with DH. I think I'll be needing some coffee this morning.

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Vtech makes alot of electronic toys for kids. The book is nursery rhymes and plays music.

Poor Lainey! Hope she is feeling better. And you, too! Not a fun morning.

I have to try that baked ziti! Hope your enjoying your leftovers, Kim.

Cheryl, I meant to post before pretty much the same thing that Kim did. You've done an awesome job with breastfeeding and stuck with it when many would have given up (myself included!). I wouldn't worry at all about weaning Garrett now. He's had tremendous benefits from it and you've done a great job.

Caitlyn picked up Colin's sippy cup (he stills uses one sometimes, part of that still wanting to be baby thing, I think) and was drinking from it. It had orange juice in it. She seemed a bit surprised at the taste, but liked it. I'm not going to try the formula in the cup, but I'll put her milk in there when I switch. I have a half can left and am not planning on buying anymore. Yea!! One less expense. I'm going to start making her half milk and half formula bottles to get her used to the taste.

[MrsReber]

Joanne, isn't that a great moment when you realize you don't have to buy formula anymore? I can only imagine what it will be like to not buy diapers! I know I'll have lots of extra money!

I'd love to post pictures, but I still don't have a scanner! They did come out really cute. I got 2 pictures of both kids and 3 pictures of just Casey. Brenden wouldn't sit by himself. I was lucky to get him off my lap and sitting on the floor next to me.

Last night or early this morning, Casey climbed into bed with us. She always has to sleep right on top of me. She's very quiet about the whole thing. We took the kids to the boardwalk last night. Casey wouldn't go on any of the rides. The adults can ride on the kiddie rides with very small children. She didn't want any part of it. We played a few games, which she liked. She thought skee-ball was great. We got enough tickets to get her a couple of prizes at the counter. Then we had ice cream. Both of them loved that. I think she'll react better next time. She was happy, just slightly intimidated. Brenden was his normal loud self. If he heard people laughing or talking loudly, he'd start yelling back at them! He enjoyed watching everything going on. It was such a beautiful night. We got home around 9:00 and both kids were wound up. This morning, I signed up for a massage at the gym. They do a minimum of 15 minutes and it's $1 per minute. The woman giving me the massage lives about 2 minutes from my house! I told her to give me her card! I already signed up for another session next Tuesday. Guess where all my baby formula money is going :D !

Joanne, Brenden learned how to drink from a sippy cup by taking sips out of Casey's cups. He did rather well. He's now drinking juice boxes because he sees her drinking them! You must've seen that pattern with all your kids, though, since they're pretty close in age. It does make a difference.

Kim, that's cute that everyone wants to see Lainey in the morning! I can't think of a better way to commute to work.

I can feel the first part of Brenden's molar coming through. He seems to be back to his old self. DH said he couldn't wake him up this morning. He didn't go to bed until 10:00 last night :eek: ! He's usually out by 8:30. If he's up any later than that, he just cries at me. Last night was unusual. He was tearing around the living room laughing like crazy. Then he crashed. I put him in his crib and he was out in about 30 seconds. Casey wouldn't go to sleep. I finally told her mommy was going night night so she finally put her head down. I fear she'd stay up all night if we let her! She didn't get that from me, that's for sure.

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, all my boys were terrified of rides until at least three years old. So, Casey may enjoy them next year! Sounds like you had a nice time.

The massage sounds great! Nice to indulge yourself once in awhile.

I can't wait to not have to buy diapers! I'm sure we have at least two years, though. At that point we will have been changing and buying diapers for nine years in a row! Yikes.

[cchhbb]

Kim and Joanne, Thanks for the praise. It really means a lot to me. After putting in so much effort to establish breastfeeding, it is kind of hard to let it go. I talked to Garrett's teacher today and she is going to 'help' him to use a sippy cup when he is there. I think he hasn't mastered it because he isn't thirsty when I offer it to him. I'm going to start giving it to him next week so it won't be a complete surprise when school starts.

Joanne, I'd cry to if I were you. Your babies are growing up. I know that they will always be your babies though. I can't imagine having to buy diapers for 9 years! You will get a significant raise when you can quit. I guess you've already gotten a raise buy not having to buy formula.

DH's nephew who was about 4 did the same thing when he was given clothes one year for Christmas. SIL always asks for clothes and I give them one expensive outfit and a toy. The kids just walk over to their mother and hand her the clothes. We tease that the clothes are presents for her.

Kim, Too bad about Lainey being sick. She must have been pooped. Garrett refuses to sleep in public. I think he believes that he will miss something.

Susan, sounds like a great time last night.

Cheryl

[nori]

Joanne, I've heard about sleep association, too. I'm trying to put him in the crib awake (drowsy) most of the time. He's been sleeping by his own at the bed time (I'm standing by the crib until he really falls asleep), so I'm sure the surrounding is not unfamiliar to him when he wakes up at the middle of the night, but still he gets up to his feet and cries.:confused: I wish he stayed there laying down, not standing up....so each time I go to get him, I pick him up then put him down, and he's okay. Sometimes I end up nursing, which I don't mind.;) Glad to hear that Colin liked the preschool.

Kim, sorry to hear about Lainey's rough morning.:( Is she doing okay now? Do you know why she vomit? Hope it's nothing serious. You reminded me of that baked ziti again...:D I can't find ziti usually either, so I use penne most of the time.

MrsReber, sounds like a nice night to go to the boardwalk! I'm sure Casey will enjoy it more when she's a little bit older. Massage service sounds nice. Oh, I just remember....some of my friends gave me a gift certificate for massage for my birthday..I haven't used it yet. I better make an appointment!!!

Cheryl, I just wanted to add my praise to your effort on breastfeeding! I still remember how hard it was for both of you for a while. If you could tell yourself several months ago that you'd come this far, you would not have believed it!!! Great job done! Buying formula wouldn't be too bad since he'll be one soon, right?

I can't imagine 9 years of diaper-changing, either, Joanne!:eek: You'll feel maybe strange not to have to buy any diapers, though.:D
You can use that money to have massage like MrsReber!

[AnnaSue]

Grr... Is there some time limit in posting a reply? I just typed in a message, but it won't send, and says that some kind of time limit was exceeded? I have to bring Brendan to the doctor so I can't retype it now, but I'll try again later.

[AnnaSue]

We ended up having an interesting trip to the doctor today. Yesterday Brendan came home from daycare with an eye infection, so I called this morning to have him see the doctor since it got really bad overnight. I was at a stoplight right in front of the doctor's office and some woman crashed right into us. I got really scared because my head flew forward three times before it was over, and when I looked at Brendan, his head was slumped over. I jumped out of the car to see if he was alright, but he wasn't moving at all. I took his carseat out, and then all of a sudden he started laughing! I guess he somehow slept through the whole thing! The woman who hit us had a complete panic attack when she saw the baby and thought he was hurt. She was acting really bizarre, and thought maybe she was on drugs or something, but I think she was just scared. She kept trying to touch Brendan while we were waiting for the police though, and she kept trying to kiss him!:eek: I told her I understood that she didn't hit us on purpose, and that she didn't have to keep apologizing, so of course I was surprised when I was talking to the police officer and I notice that she is just about to try feeding Brendan a chocolate bar over my shoulder!:eek: I guess she doesn't understand that 4 month olds with no teeth don't normally eat chocolate! Not to mention - who would feed a strangers baby anyway?? I finally got Brendan to the doctor, and on the way home I realized that she had put the chocolate bar in my car, and with it being over 90 degrees today.. it melted all over the place!! The doctor said Brendan seems fine though, hopefully he won't get any kind of after effects or anything. I'll have to bring in the car now and see if it is safe to use. It doesn't look too bad, but you can see that the whole back of the car is tilted now, so the alignment is definitely off. Her car was an SUV type car, and had much worse looking damage. The front was smashed, and it broke her windshield. All of her airbags activated, so she hit us pretty good. I don't understand these people that drive around without carseats for their kids! Another person came through the pharmacy drive-thru two nights ago where I was working with 3 kids under age six with no carseats or belts. The pharmacy tech got mad and stalled them and called the police! I wonder what ended up happening.

Anyway, I printed out the post that I had trouble sending this morning, but now I can't find it. I'll look for it again in the morning.. I'm feeling a bit exhausted right now!

[JoanneOR]

OMG, AnnaSue, so glad you and Brendan are OK. That is just another example of how important car seats are. How scary it must have been until you saw that Brendan was OK. What a day! And feeding chocolate to a tiny baby? What a strange woman! Hopefully that woman you saw with the kids not buckled in learned a lesson from the police. Good for your coworker for calling them.

We made the switch to milk yesterday and Caitlyn seems fine with it. At first I made a bottle with half formula and half milk. Then I realized we were really low on formula, so to see how she'd like it, I gave her the next one with all milk. She did kind of smack her lips and look confused at first, but she drank it with no complaints.

[MrsReber]

AnnaSue! How scary! I'm so glad that you're all okay! What a weird woman. I guess it's good you were on your way to the doctor anyway. How is Brendan's eye?

Joanne, Brenden switched over to milk with no problem, but I still can't seem to get him to drink 24 oz of it in one day. I'm lucky to get 12-15 oz into him. I even add some Ovaltine to make it more enticing. He does, however, eat plenty of foods and both kids eat cheese during the day.

I was a bad mommy Tuesday. I picked the kids up from daycare. When I got into the driveway, I unlocked the doors and rolled up all the windows. I opened my door and Casey started screaming! I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I turned around and saw that I had rolled her hand up in the window! I couldn't move fast enough to put the key back in the ignition and roll it down! My poor girl! I still feel horrible. Then, last night, she somehow or other stuck her finger into Brenden's mouth. He bit her really hard. She was crying for a long time. The bite marks were deep, but he didn't break the skin. I fear that he may be a biter. However, he did wake up crying last night. I can only assume that it's teeth since he settle right down after I gave him Tylenol. He did wake Casey up, who promptly marched into our bedroom and went to sleep in our bed. I keep telling DH that we need to put her back into her bed when she does that. I know it's a pain, but I can't have her sleeping with us every night. It took me 30 minutes to be able to walk out of her room last night- this is after we read a story, after I brought her more milk, after we finally turned out the lights. And it was 10:00pm when we started all of this! DH lets Casey sleep in the bed or out on the couch with him all the time. Yet when Brenden woke up crying last night, he said to me "what's his problem?". None too pleased with his attitude at 1:00am, I said "Gee, I don't know. Why don't you ask him?" DH did chuckle at that.

I was trying to post yesterday and had problems on this board. I seemed to be able to post on the other boards, though. I'm trying to find a lawyer so we can get some wills done. I asked an attorney who works here. He said he'll get a name for me and call me back. I'm getting very stressed over it for some reason. We were talking about it last week after the life insurance guy talked to us. I hope that DH and I get to see our children grow up, but if by some chance we don't, I need to make sure they're well taken care of.

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, Ian did that to Jameson one time. Ian was playing with the windows and I guess Jameson had his hand on it. All of sudden Jameson is screaming. His hand was stuck in the window. We were driving and I was scrambling to find the right button to get it down. He was OK, but had really deep marks on his hand. I was actually afraid he might of broken something, but he could bend them OK and he was OK after a few minutes. Although, to this day he will not let Ian forget it. He'll probably still be reminding him when they are 18.

You've reminded me to look into getting a will. We also need to think about who to assign guardianship to if something should happen. Something you definitely don't want to think about, but it's important.

Ian is the only one of our kids who wants to get in our bed. DH has always worked nights and he is used to staying up and watching TV. So, half the time he sleeps downstairs because he falls asleep. When that happens, I usually find Ian in my bed in the morning. He worries that I won't kiss him goodbye before I leave so he likes to be there when I wake up so I won't forget (according to him!).

[nori]

Hi, I had some sort of problem and could not post yesterday either.:confused:

AnnaSue, I'm so glad you and Brendan are okay. That lady is freaky! Maybe she was so upset she didn't know waht she was doing?(feeding chocolate to tiny baby)?? I had fender-bender, too, with Noah. I was at this intersection trying to turn to right with red light, but stopped since the car was making u-turn. The lady with pickup behind us thought we're going, so she didn't stop quick enough. Our car (SUV) had a tough after-market bumper which my DH is proud of, and didn't get so much damage but her car was miserable (well, it was an old car to start with, and pretty much a lot of damage already). Noah was still rear-facing and it scared me to death to think about how this could get worse. How's his eyes?? Hope it's getting better. And you should check on him about any strange symptoms after that accident...something could come up later. I hope he's just fine.

Joanne,Ian is so cute thinking you'd leave him without kiss! How sweet.

MrsReber, we're talking about getting will done, too. We didn't realize but what if something happens to us both and Noah is left behind? We already discussed whom we should ask to take care of Noah in that case....likely will be my SIL. We asked them and they said they will. It's kind of strange to think about that kind of thing now....but I know it's important. Don't feel like a bad mommy. I have one of those days, too. But....I wonder what Casey was doing when her finger got stuck in Brenden's mouth??:p

Noah's been sleeping by his own at bedtime (around 8pm) 5 days in a row now. We have set the night time routine (bath, brush teeth, read books, nursing, then off to the crib), and he'd kind of play and roll around in teh crib until he falls asleep. It takes sometimes 30 min. to get him sleep and I have to be on his side, but usually after that routine, he'd sleep 4 or 5 hours straight. Recently, though, he's been (again:o )waking up quite often, and I'm pretty sure that's teething. He likes to chew on his chilled teething toy. But should I give him tyrenol or something before he goes to bed, assuming he'll have teething? Or do you give it to him when he's crying? I just can't get the right moment to give him those pain medicine.

