PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[mela lu]

I agree with Neatfreak - Pumping will tell your body that the demand is higher, and therefore your body *should* start to supply more.

its supply and demand, so the more you feed (pump) the more you''ll make.

...or get on the domperidone drug. lol

 

[Blenheim]

Erica- oh my gosh! I''m so sorry. I hope that he feels better SOON!

Mandarine - That sounds so hard. Hang in there! NF and Mela gave some great advice for helping to get your supply up. Have you looked into using a lactation aid? (Those systems that have a tube that feeds them something supplemental as they''re suckling on the breast.) If Alex seems frustrated after 5 minutes, I wonder if that might help him stay interested in nursing but satisfied with the amount he''s getting??? An LC should know more about that, I''d think. There''s a mom of twins at our local LLL who used one when she had to supplement, and if I remember correctly it really helped.
And your boys are just gorgeous!

Robbie - love the new av!!

LL - glad that the shots went well!

Mela- enjoy all of the pampering. LUCKY.

TravelingGal- ugh, you enabler.

We have a Maclaren Techno XLR right now (I''d have gotten a more basic Maclaren but the dang handles were too low for me), and on paper it does well at meeting our daily needs... but it doesn''t really work in practice. We do a lot of popping in and out of places, going to the grocery store and the Farmer''s Market and things like that, but we''ve found that we never use a stroller in those situations. We love our Ergo and BabyHawk for that kind of stuff, or we just throw George into the kid seat of a grocery cart. When we actually use a stroller is if we''re leaving the house on foot for a couple of hours, or want to go grocery shopping or to the library on foot (3 miles round trip), or want to spend half the day at a festival. And I''d like to start running some again. A jogging stroller is better suited to all of those situations.

 

[TravelingGal]

Mandarine, yup, I always warn people about the sh*t hitting the fan at two weeks. I don't say anything now when gals take their babies home and say how easy they are. I just think...wait and see.

Re: Milk, can you get a prescription for reglan? It's approved in the US. It is possible you are one of the small percentage of women whose milk never comes in. If so, you can join me in that club. At your stage I couldn't even measure in ozs (even .5 oz)...I was getting one or two cc's.

It sucked. But I tried for two months out of sheer determination, stubborness, and stupidity. I should have just given up at the one month mark...life would have been easier. Everyone is such a lactivist these days that it's hard not to feel guilt if you can't do it. Formula feeding is fine, honest.

I did max out one or two times and was able to get 2 oz out of my higher producing breast, but that was only once a day. The rest of the pumps, I got hardly a half oz. They are getting more than the pump can, is my bet. Have you tried going to a LC and have them weigh the babies before and after?

Good luck, and you look great with your two cuties!

ETA, not a bad idea to just keep trying, even if it's to give them milk for antibodies for the first month. I felt so lame when I mixed my 2 ccs of BM with 2 oz of formula, but the LC said it was better than nothing!!

 

[TravelingGal]

Blen, the BOB would definitely work well for those things. You might get more use out of your techno later when he gets bigger and you don''t feel like babywearing him. Especially if he turns out to be a late walker.

 

[fieryred33143]

Hey just a quick drive by. I''m at the pedi with Sophia. I noticed last night that she had a couple of bumps right around her pelvic area and I figured it was the start of a diaper rash. When we woke it was all over her diaper area, legs, arms, some on her tummy and back, and all around her neck. She''s not running a fever and isn''t in pain but I called the pedi and he wants to see her so here we are. I''ll update later.

 

[mela lu]

oh no fiery! Thinking of you and hoping its nothing serious!

 

[ellaila]

Mandarine, those boys!!!

Just gorgeous!

As for milk, sounds like you''re doing all you can to increase your supply, but try not to be discouraged if it doesn''t work out. I did all that you are doing, and I never had more than a meager output at best. And not just in terms of pumping but in actual nursing. A lactation consultant can weigh your babies before a feeding and after to see how many ounces they''re taking in to see if you''re really producing enough to feed them. I wasn''t, and after 13 weeks, I threw in the towel. And to be honest, I wish I had done it a LOT sooner because life improved drastically for me when I wasn''t so focused on the constant worries of pumping, drinking teas, eating oatmeal, etc.

