September New Moms

[MrsReber]

Hey, wow, I get to start the new thread!

Becky, I find the stage 1 toothbrush much easier. Those little teeth hurt! Casey still doesn't really cooperate. DH needs to help her. She won't let me help at all. Brenden loves to chew on the brush, but I can pretty much clean the few teeth he has. Poor guy is gettin 2 molars and one front bottom tooth at the same time. He isn't complaining much, though.

Glad you like the daycare. Yes, we do get a discount of 10% off the lower tuition (of course :rolleyes: ). It's expensive, but I feel we have little choice. I didn't like the other, closer, daycare. We tried Ft. Monmouth and that was a disaster. There's one other place, but it's out on the highway, which is very congested. I also don't like the fact that the play area wouldn't be as nice since it's right ON the highway. I keep hoping it will eventually go down. It's supposed to get cheaper as they get older!

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Ours was pretty quiet. MIL gave us some good entertainment on Sunday by leaving us a very confusing message on our machine. We did go to the bbq, against her wishes. We had a nice time and got the real scoop on what is going on with DH's family. MIL was telling people that DH's other sister has terminal cancer! We can't figure out why she'd say such a thing because it's simply not true. People were coming over saying how sorry they were! Very odd. I worry about MIL's mental health. I don't think there's anything we can do, though.

Oh well. Back to work. It's really very quiet here. Nobody showed up for my 9:00 meeting!

[RunnerKim]

Becky -- Katie has her first cold, ever?!! Wow.
Very cool about the stairs. Lainey thinks its great fun when we let her climb them. It took her several more weeks to figure out about going down and she still gets stuck at the top where the stairs take a 90 degree turn. She always just decides to go back up. She can also now slide herself off the couch and bed.

Susan -- I think you could be right about your MIL mental health. She's doing a lot of strange things.

I dug out 18 month clothes this weekend (we received tons of hand-me-downs). I think I have an outfit for well over a month (and I'd purchased a couple myself). Of course it needs to cool off here so she can wear them as most of them are pants, if not long sleeves too. Suppose to get up to 95 today. :eek: :eek:

I did some birthday cake practicing this weekend. I was amazed out how smoothly I could frost a cake. I've always had problems before but it really helped using a buttercream frosting recipe and warming the spatula. Using the icing bag/tips was not too bad, but I'm a long way from those really beautiful cakes.

Kim

[cchhbb]

Today was Garrett's first day of school. I dropped him off and left quickly. When I went to go pick him up they had the kids in a stroller and were taking them for a walk. Unfortunately, Garrett saw me coming out of the bathroom and had a melt down. Other than that, he had a pretty good day. He didn't eat any of his snack though. He's just not used to eating at 10:00 a.m. I nursed him after I picked him up and fed him his lunch and he's now down for a nap. Hopefully, he will take a long one.

I can't believe how much I got done while he was at preschool. I cleaned the downstairs bathroom, the kitchen and organized the pantry and some of the kitchen cabinets.

Becky, I hope Katie is feeling better. Garrett has only been sick once and that was for a virus that gave him a rash and a fever. He still hasn't had a cold.

Kim, Wow, how wonderful to get so many hand me downs. I have some, but am going to a couple of church sales this weekend to pick up some more stuff. I figure Garrett will be wearing summer clothes until October.

Susan, It sounds like your MIL is chemically unbalanced. I really hope she goes through on her promise to move to Florida.

I think we're going to go to the beach on vacation in a couple of weeks. We haven't had a family vacation since Feb 2002. On that vacation we got pregnant with Garrett.

Cheryl

[MrsReber]

Hi Kim and Cheryl!

How hard it must've been to leave Garrett. I'm still chicken about dropping the kids off. I sure do love picking them up, though.

I'm not so happy with daycare today. They just announced barely 2 weeks ago that Casey was moving to the next room. She goes there today and DH finds out that none of her friends are in this room! They moved the one girl on to another room. Then, this other girl who is 2 months younger than Casey was put in another room because she is already potty trained! DH said the teacher in the new room was not very helpful and was acting as if he was just throwing stuff at her. I think, for the money we pay each month, they can help out just a little bit more in the morning! Three weeks ago they told us to bring in pull-ups. Now they say Casey can't wear pull-ups, but has to either wear underwear or diapers. The one owner of the school doesn't like pull-ups so she has banned them. Great. Nothing like working with the parents on this one. To top it off, they asked me last Thursday to bring in a sleeping bag for Brenden since he will be moving to another room in October and they want him to get used to napping on the floor. I went to two stores yesterday only to find out that childrens sleeping bags are "seasonal" items and they won't be out until the end of October! I went on line and ordered him a bag. I even got Casey a new one. My credit card company gave me a $35 gift card for KB Toys just for being a good customer. Anyway, I ordered the bags and they're on the way. DH drops Brenden off today and they have already taken away his crib and assigned it to someone else! The bag will be delivered this week. I hardly think that three more days of him sleeping in the crib would hurt anything. DH said they told him that they'd put him on something on the floor!!! I am not happy about this at all. We pay well over $1000 a month for this! I have heard that many parents are upset about the new changes. They just changed a bunch of things and gave us all about 10 days notice! Grrrrrrr!!!! Not happy with them today. Not at all. :mad: !! I hope Casey does okay. She is not good with change.

Well, that's my rant for today.

Yes, my MIL is not right. I don't know if she's going to move to FL now that her mother is in rehab. She had a pacemaker put in last week and they're trying to get her to a point where she can go home. I found out at the bbq last weekend that the prognonsis is not good and her health is failing. In any event, they do want her to go home and live out the rest of her time there. DH's cousin said the doctor stressed that her lifespan is not very long at this time. MIL left a confusing message that we couldn't exactly figure out and told DH to pass the message on to his brother. Mmmm hmmmm.

[slknight]

Hi all, I am going to try to keep up with this thread this month. I always lurk, but you guys move so fast it's hard for me to keep up with everyone.

The big news here is that Alex rolled over this weekend (he's 4 1/2 months). Don't remember if I posted before or not, but he is a giant. 18 pounds at his 4-month checkup.

DH is a school teacher, so he went back to work today. It was nice having some extra help this summer. I work 30 hours a week from home, but am finding it very hard to get anything done with Alex around. So he's going to start 2 days a week at daycare in a few weeks. DH at one point had thought about being a stay-at-home dad, and then decided not to. Now he wishes he had, but it's too late to back out of teaching this year. Who knows, maybe next year he will.

Other than that, not much going on. I am sick as a dog (cough/sore throat/fever). I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. Alex has had a little cold but doesn't seem to be as sick as I am. We are supposed to fly to N.C. this weekend, but that's pretty up in the air now, since I don't want to get on a plane if I still feel like this.:(

Susan

[RunnerKim]

Cheryl - isn't it amazing what you can get done during un-interupted time. For a couple of weeks Lainey had huge melt-downs as soon as she saw me (either coming at lunch or the end of the day). I interpretted as "I see you and I want you holding me NOW" because she was contently playing before she saw me. I think their emotions are just so strong they can't handle it and cry. Now she's all smiles and will come towards me. She's getting better about not crying when I leave too. Her eating was messed up for a week or so too. They fed lunch earlier and she just wasn't hungry by then, so we altered things until we found a good fit. As he gets more comfortable there too, he'll be more interested in eating.

Susan - grrr on your daycare for not being more accomodating. Sounds like a talk with the director is in order. What's up with the no-pullups thing? If it's a personal parenting style issue then she has no business pressing that on parents (I know some people feel it hinders potty training because the kids don't feel wet and uncomfortable). That other girl must be potty-trained relatively young - not fair to put her in an older kids class because of that! Hopefully all these changes will settle down.

I much much prefer shopping on-line for just the problem you had with the sleeping bags. I'd spotted some cars I wanted to get for Lainey's birthday (Fisher Price Nested Action Vehicles) as she doesn't have any cars and even a girl ;) should have cars. So I go into Toys R Us and they don't have them in the store of course (and it took me forever to be able to figure this out). I run in to this problem all the time. Of course shipping is too $$ so I've tracked down KB Toys that has it in stock. It received a ton of high ratings on TRU web site so I'm surprised it's not carried in the store. I hate running little errands like this since I know Lainey will be getting hungry, but I'm too cheap to pay $5 shipping on a $10 toy.

Kim

[MrsReber]

Hi Susan! Alex is a giant! Casey was 18lbs when she was 1 year old! I wish I could work more hours from home. It can be hard to get things done so I'd still have to keep the kids in daycare. However, my commute takes up 3+ hours of my day. It just seems like wasted time. Congratulations Alex on rolling over! I am so amazed by the new things our babies learn. Before I had kids, it was like "um, yeah, that's nice" but now I am thrilled to see every little thing that happens. Hope you feel better! I have a sore throat, slight fever thing going on. I think I just need to get some rest.

This thread normally goes fast. Seems like there aren't many people around the past few days, though.

Kim, that was the beauty of the gift card. With shipping and all, it wound up costing me $15 for both sleeping bags. I couldn't resist. I should've known better than to go to an actual store. I never find what I want for the kids. I may have to speak with the director. I need to find out what is going on with the pull ups and the sleeping situation. I'll have to see where they put Brenden for nap time today. I was angry when DH called me before to tell me this. And I agree, no fair moving up a younger child because she is potty trained! This girl's mother is a teacher so they were home practicing all summer. She just returned to daycare this week. I thought they'd be together since they were buddies. Poor Casey doesn't have any of her friends with her now. :( I'll have to see how she is later. When she is unhappy there, she'll act out at home.

[RunnerKim]

Susan - we were posting at the same time. Way to go Alex!!!! I hope you feel better. There's no way I could really get work done at home if I was the only adult there. Lainey doesn't seem to want/need as much attention from DH as me. I noticed this weekend as were both sitting in the living room reading while Lainey was playing, she'd come over and interact with me, but not DH. She'd climb/grab his legs but he never stopped reading to make eye contact, where I do. I think she's already learned that DH has very strong concentration and to go to Mom. She always stops what she's doing.

Kim

[nori]

Hi all! We had a busy weekend having my cousin and her husband visiting us. We went to the Grand Canyon and camped out Friday night, came back on Saturday. On Sunday, we went to Rodeo at nearby town. It was fun. They left this morning and DH is on the way to Ohio for his business (again) so it's suddenly quiet around here!

Noah had 1st year appointment today. He is 23lb. 4oz and 30 inches. We saw NP since his doctor was off today. She first said she's a bit concerned about his headsize (should be go on flat on the chart, but his looks a bit growing still), but she came back after talking to another doctor saying that since Noah is a big boy, this is probably not any problem. But she suggested to make an appointment 6 weeks from now just in case. Then, he had shots and they arranged blood work since he had low iron level at 6 months. We had to go to the lab which had the wrong address on the sheet,:mad: Noah wasn't happy after 4 shots. Then this blood work.:( But I figured it's better to get it done all in one day. There was another girl before him and we all heard her crying and screaming so long time which scared me. Noah did okay, of course he cried but not that bad. Technician seemed pretty new and I was worried if she knew what she was doing. Eventually she could not put the needle at the right spot after tring twice or so, another technician came in to help her out. Poor Noah got stuck with needle about 4 times.:( After lunch, he just passed out. He must be so tired.

We have to go to ToysRus to replace FIL's birthday present. It's a racing car which you can ride or push, (Little Tyke's Push-n- Cart or something like that) but it didn't have any wheeles in there.:( I contacted local ToysRus where he bought it, and they said they'll replace it but they didn't have that product. There's another ToysRus other side of the town. She called them in and made sure they have it, so we'll go there this afternoon to pick it up. It'll be 1 hour and half drive both ways. I talked to FIL's girlfriend (who helped him to buy that thing) and she was so sorry about it.
Noah loves to push stuff so I know he'll love this. His new favorite thing to do is to push his own stroller.:rolleyes: This has been giving us quite a trouble...everywhere he sees wheels, he wants to push it.

MrsReber, your MIL is really something. As Cheryl said, hope she'll really move to FL as she said. That's frustrating about your daycare...wonder why they don't like pull-ups? Are they bad? Hope Casey had a good day today.

Kim, you just gave me a tip on frosting...warm up the spatula, huh? I should try it next time. I'd love to see your cake when it's ready!!

Cheryl...sounds like Garrett's first day of the school went okay. I'm sure I'd get so much stuff done if Noah isn't around, too! I'm getting good at multi-tasking so it'll be great if I can concentrate on one thing at a time sometimes!

Susan, Yay on Alex rolling over! I remember I was so excited when Noah did for the first time. I'm sure he'll be moving around no time! Just enjoy the time you can put him at one spot and you don't have to worry about him moving around so much.:D Hope you'll be feeling better soon.

Becky, hope Katie is feeling better, too. I hate to see them struggling to nurse etc. Noah had several stuffy nose before, too.

Oh I took pregnancy test 2 days ago because I thought my tummy is EXTREMELY flabby and it looked like when I was several months pregnant.:eek: I used ept which was a leftover from last time I tested. So there's not instruction. I thought it'll show the line if I"m pregnant, so imagine my surprise when I saw it showed one dark line!!!! I even told DH about it, and he was happy but then I started to thinking if it's the right reading. So we went to their web site and found out that pregnancy would show 2 lines.:o So I'm not pregnant. It's just that I need to work on my tummy. How embarrassing.:rolleyes:

[helios7]

Decided to check out this thread - very interesting but doesn't really relate to me as I am not a parent (yet).

HOWEVER - as a preschool teacher, I thought I would help with the "Great Pullup Debate". Many teachers don't like them because you have to half undress the kid to change them. With things like pants, tights, shorts etc this becomes quite a process. Especially if you're encouraging the child to explore dressing and he/she wants to do it mostly his/herself - it takes TIME! And if you're doing this with 5 , 10, 15 etc children, several times a day .... I've spent upwards of 10 minutes with a child in the bathroom because of pullups. Its not always convenient.

THAT said, I personally have not "banned" them (although my assistant wants me to) because I do think that if parents are using them at home we should support their efforts. AND, they've developed new ones that open on the side which makes changing them MUCH easier!

Just a few thoughts!

[cchhbb]

Susan, I would be so mad at your daycare. I can't believe the way that they are making changes with such limited notice. It sounds like they are not taking the best interest of the children into account.

Wow Alex is huge. Garrett was only 16 pounds, 11 ounces at his 9 month check-up. It must have been nice having your DH around this summer. I hope you find a way to get everything done.

Kim, Thanks for the information on Lainey and separation anxiety. It's funny how kids have different expectations for people. I think they are very insightful.

Nori, Poor Noah with all the shots and blood tests. What a drag about the gift.

Garrett was pooped today. He only slept about an hour this afternoon and was still tired when he woke up, but wouldn't go back to sleep. I put him to bed at 6:30. He went right to sleep. I hope he doesn't wake up too early tomorrow.

Cheryl
Garrett was pooped today.

[MrsReber]

Nori, poor Noah! I still haven't taken Brenden for the lead test. I konw we don't have a problem so I hate to go through the whole ordeal of taking him there so they can stick him and draw blood. I didn't do it with Casey, either. The doctor kept "reminding" me how important it was. They wanted to send her for other blood work, too, claiming that she didn't weigh enough. I declined. I see most of that as a way to drive my health care costs even higher. It does sound like that doctor was very new, especially to worry you about Noah's head size! Brenden's head was in the 95th percentile at his one year visit. His weigh is 50% and his height was 70%. He's all over the place!

I am a bit annoyed with the daycare for several reasons. They billed me incorrectly for this month with the increases. I wrote a check out for the proper amount and they left me a revised bill saying that I still owe them money! I'm no math genius, but I can figure out what my 10% discount should be. I asked about the pull ups. I agree that for all the money we pay each month, they should support our efforts. DH said that was fine. He'll just send her in a pull up each morning. There's one teacher there who tells me all the dirt when I ask her these things. She's not too happy either because her daughter is a few months older than Casey and she's subject to all these changes, too. Casey was very crabby and clingy last night. She insisted on sitting on my lap to eat dinner.

Brenden used to get so worn out from daycare. I remember him falling asleep at 6:30 or 7:00 when he first started last year. He only sleeps for about an hour during the day now. He seems so young to be napping only once a day. Casey was still taking 2 naps at 1 year.

[AnnaSue]

Hi everyone - everything is still really crazy around here, so I haven't had a chance to post much, but things should be settling down in the next few weeks. We're going to be out of town for a few days, closing on our house, moving, and trying to furnish the house by the end of September. I can't believe my MIL is coming in the middle of all this! Ten days of peace remaining.

Susan - Good to see you back. It's interesting to hear how Alex is doing since he and Brendan are about the same age. Brendan just had his 4 month appointment too, and is 26 inches and 14 1/2 pounds. We better get going on the new carseat. This one is supposed to be replaced when he is 27 inches.

Nori - Poor Noah with all his tests. Is he feeling better today? That was a funny story about your pregnancy test. At work yesterday, someone asked me when my baby was due!:eek: I felt all freaked out until I got home and looked in the mirror. I'm by no means in the greatest shape at the moment, but I have been working out and I swear I don't look pregnant! I hope.

MrsReber - I can really understand your frustration with daycare right now. This place Brendan is at is so bad that I'm really tempted to just take time off work until we get into our new house. I went to complain to the director yesterday about some issues. For example, their front door is broken, so anyone can just walk in there without needing a code, they always forget that Brendan is coming and don't have arrangements made for him, and they repeatedly don't follow instructions for him. They don't have enough cribs, so they told me he would have to share a crib with another baby. I wasn't crazy about this idea, but figured they'd at least change the sheet between babies. Well, they don't, and worse yet is that I walked in there and found Brendan with the other baby's pacifier in his mouth!!:eek: :mad: Then on Friday, they fed him some other baby's formula. I clearly explained to everyone that he is on the Carnation Good Start after a LONG trial and error period of what he could tolerate, and it really makes me mad that they can't check his direction sheet before feeding him. He ended up really miserable for two days after the wrong formula, and it was really unfortunate because my mom came all the way from Arizona to see him this weekend, and he was too miserable to do any of the cute stuff he has been doing lately. The director was very apologetic about my concerns, and said she would immediately have a meeting with the staff, but I don't know... I think the director is part of the problem since she seems quite disorganized herself. Thankfully, we'll be moving to the other center soon, which I was much more impressed with. If it turns out like this one... I don't know what I'll do!!

Anyway, it is my day off today and I have a long list of stuff to do, so I better get moving. Have a nice day everyone!

[RunnerKim]

I tried posting yesterday afternoon but it wouldn't let me...

Thanks for sharing some insight on the Pull-Ups, Helios7. I'm a ways off from pull-ups so don't have any idea and it seemed strange for a daycare center to enforce a rule like that. I guess with diapers their pants could just be pulled down around the ankles... (I'm not cooridinated enough to do that and/or my baby is too short and wiggly for that to really work).

Helios7, If you're still reading, would you mind sharing some insight on gifts teachers appreciate receiving? Birthdays are coming up for a couple of them and I'm basically just planning to acknowledge them with a card and a baked good (I've learned a couple of their preferences). But figure at Christmas/Holiday time I'd like to do something more. It's a small center and DH and I spend a lot of time there and I'd like to let them know how much we appreciate their service. I was thinking of getting a gift card to a large chain grocery/department store (Fred Meyers) for each of them. Do most parents do this? Is there a standard amount (1 weeks fee is what I've read)... I don't want to unknowningly be rude but 1 week's fee is pretty hefty for us and was thinking more like a $10 card for each (5 teachers and the director). Would a joint gift be better (or something for the infant room)... Just looking for your insider knowledge :)

Nori -- poor Noah. Getting stuck all those times. You'd think for the little kids they'd just bring in the person who has the most experience to start with. Let us know how his iron levels come out. Doesn't seem to me that 6 weeks would show much in regards to head size change. It'll be good to talk with your regular doctor though.

I'll post a picture of the cake when I make the real one in a couple of weeks. The warm spatula works wonders. I even called DH into the kitchen to look at it and he said are you sure I can come in?? Apparently I'd been doing a lot of muttering before that :o

Cheryl - Lainey was really exhausted those first days of daycare. She still sleeps longer now than before she started but not quite as much as that first week.

AnnaSue - you have some serious concerns with that daycare! Do you provided ready-to-use bottles? We have to have ours labeled with baby's name, so I don't see how they could mix up the formula??? If they mix up bottles for you, maybe you can just send them in ready-made, it's not worth the risk of him getting the wrong one! Have heart though, you will find a good daycare center. All of them will have little things that bug you at some point but on the whole you should be satisfied. ((AnnaSue)) You hardly need this stress on top of everything else you've got going on in your life right now!

Kim

[lhall]

About pull-ups.

I used them with DD1 (now 5). IMHO they are really just more expensive versions of diapers. DD1 knew she could use a pull-up and it would be ok. She was using the potty at school, but still having 4 or 5 wet pullups a day. I talked to her teacher then and she grudgingly let me try the padded training underpants. WOW! DD1 went from 4 or 5 accidents every day to 1 immediately! It made a huge difference. She was completely trained in about 2 months from that point.

I'd also had her in pull-ups overnight, but they didn't keep her dry enough so she developed excema on her bottom. I put her back in Huggies Overnights and she was fine.

With DD2 we skipped pull-ups all together. After about 3 months she's pretty much potty trained (mostly overnight too). I talked to her teacher and she was more than willing to change tons of clothes. :D She actuallly encouraged me to switch to padded training underpants from diapers. DD2 had not used the potty at school (although she would sit on it) until the switch to panties. She's now wearing regular panties, and having very few accidents and she's won't be 3 for 3 months.

I would not put my kids in anything that snapped up the crotch after they turned 2 because of potty training and learning to dress.

That being said I don't think it's right for the daycare to ban them and/or to make changes while giving parent's very little notice. I got furious at our daycare when they stoppped storing carseats, but didn't bother to tell parents. I found out at the 'if the fire marshall catches us again we will be issued a citation' stage. GRRR!! We now have a new director, and she's tons better than the last one.

Leigh

[MrsReber]

Leigh, where can I buy padded underpants? I honestly didn't know they existed :o ! Casey is 27 months now. She knows how to get herself undressed and take her diaper off. She even takes her pull ups off by herself. I was using them to encourage her to use the potty more. I told her she could only wear them if she used the potty. It didn't really work. She'd sit on the potty plenty, but she still goes in her pull up. The only difference is that when she goes in her pull up, she does tell me right away. I try to keep her in clothes that don't snap so she can use the potty by herself. One weekend she used it exclusively and then she went back to going in her diapers. I can't figure it out. I don't get on her case about not using the potty, but we do encourage it. It's a frustrating thing.

AnnaSue, that daycare is awful! Like you don't have enough stress in your life. I'm glad you're moving Brendan from there. How horrible to give him the wrong formula and let him use another baby's pacifier! And yikes- I always heard that unless you see a baby protruding from a woman who is about to give birth, you are not permitted to ask if they are pregnant! I think Dave Barry wrote that :D ! I think that was kind of rude!

[Shirley Panek]

Susan -

You can get the padded underpants at Target, Wal-mart ... Look in the baby department, I think they're generally carried in the same aisle/area as the socks. I think they're called training underpants - it's been a while since I've needed them for my 2 children. They also sell the plastic pants you can put over the training pants, but I never really used those. HTH. :)

[JoanneOR]

Hi everyone. I haven't been around much; life's been kind of hectic! We've been doing some stuff around the house. Got the floors refinished and we painted the living room and dining room. Alot of work, but it's done!

The kids started school last week. They both love it. Jameson has a really long day - 8:30-3:20. So far he's OK with it. Ian is just half days. It's weird on the days that I am home - not having them there. I can get some stuff done when Caitlyn is sleeping, but I miss them! Take advantage of the time before your kids go to school with them, before you know it they'll be gone all day! It is nice to spend some one-on-one time with Caitlyn, though. And, much easier to run errands!

I agree about the pull-ups. For us, they really didn't work for potty training. For the kids, it's really the same as a diaper. I would try the padded underpants. I had a few of those. I would put the boys in underwear to potty train them. Colin and Jameson had quite a few accidents before they got it, but Ian just took a day or two. We would stay in rooms with no carpeting. I didn't do it until they were three and before that I would put them on the potty at least once a day or so and get them to try to go. To give them the idea of what the potty was for. I would use the pull ups for when we had to go out and I didn't want any puddles dripping out of the grocery cart! I did use them at night, too. I do agree, though, that it is not the daycare's place to ban them.

AnnaSue, that sounds like a horrible daycare! If enough parents complain, they'll have to change. Thankfully it's only for a few more weeks. You just need to get through this month (and the dreadful MIL visit) and things will be looking up!

Mrs. Reber, hope your daycare improves, too. Sounds like they are going through some changes. It would be nice if they gave the parents a voice in the changes, though, before the fact.

Kim, for teacher's gifts, I've been giving either book store gift certificates or movie rental certificates. At the preschool they each have four teachers, so I think I gave them all $10 certificates at the end of the year. I couldn't afford much more, with eight teachers. I think I gave Jameson's kindergarten teacher a $25 certificate. They get lots of knickknack stuff and you never know if they are watching their weight, so I stick with gift certificates. They seemed to appreciate them.

Nori, that pregnancy test story is funny. If I used that criteria (flabby belly), I'd be testing every month! Poor Noah with his doctor's visit!

Caitlyn has her one-year appt. on the 18th. We go to the card. on the 12th and the neurologist on the 10th. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to juggle these appointments with work. DH said he would take her, but I really like to go. He always forgets stuff the doctors say, anyway.

DH went back to work last night. He was a bit nervous, but said it was fine. Things get tough now, because he won't be getting alot of sleep. He takes care of the kids during the day, and works the night shift. The boys are in school, but he still has Caitlyn to take care of. I worry that he will fall asleep and not hear her.

This is getting long, but I know I'm not responding to everyone! I just wanted to check in (if anyone missed me :).

I have some new pictures online; I'll try to post one or two later.

[MrsReber]

I missed you Joanne! I was wondering where you were and hoping everything was okay. I think it was just me and Kim here last Friday. Sounds like you were quite busy. That seems like a very long day for Jameson, poor guy. It must be strange to have the house so quiet. I know how quiet my house was that one day last week while the kids were still at daycare. I miss them all the time.

Looks like I'll have to pick up some padded underpants. The things I learn from this BB!

[JoanneOR]

Hi. I'm back with some pictures. Here's one of the boys when they went to see the Tall Ships at Navy Pier. The guy is not my husband; he's was a "captain" on one of the ships.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d609b3127cce8d20576e012c0000002610

Here's one of Caitlyn from her 1st birthday party.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d609b3127cce8d21832c21480000001610

I talked to DH. He is very tired! The physical therapist is there now; maybe he can nap while she works with Caitlyn!

Tonight we are having a planning meeting at our house for our block party. My house is a mess and I'll have an hour from the time I get home until the neighbors will be there. I was so busy moving stuff back into the living room and dining room last night I didn't have any time to clean. I'll just try to keep everyone in those two rooms! I made some brownies, but that's about it. I'll stop and pick up some chips or something on the way home. The block party is Saturday. I'm looking forward to it. We've already met alot of people on the block just doing the planning for it. There should be alot of kids there. Everyone is bringing their own meat to grill and sides and desserts to share. I think I'll finally make the baked ziti.

Well, I should do some work!

[MrsReber]

Joanne, your kids are beautiful! What handsome boys you have. I can see why you'd be so proud of them. Now I want to go home. Less than 1 hour left. I can't wait to go pick up my babies and give them both a big hug!

[staynfit]

Hi ya'll!
New here. Just wanted to say Hi!
I have an 11 yr. old and a 19 month old.
And, wow!, are they ever different!
The new one is very strongwilled!
But he can be a charmer!;)

He is totally refusing to eat any vegetables or fruit, except bananas and applesauce.
I know he likes them because he ate them up until he was 17 months. But now he wont touch them. :confused:
It really worries me. I need some ideas on sneaking them in on him.

Great board! Hope you don't mind my jumping in. :)

[MrsReber]

Hi! We don't mind you joining us at all! I can completely relate to your problem. My daughter used to eat anything. Then, just after she turned 1, she'll only eat Gerber Graduates shells and cheese, cheese, cantaloupe, and pizza. No veggies or other fruit. Not good. She gets bound up like crazy and can't go for days. I have tried to sneak wheat germ into things. It works great with pancakes, but it doesn't work at all with shells and cheese. I just go along, giving her her daily vitamins and hoping she'll soon eat something else. She will eat some meats, too, which is a little help. The doctor suggested blending up carrots and sneaking them into tomato sauce (only works if your kid eats tomato sauce!!). I did make the chocolate wave zucchini bread posted a while back on the Great Foods board. She did willing eat some of that because it contained chocolate. I also got her to eat a little bit of CL's carrot bread with cream cheese frosting. I made some carrot muffins, too. Good luck!

[staynfit]

Hi Mrs. Reber,
Thanks for the ideas!
I don't know how, but Joshie still goes poo at least 3x a day!
So, I guess it could be worse.
I'm going to have to start blending up veggies and adding them to our entree's. (Like carrots or spinach to spaghetti)
The problem with that is the DH and 11 year old will complain!
I can never please them all!

[MrsReber]

Ack! Don't tell the others! They'll never even know it if you add pureed fruits and veggies. DH had no idea I added wheat germ to our pancakes and to the beef stroganoff I made one night. He was clueless. I did eventually tell him and he was amazed. He's very concerned about DD's bowel movements, or lack thereof. She was having a bad time last month and I even took her to the doctor because she was bound up so bad. Have you tried fruit smoothies? My daughter loves those and Tropicana makes ones with 5 grams of fiber. Also, have you tried canned veggies? My son loves canned green beans for some reason. I find them very soggy and bland, but he'll eat a whole can if I let him.

[RunnerKim]

Welcome staynfit! I don't have any ideas as Lainey is just a year and still in the trying new foods phase so is eating a variety of things (although veggies are limited and iffy). Ugh, I don't like hearing about these babies that eat well and turn into picky toddlers/pre-schoolers. :( Are there any non-picky toddlers? I really like Ellyn Satter's book Child of Mine that talks about nutrition and feeding issues, but I haven't read (in detail) "your" section. I do recall her saying to make sure you season veggies - butter and salt - that children don't need low-fat. Otherwise I'd just keep offering the veggies (and other fruit) and eventually maybe he'll come back around to eating them again. Hard not to stress about it!

Joanne- great pictures!! Is it at the Cardiologist's appt. that you'll discuss/schedule Caitlyn's surgery or is it just put off for as long as her oxygen levels stay high enough.

I don't know how your DH can work all night and then watch Caitlyn during the day. Exhausting! I guess it's not really possible to get a mother's (father's) helper to come in for a couple of hours since they've all returned to school.
Can you maybe meet your DH at the doctor's office (and call ahead to make sure they're running on time) so you don't have to miss as much work -- I am with you on wanting to be there for those appointments.

I'm sure no-one will really notice the other rooms in your house (and if they do they'll be secretly relieved their not the only ones with "messy" houses :D ). A mother and daughter knocked on our door this weekend with a flyer for a block party for our block (blocking off 1 street over). I'm so excited to meet neighbors since we don't really know any. My college roommate is visiting, so I hope she doesn't mind us going.

Kim

[JoanneOR]

You're right, Kim, people probably won't notice the other rooms. I really don't notice whether someone's house is messy or clean, unless it is exceedingly one or the other. And, if I do notice it's a little dirty, I think they are like me and I feel more comfortable with them! My SIL's houses are always spotless so it has made me more conscious of this stuff!

At Caitlyn's cardiologist appt. they'll be checking her oxygen level. Last time they said when it gets into the 70s we'll talk about the surgery. First they will most likely do a heart cath to really see what's going on. They do echo's but they can see more with a cath. I think she might have to stay overnight for that. I know she is under general anesthesia. As much as I am dreading any surgery, I'd almost like it to be sooner rather than later. Then it will be over with. Sounds crazy, but it's always something looming ahead of us and it scares me to death!! DH won't talk about it. Sometimes I can even forget about it, she seems so healthy. But I know it's going to happen. I just want it over and to know that she came through it OK. I'm going to take a 1/2 day for the cardiologist appt. I definitely will be there for that one. I may just take a couple vacation days. We'll see. In the scheme of things, being there with her is more important than a few days of work.

Welcome, staynfit! I don't have too many suggestions for a picky eater. I have two of them myself! My son Ian lives on peanut butter and jelly and milk with an occasional chicken nugget. If you give him a vegetable he acts like you've put acid in his mouth. Same with Colin. They will both eat fruit. Jameson is better and more adventurous. He actually likes sushi (cooked). I've stopped worrying about it and make sure they get a vitamin everyday.

Caitlyn started out eating well, but now she is pretty picky, too. She only eats a few bites and throws the rest on the floor. She does love peaches, though. She did love bananas, now she hates them. That's a good idea about the butter and salt. I may try that.

[BeckyM]

Hi Everyone!

I was wondering why I hadn't been getting messages that there were new posts, and then I realized -- IT'S SEPTEMBER!!! So now that we have a new thread, I need to post something in order to get notices. I can't believe it took me three days into the month to realize September is really here.

AnnaSue -- I am so sorry to hear your daycare has been so bad, AND it is making me nervous to take Katie soon. And MrsReber, with the changes your daycare is making, I guess even the good ones sometimes don't do what we'd like. I sure hope we're making the right decision with Katie. I just wish the daycare we've chosen were actually already in operation so we could see how things will actually be. I called the director today to see if we can meet with the head teacher for the infant room, because the director was fairly vague on exactly what the teachers are planning to do with the infants all day. The director said she would talk to the owner to find out when the infant teacher would be available for us to meet. It seems rather complicated and un-organized to me. We really like the director, and she seems to have all the right answers to our questions, but she isn't the one who will be in the room with Katie all day. She has been very good about getting back to me with answers to all my questions, so hopefully she'll be able to arrange a time for us to meet with the infant teacher soon!

Kim -- I'm anxious to hear how your "real" cake turns out. I'm thinking maybe I should make a practice butterfly cake, both to try that buttermilk cake recipe and to make sure I've got a good frosting recipe that will go on smoothly. You said your buttercream frosting worked really well -- would you be willing to share the recipe? We also still need to decide when to have Katie's birthday party. Her birthday is October 1st, and I go back to work Sept. 30th, so we were thinking to do it the weekend before. The problem with that is that DH's brother's family prefers Saturdays (they have school-aged kids, and doing things on Sundays is rather disruptive to their schedule), and another friend of mine is having her daughter's first birthday party that Saturday, and she has already told me we're invited. We've toyed around with doing it the following Saturday, but that will be after Katie's first week in daycare and my first week back to work, so I don't know if either one of us will be up for company on Saturday. I think we'll probably just have to schedule it the same day as my friend's daughter's party and explain to her that it was the only time that really worked for us. I'm sure she'll understand.

Joanne -- thanks for posting the pictures of your kids. They sure are cuties! (Though the boys might not appreciate me using that word. Maybe I'd better use "handsome" instead.) I agree you shouldn't stress too much about your house for the meeting tonight. I'm sure the other people attending will just be grateful that you agreed to have it at your place so they didn't have to have it at theirs! I hope it's not too hard on your DH being back at work AND taking care of the kids during the day. That sounds like it would be pretty difficult.

nori -- that's a funny story about the pregnancy test. I actually was wondering the other day if I might be pregnant, mostly because a friend of mine with a 14-month old just announced she is pregnant again. My stomach felt a little queasy, and I immediately thought, "Maybe I'm pregant!" It's highly unlikely (though I guess it's not impossible), so I'm not going to rush out and take a pregnancy test, especially since slight queasiness was my only symptom, and it has gone away. DH and I aren't planning to try again until Katie is probably at least 2, so I'm not eager to be pregnant again, especially right as I'm returning to work! But if another baby were to come earlier than planned, we would just consider ourselves blessed!

As always when I get behind on this thread, I know there are people I was planning to respond to, and I've forgotten. I've already typed a lot, so I guess I'd better get busy on some things. Katie has been taking shorter naps than usual lately, so I don't know how long I have until she wakes up. I was wanting to fold some laundry, sort through some of her clothes (Kim -- we have hand-me-downs too, and I need to check the 18-month ones to see if we need to buy any for fall), pull something together for dinner, etc. I'm sure I won't have time for all that, but I'd better get busy if I want to get any of it done!

Becky :)

[helios7]

I am still here, and wrote a wonderful post which got eaten. urp! No idea where it went but we'll try again.

Yes - I did forget to mention in my post that because I work with partly trained and totally trained and all in between, we do not have a changing table and change the children standing up. Thus making removing all bottom clothing necessary for Pullups but not necessary for diapers. Hence ... everyone gets the idea.

Re; recognition! YOUR TEACHERS ARE SO LUCKY THAT YOU ARE ALREADY THINKING OF THEM! Really. In a nutshell - yes, it is our job to care for children. We chose it, we love it (mostly ;) ). But if you think we do it well, tell us! We would love to hear.

Your idea is fantastic, but I would urge you to include a hand written card that says specific things the teacher does that you appreciate. Eg - Joe loves to see your smiling face when he walks in the door. He talks about the books you read together.

Citing specifics shows A. you pay attention, and B. you pay attention to that teacher and what he/she does that makes him her special.

If money's tight, consider a plate of festive holiday cookies or one present I received last spring and loved was a picture of a child in a frame he decorated. The frame is basically plywood and the decorations are cute little toys that he made, but the key is he made it (with help). Very special.

It really isn't (and shouldn't be) about the money. That said, I work at a private school and enjoy the occasional perks that come my way. But nothing hurts more than a child/parent that you feel you have a really great relationship with simply walking out the door in June without more than a "Thanks!" tossed over the shoulder.

Hope that helps! I'm happy to be a preschool reference.

[cchhbb]

Susan, A couple of weeks ago, Dr. Phil had some info on potty training on his show. You might want to check his web page. Essentially, he recommends giving rewards for using the potty. The people he had on the show had great success using his program after having a difficult time before.

Joanne, cute kids. I loved the one of Caitlyn. She looks like she is enjoying the cake. I would make sure I was at the doctors appointments. DH wouldn't remember all the details. Your poor DH. He is going to be exhausted.

Welcome staynfit. I don't have any recommendations on the picky eater. Several of my friends have said that they regret becoming a short order cook for their kids.

Anna Sue, I'd lose it if daycare treated Garrett that way. Where Garrett goes to preschool, they will change the sheet and wipe down the crib with antibaterial wipes if they put another baby in it. Also, I know the sids council recommends against putting more than one baby in a crib at a time.

Cheryl

[RunnerKim]

Joanne - I can certainly understand your desire to put all of Caitlyn's heart problems behind you. Keep us posted on her appointments -- it's great that most of the time you can forget about it. We're always here to talk about it if you want/need to (since you mention your DH finds it difficult).

Becky, I'm sure your friend would understand if you couldn't make it. Do what you're most comfortable with. You probably won't want a stressful (but fun) activity the first weekend after starting work. I won't worry too much about the vagueness of what the infants do all day. Maybe other centers do more, but infants really just need play time, personal attention, feeding and sleep. My center doesn't start more structured activities until they move up to the toddler room (at 18 months). I spend a good amount of time over there (half hour in the morning when generally only a couple of kids have arrived) and an hour at lunch. The teachers are always interacting and playing with the infants (or feeding, changing diapers, consoling) but they're each on such different schedules that it would be difficult to do story time on a set schedule for example.