[MrsReber]

Nori, I kind of hate giving medication so I tend to wait until I hear crying. I know that with Brenden, if I give him something, he'll go back to sleep right after it kicks in (usually about 15 minutes). Motrin is probably the best stuff that we use. Of course I ran out of it! I found out last night that we were out. Brenden reacts well to the Tylenol, though. I think, however, if he were waking up often, I'd probably give him the Motrin the first time just so I could get some sleep! My DH is a piece of work. I get up 90 minutes before he does to go to work and we both get home at the same time, but he still will not get up with Brenden when he cries. I can see that Brenden and I have a much stronger bond than Brenden and DH. That's okay with me. I love my little guy so much!

They're making some changes at daycare. They're going to have an "older" infant room from 13-18 months and then the toddler room. It used to be the infants were in the infant room until 18 months. The older ones were getting kind of bored and the younger ones would get poked and such by the older ones. I think it's a wise move. It'll also help them take in more babies, which I'm sure is a factor since they have a waiting list. So Casey is moving on to another room on September 2nd and Brenden will be moving to the next room in October. Doesn't seem to affect our tuition any! I have to get Brenden a sleeping bag. I can't imagine him settling down for a nap on the floor!

I started a thread on the Other Stuff board asking about how to find an attorney, if anyone is interested. I'm learning a thing or two from that thread.

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, I'm just curious...you mentioned Brenden has a stronger bond with you than DH. How about Casey? I'm just wondering if the daddy's girl stuff is true. My boys all definitely come to me first. I know that sometimes it hurts DH. So far, Caitlyn seems to favor both of us equally. My DH always wanted a girl and it just warms my heart to see him holding her and them smiling at each other. He seems to want to pick her up and hold her more than he did with the boys as babies. Although, I think some of that has to do with her heart problems. I probably hold her way too much, but she won't be little too much longer, and, this is my last baby!

It sounds like the daycare switch will be good. Better for the bigger babies, especially.

We just found out that our school will be offering after school care. We don't need it now, but it's good to know we have that option if we need it. If my DH ever switches to days, we would. Although we would still need to arrange something for Caitlyn.

I read that other thread about wills. That's scary. I didn't realize it could be so expensive. I have to do some searching to find someone reputable and affordable in this area.

Nori, you could try the Tylenol (or Motrin) one night and see if it makes a difference in his waking up. Actually, Tylenol only lasts about four hours, so you might want to try the Motrin. If he still wakes up, you know that it won't help.

Time to leave to go home!

[BeckyM]

I guess while everyone was having problems posting, I was having problems with the bulletin board not letting me know new messages were here. I figured everyone was just busy and not posting, and now when I checked, there are tons of new posts!

AnnaSue -- glad to hear you and Brendan are okay, but that must have been terrifying! And that woman does sound a little wacko. Good thing you noticed her trying to give Brendan the chocolate before she got any in his mouth.

MrsReber -- your experience with Casey's fingers in the window only proves that you're human. I know that's the worst feeling though, when you accidentally do something that hurts your child. I'm glad to hear her fingers seem to be okay. I haven't read your thread yet about getting an attorney to do a will, but I'm sure glad we had ours done. One of the options through our flexible benefits at work is to use it for legal expenses, so I signed up for that the year I was pregnant with Katie. We had a whole list of lawyers to pick from, so I chose a woman who was working part time because she had small children. Anyway, I think she did a great job for us, and she made us think about a lot of things we might not have. It was a fairly difficult decision about who to have as our guardians and back-up guardians for Katie though. I am really glad we have it done though, because it sounds like if you die without a will, it takes all sorts of time and legal fees for your heirs to actually get the money. And more importantly, we don't have to worry about Katie ending up with someone we wouldn't have chosen!

Joanne -- I'm glad to hear Caitlyn is switching to milk okay. (I'm also glad to hear the birthday party was fun and worked out well.) I've actually been facing a dilemna of trying to wean Katie from her two middle of the day nursings, since I'll be going back to work at the end of September. We haven't really tried weaning her yet, but we have tried mixing her cereal with formula, and she doesn't seem to like it much, since she consistently eats less of it when it's mixed with formula than with breastmilk. DH also tried giving her a bottle of formula the other night when I was out, and she did not like it at all and refused to drink it. Since Katie is so close to one year old, we were wondering if we could just use milk instead. DH saw our pediatrician at work the other day (DH is a physical therapist who works for the same multi-specialty medical group as our pediatrician), so he asked him about giving Katie milk instead of formula when we wean her. He said as long as she's a good eater, it shouldn't be a problem at her age. I think we'll probably wait as long as possible before giving her cow's milk, and we'll try formula again to see if she'll adjust to it, but it's nice to know cow's milk is an option. I figure I ought to wean her from one of the feedings fairly soon though, so I have time to wean her from both of them before I start taking her to daycare. I don't really like the thought of weaning Katie, even though I didn't have to struggle as much as some other people (like you, Cheryl) with breastfeeding. I just feel like I'll be giving up something special when I stop nursing Katie. Before I had her, I never imagined I'd feel this way!

I am in the middle of my search for childcare for Katie. I've gotten lots of lists of people who do in-home daycare, so I've been talking to them on the phone and going to visit them. There's only one daycare center anywhere near us with openings for infants -- it's the new one I've mentioned before, that is supposed to open September 15th. I have better feelings about that so far than any of the in-home people I've talked to, but I still have to meet with the daycare director Monday to get a bunch of questions answered. They seem to be similar to the Goddard type daycare though, where they have developmental things they work on with the kids at different ages. I've been impressed with all my communication with them so far. Hopefully I'll like the director when I meet her. This whole thing is SO HARD! Right now I don't like the idea of leaving Katie with ANYONE!

Well, I'd better get to bed. I've had a sore throat the past two days, which I am pretty sure is from allergies, but I'm sure a bit extra sleep won't hurt!

Becky :)

[paula]

I guess I am in a unique position to weigh in on the Mommy's boy/Daddy's girl phenomena. With mixed gender twins, we have had a lot of conversations about the children's preferences. We try very hard not to generalize too much about our children, but DH and I have both noticed that DS clearly prefers me and DD prefers DH (except when she is hungry ;)). I don't know how much of this preference is (1) an inherent gender issue, (2) a factor of the child's personality, or(3) a factor of our personalities. DS is very active and demands a lot of attention and interaction. I have much more patience for his demands than does DH, and consequently spend more time "dealing" with him. DD is much calmer and so much less demanding that sometimes I feel I am invading her space when I try to engage her attention. She is perfectly content to sit on Daddy's lap and entertain herself. Does she prefer DH because she is a girl, because she chooses him over me, or because her play style better matches his personality? I suspect that there is probably some truth to each of these issues.

Paula

[MrsReber]

Becky, breastfeeding is a special thing. I hated weaning Casey. However, on the flip side of that, it is very nice to have your body back all to yourself. I was surprised at how wonderful that was. Good luck with the daycare. I really like sending the kids to a center as opposed to having one person care for them. I never felt that I could choose someone and feel comfortable with them. If there was someone who was an old family friend or something like that, I probably wouldn't have a problem with it. I do think, though, that the daycare setting is really nice. You'll have to see if you really love the center. Goddard was the first place that I saw. I left there in tears, thinking that I could never leave my baby there. Well, as it turns out, that was the best place I ever saw. It's a very hard thing to do. It still pains me. Last night I asked Casey if she wanted to go play at Grandma's house today. She said no. I asked if she wanted to go back to school. She said "no, I want Mommy". It broke my heart. I told her that she could play all day at Grandma's house today and then we'll have the whole weekend together.

Joanne, Casey is getting a bit more attached to DH lately. I hear that kids go through stages with that. There are times that she only wants mommy, but she's going to DH more and more. After the window episode, she cried for daddy. Brenden bit her again last night! They were fighting over something while I was on the phone with my mom. Casey said to me "Yaggi bite!" through her sobs. I asked where. Sure enough, she had deep teeth marks on her leg! I hope it's just a result of his teething. He doesn't seem to bite anyone at daycare. He better not. My sister's son got thrown out of daycare for biting. So anyway, after Brenden bit her last night, she did cry for daddy. I asked her if she wanted me to read her a book before she went to bed on Wednesday. She said "no, Daddy" and handed him a book. Of course, he didn't read to her!!! It does seem like she's much more of a daddy's girl these days. It all started to change once she hit 2 years. Also, she spends more time with me so spending time with her daddy is special. I told him to enjoy it now. It could all change very quickly. Personally, I'm enjoying it! She clung to me for 2 years. I need a little room!

Brenden was up again last night. I got Tylenol on sale so I'm sticking with that for now. He woke up at 1:00 and so did Casey. I threw her into our bed because I knew she wouldn't go back to sleep in her own bed. Then I got Brenden some Tylenol and sat with him. When I went back to bed, I put Casey back in her room. Then, at 2:00, Brenden was crying again. DH says "don't worry, I'll get it". I told him to bring Brenden a drink. He got up and I went back to sleep, after I realized that Casey was, once again, sleeping next to me. At 2:30, I hear more crying. I said "didn't you get him a drink?" DH says "no, he stopped crying when I got out of bed so I didn't even go in his room". Ugh! So, of course, I got up and got Brenden a drink. I got back to bed around 3:00. I'm tired!

[MrsReber]

Paula, we were posting at the same time! I think you're right that there are many factors. When Brenden was born, he needed a lot of attention. He wanted to be held all the time, he hardly slept and he was up literally every hour to eat. DH had no patience at all for that so I was the exclusive care taker for the first three months. Now he'll tell me "I don't get up with him at night because he only wants you". Well, Casey was the same way. However, when I was very pregnant with Brenden, I told DH that he had to help me out more. He finally got up at night with Casey. She cried for me, but he told her she was only getting daddy. She finally accepted that after a week or so. In that case, he was forced to help out more when Casey was a year old because I couldn't do many things. DH has no patience for many things (whining, crying, tantrums). When one of the kids is sick, they ALWAYS want mommy.

I think interaction is the key. Most men don't know what to do with an infant. They can't play games with them or throw a football around (you know what I mean), so they don't get as involved in the day to day things like changing diapers and baths. That is prime bonding time. When DH got more involved with those things with Casey (because my large stomach prevented me from doing them) she started to bond with him. So, Joanne, since your DH holds your daughter lots and interacts, he'll probably have a pretty good bond with her.

[BeckyM]

It's interesting reading about the daddy's girl / momma's boy things and people's perspective on it. Since we only have a girl, I don't have a very balanced picture, but at this point Katie seems to want me slightly more than DH. But when DH comes home from work, she is very excited to see him, and she'll always want to go to him. He has also spent a lot of time reading to her and hasn't shirked his share of getting up with her & changing diapers, so she seems to have a fairly strong bond with him. And strangely enough, DH can calm Katie when she's fussy by singing "Robin in the Rain", a song from a Raffi CD we have for her. DH hardly ever sings and doesn't have an especially good voice, but somehow his singing calms Katie. The funny thing is, if I try singing that song to her, it doesn't help at all. I sing other songs to her from time to time, and she seems to enjoy them, but that particular one is Dad's, and she'll occasionally even get more upset if I try to sing it to her.

MrsReber -- thanks for the further encouragement on my childcare search. I think I have the same attitude you do about the in-home care. If it were someone I knew or someone who came with a strong recommendation from someone I knew, I'd feel much better about it. But since none of the recommended people are available, anyone we'd end up with would be pretty much a stranger. Somehow in that situation I feel like I'd be more comfortable with her in a high-quality daycare facility where it's more regulated. DH and I keep saying we wish his brother in Seattle would move back here (which is not even a slight possibility), because his wife LOVES babies and is a SAHM whose youngest is now in school. She would really enjoy watching Katie, AND we would know she would be well taken care of and loved. I guess we should quit spending our time thinking about things that will never happen though and focus on finding the best possible scenario from the ones available. Which reminds me -- I'd better go get on the phone and call more people. Even though I'm leaning toward the daycare facility at the moment, I want to thoroughly examine all the other possibilities before ruling them out. I did realize last night though that we definitely need someone who will give us receipts, because we are planning to sign up for "Childcare Reimbursement" through my flexible benefits program at work, and we'll need receipts from our payments in order to be reimbursed. That rules out one woman I talked to last night, though she sounded fairly good otherwise. Now I need to make sure I ask that question of the other people I've talked to.

Hope everyone is having a good Friday. I'm sure glad the weekend is almost here. I'm sure those of you who are working are looking forward to time with your little ones (and your DH's) for the next couple days. I know I'm looking forward to time as a family. We have a niece's birthday party Saturday night, and that should be fun. She is going into seventh grade, so she's almost a young lady now. She really loves being around Katie, and we're hoping to recruit her as a babysitter in a few years. Her dad (DH's brother) is Katie's godfather, and he absolutely dotes on Katie. He was so busy (as a surgical resident) when his daughters were small that I think he really enjoys experiencing Katie's baby time. He loves holding her and playing with her much more than any other man we know (other than DH, of course). So anyway, it will be fun to see more of the family. They haven't seen Katie since before we went to Montana, and she has gotten much more mobile. I'm sure they'll be amazed at how quickly she can crawl around the house now. I'll have to be extra-vigilant, because they haven't had to baby-proof their house for quite some time. Oh, and I'm also excited about the present we got our niece. She got her ears pierced for her sixth-grade graduation, so we bought her a pair of earrings while we were in Montana. They're amethyst, and purple is Erin's favorite color, so she should love them. They're also nice enough that she can wear them for years and years, and they won't look childish or anything.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Becky :)

[RunnerKim]

Interesting discussion about preferences. Lainey definitely prefers me when she's upset or sick but Dad is so much more fun and goofy. Becky what you said about the Raffi song is similar to "This little piggy" thing that DH does to Lainey that has her cracking up in hysterics - but when I do it, she's ho hum.

Becky - I'd be learly of anyone that can't give you a receipt for daycare. That's a red flag that she's not reporting her income for tax purposes. I'm very happy that we've gone with a daycare center. My sister does in-home care and we seriously agonized over our decision. I think it is better for our sister relationship though that she's not takign care of Lainey. We have different parenting styles and I didn't want to get in the positon where were having disagreements over how things should best be handled etc. On the other hand Lainey's been sick lately and if she'd been with my sister I wouldn't have had to miss so much work. One thing to keep in mind, you're not stuck with a place. If you decide you don't like it you can switch. You could start with an in-home place if you think you'd like it and be on a waiting list for a center you also really liked. Make the decision when the spot opens up. Or start with the center that's just about to open and if you don't feel comfortable you can switch. At this age it's not as big a deal as later.