I totally applaud your effort in trying to increase your supply, and I hope it works out for you! But if it doesn''t, there''s no shame in switching to formula.

And re TGal''s quote: " I always warn people about the sh*t hitting the fan at two weeks. I don''t say anything now when gals take their babies home and say how easy they are. I just think...wait and see." -- TOTALLY

 

[natalina]

Fiery- Hope everything is ok with Sophia. Will be anxiously looking for an update!

Also, LOVE the new avi!!!1

Robbie- I am sorry to hear about your MIL. Will be thinking of her and sending well-wishes. Love your new avi, too!

Mandarine- sorry to hear about your milk. I don''t have any tips, BF''ing has been challenging here as well. The boys are dolls and you look fantastic!

Erica- Oh no! Hope the little one gets over the H1N1 easily and safely!! How scary! We haven''t really even been leaving the house with Ellie because we are so worried about it. Unfortunately, DH travels for work and I get so worried he will bring it home to her.

Mela, EBree, China, LL- love the pics!! The babies are so cute!

Thanks to everyone for the advice on BF''ing. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Ellie is 3 weeks yesterday, and it seems that we are getting better at it. I also started holding her in the cradle hold now that her head is a little more stable (can''t believe how strong her neck is already!) and I think that helps. Or maybe it''s just mixing it up that helps. I alternate with football hold, crossover, and cradle, and at night feed her lying on our sides on the bed. It''s still a bit sore, but I think it''s only because sometimes she wakes up really hungry and goes to town sucking really hard at first. It''s funny, almost daily there is a point where I think "oh this is so much better now!" and then towards the end of the day I''m thinking it''s pretty tender again. But the cracks are healing, so I think we''re on our way to happy times! Haven''t had any bleeding now for a long time. If we aren''t completely out of the woods by next week (when she''s a month) I will call an LC. But I think we''ll be okay.

Just a quick post, but hope everyone is doing well. Sorry for those I missed! Just love all the pics!

 

[Pandora II]

Quick post here...

Baby bouncers - we have the FisherPrice Jumperoo and Daisy adores it, keeps her occupied and in one place!

Mandarine - my milk didn''t come in until the 3 week mark. I was expressing like crazy at the beginning, didn''t have enough for a pump even. I''ll never forget hand expressing for nearly an hour and getting around 5ccs - and then knocking the container over

It did get better slowly but I was super-paranoid about my supply for weeks and I still feel like I don''t have much. Boobs always feel like they did before I was pg - but D is consistently 75th percentile so something is going in!

Don''t be scared to suppliment if necessary - loads of us did and still managed to get back to EBF.


LOVE all the photos, and Robbie can we see some pics of Des? Your new avatar is gorgeous - he''s a stunner!

 

[robbie3982]

Mustang - I hear you on the cats and no leather. We got microfiber for the same reason. Well, that and they were cheaper, lol. Yay for a tooth! That''s so cute about Kyle pointing and wanting to touch everything.

Dreamer, I''m jealous of your Bob! Then I remember that I hate jogging and I''m slightly less jealous. Why do I get jealous about jogging strollers when I don''t like jogging? LOL. That thread upset(s) me too. I''m glad to hear that Hunter''s sleeping a bit better.

Ebree, hmm, I guess I don''t know anything about beer. I thought more hops = darker beer. Des has a doorway jumper at MIL''s and LOVES it. I don''t think his head looks big in the pic, just adorable! Des is grabbing everything too. It''s cute, but also painful, because he pinches once he grabs and no matter what I do, he seems to have talons. Owie!

Fiery, Des does the same distracted thing. I keep telling him that my nipples are NOT taffy and aren''t meant to stretch like that! I hope the rash turns out to be nothing! Keep us updated.

Mela, hope you had fun at your massage! I''m jealous of your spa day!

Lysser, glad to hear the shots went well! We have a jumperoo and a doorway jumper like Ebree. The doorway jumper is much more adjustable than the jumperoo (and cheaper and portable!). We pile blankets under the jumperoo so DS can reach the ground to jump.