The frosting recipe I used is one by Wilton. I did the one that came with the buttermilk cake that uses all butter but I think it's softer because of that and using the decorating bag/tips, the shaping didn't hold up as well.
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbl milk
Cream the butter & shortening until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and then mix in the sugar 1 cup at a time. Add the milk in and blend again to get light and creamy. Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a couple of days but needs to be re-mixed (which softens it up). DH liked the taste of this over one with all butter (same thing just use 1 cup butter) as it wasn't quite as sweet. I know some (a lot?) of people prefer the butter and if you're just frosting a cake (vs. decorating) it wouldn't be an issue as it's fine to be softer. The shortening is whiter and holds up better in the heat. Paste colors are fabulous - first time i've used them and a little goes a long ways!

Helios7 -- thanks for responding to my questions. I have really gotten to know the teachers because I spend so much time over there. Lainey is only 11 months so can't tell me what she does during the day but I'll make a point of thanking them for all the things they do with her (in writing). I gave a card and mini-loaf of banana bread to one of the main infant teachers today as his birthday is Friday and I'm going to be out tomorrow and Friday. He was really touched so that made me feel good.

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Just checking in before I go to sleep...DH made it through today but he was exhausted. He got about three hours sleep tonight even though we had eight kids over here tonight. I had the block party meeting and the parents brought their kids. Which was fine. DH slept through it all. I'm pretty excited about the party. Sounds like most of the block will be there.

Kim, Alton Brown had a show on making buttercream frosting on the food channel tonight. It gave tips on frosting a cake, too. Look really yummy! They probably have the recipe on their web site.

Helios7, it's great to hear the perspective of a teacher. I am going to be sure to write notes to the teachers each year. I did it for the preschool teachers, but things were so hectic and rushed the day of Jameson's kindergarten graduation, I didn't get a chance to write his teacher a note. She was wonderful, too. Now I feel bad! She really gave Jameson a great start in school. He is so enthusiastic about learning. Ian has her now and I will be sure to let her know what an influence she has been.

Kim, thanks for your thoughts about Caitlyn. I will definitely keep everyone updated as I am sure I will be coming here for support! My DH is wonderful and supportive but we handle things in different ways. I need to talk it out and he can't.

Cheryl, was that Dr. Phil show a rerun? I remember he had a show on potty training when I was on maternity leave. It actually inspired me to potty train Colin, when I had been a bit lazy about it since we had the new baby. I remember one tip he had was to have the child pretend they are potty training one of their dolls. Another tip was to give a reward like a phone call from one of their heroes. I think the boy on the show got to call Thomas the Tank, or he called him. Kind of cute.

[nori]

Wow already on page 2!? This thread is moving very fast, as usual.;) Hopefully I can catch up this month.

Joanne, loved your pictures!!!! Caitlyn seems so happy with the cake. I wanted to have one of those kind of pictures, but Noah really didn't care for it. The one I posted was the best shot of cake eating event. Oh well. Hope your appointment with card. will go well. We'd love to listen to you. I know your feeling, my DH would not want to discuss so much that kind of stuff, and I'd need some place to vent. Please keep us posted!
Block party sounds fun!

Kim, I have to save that frosting recipe and use it sometime later.

Annasue, I"m so sorry to hear about your daycare. That's awful. As Kim said, it's unbelievable that they made a mistake feeding him wrong formula.:mad: And he got sick from it!? ((((Annasue and Brendan)))) Good thing you're going to move him to another place soon.

Welcome staynfit! I'm not facing that problem yet, but I determined that I won't be a short-order cook for him. MrsReber's idea sounds good. and yes, don't tell your DH and DS!!!

MrsReber...great idea sneaking wheat germ into pancakes! I should try that, too.


Robeez shoes I ordered came today! I got blue puppy ones and trainer shoes. They're so cute, and looks comfy. I can't wait to take Noah out with those shoes one!

Oh, I also got to go to ToysRus to exchange the pushing cart toy. He LOVES it!!! It's like a laundry basket, but even better with wheels.:)

Good night, everyone!

[MrsReber]

I was sitting here eating lunch and reading the latest posts when the daycare called! Casey is very unhappy. I called DH to see what he wanted to do. He said he'll take her to the doctor. Normally I would go, but it'd be a while before I was able to get here there. I like to take her myself because, as many of you know, we don't get the correct information when the men go! They think it may be an ear infection since she pulled on her ear a couple of times. She'll be with Grandma tomorrow so we don't have to worry about that. My poor girl. I knew something was up. For the past 2 nights, she has insisted on sitting on my lap to eat dinner and she's been pretty clingy. Last night, she and Brenden were so noisy. My ears were ringing after bath time. I hope all goes well. I was quite surprised that DH offered to go get her. I told him to leave Brenden there and I'll pick him up later. It's hard bringing them both to the doctor and I know he'd never be able to deal with it.

I'll have to check out Dr. Phil. I normally don't pay much attention to him even though he's so popular. I like the idea of pretending to potty train a doll. Casey loves her dolls and often changes them or puts them to sleep.

Goddard does have an infant schedule, but really, how much of a schedule can they have at that age? They do projects together, they read them stories and then they have play time and nap time, which varies. I can see that he's happy and taken care of. That's what's most important. Becky, even though I get annoyed with their procedural changes, I know that they really do care about the kids. The problems I have are more with the school and the policies. I have no problems with any of the teachers there. One thing you have to keep in mind, though, is that since it's a new daycare center, there may be a little bit of a learning curve there. I hope you get to meet the infant teacher soon.

Joanne, I hear you on the clean house thing! My MIL is a neat freak and so is my mom. It works out to my advantage with my mom, though. Last week, she cleaned my kitchen floor because she couldn't stand it! She usually does all our dishes and our laundry when she comes to our house to watch the kids. Not a bad deal! I told my mom recently that I don't care so much if the house is a mess because it's more important to me to spend time with my children. Life is too short. She said that it's great that I think that way because she never did. She said she can't sleep if there are dishes in the sink! Hey, I sleep just fine. No problem there. I'd feel worse if, by the time everything was cleaned and put away, the kids were already asleep. I have very little time with them on the weekdays when I'm working.

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, hope Casey is feeling better. Sounds like an ear infection. It is nice when they can tell you what is hurting. I know what you mean about DH's taking the kids to the doctor. That's why I try to be at all Caitlyn's appts. Actually, I haven't missed any. I may let him take her to the neurologist, though. Since she's been doing so well and progressing, I don't think she'll have much to say. Last time she said she wanted to see Caitlyn babbling by a year and she is doing that. She also said she wants her to say at least one word. Sometimes I think she is saying hi. It's hard to tell.

My MIL will do laundry when she watches the kids, too. Although we try to avoid that as much as possible! There is something about your MIL folding your underwear that just seems weird to me! My mother is on the other side. She's more like me, not too concerned about cleaning. Actually, I like a clean house, but would have to follow the kids around all day to keep it that way!

Nori, Caitlyn did like her cake. She was funny, though. She didn't really shove it in her face like some babies do. She was daintily picking up the crumbs with her fingers and eating those. Although she still made quite a mess!

I checked out that Robeez web site. Those shoes look so cute! Which ones did you get? I'm thinking of ordering a pair. Caitlyn only has one pair that fits her now. Those look so comfy.

[staynfit]

Thank you for all the greetings and ideas!
I found this in my mailbox today from Dollar Stretcher Parents:


*********
Snack Time

Here are two "dollar stretching" tips I came up with this
summer. Both also solve the perpetual problem of dealing with
kids who are picky eaters.

Both of my children love smoothies and chicken tenders. I've
started making the latter by rolling bits of raw chicken in
"egg-beaters" and then in a mixture of wheatgerm and seasoned
salt (sometimes I add a bit of parmesan cheese). I then
microwave it for a minute. The kids love it, and it is not
only more nutritious, but also less expensive than the store-
bought variety.

For smoothies, I mix frozen and/or fresh fruit, peas (!),
yogurt, milk, and wheatgerm in a blender. Again, the kids love
it, and it's so good for them (I add a little bit of
sweetener, as well).
Mary C


I hope you don't mind that I shared it here.
Mrs. Reber I thought of you when I read it!
I'm gonna have to try these - especially the peas in the smoothie! *********

[nori]

MrsReber, how's Casey?:( Poor baby, hope it's not so serious. It's nice of your DH to go and pick her up, but I have to agree on going to doctor thing....yes I know men won't tell us any details!:p I think I've seen Dr. Phil's potty training show. I didn't see the whole show, but I think he set up "Potty party" and had a doll, too. It was like a birthday party, but just for the kid and mommy (and Dr. Phil in the show). He let the doll sit on the potty to go potty, and then encouraged the kid to go potty, too. BTW, when do you usuallys tart toilet training??? :confused:

Joanne, I got the blue puppy one, and trainer (which is like a tennis shoes). I put them on him today to go to the story time. It does looks comfy, and I'm very happy about it. Noah has kind of chubby feet and regular shoes didn't really fit him. He walks (cruses) with those shoes just fine. I highly recommend it! Cheryl, thank you so much recommending that shoes!!:) So cute about how Caitlyn ate her cake. From that picture, I didn't think it was that mess (like smearing frosting on the face).

Cleaning house... I agree with MrsReber, I'd put time with kids more priority! You won't die because of a little bit untidy house for a while.

Our libraries had been cancelling story time to save some money during summer.
:mad: :rolleyes: But they announced they'll start the service from this month again. So today was the first day of our library's story time for babies. It was fun. There were several familar babies and they're so much grown! And Noah is so mobile now, he can get to the toy box no problem. Last time we were there, he wasn't even crawling yet.

[MrsReber]

Well, DH picked Casey up and took her to the doctor. Diagnosis: One little girl who does not want to go to school! There is absolutely nothing wrong with her. DH took her to visit with his sister and neice for about an hour and then picked Brenden up so at least I didn't have to pick anyone up yesterday. It was nice to go straight home, but since my train was late, I still got home at the same time. When DH picked Brenden up, he took Casey back into her room for a while. He stayed with her. He said she seemed to be happy, but she wouldn't get out of his lap. I tried to talk with Casey when I got home. I asked her what happened at school. She told me she cried. I asked her why and she said "mommy". Through various exchanges, she basically told me that she missed mommy yesterday. It was so sad for me. As if it's not hard enough going to work each day and leaving them :( . At least she's with Grandma today. She is being very possessive with my mom. She told me that Brenden should stay with me and she will go with Grandma! DH and I are going to have to figure out how to work with her. We both think this is all because she changed rooms at daycare.

Nori, I always want to go to story time at the libray! I see the ads in the paper, but it's always on days that I can't go or the age groups don't match up with my kids. There is one place that has story time for 2 and up so I couldn't bring Brenden or another one that is only for 12-18 months or something like that. What a shame that your library cancelled story time. I think that's so important to get our children involved with reading.

I think Casey started potty training too young. She was very interested at 16 months so we bought her a potty seat. She used it and then about a month or so later, she stopped using it. She's been back and forth. I read in a couple of places that 27 months is ideal. They say the earlier you start, the longer it takes. I just want to do the right thing. Now I feel like she's behind because that other little girl is trained and she's about a month younger! But her mom was home with her all summer long. I don't want it to become an issue with her, either. Casey is 27 months right now so I think we'll be a bit more focused on it now. The only thing is that I will miss diapers in some ways. We're always able to get to VA stopping only once or twice. Now we'll have to take more potty breaks! I told DH that I want the whole family to wear diapers so we don't have to stop at all :D !

staynfit, those ideas sound pretty good. I always want to make smoothies at home, I just never have the right ingredients on hand. Maybe I'll pick up some stuff this weekend. Ironically, frozen green giant peas in butter sauce are the only veggies that my daughter will willingly eat!

[JoanneOR]

staynfit, thanks for those ideas. Although I have to wonder, what color does the smoothie wind up being?? I definitely would have to make it in secret before anyone would try it.

Oh, poor Casey. And you, too, Mrs. Reber. That's so sad. I'm sure it is because of the room change. She used to love it, there, right? Hopefully she'll start to enjoy it again when she adjusts to the new faces in her room. It does break your heart when they say things like that. I really hate being at work four days a week. I really miss the kids. I thought it would be easier as they got older, but it's not. Last night a neighbor came over and was playing with Caitlyn. He asked her where's daddy and she looked at DH and smiled. Then he asked her where's mommy and she didn't seem to know what he was talking about. I have to admit, that hurt me a bit.

I have heard that the earlier you start potty training, the longer it takes, too. I think I started talking about it with the boys and getting them to sit on it a few months before they turned three. I might have tried earlier with Jameson, but I don't remember exactly when. He was the toughest, too. At the age of three, I started doing it more seriously. But, I think boys are usually trained later than girls. It seems that way with my friends who have girls. I'll probably try a bit earlier with Caitlyn.

Our library has story time, too. I've never been able to coordinate our schedules to get there. I have the same problem with the ages, too. Everyone would be in a different class.

[MrsReber]

Joanne, that's what gets me- Casey does seem happy there! She didn't want to come home on Tuesday. On Wednesday, she was eating a snack when I got there. I asked what she did and she told me she made a paper apple. She was so proud to show me where it was hanging in the room. That's why I'm so baffled by this. She knows the other kids in the room, it's just the one teacher who is different. She even knows the other teacher in the room. I think she doesn't have a close relationship with them, though. It makes me sad. I have to figure out how to help her adjust. Her new sleeping bag should arrive today. Maybe that will entice her to want to go back to school next week. DH did get the papers for Casey to get tested for Lyme disease. The doctor also wants us to do the blood work for lead, which I haven't done for either child. Oh well, guess it can't hurt. It's probably not a bad idea to make sure there aren't any problems with anything else, too.

I'm sure Caitlyn knows that you're mommy. Brenden goes back and forth with that stuff, too. One day he'll be saying "da da" and then next day he'll act as though he has no idea what you're talking about. I know he can say bye-bye, shoes, and mama, but he doesn't do it all that often. He imitates all the things that Casey says, too. My doctor said that at one year, they're only looking for a baby to be able to say "mama" and "da da".

[JoanneOR]

Why are they testing for Lyme disease? Is that a standard test that your doctor does? We haven't done the lead testing, but the school says its mandatory in our state to have it done. The doctor says it's not mandatory and just writes a note saying they don't have high risk factors for lead, so they do not need to be tested. I don't know who is right, but if the school makes an issue out of it, I'll just have the doctor do it.

Ian was unhappy at preschool one time. He wouldn't tell us why. We finally found out that a kid kept untying his shoes and was calling him a name. I can't remember what it was, but it wasn't nice. We talked to the teacher and everything was fine after that.

[MrsReber]

Joanne, I'm sort of wondering if anything specific happened yesterday. The thing is, the kids are so young in that room that I think it would be very noticeable if another kid was causing trouble. I'm glad they called me, though. At least I know they are concerned. Casey is very quiet and shy. I fear that she's like me in that she'll internalize things. She has been a bit whiny all week after coming home from daycare. DH wants the Lyme test done. Casey had a tick on her last year, although it wasn't bloated or anything. DH found one about four weeks ago that had some blood in it. He's been overly concerned every since. I don't think she has it. I had given her a bath the night before and I didn't see anything. He found it the next morning when he changed her clothes. She could've picked it up on the playground at school or DH, who likes to go deer scouting in the woods, might have brought it home. He's going to have to be extra careful hunting this year. The doctor said we need to wait at least 6 weeks after the bite to do the test so we can't bring her just yet. That should be fun. I should make him go with me since he was so adamant about getting the test in the first place!

[JoanneOR]

Ian sounds like Casey, in that he is introverted, too. He wouldn't tell the teacher if something was wrong. It took alot of coaxing for us to get him to tell us why he was upset.

I would probably be concerned about the Lyme disease, too. I'm sure she's fine, but it will be good to have the peace of mind.

It looks like we're the only ones here today!

Tomorrow is the block party. I'm getting excited about it. And, I get to make the baked ziti! Yea! I'm going to do a dessert, too, but I'm not sure what. It should be alot of fun. It will be nice to be right outside the house. I can have a few drinks and not have to worry about driving home! And, I can put Caitlyn to bed at her normal bedtime and be able to hear her on the monitor. I'm sure the kids will have a great time. We're having a kaoroke machine. That should be interesting! Alot of games, too.

I think I'll sneak out of here early to do some grocery shopping so I can get up and start cooking tomorrow.

[BeckyM]

Hi Everyone!

I've been having e-mail problems, so I still haven't been getting notices of new posts. Hmmmm. I was on the phone with the technical support people for my internet provider for probably an hour this morning -- NOT the way I want to spend Katie's nap time. But I think it's resolved now.

But that didn't end my mixed-up day. After Katie's lunch, I had planned to take her to Stride-Rite to get her measured for shoes (and I had heard they carried the Robeez shoes, so I wanted to check those out there), and I was going to also stop by Wild Oats (right next door) to get some last-minute things for our CL Supper Club tonight. The woman who's hosting Supper Club called and asked if Wild Oats was on my way to her house tonight (she lives way north of Cincinnati), because she needed the Israeli Couscous (for the recipe in September's issue) and couldn't find it anywhere else. I told her I was planning to stop by Wild Oats this afternoon anyway, so I'd pick up the couscous while I was there. Well, after I had spent a bunch of time at Stride Rite trying shoes on Katie and figuring out what we needed, I realized I had taken my wallet out of the diaper bag at home this morning and hadn't put it back in! I was clear across town without any way to pay for anything! Luckily the clerk at Stride Rite told me she would take a credit card # over the phone, so I got ahold of DH and got it from him.

So after that, I went to Wild Oats and first asked them if they would take just a credit card # or if they needed the actual card. I talked to a nice clerk, and she said she could do it. So I then started shopping for the few things I needed, and I couldn't find the Israeli Couscous. I asked a person who worked there, and she asked someone else, and after looking all over, the concensus was that they didn't carry it. By that time Katie was getting really restless, so I decided to just hurry up and get home. I thought I had gotten all the things I really needed for supper club, but on the way home I realized I had forgotten the prosciutto! That was the main reason I was going to Wild Oats in the first place! DH normally gets home early on Fridays (around 3pm), so I was thinking I could run out to a store nearby once he got home. Unfortunately, it's after 4pm, and he's still not here. We're leaving for supper club at 4:30, so I guess our Spinach Salad with Nectarines & Spicy Pecans simply won't have prosciutto.

Sorry for the ranting & raving. I just had to complain to someone about my day, and DH will have no sympathy.

MrsReber -- I sure hope Casey gets happy with daycare again. It does sound like it's the change that is affecting her, but who knows. I agree it seems like those types of things will get easier once the child can explain what's wrong. I sure hope Katie adjusts okay to her daycare. Yesterday at her playgroup I left her in the living room with the other moms & kids while I was out of sight in the kitchen getting her lunch ready. I was gone about 10 minutes, and she didn't complain once or even seem to notice I was gone. That makes me hopeful that the daycare won't be too difficult for her to adjust to. I'm still a little uncomfortable that we haven't gotten to meet the infant teacher yet. I don't expect her to have a minute-by-minute schedule of what the kids will do, but I would expect her to have thought through some of what they will do with the infants of the different ages. They're actually planning to have two different infant rooms -- one for 6 weeks to 12 months, and one for 12-18 months. I wanted to ask about whether Katie would start in the younger room or the older room (she'll be 12 months Oct. 1st), and if they'll be doing different things with the kids in the different rooms. Katie's needs are definitely different now than they were at 6 weeks, so I'm glad they have different rooms. I just want someone to tell me more details about what it will be like for Katie there. The director was supposed to call me back yesterday about meeting with the infant teacher, and I still haven't heard back.

Well, I'd better get my things pulled together for supper club. Sorry again for not responding to everyone -- I really meant to, but I lost track of time typing out all my complaints, and now I don't have time to write more. I'll try to be more considerate next time I post!

Becky :)

[BeckyM]

P.S. Kim -- thanks for the frosting recipe!

Becky :)

[cchhbb]

Hi!

Becky, it sounds like you had a frustrating day. I'm glad you were able to still make your purchases. Just my luck, I wouldn't get a clerk that was so agreeable.

Garrett's in a room at preschool with babies 6 months to 12 months. They do have a flexible schedule that they follow. Essentially, the do music, art, storytime and a snack as well as free play each day. The teacher said Garrett was really good yesterday. He has started to refuse to nap in the morning at home now.

Susan, Poor Casey. I hope someone didn't hurt her feelings. The potty training on Dr. Phil was pretty much as everyone described it.

Joanne, have a great block party. I miss the one that we had when we lived in Wisconsin. We used to have a ball. We even had the firemen stop by for lunch so the kids could play on the truck.

Garrett got the navy blue frog shoes from Robeez. Everyone that sees them always comments. He's cruising so much that I want him to have something on his feet when we go outside.

Garrett and I are off tomorrow morning to visit my mom and dad. Delta was running an internet sale for $100. My mom is so excited. When I called up and said that we were coming. She was yelling When. She's called about 5 times to find out what she needs to buy for the boy.

Have a great weekend.
Cheryl

[MrsReber]

Cheryl, have a good trip! That's so nice that you're going to visit.

Becky, Goddard just changed the infant rooms to 1-12 and 13 months - ?. They're not sure of the ending age in that room. It will be great for Brenden. I hope Katie is going into the older infants room. It wouldn't make any sense to start her with the younger ones at this point. There is usually a transition period when they change rooms. It'd be ridiculous to put her in with the younger ones only to transition her over to the older room. Our daycare does the same as Cheryl's- they always read a story, do an art project, listen to and sing songs and, of course, play. I think he really enjoys it there and they love him to pieces. They all fought over him when we started there!

Joanne, the block party sounds like fun. I wish the people around here would do that. I think it would really help relations on this block. We have neighbors who don't like each other for absolutely no reason. They never even met! The one husband ran into one of the neighbors in the store. He said "hi" and the guy didn't respond. Did he ever think maybe the guy didn't recognize him? That happens to me at times. We get along with everyone, though. We keep toying with the idea of having the three newest couples over to dinner together. We really should do that. I know they'd get along. well, I am going to make the ziti tonight. It's 6:30 am. DH is out deer hunting at his sister's place. The kids are still asleep so I am looking for that ziti recipe. I want to make the chocolate banana bread, the coconut banana bread, the rustic tomato basil tart (again!) and the ziti. Oh, and the apple crisp. I am very ambitious. Of course, I don't have any of the ingredients for the baked stuff. Bananas would probably help! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

[nori]

MrsReber, poor Casey.:( I also wonder why she didn't like the school on that day???? Hope she wasn't bullied or anything. Sounds like you're having a busy cooking weekend. What a menu! And finally baked ziti!!! It made me think about it again...I should put one for menu next week.;)

Joanne, you must be having fun at block party now. I wish we had something like that here, too.....I don't have so much chance to get to know neighbors so much...I just know the one both sides and that's it. How many families are coming????

Becky, how's the supper club? I thought Wild Oats should have those couscous...kind of surprise. I was thinking of using that soon and now I don't know where to go to get them.

Cheryl, have a nice trip! I can understand your mom's excitement.:D What a great deal on the ticket!!!

I think Noah might be allergic to egg whites.:( He was okay with yolk, but with the whole egg (like scrambled egg), he had red rash around his face. Last time he ate scrambled egg, it was bad. He wasn't bothered by it, but it was not only around his mouth, but a little bit over his cheeks, too. Doctor said we should stop feeding him eggs for a while and try to reintroduce later, like in a month. I baked cookies (with eggs) and he had tiny piece, and had a small rash.:( Hope he overgrow that one. Poor guy.

We're going to go to sports bar to watch college football game tonight. DH gradurated from University of Florida and they're playing against Miami but around here they're not broadcasting it!!:mad: So we'll get together with some Gator friends and see if they have it on TV at the restaurant.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

[lhall]

I have a favor to ask.

Do any of you new moms have an extra Huggies Points form? After 5 years of diapers I've got points coming out of my ears and would like to redeem them for something. I've looked on the website, but can't find what I need.

If you have one you could part with just PM me.

Thanks,
Leigh

[erinl]

Sorry Leigh, I don't even know what Huggies Points are.

Man I'm so behind. I rarely get a chance to play on the computer these days. Joanne, hope the block party was a good time. There was a neighborhood picnic here yesterday, but DH didn't want to go. He wanted to hang out with people we already knew. I guess it doesn't matter too much since we'll be moving in less than a year. I really want to make a concerted effort to befriend our new neighbors in Bolingbrook.

Susan, I hope Casey is doing better. Sometimes I feel a little bad for not sending Hanne to daycare. She has so much fun playing with other kids that I feel like I'm depriving her. Then I hear about all of the issues that you guys are dealing with and I count my blessings.

Cheryl, have fun on your trip! I'm starting to watch ticket prices so we can go to Albuquerque in February. My sister is having a baby in January and we want to give all of the grandparents a chance to visit before we go. I know so many people who are pregnant or have newborns that it is really making me want another baby.

Hanne finally cut two more teeth. She's almost 14 months old and this only brings her up to six teeth. She barely ate anything all last week. One tooth came through on Thursday and when the second popped through yesterday she was ravenous. Poor kid. Each new tooth just seems to cause more and more pain.

Well, I'd better go get a few things done while Peanut is napping...

[JoanneOR]

Becky, I've had a few days like yours, so I can certainly relate! Hope your weekend was better. How was your supper club?

Cheryl, that's so great that you are going to visit your parents. They will have so much fun with Garrett.

OK, I think I'll have to order some of those shoes. What size did you get? Caitlyn wears a 3 now, but they are getting really small. Her toes are right at the edge of her sandals. Did you get the 6-12 or 12-18. I'd probably be better off with the bigger size. She can always grow into them.

Mrs. Reber, did you get to do all the cooking you had planned?

Nori, wow, it does sound like Noah could be allergic to eggs. That's tough, because eggs are in so many things. I'm sure your doctor can give you some tips on things to avoid. Hopefully it's something he will grow out of.

Leigh, I'm sorry, but I don't know what the Huggies points are either! We used to use Huggies, and I saw the points on the box, but never really saw an explanation for them.

Erin, good to see you here. I know what you mean about not having time on the computer. If I didn't work, I probably wouldn't be here much! I wouldn't worry about sending Hanne to daycare. You are lucky that you can spend all this time with her. Before you know it she'll be old enough for preschool. Caitlyn has eight teeth now, but I think more are coming. She's been fussy with her hands in her mouth all the time.

I know what you mean about seeing babies making you think of having another, Erin. One of my neighbors has a six week old and he is so precious. I almost think about it but then regain my senses!!

The block party was a blast! I'm so glad we did it. We probably had at least 75 adults and I don't know how many kids. Most of the people on the block came. There are so many nice and interesting people we would have never met if we hadn't done this. We had a huge BBQ grill and everyone grilled their own meat and we all brought sides and desserts to share. We had games for the adults and kids planned, but never played them. Everyone just talked. The kids had a great time riding their bikes up and down the street. We also had a jumpy thing. The fire department and the police canine unit came and did demonstrations. It was funny though, I would be talking to people and I would ask which house they lived in and they would say oh, we are two blocks over. I guess they just saw the party and joined in. We had music set up and a kaoroke machine. That was alot of fun. Jameson did twinkle twinkle little star. We were so proud of him! The bad part was we stayed out way too late! We were right in front of our house, so we put the kids to bed and stayed out till 2:30! Yikes. I was miserable yesterday because I only wound up sleeping about 2 hours. Plus, I had a few too many margaritas :). I didn't feel too bad, though, because one of the couples we were out with was having a christening the next day at their house and 90 adults and 30 kids were coming! Anyway, it was a great time. We'll definitely do it again. Oh, and I made the baked ziti. It was pretty good, except I couldn't find provolone cheese so I had to use mozzarella. It was all gone, so people must have liked it.

Friday is Caitlyn's cardiologist appt. Think good thoughts for us. Im hoping we can hold off until after Christmas for any procedures. She has a cold now. Colin had one this weekend. I'm sure it will make its rounds around the house.

OK, gotta go. I've bored you all long enough!

[Jorgan]

After reading all of the posts regarding daycare I thought I'd vent as well. My son is 10 months old and was transitioned into the older kids room about a month ago and I'm having some frustration with the new teachers. Before he switched rooms Drew (my son) was getting cereal and fruit for lunch and his formula (and then I would feed him dinner at home). Once he transitioned they started feeding him breakfast (cereal and fruit) a mid morning snack of Cheerios, lunch (cereal and veggies) and crackers for an afternoon snack. I had an issue since my ped. said that he should still be getting 24 oz. of formula a day. Once he had all of that food he wasn't hungry for his formula. I gave them a menu for him a couple of weeks ago and am finding they are still feeding him more than I've requested. Another thing they did was on my menu for breakfast I put oatmeal (alone and not with anything else), well my DH dropped him off last week and they asked him if they could mix the fruit into the oatmeal since most babies don't like just plain oatmeal and he gave in! The thing is Drew likes just plain oatmeal! I'm getting pretty frustrated and the director is next on my list. Oh, they also mentioned to me last week that we need to get Drew 'moving'. First of all he's a very laid back baby and he will move when he is ready and second of all don't make comments to me like that about my son! Things like this really want me to stay at home... Thanks for letting me vent!

[JoanneOR]

Jorgan, that is frustrating about your daycare. I was going to suggest you write out a menu of what you want him to have, but then I read your post again and saw that you already did that! I would talk to the director and give her another copy of his menu. The comment about getting him moving is really rude. Babies all do things at their own speed.

I forgot to mention before that Caitlyn's 1st birthday was Saturday. I can't believe she is one already. Sure went fast. She had her party a few weeks ago, but we put a candle in her pancake Saturday morning.

[RunnerKim]

Happy Birthday Caitlyn!

Lot's of posts to catch up on when you miss a few days.

Jorgan - that is very frustrating with the whole feeding thing. Lainey also likes plain oatmeal just fine and I'm happy to keep it that way. That was very rude of them on the moving comment. What do they expect you to do??

Joanne- I ordered Lainey the size 12-18 month Robeez shoes and haven't quite put her in them yet. They're a tad long and since she's just now started walking consistently I didn't want to have the extra shoe on the end messing her up. The size 6-12 month barely fits her still (with no socks). They do have a sizing chart on the web site that you can print and compare it to Caitlyn's foot size. I have the classic browns for all-purpose and the cool Orca design since I have a lot of blues and greens. In the spring I'll order the purple ones with butterflies - it's so hard to choose there's so many cute ones. Love the frogs and the puppy shoes (particularly in the brown).

Glad to hear your block party was so much fun! What a good job you must have done. Mine was rather lame. I was the only one from my street to attend (it was on the otherside of the block) and I just felt a little awkward.

Erin - poor Hanne. Teething seems to just go on forever. I have a couple of nephews/neice that are starting to lose their teeth and I'm thinking that this is too much effort to lose them so quickly!

Hmmm Leigh, what are these Huggies points???

Nori - that sounds like a tough allergy. I hope he does out grow it. I don't really know people (adults) that are allergic to egg whites so maybe he will.

Susan - it sounds like Casey has a hard time adjusting to change - didn't she go through something similar before when she changed rooms or daycares or something?? I am NOT looking forward to the first time Lainey asks me to stay home from work. :(

Cheryl - that's so great you're able to make your Mom so happy. What a fun trip that will be for you.

Kim

[BeckyM]

Hi Everyone! I'm still frustrated that I'm not getting notified of new posts. My e-mail problem is now resolved, and I have the "e-mail notification" box checked when I post, so I don't know what the problem is. I keep waiting to get posts telling me someone has responded, and they just don't come. :(

Our supper club Friday night was really nice. A friend and I drove up there together, so we stopped by the new grocery store just down the street to get the proscuitto (sp?) for my salad. We also looked for the Israeli couscous, and we found it! It was called Meditteranean Couscous, but it looked bigger than regular couscous, like the recipe said, so we used that and it worked well. We did the entire menu from the September issue in the article called "The Party is in the Kitchen". The only thing we didn't have was the filet mignon. Everything was good, and we had a great time.

Jorgan -- I'm sorry to hear Drew's daycare isn't respecting your wishes about food and that they're making comments you're uncomfortable with. Those kinds of things are making me more and more nervous about putting Katie in daycare.

Joanne -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CAITLYN!!! I'm glad to hear your block party went well. Our neighborhood has one of those at the beginning of each summer (usually around Memorial Day), and they're a lot of fun. I've finally convinced DH that we should participate in them -- he was reluctant up until this year, when he could walk around showing off Katie.

nori -- sorry to hear about Noah's egg allergy. A little boy in Katie's playgroup has an allergy to the entire egg -- not just the white. His mom has to be very careful about what he eats and carry around one of those epi-pens with her in case he has a reaction. His pediatrician said hopefully he'll grow out of it. I hope Noah grows out of his!

Cheryl -- how great that you found cheap tickets to visit your parents. I sure wish tickets from Cincinnati to Montana (where my parents live) would go on sale! They're usually around $400 a piece, so we don't get to go very often. I know my mother would be ecstatic if I called her up with news like that.

Katie seems to be growing like crazy right now, and she is moving around so quickly! She can pull up to standing really easily now, and she'll even stand without holding on for a second or so before sitting down. I imagine she'll be walking before we're ready! She is also starting to show less interest in nursing. I've already weaned her from her dinner-time nursing (she's drinking whole milk from a sippy cup instead -- her pediatrician okayed it, since she hates formula), and I was planning to wean her from the lunch-time one before we start daycare. The past two nights, she has hardly seemed interested in nursing before bed. She used to cry profusely when I would stop to burp her between sides, and now she is so dis-interested or distracted that she squirms out and tries to crawl off the couch after nursing just a little bit. Tonight she barely nursed at all and kept getting down to crawl around the living room. So I took her up and put her to bed, thinking she simply wasn't hungry. But she kept crying for a while, so I thought maybe she really did want to nurse. I went up and tried nursing her in her room, and she did nurse up there. So maybe the living room is too distracting for her at night. Either that or she just nursed for comfort because she didn't want to be left in her crib alone. Anyway, she is definitely showing less interest in nursing than she used to! It's a little sad for me, but I guess it's good that she is growing up.

We did decide to do Katie's birthday party on the 27th, which is the Saturday before I go back to work. I explained it to my friend who's having her daughter's party the same day, and she definitely understood. Now I just need to get going on planning it!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the bad news I got about our daycare today. They were planning to have an open house this Saturday and open for business on Monday (the 15th). I found out today that the open house has been delayed until the 20th, and the woman I talked to said they're definitely not opening the 15th, and she didn't know when they are scheduled to open. I'm thinking it has to be at least the 22nd before they'll open. I was really wanting to have two weeks to get Katie used to the daycare before I just drop her off for the whole day to go to work. Now I'm down to one week or less! I sure hope they'll at least open the 22nd. The woman I talked to today left a message for the director to call me, and I haven't heard back, so I'm a little frustrated. I know she's busy getting things ready to open, but I want to know what's going on! And I still want to meet the infant teacher! (I agree, MrsReber -- I think they should start Katie in the older infant room so she won't have to switch right away. The director sounded like she agreed, but I want to talk to the infant teacher about it to make sure.) I'm getting nervous that things won't go as smoothly with it all as I had hoped.

Well, I'd better get to bed. It's almost 11:30pm! I can't believe how quickly this day has gone.

Hope everyone is having a good week so far.

Becky :)

[BeckyM]

By the way, I was meaning to ask a food question. I was wondering how to introduce meats to Katie. She HATES the jarred foods with meat in them, and I think they taste disgusting too (yes, I tried them), so I'd like to just give her more "regular" food with meat. She eats canned peaches & pears, cooked lentils, cooked israeli couscous, and other soft foods, so I'm wondering if any of you have figured out ways to get meat soft enough for an almost-one-year-old with only six teeth. Kim, I'm thinking you might have some good hints, since I remember you were using "Child of Mine" for feeding strategies. Thanks!

Becky

[MrsReber]

Hi everyone. I did get to do some cooking, but didn't make everything on my list. I made both kinds of banana bread. Both were very good, though I didn't make the lime glaze for the coconut one. I think they both also tasted much better the next day. I made 2 trays of ziti. DH loved it! I froze the other tray. I also made the beer can chicken on Sunday. It was good and even though it was on the grill too long, it didn't dry out. My neighbor came over and we were chatting so I kind of forgot about the chicken. Her husband had come over earlier with their 4 year old son. He wanted to stay and play with Casey and Brenden. I told his mom that he's more than welcome if she ever needs a break. He keeps my kids busy and happy! He didn't want to go home. I was pretty surprised by that.

Anyway, Becky, that's not good about the daycare. However ,thinking back, we didn't give our kids any adjustment time. We just dropped them off on the start date. They were much younger, though. Katie will be much more aware of things. Don't worry so much about all the daycare venting! One of the reasons Goddard doesn't provide food is because many kids have special diets. They're very good about not feeding them other foods. Casey is just going through an adjustment period. It did happen the last time she changed rooms. It breaks my heart and I think of how unfair it is that I have to work. But then I guess it will sort of prepare her for life.

MIL bothered me for part of the weekend. She showed up at 8:00am on Sunday to drop off her car so DH could look at it! Meanwhile, he was hunting most of Saturday so we had no family time at all. He got one deer which he had to butcher and the car took the rest of the day. Grrr. She didn't even thank him! Just handed him the keys on Sunday and said she'd be back sometime. Didn't even come in to see the kids. She only stood at the door. Now he is supposed to go help her move right after work today. Seems she's still moving to Florida. She has to be out of her apartment by Thursday.

We had such a great Sunday and Monday. I had fun last night chasing the kids around the yard. They were having a blast. It'll be hard when summer is totally gone and it's dark out when we get home. Oh, I went to the eye doctor yesterday. Some of you may remember, when Casey was 8 months old,she scrached my cornea pretty badly. It has been bothering me at night. I went to the doctor just to have it checked out. Seems that a recurrence is very common with scratched corneas. Sure enough, I have a little scratch again. When I sleep, my eyes get dried out (which is normal) and when they move, apparently some cells get torn off my cornea again. We're back to eye drops and antibacterial ointment. I hope it clears up for good this time! The eye doctor told me to remember to bring it up often, along with the 9 months of pregnancy and the labor pains!

Becky, I stopped breastfeeding Brenden when he stopped showing any interest. It was only getting frustrating for me and I figured better to stop than to have a problem weaning him later. It is sad, but as I said before, you'll love having your body all to yourself again!'

I better run. I'm sure I forgot many things, but I must do some work (ugh!)

[erinl]

Becky, I've been feeding Hanne real meat for a long time. She didn't get any top teeth until she was 1. I just gave her little pieces. She eats chicken, turkey, steak, lamb and ground any of those. Deli slices are also an easy way to introduce them, but they are higher in sodium. Anyway, she only has 6 teeth now (and 2 are barely through) and I don't even have to make the pieces all that small anymore.

[JoanneOR]

Becky, hope everything works out OK with the daycare. It is frustrating not knowing what is going on. It sounds like Katie is weaning herself, though, so at least you won't have to worry too much about that. Have fun planning her birthday party!

Caitlyn is miserable right now. This is the second night in a row that she has had a hard time sleeping. Her nose is really stuffy and now she has a fever. She's usually not cranky when she's sick, but this time she is. Now she's starting to cough, too. I hope she doesn't start wheezing. DH is taking her to the doctor this afternoon. Colin had a runny nose for maybe a day and she caught it. When she gets sick it always seems to hit her harder. I'm not looking forward to all these germs the boys will be bringing home from school!

I feed Caitlyn meat, too. Mostly chicken. I just cut up the pieces pretty small. She mostly sucks on them and swallows them.

Mrs. Reber, your MIL is a piece of work! I can't believe she wouldn't even ask to see the kids. So, she might actually be moving in a week or so? Are you having a party??

That's scary about your eye. Hope it heals for good this time.