AnnaSue - how scary!!!! I'm glad you and Brendan are okay. And how fortunate you were on the way to the doctor so you could have him looked over. Those car seats do a great job, I'm sure he did sleep through it! Just a reminder that you need to replace your car seat -after an accident they're not guaranteed to be structurally sound and it sounds like a serious enough accident. Hopefully, her insurance will cover the cost.

I got called Tuesday from daycare about Lainey. I didn't really think she was that sick but they said she'd had diahrrea and wasn't eating (and of course she'd vomitted that morning). I hadn't told them she'd eaten something when she'd woken up early so that really wasn't that unusual. However the diahrrea was really runny - complete liquid. So Wednesday morning when it wasn't better I took her to the doctor (new one as we'd switched insurance). Basically she has a virus that just has to run it's course, she's doing fine though and just watch for dehyrdation. Bad news was that she was contagious until her bowel movements weren't so bad (although it could takes weeks to completely return to normal). Ugh -that could be several days according to the doctor. She also received to immunizations that had been unavailble at her 6 month appt. so I just stayed home for the rest of the day. But I really agonized over what to do on Thursday. DH hasn't built up any sick days yet as his job is still knew. Didn't know how much "work at home" goodwill I wanted to use up from my office etc. Matter was solved when I woke up feeling like cr*p. Fortunately Lainey was great all day, slept more than usual and was happy exploring on her own most of the day while I laid around on the couch. Finally got sick late afternoon and felt so much better. Lainey's bowel movements are better but still liquidy but we dropped her off at daycare anyway as the doctor indicated she wouldn't be contagious at this point. ugh - still feel like it's a gray little line.

I haven't evenhought about not buying formula anymore! It's on our horizon too. I can hardly believe she's almost a year.

Sounds like a good change at your daycare Susan. I agree there's a big difference developmentally between the younger babies and once they're walking. My daycare is trying to figure out what to do because they have a bunch that have just turned a year (or about to) and will all be moving up to the toddler room around the same time (18 months) but most toddlers won't have moved on yet. There's only about 25 kids total (including pre-schoolers) so there's currently only 1 toddler teacher and 4-5 toddlers.

I'm sure I've missed a few things to chat about but this is already so long, I'll fill in later,
Kim

[AnnaSue]

Hmm...I still can't find the post I printed out the other day that wouldn't send. I know there was a MIL comment in it, so hopefully DH won't find it! :eek:

Joanne.. Glad to hear your party turned out well. Too bad the weather wasn't too cooperative, but sounds like everyone had a good time.

Erin.. Your kitchen sounds great. We upgraded our kitchen a bit too, but I would really like a second oven, and a bigger pantry. Oh well.. I still really like it.

Cheryl.. Just wanted to agree with everyone that it sounds like you did a great job breastfeeding. I had to pump quite a bit while I was still trying to breastfeed, and I know how hard that can be. I felt so guilty every time I gave Brendan formula while still trying to breastfeed, but haven't felt bad once since switching to formula entirely.

Kim.. Sounds like nice people on your bus. I was surprised to see how nice everyone was after our accident the other day. Almost everyone that drove by asked if the baby was alright, and if we needed any kind of help.

Becky.. Glad to hear you may have found somewhere for Katie. I agree about not going with a stranger. I just couldn't do that!

Mrs. Reber.. Sounds like your pictures turned out really nice. I just picked up mine from JCPenney, and they used the wrong picture for the one I was most excited about. In the picture they used, Brendan is looking directly at the floor.:rolleyes: They insist that that was the one I chose, but it definitely wasn't. He had a really great picture that I chose for that background. I don't want to make a big issue about it, so I'll probably just order what I want from the website. Hopefully it won't be too expensive, I know they charge more after the session. Is Brenden still biting Casey? You think it's from teething? Hopefully her fingers are alright after the window. My DH always forgets to check before rolling up windows, and has caught my hand in the window at least 3 or 4 times now.:rolleyes: Hopefully he won't do it repeatedly to Brendan. Thanks for the reminder about wills. We need to do that too. If Brendan ever ended up with my in-laws... I'd find a way to return from the dead.

Brendan's eye infection is better after getting some eyedrops, but yesterday he woke up to 102 fever. Poor guy has been so sick. He has a very bad cough, sneezing and worse congestion than usual. I had to stay home from work yesterday, and DH is going to come home early today. We had to pay the full rate for daycare this week, and he only used it for a total of 6 hours. I really don't like this daycare center AT ALL. I think they are very disorganized, and I don't like a lot of the stuff they do. I'm so glad we'll only have him there for another 3 weeks or so before transferring to the one by our new house. Otherwise, I'd be finding somewhere else!

[MrsReber]

Kim, I commend your decision to keep your relationship with your sister! Our neighbor had offered to watch our kids. She had one son at the time and is a stay at home mom. However, as Becky pointed out, you need to report the expense! We have other neighbors who bring their son to a woman who watches kids at her house. The thing with that is that there's a difference in ages and capabilities. I really love Goddard because the kids can do age appropriate things and interact with other kids their own age. Also, although I would feel bad if we were to switch daycares, it's not the same as firing someone who comes to your house everyday. I'm convinced that I will never find someone who thinks exactly as I do when it comes to children. We all do things differently. At least I know what the game plan is at the daycare. They tell me what their rules and regulations are. I know there are probably many very capable women out there who could care for my children, but I am happy with our decision. Coincidentally, one mom asked to speak to DH because her husband was getting a job at the fort. They were thinking of moving their son into the daycare there (the same one we moved Brenden into). He said "I told her it's no Goddard!". For as stringent as they are with their rules, we saw more accidents and illness in the short time that Brenden was there than we have seen in the 2 years that Casey has been at Goddard.

Kim, I feel for you on having the daycare call! Most of them will send a baby home if they have diarrhea since it signals a virus. Hope everyone is feeling better!

I have to laugh about the songs. DH likes to sing The Most Beautiful Girl in the World to Casey (remember that one? So, hey, did you happen to see the most beautiful girl in the world? And if you did, was she cryin'? Cryin?) Casey finally started singing it along with him, which is really funny. However, if DH is not home and I try to sing it with her, she gets mad. Apparently it is "daddy's song" and I am not to sing it. She cracked me up the other day. I was using a pen while I was working at home. She came over to me and took it away. She told me "daddy's pen!" I had to go get another pen. She would not let me use that one. I caught her with it a couple of days ago. I couldn't resist. I said "hey, isn't that daddy's pen?" She said "yeah" and kept using it! DH has her brainwashed. I had the remote control (a rare occasion) and she tried to take that from me! "daddy's clicker!". I have to laugh, though.

[MrsReber]

Originally posted by AnnaSue
Hmm...I still can't find the post I printed out the other day that wouldn't send. I know there was a MIL comment in it, so hopefully DH won't find it! :eek:

If Brendan ever ended up with my in-laws... I'd find a way to return from the dead.



Hmm, I can relate to both of those comments :D !

Hope Brendan gets better soon, poor guy! I know, I hate paying the full rate each month for daycare and then not using it all. The one thing I particularly hate is that they close between Christmas and New Years every year, but they charge the full price for the month of December. Becky, that might be something you want to ask the daycare center- whether or not they allow you "vacation" time. The Ft. Monmouth daycare allowed you one week per year that you didn't have to pay, but you had to use it all at one time.

[RunnerKim]

My daycare gives us 2 weeks of vacation (i.e., don't have to pay for those days) and I don't think it has to be used all at once. They get a lot of part-time and drop in there as they're set up for police officers. I keep meaning to check if I can use the vacation right away or not - someone was telling me they had to be at their daycare for 6 months before they could use theirs, which kind of makes sense from the daycare's point of view.

AnnaSue - like you would have picked the picture with him looking at the floor :rolleyes:

With our extra time at home this week I was able to spend time with Lainey on the stairs. Okay she kept wanting to climb the stairs and I could handle sitting there and spotting her. She's mostly figured out how to back down them. Sometimes she doesn't know how to get started and will actually stand up instead (which scares the pants off me because she's wobbly). She also started using a laundry basket as a walker - pushing it around the kitchen floor. My sister has a shopping cart that the kids love at her house because they can put stuff in it and wheel it around, maybe that would make a good birthday gift for her. Sheesh when does their stuff stop being so BIG.

Kim

[MrsReber]

Kim, both Casey and Brenden pushed anything around that they could pull up on. The sparkling symphony piano was a big hit with both of them. They both used it like a walker. Laundry baskets are a hot item in the house. Not only can you push them around, but if your big sister turns them over, everyone can climb up and stand on them! Great. I never knew my house was so full of hazards until I had children. Who would think a laundry basket could cause harm? :rolleyes: They both also pushed anything around- books, the dog's crate, little chairs.

[JoanneOR]

Sorry to hear both Brendan and Lainey are sick. And, you, too, Kim. Hope you are all feeling better. That is difficult when you have to take them out of daycare, juggling everyone's schedule.

Becky, hope your search goes well and ends soon with a place you like! I've had my kids in a home daycare and I would choose a daycare center over a home daycare. I won't go into all the details, but I like the structure and accountability of a center. I had some not so good experiences with the two home daycares we used. The preschool all the kids have gone to and Colin is still at is also a daycare. I would send them there in a heartbeat all day if we needed to. I love it. The teachers are wonderful and the kids learn so much. They also matured so much socially.

That's so funny about the laundry baskets. My kids have spent hours playing with them. Using them as forts, climbing in them, making cages for their stuffed animals. Why do we buy them toys??

We have a push toy thing that is meant to help babies walk. Well, the one time Caitlyn tried it, it went a little faster than she did and she wound up face down on the floor. Scared her, and she hasn't gone near it since! She still seems a way from walking; she can't stand without support and still seems pretty wobbly.

AnnaSue, hope you find that post before your MIL visits. :))

That's so cute about your DH's songs to the kids!

Well, tomorrow is my birthday. I don't think DH has anything planned, but a friend of mine called me today at work and said her and another friend wanted to take me out to dinner tonight for my birthday. So, that will be fun. I haven't been out with the "girls" in ages.

We are planning to have a block party and somehow I have become the person in charge. I'm not sure how that happened, but we put flyers in everyone's mailboxes yesterday and told people to come to our house Wednesday night for a planning meeting. I have no idea how many people will show up. Could be two, could be 25! We'll see. The actual party should be fun, but I've never done anything like this before, so I hope I get lots of help!

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

[nori]

Interesting topic about mommy's boy/daddy's girl. At this point, Noah is mommy's boy, that's mostly due to the same reason MrsReber suggested, DH not involved enough at the beginning.:rolleyes: Just like her DH, mine is very inpatient about baby stuff. He used to say always "What can I do? He doesn't interact. He can't throw a ball." Well, he was a few months old!!!:eek: Now he's getting better, since Noah really interacts. Noah likes his daddy throw him in the air (which scares me off sometimes), chasing him around the house with crawling etc. I think another factor was maybe breastfeeding....he used to say about night-awaking, "I can't help him. He wants only you." We could have do bottle-feeding with breastmilk in it but then when my DH is sleep-deprived, he gets very, very tired and it wouldn't do any good to anyone in the house, so I'm the main caretaker for Noah at this point.

And laundry basket!!!! That's Noah's favorite thing to do, too. It's so cute to watch him from behind. He just pushes everything he can move. He also is getting good at standing up for a few seconds, especially when he's focusing on something else. When he realized he's not holding anything, he'd go down. I'm thinking the day is near when he starts walking.

Kim, hope you and Lainey is getting better now.

AnnaSue, I'd say the same thing, try to find the printout before your MIL arrives!:D

Joanne, Happy Birthday!!! Hope you had a nice girl's night out. The party hosting sounds fun. Is it potluck, or you'll be taking care of all foods???

Well this Sunday is Noah's birthday party. I got a package from Birthdayexpress today, which are Noah's Ark paper plates and napkins. They're cute. I'm going to make chicken salad, pasta salad, and potato salad tomorrow. Oh and the cake. Hope it'll turn out good. Then get a pizza from Costco (since one of the boys is allergic and I know he can eat that pizza no problem), and get some balloons on Party day. And I have to go and get a present, too.

My parents sent a birthday card for Noah. They picked one particulally for 1st birthday here while they were staying with us last year. It has a big picture of flurry dog, and Noah LOVES that card! He tried to hug that card as if it's one of his stuffed animals. I let him play with it for a while, but he teared a little bit so I had to take it away. Of course he didn't like it a bit. I put it on the mantlepiece and he tried to climb on teh fireplace!:eek: That boy would go anywhere if there's something he wants to get.

Have a nice weekend, everyone! I'll keep you posted about how the party went.;) (Cross your fingers for the cake.)

[MrsReber]

Hi everyone! It's Sunday. DH is off getting ready for hunting season. He has to post the property where he hunts. He also wants to shoot his bow. It is so beautiful here!

Nori, I hope you have beautiful weather for Noah's party today. I wish I could see your cake, too!

Joanne, I hope you had a wonderful birthday. Did DH surprise you with anything?

My MIL is at is again. She left a horrible message on DH's cell phone yesterday and then called to leave a nasty message on our answering machine. She got into a fight with her brother. You'd think at age 65 this kind of stuff would stop. She says he told her that her kids can't stand her and that they say they all pay her rent. Poor DH! He called his sister's house and left a message sort of poking fun at MIL. Turns out his sister is away and his mom got his message so she was even more angry. The best part is that MIL's brother and his wife are having a bbq next Sunday. I already told them that we'd go. I happen to really like them. She's now mad at us because we're still going to go. I'm glad DH isn't backing out of the party because of this. MIL claims that DH's other sister isn't going to go now. I just shake my head and roll my eyes.