Princesss, thanks for the avi compliment!

Neat, I can''t believe they''re going to be 1!

PJ, that''s so cute that he reaches for you! I can''t wait for Des to do that.

Sabine, you can just see what Jacks thinks of our jumperoo and decide after that. On a related note, there was a recall on some Graco doorway jumpers in the summer. Check it out if you have one: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09301.html

Mandarine, you look awesome! I agree that it sounds like your milk is in. I second getting a 2nd opinion from another LC. Babies are more efficient at removing milk than pumps are so it''s hard to tell what''s really there with just pumping.

Erica, sorry to hear your LO has the flu! Hope he feels better soon!

Blen and Natalina, thanks for the avi compliments! This is one of my favorite pics I''ve taken of him.

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

thanks to everyone for the good vibes/prayers! I think they''re working! MIL got news yesterday that her MRI showed the cancer hasn''t spread! It''s just the one lump! She has her Dr''s appointment tomorrow where they''ll discuss treatment.

Des''s new thing is squealing/screeching. He''d done it a few times before, but last night he decided it was the best thing ever and that he wanted to do it all the time. It was pretty hilarious. Well, that is until he woke up at 1 am thinking it was play time and started doing it. I''m so tired. LOL.

 

[fieryred33143]

Thanks ladies! Turns out it''s a heat rash. He suggested we use lubriderm. It makes sense since it''s been so hot here (92 right now

). MIL also keeps DD way too warm in her house. I''ve already talked to her about it. The other day she showed me how DD sleeps: long sleeve feet pjs with socks, shoes, swaddled bottom half, and 5 (yes 5!) blankets on top of her. I almost had an attack and we talked about it. Also, FIL has been taking her out for little walks when he gets home and it''s too hot for that (I found this out today). I told him that if he does to dress her in just a onesie (or is it onsie? I never get the spelling right) and no socks or pants.

So no biggie. He said if it doesn''t go away in a few days to bring her back in.

In other news she weighs 14lbs4oz so she doubled her birth weight

Natalina-Glad it''s getting easier! If you don''t have any, get some lanisoh cream. I think it really helps and you can feed with it on.

Robbie-Glad to hear the news about MIL!!!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/29/2009 11:19:42 AM
Author: fiery
The other day she showed me how DD sleeps: long sleeve feet pjs with socks, shoes, swaddled bottom half, and 5 (yes 5!) blankets on top of her. I almost had an attack and we talked about it. Also, FIL has been taking her out for little walks when he gets home and it''s too hot for that (I found this out today). I told him that if he does to dress her in just a onesie (or is it onsie? I never get the spelling right) and no socks or pants.

Seriously???? I didn''t even dress my boys that heavily in winter in Wisconsin last year! No wonder the poor thing has heat rash. But glad that''s all it is! Feel better Sophia!

 

[janinegirly]

Mandy!! Your boys are too adorable for words--who do you think they look like so far (I know it''s way too early, but it''s still fun trying to guess!). They look identical!

2 week grace period..yup! I remember C slept non-stop, and I thought something was wrong! DH even would try to wake her.Should have just slept too instead..

As for BF and pumping, no real advice but sympathiy b/c same thing happened to me. I took all the supplements, got the best pump out there and I got 2 oz after hours of pumping. I was always pumping and it was kind of hurtful when I''d come back into a common area and DH or my mom would say "that''s it?". I don''t want to give advice b/c I gave up and gave formula and just supplmented with 2oz of BM here and there since that''s all I could pump, I eventually gave up on that too (around 2 mo''s) b/c I was wasting so much time pumping. I hope it works out for you since I know it is challenging, but if not, it''s ok too...C did great on formula. Funny thing is I had so many medela bottles from all my purchases of pumps that she still drinks out of them.

Keep the pics coming, how''s DH hanging in there?

 

[fieryred33143]

Date: 10/29/2009 11:23:20 AM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 10/29/2009 11:19:42 AM
Author: fiery
The other day she showed me how DD sleeps: long sleeve feet pjs with socks, shoes, swaddled bottom half, and 5 (yes 5!) blankets on top of her. I almost had an attack and we talked about it. Also, FIL has been taking her out for little walks when he gets home and it''s too hot for that (I found this out today). I told him that if he does to dress her in just a onesie (or is it onsie? I never get the spelling right) and no socks or pants.