[RunnerKim]

I haven't fed any meat to Lainey yet. We've been really slow on introducing foods I guess. I didn't want to mess with grinding it. Becky, maybe you could shred chicken? Lainey's a champion chomper (even handles tough bread crusts) and has a few teeth so I'll just give her small pieces and she how she handles that. What about ground beef? You could cook up a couple of little patties (or strips) - she should be able to eat that.

Sounds like Katie's getting really mobile. She'll be running all over before you know it. I hope the daycare opens in enough time so you can spend some time there before starting work. Lainey didn't get any transition time either.

Poor Caitlyn. I know how frustrated you must be, Joanne, with having her sick so much. I was just scrapbooking some stuff for Lainey from April and I'd written about how sick she's been and how I felt she was sick more than healthy etc. I'm hoping this winter is better.

Susan - I hope your eye gets better. That sounds very irritating. Maybe since Casey has such a hard time with change they can do more to help transition her next time?? Let her spend half a day in the new room for a week before she moves up or something.

Lainey is starting to place objects. Trying to put a lego person (duplo) in a boat. She can't often get the person on the peg but she's close. She's also starting to put objects in other objects (cups). I think I should track down a "shape sorter" for her - anyone have any they really like? She's also pushing things around on the floor all the time. My good friend (and her godmother) that was just visiting bought her a big plastic dump truck for her birthday that I think she'll just love as she can both push it and put stuff in it. It was so funny - Lainey loved my friend's tennis shoes. She dragged them all over the house- and not just one, but she'd keep them together, going back for the 2nd one if she'd left it behind.

Kim

[LaraW]

Originally posted by RunnerKim
I think I should track down a "shape sorter" for her - anyone have any they really like?

de-lurking for just a minute

Kim, Tupperware makes a shape-sorter type of thing that you might look into. I remember having one of these as a kid, and we played with it for a long time. It says on the website that it sells for $21.99, but it seems like I've seen them cheaper than that at the kiosk at the mall.

See if this picture works:

http://order.tupperware.com:8080/coe-images/items/10044822000_detail.jpg

[MrsReber]

Kim , I had the Tupperware shape sorter as a kid,too! My mom bought Casey a shape sorter that was recommened by Parents Magazine. She really loves it now. It's a square. It has a toy phone attached to it and some buttons that make sounds. Brenden is really into it, too. I like the shapes- there are numbers and animals in addition to a circle, square, triangle, etc. They also have pictures on the shapes and there's a clock with moveable hands on one of the sides. I can't remember who makes it, though.

I can't believe this. DH called this morning and told me that Ft. Monmouth called him and said they had a spot for Casey! They said they could also fit Brenden in! It'd save us $300 a month so DH is looking for me to make a decision on whether or not to move them. I don't think we'll do it. Casey is having a hard enough time going from one room to another when she knows the teachers and the other kids. Kim, they did transition her. Sometimes when I'd go to pick her up, she'd be in that room because all the kids from her regular room had been picked up already. DH said that she cried for me this morning. He explained that mommy had to go to work, but that mommy loves her very much and will pick her up later. He said she seemed okay after that, except for when they dropped Brenden at his room. She seemed sad to see him go. I hate that they're separated all day. When he moves up to the next room (Casey's old room) they'll be right near each other so I'm hoping they'll see each other more.

Joanne, I hope Caitlyn gets better real soon! The cold season will be upon us very soon!

I think Brenden is saying "Shoes". I've been waiting for his first words. I told him to tell Grandma "shoes" yesterday. She was putting them on his feet. He said "oh shez". Well, sometimes he says it in the right order. He's been saying "night night", too. Casey likes to lie him down and put him night night so he'll lie down on a blanket and say night night. He's such a sweetie!

[nori]

I noticed Noah's body is so hot this afternoon and took his temperture and it was 100.2!!!:eek: This is his first fever and I was a bit freaked out. Called the nurse and she said just give him Tyrenol and see how he is tomorrow. If the fever isn't down, she suggested we take him in. He has appetite, and most of the time happy, but past few days he had been fussier than usual. He's working on upper front 2 teeth so it maybe the reason...

Other than Tyrenol, I try to give him a lot of water. Seems like he's more thirsty than usual, too, and drinking a lot of water which is good. Anything else I can do? He seems to have hoarse voice, too, so humidifier is on, too.

MrsReber, I don't think it's a good time to change daycare for Casey...sounds like a good deal on your budget, but poor Casey would have even harder time...hope she's feeling better. So cute Brenden saying "shoes" and "night-night". Noah says "da-da" to everything he can points out. He also says "mama" but that's mostly when he's crying. Not sure if that means "mommy".

Kim, Noah loves to place things, too. He had this mini-train with tracks which he got for his birthday from daddy, and the other day he detatched all tracks and figures and put them all in the box! The sorter would be fun! Maybe I should get one for Noah, too. He has this big block-type box with holes and he's putting everything that fits in there.:D

Joanne, hope Caitlyn is feeling better.:( It must be tough to have 3 kids in school bringing all germs. Oh, and happy belated birthday!

Becky, Noah has 4 teeth now but I've been giving him tiny piece of meat since he had only 2 teeth. He also likes to eat hamburger when we're having it. Once I tried cooked chicken processed in food-processor and he didn't like it. Only jar-food he likes with meat in was Wild Rice and Chicken from Gerber Harvest. Sorry to hear about the daycare center. Hope everything will work out eventually.

Jorgan, sorry to hear about your daycare, too. That's horrible. Is there any chance you can change your daycare????

Erin, Noah is cutting upper 2 teeth and having hard time. I think he's getting teeth late, too..he had his first at 10 months and this upper one just came out the other day.

Leigh, I don't know anything about Huggies point, either....maybe it's already discontinued service?????? Sounds interesting, though. So you can supposed to exchange the points with something?

[RunnerKim]

Nori, How's Noah today? Hopefully is fever is gone. It's not unusual for Lainey to run a little elevated temperature when she's teething.

Susan, I figured Goddard would have done some transitioning but I wasn't sure with them adjusting the age ranges if they might not have thought to do it. I can appreciate how difficult it is to pay $300 more a month for the "same" thing even though you know it's really not the same thing -- that's a good chunk of change.

Thanks for the shape sorter recommendations - love to hear more. A friend has one that's a car that looks pretty neat but I think is too advanced for a 12 month old. Have to rotate a handle to change the shape that can be fit in. (By Chirrco or something like that).

Kim

[MrsReber]

Kim, I totally forgot to mention this yesterday- Brenden and Casey both loved the stacking cups. I don't know if you have any. We have a set of little buckets that fit in one another. Also, Brenden has some little people with trucks and he loves to put them in things. The Little People Farm is a very big hit with him. You do have to be careful with the shape sorters. My mom gave Casey a shape sorter that was for 18 months and up. She wasn't able to really use it at one year. She did play with the phone, the clock and the buttons on it, but she occasionally got frustrated that she couldn't get the peices in correctly. Most of them seem geared toward 18 months or thereabouts.

Brenden is going to start transitioning next week. Casey saw Brenden out on the play ground yesterday. They told me she spent about an hour with him, pushing him around in one of the toys they have there. I really think she misses him during the day. I think DH is going to tell the other daycare that we're not going to move the kids. It is $300 less for a full 5 day week instead of 3 days, but it's not apples to apples. There are too many other factors to consider. It's like going from a Cadillac to a Yugo, in my opinion. They both provide transportation, but one is obviously better than the other.

Nori, poor Noah! I hope he is feeling better today. That's good that he's drinking lots, though.

[nori]

Noah's fever got to 100.9 this morning, so I called the doctor's office again. But I was instructed to watch him a little bit longer, since his mood is pretty good and happy overall. He is tired, though. He woke up around 6am this morning, but as he played on the floor, he couldn't keep his head up and just laying on there. So I took him to the crib, and he slept about an hour. Then he woke up, and a breakfast of graham crackers but didn't eat as much as he used to. He's nursing more.:o Around 9am, he looked sleepy again so I put him down for nap. He's been sleeping since then.

I've read some books about fever and I guess it's not always the alarming sign to have low-grade fever..that's a good news. But it said if the fever won't go away after 24 hours even with Tyrenol, call doctor. It's been since yesterday's afternoon so I have to take his temperture again this afternoon.

MrsReber, sounds like Casey really loves Brenden. It made me smile to imagine her pushing her brother on the toy.:) That's so cute. Hope Brenden's transition will go well.

Kim, does Lainey feel hot when she has fever because of teething? That's what I was thinking, since obviously he's been teething and a bit crankier than usual. His regular temperture is around 96 but 100.9 is still low-grade fever, do you think? His body feels hot and I'm sorry for him.:(

Joanne, how's Caitlyn???

[MrsReber]

Nori, I'm sorry to hear that Noah still has a little fever. Brenden did get that way from teething, but on two occasions he also had an ear infection. We never would've known since he was still pretty happy and didn't grab his ear or really complain. He was just clingy. It can't hurt to have the doctor check him out, just to make sure. What type of thermometer are you using? We use an under arm thermometer and I think it reads one point lower. Still, I'd wait to see what the doctor's office advises.

Kim, about your earlier comment on not transitioning because of the quick changes at daycare, you might be right about that. I don't think Casey transitioned for more than a couple of days. Yesterday, of course, she didn't want to go home with me. I had to entice her with Brach's Wiggles fruit snacks. She knows that I have a stash of them at home! I'm in trouble if I run out.

[nori]

Well I took Noah in to doctor's office this afternoon. temp got down to 98 but he hadn't eaten anything, except nursing and he started to cough a little. Looks like it's just a cold or flu, and no ear infection, but his throat is a little bit red, he said. We're planning to go to Texas (driving) this weekend to see DH's mom but if he still has fever, we have to cancel it. Dr. said if he doesn't have fever, it probably is okay to go. It's for MIL's birthday so she'll be dissapointed if we have to cancel. Hopefully his fever will go away by Friday.

MrsReber, that's what I was worried about....ear infection. I've learned from this board that sometimes you can't reall tell. We probably didn't have to go in, but I feel better this way.

I don't remember if I mentioned about his head size at 1 year appointment...his head size is 90 percentile and we made another appointment in 6 weeks to measure it again. It was a nurse practitioner and this time I got to talk to the doctor. He measured his size again, then he measured mine:o , then he took this book which has a chart of it. Looks like my head size is 90 percentile, too,:rolleyes: so this is probably nothing, but he still wants to see him in a month. That kind of makes me worried, but everything else is okay so I think our doctor is just particulary cautious....I mean, if that's something serious, shouldn't he have some sort of symptoms by now???:confused: I'll try to keep good thoughts in my mind.

[BeckyM]

nori -- Sorry to hear about Noah's fever. We're really lucky that Katie hasn't had one yet! I sure hope he feels better by the weekend, so you can go on your trip. It does sound like your doctor is really cautious if he's worried just because Noah's head is in the 90th percentile. I know other babies who have bigger heads too, and their mothers have never mentioned the doctors being concerned about it. Hopefully they'll be able to clear up any concern soon.

MrsReber -- that is really cute about Casey pushing Brenden in the toy at daycare. I'm glad they'll get to see each other more now. And it sounds like Casey is happier at daycare than she had been, if she had to be enticed with snacks to leave.

Kim -- I don't know of any other shape sorters. I was thinking it would be a good developmental toy for Katie too, though she hasn't really been doing much "putting away" of things yet. Mostly she takes things OUT of boxes, baskets, etc., rather than putting them IN. I figure she'll get there soon though. We have a Discovery Toys thing that is just a soft box with a hole on top and little toys inside -- a crinkly moon with bumpy fabric, a satiny heart, a crinkly fish, etc. Katie just pulls out the different toys until she finds the fish (her current favorite) and leaves them all scattered all over the floor.

Katie discovered toilet paper yesterday. I had the door open when I was in the bathroom (to keep an eye on her), and she came crawling in and saw me pull some TP off the roll. As I was washing my hands, she crawled over and started pulling. She LOVED it! Of course, like a foolish new mother, I let her keep doing it so I could get the camera to capture the moment. I did get a couple cute pictures of her pulling on the toilet paper and one of her sitting in the middle of the pile grinning from ear to ear. I stopped her before she got to the end of the roll, and now they're off limits. We're mostly keeping the bathroom doors closed now, and we're watching her carefully. We may have to move the toilet paper rolls to the back of the tank, but we'll wait and see.

Thanks everyone for the info on meat. Kim -- I thought we were the only ones who are taking it slow with introducing new things! Based on all your responses, I decided to try a little chicken with Katie today. I just cut it up really small and gave her a few pieces. She ate them just fine, but she was more interested in her other food, so I didn't push more on her. I'm just glad she didn't have any problems chewing the meat. I did discover she liked veggie burgers the other day though. I was eating one as I was feeding her lunch, so I decided to give her a small piece just to see what she'd do. She basically decided she liked that better than anything else I was feeding her, so I had to microwave another one so I had more for her. And it was the "Fire Roasted Vegetable" flavor, so it was fairly spicy. I guess our little girl just likes things with some kick.

I haven't gotten any better news on the daycare. I did talk with the director the other day, and she said she doesn't want to quote a start date at the moment, because she doesn't want to have to change it another time. I'm planning to call back tomorrow and see if she can give me any better idea. DH and I are wondering how much of a contingency plan we need to come up with. If they open right when I go back to work, DH may take a couple days off work to help Katie transition. If they open a week AFTER I go back to work, DH will definitely need to take off those days to stay home with Katie, then maybe I'll take a day off (assuming my boss is understanding) to help Katie transition. But if they're any later than that, we need to find someone else to watch Katie. We can't just keep taking vacation days indefinitely! A friend of mine had the idea to ask the daycare if they have people scheduled to be employed there who are also waiting until it opens. Maybe one of them who will be working in the infant room could come to our house to watch Katie until the daycare is opened. I thought that was a great idea, and I'll definitely ask about it. Of course I'd want to really check that person out before letting her (assuming it's a woman) into our home when we're not there.

Well, time to get some sleep. I keep staying up way too late, and then I wonder why I'm so tired during the day.

Becky :)

[JoanneOR]

Nori, hope Noah is feeling better. My kids get lots of fevers like that. Really no other symptoms, but I almost always take them in. Just in case its an ear infection or strep throat, something that needs antibiotics. It is scary when its your first illness.

Caitlyn's fever is gone. She's still pretty congested, but luckily no wheezing yet. She did have an ear infection, so she's back on an antibiotic. Thankfully, she seems to like it now. Her spirits are much better.

Today I took her and Jameson to the neurologist. She said Caitlyn is doing great, to bring her back in 3-4 months and she should be putting words together and walking. I may not even bring her back. To me she seems to be doing everything she should and there doesn't seem to be any neurological issues anymore. I guess if she's not doing those things I'll bring her, but if she is, I don't see the point. I brought Jameson so she could check out his eyes. He did it in the office, so she saw it. She asked alot of questions and basically said it was a tick and common for boys his age. He should outgrow it. I'm just afraid of kids teasing him. She said if it became a problem there are medications that can control it, but the side effects can be bad. I'm just glad it's nothing serious.

Friday is the cardiologist. That one I'm a little apprehensive about.

My boys had that tupperware sorter and would get so frustrated!! I think it is better for kids at least 18 months old. Caitlyn really doesn't have too many toys. She plays with the boys stuff.

Becky, hope all the daycare stuff works out. Wasn't there one in-home daycare that you liked? Maybe they could take her for a week or two if the center isn't open. Although, that would be two different transitions. It will all work out in the end.

Jameson came home from school the other day and said that a girl in his class told him that another girl in class told her that she loved Jameson. Oh my god, it's starting already!! Then Ian starting teasing him and he got all embarrassed.

OK, I have to go to bed. Caitlyn hasn't been sleeping well, so I need to get all the sleep I can!

[MrsReber]

Nori, glad Noah is okay. Brenden's head is in the 95th percentile, so I wouldn't worry too much! And you can see that his head is big, poor guy. I hope he grows into it! I was listening to the news in my car the other day and they said something about rapid head growth maybe being an indicator of autism (please don't worry about it- they said there are many other factors also involved!!!!) but maybe your doctor was aware of that? It was a brand new discovery. But really, don't worry about it at all- I was just wondering since the study came out if doctors are being more aware of head size these days. Casey's head was always on the small side.

Okay, Joanne, so it wasn't just Casey who was frustrated by the shape sorter. She knew how it worked, but she lacked the dexterity at 1 year to do it the right way. My vote is still for stacking buckets!

Glad Caitlyn is okay and feeling better. And that Jameson is okay. Is that like a nervous reaction? Poor kid. I hope no one makes fun of him. It hasn't happened to me yet, but I know how sad I will be when someone hurts my child's feelings. It's going to break my heart. Too bad we can't protect them from all the hurt in the world :( .

Becky, I hope you hear some good news from the daycare soon! That's a good idea to see if someone who will work there would want to come to your home. If they are a licensed daycare, then I believe they need to do their onw background checks before hiring anyone.

How funny about the toilet paper. Casey used to dunk the entire roll into the toilet. We haven't had toilet paper on a roll on the wall in a long time. The sacrifices we have to make! I don't know why it's such a great toy. Here we are debating shape sorters and other education toys when our children want to play with toilet paper!

[cchhbb]

Garrett is another toliet paper lover. He has a blast unrolling it. The bad thing is he crawls with it in his hand and goes into other rooms. The cheapest toys seem to be the best. Garrett loves tupperware and pie pans.

Nori, Several of my friends have kids who have larger heads and they have all had to take them to specialists who does an MRI and then determines that they are just fine. I think that the combination of gross motor skills and a large head is a big concern. Noah is developmentally on track with his gross motor skills so I wouldn't worry. I think that some doctors are just trying to cover their backsides.

Becky, what a great idea about trying to get one of the infant teachers to come into your house. I know our church does a significant background check on anyone who will be working with children.

Joanne, glad to hear that Caitlyn and Jameson's appointments went well. Poor guy. I hope he doesn't get teased. Kids can be so mean at that age.

Susan, glad to hear that Casey is liking school a little better. I think change is really hard on some kids.

Garrett has started to stand up without support now. Yesterday at playgroup he was into everything. He would crawl through the barricades into the kitchen and turn around to laugh at me. He also thought it was a blast to crawl onto the fireplace hearth and onto the coffee table. I was exhausted after being their for 1.5 hours.

Cheryl

[JoanneOR]

Caitlyn has done the toilet paper thing, too. As have the boys when they were younger. Ian and Colin one time teamed up and unrolled an entire roll, ripped it up and put it in the toilet. What a mess! Caitlyn loves playing with all the tupperware bowls in the cabinets. Keeps her busy if I'm trying to cook.

They say Jameson's tick can be related to stress, but he really doesn't seem to be stressed out about anything. He loves school and does really well. No one has teased him, hopefully it won't happen. It does come and go, hopefully it will go away soon. I know what you mean, I would be so upset if someone hurt him. He really is very self confident and I would hate anything to compromise that.

[RunnerKim]

Becky - letting Katie play with the toilet paper to get a picture sounds like something I would do! Lainey's found the toilet paper too but so far as long as we don't let it dangle she doesn't play with it on her own. We are trying to get in the habit of putting the lid down on the toilet because she loves playing in the water- I used to find her bath tub toys in the toilet :rolleyes:

I think that's a great idea to ask if one of the teachers is interested in watching Katie until the center opens. I know at least one of the teachers at my center babysits. And they might be really eager for the $ while they're waiting for their job to start. This way Katie would also get to know one of the teachers well (even if it doesn't end up being an infant teacher).

Joanne - I'm glad the neurologist gave Caitlyn a clean bill - I agree that I would probably not return there if she were on track (it's not like she doesn't see enough doctors). Hopefully Jameson will outgrow the tick soon. Poor guy. I'll be thinking of Caitlyn tomorrow.

Cheryl - isn't it amazing how much trouble they can get into. It is exhausting to be at someone else's house.

Okay - I hear ya all -- I'll save the shape sorter for Christmas when she'll be closer to 18 months. I've heard really good things about the nesting/stacking cups from Discovery Toys but I'm refusing to pay $6 shipping for a $12 toy. I tried emailing a local consultant to see if I could pick it up from her but she didn't respond -- of course her bio was all about how she make tons of money doing this and takes all these vacations and luxury cars via Discovery Toys, so probably isn't very interested in my measly $12 purchase. I know those bios are there to get people to want to be consultants but it just made me feel like they must charge way to much for their stuff if the company can give all their consultants vacations, cars and 6 figure salaries.

Speaking of... Susan how's Mary Kay going? Are you building up some regular customers (and I in no way mean to imply that your products are over-priced etc.)

Nori - glad Noah's fever has come down and he doesn't have an ear infection. I'm sure your doctor is just being cautious - better that way than to just blow everything off.

A friend of mine's pediatrician just told her that she thought her son could have Pervasive Personality Disorder (PPD) and to have him evaluated. He's 19 months and only grunts, doesn't talk or point to indicate things. Didn't start walking until 16 months. He's very independent and non-social. Spent over an hour upstairs by himself playing (which is often repepitive tasks - opening and closing cabinet door). Didn't respond to me when I said his name etc. Needless to say she was pretty upset -- not sure what PPD is but it sounds horrible. I think it's possible that he could be one of those kids that will just start talking in complete sentences. Her DH is an engineer and it could be that he's just very internally focused. Anybody know anything about PPD? Is it a general term that could mean Autism??

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Kim, I don't know much about PPD or autism, but, unfortunately I've been on alot of web sites about developmental delays because I was worried about Caitlyn. And those symptoms do sound a bit like autism, although I have no idea how PPD is different. Have they suggested any therapies or an evaluation? We had an evaluation done which led to Caitlyn's physical therapy. Hopefully they've given her some options to explore or referrals to other doctors who can help get started on some type of treatment or therapy.

OK, this is off track, but I need to vent. Tomorrow is DH's and I 15th anniversary. This weekend I said do you want to get a babysitter and go out to dinner for our anniversary? He says why, we can eat at our new dining room table. I was pretty hurt and said this is our 15th, I think we should do something. He didn't say anything. I told him I don't want to go if he doesn't want to. It would be like he was doing me a favor. We have used these two girls down the street as babysitters and they are great, so I don't think it would be a problem to go out for two hours. Yesterday I asked him what he wanted to do and he said, don't worry, I'll take care of it. Which means we will be eating at home, or going out with all the kids. I'm sure he has nothing planned. I was just a little annoyed, but we'll see what happens.

[nori]

Kim, I don't know anything about PPD. That must be prett shocking to your friend...:( Hope he'll be okay. So playing by himself over an hour is considered unusual? I was wondering, how long the baby should be able to play by himself, because Noah would not last more than 5 min. all by himself.:rolleyes: Noah has 2 Discovery Toys. My parents got it over the Internet. I also went to one of those parties but her house was waaaaay over the other side of the town. I e-mailed her that we want to buy the products but not sure if I want to go to pick it up, she e-mailed back the other day saying I can order it on-line and shipped to my house. (I didn't know it before) She even said that she can deliver the toys to our home. I think it all depends on the consultant. This months' Parents magazine had an article about part-time job and Discovery Toy was one of them. It might be fun, but I'm not sure if I'm good at selling anything.:o

Joanne, Noah loves to play with tupperware in the cabinet, too! That's what he does while I'm in kitchen making dinner. He'd take one by one and put on the floor, then put them all back. It's so funny. Glad to hear that Caitlyn is doing well, and Jameson's condition wasn't serious. What a relief!

Cheryl, Noah was into everything at the story time last week. Once they can stand up by himself, they really want to be that way for a while, don't they?;)

MrsReber, I didn't know about that. Nurse Practitioner we met last week mentioned about water in the brain condition...and this time the doctor didn't mention any specific. He just said "see how he's doing next month". I try not to worry about it. So Brenden is 95 percentile huh? I knew Noah has a big head. Some shirts are hard to go through because of that.:o But other motor skills, everything seems fine to me at this point.

Well Noah certainly had feverish last night. He was so hot, I felt so bad for him. I gave him Tyrenol at night, and in the morning I took him into our bed. He is so clingy, wants to be held. This morning I was scared to take his temp but it was about 99 degrees. Not too bad. But we decided not take this weekend's trip....only DH will be going, since we had some stuff had to be done overthere and it's MIL's birthday. (If you remember, she is in the nursing home.) She will be dissapointed, I rather wanted to postponed the trip but since DH has to go anyway, there's not much we can do. It's just not good to bring Noah to the trip at this point.

He had half of graham cracker this morning, plus water. He is nursing more. He doesn't like regular milk yet, so water is the only fulid he'd take except breastmilk. He is very tired and he's napping now. Seems like it's even hard to keep his head up sometimes. Still he tries to play and most of the time looks happy (smiling, talking etc.) but not usual. Hope he'll get better today.:(

Oh DH went out to get more Tyrenol last night and infant's Tyrenol were all sold out.:eek: They said the flu and cold is around, everyone is buying them. He came home with generic brand instead.

[BeckyM]

Kim -- I just read something about Pervasive DEVELOPMENTAL Disorder in the October issue of Parents Magazine. I'm not sure how much it is similar to or different from Pervasive PERSONALITY Disorder, but it definitely said it was not the same as autism. It was in an article about parents trusting their instincts when doctors didn't think anything was wrong. Anyway, there was a little boy who was very un-social with anyone other than his parents, and he liked to just play all by himself. He also didn't communicate much, so the parents thought he might be autistic (even though the doctor said don't worry about it). The parents called Easter Seals to ask for an independent assesment, and the diagnosis was that he had pervasive developmental disorder. They started him on in-home therapy twice a week (he was 2 1/2 at the time), and when he was 3, he was enrolled in a preschool for kids with disabilities. Six months later he said his first sentence, and now that he is 7, he is in an integrated class with children with and without disabilities. The mother said he is speaking and learning to read, and he even has friends now. The article didn't say much about exactly what PDD is, but it sounds like there are things that can be done to help kids who have it. I would imagine the PPD would be fairly similar. Good luck to your friend! We have a niece and a nephew who are both autistic (in different families), so DH and I are constantly on the lookout for signs of anything like that with Katie. So far she seems very normal, but we definitely are not taking that for granted. So many things to worry about with our kids . . . .

Joanne -- you definitely shouldn't apologize for venting about your DH's response to your anniversary. I would be upset too. Hopefully your DH picked up on your desire to do something special, and maybe he's trying to surprise you. I usually try not to get my hopes up with my DH though, because he often doesn't understand how important making a big deal out of special occasions is to me. For our anniversary, we have an arrangement that we take turns every other year being the one to make plans for our anniversary. This past year DH arranged for our next-door neighbor to watch Katie for the evening so the two of us could go out to a nice dinner. But he definitely knew it was important to me that we get out and do something special!

How funny that girls in Jameson's class are already having crushes on him! How old is he again? I guess if that's happening, the tick in his eye must not be too big a deal with the other kids. Hopefully the doctor is right and he'll outgrow it.

I'll be thinking positive, healthy thoughts for Caitlyn's visit with the cardiologist. I sure hope everything is the best it can possibly be. We'll be anxious to hear how it goes.

So far Katie hasn't been playing with the toilet paper roll anymore, but we haven't really let her near it. Thank goodness we're already in the habit of closing the toilet lid (at least I am -- DH sometimes has difficulty with it), so Katie can't dunk the whole roll! She does think the toilet is pretty interesting (she likes to bang on the top of it), but I try to keep her away from it because of germs.

I tried calling the daycare today but ended up leaving a message. I sure hope the director calls me back soon, because I am feeling stressed about our back-up plan. I sure hope they do have some teachers who might want to pick up some extra money watching Katie during the day. I think that would definitely be the best scenario. I don't really want to take her somewhere else for a while and then have to get her used to someplace new a few weeks later. Joanne, you asked about the in-home daycares -- actually I wouldn't feel good about taking Katie to any of the ones I visited. One was better than the others in terms of not having the TV on the whole time, but she was the one who I thought had way too many young kids to watch at once. (Katie would have been the seventh kid, and they were all age 3 and under.)

I had to tell you all I had a great brainstorm this morning. I was thinking I should make a "practice cake" for Katie's birthday, but I didn't know what I'd do with it. I also have a picnic to go to this Sunday, and I'm supposed to bring a side dish or dessert. I had been focusing on coming up with a healthy side dish to bring, but I realized I could make the practice cake and bring that to the picnic! That way I can practice the cake, AND there will be people to eat it so we don't eat it all ourselves.

Well, Katie is waking up and needs her lunch. Hope everyone is having a good day!

Becky :)

[RunnerKim]

Nori - you can use children's tylenol too. It's just not as concentrated. My doctor's office said that to me when Lainey was running a fever when she was 7 or 8 months old.

Maybe I just need to find other toys to make the shipping cost more worth it.

Joanne- the pediatrician did give her some names to contact and set up an evaluation, which she was in the process of doing. they just moved and one of the places has a service area that she just moved out of. We've visited these friends a few times since their son was born (they live in Seattle) but it wasn't until this last trip that I noticed that he wasn't really like the other kids I knew his age.

Lainey doesn't play out of my sight much. She'll play by herself for awhile (10-15 minutes) but checks in physically and/or eye contact regularly. I think at daycare she probably plays longer without wanting to be held. She's really starting to play/interact with other kids. Very cute. This boy didn't even make eye contact with me really - didn't play peek-a-boo. He was very into his puzzles, would watch Baby Einstein videos endlessy (his mom only uses them while making dinner).

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Becky, yes, seven kids does sound like way too much! I hope the director calls you back soon and you can get it straightened out. I wonder what the other parents are doing who had planned to have their kids there.

That's a great idea about taking turns each year making the anniversary plans. I was more than willing to make the plans this year, but then when my DH acted not interested I got frustrated.

Thanks for the good thoughts about Caitlyn's appt. I'm nervous about it. I know eventually there will be an appt. where he says, OK, let's talk about the surgery. Until that happens I can keep pretending she's just like any other kid. At our block party I met a woman down the street who actually works with the surgeon who will do Caitlyn's surgery. She was very complimentary about him and said he is the best. I've heard that before, but it was good to hear it again.

Great idea about the cake, too!

Sorry to hear Noah still isn't feeling well. Hopefully he'll be back to normal soon. How is he sleeping while he is sick? I'm sure the generic tylenol is fine. In fact, we use it alot. Have you tried Motrin? It lasts longer and seems more effective in bringing down my kids fevers. We've used it for Caitlyn, too. That's too bad about postponing the trip. But, if Noah isn't feeling well, he won't enjoy it. And, he'll probably get better rest at home which will help him get better faster.

[MrsReber]

Wow, so many posts! I went to a lunch time service at a nearby church. I really think I needed that today. I've been on the verge of tears all day and can't really talk about the events 2 years ago. I am quite surprised because I didn't think I'd feel this bad today.

Anyway, while I was gone, the daycare called to say that Casey has a rash on her legs, arms and face. She otherwise seems fine. I wasn't here so they called DH. He left me a message saying "make a doctor's appointment. Casey has to go." That was it. I called him back. He said he called the doctor and made the appointment himself!! That was a FIRST! I think maybe she actually had something going on last week and that the rash is a reaction to a virus. Just my maternal feeling. DH says it has to be the sunscreen. We've been using it for at least a year, so I don't think that's it. Plus, there are spots on her butt and I don't think they put sunscreen on under her diaper! He's all worried. I'm sure it's just a reaction to something. She's been vaccinated for everything else involving red spots! Interestingly enough, however, I did read that Lyme disease can cause a red, blotchy rash. We shall see. So, anyway, I called DH back. He said "where were you?" I said "At a church service". He said "why??" He really had no clue. So, Joanne, yes, men are clueless. He didn't even call me on this day 2 years ago, knowing that my mom works right at the site of the attack. I'm just kind of suffering alone today so the church service was good. It was nice to be with other people who are also hurting.

Kim, the Mary Kay thing isn't exactly working out for me. If I had the time to put into it, it might be going better. I do make some money here and there and my mom told her friends how great it is. Actually, a few of them asked her what she's using because her skin really does look great. I know you weren't implying that MK stuff is overpriced. It is actually cheaper than a lot of the department store stuff. However, both me and my mom agree that we like Bath and Body Works shower gel much better than MK (isn't that awful!).

Joanne, my neighbor's husband not only forgot her birthday, but also forgot their 5 year anniversary. Hoo boy is he ever in the dog house! He actually slept outside in their camper one night because she didn't want him in the house!

Nori, Noah sounds like he's doing fine. I wouldn't worry about head size. It just means he's got a huge brain! Okay, so that's what I tell myself about Brenden. :D !

[RunnerKim]

Becky - maybe it is Developmental and not personality. What you describe sounds right. That's re-assuring to hear. I'll have to see if I have that magazine in my stack of stuff to read/sort. I get a couple of parenting magazines - no idea why or if someone sent them, they just started showing up.

Susan - I have to admit I didn't know the 9/11 anniversary was today until yesterday. We had friends visiting from DC a few months ago and it was really interesting how much more affected they still were in day-to-day life than we are out here on the west coast.

I agree with Joanne on the Motrin - that was more effective for Lainey too (actually we were using them both, it wasn't until adding the Motrin that the fever dropped).

Joanne, your DH has done some wonderfully romantic things, it sounds like he was a hard time doing it on-demand though (anniversary date). Maybe he's too tired to think about going out?

Kim

[MrsReber]

Kim, I can see how people in other parts of the country might not be affected, but it is still a very real thing here. I can't not think about it when I look out the window at work. It was part of the view, a mere 7 miles from here. Also, a few people who work here lost family members. I've been thinking of my mom all day and wondering how she's doing. A woman I work with was trying to schedule a meeting today with NJ Transit. The NJ Transit people were very offended that she would even think of scheduling a meeting today. They really were in the thick of it.

I wish I had gotten the call from daycare because I would've gone home! I don't have many train options at this point so here I sit, surfing the boards. Guess I should be trying to work, huh? :p

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, I can see how it would be harder to cope being so close to where 9/11 happened. To actually know people who lost loved ones, too. It is such a sad day. It seems mundane to go about every day tasks. My mom works in Sears Tower; I remember being so scared for her for months after it happened. It could have so easily, and could still, have happened to her. I just can't imagine.

That's good that DH took the initiative and made the doctor's appt. Has Casey had the Lyme's disease test yet? My kids have gotten rashes after viruses, too. I forget what they called it, roseola, maybe?

Kim, you are so right. DH has done some romantic things (like my bracelet). I should take a step back and not get upset. He does have alot on his mind. I was mostly upset about his attitude about the whole thing. But, maybe he'll come through. He is strange; for occasions where you would expect some type of acknowledgement, like birthdays, Mothers day, anniversaries, he usually forgets. But then he will do something out of the blue on an ordinary day. Maybe it's guilt! I think he doesn't like being "told" when he should do something.

[MrsReber]

Joanne, DH just called me from the dr's office. Apparently some other kid in Casey's class had a similar rash last week and it just went away on its own. A weird thing happened to him on the way to the doctor. He saw an accident near the light just before the dr's office. He actually saw it happen- this woman ran a stop sign and plowed into the side of a car. And who was driving the car but his brother! This is the brother I finally met at Brenden's birthday party. His brother was okay, but DH says he was flipping out. DH tried to calm him down and told him to make sure he wasn't hurt. How weird!

I was reading up on roseola since Casey did have it before. They said it doesn't recur. That left me with a few other options from my What to Expect the First Year book. Measels- nope, chicken pox- nope, Non-specific virus - most likely, Lyme disease- a very slight possibility. No, she hasn't had the test yet. The doctor had said to wait 6 weeks from when the tick bite happened. DH said that should be next week. I can't believe she was just at the doctor's office one week ago!

Joanne, I get mad at my DH for similar things. He thinks my birthday is no big deal, just another day. But he did tell me that he is just a "dumb guy" and that if these things are important to me, I need to tell him. He does do nice things out of the blue so maybe you're right that they don't want to have to do things on a time table. I hope your DH does at least a little something nice for you!

[nori]

MrsReber, 2 years ago this day, I wasn't even on this board....well not that frequently. I think I just signed up for because I needed to post about supper club. So obviously, I didn't know about you and yor mom working there. It must be very scary. There have been a lot of memorial service or advertisement in the paper about 9/11. Hard to believe it's been 2 years already. Hope Casey's rash is nothing serious. Good for your DH making an appointment by himself. Mine isn't that stage yet.:p

Joanne, sorry to hear about your DH's reaction to your anniversary.:( Maybe he's so stressed out about tomorrow's Caitlyn's appointment??? Too occupied to think of nothing else?? It is a big milestone, for sure, and you have a right to get upset about it. Hope you two can celebrate in some ways both of you are happy with. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow....hopefully good news for Caitlyn. That's assuring to see someone who works for her surgeron and hear he's great.

Oh, and I wanted to comment about Jameson....so cute!!! Now how old is he now again??? (sorry...:o ) How does he feel about that girl??:D

Kim, I think Discovery Toy has a lot of great toys...my parents got Noah this Duckie Walker and Round-Around or something like that sort of name. That's the one you push the top and inside balls spin around. Walker is still too early for Noah, but he likes to push it back and forth while he's sitting down. Like he does with Swiffer.
:rolleyes:

Becky, good idea about practice cake! Actually I did similar thing...when I did practice bake, I sent it next morning to DH's office where everyone was happy to get a cake. I couldn't risk having that cake arond the house.

Noah is napping again. I gave him another dose of tyrenol (okay, generic kind). It's hard to give baby a medicine...I hope he's getting any. He shuts his mouth tight and uses his both hands to defense his mouth.:o He didn't spit up, so hopefully he got what he need.

I have a question.....seems like his temperture is higher at night, which I've heard is normal. Right now, his temperture feels pretty low, but I gave him medicine anyway. The instruction says every 4 hour, but do you give it to him, although he seems fine at that moment??? I'd give a dose tonight around bedtime for sure, but should I skip day-time doses since you can't exceed more than 5 times during 24 hour???

[MrsReber]

Nori, my kids love the swifter, too. Why is it we buy toys??

What I try to do is stretch out the doses. The first doctor we used to see (he left the practice) would say to give Tylenol if the baby seems uncomfortable at all. Fever is not a bad thing as long as it's not too high. Fever is a body's way of fighting off an illness and it's not so bad to let his body do what it needs to do. That's how we build up immunity to things. That being said, since you had him checked out by the doctor, you may want to skip a tylenol dose during the day if Noah seems fine and not in any discomfort.

DH called and Casey has ---- an allergic reaction to something. It's exactly what I said. The doctor said to give her benedryl. Guess she'll be asleep early tonight! Time for me to go home!! Yeah!!!

[cchhbb]

I just found out that the son of a friend from church has a heart defect. She had a rough pregnancy and was on bed rest much of the time. The baby wasn't gaining weight properly. They went to a ped cartologist yesterday who immediately hospitalized him and they are going to do a heart caterization today to determine what the next steps are for the surgery next week. Please include little Coleman in your thoughts and prayers.

Joanne, since you've had first hand experience is there anything you would recommend that I do for my friend and her family? I've already signed up to bring food for them both to the hospital and at home. They have a two year old who is spending time with the grandparents.

I feel so sorry for my friend Liz. Her first son needed emergency surgery when he was 3 weeks old to untwist his intestine. And now this.

Cheryl

[JoanneOR]

Nori, Jameson will be 7 in a few weeks. I asked him about the girl who "loves" him and he got mad at me. I guess more like embarrassed. It was kind of funny, but I let it drop! Then Ian started singing the baby carriage song, you know the one where they are k-i-s-s-i-n-g in a tree? I don't know where in the world he heard that! He's only 5.