We spent all afternoon outside yesterday. The kids played while DH and I did some yard work. Then I got to take Casey for a quick bike ride around the neighborhood. DH's bike tire popped while he was filling it with air. Guess it's time for a new one. Some guys were grilling out down the street. It smelled so good while we were riding around. Casey told me "mommy, I'm hungry" so we had to come home. I made CL's boubon glazed pork chops with peaches. I love that recipe and it's so easy to make. I have no idea what's for dinner tonight. I'll have to think of something good. We may take the kids for a boat ride on the reservoir today. They have a 45 minute tour they do. We want to see how they react to being on a boat so we can contemplate fishing next year.

Ack! Both kids are crying at me! Guess I should go. Casey is mad because I won't let her play in my filing cabinet. Brenden is mad because she slammed him in the head with the drawer to the filing cabinet. Ah, the joys of motherhood. I better find something for these guys to do! Hope everyone is having a great Sunday and hope everyone has beautiful weather like I do! We've been having such awful weekend weather all year. We deserve this beautiful day!

[JoanneOR]

Hi everyone. My birthday was good. Friday night I went out for Mexican with a couple friends. Then we went out for a few drinks (well, one for me!). I only lasted till midnight; they stayed out. It was nice to get out, though. Last night we went to a drive-in. I was kind of hoping DH would surprise me and get a babysitter and take me out, but he didn't. That's OK, we all had a good time at the drive-in. I hadn't gone since I was a kid with my parents, so it brought back some memories. The kids loved it. Caitlyn slept most of the time in the pack n' play.

Nori, hope your party is going well. You're probably having it now. Hope we can see some pictures! We got one of those Costco pizza's the other day. It wouldn't fit in our oven! It was kind of funny. We wound up cutting it in half and baking it on two racks.

Yesterday, it was so cute. The boys decided to have a lemonade sale. So, they brought out some little tables and chairs and made a sign. They sat out there for a couple hours and actually made a few sales. They wound up drinking most of their product, though.

I'm going to try to take a nap. DH took the boys to the pool and Caitlyn is sleeping. "See" you all tomorrow!

[nori]

Hi, our party went well. I did update on my Noah's Ark cake thread, but here's the cake:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid75/pc526ab6144348d13164990a2ce0b769b/fb4a0e3b.jpg

Oh and Costco pizza....I have "DH story" to tell. Today after the church, we split our duty of "getting pizza at the Costco" and "getting balloons". He ended up going to get the pizza, since I was a bit worried he might not get the kind of balloons I wanted. So I told him to get a pizza at the Costco, then I went off to get dozen balloons. Guess what he got.....frozen boxed pizza (contains 3 pizzas):rolleyes: He said there were so many pizzas at the frozen section he didn't know which one I wanted. I said, "Didn't I tell you to get the huge, 'Costco pizza'??" (and trust me, he knew that pizza, since our friend brought it over before and he should remember how big it was and we had trouble getting in the oven etc.) He said "well, I couldn't find it, so I went to the frozen section." I didn't even think it's necessary to tell him where to go IN the Costco to get the pizza I wanted! I thought it was the easiest task, but somehow it's hard for him to get exactly what I want.:rolleyes: Those pizza woked out just fine, but still.....:p

Anyway, we had a great time...Noah was excited to see all the toys and he was so funny. I got him this 3-in-one sports thing which has basketball goal, bat and baseball, and golfing thing. I knew he'd like it since he likes to throw the ball. He loves playing with it!! He played with the basketball goal forever. Oh, while he was playing at it, he was so focused on it he forgot to hold onto the toy while standing. He can sometimes stand up pretty good, and this time he took tiny, but his first step in front of me and DH!!!!

DH got him one of those battery-powered train and tracks which you can expand later (forgot the name...). He wanted to get him blocks, but it was sold out. He came home yesterday from toy store, and he was so excited about what he got. He asked me after Noah went to bed "Honey, can I open his present to make sure if everything works??" :rolleyes: I think he bought what HE wanted to have. Those are cool toys, but appropriate age is 3 and up. We'll watch him when we play with those trains, but actually he did rather well with that toy than we thought he'll be. We expected him to grab the train and eat, but he was watching it goes on the track very fascinated way. He was cute. So was my DH.;)

Noah's coughing kind of deep-kind of cough at night. He was fine during day except small sneeze and cough here and there. And he had teary eyes most of the time....I'm a bit concerned about his cough, so I'll call the doctor to see if he can see him tomorrow. He wakes up at night and he sounds miserable in his crib. But overall, he had been a happy, great birthday boy. Hope this is nothing serious.

MrsReber, sounds like a nice weekend you're having. The weather here is too hot. We only have swamp cooler and the temp in the house got up to 85F yesterday afternoon and I was dying!!!!! So your DH hunts also, huh??? Mine does, too. They must be really separated at birth.:p

Joanne, Out until midnight!!! Reminds me of college days.:o I don't think I can stay up that late now. We go to the drive-in quite often, especially since Noah was born. (That's the only way to watch new movies now....plus they're cheaper than regular theater!) Lemonade stand....if there's one in the neighborhood, I'd buy from them, but I think around here it's too darn hot to open the cute shop. Are they going to split sales??

I just heard Noah so I went in to check on him, and guess what I found....DH sleeping (on futon) on the floor! Since Noah is not feeling good, he thought he'd sleep beside Noah to check on him. How sweet!!! He is trying to be a good father, and trust me, he is.;) What I'm complaining about him comes from mostly being a man. =0

I better go get some sleep, too. I'd post some more party photos, but DH's running some program on computer and it's so slow to update photos. I managed to do only cake photo, so hopefully some more to come later!!

PS....just wondering how Bonuswife is doing......

PSS...I was asked to remove more smilies...I guess I used too many images. Oh well.

[JoanneOR]

Nori, the cake looks great! I bet you hated to cut it! Sounds like a great birthday for Noah. And, his first step!! :) Yeah Noah! Any pictures of the birthday boy??

My DH bought the boys a train set a few years ago. Is yours the wooden one? Ours is, and it's the one toy the boys always come back to and play with. Now that they are old enough to make different tracks they love it.

Caitlyn's actual birthday is Sept. 6 and I'm not sure what I'll get her. She's so funny, she really seems to prefer the boy's toys instead of her girl stuff. She has a few stuffed dolls and almost every night she throws them out of her crib.

That's funny about the pizza at Costco. My DH has done similar things. He is always offering to do the grocery shopping, but he always gets the wrong stuff. I know he means well, but I'd rather do it myself, and I enjoy it.

Hope Noah's cough clears up. It's getting close to cold and flu season again, which I'm not looking forward to. I know the boys will be bringing home illnesses from school and Caitlyn will get sick. I hope we can keep her healthier than last year.

[MrsReber]

Nori, I can't see the cake!!! Bummer. I think you're right about our DH's being separated at birth! On Sunday, I took a nap (unheard of!) and DH actually got Brenden when he woke up from his nap so that I could sleep :eek: ! Must've been something in the air. He never does that. He was hanging out with him a lot this weekend, which was surprising, but very nice. Yes, men are men no matter what. Joanne, your DH is like mine in ways, too. It must just be a guy thing. My DH would never think to get a sitter and take me out for any special occasion. He thinks that I should arrange for a sitter. This is why his family never watches the kids. I'm more comfortable calling my own family for babysitting help. Not that we've had a sitter since last December :rolleyes: . Oh well, at least you still had fun on your birthday. Our men do try, they just don't know how or what we'd secretly love. It's no fun when you have to tell them how to surprise you, though!

Nori, Casey has been playing with lots of toys that are for age 3 and up. I think it's partly because of choking hazards and partly because some kids will get frustrated with a certain toy if it they can't get it to work right. Casey got a little dog to pull on a string when she turned 1. She couldn't get the dog to walk upright. It'd keep falling sideways and getting caught up in the string. We had to put it away for a few months until she could play with it right because she was having fits trying to get it to walk. Congratulations on Noah's first steps! Brenden was around the same time frame for walking. He'd take a step here and there, but he wasn't really walking until almost 13 months. Sounds like Noah is right there!

By the way, what does your husband hunt? My dad and step mother always tell us how it'd be great if we moved out there. We tell them that we love the fall (we really do) and we wonder what Kyle would hunt out in the desert! Just curious - does your DH have to take hunting trips to other states? Here in NJ, DH hunts right down the road from our house. There are deer all over the place!

I better go. Brenden just bit Casey again! What is wrong with this boy! I hope it's just because he's teething!

[linsleyd]

Hi guys, please forgive me for butting in but I would like some advice or names of books etc, for a friend of mine.

She gave birth at the end of June and Paige is a lovely baby but she has been horrible for her parents. They finally figured out she has a acid reflux problem and she is on medication for that but my poor friend feels like she is a horrible mother. She can't tell which cry is which (hungry, diaper, etc), she can't tell if the baby has her hands in her mouth is she hungry or trying to throw up. I don't know if there is a book I could send her that might give her more encouragement? She is the only one of our friends with a baby except my sister in law (and they aren't close) and of course my sister in laws baby who was six weeks early at the end of July doesn't cry at all!

Any advice would be appreciated and sorry for butting in!:)

[JoanneOR]

Linsey, I'm sorry, but I don't have any book recommendations, but I'm sure others on here might. Have the meds helped at all? Some babies are just more "high maintenance" than others. Hopefully in a few weeks she'll start to be a bit calmer, for her parent's sake! I know it can be so hard to have a crying baby and not know how to help them. It really just takes time to learn the baby's cues. Crying is the only way they can communicate. Sorry, I wish I could help more, but it will get better! I would always try feeding first, if that didn't work, I would change the diaper. Is the baby sleeping well? Sometimes they are crying because they are tired and can't get themselves to sleep. I found it was helpful just to get out of the house, even with the baby. Take her for a walk, go for a ride. Sometimes just the change of scenery is good for both mother and baby.

[RunnerKim]

Linsey, I don't have a book either. I'll say that it took me a long time to distinguish cries though - I felt just like your friend about that. Shouldn't I be able to tell by now etc.?? Sometimes I still don't figure it out for awhile. Does she have access to a Mom's group? My hospital system has one for mom's for the first 6 months (there's a hospital-paid facilitator) and it meets for two hours a week. That was so incredibly helpful to me I can't even say how much. One of the mom's that has a baby about the same age as mine had a really colicky baby and the group was a lifesaver for her because there were "more experienced" moms there (i.e., closer to the 6 month point) that could really understand what she was going through and discuss how they coped (and how things did get better). Those first couple of months are really really hard and another mom with recent experience can be the most help her. The things that are said in that room -- probably would be shocking to a lot of people (even ourselves this many months later). But its how you're really feeling and the fears/disappointemtns/frustrations you have.

Nori - what a great cake!! Sounds like a wonderful party. I hope Noah's not too sick. Seems like end of the summer colds are going around :( I always review in detail the shopping list with DH if he's going on his own and he'll still do something wrong that I thought was so obvious. So are these CostCo pizzas really good or just convenient (and big)? I'm always desperate to get out of there as fast as possible (else I find something else I don't really need to buy like the 12M sleepers I just purchased but should have gotten 18M).

I'm with you Joanne about hoping this is a healther winter. Lainey's new doctor said she should definitly come in for a flu shot in October. I'm just hoping that since she's a little older she'll have a stronger immune system.

Joanne- Happy belated Birthday! I haven't been to the drive-in in ages. I don't know if there even are any out here.

Kim

[linsleyd]

Thanks for the suggestions! My friend told me the baby just started sleeping the past two nights but only in the swing (I told her pick one battle at a time, at least she's sleeping, even if it's not in the crib!).
She's had a really rough time with breastfeeding, (had to give it up) and with her crying. She apparently cries for two hours straight before bed (after the bottle and bath). I think it probably is because she's so tired. I just feel so bad for her and wish I could help but I don't have a baby yet and I can't do much for her!

[BeckyM]

Linsey -- I can't really think of a particular book that would be encouraging either. I often refer to "What to Expect the First Year", but that's just full of facts & info, not really encouragement. For encouragement, I come here to this bulletin board. Your friend would be more than welcome to join us here. Or I also get lots of support from the moms in Katie's playgroup. And count me in as one of those mothers who can't always distiguish her baby's different types of cries. It's not as easy as most of the books make it sound. I usually use context to tell what she's crying about. Like if it's about time for her nap, I figure she's tired. If she hasn't eaten in a while, she might be hungry. It's great you're trying to help your friend -- sorry we don't have any book suggestions.

Nori -- what a cute cake! It's fun for me to hear about Noah's party, because I'm starting to think about what to do for Katie's birthday. I'm glad to hear Noah was excited about his gifts and that everything went well despite your DH's "help" on getting the pizza. I'm like Kim -- if I send DH to the store, I review the list with him VERY carefully, and there's usually at least one thing he gets wrong. I usually do exactly what you did nori -- decide which errand I am most concerned about, and I do that one, and I leave the simpler one that I don't care as much if it gets messed up a bit for DH to do. It's actually kind of gotten to be a joke between DH and me when he comes back from the store, because he always waits to see which thing he bought wrong. I still prefer to go to the store myself!

I think for Katie's birthday we're going to do a butterfly theme. Two of her very favorite books ("The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "Good Night Sweet Butterflies") have butterflies in them, plus I've seen a couple cute ideas on how to make a butterfly-shaped cake. We'll have DH's father and his brother & family over, plus maybe two other families we're really close to. I'm not sure exactly how to work it all out though, because I know the relatives will want to bring gifts, but I don't want the other families to feel like they should give gifts. They both have several kids, and we haven't been in the habit of getting birthday gifts for their children. We just want to include them in the party to celebrate Katie's first year -- not so we can get gifts from them. I don't want them to feel awkward though.