Seriously???? I didn''t even dress my boys that heavily in winter in Wisconsin last year! No wonder the poor thing has heat rash. But glad that''s all it is! Feel better Sophia!

Yes!

Their AC is really powerful, especially in the room where Sophia spends most of her time. So I asked her if she could keep the house just a tad warmer, maybe around 68/70 (instead of 60/65). She took that to mean that Sophia was too cold. So the other day I was telling her about her sleeping problems and asked her if Sophia had been giving her the same problems. She said no and then shows me how she sleeps

.

And these 5 blankets are not thin blankets. They''re really heavy/thick blankets.

Plus, even though she needs fresh air it''s just too hot to be walking around in someone''s arms. Anyone would sweat in this heat and she doesn''t need to be on top of someone that is sweaty especially since she sweats when she gets too hot too.

 

[E B]

Penelope- A definite milestone! How cute.

Sabine- Our bouncer actually came with two toys that hook to the yellow clips. We just haven't put them on yet. Henry is so interested in EVERYTHING around him, he probably doesn't miss the toys, but would definitely stare at them/try to grab them if they were there. Definitely go for the one with the toys if it's a great price!

Mandarine- You're doing great, lady! Feeding two babies can't be easy, but that fact that you're hanging in there is amazing. I second (third, fourth) the suggestion of continuing to pump as well as looking into domperidone. I hear it mentioned all the time in my breastfeeding community.

fiery- Poor Sophia! I'm glad it was just heat rash, though.

Erica- Hope your little guy feels better soon!

natalina- That's fabulous news! So happy BFing is getting easier for you.

robbie- I think more hops does equal darker beer. I think. And I hear you on the talons. Who knew baby fingernails could grow so fast?

H had his four month appt. yesterday (late). At his two month, he was in the 50th percentile for all measurements, but has grown quite a bit since- 50th for head, 75th for weight and 95th (!) for length. Taking after his incredibly tall father.

 

[february2003bride]

Date: 10/29/2009 11:35:43 AM
Author: fiery

Date: 10/29/2009 11:23:20 AM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 10/29/2009 11:19:42 AM
Author: fiery
The other day she showed me how DD sleeps: long sleeve feet pjs with socks, shoes, swaddled bottom half, and 5 (yes 5!) blankets on top of her. I almost had an attack and we talked about it. Also, FIL has been taking her out for little walks when he gets home and it''s too hot for that (I found this out today). I told him that if he does to dress her in just a onesie (or is it onsie? I never get the spelling right) and no socks or pants.

Seriously???? I didn''t even dress my boys that heavily in winter in Wisconsin last year! No wonder the poor thing has heat rash. But glad that''s all it is! Feel better Sophia!

Yes!

Their AC is really powerful, especially in the room where Sophia spends most of her time. So I asked her if she could keep the house just a tad warmer, maybe around 68/70 (instead of 60/65). She took that to mean that Sophia was too cold. So the other day I was telling her about her sleeping problems and asked her if Sophia had been giving her the same problems. She said no and then shows me how she sleeps

.

And these 5 blankets are not thin blankets. They''re really heavy/thick blankets.

Plus, even though she needs fresh air it''s just too hot to be walking around in someone''s arms. Anyone would sweat in this heat and she doesn''t need to be on top of someone that is sweaty especially since she sweats when she gets too hot too.

Fiery- Not to be an alarmist but babies Sophia''s age are not suppose to use blankets yet because of SIDS. Your MIL is really putting Sophia at risk not just for SIDS but also suffication. A onesie and a sleep sack should be enough to keep her warm while she sleeps. If her house is really cold, then a sleeper and a sleep sack would be enough as well. Have your MIL read this: http://www.sids.org/nprevent.htm Hope this helps!