Nori, you don't need to give the Tylenol every four hours unless his fever comes back. Sometimes we would if the fevers had been really high, just to catch it so it wouldn't go up that high again. But, like Mrs. Reber said, fevers aren't really bad. They help to fight the virus. You can try to go 5-6 hours between doses and see how he does. We always give Motrin right before bedtime because it lasts longer.

[JoanneOR]

Cheryl, we must have been posting the same time. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's baby.

I think you are doing the right things. Just let her know you are there for her, bringing them food is good. Maybe you could offer to watch their other boy, Garrett might enjoy having him to play with, too. That way the grandparents can be at the hospital if they want to.

If she is interested, I'd be happy to talk with her. It's really overwhelming at first and it helps to talk with others who have gone through similar things. It helps to know what to expect, too. There are some good web sites for parents of kids with heart defects, too. I would be happy to share those with her. I felt like I was so alone, but learned there are so many others who have gone through similar situations.

I will definitely keep Coleman in my prayers. Keep us posted.

[BeckyM]

I can't believe the number of posts in a day!

Cheryl -- I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's son. Thankfully I can only imagine what that must feel like to a mother, but even imagining makes me feel just awful. Joanne, it was really nice of you to offer to talk to Cheryl's friend. I'm sure if it were me, I would appreciate talking to anyone who's been through it.

MrsReber -- I realized today that it was very weird that today is "Patriot Day", but I didn't really have a way to mark the day. If I were working, I'm sure we would have paused for a moment of silence, and everyone would have been wearing red, white, & blue. I didn't even think about the moment of silence this morning, but I did dress myself & Katie in the closest things to red, white, & blue I could come up with. It is interesting how something like that could fade in importance to those of us who don't live with constant reminders. I almost felt guilty when I realized there was a national moment of silence (when I was listening to the radio later in the day), and I hadn't stopped to observe it or even know it was going on. I'm glad you were able to get to a church service to share with others who were suffering. I'm also glad to hear you were right about Casey's rash and that your DH actually got her to the doctor all on his own.

Joanne -- I remember having a crush on a boy when I was seven. He was actually very nice, and one day at recess we actually walked around the playground talking. Other kids started singing that k-i-s-s-i-n-g song, only I remember no one knew what the word was really supposed to be, so they just substituted random letters. Next thing you know, girls are going to start calling Jameson on the phone! (Hopefully that won't start too soon!)

I suppose I'd better get something done now. I've spent enough time on the computer "socializing" for the day.

By the way, the daycare director still hasn't called me back. I'll definitely call her tomorrow, bright and early!

Becky :)

[nori]

Cheryl, sorry to hear about your friend's son.:( It'll be a great idea to take little boy in sometime to give grandparents a break. I'm sure knowing you're there would be a great comfort for her family.

Joanne, You said you had no idea where Ian got the idea of that carriage song. At age 5, you would think you know everything he knows.:o (or at least I thought I would.....I guess not.) In parents magazine, there was an article about kids learning so much stuff from TV (especially bad stuff) not realizing those are bad. That song isn't that bad, but maybe he got it from TV, or friends at school???
Oh, and Happy 15th Anniversary!!!! What a milestone!!! And please keep us posted about Caitlyn's appointment.

MrsReber, Did Casey sleep well??? Do you have to do allergic test to see what caused the rash, or just let it go at this point?? I had exzema as a kid so I"m a bit worried about Noah, too, that someday he might have some rash. Those can be nasty, and I hate to think about it. Of course at this point, eggs are off-limits.:(

Becky,hope you'll hear from the director soon. Must be stressful not be able to know what'll happen.

Well DH is off on the road trip this morning. Noah is still sleeping, so I'm enjoying my quiet morning. (I almost forgot how it was like!!!) He did better last night. But he woke up a lot, and didn't go back to sleep without nursing. I nursed him because I wanted him to sleep a lot. He felt bit warmer than usual around 1am so I gave him Tyrenol. After that, he was okay, and this morning, he seems normal temperture (still haven't taken temperture, but just feeling). But he is sleeping more than usual. We'll take it very easy and slow this weekend. (Not fun for me!)

Have a nice weekend, everyone! I"ll check in later today if I can.

[cchhbb]

Joanne, thanks for volunteering to talk to my friend. I passed it on to my friend via e-mail. Who knows when she will get it. Today is Coleman's surgery. They found out that they will have to only repair the aorta and the hole in his heart, not the more extensive surgery. Everyone, please continue to pray for him.

Nori, I hope Noah continues to improve. I know when Garrett had a fever back in May he tended to sleep a lot. Be prepared that he might get a rash once the fever goes away. This is really common according to our doctor.

I fed Garrett wheat germ banana pancakes this morning. He loved them. This is his first try at egg whites. We'll see if he has an allergy too.

Garrett took an one hour twenty minute nap yesterday afternoon in his crib. That is the longest he has ever slept in his crib during the day. He was really pooped from preschool in the morning. Unfortunately that was his only nap of the day. I put him to bed at 6:30. He slept until 5:45 nursed and then slept until 7:45.

[nori]

Just a quick note...Noah now has diarreha (sp?).:( Or, very runny poop. His fever seems gone (96 this morning) for now and his mood is much better than yesterday. Should I call the doctor??? What can I do for diarreha??

[MrsReber]

Cheryl, your poor friend. That must be so horrible to have to go through that. Like Becky said, I can't even imagine how that must feel. It does make me sad to think about it.

Nori, isn't quiet time great? I think we'll be having a slow paced weekend, too. Lots of rain is coming our way. My mom is with the kids today. She seems to think Brenden doesn't feel well. He went back to sleep as I was talking to her. He was up until 10:00 last night, though. Might have something to do with it.

DH bought Benedryl last night, after I explained that there IS such a thing as children's benedryl. He was going to buy regular adult strength! I read the dosing instructions and it said 1-2 tsp for a 6-12 year old child and that for a child under 6, consult your doctor. I asked DH how much the doctor said to give to Casey. He said "she didn't say. Just give her the 6-12 dose". I laughed! A 6 year old probably weighs a bit more than Casey does! She's even light for a 2 year old! I went with 1/2 tsp and I think that might have been a bit too much. She got very tired about 10 minutes later and was lying on the floor. She asked for milk and could barely stay awake to drink any of it. She also slept in her bed all night without getting up once so I know she was knocked out. I told my mom to try 1/4 tsp. She said she figured she better ask me because DH told her to give Casey 1 tsp! She would've slept all day!

Cheryl, before Brenden turned 1, he began to take a 60-90 minute nap during the day. That's the only nap that he'll take! I remember Casey still taking 2 naps during the day at that age. He does sleep a bit longer at home, especially when it's rainy out. It's sunny and beautiful right now, but the clouds are supposed to come in later.

It's so quiet here today. So many people took the day off or are out of the office for meetings.

[MrsReber]

Nori, my mom said Brenden also had diarrhea this morning. Ugh! Anyway, make sure he drinks plenty so he doesn't get dehydrated. You can give him something to bind him, like bananas or rice, maybe toast? It's probably just from the virus. Oh, and someone mentioned before that rashes from viruses are very common. That usually happens after the fever breaks, but I can attest that it is indeed common.

[AnnaSue]

Hi Everyone.. I've tried to catch up as best I could. Can't wait til things are calmer after this month.

Joanne - Your kids are so cute. They all look so much alike in that picture! Your block party sounds like it was lots of fun too. I hope we'll have nice neighbors at our new house. Sorry I don't know the whole history on Caitlyn's condition from the beginning. What type of surgery does she have to have?

MrsReber - How is Casey doing? Did the rash go away? Yesterday must've been a very difficult day for you. I hope everyone in that area is doing is well as can be expected.

Cheryl - That is great that you get to go see your parents. I'm still hoping to take Brendan to see my mom some time. She would be SO excited! Sorry to hear about your friends baby. Sounds like you are a good friend to help her so much.

Jorgan - How awful about your daycare! I can certainly relate right now. Did you talk to the director? Talking to the director of Brendan's daycare seemed to help a little. They at least fixed the lock on the front door, and he has his own crib now. He still came home in some other kids diaper yesterday though, which isn't that big a deal, but it just goes to show how they can't keep any of the babies stuff straight.

Becky - Did you talk to the daycare director yet?

Brendan just started screaming so I have to go, but I'll be back later with more MIL problems.:mad:

[MrsReber]

AnnaSue! I've been thinking of you since my MIL was back in action last weekend :rolleyes: . I hope things are going smoothly for you!

Our daycare did the same thing with the diapers. It bothers me a bit in that I don't know who else might be using our diapers. I like to just pay for my own child's diapers. They figured they'd put initials on the bottoms of all the diapers. Too bad my daughter (initials CR) has a child name Chris Richardson (CR) also in her class. She kept coming home in his diapers. It doesn't bother me too much now. They seem to have straightened that mess out. Also, they change the diapers so frequently there that I wasn't concerned with the quality of another brand. (tip for Becky- don't buy the best ones for daycare!) I buy the diapers that I really like for use at home and get less expensive ones for daycare since they change them at least every 2 hours. The other daycare would change them every hour!

AnnaSue, yes, yesterday was very difficult, but I feel much better today. It's odd how things have affected me on that level. I really didn't think I'd feel as bad as I did yesterday.

[RunnerKim]

Joanne - thinking of you and Caitlyn today. Let us know how the appt. with the cardiologist goes.

Nori - If the diahrrea keeps up for more than a day then I'd call your doctor - considering it's Friday, maybe call in the afternoon just for peace of mind. I'm sure it's the same virus running it's course. Make sure he's drinking a lot. I took Lainey in about 3 weeks ago because she vomited a couple of times and was having completely liquid diahrrea. The doctor said to continue to feed normal foods, studies have shown that bland foods don't make you heal faster. Bananas will firm up the existing poop though (just want make him return to normal sooner) and Juice will make it more liquid so I'd not give any of that. Lainey's poop still hasn't returned to normal (doctor said it could take weeks).

AnnaSue - how much longer until your MIL arrives? Have you closed on your new house yet?

Susan- benedryl really knocks out my DH too. Within 10 minutes like that. It was hilarious because DH never takes drugs and I can't remember what on earth moved him to this time but he was fighting staying awake so hard just because he couldn't imagine going to bed at 8pm. Wow Casey would probably have slept for days with 1 tsp!

Cheryl - keep us posted on your friend. Glad it's not as serious as it could have been.

Lainey seems to be going towards one nap. It's happening more and more anyway. Used to be it would happen every once in awhile on the weekends and I figured that was because we were too busy in the morning and she'd nap late. But now it's seeming like she's doing that at daycare more and more.

Kim

[AnnaSue]

Alright.. I'm back now. Brendan was finally really hungry after having a really poor appetite the last several days. He has been SO sick! It all started with a cold about three weeks ago (maybe more), and it looked like he was getting better, but then he got much worse. His fever went back up over 102, and he developed a terrible cough! I literally lost three nights sleep over this cough because he would cough every few seconds all night long. It would get so bad that his eyes would water, be'd turn bright red, and he'd frequently throw up all over the place. He also had an ear infection on top of it, and the antibiotics seem like they are finally starting to take effect. I hope he is finally getting over this.

Anyway.. I have 33 hours remaining until MIL arrives. I am REALLY dreading this! I swear, I just feel sick over it. To make matters worse, DH is once again insisting that is mother babysit Brendan.:mad: He seemed to be coming around on the issue before, but now he is being very stubborn about it. I told him last night that I think it is too long of a time for her to watch him while we are at work. On days that I work the morning shift, she would be alone with him for at least 10 hours!:eek: I tried to reach a compromise by saying maybe she could watch him on days where there is a shorter period of time where DH and I would both be at work, but he keeps saying how I am too much of a worrier, and that she'll "probably" be fine. I'm feeling really upset by this, because I feel like he is just afraid to stand up to her, since she throws tantrums like a two year old, but I don't think he should jeopardize our baby's safety because of it! As I suspected, he has been saying things like "Well, you feel alright leaving him with YOUR parents!". Well.. yes, but my parents are normal people. His mother is nearly 80, very frail, mentally deranged, and hasn't looked after a baby in around 33 years!! Brendan is a very fidgety baby, and I'm really afraid that she may drop him since he is always lunging himself around. Also, she has never even met Brendan, and knows nothing whatsoever about what he likes, what calms him down, or what any of his needs are during the day. I could really see him getting upset during the day, and she wouldn't have any idea what to do with him. The daycare wants to know if he'll be back after today, yet DH and I cannot come to an agreement on this at all! I'm thinking about asking at work if I can just use my remaining two weeks of vacation time now, but it really makes me mad that I have to spend my valuable vacation days with her! :mad: I was hoping to use them to go to Arizona in November. I'm just so frustrated with DH always being so intimidated by his family. Last time we went to England, his brother picked us up from the airport at night during a rainstorm, and proceeded to drive 120 mph! I had to tell him to slow down, because DH was too afraid to say anything. I'm tired of him risking our safety for these people!

I'm sorry this is so long. I just needed to vent about this right now. Thanks for listening.:o

[RunnerKim]

(((AnnaSue)))
If I'm figuring it right your MIL doesn't arrive until Sunday? She wouldn't even have a full day with him before your DH wants her to watch him all day? Stand your ground. Everything you're saying sounds very reasonable to me. Tell day care he'll be there next week (what happens if you end up not using them?) Am I remembering correctly that your MIL is a smoker? Particularly with him coming off this nasty cold/virus he should NOT be around someone so much who smokes. How long is she here again? Your DH sounds like he has major issues with his family - good thing they don't live close! Does he really feel that his mother can care for him? Does he understand he's choosing his mother over you? I'm at a loss to think of a compromise that would work for him but still provide you and Brendan with peace of mind/safety.

Lainey went through a very similar sick period as it sounds Brendan just went through - right down to the eating tons afterwards. Those coughing fits are the worst - Lainey would sleep through most of them, but not me. Hang in there - sounds like he's fully on the mend now.

Kim

[JoanneOR]

AnnaSue, feel free to come here to vent! I do! I think you are totally 100% right in not wanting your MIL to babysit. She sounds wacky (for lack of a better word!) and didn't you also says she smokes? If Brendan is just getting over a respiratory illness, that will be even worse for him. I wish I could say something to help, but I don't know what you can do. It would be horrible to spend your two weeks of vacation with her. Can DH take some time off? Or is he resisting doing that? Did you tell her that you will still have to pay for daycare even if he's not there? I don't know if that's true or not, but it might help to say that. It sounds like DH doesn't want to stand up for you, but he needs to have Brendan's best interests in mind. Maybe after a day of babysitting she would realize it's too much for her and she wouldn't mind if he went to daycare. Hope it all works out. Think ahead to two weeks when this will all be behind you. Have a big "the witch is gone" celebration!! OK, now I'm getting goofy, just trying to make you laugh. :)

Hope Brendan is feeling better. Those coughs are terrible. Caitlyn is getting over a cold and thankfully this time it didn't move into her chest. At least not yet.

Nori, hope Noah starts to feel better, too. You probably don't need to bring him in for the diarrhea. But you could call to ask what they suggest you do with his diet. Just make sure he gets lots of fluids.

AnnaSue, Caitlyn needs heart surgery. She was born with several defects and had a somewhat minor (wasn't open heart) surgery at birth. She will need open heart surgery sometime in the future; we don't know when yet.

Our appt. is this afternoon. I am working a half day and then meeting DH and Caitlyn at the doctor's. I'll give an update sometime this weekend.

Cheryl, it sounds like your friend's son's defects are a bit less severe than they originally thought. That's good. Any type of surgery is scary, though, especially heart surgery. Let us know how he is doing. The family must be going through so much anxiety right now.

Nori, I don't know where Ian heard that song. Maybe at school. Although I hope no one was singing it to him!

I'm not looking forward to having girls call the house! Those are my boys! Hopefully I have a few years for that.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[Karen M]

You need to be really really really really careful with children's benedryl. One of my co-workers who is also a new mom brought in an article from the newspaper about an in-home day care worker in FL who got an 8 year sentence for manslaughter for giving a 3 and a half month old baby a dose of benedryl to make her sleep (she wasn't even sick). The baby stopped breathing in her sleep and died. The coroner reported that the dose was about 1 tablespoon given in a bottle of breastmilk, twice the dose an adult would need. I'm not saying this to freak anyone out, just to warn them that there are dangers with over the counter stuff, and make sure you check with your doctor on dosages if you are unsure.

[AnnaSue]

Karen - That is a good point about the Benadryl. I am a pharmacist, and parents are always asking how much to give their little babies. I always tell them to ask their physician though if they are under 6. There are a lot of studies that young children often have very serious reactions to antihistamines (even in normal doses), and lots of doctors won't recommend them.

Thanks for the support regarding my MIL. She arrives at 7 pm tomorrow, and yes, she is a chain smoker. I can't see how she could go 10 hours without smoking. Unfortunately, DH can't take time off since he just started a new job teaching, and already has to take time off for our closing etc. As one of you said, I'm hoping by the end of the weekend it will become clear to DH that she is not a suitable babysitter!

[MrsReber]

Karen, wow, that is awful!! 1 Tablespoon?!?! :eek: What is wrong with people? Luckily, that would never happen in my daycare. We have to go through a battle just to get them to administer a dose of Tylenol. They can't do it without a doctor's signature and a parent's signature. Anyway, I'm pretty careful about what medications we use and the doses.I know how Benedryl makes me feel! Wow, I can't believe anyone would give that much to a 3 month old baby. That is just plain stupidity at its worst. I was thinking that 1/2 tsp looked like a bit much for my 2 year old.

AnnaSue, did you think of trying to get the doctor to side with you? Not in a blatant way, but maybe, since Brendan is getting over this sickness, you could ask the doctor of the dangers of letting a smoker watch your child? Maybe DH would listen to you if you had the doctor backing you up? I know how it is killing you to think of leaving his mother in charge of your child for an entire day. I get the very same stressed out feeling when DH brings up the topic (which is NOT very often since he knows his mom is nuts). I'd would rather take a day without pay than let her watch my children. Just like you, I don't care if she took care of her own kids 35 years ago. She is also 35 years older than she used to be. Not a kid anymore. I hope this all works out for you. I can imagine what kind of stress you must feel over this. I do find it hard to believe that this woman even wants to watch a baby for 10 hours a day! Does she not remember how much work it is? That's probably part of why you're afraid- who knows if she'll pay enough attention to him or if he'll just cry most of the day. In the end, you really really have to do what you feel most comfortable with as a mother. There is no way you'll make it through a whole day at work. Are you able to use 1/2 vacation days? Maybe you could work it out where you don't have to use up all of your time? I will definitely be thinking of you! Hang in there! The visit will come and go and life will get back to normal. It's just a matter of getting past that big dreaded visit!

[erinl]

Susan, last time Hanne had a rash, the pediatrician told me I could try Benedryl. She looked up the dose and told me I could give her a full teaspoon. I could never get that much into Hanne, and it didn't make her the least bit tired. :rolleyes:

[MrsReber]

Erin, too funny that it didn't make Hanne tired! Not good for you, though! Okay, so maybe I'll stick with the 1/2 tsp or a little more. No, we rarely get the entire dose in. I was trying to make it seem like a big, special thing that only she could have. It may have worked. Well, last night at least. She's very sensitive to medications, same as me. It doesn't take much to put me out. Good to know I'm okay with the dose, though. I didn't really want to call the doctor last night after office hours to ask. I'm sure she told DH what the dose would be. This is the danger of him going to the doctor's office.

[RunnerKim]

I'm eating my lunch (leftovers from last night) and it reminds me that we fed Lainey meat for the first time last night, I thought Becky might be interested to know that we were having a simple pasta, (jarred :o ) red sauce and we'd made up these meatballs to put with it. Froze a bunch. Meatballs are turkey suasage, ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and italian herb seasoning. I just put a few small pieces on her tray and she ate them right up. DH was so pleased for some reason, I wasn't in any hurry to get her to eat meat but I am thrilled we're sharing our meal.

Karen's that an awful story about the overdose and a good reminder to double check dosage amounts.

Kim

[BeckyM]

Wow! Karen, thanks for sharing the info on over-the-counter drugs. We're very careful with Katie (haven't even actually given her any drugs yet), but it's good to have that reminder. I realized when Katie came down with her cold that all the children's Tylenol we had in the house was past the expiration date (stuff we had gotten for shower gifts and had never even opened), so I threw it all out and went to the store to get more. I had no idea there were so many children's pain relievers. I think I ended up getting Motrin or Advil, because the Tylenol bottle said for dosages under 2 years to check with a doctor. The bottle I bought did have dosage info for Katie's age, so I figured it would be safer for her than something that said to check with the doctor. That may have been faulty reasoning, but now we at least have some sort of pain reliever in the house.

Joanne -- I'm thinking about you and Caitlyn right now. I sure hope the doctor finds the best possible scenario.

AnnaSue -- I echo what everyone else has said. I certainly wouldn't be comfortable letting your MIL watch Katie. DH and I have agreed entirely that we wouldn't want her to be babysat by a smoker. Even if the person promised not to smoke, the smell of it would be all over her. I think it's a good idea to check with the doctor and see if they have info on second-hand smoke and how it would affect Brendan with his illness.

Kim -- thanks for the info on the meat. Katie gobbled up part of a veggie burger again today at lunch, so I'm thinking a hamburger or meatball wouldn't be that much different texture-wise. I'm still amazed that she seems to like the spicy stuff so much!

Nori -- have a good weekend, even though your DH will be gone. Hopefully Noah will continue to get better, so you can relax a bit and enjoy the weekend. I sure hope his diahrrea goes away soon.

Well, I need to get busy making dinner. I haven't cooked a meal in several days, and I have the ingredients for the Rosemary-Merlot Flank Steak from the most recent CL. I hope it turns out well!

I almost forgot to mention about the daycare! I didn't get ahold of the director of the new daycare, but I did talk to the director of the daycare they have that is already existing. She told me they are aiming for opening either the first or second week of October. If they open the first week, that would work perfectly for me -- the second week would mean trouble! I asked her if she knew if there were any teachers for the new place who would be interested in watching Katie here until the new one opens. She thought it was a great idea and said she has had some of the extra teachers helping her out at the current place, but she's not going to need all of them. She said she would check with the teachers and also let the other director know. I still haven't heard back, but I'm glad she thought it sounded workable. She also told me they re-scheduled the open house again, this time for Sept. 27th, which is also the day we've planned for Katie's birthday party! It figures! So there's no way we'll be able to make the open house. She did say the director of the new place was going to try to do something on a smaller scale on the 20th for people who can't make it the 27th. I just wish she would call me back so I can talk to her directly! I know she's awfully busy, and I'm glad the other director was so helpful though.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Becky :)

[nori]

I tried to post this afternoon but when I hit the button, the entire message got lost!! Oh well.

Thanks for comments about his diarrhea. He hasn't pooped since then, but he's been much in better mood than yesterday. He is eating a bit, too.....like crackers and grilled cheese sandwich. Still drinking a lot of water which is good. His temperature was 98 this afternoon. He was more active throughout the day and he only took 2 naps like his normal day. I think diarrhea was part of the course of virus.

AnnaSue, as everyone said, you have every reason to not want to have your MIL watching Brendan. It's frustrating your DH doesn't get that...hopefully he'll come to that conclusion over the weekend. No baby should be watched by chain-smoker!!!:mad: Poor Brendan, glad to hear that he's feeling better, too. It is so hard to watch them when they're sick.

Becky, hopefully you can get one of the teachers to watch Katie as a backup plan. That sounds like a good idea....in that way they can get used to each other.

Tonight one of my friends stopped by with KFC for dinner for us. I was trying not to go out with Noah being sick past few days, so it was nice to see her. DH called an hour ago. This time it took him 12 hours to get there. Last time was about 14 to 15 hours but this time he took our newer car (yes I got the old one:rolleyes: ) plus no kids, he said he only took 20 min. lunch break. Oh, forgot to mention but he took one of his friends from work to go with. Anyway, there was no way Noah could make this trip so hopefully maybe in near future we can make a trip again to see MIL. I just feel bad for her.:(

Joanne, how was the doctor's appointment? Hope everything went well!

[nori]

It's me again.;)

I just wanted to thank Cheryl and MrsReber for warning about rash after the fever. This morning he developed some rash around his neck, and tummy, and a little bit on his face. I would have been freaked out seeing this, unless I've heard it from you guys. His fever is gone, and his poop this morning was normal. He is more coughing now, but I think the virus is taking it's course. He's been pretty active.

I know on weekends this board is slow, but anyone can tell me how long the rash will last after the fever??? Just curious.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!!

[cchhbb]

Nori, Saw your post. My Dr said no more than a couple of days typically. The rashes don't tend to bother babies and there is nothing that you can do for it.

I wanted to update everyone on little Coleman. He had his surgery yesterday and is in the Cardiac ICU and doing well. They said that the surgery was a success and they hope that he will be moved to a regular room on Monday. The parents appreciated everyone who has prayed for their little guy and ask that people continue to pray for his recovery.

DH makes me so upset sometimes. Today, I went to watch the Buckeyes game at a bar with my alumni association. I do this every weekend. I have asked DH if he wants me to get a sitter for Garrett or if he wants to stay with him. He said that he would stay with him. I gave him instructions on how often and what Garrett eats and said I would have my cell phone if he needed me. I was gone 5 1/2 hours due to the overtime game and he only fed Garrett lunch at 12:30. He didn't feed him at 3:00. When I walked in the door and Garrett saw me he started to hyperventilate he was so hungry. I can't believe he didn't feed him his snack. AGH! The poor little boy also didn't sleep while I was gone so he was exhausted and barely could stay awake to eat. We had this child together and we both need to raise him.

Cheryl

[BeckyM]

Cheryl -- I would be mad if my DH did that too! My DH doesn't always follow my instructions exactly, but he has never been that bad! He watched Katie for me yesterday morning while I ran some errands, and it upset me a little that he didn't bother turning on the monitor when he put her down for her nap. But that's nothing compared to your DH not feeding Garrett when he's supposed to eat! I hope your DH realizes how bad that was!

By the way, wasn't that a gut-wrenching game? It reminded me of the Fiesta Game last year. I sure hope the Buckeyes look better the rest of the season!

And thanks for the update on Coleman. Glad to hear he's doing well. How are his parents handling it all? It sounds like they have a good circle of support.

Nori -- I'm glad to hear Noah is feeling better. Hopefully his rash will go away soon. Katie has never had that happen before, so I don't have any personal experience with it. And how nice of your friend to stop by with food. It must have been nice to have some adult company.

Last night we went to a wedding reception for a friend of mine. We had tried to get a babysitter, but anyone who was recommended to us was busy that night. Since Katie was included on the invitation, we decided to take her instead. She did really well, though she wanted to crawl around all the time. She crawled clear across the dance floor (during dinner, when it wasn't occupied) to visit the bride and groom. Katie was entranced by the bride's little 3-year old daughter who was wearing a long, pretty dress. Katie kept trying to crawl after her and grab the dress. The only times Katie got upset were when she fell and banged her head a bit and when they turned the lights down and the music up for dancing. She got over it both times though and was her normal, cute self. We had to go home earlier than we would have otherwise, to get Katie in bed, but we're glad we took her. She is so much fun to have around!

Today we have a picnic to go to for a women's group I'm in. It's right in the middle of Katie's normal second naptime, so we're trying to figure out what to do. We're not sure whether to try to keep her up longer in the morning and just have her do one nap in the middle of the day or if we should go separately and have DH bring her later. We'll just have to see how the day goes.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Becky :)

[nori]

Cheryl, thanks for rash advice. It's still there, but I think getting better. I'm sure I would have called the doctor's office if not reading your post! Glad to hear little Coleman is doing well. Must be a relief for his family, too! Thanks for update. And I understand your feeling about DH.....they (men) just don't think the way we are. That's something my DH would have done...We had this huge argument last week about how to raise Noah. He didn't like the way I'm still breastfeeding (:rolleyes: and mind you I'm trying to wean him...but slowly), he thinks that's the reason he doesn't sleep through the night. He also doesn't like the way I'd pick him up from highchair when he gets fussy and I'm making dinner. He thinks we should let him know that this is no time mommy can pick him up...well I did pick him up because DH was doing nothing sitting next to him, drinking a glass of wine! I just "assumed" that he'd want to cuddle and play with him after the long day at the office, but he told me that he was "trying to" teach him to sit still. Well I didn't know I just thought he must be too tired to pick him up or play with him, so that's why I intervened. We just found out that this is our first time having such a big difference about our opinion since we got married...oh he would like to cry it out, too.:eek: (You know I can't.) Right after that, Noah got sick so those things have been put off...but it'll be a challenge to talk over those issues with DH! Anyway, I just wanted to add that I really can see how upset you are....(((((Cheryl)))))

Becky, the wedding reception sounds like fun! It'll be soon to be able to get one of those cute dress for Katie!

We're supposed to be at this meeting before church starts this morning and I was trying to make it since DH won't be around. But, Noah got back to sleep about the time we have to leave, so I've decided to skip the meeting this morning. He needs some more rest. His rash is still there, but he is eating much more than 2 days ago. The problem I see now is maybe he is getting more cling to me....well I guess it happens when he gets sick and I was so responsive whatever he wants...we got backwards about weaning process (DH will be so happy:rolleyes: )since he rather nurse than eat those past few days. Oh well.

[nori]

I know I"m talking to myself here,:o but I have a question regarding Noah's rash.

It appeared Saturday morning, I recall, and of course as Cheryl said, I understand it'll take more days to have them dissapeared. But those rash is almost entire body...except legs. Lower face, back, tummy, neck, and a bit on arms. They don't seem to bother him, and some of them (like on back) are getting lighter for sure, but I feel like he's getting additional ones on face today. Is it normal for after-fever rash? I may call doctor in tomorrow to clarify, though. Yes, I'm a first-time mommy.:p

AnnaSue, thinking about you....hope you and DH came to the conclusion that your MIL is not suitable for watching Brendan that long.

Joanne, how was Caitlyn??

And to everyone who checks in on Monday, have a nice day!

[JoanneOR]

Hi everyone. Just checking in before I go to bed.

Caitlyn's appt. went really well. Except I think they had scheduled about five kids for the same time, so it was really busy. We wound up being there about three hours. Caitlyn got really restless, but did pretty good. They did an echo which she hated. It's basically just an ultrasound of her heart, but it takes about 40 minutes and she has to lay still. It was terrible. DH had to hold her arms and legs cause she was struggling. She cried just about the whole time. We gave her a bottle and she was happy with that for about five minutes. Another nurse brought in a sucker for her. Normally I wouldn't want her to have it, but at that point, anything to make her happy was OK with me. She played with that for a few minutes and liked it until she threw it on the floor. The tech cut the echo short and went and got the doctor to she if he needed to see anything else. He said it was OK. He said her heart looks good and her defects are balancing each other. Which sounds strange, but I guess that's good. Her oxygen was up to 94%. I was really surprised because last time it was in the 80's. I expected it to go down. He said he doesn't need to see her for six months unless there is a change in her behavior or her color. I may bring her back sooner, I don't think I'm comfortable waiting that long. He said as long as she's doing well and her oxygen stays up, they'll delay the surgery as long as possible so she's as big as possible. He said it is a risky surgery, but the bigger and stronger she is, the better.

So, it was a good visit. It's great that we know will get through the holidays without any surgeries. DH and I were talking about how before she was born they were telling us she would need open heart surgery at about 6-8 months old. And how they told us all these other things could be wrong. She's done amazingly well. Even the doctors Friday seemed really pleased at how healthy she looked. Oh, and she is 31 1/4 inches and 20 pounds.

Cheryl, I know what you mean about DH's not knowing the babies schedule. My DH is actually pretty good, since he's home with the kids during the day. But, there are still some things that he doesn't get. It can be frustrating.

Nori, how's Noah's rash? My boys have had them and they would usually last a few days.

AnnaSue, hope your holding up OK this first night!

Becky, the reception sounds like it was fun. It's also fun to watch kids experience things for the first time.

OK, time for me to go to bed. I'll check in tomorrow.

[nori]

Joanne, glad to hear the good news! Sorry Caitlyn had to go through 40 min. laying down thing.:( That's tough for 1 year old. I'm sure Noah would be crying all time, too. That's crazy you had to wait 3 hours!!!?:eek: What's the appointment for?

I remember what you posted about Caitlyn's condition on the Pregnancy Thread. I think it's remarkable that she still hasn't gotten surgery yet! It won't be any easier even later, but it's good to know that it's better for her when she's bigger and stronger. What a relief!

I called in the nurse line at DH's insurance company about Noah's rash, because I found some new rash on his face today. This is 24/7 free line, so I thought I'd give it a try. I talked to the nurse and she got every detail from me (as much as I can tell her on the phone) and she agreed this must be from virus, so there's nothing we can do. She suggested if the rash changed the color, or start itching, call back again but at this point, he just have to ride through. I knew that's the case, but I just needed more assurance.;) Other than that, he's doing much better. What a weekend!!!:eek:

Okay, I'm going to bed, too....good night!

[RunnerKim]

Joanne - Yeah for Caitlyn!! That's great news about her oxygen level. 94% is excellent. She is obviously a fighter. Having to hold her down sounds horrible -- I couldn't imagine having to do that. It's bad enough changing Lainey's diaper and hopefully that only takes a couple of minutes.

Nori - that sounds like a really impressive rash Noah has going. I hope it clears up soon.

AnnaSue - how are you? Killed anyone yet? I really hope it's going better than you feared. Just think you're that much closer to when she's leaving.

Cheryl - thanks for the update on Coleman, glad it's going well for him. Very frustrating weekend. Not the way you want to return home! DH asked me the other night what he could do to help get dinner ready - I said that all I wanted was for him to keep Lainey happy. No problem he says, takes her into the living room. Not 5 minutes later she comes walking into the kitchen -with DH calling out "Where you going, Lainey?" and that was it. Didn't come get her. I gave her a spoon to entertain herself with and fortunately she didn't do her normal grabbing hold of my legs so I can't move. Argh. I have no issues with how he takes care of Lainey while I'm not around (or in sight) but if I'm there, she's somehow all my responsibility.

We were bad parents this weekend. We were camping with my sister and her 2 boys. Lainey is just walking walking walking everywhere. We thought we could keep her away from the firepit but she lunged for it and got a minor burn from the rim on her hand and arm. No mark showed up until the next morning and she doesn't seem bothered by it at all so I guess it's not serious but I just feel like - how could we have been so stupid, it could have been so much worse.

Kim

[MrsReber]

Hello! I'm working from home today. Brenden fell asleep and Casey is watching Bear in the Big Blue House. She might even be asleep. I'm afriad to go look!

Nori, sorry to hear that Noah got the rash. Casey's rash was gone by Saturday so she had it from Wednesday night until at least Friday night. It looks like Brenden got it on his legs yesterday. I gave them both an oatmeal bath last night and Brenden actually looks better today. He's not fussy and it doesn't seem to itch. Rashes seem to be fairly common. I know it looks horrible, but Noah will be just fine.

Ugh- DH's!!! I want to play, too. On Saturday morning, DH was watching tv. I told him I was getting in the shower. The kids, of course, followed me. I got out, they played in the bathroom, brushing their teeth. I walked across the hall to the bedroom to get changed and Casey somehow got into some suntan lotion. She put it in Brenden and all over herself, rubbing it in her eyes. It's kids lotion so it's actually blue. It disappears after you rub it in. After I got dressed, I found her with lotion all over in the bathroom. I threw them both right in the bath tub. Casey was crying because her eyes burned from the lotion. Well, DH FINALLY gets off the couch to help and then yells at me for letting them play in the bathroom! I told him he could've gotten off his _ _ _ and come to help me out. He told me "If you needed help, you should've asked". I told him that these are OUR children and I am not "helping" when I feed them, bathe them, put the to sleep at night, or change diapers. Why is it "helping" when he does it? Grrr. Okay, so 10 minutes later, DH is lying on the bed in our room playing with Brenden. I walk out to the kitchen to do dishes. I come back and Casey is on the floor smearing some lipstick that she got into all over the side of our bed! I told him that he should've been watching her since he was right there in the room! He said no, it's still my fault because it was my lipstick. I just wanted to bang my head against a brick wall at that point. He says I'm unreasonable. :rolleyes:

Joanne, I'm so happy to hear that Caitlyn is doing so well! She showed them all! I'm also so glad that she doesn't have to have surgery over the holidays. Holidays are stressful enough without having to deal with that.

Becky, I'm glad to hear about the wedding. We are invited to a wedding on October 26th. I don't know if we're allowed to bring the kids or not. My mom's fiance's son is getting married so all the eligible babysitters in my family will be there. I really want to bring them. The wedding is at 3:00 at the church, but we'd probably only go to the reception, which starts at 4:30. I think Casey would have fun, but I have to find out if kids are allowed first! My mom said they might be since the girl's family is huge and there are lots of kids. I just don't know who to ask! I was invited to the shower, too, but it's on a Saturday and I'm competing with hunting season. My brother was so angry to hear that DH wouldn't help me out because of hunting season. It's kind of a weird gathering of people, too, since it's my mom's fiance's ex-wife and her family as well. I would like to go to the wedding, though. I'll probably send a gift for the shower. Well, I'm going to see if Casey is asleep. Ah, quiet time! Now I can really do work. Or eat lunch. I'm hungry! DH and I might go out to dinner tonight. We'll catch the early bird special at the restaurant where we had our reception. It was either tonight or Friday. Since it looks like we'll be in the midst of a hurricane on Friday, we better go tonight!

[MrsReber]

Kim, show Lainey how she can bang on the pots! Keeps my kids busy forever! They play "drum" with wooden spoons and pots while I make dinner. Also, we cleared out a cabinet and DH put some carpet in it. The kids love to play in it!

Sorry that Lainey got hurt! DH was telling me a story not too long ago about a baby that lunged into a fire at a campsite. Don't beat yourself up over it, though! We all do things that we consider stupid- part of being a parent, I guess!

[JoanneOR]

Kim, don't feel bad about Lainey. It's impossible to keep them safe 100% of the time, especially at this age. I think it's the hardest age in terms of watching them. They are so impulsive and have no idea about what things can hurt them. I didn't realize she was walking so well. That's great!

Kim, my DH is like yours. If I'm at home, they are 100% my responsibility. I've had many episodes like yours, Mrs. Reber. Where they can tell you need help, but don't do anything. It's very frustrating! If it's any comfort, they all seem to be alike. I think it's a genetic thing.

Mrs. Reber, is the invitation addressed just to you and DH for the wedding? If so, kids probably aren't invited. But, I'm sure, if you or your mother asked, it would be fine to bring them. They might not want to include everyone's kids, though.

Caitlyn actually slept through the night last night. Yea!! First time in a long time. Or, I was just so exhausted I didn't hear her! But I doubt that. She slept from 8:00-6:00. Lately she's been up at least once a night, usually more. I hope this is a new trend!

[BeckyM]

Joanne -- It's great to hear the outcome of Caitlyn's appointment was so good. It definitely makes sense that the doctors want to wait as long as possible for the surgery, so Caitlyn is as big and strong as she can be. I imagine the thought of the surgery just looms over you threateningly, but I guess it's better to put it off, when Caitlyn will be better able to handle it. It does sound awful to have to hold her still for 40 minutes though! I can't imagine having to do that with Katie! I agree with Kim -- it's enough of a struggle to get her diaper changed!

