PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[Sabine]

Oh, and I meant to add...I''ve been going back through this thread and copying/pasting my posts about Jacks when he was younger into a word document to turn into some sort of memory book later. It''s been so interesting to read back through what I posted and compare that to what I ''remember'' his infancy being like. I do remember how hard it was, but the details make it so much clearer! It also makes me miss a lot of the posters who aren''t so frequent anymore or who have moved on like neatfreak and mrs. And where''s miss Mela been btw???

 

[fieryred33143]

Vesper-the boys are adorable! Congrats again!

Pandora-Welcome back!! And yay to Daisy saying mama

. She''s beautiful! Any plans for the birthday?

Sabine-great idea! If you copy/paste into a blog, you can order a book made of the blog posts! Hope the transition to FL goes well for you. I''ll ask around here if anyone has a realtor they know will work with that area. That''s more north florida and we''re in SFL but you never know.

Hope everyone had a wonderful mother''s day. Ours was great. I wanted to sleep in so first thing in the morning FI got up to take care of DD. My mom called me about 30 mins later to say they were 30 mins away so I woke up to make her some coffee and sent FI to get lunch stuff. The rest of the day I hung out with my mom. At one point she left with my uncle to visit a friend of hers in the area and I had a really bad headache so FI took S to his mom''s house while I took a much needed nap.

 

[vizsla]

hi girls!
happy belated mother''s day everyone!

before i get into our weekend

i wanted to give ginger a little virtual hug! ((HUUUUGGGGSSSSS))

i hope your apt goes well today and you don''t have to have surgery

have they mentioned how big it is? or where it is??

my experience was

. if you really want to know i''ll type it out.. but feel free to skip if you don''t want the icky details.

checked in at 10:00a (remember to bring your pump) - the nurse immediately started me on IV antibiotics. several docs came in to evaluate my abscess - was sent for an ultrasound and by 2:30p i was in pre-op. i had about a 1 inch vertical incision on the medal part of my right BB, and a drain that came out of the bottom of my BB. surgery took about 45mins and recovery was about an hour. i probably slept from the anesthesia for about 5 or 6 hours following surgery. by that time my BB were very engorged. so the nurse''s aid had to help me pump every 4 hours or so. this was the hardest part (aside from being away from c). i was so out of it, in pain and pumping was virtually impossible without help. what also didn''t help the situation was my reaction to the pain meds. let''s just say i would be a horrible drug addict. i didn''t stop puking for 2 days. finally, i just asked for ibuprofen and figured i could handle the pain better than the nauseousness. all and all, i was in the hospital for 3 days - had my drain for another week following surgery - and that was the beginning of the end as far as BF was concerned. my sister had to stay with DH while i was in the hospital to take care of C. the antibiotics they gave me in the hospital were not approved for BF, so all that milk had to be dumped. i then had to pump and dump for another week while i was on the take home antibiotic. finally, after all of that was out of my system, and the drain was out - my surgeon recommended that i continue to pump for at least 2 more weeks before weaning to keep the flow moving and preventing another abscess (apparently these can go on for months and months if you just stop right away). i tried 5 or 6 times to nurse C after my system was cleared from the antibiotic, but he wanted nothing to do with my BB - so i pumped and supplemented. i was back to work a week later - c was up every 1 to 1.5 hours and i was pumping every 3 hours. that is when my local coffee shop named the ''new mom'' after me. i''m not going to say it wasn''t a very dark time.. because it was.. but i made it thru. i hope you have support if, in fact, you do have to go to the hospital - after i came home from the hospital i was able to look after C, but i wasn''t able to hold him properly b/c of the drain. it was necessary that i had my sister and mom help me until i got the drain removed.. also, i was so so so tired after i came home. (((hugs))) let me know what the doc says!!

thanks everyone for your support

- i certainly did not think that c would end up throwing up and pooping everywhere from CIO. i thought some spit up, but not this. i hope the ENT can provide us with some sort of reasonable solution for the amount of ear infections he has had in the 3 short months since i''ve been back to work. the pedi mentioned ''preserving the integrity of his eardrums''. ummm HECK YEAH! if tubes are what the ENT recommends, i''m not hesitating! i need to get C ''fixed'' - and not just for me.. for HIM! i can''t imagine being in that much pain for so long. DH and i were trying to think about how many ''non sick'' days he''s had and couldn''t really think of a time since i went back to work when he hasn''t had a runny nose or cough or ear infection. poor booger nose. sleeping this weekend was just the pits. he refused to go into his crib.. like screaming bloody murder refusing

and would sleep for about 45 mins in the PNP before the whimpering and crying would start. this went on all weekend... Tylenol did little to help - i think b/c the antibiotic upsets his tummy... and turns his poo RED... freaky.
anyhoo.. i feel like we are back at square one.. he''s needing to be held to sleep, up every 45mins - he ate every 2 hours last night (i think b/c it helped settle his stomach). he also is refusing to eat any food food....

i''m having a little bit of a whoa is me day..... not to mention i''m at work and C is at daycare

and i have a super busy week and can not take off any more time...

i thought i was supposed to win the lotto this weekend....