Oops -- Katie is waking up from her nap. We have a meeting with the director of the new daycare near here this afternoon, so I need to get moving with feeding Katie and getting her ready to go. I sure hope the daycare director can answer all my questions well, because we haven't found any in-home daycare providers we're comfortable with yet. I have a whole list of questions for her -- I just hope she has time to answer them all! I hope it turns out to be as good as the one Casey & Brenden go to!

I'll write more later. Hope everyone is having a good week.

Oh, and Happy Birthday Joanne!

Becky :)

[MrsReber]

Linsley, - exactly what Kim said. I can't tell you how long it takes to really feel like you're the mom and you're in control. Now it's second nature, but I still screw up here and there. After all, we're only human. I think a support group would work wonders. I was feeling horrible until I went to get my hair cut when DD was about three months old. The receptionist there said "isn't it hard?!" I was like "yes! I am not alone! It is soooo very hard!" She said that she would call her mother crying and saying "I can't do this!" and her mom would reassure her that all moms feel like that, it's just something that we have to get through. It's so frustrating because we all want to be the perfect mom. We sometimes forget that there is no training involved in becoming a mother. It's all on the job training. Sleep deprivation also makes us wacky. Is she getting enough sleep? I would have horrible days and then, once I'd get some good sleep, I was a new person. I wish your friend much luck. I don't know of any books out there that can help her, I can only say that she is in good company. And like Kim said, you'd be surprised at some of the things new moms will say- it's a very hard adjustment, but well worth it in the end. Just keep being a supportive friend and offer help if you can (i.e. offer to stay with the baby for an hour or so to let her get out and do something for herself- a manicure or pedicure). Like Joanne said, a change a scenery does wonders. I remember feeling trapped when I gave birth last year and had a newborn and a 1 year old. I cried almost everyday, but I suddenly realized that I could throw them in the stroller and we could all have some quiet time. Actually, even if they cried, I still went walking because I found it to be a tremendous help for my state of mind! You could always tell her to come check in here and join us! :)

[Molli526]

Linsley,

My niece had acid reflux as a baby and part of the solution was changing the bottles - I think my SIL ended up with Dr. Brown's. She also tried different formulas too.

[MrsReber]

Originally posted by linsleyd
Thanks for the suggestions! My friend told me the baby just started sleeping the past two nights but only in the swing (I told her pick one battle at a time, at least she's sleeping, even if it's not in the crib!).
She's had a really rough time with breastfeeding, (had to give it up) and with her crying. She apparently cries for two hours straight before bed (after the bottle and bath). I think it probably is because she's so tired. I just feel so bad for her and wish I could help but I don't have a baby yet and I can't do much for her!

Ahhh! She's living my life! Brenden cried every night for AT LEAST 2 hours before going to sleep. All I could do was lie on the couch with him and wait for him to stop!! And he'd get up every HOUR to eat. It was awful, but it did pass and he turned into such a wonderful, happy baby. Good advice on the sleeping! Don't think there's not much you can do, either. You're helping just by listening to her! IT DOES GET BETTER!!

[LaraW]

Linsley, I've been doing some reading about breastfeeding (and feeding in general) and one of the things that my book said as it relates to feeding is to try to offer a feeding before the crying gets really out of control (now, understand I have ZERO experience with this and even if I did, all babies are different anyway, this is just what my book said). This particular book said something about hysterial crying being sort of the last resort. Probably what I would try to do is if I saw the baby putting her hands in her mouth, I'd try to feed her. If she's hungry, she'll eat and if she's not hungry she won't eat.

If your friend can try to get the baby to eat before she's hysterical, that might be an idea. I'm sorry she's going through this! I liked the idea of a Mom's group, or if she does not have access to something like that, perhaps her own mother or MIL could give her some ideas as to what may have helped them. And don't forget about the doctor - if she's got a pediatrician espeically one who is a parent, they may be able to help her too.

[LosingIt]

You may want to suggest Happiest Baby on the Block. I don't remember the author and I didn't even finish it but the author suggests a way to hold your baby that really worked for Michael.

[RunnerKim]

Linsley, my friend's child spent the first several months sleeping in the swing (when he was sleeping). She too agonized about it being in the swing. The other thing I know that really helped her was swaddling. Have to get a big piece of cloth/sheet (little baby blankets are too small and they break out too easily). Wrap the baby up really snuggly and mom's have reported that it adds an hour to their sleep time - I know of a couple of moms who were still swaddling closing in on their 6 month point. I'll see if I can't track down the book/video that talks about it (we watched a little of the video in our group). I've also heard switching formula brands (or even to soy) can really help. Dr. Browns bottles does seem to be the most popular choice for colicky babies. I can commiserate on how difficult breastfeeding is - if it helps your friend to hear other's experiences then you can search through the old "new moms threads" as I know several of us have talked about just how hell-ish it was for us. I will say I actually had thoughts of walking out, it was so bad. Freaked me out that I even thought that. Worst month of my life, hands down.


Kim

Okay - here's the book
The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer
by Harvey, Md Karp
I think there's a video too which might actually be of more help to your friend who probably doesn't have much time to read right now! I picked up from your post that you're not local? You're a wonderful friend for trying to help her out. I apologize to my older sister all the time for not realizing just how big a deal it is to have a kid and how sorry I am I wasn't there for her (I was several states away) but just young and ignorant and thought it was just a happy joyous time. Hah!

[paula]

Linsley,
My DS also screamed for a period of time every night before falling asleep when he was 3-8 wks old. To some extent, we simply had to wait him out, and to some extent, a pacifier helped. I grew up with a negative attitude toward pacifiers and never imaged that my children would use them, but a nuk pacifier quickly became my DS's best friend. When his screaming would settle sufficiently that he would accept the pacifier, we knew that sleep was near. Interestingly, whereas DS would be lost without his pacifier, DD wanted nothing to do with one.

Paula

[linsleyd]

Thanks for the responses, I know a lot of you had difficulties as well and Kim, my friend felt the same way as you did!

I live right down the street from my friend but I work nearly every day I just don't get a chance to help like I wish I could.

I am going to check out the book and see if that might help, at least to know she's not alone! She has switched to soy formula, she thinks the baby may be a bit lactose intolerant. I don't think she's tried mom's groups yet because she's just trying to get sleep when the baby sleeps and well you know....
I think I'll take her a lasagna this weekend and see how she's doing, and I appreciate the advice!
I'll see if she has the internet at home a I;ll send her here if she is interested!

[JoanneOR]

Linsley, just to add one more thing. Most of my kids slept everywhere but their crib for the first few months. As long as they were asleep, I didn't care where! Your friend shouldn't worry about the sleeping in the swing. Oh, and has she tried mylicon drops for gas? Some people swear by them and for others it doesn't make a difference. If she's gassy, it might help. If not, they are harmless. I think stopping by to see her when you can is a good idea. After the first couple weeks, I enjoyed having visitors. Maybe (if she's willing) you could even take the baby out for a walk for a half hour or so to give her a bit of a break.

There are so many things they don't warn you about motherhood!! Someone should write a book! Of course, it is all worth it. It may not seem like it at first, but it is!!

There was a Malcolm in the Middle rerun on last night that was pretty funny. They have a new baby and it just cries and cries. They go through the whole looking for daycare thing which is pretty funny. But, at the end she is upset and saying "Hal, I have a confession to make. I don't like this baby!! I want to send him back." He says, "honey, it's OK, you hated all the boys when they were babies." She didn't remember feeling like that but she feels better because she realized it was normal. I guess you had to see it!! But it made alot of sense.

Becky, the butterfly idea sounds so cute! The gift thing is tricky. We have friends that we invite to our kids parties and they invite us to theirs. It started out that we were having a party and don't really see some of our friends that much. So, I thought it would be nice to have them come also, but I stressed no gifts. Of course they brought gifts. I would feel awkward going to a birthday party and not bringing a gift. So, no matter what you tell your friends, I'm sure they'll still bring a gift.

[nori]

Joanne, my DH cut the cake so I didn't have to.:D I'll try to upload one of birthday boy's picture later when the computer is not so busy.

MrsReber, I posted the same photo on Food thread, too. Wonder why you're having trouble...:confused: We go up to Wyoming (where his father has ranch) during hunting season to shoot deer (mostly). Seems like we have to skip this year, though, he doesn't ahve enough PTOs to use.:o I've heard some people shoot quails around here. They're like deer for you...they're everywhere! Actually baby quails are quite cute, and it's fun to see family visiting our backyard. DH always makes a comment like "Where's my gun?" when he sees quails in our backyard.:eek: I bet my DH would be jealous knowing your DH can hunt deer around the corner!

Kim, Costco pizza is HUGE, and I thought the taste is good for that price. It's so huge, the whole pie would not fit in the fridge (or even oven....)

Becky, butterfly theme sounds cute. Noah has that hungry catapillar book and "ten little ladybugs" which lets you count each ladybug button on each page...is your butterfly book something like that? I think I"ve seen something like that at the store...

linsleyd, sorry to hear your friend is having such a hard time...and you're very good friend to be helpful. Good news she's sleeping better now. Everyone else here said what I'd say, but wanted to add you should mention this board to her that she might be able to come in for some support. In my case, it really helped (especially at the beginning) to have some place (even on the cyber space) to come and ask questions or just vent. (I still do....:o ) I feel her pain, since my boy isn't a good sleeper, either. But my body got used to getting up at night so it's not that bad now. It'll get better. She just need some one to talk to, or someone who's willing to support her emotionally and physically. Good luck to her!

Well we went in to see a doctor this morning. Turned out it's just a cold. No ear infection, nothing in his lungs. What a relief! He just suggested humidifier which we're using already, so we'll see how he does.

[BeckyM]

Hi all! I'm back from our interview / meeting with the daycare director, and I feel really good about it. I told DH I'll keep investigating in-home people this week and see if we find anyone we like, but I feel comfortable enough with the daycare that if I had to make a decision today, that would be where we'd take Katie. The woman answered all my questions well, and they seem to be consistent with the things DH and I think are important. They're even hiring a nutritionist to plan & make meals for the kids! Anyway, I feel much better now that I know there's an option for us that I feel good about. The only real negative is that they're not open yet, and I am worried they may be delayed. Their target date to open is Sept. 15th, and I'm supposed to return to work Sept. 30th. As long as they aren't delayed, we're okay, but I don't know what we'd do if they are delayed. The other thing to consider is that the daycare is much more expensive than the in-home care. DH and I don't want to compromise quality for cost, but cost is why I'm continuing to talk to people who do the in-home care. If we can find someone we feel would be as good as they daycare, then cost would definitely play into the decision. But as of right now, I'd much rather pay the higher cost and know Katie is in a good place than take her to one of the cheaper in-home ones I've visited.

Thanks for the positive feedback on our "butterfly" theme idea for Katie's birthday party. Yes, nori, the "Good Night Sweet Butterflies" book is like the one with the ten ladybugs. This one has different colored ladybugs that each need to find a place to sleep, and they have cut-outs where you see them through the different pages. DH bought it for Katie before our trip to Montana, and it has become one of her favorite books. I think she especially likes feeling the butterflies.

Joanne -- I agree that I would feel uncomfortable going to a birthday party without bringing a gift. In fact, one of the couples we're considering inviting (they're our next-door neighbors) invited me to one of their daughters' birthday parties several years ago when they realized my DH was going to be out of town that weekend and I didn't have any plans. It was a huge party with all their family & friends, and I definitely didn't want to be the only one without a gift. Since it was a last-minute invitation, I didn't have time to buy something. Instead, I gave their daughter (who has a definite sweet-tooth) a gift certificate for her and the family to come over for brownies & ice cream on our deck. I think she liked it, because they actually "redeemed" the gift certificate a few weeks later. But I'm straying from my point . . . I agree an invitation to a birthday party would make people feel like they need to bring gifts, even if I told them not to. That's where I feel awkward. I don't want to NOT include them just because of the gifts, but I also don't want them to think we're inviting them in order to get lots of gifts for Katie. Hmmm. DH and I are going to have to give this some thought.

Katie is now crawling quite proficiently. Just over this past week she has gotten much better and much FASTER! And yesterday we saw her crawling while dragging a stuffed bunny along with her for the first time. It was so cute! She had ahold of the bunny by the ear, and she dragged it along underneath her as she went. Then she would sit up and play with the bunny for a little bit, then crawl and drag it with her again.

Well, I think I'd better get busy on making dinner. I think I'm going to make Bree's Lentil & Tomato Soup from the Sept. 2001 CL. That's a good, easy recipe that will make yummy leftovers to have on hand. I'm also thinking maybe Katie would be able to eat some of the lentils. I'm trying to come up with new table foods for her to try. She doesn't seem too fond of the mushed-up black beans yet, but I'll keep offering them. So far, like her mother, she seems to prefer the bread-type things, like cheerios, banana bread, etc.

Becky :)

[nori]

Okay, here's some photos from the party...didn't have so good shots of Noah, since DH was busy using movie function of the camera.



Trying the cake...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid76/paea5073378be761a60c3a25b7b74dc77/fb472e04.jpg


Playing with new toy...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid76/p7bcba80609d049cb4b8416d7de8e2898/fb472e02.jpg


This is not from the party, but the very recent Noah. Thought I'd share it with you. Thanks for letting me brag. =)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid76/pe79d33a9e905db9583dcda5687e02842/fb472e01.jpg

Here's the party spread... On the wall I made a paper frame with each month's photo in the past 12 months from birth. It was a hit? Noah also likes to see them.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid76/p2baac48930621b8e124a9e417edb3876/fb472a70.jpg


Joanne...forgot to answer your question about the train toy. It's Brio products, and I don't think the train is made of wood. Tracks are wood, though. Seems like pretty popular brand for that kind of toys!