Kim -- how scary that Lainey got so close to the fire! I have moments similar to that quite frequently, when I think Katie is fine, but she falls against something and gets a bruise or a scrape. It is almost impossible to watch them to prevent 100% of the accidents. I guess we just have to try to be as vigilant as possible. That's great that Lainey is walking so well though. Katie is getting closer and closer. She stands up all the time, and she'll cruise along the furniture, but when something seems too far away, she'll get down and crawl to it rather than cruising. She also will stand for a couple seconds without holding onto anything, so her balance is getting better and better.

MrsReber -- I can't believe your DH tried to blame the lipstick episode on you, since it was YOUR lipstick! And to me, saying, "I'll be in the shower" should be understood by the other parent to mean, "I'm indisposed, so the kids are your responsibility for a while." It's amazing what men just don't understand sometimes! I shouldn't complain about my DH, because he's better than most, but I know better than to completely trust him to watch Katie when college football (especially an Ohio State game) is on. He gets caught up in the TV, and the next thing you know, Katie is almost at our computer or pulling on the blinds on our door. Then if I go to get her, DH gets insulted and tells me he was watching her and had it under control. But last night he actually VOLUNTEERED to give Katie her bath and told me to relax with my feet up! He knew I was tired, and he had been watching TV (NFL football this time) the whole time I was giving Katie her dinner. So at least he gets it some of the time!

Nori -- I hope Noah's rash is looking better today. I think calling the nurse hotline was a good idea. I call and ask the nurses at my doctor's office questions fairly frequently, so I know it is reassuring to hear them say it's not anything serious. It's interesting to hear how you and your DH have big differences in your philosophy on how to raise Noah. It sounds like your DH wants Noah to be more grown-up than he really is. I hope the two of you can have a constructive conversation about it and come to some agreements!

Kim -- I made my practice cake, using the Buttermilk cake recipe and the frosting recipe you posted. I thought it was very good, but DH thought it was too sweet. He said it may have been because he ate too much of it though. I ended up doing one round pan and twelve cupcakes, because I only needed one round for the butterfly. The cupcakes were a bit on the small side, and the butterfly was rather thin, but it looked okay. I'm wondering if I should just try baking the entire cake mix in one 9" round pan and just making a thicker butterfly. That way I wouldn't have extra cupcakes around for us to eat, there would be more cake, AND the cake to frosting ratio would be higher, so overall the cake wouldn't be quite so sweet. My other idea is to make TWO butterfly cakes, because I don't want to run out of cake. I had thought about doing a two-layer butterfly cake, but then there would be more frosting (to hold the layers together), and it might be hard to frost and get the whole thing to stay together right if there are layers. Anyway, I'm glad I did the practice cake, because I have some ideas for improvement now. I know the cake looked good though, because I took it to a picnic, and a seven-year-old boy told me it was the best looking cake he had ever seen!

No real news on the daycare yet. We drove by it yesterday evening on the way back from our picnic, and we could see lights on and see that the director was there. So we stopped and I ran in to see her and see what progress they were making. The director apologized for not calling me yet and said she was planning to first thing Monday morning. So we talked a bit, and I explained better my idea of having one of the teachers come watch Katie at our house until the daycare opens. She said she would talk to the infant teachers and get back to me. I sure hope that works out. She said she wishes she could tell me that they're definitely opening the 29th, but she can't promise that right now. They're hoping to get their playground equipment installed by the 20th, and it did look like they still had plenty of other things to finish up too. This is so frustrating!

The picnic yesterday was fun, and Katie cooperated beautifully with her schedule. She took a REALLY long morning nap -- about three hours! -- so by the time we fed her lunch, it was time to leave for the picnic. So we just kept her up during the picnic, and she didn't seem tired at all. She crawled around everywhere and was fascinated by the little boys who were playing with a ball. One of them (the one who liked my cake so much) was even rolling it back and forth with her -- it was so cute! Then Katie slept in the car on the way back, and while I was talking to the daycare director (DH kept driving around in the parking lot to keep Katie asleep), so she got about an hour nap then too.

Well, I'd better get the kitchen cleaned up while Katie is sleeping. I mixed up some Flaxseed Bread (from CL Jan/Feb 2000), and it is rising now, but I still have flour all over the counter. Oops, it sounds like Katie might be waking up. Gotta go!

Becky :)

[MrsReber]

Becky, I wish my DH would assist with bath time! He barely moved from the couch yesterday until around 4:00 when we took the kids to the playground at the park. We stopped by to visit one of his sisters and drop off a write up on all the things wrong with MIL's car (that's a whole other saga). Anyway, we got home at 7:30. I still had to make dinner. DH sat on the couch. We ate, I cleaned up and DH said "isn't tonight bath night?" I said it was. He stayed on the couch. At 9:00, I was finally ready to put them in the tub! When we were done, I sent Casey out to find DH, who was asleep on the couch! I wouldn't have minded so much, but here's how my day went: food shopping, rake leaves off lawn, mow lawn, put kids down for naps at separate times, feed kids lunch. I was more than a little annoyed. I guess it's that communication thing. I feel that I should not have to tell him that he should at least play with the kids. He seems clueless as to when he should jump in.

Joanne, the invitation was addressed only to me and DH. I don't know if we'll be able to go if we can't bring the kids. I'll have to wait til my mom and her fiance come back from Las Vegas. The left on Saturday for a 10 day trip.

DH called. We are going out to eat. Yeah! We haven't really been out anywhere for a few months so this will be nice. I'm trying to get Casey to take a nap. She wasn't asleep before.

That butterfly cake sounds great. I'm hungry just thinking about it! But it really does sound nice. How creative! My last attempt at making a cute birthday cake was too funny. I will try again, but I think next time I'll probably just buy one of those shaped baking pans. With Brenden's birthday being in July, ice cream cake seems to be the best thing. The only problem is that it melts so fast!

[hrk]

Reintroduce myself
I posted a few months back very breifly to introduce myself but getting time on our computer at home was next to impossible. Now I am back at work and I can hopefully keep up with this thread, it moves so fast.
Logan will be four months on Thursday and is just doing wonderfully. He is rolling both directions, sitting up with some assistance, and laugghing and talking up a storm. He still wakes once at night to eat, but sleeps from 9-6:30 and takes 2-2hour naps each day. I am back at work and DH is home with Logan for 2 weeks until daycare starts.
Becky- I can totally identify with your frustrations about daycare starting. Logan is going to the Goddard school, which is brand new, by our home. They were supposed to open the 15th of this month thus I could return to work, but their construction got delayed by all the rain so now DH is home with Logan for 2 weeks while we wait for the school to open. The only real upside is it will be a good transition to see how Logan does on bottles all day and without mom:(
Joanne- That is great news about Caitlyn sleeping through the night and glad to hear that her heart is improving.
Kim- Hope Lainey is doing OK with her burn and that you are giving yourself a break since we can't watch them 24/7 all their lives.
And in terms of wedding and MIL stories I think I have got a great one-

Last September SIL got engaged. Well we knew we were pregnant at that point and mentioned to MIL that we would have to get our baby(didn't know the sex at the time) a cute little outfit for the wedding. She informed us that no children would be allowed at the wedding especially infants. Well this upset DH but he is not one to argue with his family so we made arrangements to have our neighbor watch our child figuring that 5 months was OK to leave with a 45 year old woman who raised 2 kids of her own. Well fast forward to Labor day weekend and we are visiting with in laws and MIL asks "if we have bought a suit for Logan for the wedding yet?"
DH says "what are you talking about Logan's not coming, you told us no infants were allowed"
MIL responds" I have no idea where you got that idea, infants have always been iinvited and I can't believe that you are not bringing Logan to the wedding."
Well DH and I decide to stand firm on the plans we made and just bring Logan to the brunch the next day so he can meet all the family coming in from out of town.
Well we come to find out from DH's brother that MIL is pissed at us cause her friends won't be at the brunch the next day and she wanted to show him off at the wedding and she thinks we are being unreasonable for not changing our plans
Uh hello you are the reason we made those plans in the first place. UGGGHHHHH the woman lives an hour away from us, has seen Logan four times since he was born, one of those being in the hospital, of course not the day Logan was born though cause she left that day on a bird watching trip that she told DH she just couldn't miss, and she tells us we are inflexible and is pissed at us. Boy is she a piece of work.
Thanks for letting me vent and I hope to keep up with the thread and get to know eveyone.
Heather

[RunnerKim]

Becky - I love that flaxseed bread. I don't get the chance to make bread by hand much. Glad your practice cake came out so well. It's really not that hard to do layers. That's what I did for my practice cake and it actually made frosting the sides easier as there was more to work with. I think it might be too much if you pour all the batter into one cake round but maybe 2/3 of it or something.

Yep Joanne, a week ago she made the transition from what I'd classify as "taking steps" to really walking and now I can't stop her. It was horrible in the grocery store yesterday because she did not want to be held or in the cart - she had to be walking all over the store (in front of other people, grabbing stuff off the shelf etc.). This morning at day care she was off and walking all over the place when she normally sticks pretty close to me. She's just so thrilled to be walking. DH was kidding about getting a leash for her -- I'm not so sure that's a bad idea :eek: :o

Fabulous Joanne on your full night of sleep last night! :)

I've realized that I've been a lot grumpier and short tempered than usual lately and feel really bad about it. DH and I need to re-visit household and child responisibilities. DH is a great and involved father but if we're both around then I'm the one that ends up attending to Lainey most of the time. Honestly, I have to admit this is how I want it. So I know it's partly my own fault when I want to be able to get something else done and wish she could be happy with Daddy (while I'm still in sight). I was scrapbooking with a friend recently and she kept coming over and grabbing stuff, at my suggestion DH tried stretching out an x-pen (baby yard??) to block us off. It was so incredibly sad and pathetic -- she walked along the fence and cried her eyes out trying to get to me. :( DH sitting right there on the other side with her trying to get her attention. Needless to say the x-pen came down. DH had a little luck taking her upstairs.

Heather - I took so long typing my post that yours appeared. Welcome back. I didn't participate in this thread much (if at all) until I returned to work either. Sounds like Logan is doing great. Is today your first day at work? I think it's wonderful that your DH is getting these 2 weeks with Logan -- it'll be great for them. Sorry about your IL troubles -- it amazes me with how immature people can really be and makes me thankful for mine (who can be annoying but nothing in comparison!!).

Kim

[hrk]

Mrs Reber- we were posting at the same time. Sorry to hear about frustrations with DH. I guess I should count my blessing that since I am still BFing DH feels bath time is his responsibility so we each get a few minutes of alone time at night. Hope things get better.
Kim- Yes this is my first day back at work, so far so good getting back into the swing of things. My boss is the best, even leaves his office so I can pump in his office since i have a cubicle. I am really glad DH gets these two weeks with Logan as well. he was off for 4 weeks when Logan was first born, but he will enjoy these two weeks much more, I am sure.

[nori]

Heather, welcome back! That's great your boss is so supportive! And having DH staying home with Logan must be a relief.

Kim, my DH does that, too. "Where are you going, Noah?" and not try to get him.:rolleyes: Sorry to hear Lainey had burn. Don't feel too bad, though. As everyone said, it's almost impossible to keep eyes on her all the time, unless you do nothing else. Yay Lainey for walking! Actually I've seen the leash for the baby at the onesteapahead catalog.....and I thought..."Hmmmmm, doesn't look too bad.":o Noah also started to walk more than few steps and going to the store is getting hard because he wants to go down and walk! But the truth is, he can't really "walk"yet so he starts crawling. Leash....hmmmmmm.....

MrsReber, Noah likes to play with pots and pans, too! I love it since it keeps him busy longer than regular toys do. Have fun at the dinner! Is it your anniversary or something??

Becky, I'm getting hungry for cake, too! I'd probably make it thicker, but 2 cakes may be a good idea. How many people are you going to serve??? Hopefully you can get one of the infant teacher coming to your house!

Joanne, wow full-night sleep!!!! I'm jealous.:p Noah is a sweet baby, but he is not a good sleeper. He sleeps by himself, but when he wakes up at night, he's upset most of the time. Oh well. I hope he's overgrown this sometime.

[BeckyM]

Welcome back Heather! I'm sorry to hear your daycare is having the same problems mine is about opening up. My DH may take some time off to stay with Katie if necessary, but he can only take a week off -- two weeks would be out of the question. I just wish our daycare director would call me back to let me know if there is a possibility one of the teachers there could watch her. I don't want to be a pest, but I'm getting very impatient waiting. I don't know if I should be trying to figure out other possibilities in the meantime, but honestly I don't know where to look! Anyway, it sounds like things are working out well for you, other than the in-laws. Thankfully mine are great!

Kim -- I think maybe I'll try using 8" cake pans instead of 9" ones. Then I'll make two separate butterfly cakes, and they'll each be a little smaller but thicker. Now I just need to find 8" cake pans. My MIL was an avid baker, so I'll have to ask FIL if I can come see if she had any 8" cake pans. I would ask him to look, but I'm not sure he would know the difference between a cake pan, a pie plate, and a casserole dish. He only lives five minutes from here, so I could stop by some day when I'm out running around with Katie. He loves seeing her, so it would be a nice visit.

Nori -- you asked how many people we're expecting for Katie's birthday party. I actually haven't counted yet, but let's see. . . . We should have nine adults and eight kids counting us. A couple of the kids might not eat much cake, but I'm sure they'll all at least want a piece to try. That's seventeen people, and one cake says it serves twelve. At the picnic yesterday, I'd say we maybe got eight or ten pieces out of it. So I'll definitely need two cakes! I was thinking I'd make one cake yellow (like I did the practice cake) and the other one pink, with complimentary decorations.

By the way, I also saw the "leash" for a toddler in the One Step Ahead catalog. I always thought my parents should have had one of those for my younger sister, because when she was little, she would always hide in the middle of clothing racks when we were in department stores. As Katie gets more mobile, I would definitely consider something like that if she doesn't stick close to me. I would much rather get strange looks from people than have her disappear!

Well, I guess I always sit down to type right as Katie is waking up. She has learned how to turn on her musical elephant we have hanging on her crib, by pulling down on his tail. She turns on the music when we put her down for a nap and when she wakes up. Usually she is happy when she does it, but she doesn't sound happy right now. I guess I'd better go check on her.

Becky :)

[hrk]

Well Logan did great with Dad yesterday but last night was terrible. Normally Logan goes to bed at 9 wakes around 3 to eat and then goes back to sleep until 7. Last night he was up at 11, 12:30, 2 when I finally fed him and 5. I wonder if he was hungry. He weighs approx 17 lbs and eats 7 times a day. He normally got one 5 oz bottle in the morning from me just to keep him used to abottle and then BF the rest of the day. Yesterday we gave him 3 5oz bottles, but I wonder if that wasn't enough. Any thoughts from other working moms on how to figure out how much your child should be getting in each bottle?
Mrs Reber- Hope dinner was great. I don't think I would even attempt eating out in the middle of the week right now.
Becky- Good luck with dealing with daycare. My DH is not actually off these two weeks with Logan he is working from home, and while he gets about 4 hours done during the day, he then does four hours at night and I take Logan for the evening. Any chance DH or you could do the same thing for the two weeks?
Kim Yeah for Lainey wlaking but I guess life will get a whole lot more interesting now. Logan really is trying to figure out how to crawl, and once he does I don't think he will ever stay in one place.
Have a great Tuesday
Heather

[BeckyM]

Heather -- sounds nice that your DH can work from home, though I know it would be difficult to get anything done. Unfortunately that's not an option for us. DH is a physical therapist, and he manages three PT offices, so when he's not seeing patients, he's dealing with people issues, attending meetings, etc. For my job, I've been off for a year, so I'm not returning to the exact role I had when I left. My first couple weeks will probably be a lot of figuring out exactly what I'm supposed to be doing -- something that would be rather difficult from home.

Sorry to hear Logan had a rough time last night. I don't have any advice other than to maybe try giving him more in his bottles during the day. If he's hungry for it, he'll drink it. From what I understand, babies do best when we let them decide how much to eat/drink. So if you give him more, he should just drink until he's satisfied. Then you'll have a better idea how much to give him on a regular basis. Good luck.

Becky :)

[AnnaSue]

Sorry, I have very little time to post right now since our computer is in MIL's "bedroom", but it only took DH about 2 hours to realize that Brendan needed to go to daycare. More to come on that later... I don't have time to read most of the posts right now, but I did catch your post, Heather about your MIL being mad about not taking the baby to the wedding. I'm going through the same thing right now! We are going to a wedding in Milwaukee on Saturday, and MIL is outraged that I made plans for a babysitter since she wanted to show him off. Brendan was actually never even invited to the wedding, although MIL said they hired some babysitters to look after kids, and therefore we should bring him. I just don't feel comfortable bringing him though since he wasn't invited, and I don't want to leave him with someone I've never met before. Oh well.. her visit is going as planned.:rolleyes: I better go.. I feel uncomfortable in the middle of all her stuff here.

[paula]

Just a quick note to second Becky on allowing Logan to decide how much to eat. Remember that most charts giving suggested volumes of how much a baby should eat are based on formula. The nutrition in breastmilk varies from day to day and it is difficult to regulate a baby's comsumption based only on volume. Also, level of hunger will vary widely during illness, growth spurt, teething, etc. One of my biggest challenges in providing breastmilk to my daycare provider is watching her throw away the extra from each bottle. It is very painful to watch precious, hard-fought milk go down the drain...but in trying hard to provide a little extra very day, I know that they are getting enough. Also, I have kept a couple of bags of milk in the freezer at daycare just in case one of my children is extra hungry (regularly rotated into circulation so that none get too old).

my two cents.
Paula

[MrsReber]

I agree with figuring out how much milk to put in each bottle! When Casey first went to daycare, I would send about 5 bottles along. Well, that didn't work. She hardly drank any of them! Though she was a pro at taking the bottle at home, she didn't want anything to do with the teachers giving her bottles. So I started to make them smaller. I'd only fill them up to 2 or 3 oz and then, if she needed more, they could warm it up rather than waste a whole bottle. She never took an 8oz bottle. Brenden was different. I could send four 5-6 oz bottles for him. We did store a bag in their freezer, just in case. I couldn't keep up the pumping with him, though, so that didn't last long. I didn't feel so bad about wasting formula, so it was actually kind of a relief. We did get to 9 months with breastmilk (6 exclusively). I did the best I could.

Dinner was very nice. I brought fruit snacks, crayons and plenty of paper! There were a couple of loud moments, but it was under control fairly quickly. They weren't crying or anything, just being loud. It wasn't any special occasion, but our 4 year anniversary is actually next week. Overall, the kids did great. I mean, they are only 1 and 2. I told DH that they do need to get out so that they understand what we expect from them in those situations.

AnnaSue!! So glad to hear the DH finally agreed with you!!!!! Yeah!!!!! One less thing to worry about. One day closer to MIL going back home....

[RunnerKim]

Heather, everyone has already said it. I know it's very difficult wasting breastmilk (even expensive formula). I called my breastmilk "liquid gold." It also might take Logan awhile to get used to how much to drink from the bottle. My issues were different but something similar might be happening with you so I'll share it. I never produced enough breastmilk for Lainey and so after a couple of weeks we started giving her formula in addition to the nursing. She would take so much she burped up a lot! I'd call vomitting. I think she had to learn what full was in combination with how much easier it is to drink from a bottle vs. nursing (at least the lactation consultants told me it was easier - I didn't try either :D ). If I recall correctly it took about a week or so of Lainey consuming more than she needed before she learned to self-regulate. We too tried to figure out in the first few days how much to put in the bottle (partly because I was still trying to maintain/increase my milk but also so she wouldn't vomit all over). We quickly just started adding another ounce or two if she finished the bottle. Sometimes she wasn't interested in the bottle by the time we got it refilled but other times we added to the bottle a few times before she was satisfied. I don't think we ever warmed Lainey's formula - not much anyway. We'd just nuke it for a few seconds to take the chill off - at some point we stopped doing even that (she wanted more so we'd just put it in the bottle). She's never had a problem taking it cold. I understand breastmilk is a different situaiton than formula though - I just keep a 32 oz rubbermaid container with made up formula in the fridge. Anyway - hope some of that might be useful in figuring out Logan's needs. Sorry you had a rough night after your first day at work. :(

Oh - I decided to add that we are not strict about reusing bottles. If she doesn't finish one we sometimes will keep it for the next feeding. Bad bad bad, I know, but I particularly did this with my breastmilk, but still with formula.

AnnaSue - I wondered if your DH might see the light when faced with the situation in reality. Good for DH! Waiting for details later.

Becky that's so cute that Katie figured out how to make the music herself.

Joanne -- I'm guessing your DH didn't do anything for your anniversary?

Kim

[hrk]

Thanks to everybody for advice on bottles. DH has been giving Logan 6 oz at each feeding instead of 5 and he seems to be in a better mood. We will see as the day progresses and of course tonight.
Mrs Reber- Glad to hear you had a nice dinner
AnnaSue- Hope things improve with MIL. Stick to your guns about the wedding as well. My MIL offered babysitting at the wedding as an alternative to us as well- one of SIL's fiiances neices who is 13 watching five children and 3 infants, including Logan. Uh No I don't think so.

[JoanneOR]

Kim, our anniversary was kind of strange. We were at the card. for most of the afternoon. I met DH there. He acted like he didn't care about the anniversary. He was just in a really weird mood. Later he told me that he was afraid the doctor was going to admit Caitlyn that day to the hospital. She's been breathing heavy, but that was because of her cold. I wish he would talk to me about these things instead of just being moody. Anyway, everything turned out fine at the card., so we get home and I ask him what we are going to do for dinner. He didn't get a babysitter, but had planned for the whole family to go out. At the time, I was upset - it was our 15 year anniversary, I wanted just the two of us to go out. It wasn't so much that, it was the fact that he'd just been acting so lackadasical about the whole thing. I was also upset because he didn't even get a card. We kind of had an argument about it. He couldn't understand why I was upset, he said the kids are part of us, they should come with us. He made me feel like I was being selfish or something. He wound up calling his mother and dropping the kids off with her for a couple hours and we went to dinner. It was nice, but still a little strange, because we were both a little upset. But then when we went to pick up the kids, he gave me cards from them and him and some roses he had picked up on his way to drop them off. So, that was nice. Maybe, he was right, I don't know. But, anyway, sorry for the long story!!

We do take the kids to restaurants pretty often, maybe once a month or so. They are really pretty good. Caitlyn does get restless, but as long as we have something for her to nibble on, she's usually OK. DH takes them to breakfast alot, although usually just the boys.

Kim, we reuse the leftover bottles, too. Although now Caitlyn drinks milk, but I would save the leftover formula, too. That stuff is expensive!

AnnaSue, so glad that DH finally agreed about the daycare. Hang in there. Now you can count down the days until she leaves instead of until she arrives.

Yea! Today is my last day in the office this week. Tomorrow I work at home and I took off Thursday and Friday. Thursday is Caitlyn's one year ped. visit. Which means shots. I'm also going to ask about the RSV shots. I want to see if they think she should get them.

[RunnerKim]

Joanne, is Caitlyn going to get the flu shot? My ped. recommended it considering her pneumonia history (get in October). I'll have to make a note to ask about the RSV shot -- I gather that's a different shot??

Sounds like your DH was really worried about Caitlyn. Very frustrating that he can't talk and share his feelings! I can see your DH's point about your kids being a part of you, but they're not all of your relationship. Kids grow up and move out and on with their lives, so it's important to nurture the relationship along the way. Maybe set another date to celebrate the family - I think that's a great idea actually. And keep your anniversary as the date to celebrate your relationship.

On a personal note - I've been doing well lately on getting exercise in and eating better. Tracking/journaling is so important to staying on track for me. also helps that I bought a heart rate monitor is an early birthday gift to myself. Love having a tangible number.

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Kim, last year our pediatrician recommended that we all get the flu shot so we wouldn't get sick and give it to Caitlyn. I think she said she was too young to get the shot herself. So we all did. The poor boys had to get two each. For some reason at that age they need two. They were so brave about it. We told them it was to protect their sister. Caitlyn will probably be able to get her own flu shot this year, though. Maybe the boys won't need to.

The RSV shot is actually given every month during the RSV season. It's recommended for premature babies or babies with congenital heart defects. I don't think they give it unless there is some risk factor. It is also very expensive, each shot is about $1,000. I don't know if insurance routinely pays for them. Last year our ped. said it wasn't recommended for babies with the type of heart defect that Caitlyn has, but since then research has come out saying it is OK. I asked our card. and he said it was only recommended during the first year of life. I guess after that the kids are strong enough to fight it off and it's not so serious. So, we're kind of on the borderline. I'd still like her to have the shots, though. But, I do want to ask about any risks or side effects. I'll let you know what they say.

Kim, when do you do your exercise? I've been slacking off so much lately in terms of eating and exercising and the scale is starting to show it. I'm so mad at myself! But, today I went to the gym and took a class. I feel great now. I just have to keep it up. I used to try to do an exercise video in the morning, but just can't get up the energy lately.

You are right about nurturing the relationship and you said it really well! I wish my DH would see it that way sometimes. We do alot of stuff together as a family and I love when we are all together. We get alot of laughs from the kids, but sometimes you need to reconnect with each other.

[MrsReber]

Joanne and Kim, you two are so right about having alone time with DH. I wish I could follow that advice. I'm afraid that I'm the guilty party in my marriage. I miss those kids so much that I feel bad going anywhere without them. I can honestly say that since Brenden was born, we only went out two or three times without the kids. The thing I really miss is getting buffalo wings and beer down at this dive. It was such a fun spontaneous thing to do and the wings are sooo good. Oh, and the beer is really cold. Someday I know we'll get back there!

Joanne, I'm sorry that you had a somewhat strained 15th anniversary. I'm sure that you and your children are the most important thing in your DH's life, though. I can tell just from what you tell us. 15 years is a milestone. Congratulations!

Kim, that's great that you're feeling better. Exercise isn't a problem with me. It's that darn food! I love food and I love to eat. I do fit back into 2 of my good suits, but the rest are still too small. I know if I could just curb my eating, I'd do well. Why does food have to taste so good?!

[nori]

Hi all. Just a quick note to ask MORE question.

Today, Noah looked pretty tired....playing on the floor but occationally lay his head down. So I took him temp and it was around 99F, which is a bit high for his normal temperature. Now, his rash is gone and he'd been fever-free for past few days (or at least I thought so.....he was pretty much normal except a little bit of cough). I gave him Tyrenol this morning and he's down for nap. It is obvious to me that he's tired more than usual, and not so active. Do you think the virus is still taking it's course??? Does fever come back (not as high as before) sometimes??? He ate some graham crackers, and a bit of (2 or 3:o ) spaghetti, and frozen mangoes (about 1/2 cup) so his appetite is okay. He's nursing more. Should I call doctor? Since we went in last week and cleared all other suspicion, I'm pretty sure this is virus taking it's course, but still worried. maybe I can call the nurse hot line later, but thought I'd ask you guys first.

Didn't have enough time to read through the thread.....will be back later on for that.:) Thanks in advance for your advice!

[MrsReber]

Nori, I don't know the answer to that. How long was he fever-free? Could it possibly be teeth? I know that my kids sometimes got a very low fever from teething. That's my only guess at this point. It doesn't seem like a high enough temp to cause concern, but for peace of mind, you may want to call the nurse again (what a great service to have!) Poor Noah. It makes me sad when they don't feel well. But I do love the extra cuddling time I get from it!

[nori]

MrsReber, thanks for the quick answer!

He was fever-free since Friday afternoon, I think. Could be his teeth. I'm concerned that he isn't active as he should be....but does fever makes him tired? Even from teething?? I agree, I like the cuddling time since he is so clingy to me since he got sick. I don't care whatever DH says (like I"m spoiling him!) but I LOVE it!!! I might call the hot-line later. My ped. is not in today anyway.

Thanks!

[RunnerKim]

Nori, if you're giving tylenol (or any medication) that could be making him sleepy. I couldn't tell from what you wrote if he was tired this morning or just had the slight fever and then you gave him the tylenol.

Susan - I don't exactly practice what I'm preaching either. I kind of say to myself that right now it's not a big deal because Lainey's not inhibiting our conversation. We can talk about her or other topics without her interuptting verbally etc. But now that she's starting to be so active I can see it's not always going to "easy" taking her where we go. I've been thinking it might be a good idea to start leaving her at my sister's for supper club for instance. No one else young kids and it's getting harder and harder to keep track of here and still be social/have a good time. Hard to think about doing that when we're gone at work all day (although I feel like I get to spend some good time with her on the bus and over lunch so on normal days I don't feel like I don't get enough time).

Joanne - that makes me feel really good to hear that they only give the RSV shot for under a year. That means to me that generally speaking immune systems are a lot stronger after that. I'm keeping my fingers crossed this winter is better than last. She has a runny nose right now (along with DH) and I'm just a tad :rolleyes: apprehensive that it's going to develop into something more (the dreaded rasping...).

I exercise first thing in the morning. If I leave it for the evening I've spent all day dreading it/coming up with an excuse not to do it. And I'm trying hard to eat a family dinner which means we need to be eating within a half hour or so of getting home. DH is now getting up by 5:15 to go for his run and I'm up by 5:30 (okay 5:35ish) to finish putting things together for the day and am out the door by 6am and home in just enough time for a quick shower. Lainey wakes up somewhere in there (I make sure to set out her clothes the night before in case she wakes up when DH is home - otherwise there's no telling what she'll be wearing). I feel so much better when I have my exercise done for the day and it motivates me to eat right since I've already done the hard part. I used to go for a leisurely 2M walk at lunch but now I'm spending that time with Lainey. I'm going to see about taking her with me in the sling for a shorter walk now that the weather has cooled off and she's happy at daycare.

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Nori, I wouldn't worry too much about the fever. I don't even think they would consider 99 a fever. He may just still not be feeling quite like himself yet. It sounds like it was quite a virus he had. It wouldn't hurt to call the hotline if it will put you at ease.

I just called home to remind DH to pick up Jameson. Ian answered the phone. I love when the kids answer. It's so cute. They are so excited to hear me on the phone. Anyway, DH said Caitlyn and Colin had fallen asleep on this stuffed turtle we have on the basement floor. That sounds so cute. I would have taken a picture. Everyone sounded in a good mood, hope it lasts till I get home!

I love the cuddling time, too. Caitlyn is so squirmy, though, you can't cuddle with her sitting down. She always is trying to get loose to get to something. Last night Colin fell asleep laying on my lap. Then I had to carry him all the way upstairs. That was not fun!

Kim, I used to go out walking or running in the mornings. I loved it. I can certainly relate to dreading doing it in the evening. I could never do that. I'm too wiped out.

Caitlyn seems to be getting over her cold without any wheezing. Thank god. Her last cold didn't lead to wheezing, either. So, I'm hoping she's better able to fight these things off since she's a bit older than she was last winter.

Lots to do tomorrow. Jameson has his first Cub Scout meeting. We have to go get his uniform during the day. I also have a dentist appt. Yuck! And, Caitlyn has therapy.

[nori]

Noah was even tired and sleepy since this morning. I gave him Tyrenol twice, and hoping it'll go away. His appetite is pretty good, although he likes to "play" with food and it's hard to get him eat even when he's fine.:o At least he ate something, which is different from last week. We'll see how he is tomorrow.

About having quality time with DH...it is true that we have less time alone since we had Noah. We still talk about how we could just "go out" whenever we feel like it, not planning on it. Now we have to plan, and have a baby sitter if we want to go out alone. Kids are worth it, but we just have to make more effort to have "our time". We haven't had that for a while, maybe we need to have date soon.

AnnaSue, glad to hear that your DH agreed on your MIL issue. At least one less stress for you. Now since she's here, let's countdown begin!!!:D

Becky, so cute Katie playing with that music toy!

MrsReber, hope your area is safe from the hurricane....I just saw Virginia Beach on the news where they're preparing for the hurricane. I'm not sure how NJ would be affected, though. Stay safe!

Joanne, how exciting Jameson's first cub scout meeting! My brother used to be in cub/boy scout, and I remmeber my mom used to be a den mother sometime. Are you going to be a one, too?

Kim, are you on Weight Watchers??? If not, how do you keep your journal? Do you record everything you ate/did??? I've been wanting to do that, and actually started doing it several times but didn't last long.:o I also exercise in the morning.....in the evening I'm too tired to do that.

Speaking of exercise...I usually go jogging with Noah or just do step aerobics inside. Whenever I take step out and start music, Noah gets so excited and try to climb on the step. He also move his hip up and down with the music and it's so cute! I usually scatter his toys around to keep him busy, but he mostly end up being around the step and it's quite a challenge to do all the move with him around.

Thanks for all the input about Noah's health....it's just so nice to hear from you experienced moms.:) I almost forgot this is cooking forum, not parenting forum.:o So glad I found this, though!

[MrsReber]

Kim, I had to laugh when I read about you putting Lainey's clothes out for your DH! Mine is the same way! DH has a knack for finding the most stained clothes to put on the kids or things that totally clash if I forget to put out clothes. On 2 occasions, I put out one peice outfits for Brenden. DH couldn't figure them out so he put the one piece outfits on and then put shorts over them! One day, I went to pick up Brenden and he was still in his pajamas! Casey was dressed in a horribly stained old white shirt. I was so embarrassed! The women at daycare know, though. We all just shake our heads and laugh. It's amazing that men can get away with stuff like that! It's almost expected! I remember when we first sent Casey to daycare and DH was putting her dresses on backwards, putting the buttons in the front.

Nori, I hope Noah is feeling better. Brenden was very crabby last night. He has another molar coming in on the other side and the bottom molar is about to come through. It's making him very unhappy. He was up at 1:00am crying. I gave him Tylenol and we both fell asleep in the recliner. He started getting uncomfortable at 2:00 so I woke up and put him back in his crib. My eye pain woke me up at 3:00 and then some idiot was trying to send a fax to our phone at 4:30am! My alarm goes off at 4:50 so I didn't get back to sleep after that. I took the phone off the hook so it wouldn't ring again. When I first heard it ring, I thought something had happened to DH's grandmother (she's been in the hospital). Brenden seemed to be stirring right before I left. I hope he does okay today. He had diarrhea yesterday three times at daycare. I was surprised they didn't tell us to come get him. We think it's all from his teeth. His other two molars are all the way in. I just realized yesterday that the other two had started to come in, too.

I exercise in the mornings! The only way I could do it at night would be if I took the kids for a walk in the stroller. It's getting dark much earlier now, though, so we don't have as much time.

Staff meeting in 10 minutes! Fun fun fun!

[RunnerKim]

Nori - How's Noah today? I haven't ever done weight watchers, I guess I've always known what I need to do, it's just the doing it part that has been a problem :o . I have a software program called Weight by Date Pro that a friend gave me (well she actually gave me her whole computer when she upgraded!). It has a food database built into it but I almost always have to add my own. It also has a place to put in your exercise. Does some cool charts and keeps track of your goals (weight, measurements) etc. I put in a "short term" goal vs. my ideal weight and it gave me a lecture on it not being good enough :rolleyes: but it took it. Before using this program (just in the last week) I just had an excell spreadsheet set up where I entered what I ate and calculated the nutritional values for the date. Not pretty and a little time consuming but it worked.

Susan - your night sounds horrible and I was thinking I had a bad night. Couldn't get to sleep for some reason and woke up several times. Cats have decided its cool enough to sleep with us, which means between my legs or some other awkward position.

This morning was really crazy. DH was in charge of making the slower cooker lasagna (from Superfast cookbook) for dinner tonight and did not heed my suggestion to prep the night before. He doesn't believe in prepping in advance. Since I've known this man he has NEVER gotten a meal together in the amount of time he thinks it will take. He'll say 20 minutes till dinner and I know it'll be at least 30. I've even pointed this out to him and yet he still hasn't adjusted (either prepping in advance OR just knowing it's going to take longer). I've shown him the prep plan that the Superfast cookbook has for each recipe, even tell him that it was established by professionals and he'll still insist his way will work. I get back from my walk and there's ground beef cooking on the stove - done, but he's no where in sight. He's upstairs putting laundry away (he's a great husband, just no sense of timing). So I suggest that perhaps there's not enough time and we should just put the beef in the fridge and set it up tomorrow. "Plenty of time he says" There's 15 minutes max left. Lainey's being incredibly cooperative (still sleeping :D ). I take my shower and get Lainey dressed and rush downstairs to leave and he's still throwing stuff in the crockpot, yelling to me to find the timer (you didn't find it last night? :rolleyes: ) I set up the timer for the crockpot, make the kong treat for the dog, grab the car keys and get Lainey strapped in. He runs out, jumps in the car, drives like crazy, we run and barely catch our bus. We're catching our breath and I ask, "You did remember to turn it on, right?" Silence. Fortunately my sister can run over and save our dinner (if the cats haven't knocked the lid off and eaten it all).

Kim

[MrsReber]

Kim, your story is too funny! I hope your dinner is saved! But hey, at least your DH does cook dinner. I could probably count on one hand the amount of times DH has made dinner for me.

We had a fun meeting. After giving me a hard time over remote access earlier this year, they decided that everybody needs to have it. We were also told that we should report to work as usual on Friday. If we can't get to our work location, we should report to our alternate work location. Uh, hey, did anybody notice that this storm is about three times the size of the state of NJ? If people can't get here or if there's a state of emergency declared, we have to take a vacation or personal day! Right now, we're under a tropical storm warning so they are assuming once it hits land and follows the path they think it will follow, it will be downgraded. I'm still quite worried about my sister and her family as they are directly in the path of the storm in NC. Only time will tell what happens. We should start to get rain and wind tomorrow afternoon or early evening. I hope we don't lose power. Our freezer is stocked with food! I want to go to Atlantic City on Friday afternoon and see the Miss America parade! They're thinking of cancelling the parade and postponing the pagent! Oh no!

The daycare hasn't called us, but DH said he changed a very messy diaper this morning. I hate it when I can't be home and I know that Brenden might not be feeling so great. He doesn't have a fever, he's just very clingy and crabby. He cried all through dinner.

[nori]

MrsReber, how's Brenden? Must be hard for you to leave him at the daycare.:( Sorry your night was not good. Cuddling with him in the rocking chair sounds cozy and sweet, though. I love doing that. Personally I don't mind tending him at night when he wakes up, but just occationally sleep deprevation hits me hard. That's when everything goes wrong direction. Hope your sister in SC stays safe. Did she evacuate already? Sounds like there was a huge evacuation that area...What a bummer your work won't closed tomorrow or Friday. I've heard on the news that in DC, all government offices will be closed and the train and buses may be shut down, too. I thought, why not in NJ???? Anyway, keep safe!

Kim, how the dinner turned out?:D I know how you feel about DH...."again" I think it's a guy thing. That's why I eventually take everything over from him, because he doesn't do it until he really pressed by time or some sort of serious pressure (not me:rolleyes: ). Nice of him making a dinner, though. I tried to journal my eating using on-line service ( I forgor the name) but gave up since I had to put all food detail everytime. They had a big database for those information, but still there are some stuff I ate and they weren't in their information. Good for you to keep track on them!

Noah is doing better I think. Now coughing seems like the prominent problem. He wasn't coughing before. But his poop is fine, he was pretty active today, so he's almost getting over it( finally). It's been a week and I just didn't have any idea how long it would take normally in those cases. Now I'm a bit more experienced mom.:)

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, hope you all stay safe, especially your sister in NC. Did they have to evacuate? Hope Brenden is feeling better. The boys used to have problems like his when they were teething. They would always seem to get a horrible diaper rash, too.

DH dresses Caitlyn funny, too, sometimes. He's gotten better with the boys now that they are older. They usually pick out their own clothes. I never say anything about the way he dresses Caitlyn. Don't want to discourage him!