 

[fieryred33143]

Feb-thanks for the info. I definitely agree with you. She has 2 sleep sacks that we had given her when we were de-swaddling but Sophia really hates them for some reason. Every time she''s in one she screams so we don''t use the sacks. I told her it was ok to swaddle her bottom half since we use thin swaddleme blankets that secure with velcro. What I didn''t know was that she was using all of these blankets. I never left any blankets with her (not even PNP sheets) for that reason but at some point she went out and bought a bunch. I know that SIDs is significantly reduced after the 4 month mark. I''m more worried about over-heating and suffocation. Sophia likes to put whatever she can grab right on her face (that''s why we don''t use mittens at night because she takes them off and puts it on her nose

).

 

[Dreamer_D]

So on Wednesday we were in the first round of mass adjuvanted vaccinations for H1N1 in my province -- babies under 5 years old are in the susceptible group and so get shots in the first rounds. Well Hunter got a very low grade fever for 24 hours and now has a snotty nose and is the fussiest baby in history! He is also coughing a little sometimes. Actually, sounds a lot like Erica's baby?

I think this is normal, but I also wonder if he got the cold I had last week. He seems fine, but didn't sleep at all last night

Wanted to nurse for 12 hours straight. It was the worst night ever!

And to top it off he needs a secodn vacc in 3 weeks, since he is a baby they give it in two doses. Anyone else know if he will have the same reaction? I am not looking forward to it!

ETA Mandarine I would keep trying to BF is you really want to! But if you want to stop and just go with FF, do that and don't worry about it. You know what you want to do in your heart. Just for me personally it was very important and so I think I would give it a couple of months of trying different methods, esp. since you are having some output (unlike poor intrepid TGal), and I would see a few more LCs to make sure you are getting the best advice, seems they all differ. Also, the nursing aid that EBree mentioned is a good option. My friend used it. Good luck whatever you choose!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Sorry for missing peeps!I am only skimming right now as we are still in limbo! T - 2 days until we get our house! The closing went fine and the $$ transferred so we technically own a house now

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 10/29/2009 7:42:10 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
So on Wednesday we were in the first round of mass adjuvanted vaccinations for H1N1 in my province -- babies under 5 years old are in the susceptible group and so get shots in the first rounds. Well Hunter got a very low grade fever for 24 hours and now has a snotty nose and is the fussiest baby in history! He is also coughing a little sometimes. Actually, sounds a lot like Erica''s baby?

I think this is normal, but I also wonder if he got the cold I had last week. He seems fine, but didn''t sleep at all last night

Wanted to nurse for 12 hours straight. It was the worst night ever!

And to top it off he needs a secodn vacc in 3 weeks, since he is a baby they give it in two doses. Anyone else know if he will have the same reaction? I am not looking forward to it!

ETA Mandarine I would keep trying to BF is you really want to! But if you want to stop and just go with FF, do that and don''t worry about it. You know what you want to do in your heart. Just for me personally it was very important and so I think I would give it a couple of months of trying different methods, esp. since you are having some output (unlike poor intrepid TGal), and I would see a few more LCs to make sure you are getting the best advice, seems they all differ. Also, the nursing aid that EBree mentioned is a good option. My friend used it. Good luck whatever you choose!

DD - Daisy was miserable after her second load of shots with a temperature, whingy, clingy, constantly feeding etc and I was stuffing her full of Calpol for 3 days.

I was dreading the third set which was a repeat of the second set and first set all in one. She was totally fine to the extent I rang my father to see what was wrong. He said that she''d obviously had a strong immune response and so no bad effects from the second set as her antibodies would have fought off any ill-effects.

So, you may well find that he is fine with the next lot.

I''m still waiting to get the H1N1 here...

Health Visitor came round yesterday - due to the black eye being reported to social services

- and certified Daisy as happy, healthy and loved... hooray! She asked me about our sleeping arrangements, and when I said that we were bed-sharing she looked really shocked. I thought oh gawwd, now I''m going to get a huge lecture.

Instead, she said that she was really suprised as I was white... ''and the white ladies don''t sleep with their babies''. She''s african, and we live in a very multi-cultural area. She was 100% supportive and said that she didn''t really understand mothers who didn''t sleep with their babies if they were breast-feeding. She''s also really into BLW, so I got off without any lectures!