Becky...Noah loves that ladybug book so when I saw the butterfly book, I thought about buying it. Can't remember why I didn't get it...I know what you mean about inviting people to the party but don't want them to worry about the gifts. But I'm sure they "would love to" get something for little Katie. I myself would be very excited to choose her presents, but if you're concerned, do you think it's appropriate to tell them "Please don't worry about bringing gifts"? In that way, it'll show them that you just want them to be there, not want to ahve tons of presents for Katie. But I'm not sure if it's polite to say that...:confused: Glad to hear that at least you found one good daycare! Having a nutritionist sounds like a great caring place!

Editing to say....well some of photos are small and the last one turned out to be a link.....:rolleyes: :confused: I don't know what's going on, but at least you can see them, right?

[MrsReber]

Nori, it may have been my computer at home. I can see your last pictures. I have to go back and see if I can see the picture of the cake! We have that Ladybugs book, too. Casey loves it. I used to take her hand and we'd count the ladybugs together. Now she takes her own hand and counts them. It's too funny. I saw the other book,too. I almost bought it before our trip to AZ. Oh, would our DH's ever get along! DH is so excited about hunting season. He also makes comments when he sees squirrels or groundhogs in our yard. He hunts with his bow during September. The season lasts about 6 months and he'll be out there every spare moment he has. It'll be just me and the kids for most of the fall. That's okay. We'll go out and enjoy it ourselves!

Becky, I'm so glad you feel good about the daycare. I know the price is quite shocking. I went through the same thing. DH tells people now that if they're planning on having kids and working, they should try saving that amount for daycare before the kids come along. I never would've believed that we could make it work with 2 kids in daycare, but somehow or other it does. Now I wonder what the heck we were doing with all that money before we had kids??? That's good that they prepare food. We have to send food each day because our daycare doesn't have a license for food preparation. I guess it's good in a way because Casey is a very picky eater and we'd have to send food along either way. Also, we can keep tabs on what she's eating. I didn't like the Ft. Monmouth daycare providing food because they just went ahead and gave Brenden whatever they wanted. They didn't write anything down so when he developed eczema, I had no idea what was causing it. They gave him eggs and oranges when he was about 7 or 8 months old! I like the daycare setting where they are involved in activities and learning things. In home care probably wouldn't bother me so much in the first 4 months because babies aren't really mobile. They mostly just need to be cuddled, fed and changed. After that, though, they are capable of quite a few things. I'm always surprised at what they plan for the kids at Goddard. They do things that I'd never think of or that I wouldn't think my kids were capable of doing.

[JoanneOR]

Becky, glad you found a daycare that you are happy with. Sounds like a good place. I'm sure that is a relief.

Nori, Noah is such a big boy. He's really starting to look like a little boy; not a baby. What a cutie! The picture of the table is really small. Did you have the pictures from each month up on the wall? What a great idea! Of course, I've been so lax in taking pictures I wouldn't have one from each month.

I don't think it's rude to say not to bring gifts. It will make the guest feel that you want them to come just to be there and that the gifts aren't important. But, I'm sure they'll bring them anyway. I would; I love to shop for babies!

Things are quite hectic at our house. We ordered a new dining room set and decided it would make sense to have the floors sanded and stained and paint before it gets here. Well, we have a guy coming today to do the floors, so we had to move everything in the living room and dining room to other places in the house. It's a mess! We didn't expect to be able to get someone so soon, but he had a cancellation. Last night we went to look at paint colors, and, of course, we can't agree on a color. I supposed to have the neighbors over tomorrow night to plan the block party and my house is a disaster! I'm either going to have everyone outside or ask another neighbor to host it. I'd better decide soon!

DH goes back to work next week. He's been off for almost six months. Things are going to be more difficult around the house. I've gotten used to him helping out more.

I was looking at our calendar and between all the kids we have seven doctor's appointments within the next two weeks! Yikes. Caitlyn has her one year checkup, an appt. with the card. and neurologist and Colin and Jameson are going for their annual exams. Then I made dentist appointments for everyone, too.

[RunnerKim]

Becky - I think the butterfly theme is great. Be sure to share what you do with the theme. I've seen some great (and simple) butterfly cakes too. I think I'm going with a Caterpillar theme. It was that or Ladybug (or LaineyBug :D ). I picked up the Very Hungry Caterpillar board book as a gift and have a plan for the cake but haven't actually practiced it yet. Not really doing much of a party though so won't go into any other decorations (just doing cake and ice cream with my sister and her 2 boys). Thought maybe I could do the butterfly theme next year (get it - caterpillar to butterfly).

Glad the daycare center feels good. I know what you mean about cost- it's rather shocking. It does help to figure out what that is per hour and then it doesn't seem so bad. Mine doesn't provide food either and I prefer that. I want better control over what Lainey is eating. That's something to check about in-home daycares. Much more likely to get a steady diet of hot dogs, chx nuggets and other processed food.

Nori - the photo of the party decorations was small but I could make out where you put the photo for each month - what a great idea! He looks like such a little boy now.

Joanne - I sympathize on your DH going back to work. That's a lot of doctor's appointments. I hope some of them are at the same time/place. Whew.

It would make me feel really awkward/bad if I was told not to bring a gift and didn't but then others did. This is a sticky problem that pops up a lot. Would there be a way to do the gift opening before the main part of the party -- so invite gift giving family/friends early and then do more of an open house afterwards. Probably still wouldn't work. I'd just invite them and leave it at that (or do something separate entirely).

That Malcolm in the Middle episode sounds hilarious.

Kim

[MrsReber]

Kim, you seem to have the same ideas as our daycare! They have a name for each room. Casey is now in the catepillar room. They have stuff on the walls about how catepillars turn into butterflies. They next room Casey will be in is the Lucky Ladybugs. DH calls her ladybug, too. I love all these themes, too. I hope for Casey's next party that she can tell me what she wants. Seems so far off, but I know that I won't be able to remember her as a baby just learning to walk. Guess that's why we have video cameras.

I agree, if you break down the daycare cost to an hourly rate, you really wonder how anyone makes any money! I know the women at our daycare are really underpaid. I guess it's competitive wages for that type of work, but it's the most important job in the world to me. It seems a shame that they make $10 an hour or less taking care of the most precious things in the world. It seems so backwards. Hopefully that daycare will open up as scheduled. I spent some time at Goddard before I went back to work. They encourage parents to stop by. I spent some time in the infant room. Casey was going there 2 days a week right after Brenden was born so I'd pick her up and bring him along so he could see the place and the other kids.

The birthday present thing is a tough issue. Even though you don't want people to feel obligated to reciprocate, it'll always be in the back of their mind. We always tell people not to bring gifts, but if they feel they want to do something, we ask that they contribute to the college fund. Most still bring gifts so that there's "something to open". The flip side of that is that we don't want them to think that birthdays are all about getting gifts. We're trying to focus on the celebration. Same thing with Christmas.

[JoanneOR]

Kim, I love the caterpiller to butterfly idea! How cute!

Mrs. Reber, don't worry, I'm sure by Casey's next birthday she'll be telling you what theme she wants! That's about when my boys did. I think I posted about this before, but Jameson one year asked for a Mr. Bean theme. Couldn't find any Mr. Bean stuff! This year him and Ian will probably have a party together and they agreed on SpongeBob. Still have to figure out what I'm doing for their birthdays.

Mrs. Reber, Christmas is crazy with our families and all the gifts. I know what you mean. I'm an only child so there's no cousins on my side for the kids. But DH has four brothers and sisters with kids. Between us all there are 11 kids. We all buy for each of the kids. I'm thinking of suggesting a grab bag this year for the kids, but don't want to be the scrooge!

[LosingIt]

There is a show on the Style network called You're Invited and they planned a really cute garden party where the cake was a caterpillar made of those big pink snack cakes. They also cut out felt and made the tables big daisies and used yellow balloons to make bees. They even cut up a watermelon and made it look like some kind-of bug and used it for a fruit salad. The kids painted rocks as an activity. It was a really cute party.

[MrsReber]

Joanne, I would absolutely suggest a grab bag. You may be surprised at how relieved some of the relatives would be. There are three cousins on my side and 5 on DH's side and I HATE having to buy them all gifts for Christmas (because DH doesn't exactly shop for them). Some of them I'd rather not buy for because their parents have not taught them proper manners. I may not buy them gifts this year just to spite the one nephew who rummages through our stuff to see what we bought for him and how many gifts he gets vs. his cousins. He is also very rude upon opening something that he already has or doesn't like. Anyway, it does add up. On my side, we have banned gift giving between siblings and try to only buy for the kids. It's still hard coming up with ideas. Plus, in your situation, you have your own four children to think about.

All this talk about cakes is making me hungry! Nori, your cake is very cute. I did finally see it. Must've just been my computer at home. I love the idea of putting the monthly pictures up for everyone to see.

[RunnerKim]

Joanne, I agree with Susan. i think others will be relieved. My DH's siblings draw names and it's so much better. we've put a price range on it too. This way we can get something nicer/decent instead of smaller things for everyone. There's 5 kids in his family plus me (no other spouses). We also all have to make up wish lists and submit them to MIL. Feels a little "give me give me give me" but I don't know his siblings well enough in day to day life to get them something they'd actually want. Even with their lists I almost always end up getting gift certificates for them (as listed by them). We need to figure something out for the kids on my side of the family.

I really hate how much $$$ is spent at Christmas. It can really ruin the season for me. And I hate all the junk (and the money wasted to buy it) that we end up getting. Well that's a lot hate going on! :eek: don't know where that came from. :o

LosingIT - that sounds like a great party. Painting rocks -- now that's a fun (but cheap!) thing for little kids to do.

Kim

[BeckyM]

All the party ideas sound so cute! Kim -- I did consider a caterpillar, a ladybug, and a flower for the cake, but when I asked DH, he said definitely butterfly, so I let that be the decision. JoAnne -- I think I saw a SpongeBob cake as I was looking on-line for cake ideas. I bet you could find instructions for one. And even if not, I bet he'd be fairly easy to make, since he's basically rectangular.

I'm debating about whether or not to actually make invitations, since we're only having a few people. I've seen some cute butterfly paper out there though, and I also have some rubber stamps with butterflies I could use. I'm sure DH will prefer we don't bother though, partly because he'll think it's a waste of time, and partly because he doesn't want it to be a big deal.

Nori -- I think the idea of having monthly pictures of Noah up for everyone to see at his birthday party was a great idea. That reminded me that a friend of mine completed a big scrapbook of her son's first year to have for people to look at during his birthday party. I definitely want to do something like that, though putting up pictures from each month sounds a lot simpler than a whole scrapbook. I do have a little scrapbook a friend did for me before Katie was born though. It has pages for a picture from each month, plus "First Halloween", "First Thanksgiving", "Christening", "First Mother's Day", etc. I have pictures taken for most of those things, so I could get them put in the book and have that for people to look at.

Katie and I went and met with another in-home daycare provider today. She was probably the best of any of the in-home ones I've seen, but I still feel better about the daycare center. The good news is that I let Katie down on the floor, and she settled right in to playing with the toys, and she didn't seem scared or intimidated by the new surroundings and other kids. She even interacted with a couple of the other kids. The woman who ran this in-home daycare seemed more "with it" than the others I've met, but she had six kids there with her, all ages three & younger. And on the days I need care for Katie, the woman would occasionally have an additional two kids to watch. She seemed to think that was manageable, but I think that's too many. She also didn't even have the First Aid / CPR certification. At least she didn't have the TV on while we were there, but she did say she keeps it on a lot, just for the noise. Personally, I don't like the idea of keeping the TV on all the time, so that was a point against that place.

I'm feeling better and better about the daycare center all the time. I called today to ask the woman if they had references we could call, and she was really helpful again. I had already made arrangements for DH to come meet her with me on Friday, and she told me today that she had checked with the owner, and the new center is far enough along in the construction for her to bring us there for a tour. So she will walk us through the new place on Friday. She also had gotten answers for me on a couple other things I had casually asked her the other day, so I was impressed with her follow-through. The other thing I don't think I mentioned before is that this daycare has cameras in all their rooms, so the parents can link up via the internet and check to see what their kids are up to! I was thinking that would be so reassuring to look during the day and see Katie happily playing or peacefully sleeping. The director said we could even make arrangements (I think with a password or something) for my parents or other relatives to get on the website and see her. I know my parents would be absolutely thrilled to get to peek at Katie during the day. And the woman said they videotape everything from the cameras, so if there's ever a question about something someone saw, they have documentation of it. That certainly adds to my peace of mind.

Anyway, I'm determined to make our decision by the end of the weekend (after DH has met the daycare director and we have time to talk it over). I'm tired of calling people, and I want to quit worrying about it!

About Christmas gifts -- DH's family is huge, so we do name-drawings. All DH's siblings and the spouses draw names, and then the cousins all draw names too. It was cute this past year that all the kids wanted to draw Katie's name. Anyway, it works especially well for the kids, because they don't get to see each other all that often, and it gives them a chance to find out more about one cousin(calling their aunts & uncles to see what their cousins would want for gifts) and to select something special for him or her. I agree Christmas gets to be too costly and too much about all the "stuff" if you don't limit things somewhat. On my side of the family we go overboard a bit too much, so we need to figure out how to rein things in. There aren't that many people, but we tend to buy too much for each other. Anyway, that IS one of my concerns about Katie's birthday party. I know she won't remember it too much, but I definitely want to focus more on just celebrating together than on gifts. As Katie gets older, I know it will get harder though. It seems that lots of birthdays are way too costly and overboard. A little boy across the street (who is about 4) just had a four-hour birthday party where they even had a whole menagerie come -- not only a pony, but ducks, goats, pigs, bunnies, etc. DH says we are NEVER having a party like that for Katie!

By the way, does anyone have any suggestions for teethbrushing that work with 11-month olds? We have one of those fingertip brushes, where you stick your finger inside, and it has really soft bristles on one side. All Katie wants to do is bite it and chew on it, and even though my finger is covered by it, it hurts when she chomps down hard. She also hates it when I try to brush the front of her teeth, because she can't bite down on the brush. She grabs my finger, squirms around, clamps her mouth shut, etc. Do you think I should try a different type of brush? What about the special baby toothpaste? So far I've just been doing it dry.