Glad Noah seems to be feeling better. Caitlyn had her physical therapy today. The therapist said she's doing great, she's pretty much on target now for her age. But, she said she's still concerned about the way she stands. She favors one leg and her body is not aligned. We did go to the orthopedist who said she should outgrow it when she starts walking, but the therapist seemed concerned. Actually, the orthopedist never really stood her up to see her alignment, she just looked at the xrays. So, the therapist said she would call the orthopedist to talk about it.

Tomorrow we go for our one year check up. I have lots of questions (well, just three) that I've written down to ask about.

Today we went to Jameson's cub scout meeting. I'm not sure how this happened, but I am the troop leader. I have no idea what I am doing. None of the other mothers wanted to do it and I felt bad. Jameson is so excited about this, I want it to be a good experience for him. The pack leader is going to drop off some stuff at my house this week that should help explain things. Basically, we have a meeting once a month and do activities and crafts. We also set up field trips to places like the police station or fire station. The other mothers said they would all host a meeting. There's only six boys in the troop. Actually, I've really enjoyed when I've done stuff with the boys classes, so this should be fun. I just feel a little lost because I don't really know what I'm doing. Everything was so hectic tonight I didn't really get a chance to ask alot of questions. But I have the leader's number and I'll be calling him.

Kim, the dinner story is funny. You won't believe this, but we had the exact same thing for dinner. How did yours turn out? Mine was pretty good, I used sausage instead of beef, but the rest was the same as the recipe. I thought it could have used more noodles, though. I was the only one who ate it. DH was sleeping and didn't want to get up and the boys turned their noses up at it. So, lots of leftovers. I think it's one of those things that tastes better the next day, too.

[BeckyM]

Good Morning, everyone! I've realized I am really out of touch these days, because I'm getting all my news about the hurricane from this thread! I finally asked someone at a meeting last night what the forecasts were for it. I really don't have the TV on at all during the day, we only get the newspaper on the weekends, and I'm usually not in the car at the right time for news on the radio. Anyway, I hope everyone stays safe!

Kim -- I'm amazed your DH made dinner at all! It would be very strange for my DH to do something like that -- I would think his body had been taken over by aliens or something. If we're having company, he'll help make the salad or something simple like that, but the major meal things are left to me. The only times he has really cooked are when we just got home from the hospital with Katie and when I was out of town and we had unexpected houseguests. Both times DH did admirably, but he just doesn't really like to do it. I could definitely identify with your DH not wanting to take instructions from you though, because my DH HATES it when I try to tell him the best way to do something. He'd rather do it wrong or completely inefficiently than to have me tell him how to do it. So Joanne, I completely understood when you said you don't ever mention how your DH dresses Caitlyn, because you don't want to discourage him. Giving "helpful hints" to my DH would discourage him too.

nori -- glad to hear Noah is starting to feel better. I really wish there were a way we could become more experienced moms without having to go through the difficult, scary times!

Joanne -- congratulations on being troop leader! ;) That sounds like something that would happen to me, being the one who caves in to leading something since no one else wants to. I'm sure you'll do a great job! And most of all, it's something fun you can do with (and for) Jameson while he still wants you to be involved in his activities.

Good news for us on the daycare! One of the infant teachers is willing and available to watch Katie in our home when I go back to work until the daycare opens. It's the teacher who will be working with the younger infants, so it's not the main one Katie will have once she's at the daycare, but the two rooms are adjoining, so I'm sure Katie will see her from time to time. I haven't actually MET this woman yet, but I've talked to her on the phone and she sounded fine. I'm tentatively supposed to meet both the main infant teachers tomorrow -- the director was checking with the other one to make sure that works for her -- to ask questions about the program for infants at the daycare. Anyway, I should get to meet her then, plus she's going to come over Monday to get familiar with our house, get instructions, spend some time with Katie, etc. I'm also going to ask her if she can come over at least one other day to help Katie get used to her before the 30th. We also need to talk about what we're going to pay her. I asked her on the phone if she had an idea how much she would want, but she said she hadn't thought about it yet, and I certainly didn't have any idea. Anyone have any suggestions? It would be three days a week from about 7:30 am to about 5:30 pm (or maybe earlier). I'm going to do some checking around here to see if I can find out a going rate for in-home daycare.

Katie woke up in the middle of the night last night, but DH went in to take care of her. When he's not super-tired, I think he really likes going in to soothe her and rock with her. He likes being the protective, comforting Dad who can help her stop crying and comfort her enough to go back to sleep. I'm not sure why she woke up though, but she has been doing it off and on lately. Sometimes I think it might be the cow's milk we've been giving her. I've heard it's harder for babies to digest, so I was thinking maybe she gets stomach aches in the middle of the night or something. But she doesn't really act like she has a stomach ache when we go in there. Sometimes she'll settle right down, and other times we really have to rock her for a long time. A couple nights ago DH went in, and he spent about an hour with her until she started REALLY screaming, so he brought her to me saying he thought she just needed her mom. I tried everything I could think of and then decided to nurse her, because she just wouldn't calm down. That worked, thankfully, and after that she went right to sleep. I don't know if it's another growth spurt (when do those stop?) or something else, but that's the first time I've had to nurse her in the night for quite a while. Luckily DH was able to calm her down last night without my help. I thought she'd wake up early this morning, but she's still sleeping (it's just after 8am).

Today we have a busy day. Our playgroup is at noon, and we have an investment club meeting this evening. The investment club is a bunch of DH's relatives, most of whom know a lot about the stock market and take it very seriously. We just joined to keep in contact with them (they're cousins and more remote relatives) and to learn a bit more about investing. Several of them have small children too, and they always come to the meetings, so Katie will be welcome. We haven't been to a meeting in a while, so it will be neat to see Katie actually interacting with her (third? fourth?) cousins. One nice thing about having the playgroup and investment club on the same day is that I get lunch and dinner prepared for me!

Several of you have been talking about eating & exercise. I've been really bad about both those things lately. I had been doing Weight Watchers on-line, and I was losing weight very well. But when we went on vacation I didn't really watch things, and I haven't really gotten back on track since then. Exercise-wise, all I've been doing is walking with Katie (usually in the backpack, but occasionally in the stroller) around our neighborhood in the evenings. But I stop and talk to the neighbors, so it isn't really a great workout. I keep thinking one of these days I should start doing my exercise videos in the morning again, but I'm always too tired (because I go to bed too late!). We belong to a gym that has a childcare, but the childcare is closed early afternoon, when it would be best for me to go. And once I start back to work, I feel like I wouldn't want to leave Katie in childcare even more than I already would be while I'm at work. Anyway, I feel like I'm in really bad shape, and I need to figure out a way to do something about that. But as of today, I'm going to concentrate on eating healthy and getting back on the Weight Watchers program. It works very well for me AS LONG AS I ACTUALLY FOLLOW IT!!!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Becky :)

[cchhbb]

Hi all,

Little Coleman went home from the hospital yesterday. I can't believe that 5 days after having open heart surgery that he is now home. I'd be scared stiff. Thank you everyone for your prayers. The doctors were surprised by his incredible recovery.

Becky, how wonderful that you were able to find an infant teacher interested in watching Katie. I would think you would probably have to pay around $10/hour at least around here. My neighbor has a nanny who makes $2000/month plus benefits. She works 8:30 to 5:30 M-F. She might be willing to give you a discount if you pay in cash and since she wouldn't be making anything somewhere else.

That's really great that your DH gets up with Katie. DH doesn't hear Garrett at least he claims to not. Garrett gets up at 5:00 every morning to nurse and then goes back to sleep until 7:30 or so. He does go to bed between 6:30 and 7:00 so he does get a really long sleep before awakening.

Nori, glad to hear that Noah is starting to feel better. I think babies being sick stresses out mommies much more than babies.

Joanne, wow a troop leader. Will your DH be able to help out too? I'm sure Jameson will be pleased to have you focusing just on his stuff for a couple of hours a week. I hope Caitlyn's posture is nothing to worry about. I had Garrett evaluated a couple of days ago since he will only stand on his tip toes. They gave me a couple of stretches to work on with him.

Susan, I hope you won't have to take a vacation day on Friday. That is really the wrong message to send to employees. I know when I worked at a location that was closed due to weather, I didn't take a vacation day. Vice versa, if our CT or Puerto Rico office was closed we still went to work.

Kim, Too funny about dinner. My DH rarely cooks, but when he does it really takes him a long time. He's also the same way about taking directions.

Yesterday, DH, Garrett, and I went to the wholesale nursery and bought a ton of plants to be delivered on Friday. Hopefully, it will be in the afternoon and DH will be able to be home for the delivery. If not, I'm going to have to put Garrett in the pack n play outside while I unload the truck.

My ankle is really bothing me right now so I hired a cleaning crew to come in a whip the house into shape. I'm having my surgery on October 20. My parents are coming in on the 18th and my dad will stay a week and my mom will stay 3 weeks. After my dad leaves, my aunt and my mom's cousin are coming down. I think Garrett's going to get a lot of attention.

I need to get thinking about Garrett's birthday. My mom and dad will be here, but that's the only people we will include in his party. My mom decorates cakes so she will make Garrett his own little cake. I just need to decide what to do. Maybe some blocks or something. I really want it to look special for the pictures.

I've got to run.

Cheryl

[RunnerKim]

Susan -a thinking about you and all the rain you're probably getting. Seems the NE has had a rough couple of years. That's just wrong that you'd have to take a personal/vacation day. Maybe they're just saying that so people don't plan to not go to work. I can't see how they couldn't close the office! Hope Brendan's doing better. My sister said both her boys always had diahrrea when they were teething.

The lasagna turned out well. Not my favorite recipe. We should have used sausage instead of the beef like you did Joanne. Next time I think I'll use my regular lasagna recipe - just do it in the crock pot. There's not much seasonining in this one. But it cooked fine etc. (we didn't have the noodle problem as there was just a little extra in the box so DH threw it in). Lainey even ate it. All the noodles, ricotta and beef and maybe a mushroom even.

I guess I kind of get used to what I have and don't realize how unusual it is the DH does so much around the house. He probably actually does more housework than I do because I do more child care than he does (so he'll vacuum, do dishes etc. while I'm giving her bath). I do have to tell him what needs to be done (i.e., a list of things that need to be done this week) but he's good about knocking stuff off the list.

Joanne - that's wonderful about being the cub scout leader. I'm sure you'll be great! I have fond memories of when my mom was girl scout leader. Actually just for my older sister as I was still a brownie, but I got to tag along a lot. DH's whole family are dedicated scouters (4 sons and 1 daughter). DH's dad was just down at scout camp this past weekend, even though all the kids are long grown. DH still did a lot with his council (as an adult) until we moved to Portland. I know he's looking forward to when our nephews are old enough to join (and for Lainey herself to become a girl scout). I'm sure he'd be happy to answer any questions - although its been a long time since he was a cub scout!

Becky - I'm totally the same way. We just never seem to have the tv on these days and if I don't check in with cnn.com I can be clueless.

Excellent about finding one of the teachers to watch Katie. You must be so relieved to not have the worry hanging over your head! I know time is even shorter when you start work, but for me the routine/schedule actually made it easier for me to get things done. Getting up a little earlier to get my exercise in is manageable now. So you might surprise yourself. I envy people that have showers in their buildings and can exercise at lunch.

Could Katie be teething? Lainey will wake up crying when she's teething. Right now she's waking up 1-2 hours after putting her down which is odd but been consistent for several days. She doesn't even really wake up (eyes aren't open) but crying. I *think* it's because a top tooth is pushing through.

Nori - that's a great perspective - thinkiing about this past week as a learning experience. It's so true. I didn't even think to mention that it takes at least a week for a baby to kick even a cold. That's what my pediatrician told me and unfortunately Lainey has shown it to be true several times. It never comes and goes in a couple days like it can in adults. Lainey's got a runny nose and a developing cough going on right now that I keep hoping will be gone by Sunday when were doing her little party.

I wouldn't think you'd have to quite offer what a nanny gets - as in not going to worry about benefits (or compensating for not giving them) and since I wouldn't think you'd have to worry about taxes and all that (that a full time nanny would) then you don't have to pay quite as much either to cover what she'd have to pay in self-employment taxes. (but I'm not a tax person so I'll make that disclaimer, just trying to say you could probably get rates for Nanny's of 1 child and offer less).

Cheryl - that is amazing that Coleman is going home so soon. Babies/kids do recover so much faster than adults though. It was scary when we took lainey home after the pneumonia but it felt so good and less stressful being in our home, I knew it was right.

Hope your ankle hangs in there until you can have the surgery. That must make it difficult to get around (and carry Garrett). I'm assuming that since you only have stretches to do with him that it's not really a big deal about him standing on this toes? I don't mean that doing stretches are nothing - just that it doesn't sound like anything serious? If so, that's good!

Whew this took a while to write so if anyone else has posted in the meantime I'll just edit..

Kim

[MrsReber]

Well, I am home today. The daycare called DH around 3:30 yesterday. He said he thinks that the teachers got in trouble for not sending Brenden home earlier. He's really fine- he's eating, drinking, in good spirits- he just has some really messy diapers. I was taking tomorrow off anyway so I told my boss I'll do a half day today and a half day tomorrow from home. The kids are being really great today, which helps. I have been able to do plenty of work so far this morning.

I just talked to my sister this morning. They're 120 miles from the shore in NC so they are experiencing pretty strong winds and a little bit of rain right now. They did say on her local news that there would probably be tornadoes touching down, too. Sounds like they'll get the worst later today. What I've realized, though, is that nobody seems to really know what the storm will do. The forecast keeps changing. I find it interesting that my sister and I are both experiencing wind from the same storm right now. This thing is huge. THe first band of rain is supposed to be here in the late afternoon/early evening.

Well, DH's ears must've been ringing. I got stuck on the train last night (power outage in one of the towns we go through) and he had to pick up the kids. He got home and said, out of the blue, "I'm going to make dinner tonight". I told him about this thread and how I was jsut saying he never makes dinner. He said "Ha! I wish I had it that easy!" I honestly have no idea what he's talking about since he never makes dinner. I mean, I would know since I am the one who does make dinner. I let him live out his little fantasy in his head where he believes he actually makes dinner. I should've clarified that lighting the grill for me does not count as making dinner. And, of course, we all know what happened- he started to cook then asked me how t make rice. He boiled some water and I put in the rice and finished cooking him. He put some chicken in the oven and I watched it and took it out when it was done. He put broccoli in the steamer and I watched it and turned it off when it was done. :rolleyes:

Joanne, I bet you'll have fun being troop leader. It's nice that you can do that for your son, too. I bet he'll appreciate it.

Becky, I'm glad you got one of the teachers to help out until the daycare opens! That's great news. Like I said, I'm sure they do background checks on them before hiring. I would think they probably make around $10 an hour. I think that's about the going rate here and $150 for the three days sounds about fair. I know it's such a hard thing to put a price on. DH and I were talking last night about how we'd like to be able to give a couple of the teachers cash around Christmas time. The thing is, we came up with at least 5 of them that we'd like to acknowledge. If we gave them each $50, we're taking $250 total! I told him we need to think about it some more. There are a couple of the women who seriously could use the money so we'll probably give them each $50 and then give the others a little less.

Whew! The wind is really blowing out there! We keep getting these strong gusts. We're about 15 minutes from the ocean so we'll see something, I'm sure. DH was still not listening to me when I was telling him that we needed to move all our outside stuff so it wouldn't blow around. I was outside this morning taking stuff into the garage. Men!!

[RunnerKim]

Originally posted by MrsReber
He boiled some water and I put in the rice and finished cooking him.

:eek: :D

[MrsReber]

Kim, too funny! Can you say "Freudian slip?" I can! :D

[cchhbb]

Susan, too funny! My DH seems to think he makes dinner when he turns on the grill and watches some meat cook. He does make chicken wings about once a month on the grill, but that is the extent of his cooking. The funny thing is when we first met he cooked a lot more than I did. I traveled a lot for work and lived alone so rarely cooked anything. I usually ate my big meal at lunch and ate salads or something lite for dinner when I was at home.

Kim, You do have it good, but there is always some room for improvement. My DH would ignore a list if I gave him one. A few years ago, I was traveling full-time to Puerto Rico. Essentially, I'd get home Friday night about 10 pm and leave again after supper on Sunday. DH wasn't working at the time. I'd get home and the laundry hadn't been done, the house cleaned, and there was only beer and chips in the house. And I had been told that they thought I might have lupus. I finally hit the roof and then the minimum started getting done. DH grew up in a house where his mom ran around behind them cleaning. DH does give Garrett his bath every night while I clean up the kitchen and run the vacuum in the great room.

The cleaning people just left. They weren't supposed to be here until 1:30, but showed up at 12:00. I just got back from picking Garrett up from preschool. Needless to say, Garrett didn't take a very good nap.

Garrett took his first steps over the weekend. He's very unstable though. He has a really nice bruise on the center of his forehead where he crashed into something. My friend is a PT and I asked her to look at Garrett since he always stands on his tip toes. The DR had told me at 9 months that it was something that many babies do and not to be worried. My friend suggested some gentle stretches and they really seem to be helping.

I hired a babysitter so I can go watch the Buckeyes play on Saturday. One of the teachers at church is going to come over. Garrett loves her and she treats him so special. That will give DH the ability to concentrate on planting all the stuff we bought at the nursery. If I didn't hire a babysitter, DH would have Garrett out 'helping' him and I really don't want him eating mulch all day. I can just imagine the kind of diapers that I would have to change after that.

Garrett just got a runny nose today when I picked him up from school. I'm sure that he's going to get several colds since he is around other kids a few days a week. I guess it's just part of growing up.

Tonight, I'm going to a presentation by a sleep specialist. While I really don't want to change Garrett's night sleep, I am interested in hearing if I can do something to encourage him to nap. He seems to have a difficult time rolling over to the next sleep cycle unless he's being held or is in the car.

Cheryl

[MrsReber]

Figures, only 2 messy diapers today! I knew that would happen. But hey, I can't complain too much. I made CL's fudgy sheet cake again. I love that cake. I think I really like the way the frosting looks on the cake. I hate to cut it. It comes out so perfect.

Last night, DH thought maybe we should call MIL and see if she'd be available to watch Brenden. I nearly spit my food out. I said the LAST thing I need is a frantic woman watching my ill child. He said that SIL said MIL was "at her wit's end" on Tuesday. DH said "maybe watching Brenden would be good for her." Sorry, my son is not being used as therapy for a kooky MIL. Besides, she's very unreliable. I'd feel sick all day at work, wondering what she was doing with my poor son. He also doesn't know who she is since she's only seen him a handful of times and hasn't taken the time to form any kind of bond with him.

We now have a state of emergency starting at 4:00pm today. Wonder what will happen. They still don't seem to know. Better safe than sorry, though. Looks like the VA coast is taking a beating right about now.

Both kids are asleep. Casey just fell asleep on our bed (my computer is in our bedroom) and Brenden went down about an hour ago. Ahh. Probably won't last long. He seems okay, but he gets pretty messy after he eats. They've been so good today, too. DH told the daycare director that the other kids must have been exposed to this virus (or illness) before Brenden had any symptoms. She said that they use gloves when they change them so they have reduced all risk. We just sort of laughed at that. We all know that you're contagious before the symptoms appear. He may have even gotten the illness there. As for the rash, I found out this week that an infant in Brenden's room had the same rash and the doctor said it was prickly heat. It's harmless, but I don't think anyone knows what it really was.

Cheryl, Caesy walked on her toes plenty. DH always thought there was something wrong. I think it's just something they do because they can. Congrats on Garretts first steps. It all happens so fast. Pretty soon, you won't remember what it was like to have him crawling all over the place!

I better get some cleaning done while these guys are asleep. My house is a mess! DH called before and asked if I got anything done- i.e. took the kids for the blood work for lead, went to the bank for him, got them shoes. I said "uh, no. See I have to WORK and take care of two children." Why do they think it's such a breeze? He said "oh, you must be getting tons done around the house then." :rolleyes: . I wish I lived in his world!

[RunnerKim]

Go Garrett Go! I've heard about the walking on toes thing too as being not uncommon, so that's why I was curious what his assessment was. Let us know what your learn at the sleep presentation.

Try to stay dry Susan!

Kim

[nori]

I think I'm coming down with cold.....I had a horrible night. Not only Noah woke me up, but I had stiff muscle and headache couldn't sleep well. Oh, kind of stuffy nose, too.:o Noah, on the other hand, is still coughing but now I'm sure it's just one of the phase. He'll be fine. Today we went to the story time at the library. It was fun. But because of that, somehow Noah didn't nap in the afternoon. He had sort of short nap in the morning, and maybe dozed off about 5 min. in the car on the way back. That was it. I made him "chicken broccorri casserole"for babies which I saw in teh paper yesterday. I was excited because it tasted pretty good. The paper bragged about how kids gobbled them up. I set the plate in front of him, as well as try to feed it to him. He maybe ate a few bites, but that was it...:( I'm so dissapointed. Lately he's not eating so much. He rather wanted to go down and play. That was around 5pm, and after that I gave him a bath a bit early because I could tell he's sleepy. Sure enough, at 6pm, he's already asleep. Well, I just have to hope he'll sleep well tonight.

Joanne, your comment about diaper rash related to teething gave me "a-ha" moment. He's been having kind of bad diaper rash, and I was wondering if that's some sort of food I'm giving to him. But his diet hadn't changed much, I couldn't think of anything new. When I think about it, it started right aroudn the time when upper-front teeth started to come in. I feel a bit better now. It's getting a little better, too. Troop leader sounds like fun!

Becky, great news you get to have new teacher to come in to your house! I can't give you any idea how much should be paid since I have no experience. As MrsReber said, it's so hard to put a price on something that important....

Cheryl, glad to hear that little Coleman is doing so well. It is amazing to be able to come home that early....His parents must be so happy about it. So Garrett is not a good napper? Noah does wake up crying most of the time, and sometimes if I hold him, he'd go back to sleep but most of the time he just wakes up. Does this sound like having a problem napping?? Sounds like he's a good sleeper at night, though. If you got any interesting information at the sleep presentation, please do share! You know I'm desperate about that kind of informatin.:D

Kim, Yeah, I just thought the cold/flu would go away in a day or so for babies, too. Besides, all Tyrenol instruction said "Call doctor if the symptom won't improve after 3 days" so I just took it 3 days is too long to be sick. It's been exactly a week yesterday since he got sick, so he's right on track. I think next time, I wouldn't freaked out like I did this time.

MrsReber, hope your DH was joking when he said asking MIL to watch Brenden!:eek: You're right, you don't want to use your kids for her therapy. Ohhhh, I love that fudge cake! Those are so good. I know I have all ingredients, I'm tempted to make one now....I don't know if that's a good idea, though, being alone in the house.

Oh great, Noah woke up:rolleyes: I better go and check on him.

[JoanneOR]

How wonderful that Coleman is at home already? Is this all the surgery he'll need. That's wonderful news. I'm sure his parents are so relieved.

Cheryl, when is your surgery? Coming up soon?

Mrs. Reber, hope you are hold up OK there. Luckily it seems like the storm lost some strength. I'm sure there's tons of rain, though. Do you have to go into work tomorrow?

Becky, that's great that your found a sitter. I'm sure that's alot off of your mind. I have no idea what you would pay her!

Caitlyn had her one year appt. today. The doctor agreed the RSV shots would be a good idea and she is going to check with our insurance to be sure they are covered. She looked up the recommendations from the Academy of Pediatricians on who should get the shots and kids under two with congenital heart defects were included. So, she said that should ensure the insurance will pay. They'll start sometime in October. She recommended we all get flu shots, including Caitlyn, too. I haven't broken it to the boys yet.

Caitlyn got two shots. Not fun, of course, but she only cried for a moment. But when she was on the table getting them she was crying and I looked in her mouth and could see two molars! They are on the bottom and are the two molars closest to the front of her mouth. I didn't realize they would come so soon. That explains her not sleeping so good and being fussy (hopefully). You can see the tops of them, but they haven't quite broken all the way through yet.

Nori, hope you're feeling better. I always get my kids colds, but DH never seems to. The chicken casserole sounds cute. Too bad Noah didn't eat too much. My kids are pretty picky. I've learned not to take it personally when they don't want to eat what I cook. DH will eat anything, so that helps!

Kim, I think the sausage made a big difference in the taste of the lasagna. It would have been pretty bland without it.

Sorry if I'm missing anyone. I'm really tired today and need to go to sleep! Being home is more tiring than going to work!

[MrsReber]

Good morning. It's beautiful here! I woke up around 3:00 this morning and noticed that the wind was gone. It's still breezy, but it's not whipping around like it was! The sun is out and we seem to have escaped anything major. I'm kind of surprised. By the looks of the wind all day and evening yesterday, I thought for sure we'd get hit. I have to call my sister today and see how she made out. Looks really bad in VA and NC.

Brenden must really not feel well. He's happy when he's up, but he sleeps for hours! He got up at 9:30 yesterday. Around 1:30, he went back to sleep and he didn't wake up until after DH got home at 5:30! Then he was back asleep by 10:00. Poor little guy. Casey finally went down for a nap around 3:00 yesterday and I had time to myself. I actually sat down to read a book! By myself! It was an adult book- not Cat in the Hat or Maisy Drives the Bus! Of course, right after I sat down, the power went out. I had to read with a couple of candles nearby. I thought we'd be out of power for a while, but they restored it within the hour. The most amazing thing is that we never lost our cable. It usually cuts out when it drizzles outside.

No, DH wasn't kidding about his mom watching Brenden. There was no way that was going to happen. Not all day from 7:00am to 5:30 pm. No way, no how. I'm nervous about the stupid things she says to them in the 15 minute visits she's had in the past (her choice on the 15 minutes, not mine). I don't keep the kids from her or tell her not to visit. I do still think it's important that they know who she is. She just doesn't have time for us so she is not building any kind of bond with them. I guess it's partly because I am not (thankfully) her own daughter. I'm pretty close to my mom. It seems to be that way for women.

Nori, we still have much of the sheet cake left. The kids loved it along with DH. I love the way the icing spreads on it and how nice it looks when it's done. I always feel like I should decorate it.

Well, I'm supposed to put in a few hours of work today, but once Brenden is up, I think we're going to go buy shoes. Then I want to stop by my friend's house to visit for a bit. I hope the kids last! I'd really love to go shopping at the outlet stores and hit some of the sales, but I don't know if I'll get there. I still have the weekend. I'm really enjoying being home with these guys. They have been so wonderful. Casey is watching Elmo right now so I'm going to get in the shower before Brenden wakes up. Hope everyone else is doing well!

[RunnerKim]

Susan, glad you didn't get the brunt of the storm. Hope your sister's okay. Lainey's had this diahhrea thing going on for almost a month now. Took her in at the beginning at the doctor said it was an intestinal virus and had to run its course (which could be weeks). Well I guess she wasn't kidding. I'm glad her 1 yr. appt. is next week because it realls seems like it ought to be better by now (it gets very pasty but then returns to liquid etc.) She does have a cold and is teething too so maybe it's all contributing.

Brenden is sleeping a long time. His body must be working hard.

Joanne - Molars!! already??!! I haven't even been looking for them. 2 shots doesn't seem like a lot for the 1 yr. appt. Glad she handled them okay.

Nori - I'm sorry you caught the cold. Hope yours goes away quickly.

Okay - I need an honest assessment of whether this is just too hokey. Several people on our morning bus are just wonderful to us (re-arranging where they sit so we can have seats together etc.) and I was thinking I'd make up extra pumpkin muffins that I'm taking to day care for her birthday and passing them around the bus as a thank you/celebration. The bus drivers are about to rotate (they do twice a year) and I've always wanted to say thank you to them (well at least the good ones, which are most). I was actually thinking of baking it like a brownie and splitting it and putting the cream cheese frosting in the middle so it'd be easier to bag and keep for their lunch or whatver. Too hokey? I like the idea but am having trouble getting up the nerve to actually imagine myself doing it! And DH will be absolutely no help here.

TGIF,
Kim

[BeckyM]

Hi Everyone!

It's a beautiful day here, and I was expecting that we were supposed to get some rain & winds from the storm too. MrsReber, I'm glad to hear you guys haven't been too badly affected by it. Hope your sister is okay too. My sister used to live in NC too (in Raleigh), and she was there during some bad hurricanes. Luckily she just had power go out and some limbs blown off trees -- nothing that really did any damage.

Today Katie and I go to meet the two main infant teachers at her daycare. The purpose of this visit is more to ask questions about how things will be done at the actual daycare. I want to ask them things like how they manage the different kids' nap schedules, how much they're planning to use the "large muscle room" and the outdoor play areas, what (if any) activities they plan to do with kids Katie's age, etc. I also have more practical questions like how they're going to keep track of diapers & wipes (which we're supposed to supply), what exactly they're doing about food for this age (I think we're supposed to bring it all, but I'm not sure), etc. Once I'm done typing, I need to write down all my questions to make sure I don't forget anything! I'll get to meet the woman who will be taking care of Katie in our home, but she's coming over here Monday for us to talk more specifics about that.

Thanks for everyone's input on pay for our temporary nanny/babysitter. $10 per hour sounds like a lot when we add it up! If she comes at 7:30 am and stays until 5:30 pm, that's 10 hours, so that would be $100 per day! I was reasoning that most of the in-home people we interviewed (the ones who babysit multiple kids in their own homes) wanted $20 - $25 per day. We were thinking someone who comes here should get more per day, and DH said he would think we should at least pay her $50 per day. Another factor is that we will be paying $185 per week for Katie's daycare once it starts (there is no part-time option for infants, so we have to pay for five days), so that's $37 per day. I still haven't done any specific checking around here to see what people here get paid for full-day babysitting in someone else's home. I need to do that! We definitely want to pay her adequately, so she knows we appreciate what she's doing for us, but we don't want to way overpay her either. I'm hoping she'll ask for $40 a day or so, then we can tell her we're prepared to pay $50, and she'll feel like we're being generous. If she asks for $100 per day, we're definitely not going to offer more than that!

Katie had a good day yesterday. Playgroup was fun, and Katie was really interacting with the other kids. She also fell in love with a big sort of flat stuffed puppy. It was sort of a cross between a stuffed animal and a floor pillow. Katie would crawl over and put her head on it and then sort of roll over on it and snuggle with it. It was so cute to watch. When we got home, Katie took a REALLY long nap (3 1/2 hours) until it was time to leave for our investment club. She had fun there too, especially playing with a little three-year old girl. The other little girl kept bringing Katie toys and books to look at. It was cute to see them with each other. DH was especially amazed, because he hadn't really seen Katie around other kids much, and he didn't realize she actually interacts with them now.

MrsReber -- your story about your DH "making dinner" was pretty humorous. My DH does occasionally cook, but I think I inadvertently discourage him by offering too many suggestions. He cut up a pineapple for us the other day, which I was going to do, but he said he'd do it while I was feeding Katie. I don't know how he did it, but it was in these really thin strips, not like I would do it at all. I told him I would have shown him how to cut it up correctly, and he was rather offended. He said his way was just as effective, even if it looked different than mine would have, and I had to agree. So if DH ever offers to do something in the kitchen, I've realized I have to pretty much leave him alone, or I'll feel compelled to tell him the "right" way to do things, and then he'll get upset and turn everything back over to me. I think I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to that. So I just leave DH alone and let him make his own mistakes, butting in only if I know something will be absolutely ruined (burned or worse) without my intervention. I guess I'm lucky that DH offers at all.

Overall, I think DH and I have things fairly evenly divided, though he does end up with more TV-watching time than I do. I don't feel like I can just sit down and watch TV when the house is a mess and there are a million things to do. DH will pick up a few things, figure he has done what's needed, then he'll relax with the Discovery Channel (or football, now that it's the fall), and he doesn't understand why I'm not joining him.

Cheryl -- sounds like a good idea that you got a babysitter for Saturday, especially after last week when Garrett didn't get fed on time. This way you can enjoy the game and not worry about Garrett eating mulch!

Kim -- are you having Lainey's birthday party this weekend? I hope her cold symptoms are better by then. Katie's is next weekend (the 27th), and I still don't have a menu figured out. I had been thinking soup or chili or something like that, but DH doesn't think it's cold enough out yet. But chili was served at our investment club last night, and I know DH really enjoyed it, so maybe he will have changed his mind.

Katie did sleep through the night just fine last night. I haven't noticed any new teeth coming through, though I ought to try checking again. Katie isn't too cooperative about me poking around in her mouth, so I may have missed something. We didn't really feed her differently yesterday than previous days, so I'm not sure if the cow's milk is causing her stomach discomfort or not. I haven't given her cheese though since the night she ate an entire piece of string cheese with her dinner and then was up for over an hour in the middle of the night. I'm not sure that's what caused it, but I think I'll try not to overdo on the dairy stuff. She absolutely loved that cheese though!

Well, I probably ought to get myself ready for the day and get my list of questions for the teachers ready. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Becky :)

[BeckyM]

Kim -- I guess you were posting while I was!

I like your idea of bringing muffins for the people on the bus. It sounds really nice and not at all hokey to me. I think I would feel a bit like you do about it though -- wanting to do something nice for people, but feeling a bit hesitant about what they'll think. Anyway I think people ought to do MORE things like that to show their appreciation for others. And I bet you'll make the people on the bus very happy just by doing something special. You can explain that it's Lainey's birthday, and that you wanted the people on the bus to be able to celebrate with you.

I've never thought about baking muffins like brownies. Could you still bake them like muffins, just without the muffin papers, then cut them in half and put the frosting in the middle? I don't know which way would be easier or work better. Any way you do it, I bet the people will be really appreciative. And I bet most of the people just eat it right then & there. (Though the bus driver will probably have to wait until he/she is not driving.)

Becky :)

[nori]

Becky, isn't it amazing to realize your baby is now interacting with other babies?? I've seen it at the story time group. He used to be just sit there and not move. Now he gets to the toy box very quickly and won't leave without his favorite toy. How cute about Katie and her favorite dog toy! Hope you can work the pay deal out well with the teacher.

Kim, I think it's a great idea....to bake muffins for those people on the bus! I'd love that if I was one of the passengers.:) I tend to think that way, too. It's just so nice to show people how you appreciate them or how you're pleased. Baking that muffin recipe as a brownie style sounds interesting. I'd say go for it!!! I bet people will be very happy.:) Poor Lainey, hope her diarreha will go away soon. That made me to think about my little boy's poop.....his has been pretty much soft side always, but he might had had some diarrhea in the past which I didn't really realize it was.:o The one he had last week after the fever was obviously diarrhea, though. Kind of watery. Well I guess that's enough of description.:eek:

MrsReber, glad Isabel didn't cause too much trouble around your area. Hope your sister in SC was okay, too. Hmmmmm reading my own book......I can't remember the last time I've done that.:o I'd skim through magazines etc. but most of them are related to parenting. (i.e. Parents Magazine, No-cry sleep solution.....) I'd love to pick one book for my own leisure and read, curling up on the couch!!! How' Brenden feeling now? You think it's teething???

Joanne, so how many teeth Caitlyn got now??? And from your experience with boys, which one is the most painful for them??? I'm asking, because Noah has been pretty miserable with those up-front teeth. Diaper rash, drooling, fussiness etc. I'm just wondering if anything gets worse.:p Hope not, but I've heard molars are even worse. Well I can't wait.:rolleyes:

Noah is still coughing and has a bit of stuffy nose. As for me, I'm having similar coughs like Noah does, plus stuffy nose.:rolleyes: Go figure. Oh, and DH said that he got a cold, too. He came home last night unexpectedly. He got his work done in Ohio a day early so he changed his flights way home. But he didn't have enough time to call me. So imagine my surprise to hear the key clicking on the door around 9pm.:eek: It almost freaked me out. Glad he came home early, though.

Well have a nice weekend, everyone!

AnnaSue....hope you're holding up okay.

[BeckyM]

Wow! No one has posted in a while. Usually when I don't come here in a couple days, there are 10 - 20 new messages, and this time there wasn't even one! Guess everyone is enjoying the weekend.

Just a quick note to say I met the infant teachers at Katie's daycare on Friday, and we went back with DH on Saturday for a little open house they were having, so he got to meet them then. We're both happy with the way they are getting the daycare pulled together, and we liked all the staff we met. They had an area with big foam blocks and ramps and steps for the kids to climb on, and Katie had a ball with that! When I picked her up to leave, she kept trying to squirm out of my arms to get down and play some more. It was nice to see her so happy there. The two infant teachers seem really nice, so we're comfortable with having them take care of Katie. The one who will be watching Katie here until the daycare opens is coming over tomorrow to work out the details.

The other thing I have to report is that Katie has her seventh tooth now. So maybe you were right Kim -- the night wakings may have had to do with teething. She woke up last night again and wouldn't go to sleep for a long time, and it didn't even occur to me until this morning to try a pain reliever for the teething. So I read the Infant Motrin instructions today and have it all ready in case she wakes up and seems to need it tonight. I tend to avoid medications for myself unless I absolutely NEED them, so I don't want to medicate Katie unnecessarily, but if she's as uncomfortable tonight as she seemed last night, maybe we'll give it a try.

Cheryl, how did it go with the babysitter during the Buckeye game Saturday? Did your DH get all your plants in the ground? By the way, how does your DH avoid becoming a Buckeye fan if you enjoy the games so much? My DH practically LIVES for college football in the fall, and he went to Ohio State, so we watch the games every Saturday. I went to Montana State, but somehow I've become an honorary Buckeye. I was never that into football until I was exposed to DH's contagious enthusiasm. Now I even have my own "lucky Buckeye" shirt, which I wear to watch the games.

I'd better get to bed. I'm going to try to get up and exercise before Katie gets up tomorrow morning, so I need to get some sleep! I had planned to do that this morning, but Katie's middle-of-the-night screaming interfered with my plans!

Becky :)

[nori]

Just check in before going to bed.....this weekend had not been fun. Noah is still dragging his cough, I got even sicker on Saturday and DH got sick since Friday morning. We were supposed to host supper club on Saturday night but decided to postpone since everyone was so sick. :( We felt bad canceling at the last moment but there were supposed to be 2 babies besides Noah, we didn't want risk making them sick. Today, we also missed the church....just could not make it. Noah slept pretty good last night, waking up only once. But I woke up a lot, from my own stuffiness. This morning Noah got up at 5:30am and I tried to nurse him to sleep. He didn't, and after nursing, he coughed very hard and vomit most of milk he had all over me and floor and on bed!:eek: It sounded like he got mucus on airway and had hard time coughing it up. Poor guy. He's been that way about 3 days now. He's fine otherwise, playing and being active. Now I'm having a soar throat and stuffy nose.:( It gets worse at night, it seems.

Anyway, watch out those virus out there, everyone! It's a nasty stuff.

Becky, wow 7 teeth already! I'm the same way like you, try to not to use medication unless it's really needed. Hope Katie will do okay tonight. Your daycare center sounds like a great place for her! It must be a relief to know that she is in good hands. Good luck meeting your teacher tomorrow!

[MrsReber]

Wow, I thought there would be more posts, too! I've been home for five days now. It's been great. It's going to be so hard to go back to work tomorrow. I wish I could stay home and still get paid!