 

[Blenheim]

TravelingGal That''s exactly the reason why we still have the Maclaren - I feel like it would probably be great to have later on. Otherwise, I would have sold it by now and used the money towards a BOB. We don''t have the funds to just go out and buy a BOB right now. We''ve really been wanting to move closer to family and have decided to take the leap (closing on house and moving in 2 weeks), and we''re going to be living off of savings until we find jobs. I''m thinking about asking for gift cards for my bday and xmas to use towards buying one though.

Fiery - I just can''t believe your MIL sometimes.

DD Sorry about Hunter being so fussy. I think that they give the H1N1 in one dose here? I tried to get George one two days ago, but the clinic ran out before we got there. That makes time #2 that we weren''t able to get him the shot. And congrats on the house!! So exciting.

Pandora - sorry that you had to have a health visit, but at least she was supportive! And her comment was just funny.


We''ve had feeding issues over here. George is in daycare for 9.5 hours per day during the week.
Tuesday: total of five ounces while in daycare
Wednesday: total of eight ounces
Today, as of 2 pm - absolutely nada - they kept offering and he wouldn''t take either milk or food. This was especially worrisome as he STTN and then refused to really nurse when he got up (he took a couple of sips and then decided he was done), so he was going on 18 hours with nothing really in him. It turned out that he finally decided to take a bottle while I was waiting for the doctor to return my message, but they still wanted to see him immediately. So I left work to take him in, and he checked out completely fine. He''s gained weight from his last visit. He somehow was not dehydrated. She just said to keep offering, and to try to feed him in an isolated room because he''s also easily distractable right now and she was wondering if he just felt that he had too much awesome stuff going on around him to bother with food. I tried feeding him in the office and he kept popping off every five seconds to look at her and laugh, or to play with the buttons on my sweater, which may have confirmed what she was thinking.

Oh, he''s also been flirting with the baby girls at daycare. He keeps rolling over or wiggling up to them and sucking on their toes, LOL.

Tomorrow''s my last day at work. I''m very excited.

 

[MustangGal]

robbie - Kyle started showing teething signs at like 3 or 4 months, but didn''t pop his first tooth until 6 months. He only had a few days in there that were really bad though. Sending good vibes to your MIL for her lump!

maderine - congrats! the boys are sooo cute! I''m happy the leg pain turned out to be nothing, I was admitted back to the hospital when Kyle was 7 days old, it was the worst 5 nights of my life, not getting to see him, and barely seeing DH. For pumping, I was also pretty much only pumping at your stage. My LC told me to keep the pump going for 3 minutes after milk stopped coming out. This seemed to work, and 2-3 weeks PP I could do 2oz per breast every 3 hours. You might want to see another LC though and have them see what''s going on. I did give up at 5 weeks, pumping and feeding takes a lot of energy, and with 2 I can''t imagine trying to keep up!

erica - I''m sorry about the flu, I hope you guys are doing better soon!

fiery - I hope the heat rash stays away, it should hopefully be cooling of soon for you.

ebree - WOW, Henry''s getting BIG!

pandora - woohoo for a good visit from the Heath Visitor!

blen - you''ll have to watch George with the ladies! I hope he starts eating well soon, and at least you know there''s ntohign really wrong.


Well, I hope Kyle doesn''t blame me for "damaging" him later in life, becasue I just bought him a pink carseat. DH and I each have one in our cars, but he''s too big for his infant seat, so the sitter needed one for the very rare times she takes him somewhere. I didn''t want to buy used, since you never know what they''ve been through, so Kyle gets the least expensive convertible carseat I could find, pink with flowers

. The sitter said no one will see him in it, and he won''t know the difference

, I just couldn''t pass up $32 for exactly what I was looking for (other than the color). If anyone else needs one, they''re at Overstock. DH has a more manly version of the same seat in his truck, and we like it.

 

[robbie3982]

Haven''t had a chance to read since my last post, but I''m really upset and need some more prayers/good vibes as well as to just get it all out.