MrsReber & nori -- I think your DH's would get along really well with my sister's DH. He is also an avid hunter, and he has even gotten my sister into hunting. They live in Montana, and they have a separate cabin / trailer up in the mountains near where they hunt. My BIL bow hunts too. They hunt deer, antelope, and elk. I'm amazed that my sister, who as a kid wouldn't even eat chicken because she saw it raw once, now is killing her own meat.

Well, time to get busy again. I need to research carseats. We decided we need to get one for DH's car too, since he'll be picking up Katie from daycare sometimes. We're not sure if we should just get the same kind we have in my car (a Britax Marathon) or do something else. We're really happy with the one we have, but I want to make sure I know what else is available before just getting another identical one. Anyone have any suggestions?

Becky :)

[JoanneOR]

Becky, six kids under three sounds like a lot to handle. And, then sometimes she has two more? Having the TV on all day isn't good. I'm sure there are some kids who will sit there all day if it is on. It really sounds like the daycare center is the way to go. Being able to see Katie during the day would be so neat.

Wow, that four-year-old's birthday with the animals seems a bit over the top! Our birthday parties have gotten out of hand, and I'm not sure how to tone them down. We have family that we invite and then there are our friends who we've always gone to each other's parties. It's about 20 adults and 17 kids. The kids have a blast with each other and I'm sure they'll always remember the parties for the fun they had and not the gifts. But, I don't like that they receive so many gifts. It's just too much. And, I can't just stop inviting people who've always come. It gets so expensive! That's why I'm combining the parties this year.

We stopped exchanging gifts with DH's siblings a few years ago, so that was good. I am going to bring up the grab bag gift idea. Actually, we'll be buying four gifts since we have four kids, but that's OK.

Becky, I use the same toothbrush with Caitlyn. I dread it because she bites down so hard on my finger, it really hurts! She laughs when I say ouch! She thinks it's a game. I'm thinking of trying just a smaller regular toothbrush, although it'll be harder to get in there. I used the gerber baby toothpaste.

[RunnerKim]

Becky - is the latest home daycare woman you talked with licensed? I know in Oregon that for their license they have to have CPR training (my sister does in-home care) and she can only have 2 under 2 (although I think there is another super duper license that would allow her to have more under the age of 2). Max number of kids is 10 (no matter the age) and I know there's an additional limit on kids under school age. Daycare has a 4:1 ratio for infants that I'm pretty sure is mandated by law (maybe 5:1 for the toddlers). These ratios do vary by state and vary quite a bit. With that many kids in a home - who needs the TV on for noise??? Major negative to me. I know the extra expense of the center is bothering you... Think of it this way -- you want to feel good about Katie's day. Sending her to the Center, where she'll be involved in more developmental and age appropriate activities will make you feel good about her time away from you. At this in-home daycare (certainly not all) it sounds like she would basically be babysat (kept safe, relatively happy). I would love love love it if I could check in on Lainey via camera. It would be neat to be able to see how she spends her day when I'm not there. It sounds like you're really sold on the center (and rightly so, IMHO).

Kim

[nori]

Monthly photos on the wall weren't taken exactly each months....I just picked the ones close to that date. Joanne, we took so many photos of Noah since his birth....this is our first baby, that's why I think.;) I don't know if I'll be so good at if I happen to have 4 kids.

Kim, Love that theme!(Catapillar to butterfly!)

Becky, I hand-made several invitations although we only invited a few people. I used craft papers and stickers. I'm keeping one for baby book...oh and although my parents were not able to come, I sent it anyway. They were happy to get the invitation.:)

We use the same rubber brush, too. He used to bite very hard, too but nowadays he shuts his mouth and won't let it in. I was thinking of getting another brush...not sure which one will be easier. He only has 2 teeth yet.

We don't have any "kids" in our family right now (youngest is in high-school). We usually get a gift for the whole family, unless they're immediate family. I think Kim is right, spending too much money on Christmas ruins the joy of that season.:mad:

[BeckyM]

Thanks for everyone's positive input on the daycare center. You're right, Kim, it is bothering me a bit that it is twice as expensive as the in-home people. But, DH and I both agree that this is an area where we're not going to scrimp or cut corners. Katie is the most important little person in the world to us, and we want her to be in a place where she is getting the best possible care. Plus, this place is a PRESCHOOL / Daycare, so they actually do craft projects with the kids, teach them songs, and they're even going to have foreign languages! They also do a lot of active things with the kids to work their large muscle groups. They'll have separate outdoor play areas for each agegroup, and the one for the preschoolers will even have a "trike track" where they can ride tricyles around, with little stop lights and everything. So I feel like Katie will be learning new things and developing new skills rather than just sitting in front of the TV until I can come pick her up.

Last night DH and I talked a lot more about the daycare center, and I told him about the latest in-home person I talked to. I told him I really think we should have Katie in the daycare center, and he said if I feel that strongly about it, he would agree. I told him I want to wait until after he meets the director on Friday to make our final decision, because I want him to feel comfortable about it too. I certainly wouldn't want this decision to be riding entirely on MY shoulders! So I'm going to quit calling additional in-home people at this point. There may be some incredible person who would do just as good a job as the daycare, but I have no idea how to find her, and I feel like I'm just wasting my time.

I'm going to have to investigate alternative toothbrushes for Katie now. It sounds like several of you are having the same challenges with it that I am. For some reason I was just assuming everyone else's children just opened their mouths up wide and let their mothers brush their teeth with no problem. I saw a toothbrush in the One Step Ahead catalog that is oblong shaped and has a sort of loop-type handle that is supposed to be safer than a traditional style toothbrush. It's also supposed to be easier for a child to use on his or her own. Here's the link to it (if I do this right): http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.jsp?lGen=detail&itemID=235&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=235&change=117
I don't know if it would be worth it to get those or if I should just try a normal one. I think Katie will want to chew on any type of brush I get, but I'm hoping to at least find something where she won't be biting ME when I try!

Speaking of birthday cakes, has anyone ever tried making a cut-up shape cake (like the butterfly, flower, clown, or other designs we've been talking about) using a Cooking Light cake recipe rather than just a box mix? Or what about a non-CL recipe that is from scratch? My mom always made us cakes of different designs for our birthdays, but they were always from a box. I'm not completely against a box mix, but if someone knows of something else that is really yummy and also works well to cut and frost into a shape, I'd like to try it. I was thinking I'd like to have something that tastes really good as well as looking cute.

Well, I'd better get going. Katie and I have been invited to go to the zoo this afternoon with another mother and a little boy from Katie's playgroup. They have a membership to the zoo, so they get free guest passes as well. We're trying to squeeze the trip between the kids' naps, so we don't have much time. I'm going to have to wake Katie up soon (though I hate doing that) to make it on time. I hope Katie enjoys her first experience at the zoo. I think we'll just have to find the animals that are the most visible and active, because I'm sure she won't be at all interested in watching a tiger just lie there in the bushes. Maybe the monkeys will be swinging around.

Talk to you all later!

Becky :)

[BeckyM]

I forgot to mention -- Katie LOVES Bree's Lentil-Tomato Soup from Cooking Light. I made it for dinner Monday night, and I took a little bit out and let it cool for Katie to try. I didn't think she'd like it much, because it is fairly spicy (cumin, turmeric, RED PEPPER, etc.). But she LOVED it! I ended up going back to the pot and getting two additional helpings for her (and putting an ice cube in to cool it off). I was thinking the lentils would be good for her, and apparently she agreed! So, for anyone looking for a new food to try with their little one, try Bree's Lentil-Tomato Soup! I did only use half the amount of red pepper that it calls for, not because of Katie, but because DH and I don't like it quite that hot. Katie also had it for dinner last night, and she ate quite a bit of it! DH's co-workers think it's funny that we're feeding our infant lentils, but I think that's much better than the hot dogs & macaroni the in-home daycare people would feed her!

[JoanneOR]

Becky, have fun at the zoo!

The daycare sounds great. The preschool that my boys went to (Colin is still there) is also a daycare and sounds alot like yours. They have all loved it and learned so much. Next year will be the first year they haven't had one of our kids there in four years. They'll have to wait a couple years for Caitlyn.

I'm sure you could adapt a cake recipe. Have you looked around to see if there are any butterfly molds use could use? Then you don't have to cut the cake up. Do you have the cake mix doctor book? The few recipes in there that I've tried are excellent. I know there's been a bunch of birthday cake recipes posted on the food board.

That toothbrush looks neat. It wouldn't hurt to try it. Ian kept asking me if he could brush Caitlyn's teeth. I told him she bites, but he still wanted to do it. So, I let him and of course, she bit him. He thought it was funny, but doesn't ask anymore.

Edited....found a butterfly mold:
http://chefgadget.com/Molds.asp#prod5

And, here's a mold for making chocolate butterflies:
http://beryls.safeshopper.com/231/8454.htm?851

[RunnerKim]

Becky - I'm using the Buttermilk Birthday Cake recipe by Nigella Lawson, How to Be a Domestic Goddess that i found here on the boards. If you want it and can't find it, let me know and i'll post it. I've made one practice cake with it (just 2 rounds) and they came out beautifully and the batter tasted great :p (I've frozen the rounds to use sometime when I have a chance to practice frosting them). Other's have used them for shaped cakes. I have a pan with half balls in it to use for the caterpillar and plan to put them on a regular rectangular cake. I've seen a butterfly shaped pan but I've also seen butterfly's made out of regular shape pans (rounds). If you have the time to do a google search on butterfly birthday cake you'll see lots of ideas.

I'm embarrased to say we haven't been brushing Lainey's teeth. :o She's just had the 2 on the bottom until the last couple of weeks and they seem so tiny. Good reminder to get in the routine of doing it. We have one of those little Gerber finger tip brushes too. Lainey generally doesn't like us messing with her mouth so I don't think it's going to go over well. This is going to be DH's job, I have a really weird but intense gross out factor with teeth brushing. I can barely talk about it- the sight/smell of others brushing their teeth just revolts me. Weird weird weird I know.

Soup - it's too warm here still to think about making soup. I'm really anxious for fall to arrive. I'm ready to do some baking. I'll definitely give that soup a try when it cools off just a tad.

Joanne- a co-worker of mine's son just turned one and they had everyone donate to his college fund instead of buying toys. At that age the kid doesn't know any different. People like buying things though so I don't think it's an easy sell to invitees (and probably not your boys as this age either!). At Christmas my Mom held out a lot of stuff and put under the tree one gift the following 11 days (i.e., the 12 Days of Christmas). I was fairly old before I actually remembered this would happen and was always so excited to see something under the tree when I wasn't expecting it. Often we'd get joint kid gifts (games) and we always got our Calendars on New Years Day etc. My mom said it reduced how much happened on the one day and helped prevent post-Christmas let-down. I think we'll carry on that tradition.

When I picked Lainey up yesterday the director was in the infant room and said she was concerned about Lainey's diahrrea. It's been slowly getting thicker but the doctor said it could be weeks before it was normal. She said there was a bunch of mucous in it so I said I'd call the doctor to check on it. When I got home and looked over her sheet for the day I saw she'd only had one BM (the one she worried about) all day, which is a big improvement since she got this instestinal bug. She didn't have another BM before I left her back at daycare this morning (first time to not have one during the night since this started). I was sure I'd see another BM so I could see for myself what she was talking about. So I think the director was just being overly cautious and doesn't normally change her diapers so hadn't seen her gradual improvement etc. The teacher this morning agreed that Lainey was on the mend and fine. It put me in a real funk last night and i'm not sure why.

Kim

[BeckyM]

Kim -- thanks for the suggestion on the Buttermilk Birthday Cake. I found the recipe, but I'm wondering how much it makes. The recipe says it makes one 9" square, or two 8" or 9" rounds. That doesn't make sense to me somehow. It seems if it only makes one 9" square, it would only make one 9" round. Maybe I need to review some geometry and figure out the volume of a 9" square and a 9" circle. What size pan(s) did you make it in? By the way, I hope Lainey's BM problems continue to improve.

Joanne -- thanks for the links to the molds. I do have two different sets of instructions for making a butterfly-shaped cake using round cake pans though (cutting up the cake into different shapes & assembling), so I think I'd better stick with that. DH would KILL me (or at least give me a VERY hard time) if I were to buy more kitchen gadgets, especially since they would probably only be used once. That's cute that Ian wanted to brush Caitlyn's teeth. I guess now that he's done it (and been bitten), the novelty has worn off?

The zoo was fun today. Katie's favorite part by far was the "Manatee Springs" where it was more like an aquarium. There were two manatees eating lettuce, and you could see them through the glass under the water. Katie thought they were pretty fascinating, along with the other fish in that area. She seemed to enjoy riding around the zoo in her stroller and seeing different things, though she would get impatient when we stopped the stroller for too long in one area without anything interesting happening. The thing I can't figure out though is that she seems to have a real problem napping today. I put her down at 10:30am, but she didn't fall asleep until after 11! I had to wake her up at noon to go to the zoo, and she was acting tired when I put her in the car at 3:30pm to come home. She didn't fall asleep in the car though (which I thought was really strange), and I put her in her crib right when we got home (around 4pm), and she is still making noises up there at 4:30! Hopefully she'll fall asleep soon, because she really needs her sleep!

By the way, I started weaning Katie from one of her mid-day nursing sessions yesterday. I'm sort of sad about it, but it is definitely time. Instead of nursing her, I gave her a sippy cup full of breastmilk along with her solids. She drank it really well and didn't seem to miss the nursing. My idea is to do that a couple times and then switch to whole milk. (Our pediatrician said it's okay to switch to whole milk for her at this point rather than a month of formula, since she has already shown us she HATES formula.) I may try mixing breastmilk & cows milk a couple times to get her to adjust to the taste. I'm not sure how close the two tastes are or how well she'll transition. I guess we'll see. I've decided we need more sippy cups though, because if she uses one for each of her mid-day feedings, plus another cup for water during the day, that's three dirty cups per day! We only have two sippy cups of the type she seems to prefer, so we'd better get more! I'll need to ask the daycare director if we need to supply a sippy cups for Katie or if they'll have them there.