Well, Brenden seems to be much better. He still has about 2 messy diapers a day, but nothing at all like they were. He's his old happy self, though. On Friday morning, I broke down and took the kids for the blood work. They did the lead test, a blood count and Casey got the Lyme test as well. I was dreading it. We showed up at the lab, they each sat in a chair and shared a package of fruit snacks quietly. The other patients commented on how cute they were. We got called in right away. I did Casey first since I figured she'd freak if Brenden went first and cried. We sat in the chair, I held her, the tech put the needle in and....nothing. She didn't cry, didn't struggle. Nothing. She whimpered once and that was it! I thought for sure Brenden would be trouble. I gave Casey some Wiggles fruit snacks and sat in the chair with Brenden. He was upset because Casey had fruit snacks! He could care less about the needle! It was amazing. The tech was amazed. I told her I was happy that she was good at what she did. She got the vein on the first try. We later went to the shoe store. My little boy now wears a size 6 extra wide! His feet are huge! After that, I met my friend and her DH for lunch since they had the day off, too. It was really nice, the kids were so good. I was so proud of them!

Kim, I love your idea about the muffins/brownies. I think it's great, but I completely understand how weird you'd feel. I think once you gave out the first one or two, you'd feel good about your good deed and everyone else would be so appreciative. I'd go for it! And I agree, if more people did nice things like that, the world might be a better place!

Becky, I think $50 a day is very reasonable. It's only for a short while, anyway. That sounds like a good plan. I'm glad you're happy with how things are going at the new daycare, too. It's such a hard decision to make and you'll always hope that you're doing the right thing. It sounds like you're doing your homework and you should be happy with your decision.

Nori, I hope everyone is feeling better!

AnnaSue- hope you're surviving! It's almost over, isn't it??

Well, I'm going to get in the shower. I already worked some. The kids are still, to my amazement, sleeping. They must've been worn out from our shopping trip yesterday! I had to hit the big sales at the outlet stores. Couldn't miss that! DH called me at 1:30, though. The truck broke down and I had to pick him up. Turns out he needed a new battery so the rest of our day was kind of shot.

[hrk]

Wow out for four days and you miss alot.
Well my first week back at work was not a week at all. Thursday and Friday the federal government were closed so I ended up with an unexpected foour day weekend. It was wonderful and made it all that much herder to get back to work this morning. But we were very lucky, the only thing we lost was our cable modem for a few hours. I have co-workers who are still without power today. But DH and I were all prepared with dry ice on Wednesday incase we lost power because I was not losing my supply of breast milk in the freezer:D
Well Thursday Logan was four months and tomorrow we will have his four month appointment. I am very anxious to see how much he weighs since by our rough estimate based on our scale he is around 17 pounds and over 27 inches long. And tonight we have the back to school night for Logans daycare where we will get to see the new facilities and meet the teachers, other kids and parents.
On the flip side the Admiral Fell Inn where SIL is supposed to have here wedding in 3 weeks was destroyed by storm surges so I would imagine she is flipping out right now. My family is soo superstitous that my mom beleives that G-d is punishing her for all the misery she has caused people over this wedding:(
MrsReber I am glad to hear that you survived without damamge and got an extended vacation as well.
Kim- I think the muffins are a great idea. It will brighten everyones morning
Nori- hope noah is feeling better as well as you and DH. I just got over a cold myself. It used to be so easy, pop two advil cold and sinus as soon as I felt sick but now can't do that due to breastfeeding. So I actually resorted to Vicks under my nose to help- I hate smelling like menthol:(
Becky- I am glad things worked out well with the daycare. $50 a day sounds very reasonable to me especially since it is just a temporary thing.
To anyone else I missed sorry, hope everyones weekend was great.
Heather

[cchhbb]

Becky, My DH is Canadian so that's why he's not a Buckeye. He had never watched a football game before he met me. The first year we were dating, OSU went to the Rose Bowl. I asked him if he wanted to go and spend New Years in Los Angeles with me and go to the game. He said that going to a football game wouldn't be very much fun so he didn't want to go. I was really annoyed and thought about breaking up with him. His buddies all gave him a hard time and he came back 2 days later and asked if he could still go. OSU football is one of those things that I do by myself. He often goes golfing or works around the house. I can't imagine not seeing a game or at least really caring about the outcome.

I ended up having to take Garrett with me to watch the game. My babysitter called on Friday night and said she was sick. I tried a couple of other people, but couldn't get anyone. Garrett was really good during the game and we left during the 4th quarter to come home and take a nap. Everyone at the bar loved him. People were passing him around and commenting on how cute he was. He also would put up his arms in the touchdown position and everyone loved that.

Glad to hear you and DH liked the daycare. It sounds like that is really the best option for you. Garrettt really seems to like preschool after I leave. He plays like crazy. I've even made a point of not buying some of the toys he really likes at preschool to make the time there more special.

Nori, sorry to hear that your family is not feeling well. Garrett has a little bit of a runny nose right now. He was really tired yesterday so I put him to bed at 6:00. He slept for 13 hours, waking up once to nurse after 11 hours.

You asked about the sleep specialist seminar. I talked to the Dr who runs the sleep disorder clinic about Garrett's lack of naps. He told me not to worry about it since he sleeps for such a long time at night. He may not need a lot more sleep. Since he can self-soothe to sleep he knows how to fall asleep and continue to sleep for a very long time. I think that all the specialists seems to say the same thing. Teach your child to self soothe to sleep. They just go about it a little different. You have chosen a very gentle approach to teaching your child to sleep, while your DH has chosen the most strict. I think a middle ground would be Dr. Jodi Mindell's approach. She was the one that I heard talk last week.

Joanne, my surgery is October 20. I can't wait. I will have to be under general anesthesia (sp) so if I'm still nursing, I will have to pump and dump for 24 hours. I'm glad to hear Caitlyn will be able to get the RSV shots. Hopefully, that will help her to have a better winter.

Heather, don't you know since you prepared well that nothing happened to you. Good thought on having dry ice to keep your breastmilk frozen. I know how much work you have to go through to get some. I really hate to pump. I used to plan on going places around not having to pump. Too bad for your sister. I hope she'll be able to find another location.

Susan, glad to hear that everything went well for you and the hurricane. I hope Brendan gets back to normal. What brave little kids. Garrett has only cried when he's had blood drawn when they strapped him into a devise and wouldn't let me hold him.

Garrett, DH and I are going to the beach for the weekend. We don't have any reservations yet so that's going to be my objective for preschool time tomorrow. I think we're going to go to Destin for a long weekend. I think Garrett will like floating around in the water.

Cheryl

[BeckyM]

Hi Everyone!

MrsReber -- glad to hear your kids were so good for the needles. That's amazing that neither one of them cried! I guess they were good examples for each other, and the fruit snacks distracted them even further. And that's amazing that Brenden's feet are so big! Katie is only in a 3, and I think her foot looks long.

Heather -- glad to hear your power stayed on and you didn't have to use the dry ice. That was great planning ahead though! I can understand how you wouldn't want to waste all that precious milk just because of a storm!

Nori -- sorry to hear you, Noah, and your DH are all still sick. How miserable for you all! At least when Katie was sick, I felt okay. I imagine it must be extra-difficult to try to take care of a sick baby when you're not feeling well yourself. Hopefully you can all get some rest and be on the mend soon!

Cheryl -- I guess being Canadian explains your DH's lack of "football fever". It's good he at least understands that it is important to you. It's funny that you once thought about breaking up with him over it! I'm glad to hear Garrett did well going with you to watch the game. (You go to a sports bar, right?) And that's so cute that he would put his arms up in the "touchdown" signal. A woman who works with my DH has a little boy who's around 2-3 years old, and he says "fumble!" whenever anyone drops anything. I guess they watch a lot of football in his house!

The infant teacher from Katie's daycare who's going to watch Katie here until it opens was just here this morning. I feel even better about it after seeing her here in our house interacting with Katie. She asked good questions and seemed comfortable with all the things I was telling her. She also seemed like she'll be very conscientious. When the topic of payment came up, I think she was more uncomfortable talking about it than I was! She said she was thinking maybe we could pay her whatever we would have paid the daycare if it were open. I told her that would be fine, and though technically we're paying the daycare $185 for five days, we would be fine with paying her that amount for three days. That comes out to just under $62 per day, which I think is reasonable. We talked to DH's sister in St. Louis last night, and like Cheryl, she thought we'd need to pay around $10 per hour! So we're really happy with $62/day.

I also asked if she could come for a few hours some day later this week, partly so she and Katie can get more acclimated to each other (though Katie seemed to be perfectly happy around her this morning), and partly so I can get some service done on my vehicle. So she's going to come Thursday morning, and I told her I'd pay her $35 to come for half the day. She was very agreeable, and she seems to be happy to have the extra money coming in. She took off the summer to spend with her kids (ages 8 and 10), and she had been counting on an income when the daycare was supposed to open September 1st! So our arrangement is benefitting both of us!

Well, I'd better get some things done. It's hard to believe this is my last week before starting work again!

I'm sure someone will have posted since I began typing, since I took so long to write all this!

Becky :)

[RunnerKim]

((Nori)) Sick babies are no fun add on top of it when you and DH are also sick, it's just horrible. Seems to drag on forever too. I hope you all kick it soon. Lainey's still coughing a little and has a runny nose too. Diahrea has become "normal" for us now. Glad she has her 1 yr. appt. on Wednesday so I can ask about it again.

Heather - Glad you missed the worst of the storms. Good thought on the dry ice - boy would I have lost if I had to throw away spoiled breastmilk. I almost cried over knocking over a bottle one time. Glad you're getting to ease back into working :D Oh my! Your mother really says things like that!! Your sister must be freaking out. (has she been that bad about the planning?)

Susan - amazing with the bloodwork! I would never have expected them to be so un-affected by it. You must have done a good job remaining calm yourself so they didn't get tense/anxious.

Becky - great that the daycare seems to be coming together and that the teachers are good. Sounds like Katie is really going to like it there. I'm sure she was just as uncomfortable talking about the $. Glad it's working out so well for everyone.

Cheryl - Getting Garret started early as a football fan! Glad you were still able to enjoy the game even though your babysitter cancelled.

Okay, you guys, I'll let you know how muffins on the bus goes tomorrow morning. I'm still a tad uncomfortable about doing it but I do want to let the people know I appreciate them (particularly now that Lainey has learned how to scream for fun :rolleyes: ).

We had her little party last night. It was fun. The cake came out really well - I was pleased with it. I'll post a picture later. My sister and her 2 boys and one of her daycare kids were there (The mom's a flight attendant so she gets the girl for a couple of days straight). The older kids loved "helping" Lainey open her gifts and Lainey actually played with the gifts (vs. just the paper, boxes etc.). We did it after dinner (and a long busy day) so I was impressed with how well she did.

We were at a dog agility trial this weekend and at the county fairgrounds was also a "Master Gardeners" Garden that had a bunch of beautiful flowers. So I took Lainey over and took a ton of pictures. I need to see how they came out but I'm hoping to get a ocuple of good ones - it was so sunny that the shadows and glare caused lots of problems. My groin muscles are killing me this morning from all the squatting I did to take her picture. :o

Lainey is really into her books now - I am finding her all the time sitting there flipping through a board book - Brown Bear Brown Bear is a favorite.

Kim

[slknight]

Hi everyone! I know at the beginning of the thread I said I was going to try to keep up, but my goodness, you all move too fast for me! I am going to try to catch up tonight or tomorrow.

Just a couple of quick things -
Cheryl, too funny about Garrett already putting his arms up like a touchdown. Football is very big in our house. DH took Alex to a high-school football game last week. The two of them had a blast, and I had a little time to myself. Alex also likes to sit in the bouncy seat and watch while DH plays some Nintendo football game we have.:rolleyes:

Kim - go for it with the muffins. My mom once found out that the guy in the produce section at the grocery store where she shopped had the same birthday as I did. Every year she used to make him a cake.:) She also used to frequently take cookies to the guy at the garage where she got the cars serviced.

You all have made me feel better about taking Alex to daycare. There is just no way I can get a lot of work done when he's here. He's going to go 3 days a week (Tues, Thurs, Fri). Tomorrow's the first day and I'm pretty nervous. I'll post more later.

Susan

[nori]

Thanks for "get-well"wishes, everyone. I wasn't feeling any better this morning. My voice got so hoarse, and each time I cough, my chest and throat hurt. I feel like I'm dragging this even longer than usual, since it's hard to get enough rest with baby around. I used to be sick one day or two, then on the third day I'm fine. Not this time. Today it was hard to keep up with Noah. DH isn't any better either. He came home around 3:30pm and went straight on the couch to lay down.:rolleyes: Tough part this time is, I don't feel like asking DH do something for me since he's sick, too. I better go to bed, too, now that Noah is sleeping.

MrsReber, your kids are so brave!!!! Glad to hear Brenden is feeling better again.

Kim, sounds like a nice party. I'm looking forward to hear how the muffins were recieved.:D I bet everyone liked them!

Cheryl, yes me and DH each choose the extreme opposite method of sleeping issue.:o Oh well, hopefully we can find the way to compromise when the issue came up again. Is Garrett good night sleeper from the start, or did you work on him? I remember you are working on naps but wasn't sure about night time sleep.

Susan, good luck on Alex's first day of school!

[cchhbb]

I just booked our trip to Florida. It's about a 6 hour drive to the beach from here. We're going to leave as soon as Garrett has lunch after preschool. Hopefully, he will sleep a good bit of the trip. A friend of mine gives her kids Benedryl for long trips. Her Dr recommended it. Maybe I'll give the Dr a call and see what dosage is recommended.

I've spent the morning running around getting things together to pack. I have all our clothes packed and have pulled together some of Garrett's toys. I got the pack n play packed up and gathered up some beach toys and blankets. I just hope the Explorer will hold everything.

We are staying in a one bedroom condo right across the street from the beach. I think I'll end up cooking a good bit since we have a kitchen. I think it will make things easier.

Nori, Garrett has always been a good night sleeper. When he was really small we'd help him fall asleep, but he would sleep for a long time. The lactation consultant that we worked with did have me wake him up at 10, 2, and 6 to feed. When we accidently slept through the 2 feeding he would wake up about 5:30. I think he always seemed to understand that nighttime was for sleeping. I've pretty much given up on naps after talking to the sleep specialist. He sleeps for 11 hours straight and then nurses and goes back to sleep for one or two more hours. He does go to bed around 6:00 though. We did have to let him cry a little bit about two months ago. He wouldn't let anyone put him to bed other than me. DH then put him to bed and would go and check on him every 5 minutes. It took about 30 minutes of crying for about 5 days. It was hard for me since I knew he would go right to sleep if I put him down, but he had to learn that others could put him to sleep.

Susan, I hope Alex is having a great day. I know what you mean about not getting anything done when he's at home. Garrett just realized that he gets a huge reaction from me when he does it. When he wants my attention he'll stick his arms right up. Of course I then say Touchdown Buckeyes YEA!!!

Kim, Happy Birthday to Lainey!!!!!!!! Hope the muffins went over well. I can't wait to see the pictures.

Becky, great news on the daycare situation. I would consider the price to be such a bargain. I do think it sounds like a win/win situation. She probably really could use the money. Do they have a final date for the Grand Opening of the Center?

Gotta run and pick Garrett up.

Cheryl

[RunnerKim]

Susan - How are you doing today? Have you dropped Alex off yet? Lainey is so happy at daycare these days. She's exhausted by the time I pick her up because she's been running around playing all afternoon (one of the infant teachers is very fun - chases them, makes monsters noises etc and she loves it). The thought actually slipped into my mind the other night - wow she must get bored here at home with no other kids. There's a lot you can feel good about.

We handed out the muffins this morning. DH surprised me and did most of it. I was just planning to pass the box around - I even wrote on the side what it was for etc. but he announced loudly that we were celebrating her birthday and we appreciated how accomadating and friendly everyone was and had brought treats and walked down the aisle handing them out. Everyone was appreciative. Lots more chatter on the bus this morning (and it's normally a friendly bus) and I even heard one person say to another - "nice to meet you" to the person next to them as they exited. Feel like we did our good deed for "bus-kind" today. :D Thanks everyone for telling me to do it. Isn't it silly of me to have been intimidated about it. :rolleyes: The only bad thing is that the muffins are really sticking to the paper wrappers. :mad: makes it messy (and wasting yummy muffin). Is there a trick so that doesn't happen?

Nori - My MIL still talks about a time when everyone in the house was really sick that she had to find a pharmacy that would deliver. I'm not sure how many of her 5 kids were born at the time but I think it was at least most of them. It's really tough when everyone is sick - particularly the mom! Hope each day is better. I know you're really struggling with the sleep issue. I wish I could offer you more help. :( Cry It Out wasn't right for me either and I was fortunate to have a baby that didn't need help with sleep, or it might have become right for me (or some variation of it). I know I could not have gone a year with the schedule you are keeping - I need my sleep. I guess I'm trying to say it's okay to compromise -- you'll still be a good mother. A great mother in fact. Reality is that sometimes what you want to do is not what you can do. We'll support you no matter what your decision is. :) ((Nori))

Kim

[MrsReber]

Cheryl, you may have already left, but beware of Benedryl! It can have the opposite effect on some children! Luckily, it puts Casey right out. We used Tylenol Cold on the plane ride to AZ, but we don't use anything for our car trips to VA. It's about a 6 hour trip for us and we never had a problem. Good luck on your trip!

Kim, that's great that you made the muffins! I was waiting for your report. I'm sure you brightened everyone's day. It's nice that you have such a friendly commute, too. Sure beats mine!

I agree about daycare. Most days, I can't get Casey to leave because she's having so much fun. If I show up while a story is being read, I get some evil looks! Brenden still runs right to me, though. He seems to enjoy his days there. They tell me how quiet and laid back he is. I have to laugh because he is so silly at home. And vocal!

Nori, I hope everyone gets better soon! It's not fun to be sick when you have to take care of everyone else. I remember that when I was first pregnant with Brenden. I had morning sickness and I just wanted Casey to sleep so I could get some rest. It was awful!

Back at work today. I sure do miss those kids. We had five really great days together, but Casey told me she wanted to go back to school and see her friends. Like Kim said, I wonder if she's not bored at home sometimes. I try to make it fun, we color and paint, sing and dance. The other night, DH said to me that he thinks Casey is very smart and perhaps we're not helping her along as much as we could. I think she's doing fine and I don't want to place that kind of pressure on her or us right now. At 2 years old, she gets three days of learning at school and four days of fun and love from us and my mom. I think we're right on track.

[nori]

MrsReber, I know you want to stay home with kids but I think letting them have fun at the daycare sounds like a great idea!!! Especially when they get to the age they can interact with other babies. I'm trying to go out as much as possible with Noah plus try to stimulate him at home but sometimes it's hard. I'm just darn tired I don't feel like playing actively with him. (especially now....) I think your kids are lucky to be able to experience friends (daycare) and grandma, plus having such a loving mom like you.:)

Kim, glad to hear everyone liked your muffin! I was looking for the report, too. I think I'd be a bit intimidated to do that kind of thing, though. I'm glad you did. How nice of you! And thank you for the kind words. (sniff) I don't know how I'd done one year with that kind of sleep....Since Noah got sick, I'm not being consistent as much as I should be about sleeping issue. When they're sick, you just don't want to encourage them cry more...his voice sounded awful.:( After I got sick, I was too tired to stick with the rule, so I kind of took some backstep about weaning. Since I wanted to rest, nursing was sometimes my only way to get some rest during the day. Plus Noah calms down very quickly. It's just so hard when you're not feeling well. I feel for your MIL.....you're sick but you're still in charge of the housework, especially when DH is sick too.

Oh BTW, how did you make the muffin? Did you make it brownies style, with frosting inside? I don't have any insight about sticking on the paper, since I'd never made that one. Did you spray or butter the paper?? And can you lead me to where I can see that recipe? Sounds pretty good.

Cheryl, it must been hard on you when Garrett is not napping....nap time is like when you can get some stuff done around the house (or for me, try to catch on sleep...) Seems like he's getting enough sleep at night that he doesn't really need any nap. It's just amazing how each baby is different. Have fun at the beach!!!! Which beach are you going to? When we were living in FL, we went to Amelia Island (which is on the border of GA??) for our anniversary and it was pretty. But it was December, so it was too cold to dip in the water. I'm sure you all fun great time! Good luck on driving! A lot of toys, and Noah likes to play with ice in the cup. It might get wet, but hey, it's just ice. He'd play with it forever. Just a thought. Have fun!

[slknight]

Thanks for the well-wishes, you guys. I'm surviving. :( I had a hard time leaving him, but I really, really like the woman there, so that makes it easier. I called a little bit ago, and they said that he had napped, but wasn't eating. He doesn't always like to take a bottle. They said he wasn't unhappy about it, so that's good. I've generally found that if he's hungry enough, he'll eat. I think I'm going to go pick him up in about a half hour. The house is so quiet without him, although I think my poor dog is catching up on some much needed sleep. ;)

Nori, hope you're feeling better. I had the same kind of nastiness a few weeks ago. It forced me to cancel a trip.

More later!
Susan

[KristaMB]

Originally posted by RunnerKim
The only bad thing is that the muffins are really sticking to the paper wrappers. :mad: makes it messy (and wasting yummy muffin). Is there a trick so that doesn't happen?
Kim

Kim, you pulled me out of lurkdom-
Reynolds, I think, makes a foil baking cup. Muffins don't stick to it and they can even be used stand alone without muffin tins. I used them for the first time last week and they were awesome!

Happy Birthday to Lainey!

Susan, the first day of childcare is the hardest one. Hang in there! ((Susan))

~Krista

[Julia1Pin]

Hi Guys!

It's been at least a month since I've posted. Hope you'll take me back. I've lurked here and their but for some reason haven't been posting much anywhere.

Happy Birthday Lainey!

I have been reflecting today on this past year and know I couldn't have gotten through it as calmly without the BB. Everyone has been such a wealth of knowledge and for that I'm turly greatful (who needs "What to Expect").

Now for the interesting news. Today is Abigail's first BDay and yesterday I found out that she's going to have a little brother or sister! I was shocked to say the least:eek: Well, we always said we wanted them close in age:D

We're telling both sets of parents this weekend when they're here for abigails BDAy. But I had to tell someone!

[RebeccaT]

de-lurking to say congratulations Julia, DH, and Abigail (and happy birthday Abigail!) What thrilling news! :D

[MrsReber]

Congratulations Julia! That's wonderful news! Don't worry about them being close in age. I have you beat there! :D ! I keep looking at Brenden and thinking that when Casey was his age (14 months), she was already a big sister. It's hard work, but it's so much fun. It's paying off now, too, since they play together so nicely (and get in trouble together, too!). What great news!

Susan, the first day of daycare is the hardest, but once you go pick up Alex and see that he's just fine, it'll get easier. I think, in a way, it's good to have time away from each other. I see how crazy my poor neighbor gets with her two kids. Her DH doesn't help out very much at all and she has been having a very hard time. At least I get a "break" by going to work and the kids get a change of scenery and the chance to play with other kids. I love being at home with them, but I know that I can't plan my day around entertaining them (I would love it if I could!). There's always cleaning, laundry and errands to run and, of course, work when you're working from home. If you get all that stuff out of the way, it makes for a much better use of time spent together.

[slknight]

Congratulations, Julia! How exciting. They won't be too close in age. My sisters are 11 1/2 months apart. :eek: :eek:

I called the daycare around 2:30 because I was going to go pick up Alex and wanted to make sure he wasn't sleeping. But they said he is, so I don't want to disturb him. They're going to call me when he wakes up. But the bad news is that he has only had 1 oz to eat all day (since 8 this morning when I fed him last). :( :( Poor little monkey. I think I'd better prepare myself for a marathon nursing session when we get home.

[JoanneOR]

Julia, congratulations! What fun you are going to have!! My two oldest boys are 13 months apart and the next one came 20 months later. I lived to tell about it, too! Abigail will love having a little brother or sister to play with (and, definitely to get in trouble with, too).

Happy birthday Abigail and Lainey!!

I haven't had too much time to post lately, just been really busy. So I apologize in advance because I won't be able to respond to everyone. Just wanted to check in and keep in touch.

Nori, hope you are feeling better. It is so hard to take care of a baby when you are sick. Especially for the moms. I was sick a couple weeks ago with a horrible cough. I just went about my normal business. DH started catching it and you would have thought the world was ending. I told him "I've been sick for a week". He's like, really?? He didn't even know! It just seems harder for a mom to be sick than a dad.

I may have to take some of this sleep advice. Caitlyn has been getting up twice a night again. She stands up in her bed and just screams. I've been feeding her to get her back to sleep, which I know just makes the problem worse. I have to figure out what to do. I can't let her cry, especially when she is standing there so frantic.

Kim, glad the muffins went over well. Sounds like you have a nice bunch of people to ride the bus with. I'm sure they love seeing Lainey everyday.

Susan, hope all went well with Alex at daycare. It will get better! The first few days are the toughest.

Jameson's birthday is this Saturday. We're just having the grandparents over for cake and the next weekend he's having at party at Chuck E. Cheese. He's always wanted a party there and I figured this is the last year he'd probably want to do it. We've invited about 28 kids. Hopefully, they won't all show up! Or, at least if they do, I hope some of the parents stay to help keep track of everyone. Sixteen of the kids are his class and the others are cousins and some of our friends' kids.

I've been getting really frustrated with work lately. Alot of political stuff that I just don't want to deal with. Plus yesterday I spent three hours commuting. Yuck! Traffic was just horrible. And, it wasn't even raining or snowing. Sometimes I serious think about working somewhere closer to home. I might have to take a big pay cut, but it might be worth it. Sorry, just a small vent there!

Cheryl, it sounds like Garrett squeezes in all his sleep at night. I know the inconsistent naps can be frustrating, though. Maybe if you got him up earlier, or didn't put him back to bed after he eats in the morning, he'd nap better? Have a wonderful time at the beach!!

Mrs. Reber, I think at 2 years old, Casey is getting plenty of learning with three days of school! Seems like a good balance of learning and just being a kid doing fun stuff with the family. There's plenty of time for school stuff later! Jameson is just in 1st grade, but we already do homework four days a week. Ian gets homework once or twice a week in kindergarten.

OK, I better go now. Looks like I made up for not posting for awhile with this long post. Hope someone is still reading!

[jphilg]

Congrats to Julia and DH! How wonderful.....

(double secret lurker)

[MrsReber]

Hi Joanne! I'm here! I'm still reading! I know how you feel about your commute. NJ Transit has had a horrible year. As a matter of fact, they gave everyone a 15% rebate on their monthly tickets for July because they know the service has been beyond bad! I was looking at jobs in the paper last week, thinking I could work 2 part time jobs if I had to. But it's just dreaming. I do have great benefits and that'd be really hard to give up. So we go along, working and being stretched to our limits- we keep going when we're sick, tired, frustrated, etc. Yes, we are MOMS. Nothing can stop us. ;)

[Jorgan]

Also de-lurking.... Congrats Julia!! My children will be 14 months apart (am currently 24 weeks pregnant and my DS is 10 1/2 months old). I am a little bit scared and nervous to how I'm going to manage but have gotten some great advice here. I just keep thinking of what great friends and playmates they'll be to each other!

[BeckyM]

Congratulations Julia! What wonderful news. I'm sure both sets of grandparents will be really excited when you tell them. And happy birthday to Abigail.

That's all I have time for at the moment. I'm going to make some frosting for Katie's birthday cake, since that's something I can do ahead and just refrigerate until I need it.

Oh, someone asked -- the opening date for Katie's daycare is supposed to be October 6th. That means she will be watched here at home for just one week. We stopped by the daycare today (they're there getting things set up) to finally drop off Katie's registration paperwork and pay, and Katie just wanted to get down and play. I think she remembers all the fun toys she got to play with there before, so she was frustrated that we just stayed in the office area!

Okay, now I really need to go! I'll try to post more later when I have time.

Becky :)

[RunnerKim]

Congratulations Julia!!!! And happy birthday Abigail. :) I envy you in way because you didn't have to decide to try again and/or worry about how far apart kids should be etc. etc.

Susan - it is not uncommon at all for kids not to eat on their first few days at daycare. There's just so much going on and it's stressful etc. Give him a few days and he'll settle into a routine there too. Hang in there!

Susan (okay someone needs a nickname! let's start brainstorming :D) Play is learning too so even when Casey is "just at home" she's still learning tons. Do you read regularly with Casey (and Brenden)? That's the most important thing you can do with kids (I work in the education field and having a young kid have asked what should I be doing and that's what I hear time and time again).

Krista - I will look for those foil wrappers! I normally don't use any but I figured I should for more "public" distribution. I didn't spray the paper ones -- can you? I just figured it would soak into the paper. Nori, I just baked regular and mini-muffins and frosted the tops with cream cheese icing. For the daycare ones I piped some dots or designs onto the top with some leftover purple icing I had from Lainey's cake to make them a little more festive. Here's the recipe (definitely more muffin than cupcake).

Spicy Pumpkin Bread
Cooking Light (don't have written down which issue)

If you're tempted to fiddle with the spices (maybe substitute pumpkin-pie spice for the allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves), think again. We tried it that way in our Test Kitchens, but it wasn't as good. There's just something special about this four-spice combination.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup of WW)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cloves
11/3 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 (15oz) can pumpkin
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (I didn't use the nuts for these)


1. Preheat oven to 350„a. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 7 ingredients (flour through cloves) in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine sugar and the next 5 ingredients (sugar through pumpkin) in a bowl, and stir well with a whisk until smooth. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake at 350„a for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool loaves in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool loaves completely; cut each loaf into 12 slices.

Yield: 24 slices (serving size: 1 slice).

CALORIES 161 (26% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 0.8g, mono 1.3g, poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 3.1g; CARB 26.9g; FIBER 1.30g; CHOL 18mg; IRON 1.40mg; SODIUM 138mg; CALC 46mg

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Jorgan and Julia, I'm sure I'm repeating myself here, but just wanted to reassure you that having your kids close together will be a great experience. The first year or so is a bit tough, having two kids in diapers and two that are pretty much dependent on you for everything. To be honest, the year after I had Colin (our third in under two years) is pretty much a blur! I don't remember alot of it. But they are so much fun to watch together. And, they really enjoy each other. As they get older, it's great, too. My boys do fight alot (normal kid stuff), but they are always there for each other, and they always have someone to play with. Jameson is in 1st grade and Ian in Kindergarten. Jameson is always watching out for Ian at school. It's so cute. I'm a bit biased, because I was an only child and really feel like I missed out on alot not having siblings. I love seeing my kids together. I know that Mrs. Reber can reassure you, too!

Mrs. Reber, I am seriously considering looking at our local paper to see what type of jobs are available closer to home. I have a feeling I'll be asked to come in five days a week here soon, and that would be nightmare between commuting and DH not getting any sleep. If that happens, I'll definitely be looking elsewhere. DH has good benefits so that wouldn't be an issue.

[nori]

Congratulations Julia!!!! How exciting! I think having siblings close age each other is really neat. I started to think that way after I've known MrsReber and Joanne here. I'm not taking any pill, and we decided to let it happen if it happens now, but so far not yet.:D Maybe still breastfeeding is not a good idea if we really want one now. We'll see. And Happy Birthday Abigail!!

Kim, thanks for the recipe. It looks good. When I bake muffins in paper cup, I'd even spray the cup with Pam. It is hard to get it neatly when muffin is hot, but if it's cool enough, the paper can be peeled off easily.

Joanne, I think women were made stronger (physically) than men when it comes to health issue. My DH would act like it's the end of the world when he's not feeling well. We have too much stuff we have to do even we're sick, we just can't act like that!!! Sorry to hear you had a bad commute. It'll be nice if you can find somewhere closer to work. Wow, sounds like Jameson's party is going to be a big one! If everyone shows up, he's gonna get so many presents!:eek: Good luck to you managing them.:p

[MrsReber]

It's so awesome having kids close together. Yes, it is hard. I was scared to death the first day I was left alone with my 1 week old son and my 13 month old daughter. But I survived. There are many positive things about it. The kids will be into the same things at the same time so it'll be easy to go places and do things. And built in playmates are great! Of course, they'll get into plenty of trouble together, but I do get a kick out of seeing the devilish smiles on their faces when they've discovered something new- like splashing in the toilet or unraveling the toilet paper all over the place! You just have to laugh. Sometimes there was nothing I could do but sit and cry with them. It all works out in the end.

Joanne, that party is going to be huge! I hear you on the five days a week. Nobody has mentioned it again here, but I don't think I could do it. I can't stand to be away from my kids for four days, I'd never survive five.

[hrk]

Boy this thread has moved fast.
Susan- Logan starts daycare next week so I will be in your shoes next week. He has been home with dad for the past week and a half and is doing fine with bottles fromhim 3x a day so hopefully it will continue.
Julia- Congrats to you and DH on your pregnancy. Hoping everything is healthy and happy over the next 10 months. Happy birthday Abigail
Kim- Happy birthday to Lainey and glad to hear the muffins were a big hit. I'm sure you brightened everyones morning
Cheryl- Have a great time at the beach. We are going to St Thomas with my whole family over Christmas and New Years, I can't wait to take Logan to the beach and see what he thinks of it. Since DH and I, brother and his girlfriend are all SCUBA divers, DH is counting the days til Logna can get ceritfied.:)
Becky- Glad all has worked out with daycare. I know returning to work after four months was stressful enough without your childs well being on your mind so I am sure you are very relieved it all worked out for the best.
Joanne- Good luck with the birthday party this weekend and the job hunt. I just applied for a new position myself and I hate having to do the whole waiting for an interview call etc again.
Nori- Hope the whole family is feeling better and that Noah's sleep schedule starts to get better. The best advice I ever got regarding any child rearing issues was from a nurse at my Baby and me group. She said" As long as what you are doing with your child feels right in your heart then it can't be wrong. When you are ready to make a change you will know it in your heart as well and it will make it very easy to change things"
Well we have had a very busy past two days. We had our "back too school night" for Logans daycare. He is starting at the Goodard School right by oour house and it is a brand new facility, so they had all the parents come in for a tour, meet the teachers etc. Logan is currently in a class with two other boy, 5 mo and 7 mo and has two teachers that have a ton of child care experience between them. They immediately took Logan from us and held him and played with him the entire time they were talking to us so DH and I feel real good about the place. We will just be running around this weekend trying to collect all the things they want us to provide.
Yesterday was Logan's 4 mo appointment. He is 27 inches and 171/2 lbs. The doctor teases me he should be a poster child for exclusive breastfeeding. He is doing great, did pretty well with his shots(we gave hime some tylenol last night when he got really fussy)and now we are working on getting him up at about 6:30 (he had been sleeping until about 8) so that he is used to the schedule he will have to keep for daycare. He is also getting a tooth, which surprised the doctor even, since he is still a little young, but he said it could sit there for a while until it actually pops through.
I am getting ready for Rosh Hashanah this weekend. Logan will have his first baby sitter Friday night while we go to services, but I think we may take him with us on Saturday. He actually likes all the singing in the services, he sometimes even tries o sing along:D
Hope everyone has a happy hump day.
Heather

[RunnerKim]

Joanne - hopefully you can find something with a shorter commute (and not much if any paycut).

Heather - Logan sounds like he's doing really well. That first tooth seems like it takes a long time to come in. I don't know if it's because we watched it more than later teeth or it really does take longer. Apparently they can also go up and down - we were puzzled when we couldn't see it when we did the day before.

You all are makng me WANT to be pregnant again. I didn't think that was really possible. Several more months I think though.

Nori, I will spray my paper cups next time. I had no idea that would work. thanks!

Lainey's 1 year appt. is later today. She's still having diahhrea (varies in runny-ness) so that's a primary question I have and her poor diaper area has been irritated these past few days but appears to be on the mend.

The sleep thread (or rather lack of sleeping) has me thinking. Lainey is such a good night time sleeper I haven't given much thought to how I put her to bed. But I do rock her to sleep before putting her down. Sometimes we're only talking a minute or two (others it's more like ten with her wiggling all over before conking out). Part of me says don't mess with what works, but I'm also feeling like at some point I need to be able to put her to bed awake. The last 2 weeks she has been waking up about 1-2 hours after she goes to sleep for some odd reason. I know she does wake up other times and puts herself back to sleep so that in combination with being a regular 91/2 - 10 hour seelper seems to indicate she can self-soothe and sleep just fine. Thoughts? Anyone else transition from rocking? when and how?

Also - Lainey's top 4 teeth have come through. I notice that the middle two are spaced, unlike her bottom two which seem closer ("normal"). Does this indicate anything? My DH had bad buck teeth as a kid so it makes me wonder.

Kim

[MrsReber]

Kim, I have to admit, it was nice to just find out I was pregnant with Brenden rather than going through the whole process of figuring out the right time and waiting to conceive. But being pregnant again was NOT fun! It's much better the first time around.

At night, I snuggle a bit with Brenden in his room. If he starts wiggling around like crazy, I just put him down in the crib. It took me a while to realize that he just wants to be put to bed sometimes. I generally put him in his crib while he's wide awake. That never really worked with Casey. It worked during the day, but never at night. But then, I never had the luxury of being able to rock him to sleep because Casey was always around wanting attention, too. And Brenden really only takes a one hour nap each day. He's been doing that for quite a while. Maybe once a week he'll go for a few hours. That's how I knew he must've really been fighting something last week. He slept for almost five hours after he went down for his nap last Thursday!

Good luck with Lainey's appointment. I hope she's okay!

[nori]

Heather...thanks for sharing your best advice received. I 100% agree with that! So far, I've been mostly doing the way I "feel" right for us and most of the time it turned out to be true. I used to think I really have to follow "after 6 months, babies MUST sleep through the night without feeding" rule, and it stressed me out. As I do a lot of reading and research, I found out that many babies still wake up to nurse beyond that point and it's not unusual. So that's my bottomline...as long as it's not obviously "bad", I'd just follow my mommy instinct.

MrsReber, so second pregnancy was harder on you than the first? Do you think it's because of boy/girl issue??? I've heard if you're carrying a boy, morning sickness is rougher than having a girl. Since mine was awful, I was almost sure it was a boy even before we found out. I know that's just one of old wive's tales, though.

Kim, do you think the reason Lainey was getting up like that is because of teething? I'd say if it's working for you now, don't bother to change anything.....as long as it's not a big problem for you guys. About her teeth, I don't have any advice on that. Hope Lainey's diarreha is getting better!

Well last night Noah went to bed at 7pm (which is his regular bed time), and when he woke up it was 2:30am!! So it was like more than 7 hours of sleep....He is good sometimes just like that. But after 2:30am, he had hard time sleeping again. He seemed almost ready to get up and play. NO WAY!!!:eek: He woke up several times after a short sleep but around 4am he went back to sleep. Then at 6am up for the day.:o That was a good night for us, anyway.

[RunnerKim]

Nori - that is an excellent night! I'm sure he has to adjust to getting that much sleep at one time too. I'd think as he's getting older he's going to need longer stretches of sleep and hopefully that will help out too. I think Lainey could be waking because of teething - her 4th upper tooth came through recently, but she doesn't let me poke around her mouth so I don't have a good idea if anything else is happening too.

Susan - I was thinking the opposite, that you'd be so busy with your first child that the second pregnancy wouldn't be as big a deal. Your body would know what to do and just take care of it.:rolleyes: Drat!

Had Lainey's 1 year appt. yesterday. She weighed in at 21 lbs. 1 oz and measures 29" and a head circ of 18". She cried and screamed pretty much the whole time, but I think that had a lot to do with being hungry. I swear that no matter when I schedule her appts. I just can't manage to have her fed. I picked her up from daycare at 11 which is when they start lunch there. I planned to feed her on the bus to the doctor's office but she fell asleep while waiting for it and slept the whole way there. I didn't want to start feeding her and then stop because I knew that would make her mad but then we waited for awhile and I should have just done it. Poor thing didn't eat until close to 1.