I just got an email from a cousin that my great uncle is in the hospital. He''s my grandfather''s younger brother and I think I feel closest to him out of my great aunts and uncles because he reminds me of my grandfather who passed away about 10 years ago when I was in high school. I called my mom to see if she''d seen the email or knew anything about it and she said that she''s known since he went into the hospital a week ago. She wasn''t (and still isn''t) allowed to tell me, but I convinced her that I wouldn''t tell anyone else in the family (not including DH). He''s been passing out and they''re saying it''s heart problems. While there, they also found a kink in his intestine and if a liquid diet doesn''t work, he''ll have to have surgery. Apparently he also has lung cancer and was given 3 months to live. In 2007. I remember seeing him that summer while I was in NY for my cousin''s wedding (the one where I was the flower girl) and saying something about how I''d see him at our wedding the next month and he responded with "If I''m still alive." I asked him what he meant, but he just kind of brushed it off. I thought it was weird, but he has a weird sense of humor and everyone else just thought he was making a joke. I understand that it''s his right to tell or not tell us what''s going on with his health, but I''m so upset that he wouldn''t want us to know what''s going on. My parents and DH and I live in Pittsburgh and he lives in NY. That''s a good 7 or 8 hour car trip with no stops so we only get up there once a year, meaning that it''s pretty likely with his health going downhill that this past summer will end up being the last time I ever see him. My parents and sister are talking about going to NY for Thanksgiving, but it''s our year to have Thanksgiving here. Besides the fact that I used all of my vacation days on my maternity leave, with MIL being diagnosed with cancer I feel like we need to be here with her.

I''m so glad we decided to make the trip out to NY with Des when he was 4 weeks old. One of the main reasons I was so determined to do it was because I knew the great aunts and uncles were getting older and wouldn''t be around forever. I just didn''t think any of them would be leaving so imminently.

My mom said we can''t call or send flowers because he would be upset if he knew that we knew and it would be out of the ordinary for us to do it just because. She suggested that we send him a photo flip book of updated pics of Des though since they don''t have the internet. I''m going to send it today.

I''m seriously so heartbroken. I feel like I''m losing my grandpa all over again.

 

[natalina]

Robbie- So sorry to hear your news. Will be thinking of you and your family.

Question: Do any of you give your baby any vitamins or supplements? I was reading that vitamin D supplements are recommended for BF babies, but don''t really know much about it and Ellie doesn''t go back to doc for about 5 weeks. I thought I''d ask you all, since you guys are always a wealth of knowledge!

 

[Mrs]

hi mamas! Sorry to be so absent. We're in NY visiting my inlaws since Dh had a conference in NJ this week and we decided to make a trip of it so we could see family. I've only been able to skim so apologies for not getting to everyone of missing key info!

DD - congrats on the Bob! And yay for moving into your home so soon! sorry to hear hunter got a fever from his flu vaccine!

Madarine - you and your boys look great! sorry to hear about the supply issues! I hope they resolve so you can BF if you want to!

Sabine - good luck with the drive today and have fun with Robbie!

fiery - so sorry to hear about the heat rash!

natalina - glad to hear that BFing is getting better! I had terribly cracked nipples as well and it's awful! BUt it DOES get better so keep hanging in there. ETA, re: vitamins: We give Sage Polyvisol (sp?) when we remember though honestly, not daily as we're supposed to.

Pandora - I'm glad the Health visitor was so supportive! You're a great Mama and I'm glad she saw that!

Robbie - I'm glad your MIL;s cancer hasn't spread! I hope she gets well soon!!! ETA, I'm so sorry to hear about your great uncle - prayers are outgoing.

Ebree - Glad your 4 mo apt went well! That's cool that H is so tall already!

Blen - Sorry to hear about the feeding issues. So funny about George flirting with the girls at day care!

Mgal - great deal on that car seat! I doubt Kyle will care that it's pink!

HI to everyone else!

All's well here - Sage is so much fun these days. Very happy. The trip here went well (Red eye) - she slept with very little fussing. I'm a little nervous about the trip back on sunday since she will be awake... fingers crossed that it goes well. Lately she does this funny (happy) growling sound like a little monster. It's pretty cute.