Well, Katie has finally drifted off to sleep (based on the lack of noises coming from the monitor). I guess I'd better start thinking about dinner. DH should be home in about an hour, so it would be nice for me to have something at least partially made. MrsReber, you mentioned some pork chops with peaches the other day, so I'm thinking along those lines. I have some pork chops in the freezer, so I need to check if I have enough of the other essential ingredients to do that.

Becky :)

[RunnerKim]

Becky, I'm so impressed that you can just put Katie in her crib and she goes asleep on her own. I still rock Lainey to sleep (or wait for her to just fall asleep) :o

I was confused about the cake too - the way I figured it out was that it makes a deeper 9" square cake (like brownie thickness) but you get thinner rounds. I can say I got 2 normal sized rounds from the recipe. Can't recall if I used my 8" or 9" pans.

Sounds like good progress on the weaning. I too missed it bet knew it was time. Lainey didn't seem to miss it at all. By the way, ummm do your nipples ever return to pre-nursing size? :o :o Mine are just now (months later) completely healing. Sorry about too much information.

Kim

[nori]

Becky, zoo sounds like fun! We haven't been to the zoo yet, although we have one in the town. It's just too darn hot around here. We have to wait until it gets cool off a bit. Your daycare center looks like a great place, too. I agree, you just can't sacrifice the cost for your precious child.

I've been thinking about weaning him also, but kind of reluctant.:o One thing, it's a great way to calm him down when he's very fussy, and other thing, my breasts get so uncomfortable when I don't nurse so often. At night routine, we bathe him, put him jamies, brush his teeth and read some books, then nurse. After that, I'd put him awake in the crib and he'd fall asleep on his own. I nurse him to sleep for nap sometimes, too. And I have to admit I love nursing...it's a great way to be intimate with your baby, and I just love it. DH wants to know when I wean him, though.:rolleyes:

Maybe I can start not to nurse for napping for a start....

Cake batter I used for Noah's cake was from Anna, and it used white cake mix. (maybe from Cake Doctor???) It was yellow cake and so yummy. Since it uses the mix, prep was relatively easy and it turned out so well.

[cchhbb]

Wow, There have been a lot of posts.

Today, I was the mom who called wolf. Garrett had some congestion and a cough since Saturday. He also started to pull on his ears. I took him in for a sick visit and he was fine. She said that his congestion was likely from the pressure being placed on his sinus due to getting 4 teeth at the same time. I guess better safe than sorry.

Becky, it sounds like you've found a great daycare center. I have a friend whose child goes to one that has cameras and he loves them. He says he sees a lot of what is going on by checking in various times per day.

The birthday themes sound great. I know you can make a butterfly from 2 heart pans if you have those. I haven't even thought about Garrett's birthday. It's so hard to imagine that all these babies will be one soon.

I have a couple of book suggestions for the crying baby. There is a book called Crybabies. I saw it at Costco the other day. Another suggestion is the Happiest Baby on the Block. I can relate to not knowing what cry means what. Garrett doesn't cry much and I don't recognize different cries. He doesn't seem to have different ones. I remember my MIL saying when he was 2 months old that all good moms know their babies cries. Well, I must not be a good mom because I still don't know.

Nori, great looking cake. It looks like the party was a blast.

We've had orientation for preschool everyday this week. We got his schedule and he will be having art, music, and language time everyday that he is there. Garrett is starting to have separation anxiety. Poor thing. They recommended that I send my dirty t-shirt in the diaper bag to help soothe him. Tonight, he was playing in the nursery at church while we went to dinner. He cried when we left him and then settled down. He was playing when we went to pick him up an hour later. When he saw us, he started to cry again. I guess he just loves me a lot.

I know I missed so much and I'm sorry that I didn't respond to everyone.

Cheryl

[RunnerKim]

Cheryl - better safe than sorry on the doctor visit. Peace of mind is worth it.

I hadn't thought about the heart cake for butterfly - Becky if you don't have that shape that's a "basic" shape that you could use lots of ways so maybe your DH wouldn't see it as a 1 use gadget. :D I think using the rounds will work fine too though.

Cheryl, I cannot believe your MIL said that - there was no way at 2 months I could distinguish Lainey's cries (other than she was generally hungry when she cried at that age because, sheesh she ate every 2 hours, it was good odds that was the issue).

Nori, do you have any kind of pump? Maybe you could pump just enough to take the pressure off if you're not nursing Noah that feeding. Don't pump much or your body won't start decreasing production.

I was reading the thread on the Other board about tipping. I hate tipping, I just don't know the rules most of the time and would prefer the cost just be enough to fully cover the service. I never knew you were suppose to tip housekeeping at a hotel :eek: Fortunately we rarely stay at a hotel so haven't offended/shorted too many people out there. I never saw my parents do it, so I guess I just didn't know. But if you're suppose to tip a hair dresser, masseuse etc. why isn't it customary to tip daycare workers/teachers. Talk about a personal service that's really important to me! I am planning to give a nice card and baked good for their birthdays (and maybe something for all of them at the winter holiday season) but now I'm wondering if that's enough?? Maybe I should do a gift certificate too?? What do you all do who have regular childcare providers?

Kim

[MrsReber]

Wow, so many posts! I got an unexpected day off yesterday. I got to my building at 6:30, as usual, and there was no power! We waited around outside and eventually most of my department showed up. There's quite a few people in this building. It does have 25 floors! They finally told us to go home just before 8:00. I went home and was going to get the kids, but DH said I was crazy. So I went to the mall by myself! I was in desperate need of new bras- I was hoping that I had returned to my pre-pregnancy size. Nope. Everyone said breastfeeding tends to break down tissue and you may end up one cup size smaller. Nope. I'm still one cup size bigger than I was before Casey was born. Grrrr! Oh well, at least I can get rid of those nursing bras now! Kim, I returned to normal with respect to your issue. At least, I think I did. Well, after the mall, I picked up the kids and we went across the street to my neighbor's house. She's been having a rough week. Her husband forgot her birthday and then forgot their anniversary. She's feeling overwhelmed with her 4 year old and 2 month old. So we hung out and let the kids play. We drank some wine and talked and it was really nice. Wish I could do that every week!

Becky, I'm glad you feel good about this daycare. I hope it all works out for you. They just raised our tuition again, as they do each September. It's $70 more a month. I felt sick when I saw that, but we don't have much of a choice. Casey starts in the new room next week. They gave me a list of what they'll do- show and tell, computer time, crafts, reading, etc. It really is the best way to go, in my opinion. I know daycares got a bad reputation back in the 80's, but they are so careful with who they hire these days. I think I'd rather have my child in a center under the supervision of a few people than at home alone with someone I've only known a short period of time. There are positives and negatives to both, you just have to do what you feel most comfortable with.

Kim, we didn't do anything special for our daycare at Christmas. Aren't we terrible? I thought about baked goods, but the truth is that most moms think about baked goods. I think a personal note with a gift certificate or even some cash is really appreciated. After getting to know the women who take care of my children, I know that they'd rather get a few extra dollars than anything else. I did read somewhere that it was "customary" to give one weeks' salary. DH did help out one of the women last year by working on her van. It needed a new thermostat and he checked it over for her. He wouldn't let her pay for any of the parts and we bought dinner for her and her 2 girls. She's going through a rough time as a newly single mom of 2.

Cheryl, I'm glad to hear about your doctor's appointment. Brenden has been fussing with his right ear for a few weeks and he's kind of crabby. He coughs a little bit at night, too. I know he's getting his molars in so I think that's the whole reason for it. Hope Garrett is feeling better. I feel so bad for them with the teething pain. I've been giving Brenden Tylenol at bedtime because he's having trouble falling asleep at night.

Becky - Ooooh, the bourbon glazed pork chops with peaches are really good! Watch out for the sauce, though! It'll git ya! Another really easy recipe is the pork chops in country gravy (something like that) from the CL Complete. It's so simple, but it has plenty of flavor. Or the whiskey pork chops. Those are really good, but take a little more time.

Casey used to love lentil soup. Now she hates it. But then again, she doesn't like anything so it's not surprising. :rolleyes:

Kim, I know all about the mucus poop! Casey and Brenden get that when they're sick. We always thought it was from having antibiotics. I guess it's just all the bad stuff being eliminated. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.

[MrsReber]

Forgot to mention the toothbrush thing! We tried the Gerber finger brush. Ouch!!! Around 11 months, we just started using a regular child's toothbrush on Brenden. I buy the stage 1 and stage 2 brushes. He does like to chew on it, but he doesn't really mind getting his teeth brushed. DH suggested we put some orajel on it, too, to help with the teething pain. Casey will brush her own teeth and asks frequently. DH does help her. She won't let me help at all. My mom also bought her a battery operated toothbrush. That seems to work good, but I think it's a bit big for her little mouth! So important to brush teeth! DH and I will try to brush our teeth along with Casey so she can see how it's done and also see that mommy and daddy take care of their teeth, too! We use the Gerber toothpaste without flouride. It's safe for them to swallow. I think there are a couple of other brands, too.

[RunnerKim]

Slow.... Everyone must be getting ready for the long weekend. What a great bonus to get the day off - no power, Susan. Don't you work for the power company?? :eek:

Your poor neighbor - that is a rough week. Did her DH know he'd missed her birthday and then still spaced their anniversary? Bad. Really Bad form.

We've been making several recipes from the new CL SuperFast cookbook. DH complained about the price (and we got it at CostCo) but is now saying it's worth it. We take longer making the meals because I don't buy pre-shredded cheese, lettuce etc. but the meals are still fairly simple, healthy and good.

Kim

[MrsReber]

Wow, Kim, I thought everyone was gone! At least we're here!

Um, yes, I do work at the power comany :o ! I found out later that they actually pulled the plug on us! There was a power failure in one system and they knew the second system was going to go. They realized that the third system (the one we're on) couldn't support everything so they took it down.

My poor neighbor. She told me on Wednesday that her husband is now, well, kissing her you know what. They're going camping for the weekend. I'm jealous!

I have no idea what's for dinner tonight. I did good the rest of the week. Oh well. I'll figure it out later. Someone in the lunch room had mexican food so now I have a craving for that. Maybe I can talk DH into ordering from the Mexican place down the street from us.

[BeckyM]

Hi Everyone!

MrsReber -- thanks for the comments on the toothbrush. I ended up buying a regular toothbrush for Katie (Stage 1) at the store the other day, along with the Gerber infant toothpaste. We tried it last night with a bit more success than with the fingertip kind. She still preferred to chew on the brush, but at least she couldn't bite my finger! I think it will be a while before Katie will really cooperate with getting her teeth brushed. We'll keep trying though.

I did make those Bourbon-Glazed Pork Chops & Peaches the other day, though I should really call my version "Apple Juice & Vanilla Extract" - Glazed Pork Chops, because we didn't have any bourbon in the house. It still tasted REALLY good though. It's definitely on my list of dishes to make again. That's actually the first time I have made pork chops, because I used to not like them. I think as a kid, the ones I had were always dry, so I didn't think I liked them. Then when we'd go to my in-laws' house for dinner, MIL used to make pork a lot, and I realized I liked it. Now that she's gone, I need to make the pork myself if I want it, so I decided to try those pork chops. I'm sure glad I did!

Friday DH and I met with the daycare director, and DH was impressed with her too. We got a tour of the new facility, which is under construction. It looks nice so far, though the infant rooms seem small to us. They do have a "large muscle exercise room" though, where they're planning to have the kids go to climb over foam blocks, crawl around, etc. Anyway, we're pretty sold on the place. The director did give us some names of parents who have kids at their existing facility, so we'll call them to see what they have to say. As long as everything still sounds good, we'll probably commit. We'll have a chance to meet the actual infant teachers at an open house they're planning to have Sept. 13th.

Katie learned a new skill the other night -- climbing stairs. We were over at FIL's place, and Katie was fascinated by the stairs. Next thing we knew, she had figured out how to go up them. DH's brother & his family were there too, so Katie had quite an audience hovering over her as she climbed. She hasn't figured out that face-first is NOT a good way to go down the stairs, but she is great at going up them. We have a gate on our main stairs at home, but we can let her practice on our stairs coming up from the basement. We only have her down there when we're really keeping an eye on her, so we haven't put a gate on those stairs. (And there's a door at the top, so we don't need a gate there either.)

MrsReber -- sorry to hear your daycare is going up $70 a month! That's a big extra expense, especially with two kids. Do they give any family discounts? I forgot to ask about that with the daycare we've been talking to, mostly because we don't have another child at this point. But someday that might be a consideration (I hope).

Hope everyone is having a great long weekend!

Becky :)

[BeckyM]

By the way, I forgot to mention Katie now has her first cold. We're really lucky she hasn't been sick before this, but it still makes me sad to see her feeling poorly. She has a really runny nose and a bit of a cough. I think her throat may be sore too, but she hasn't been feverish. It's really not all that bad, as childhood illnesses go, but she sometimes has problems nursing, because her congestion makes it difficult to breathe through her nose. When that happens, she cries, then tries nursing again, struggles to breathe, then starts crying again. Poor little thing. :( She usually is able to sort of work through it, so she can nurse, but it's more of a struggle than usual. She also hates it when we try to wipe her nose. DH says she's like a martial artist who is skilled in the hand-trapping techniques, because no matter how quickly we try to get to her nose, she grabs our hands or the tissue. Then when we hold her arms out of the way, she squirms, turns her head, and screams. We always persist though, because if we don't wipe her nose, she'll wipe it on something else. :eek: She seems to be starting to feel a bit better though, so hopefully she's on the mend. I think she probably picked up the germs at one of the in-home daycare places we visited. :rolleyes: I know we should expect some illnesses when we start sending Katie to daycare, but I didn't expect them already!

Becky :)