She hasn't had any reaction to the shots (which is typical for her) didn't even need to give her tylenol last night. But I'm a little worried as it's the first time she's gotten MMR and an 18 month old at daycare had a pretty bad reaction to hers recently where she was just very unhappy for 2-3 days. it was said it's not uncommon for kids to start snatching at things in the air as a reaction from that shot! don't know if that's true but it's freaky.

Bad news is that she could continue to have this diahhrea for 8 more weeks! (for a total of 12). Doctor said 4 weeks is average but it can go that long. Has anyone else experienced diahhrea for that long?!

I also asked about milk consumption since she seems to be really dropping how much formula she drinks and she re-assured me that is normal and good. Only should get 16 oz of milk. It sounded like she'd been involved in a couple of bad cases where kids were getting too much milk and actually had to get transfusions or something. Lainey was screaming so I didn't follow that part closely. Plan to give her milk with dinner tonight. Yeah on not having to buy more formula :)

Kim

[MrsReber]

Nori, yes, that is an old wives tale about the morning sickness, but in my case it was true! I never got sick like that with Casey. I mentioned it to my doctor and she said "well, people have been having babies for years without doctors and hospitals. The old wives must've known something!" He was also a bigger baby which meant I was bigger. I honestly didn't think my skin could stretch out any more. And it hurt! I had a spot on my stomach near my belly button that was completely numb during pregnancy and even for a few months afterward!
I think, too, that you are much more focused on the pregnancy with the first child. You have the time to enjoy every kick. With the second one, you're so busy taking care of the first one that you don't notice everything. I wished all that darn kicking would stop, too! He wasn't as active as Casey, but his kicks were so much stronger and more painful (probably due to his size!). But I wouldn't trade my little boy for anything in the world! He's making up for all that pain now! :D

[MrsReber]

Kim, I think it may depend on how old the first child is when you become pregnant again. Casey was still at a point where she wanted to be held and picked up lots. It definitely took me longer to heal the second time because I had to pick her up often. The doctor told me not to lift things! My neighbor's son was 3 when she became pregnant and she breezed right through it. She did have the normal aches and pains, but she said it went by so fast.

That's interesting about the milk. At Brenden's 1 year appointment, the doctor told me to up his milk consumption to about 24 oz. per day. I think he was drinking 12-18 oz. He still doesn't drink 24 oz in one day, but he does eat yogurt and cheese, which I think counts for something!

[RunnerKim]

I definitely think the yogurt and cheese count. Lainey eats 4oz of yogurt mosts mornigns and since starting that has pretty much not taken anything from her bottle with that meal.

Here's Lainey's birthday cake. She was fairly full when we served it (after dinner) so I don't have a cute photo of her eating it but she loves the maracas DH got for her.

http://www.wierhere.net/portland/images/elw/1stBday/Cake.jpg

http://www.wierhere.net/portland/images/elw/1stBday/LaineyMaracas.jpg

Kim

[JoanneOR]

Kim, the cake is great! What was the caterpillar made of?

Lainey is so adorable!

I think yogurt and cheese count towards milk, too. Jameson hates milk and only would drink orange juice since he was about two. I get the calcium fortified. He eats alot of cheese and yogurt, though.

Nori, I don't think there was much difference in how I felt pregnant with Caitlyn than with the boys. They were all pretty much the same. Although I never had actual morning sickness where I got sick. I would just feel nauseaus (I know I spelled that wrong!).

Like Mrs. Reber said, when you already have a baby and are pregnant, you don't think about it as much. I don't remember too much about Ian and Colin's pregnancies. I remember Caitlyn's because of everything that went on.

That's great that Noah slept that long. Maybe it's the start of a new trend!

Jameson's party might be pretty big. I just have no idea how many of the kids from school will come. Only one mother has called so far. Hopefully others will call so I know how many to expect. Plus, if you don't change your reservation number before the party, you have to pay for all the kids, even if they don't come. The party is not till next weekend, but his birthday is Saturday. So we are having just the grandparents over for dinner and cake. I'm making the lemonade layer cake. That's his favorite. I have to figure out what to make for dinner. Something simple.

I felt like a horrible mother last night. Caitlyn went to bed around 8. She was up crying at 10:30. I didn't go to her right away, because I knew she couldn't be hungry and I wanted to see if she would go to sleep on her own. I gave her about 10-15 minutes and then she really started to get frantic. I went into her room and she was laying down, which is unusual, because usually she is standing up when she wakes up at night. I look down and her foot is caught in the rail. It was really jammed in their. I felt so horrible. I'm glad I looked before I picked her up because I might have hurt her worse. I got it out and picked her up. She cried for about five minutes before I could calm her down. This was the first time I haven't run in as soon as she started crying. She almost made me cry I felt so bad.

We had another scary moment this weekend. We all walked to the park. Jameson had his new two-wheel bike that he got for his birthday. He's not great at riding it yet; I think it's too big for him. Anyway, he was getting frustrated, so I told him to push the stroller and I would walk the bike. He was about 20 feet ahead of me with the stroller and all of a sudden it flipped forward. Caitlyn is screaming; I never ran so fast in my life. He had hit a bump and it flipped forward. Thank god she was OK, but she did have a bump on her forehead. That was one of the scariest moments in my life. She could have been really hurt. He felt so bad, it took longer to console him that it did Caitlyn. He was so worried that he had hurt her. I don't even want to use that stroller anymore; it certainly shouldn't have tipped over that easily.

That's enough drama for a few days I think! Hopefully things will be nice and boring for awhile!

OK, I'm going to run out to lunch. We have two meetings this afternoon. Not fun.

[lhall]

Kim,

I love the caterpillar cake! What did you use to make the balls for the caterpillar?

Leigh

[RunnerKim]

Joanne - how scary with the stroller! That shouldn't have happened at all! I find it hard to imagine even going off a curb it should happen. Poor Caitlyn and Jameson.

I know you feel bad about not going to Caitlyn right away but don't beat yourself up about it any more. You've confessed :D now move on. I wish Lainey's burn mark would go away so I wouldn't have a reminder about that bad parenting experience :( We're good, but we're not perfect.

I was wondering what parents did these days with class sizes being so big if they still invited everyone (or maybe they're not really that much bigger than when I was a kid). Lainey's going to have a birthday that falls early in the school year too. I'm sure you could just expect a certain percentage not show up, but it sure would be nice if everyone RSVPed.

The caterpillar is made from cake. There's a pan that is half balls (6 of them) so I just frosted the cake and put the half-balls on top and decorated them with a piping bag or whatever that thing that really makes my hand ache is called. It was fun and really not that difficult (just time consuming). I'm in charge of the cake for my playgroup (all babies are within a couple of weeks of each other) so I'm trying to come up with another idea that I can use the half balls for. It shows examples of baseballs or baseball caps on the pan "wrapper." Maybe balloons..

http://www.wilton.com/wiltonos/imgs/prods/2105-1760.jpg

Kim

[MrsReber]

Joanne, how horrible for Caitlyn and Jameson! He must've felt just awful. It's nice we can all come here to confess our "bad mom" moments. I've had my share of them! Brenden had gotten burned once because I was holding him while cooking. I wasn't paying attention and it was totally my fault. I felt horrible forever. Like Kim, I'd keep seeing the burn and just want to cry. But we can't beat ourselves up too much!

Tonight is our anniversary so DH and I are talking about going out for dinner, with the kids of course. I really need their company later. I know Kim saw my thread about my poor kitty cat on the Other Stuff board. He was attacked by two loose dogs last night and is still in the animal hospital. They're trying to get him stabilized, but I am so angry and upset over the whole thing. The kids really keep me going and make me happy. It was great to come home from the vet and see Casey for a little bit before she fell asleep. She was so excited because she talked to Grandma (my mom) on the phone! My mom was away in Las Vegas for 10 days and just got back last night. Casey is talking so much better these days. We have actual conversations. It's so amazing to see them develop and try so hard to say the right words clearly.

Well, back to my contract. I have to finish revising this thing before I go home.

[Julia1Pin]

Originally posted by RunnerKim
The sleep thread (or rather lack of sleeping) has me thinking. Lainey is such a good night time sleeper I haven't given much thought to how I put her to bed. But I do rock her to sleep before putting her down. Sometimes we're only talking a minute or two (others it's more like ten with her wiggling all over before conking out). Part of me says don't mess with what works, but I'm also feeling like at some point I need to be able to put her to bed awake. The last 2 weeks she has been waking up about 1-2 hours after she goes to sleep for some odd reason. I know she does wake up other times and puts herself back to sleep so that in combination with being a regular 91/2 - 10 hour seelper seems to indicate she can self-soothe and sleep just fine. Thoughts? Anyone else transition from rocking? when and how?


Kim - We do the same thing with Abigail. Sometimes I think it's not the best thing to do, but otherwise it would take her forever to fall asleep.

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback on being pregnant. I know it's a good thing, but being dizzy and nauseaus (but not throwing up thankfully) again while trying to play with Abigail is getting me down. Only 2 more months of this.....

We took Abigail in for her 1 year appt yesterday and she's rown like a weed! 31.5 inches long (95%) and 21.25 lbs (70%). No wonder she so heavy and all her pants are too short on her!

Mrs. Reber - My doctor said 16-24oz includes all dairy products, like cheese buttermilk (abigail loves the stuff, yogurt, etc...)

Joanne - That's so scary. I fell holding Abigail yesterday and I think she was so scared that she started crying. I felt like a bad mommy too. Does that ever go away?

[Jorgan]

Kim - We also rock Drew to sleep every night and it usually only takes a few minutes as well. I've been thinking the same thing, that I should be able to put him down awake, but I have to admit I enjoy that time with him. I know once the new baby comes we're going to have to transition him but I don't know how we'll do it!

Susan - Happy Anniversary, I hope you do something fun!

I've also 'almost' fallen with Drew a couple of times and feel badly (and we don't even fall). First because I don't want to hurt him and then I think about me and being pregnant and how horrible it would be for all of us!

I agree with being pregnant with the second one, I find I'm just not into it as much as the first. I feel badly and often tell my belly that I'm sorry but I find I just don't have the time. I really do feel guilty about it but I know I shouldn't. Julia - it is so hard being nauseous (sp???) while trying to keep up with your little one but I find it went so incredibly fast. I still can't believe I'm only three months away from having another!

One good thing today, my husband was driving to work and saw a garage sale. He noticed a double stroller and crib so he stopped by. The stroller is the same one we were looking at this weekend and we picked it up for $40! We also got the crib and mattress for $90. They are both only a few years old and in excellent condition. I'm usually not a garage sale person but we couldn't pass it up. The lady that was putting it on said the stroller had hardly any use and the crib was their second one that also didn't get much use. This way we'll be able to buy a double jogging stroller that I also wanted to have since we saved so much money! Yeah!

[BeckyM]

Hi All!

Kim -- What a cute cake! And Lainey looks so happy with those maracas! We were thinking about getting Katie some kind of musical instruments (or something that makes noise when you shake it) for her birthday since she seems to really enjoy anything that rattles or bangs. We ended up getting her a Fisher Price "Stride to Ride Walker" which has wheels and she can hold onto it and walk behind it, or you can convert it to a riding toy that she sits on and scoots. It also plays music and has little balls you put in a basket in front. We think she'll like it, because she has been using the chairs in our kitchen as walkers lately. We have a tile floor and little felt things on the bottom of the chair legs, so they scoot fairly easily when she pushes on them. She has fun pushing them across the kitchen. Maybe someone else will get her maracas!

I'm also glad to hear the cupcakes on the bus went over well. It's nice to hear your DH helped out with distributing them and telling everyone why, especially since you didn't think he would be much help with that. It's always neat when a DH surprises you like that.

About Lainey's teeth -- Katie's are that way too. Her front top two have a gap between them, and the bottom ones are right next to each other. I was wondering about that too, but I have seen other babies with the space between the front teeth too, so I figured it's normal. I'm hoping as they come in further, they'll move closer together. Maybe that's something to ask Katie's pediatrician.

Joanne -- that must have been so scary with the stroller! Don't beat yourself up about it too much though. It's impossible to prevent every bump and bruise. And it figures that the time you decide you ought to see if Caitlyn can soothe herself is the one time she needs your help. It seems so difficult to make the right decisions about when to go check and when to leave them to soothe themselves back to sleep. Coincidentally, Katie woke up screaming this morning around 5:30 am. My first thought was to let her cry a bit and see if she went back to sleep, but then I realized it was a much more urgent cry than usual. I immediately got up to check on her, and sure enough, her leg was stuck between the crib rails! I got it out and then rocked her a bit and she went right back to sleep. She stirred a bit when I put her back in the crib, but she slept until I went in and woke her up at 8 am!

MrsReber -- I'm so sorry to hear about your cat! I haven't read the thread on the Other Stuff board yet, so I don't know the whole story, but I'm sure it must be really upsetting. I hope you and your DH have a fun dinner out with the kids. I definitely understand how you would want them near you at this time!

I'm excited to hear how much everyone's babies are growing. I'm tempted to take Katie in to get an official one-year height and weight. Her pediatrician has 13-month appointments instead of one-year appointments, I think because of Ohio regulations about when shots are given or something. Anyway, I keep taking Katie on the scale with me, and she seems to be somewhere around 19 - 20 lbs. It's hard to tell though, because the scale is fairly sensitive to wiggling around, plus it doesn't measure any smaller than whole pounds. I still think she is fairly long and lean, though she is filling out a little more. I imagine she'll be a bit higher in weight percentile than she was before. (I think last time she was about 90th % for height and 25th % for weight.)

This morning we had "Miss Jill", the infant teacher who's going to watch Katie next week, come watch her in the morning while I took the car in for service. We figured it would be a good chance for Katie to start to get used to her and for Jill to get used to our house, where things are, etc. Everything went fine except that Katie refused to nap! Jill said she did all the pre-nap rituals I had described -- watching a Baby Einstein video, then reading some books, then taking her up and putting her in the crib. But instead of maybe whining a little bit or playing with her elephant musical toy, Katie just stood in the crib and screamed. Jill said she stood outside the door to see if Katie would calm down, but she seemed to be just getting more and more upset. So she got Katie out of the crib and tried rocking her, and that didn't work. Then she tried more books, and that didn't work either. The only thing that made Katie happy was to get down and play some more. Finally at about 12:30, Jill decided to go ahead and feed Katie her lunch, which is what they were doing when I got home. Katie seemed content enough, and she was eating well for Jill. Jill also said Katie was really good other than the naptime problem. Hopefully Katie will adjust to someone else putting her down for a nap soon. I realized I'm almost always the one who does it, even if DH is home. I think this weekend I'll have to have him do it some to try to get her used to someone else. Next week Katie will have to nap with someone else, so she'd better figure it out!

Well, I'd better get busy on cleaning. Katie's birthday party is Saturday, and I have lots to do to get ready!

Becky :)

[JoanneOR]

Mrs. Reber, I've been so busy today I didn't get a chance to read any threads except this one. I did read your post about your cat but none of the responses. I'm so sorry that happened. How horrible. How is he doing now? I'm going to go back and read the thread, but just wanted to tell you how sorry I am. I'm sure everyone has given the same advice, but those dog owners definitely must pay. And, something has to be done to control the dogs before they hurt a child.

Kim, I meant to post before that I thing the way you put Lainey to sleep is just fine. Whatever works for you. Especially if she's not waking up during the night. Before you know it, she'll be too big to rock to sleep and you'll miss it!

Becky, it sounds like your first day with the sitter went well. I think babies can be really finicky about who puts them to bed. Hopefully she'll adjust soon.

If I remember right, one of my boys had a gap between his teeth. That's terrible, but I can't remember who. Anyway, none of them do now, so it closed by itself when the other teeth came in.

[nori]

Kim, what a cute cake!!!! You're so talented. And Lainey is so adorable!!!! She must really love those mascaras!
At Noah's 12 months appointment, we didn't discuss much about how much milk he should be getting. So far he doesn't really like it...he eats yogurt and cheese, but not milk. I'm trying to give him everyday a little bit to get him used to it. He's still nursing here and there.....does breastmilk count at this point?????:D

MrsReber, sorry to hear about your kitty.:( hope you'll hear a good news from vet soon. Did you go out to eat??? What a bummer this all happened right around your anniversary! Happy Anniversary, anyway!

Julia, wow Abigail is a tall girl!

Joanne, how scary experiences you had! Yes that's enough for a few days. Poor Jameson, he must be feeling very guilty. Okay, I did bad mommy stuff, too....last night he was holding a spoon which he took from the dishwasher after the dinner. When I had to take his clothes off for bath, he didn't let it go, so I tried to take them off with him holding the spoon. Somehow when I got his arm through the sleeve, it snapped and the spoon hit right between his eyes!:eek: Of course he cried, and later I found that area got brused a bit. I felt really bad. I should have taken it away before I undressed him. It could have hit his eyes!

Becky, glad to hear that Miss Jill did well with Katie. I'm sure she'll get used to her and start taking naps, too. She must be very excited to ahve someone new to play with! What a relief on you finding someone whom you can rely on. Good luck on her birthday party!

Well guess what!? Noah slept almost until 4am this morning! So from 7pm, it's almost 9 hours!!!! I'm so happy about this. I hope this continues. He went to bed as usual tonight, but something must be bothering him he woke up crying already twice so I had to go in to rock him. (It's 7:55pm now:rolleyes: ) I won't keep my hope too high, but I really hope he'd sleep like last night.

[slknight]

Nori, that's great news about Noah sleeping! I'll keep my fingers crossed the trend continues.

Becky, sounds like Katie did pretty well for her first day.

Heather, Logan is nice and big like Alex. Alex was 25 1/2 inches but 18 pounds at 4 months. Yes, roly poly. Also exclusively breast fed. Aren't those chubby cheeks something to be proud of?

Jorgan, you got some good deals at the garage sale. But I recommend you be very careful about the used crib and mattress. The crib is probably new enough that it conforms to all the new safety standards. But used mattresses have been linked to higher incidents of SIDS. You might want to get a new mattress. Just something to think about.

Well, Alex and I are limping through the first week of daycare. On Tuesday he didn't eat at all. They called me when he woke up and I got over there around 3:30. I could hear him screaming when I walked in. :( He wouldn't take a bottle from them, but I sat down and he took it from me. (I didn't want to waste 4 oz of breastmilk that had already been heated up!). He gulped it down and then nursed. We went home and he ate all afternoon. Poor guy.

He was home with me on Wed, but back there yesterday. We didn't get there til 11 because we'd had a doctor's appt. DH picked him up a little after 4. The good news is that he ate for them! The bad news is that he didn't sleep all day. :( So he had been up from 8 to 4:30 with only a 30 minute nap in the car on the way home from the doctor. Poor guy. He was soooooooooo tired.

So he's back there today (we're doing Tues, Thurs, Fri). I'm dreading it. I know it takes a little while to adjust. But I still feel guilty. And I think he's picked up a cold already. Two days there and he's sick.

Susan

[JoanneOR]

Nori, wow that's great that Noah slept so well! You must feel like a new woman! How did he do last night?

Caitlyn actually slept from 8pm last night until at least 6 this morning. She was still asleep when I left this morning. I don't think she's ever slept that long. Hopefully it will continue. Although I missed seeing her in the morning and feeding her breakfast.

Susan, hang in there. Daycare will get better. It's a whole new way of life for Alex, but he'll eventually adjust. At least he is eating now. That's good. Getting sick more often is definitely a disadvantage of being around other kids. But, one good thing is, he will build up his immunities and won't get sick as much when he starts kindergarten. I have a friend who stayed at home with her kids and they never went to any daycare. Since the boy started school, he catches everything that goes around.

Mrs. Reber, how was your anniversary? Did you go out to dinner?

[MrsReber]

Yes, we did get to go out to dinner, with the kids. They did great and seemed to really enjoy it. Casey is quite the little lady. She loves it when she can have her own glass of water. Of course, she does eventually put her hands and her food in it. There were 2 guys performing at the restaurant. One guy was playing the guitar and the other was playing harmonica and singing. They were at the other end of the restaurant which is where the bar is. When we were done eating, we walked over so they could see the guys up close. They both loved it. The singer started playing Happy Birthday on his harmonica. He said he couldn't think of any other kid's songs. DH and I were trying to get Casey to say Happy Anniversary. We got Happy Birthday out of her twice. Oh well, she was close!

My cat is supposed to have surgery today. I'm still so worried for him. I told the vet not to do anything if they thought it was just prolonging the inevitable. They assured me that there's a good chance he'll be just fine, but there's also a chance that he won't make it. They want me to be aware of that, which I am.

Jorgan, great deal on the stroller and crib! We had to move Casey to a different room when she was 18 months. We kept Brenden in the bassinet for about three months, but he got big so fast so we had to make a quick decision. We bought Casey furniture for her room, including a regular twin bed. I was going to buy a toddler bed, but my mom said I should just get one bed rather than buy a toddler bed and then, a year later, buy a twin bed. Casey was very excited about it and she sleeps fine in the bed. I bought a rail that extends almost the whole length of the bed.

Susan, sorry to hear about your daycare troubles. It is a huge adjustment. Casey had a hard time taking a bottle from anyone when she first started. It was so hard and we were working with the teachers to try to find a solution. I hope things get better for you. It's so hard to think that they're no happy!

Becky, sounds like things went well with Miss Jill! Katie will be so happy to see her in the daycare once it opens. That will probably make things easier for her.

Nori, hope everyone is feeling better! That's great that Noah slept so long. I hope it continues, too. I'm amazed that I get 7 hours of sleep each night. It wasn't long ago that I couldn't get a solid four hours! It'll get better. And then the second child will come along....:D

I was reading recently about teeth and the article I read said it's perfectly normal for babies to have gaps between their teeth. They are baby teeth. Your child is growing and, obviously, baby teeth are smaller than adult teeth. Brenden has a huge gap between his front teeth. Everyone says how cute it is!

[RunnerKim]

((Susan)) Those first days of daycare can be really rough. Lainey cried all day the first day and was only a little better the second day. The adustment will take a little longer since Alex isn't there every day. Hopefully it won't be too long before he settles into a routine there and eventually will come to love it there.

Becky - it sounds like Miss Jill will handle things really well for you. Glad that is working out.

Nori that's fantastic about 9 hours of sleep!!! Go Noah! Do you feel like a new woman? I'd definitely think breastmilk counts, so I'm sure you don't have much to worry about. I can't recall but did his last tests show his iron levels were okay? I know that was an issue for awhile.

Lainey eats the most interesting things. We had the BBQ pulled Chx sandwiches with marinated cucumbers the other night and DH gave Lainey a cucumber and she ate it and wanted more. Who would have thought?

Susan (R) - how's Stryper today? When's his surgery? How are you handling it with Casey? Thanks for the info. about the teeth, that is good to know.

Jorgan - that is an excellent find at the garage sale. If the used mattress is a concern would it be a problem for the older child to use it, since Drew is passed the prime SIDS age (I don't know if there's an upper age limit for SIDS???). We really like our jog stroller, it's the one we use the most, so I can understand why you want to get a double one.

editing to add... I knew there was one more thing I wanted to say. Thanks everyone for the "rocking to sleep" comments. I do love that time with her and sometimes sit for quite awhile with her just sleeping in my arms.

TGIF
Kim

[nori]

Well I spoke too early about Noah sleeping long time. Last night, he woke up about twice by the time I was going to the bed, and again twice after that until morning.:rolleyes: About 1am, I had to change his poopy diaper, which hadn't happened for long, long time. I can't even remember when was the last time I changed his diaper in teh middle of the night....anyway, it wasn't too bad but he didn't sleep straight 7 or 8 hours. Oh well. He was cranky at dinenr last night, suddenly screaming and crying with his fingers in his mouth. teething? I don't know for sure, though. And when he woke up around 4am, I was coughing hard and I think he heard me and that woke him up. But since he slept that long for 2 nights in a row, I'm hoping that if nothing bothering him he can sleep that long. Well at least I can have some hope, right??? =)

Kim, funny thing is the past 2 nights when he slept that long, I still woke up several times.:o I think my body is so get used to getting up at night. I can feel like a new woman even after 1 hour nap! Thanks for asking about Noah's blood test. I forgot to report here, but the nurse called the other day and left a message saying there was nothing wrong with it this time. So he's fine. Noah ate something intersiting last night, too. He liked those tiny red bell pepper! I think the color attracted him and he actually ate most of it!

MrsReber, glad to hear that you all had a nice dinner out. I'll be thinking of your kitty....
Oh and I'm hoping our second one will be a good sleeper. Every child is different, right??? =)

Joanne, wow Caitlyn's sleeping good! Hope it continues for your sake.;)

Susan, sorry to hear that Alex had such a rough week! Poor baby, but as everyone else with daycare experiences said, he'll get used to it. I used to use our church nursery and it was hard to leave him at the beginning even for an hour. But as he gets older, it got better. I think he needs some time to adjust, too.

Happy Friday!!!

[MrsReber]

Almost time to go home. I was taken to lunch today, which was a nice break.

The vet called this morning to say that they needed to do a transfusion before they could do surgery. Stryper's red blood cell count was too low for them to proceed, but they don't want to hold off. I also got a call from animal control. The guy was so happy to have another police report to add to his arsenal. Apparently they currently have papers filed to get these dogs removed from the neighborhood. The vet was supposed to do teh transfusion this morning and then they were going to do the surgery this afternoon. I hope that no news is good news. They said I probably wouldn't hear anything until 5:30 or so.

Kim, I love that time rocking at night, just holding Brenden or Casey. Sometimes I hate to put them down. Brenden will very rarely fall asleep in my arms these days (yes, Nori, there is hope for the second child!) He just wants to go to his crib. DH said he was trying to get in it one day because he just wanted to take a nap.

Brenden likes red peppers, too. How funny. I never thought he might have liked the color. Wonder if that was the attraction. At least he eats his veggies, unlike his big sister!

[JoanneOR]

Nori, sorry Noah didn't have such a good night last night. But at least you know he can do it! I know what you mean about waking up anyway. I woke up around 4 and realized I hadn't heard Caitlyn at all. I was getting a bit worried; then I heard her fuss for just a minute or two. So, I went to sleep for a little while longer.

Mrs. Reber, hope you get good news about Stryper this evening.

Kim, you reminded me about that BBQ chicken. That is really good.

Hmmm, maybe I should try giving Caitlyn red pepper. She certainly isn't interested in many other vegetables.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[nori]

MrsReber, I thought Noah was the only one likes to eat red bell peppers!! He likes yellow pepper, too, but if I have both side by side, he'd grab the red one first. Must be the color.:D I'm anxious to hear how Stryper did over the weekend. You must had an exhausting weekend!!!

Joanne, Past few days, Noah's been pretty good. Considering he's in the bed by 7pm, and most of the time when he wakes up is around 3am or 4am. Now if only I could go to bed at the same time as he does!!!

We went to the zoo yesterday. It was fun. He was kind of sleepy when we got there, but as we stroll in the park, he got more alert. He wanted to push his own stroller and that slowed our pace waaaay down. Lions, bears, jaguers (sp?) weren't active enough to get his attention.....he liked the anteaters, which were pretty active moving here and there. He enjoyed the fish tank, too. Oh, and they had 3 giraffe (again, sp?) and they came really close to us. They reminded me of ToysRus.:D Noah liked them, too. And elephants.

A few days ago he started to try feeding himself with a spoon and fork. Now it's even much bigger mess around his dining area.:o It's so cute, though. He always ends up with crusty face with his cereals at the end of the meal.

[MrsReber]

Nori, how fun! I love the zoo! I took Casey food shopping with me on Sunday. She refused to get in the cart and walked through the whole store. My frozen foods were melting when I got home! Talk about slow! I bought some cookies and told her they were for Daddy. As soon as we got home, she took them out of the bag and brought them to him. It was too funny.

DH called me from work this morning. He successfully located Brenden's shoes. We couldn't find them anywhere. I knew my mom had them on Friday. Kyle kept saying he thought they were in the garbage. Just a hunch. Sure enough,that's where he found them. He brought it to work and looked through it there. He knew it was one of 2 bags from Friday so it wasn't too bad. I have to laugh. I'm glad he thought of that. I was getting ready to buy new shoes. We just got that pair a week ago!

Stryper is hanging in there. For the more detailed version, I posted his condition on the Other Stuff thread. He's improving little by little. I haven't heard anything since yesterday (Sunday) and they tell me no news is good news. I'll get another update this morning. If he had gotten worse or anything, they would've called no matter what time it was.

I'm going to get in the shower. I have my follow up eye appointment today. DH is coming home at lunch to stay with the kids. I told him he should take the rest of the day off and go hunting when I get home. He was agreeable, of course! It's much cooler here today than it has been. Just beautiful out. The kids are still asleep. They played outside lots last weekend. Casey didn't even nap yesterday and she was up until 9:00! I told DH that was a good thing, as long as she was happy. That way, they'll both sleep late and I can have a bit of time to myself this morning to do work in peace. Yeah, like I'm doing work- here I am on the BB!

[RunnerKim]

Susan, I haven't made it to the Other Stuff board yet this morning but I'm so glad to hear Stryper is hanging on. Too funny about the shoe in the trash - we just had the same experience. We were missing one of Lainey's Robeeze orca shoes from the day of her birthday party. I had a picture with it in it, but Lainey loves her shoes and carries them around etc. DH found it out in the garage in one of the boxes one of her gifts came in. I'm very unhappy this morning because it's been determined that my Sept. CL got thrown away - I was hoping I'd left it here at the office.

Nori - that is so cute about the zoo. Lainey loves the fish tank they have at daycare. DH made the mistake of holding her up to see it last week and now she just points at him and then the fishtank and he has stand there holding. She just watches and watches.

I don't know when the last time was I slept through the night - it was definitely pre-pregnancy though. And Lainey's been sleeping 9-10 hours for months now.

Becky - have you started work this week? How's it going?

Heather - how was having the babysitter (and Happy New Year!). Did Logan do alright at services on Saturday? Did you get everything you needed for daycare? What did you need to get - i'm just curious. Is today Logan's first day?

This weekend was fun. We were suppose to go out of town to a dog agility trial but we scrubbed it. So it was like free time. Didn't help DH get the garbage disposal replaced or Lainey's car seat turned around but we had some lovely relaxing time while Lainey played, I scrapbooked (only 3.5 months behind!) and DH watched football. It was very hot here (95 on Saturday) so I didn't get any of the much needed yard work done.

Something cute this weekend. I was vacuuming on Sunday and Lainey went and picked up her push toy (like the popcorn popper thing but this is a musical one - thankfully :D ) and pretended to vacuum with me.

Kim

[nori]

MrsReber, I've read the other thread about Stryper. Thank goodness he's doing so far so good. But wow, it costs you a fortune! I really hope you can get those money back from that irresponsible owner. I can't believe he let those Akita and pit bull on loose.:eek: Only good thing about this is it wasn't your kids who got attacked!!! That would have been totally terrible. Not discounting Stryper in anyway, I know he is part of your family. It's good that he's in good hands at least. Keep us posted!!!

Kim, Noah is afraid of vaccum. He's okay when someone is holding him but when DH started vaccuming and he was on the floor, he'd cry and try to come to me. Once I hold him, he's very curious and pointing out the vaccum saying "Da-, da!!!"

I had to laugh about both of your stories about shoes. Noah loves to carry his shoes around, too.....One time I found one shoe in the trash basket in his closet. Another time it was in the laundry basket.:rolleyes: Now I kind of make sure if there's any toys or something in the trash before I empty it out. You never know what you might find in there.

It's still hot around here. With evaporated cooler, the temp in the house this afternoon reached 82 degrees.:eek: Mornings and evenings are getting cooler, but it's still too hot to go out and play. I really miss cool weather!!!

[BeckyM]

Just a quick post, because I need to get to bed! Tomorrow is my first day back at work (thanks for asking, Kim), and I need to get up super-early to make sure I get everything done. I have most things done tonight already (like packing my lunch, getting Katie's breakfast & lunch ready for the babysitter, etc.), but I know there will be last minute things in the morning.

I have such mixed feelings about going back to work. I know we need the money, and I'm only going back three days a week, so that makes it easier. But I get really emotional when I think about missing that time with my precious little girl. :(

I did find a nice picture frame that holds five different photos, so I put a bunch of cute recent ones of Katie in it (one with DH and me too) for my desk at work. Hopefully it will cheer me up and not make me miss her even more.

MrsReber -- I haven't looked at the Other Stuff board, but I'm glad to hear Stryper is hanging in there. I sure hope he recovers okay.

Kim -- how cute about Lainey pretending to vacuum with you!

nori -- that's great that Noah is starting to feed himself with the fork & spoon! Is he actually getting food in his mouth? I know if Katie did that right now, it would mostly end up on the floor! As it is, she is in a phase where she tears apart her bread before she puts it in her mouth, and the pieces she tears off just get dropped randomly. There are always tons of crumbs under the highchair when we're finished.

Katie's birthday party this past weekend was fun. She seemed to really enjoy the kids and the attention. She wasn't fussy or anything and only cried when one of the bigger kids (age 3) knocked her down in his enthusiasm over one of the toys. She tried a bite of cake, then tried to drop a piece on the floor, then lost interest in the cake and just wanted to play. I was happy she was more interested in physical activity than sweets. I just hope she keeps that up! (Her mother could use some help in that area!)

I think I mentioned we got Katie the walker thing for her birthday. She absolutely loves it! She can stand up behind it and walk along pretty rapidly. The only problem is when she runs into an obstacle. She usually just sits down and starts crawling at that point unless one of us are there to turn it around.

Well, I don't know how much I'll be posting as I get back into the groove of work. I certainly won't be checking the bulletin board from work! Since I'm only working three days, I need to prove I can be really productive during my time there, or someone will get the idea that I need to work full-time. I want to do EVERYTHING I can to make sure I can keep this schedule for as long as possible.

Have a great week, everyone!

Becky :)

[cchhbb]

We were at the beach for a week. Boy, there are a lot of posts. I know I'm going to miss out on commenting on a huge amount. Sorry if I miss you.

Garrett had a great time at the beach. We went to Destin, Florida. It's about 6 hours from here. He did pretty good in the car. We did have to stop for some crawling around time at a rest area. He LOVED the beach. He played in the sand, crawled down into the water, and floated around in the water. He actually would crawl down to the water and would laugh when the waves would hit him. Once, one actually went up over his head and he thought it was funny. We was a little beach baby. We stayed in a condo right across from the beach. What a blast.

Becky, I wish I could find a job that I liked that I could do 2 - 3 days a week. I hope you have a wonderful first day. It sounds like Katie is going to have a great time with Miss Jill. Garrett has the same walker and he when he runs into some furniture, he yells until I free it up for him. He really loves it.

Kim, Lainey's cake was awesome. Wow, Lainey's ready to vacuum. I know they make some toy vacuums. Thanks for posting about the Graco recall. How sad about the 13 month old that died. I never put Garrett in the pack n play when I had the changing table on, but I know my brother puts my niece in like that. I'll be sending him the link.

Nori, great to hear that Noah is sleeping better. Did you start to implement the No Cry Sleep Solution or do something else different? I hope he keeps it up. You asked how I get anything done. I send Garrett to preschool 2 days a week in the morning and that is my time to clean house, spend time on the BB, ect. He also is in bed by 7:00 at the latest so I get a lot of time in the evening. I also have toys in every room in the house and he does a really good job of entertaining himself.

Susan, sorry to hear about your kitty.

Joanne, I bet my heart would still be pounding after watching the stroller tip over. I'm glad everyone is okay.

Cheryl

[erinl]

Hi all,

I've been trying to keep up, but it has been tough. The big news here...I'm pregnant. I'm excited, but this couldn't be worse timing. If I counted correctly, I'll be due June 3. This means that our new house probably won't be ready yet, and this one will be sold. Also, a very good friend is getting married Memorial Day weekend. It's back in Ohio, so I won't be able to go.:(

I haven't even told Paul yet...

[slknight]

Erin, Congratulations! Don't worry too much about the timing; I'm sure somehow it will all work out. :)

Well, Alex and I barely survived the first few days of daycare last week. Friday I didn't take him there til 1 because he took a 4 hour nap in the morning! When I went to pick him up, I heard him laughing down the hall. That's good, since Tuesday I heard screaming. :( I was beginning to feel better about the whole thing.

Then the screaming began Saturday night. And I mean SCREAMING! He'd wake up every hour or so and was absolutely inconsolable. Very fussy Sunday and the same thing Sun night. I took him to the doctor yesterday, and he's got his first ear infection.:( I feel sooooooooooooo guilty. I know he picked up that cold at daycare. Major mother guilt going on. He's now on amoxicillin and taking a nap.

Oh, they had to weigh him at the doctor for the correct dose of meds. At 5 months (almost 5 1/2), he weighed in at 19 1/2 pounds. Holy smokes! No wonder my back hurts from carrying him.:eek:

[RunnerKim]

Congratulations Erin!! The shock will wear off and everything will work out. Maybe you can go visit your friend earlier and help her with an important part of her wedding. Picking her dress or something.

Wow Susan - Alex is a big boy! I can't recommend the sling enough for carrying around a baby/toddler. Doesn't hurt my back at all. Not guilt about the ear infection! He could pick up a cold from a playgroup if you didn't send him to daycare. Sorry you had to go through that - an inconsoable child is heart wrenching (and stressful).

Cheryl - wow Garrett had a blast at the beach!! Sounds likme a great time. Glad the travel part went okay too.

Becky - Hugs to you on your first day. It'll get easier as things settle into a routine. Very cute with the walk - I can picture her running into something and abondoning her vehicle so to speak. :)

Nori - I was with you on the heat until yesterday. We were 95 on Saturday. End of September in Portland?! Of course the trade off is the gray gray gray we have now. I'm going to have to get Lainey some hard-soled shoes for the rainy season (aka Winter). Is it stride rite that everyone recommends?

Kim

[nori]

Congratulations Erin!!! You know, when I came to this board this morning and saw your name at the Healthy Living board as the last poster, SOMEHOW I thought "well maybe she's posting telling us she's pregnant?" How did I know?! I don't know, I just thought about Julia too.....How exciting! Timing seems a bit complicated but it'll work out. take care of yourself!!!!

I'll come back later to post more...I gotta go for now. Just wanted to congratulate Erin!

[nori]

Kim, I believe it was Stride Ride MrsReber said she takes kids in to measure and buy shoes. One of my friends also mentioned about that store, so it must be famous. You're right, Robeez wouldn't be any good in snow/rain.....

Susan, Poor Alex having ear infection. Not fun.:( But don't feel so guilty about it! He'd have gotten it maybe sooner or later, and as Kim said, he could have picked it up from anywhere. But I understand how you feel, though. Hope he's feeling better now!

Cheryl, sounds like Garrett is really a beach boy! Noah went to the beach when he was 9 months old and kind of scared of the waves. He did fine when I was holding him in the water, though. I kind of follow the no-cry sleep solution but not entirely. I did some of those ideas. He sleeps relatively longer nowadays, thank goodness. He woke up aorund 3am last night and he had a poopy diaper so I had to change him. That was understandable he woke up. Hope this would stick with him.

Becky, Noah has one of those pushing toy and he used to be so frustrated when he got stuck on something and couldn't push anymore. I used to change the direction for him, but from some point, he started pulling to change the direction. Maybe Katie will figure it out soon. As for foods, he'd scoop a bit on the fork or spoon, but most of them go on the floor.:o He is doing his best to get the stuff in his mouth (I can tell, since he's so serious) but as you can imagine, he can't hold it straight. I think I've seen the spoon which would hold the food even on the upside down position....was it on One Step Ahead???? Maybe I can give it a try. How was your first day of work? Hope you made it okay.