I've a phone interview this afternoon for a job that could be really good. Still haven't hear back from my former employer about my old position (which is now open) but I'm more hoping that this other opportunity comes through. We'll see. Dh got a promotion and raise so I don't really *have* to go back to work now but I know it will be easier to go back now than later in some ways since the less time I'm out of work, the better in terms of finding another job and having them take me seriously. But at the same time, I have really enjoyed being home with Sage and if I can stay home for longer, perhaps I should.... tough decision.

Anyway, I hope you're all well!!
Mrs

 

[erica k]

Leon''s doing much better, but unfortunately my mom got H1N1 from him. She has respiratory issues, so it''s been rough even with Tamiflu. A friend of mine''s daughter got H1N1 10 days after she had the vaccine spray (with the live virus), and then she developed a secondary bacterial infection. Scary! I feel like it''s inevitable that most of us will get it. I''m pretty sure L got the virus during our short flight from Oakland to Long Beach, but he could have just as easily gotten it on a Target run, I suppose.

DD, does/did Hunter have a fever? I may have missed this in your earlier posts. I really really thought it was just a bad cold, but I guess the high fever is what made the pediatrician worry. The clear mucous and dry cough alone made me want to write it off as nothing serious. I''m not sure I got the flu, I might have been an asymptomatic case. But my dad and I have both had GI issues and killer fatigue for the past 4-5 days. I wish I could say that I''ve developed some immunity to it, but I think I''ll get the vaccine in the next few weeks just in case. Since there isn''t anyone else who can help me care for my little one, I really can''t afford to get sick.

We also had bad reactions to the regular vaccines, a fever of 103 and nonstop crying for hours, so at the 6 month check up, we decided to start splitting the shots and follow the Sears schedule. He''s been fine with the vaccines since then, but I definitely think he''s sensitive to them.

L is nearly walking at 8 months, which really tires me out because I''m constantly chasing after him. I don''t know where he gets all this energy from, but he''s so wriggly and muscular that it''s no wonder he burns off all those calories.

TGal, I was doing a search for Not Rational diaper bags last week and came across the PS thread that Mara posted last month. I ended up buying the same one as her, the grey distressed Hansel, and then saw your new thread on the sample sale. I also enabled a friend, who bought a Hansel. I''ve been using my Longchamp, but it''s like the Bermuda Triangle, I can never find what I need.

Blenheim, I am on the stroller hunt, too. It seems like it never ends. We have a Micralite Toro, which is great for the city--especially stairs--and a Mountain Buggy Swift (not suitable for jogging, but an amazing stroller). I usually carry L in a Bloo Kangaroo, which is similar to the Ergo, or a Psling (hip carry). But, he''s getting close to 18 lbs now. I''m hoping he''ll be a super walker and have no interest in strollers, but that''s probably unlikely. I''ve seen too many 3 year olds crying to be carried or flopped over in a Maclaren to think otherwise.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!

 

[ljmorgan]

Hi ladies, does anyone keep in touch with peonygirl? She hasn''t posted in a while, and she and her sweet twin boys have been on my mind. I hope that they are doing well!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 10/30/2009 8:32:50 PM
Author: *Lindsey*
Hi ladies, does anyone keep in touch with peonygirl? She hasn't posted in a while, and she and her sweet twin boys have been on my mind. I hope that they are doing well!

She's a friend of mine on FB but doesn't update much. I would think that with two little ones in the NICU (or just out) that she's a VERY busy lady! I just left her a message so hopefully she'll see it and respond and let us know all is well.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Robbie I am so sorry for what is going on with your family, my thoughts are with you!

Erica He had a very slight fever for 2 days, only about 1 degree celsius elevated, plus a runny nose. But it was gone today

Apparently a small percentage of people get such a reaction to the H1N1 shot and I am the lucky one with HUnter

He was up ALL NIGHT long wanting to nurse the whole time, and wouldn''t do it sidelying in bed. So I got no sleep at all. Hunter is no where near walking yet, thank goodness! It sounds like hard work!

 

[Mrs]

erica, I''m so sorry Leon and your mom got H1N1! Scary stuff. thinking of you guys

Mrs