 

[steph72276]

Happy Monday. I hope everyone had a great Mother''s Day. We had a fun 3 days full of activities. It was Adam''s bday on Friday, I helped with a graduation party for his cousin on Saturday, then Mother''s Day yesterday. The boys were so sweet. Andrew had picked me out flowers, and gave me a painting of him and me and a very sweet card. They cooked breakfast and I got to go get a pedicure and take a long afternoon nap...it was great!! I hope everyone got lots of hugs and kisses from their sweet babies!

Viz, so sorry about the bad weekend. I hope they can give you some answers at the ENT and get it fixed soon. Poor C.

Ginger, thinking of you!

Everyone else, have a great day!!

 

[cdt1101]

Viz - just wanted to give you a virtual hug!! I KNOW how hard it is when you have a constantly sick baby. The 3 months Lex was in daycare were just awful. And he was the KING of booger noses! I hope the ENT doc can help (I had tubes twice as a young child and my mother says they helped tremendously). My DH and I maxed out our paid time off because Lex was sick every week (he literally never completed a full week at daycare). You already know we switched to a nanny and Lex has done such a turn around. Not so much as 1 booger

He was just one of those kids that didn''t do well in daycare (where sickness is concerned at least). You will get thru this and before you know it C will be 100% again! Hang in there and major HUGS.

 

[Mara]

morning mommies! hope everyone had a great mother's day.

viz sorry you guys can't seem to catch a break with C and the poor kid, what a trooper. hope the ENT has a fix.

ginger hope you guys are doing better.

pandora what a cute sweater and love her little hello kitty socks!!

sabine yay for a great mother's day!! a gc for a massage sounds heavenly hehee.

vesper welcome and love that picture!

cdt that is one of the primary reasons we want to get a nanny even though it's way more expensive than daycare. i just know too many kids who are constantly sick. one of my friends daughters who is 6 months has laryngitis! i am going to try to have J at home with someone til at least 1.5 years old.

does anyone here give their babe massages? i was reading about it a magazine and it sounded like it might be kind of fun now that J is more interested in sensory things. he is not a super cuddler but he might like the massage. wondering if i should just use evoo or what.

so greg left on his trip yesterday at noon so we went to my moms and spent the afternoon there with my mom, sis, grandma and had lunch, exchanged cards etc. i am so happy to see J sleeps pretty well there, he took 2 naps while we were there in the span of about 6 hours. greg will be home this evening and i'm so happy because 24/7 care by yourself, while doable, is definitely not as much fun as with a partner hehee.

and i realized last nite when i got up at 3am to stick the pacifier in J's mouth as he roused himself (having worked his way down to the bottom of the crib and getting PO'd when he realizes he's down there AND is backwards) that we are coming up on the 4 month time period for him which means the potential dreaded 4 month wakeful.

does anyone know WHAT the reasoning is for most babies to have regression around that time? is it something changing in their brains, teething, a combo or just 'who knows'?? i haven't read too much about the reasoning behind it, only that it happens to most kids. and of course 3 weeks is when i literally go BACK into the office so it'll be right around that time. oh well...keeping fingers crossed.

 

[cdt1101]

Mara - If I could go back, I''d never do daycare (at a young age). Lex didn''t start until he was 6 months, but within a couple of weeks he had bronchitis and it was a snowball effect from there. If you can afford it, I''d say nanny 100%. I wish we''d done it from the beginning.

 

[anchor31]

Hey lovely mamas! I hope you all had a better Mother''s Day than I had. Mine was a total home invasion by the in-laws and I am exhausted. It couldn''t have been later than 8AM when MIL called and introduced us to her newest manipulation tactics... To make sure we don''t say no, she says we already discussed it and agreed, so apparently we had plans to have everyone over for lunch ("What, J(DH) didn''t tell you about it?" Now that''s a great way to get DH and I to fight too...). We were getting ready for church and couldn''t find DH''s dress shoes when the four of them showed up on our doorstep at about 9AM. Um, didn''t you say lunch? ("Oh well, we''ll just go to church with you!") And then they proceeded to filling our fridge and pantry with junk food, MIL hung paintings on the walls, took my kitchen scissors to cut off branches from the lilac tree in our backyard to put all over the house (I''m very particular about my kitchen tools and strong smells give me headaches) and take home with her... And on top of it all, FIL has been spending 12 hours a day here from Friday to Sunday for the past two weekends. And yes, I did have to make supper for him and DH yesterday. On Mother''s Day. Let me tell you that when DH suggested we DTD when we went to bed, it did NOT happen...

I get that he''s excited about the house and very much into the home improvement thing, but seeing him being ssuch a pushover with his family for the past 10 days and not giving me a break from even cooking for my birthday AND Mother''s Day... Very frustrating and a huge turnoff.

*deep breath* I feel better now, thank you for letting me vent.

Mara - Sorry to hear about your supply issues. It really doesn''t take much for it to lower, and then so much work to get it back up!

Ginger - When it rains it pours, doesn''t it? I''m so sorry about the absess...

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

viz - Poor little C...

I hope you and his doc find a way to clear up hiss ear infections.

fiery - Jacob has his cystography on the 26th. Have you seen a urologist for Sophia?

Pandora - Yay for Daisy saying mama! Thanks for telling us about your trip to France.

 

[Mandarine]

Ginger and Viz...hugs to you ladies!. Ginger, I hope everything goes ok!!!...Viz, I hope you get some answers...poor C

Ladies I had a question regarding bottles...until what age do they use bottles?.

I''m really really really sick of the Playtex vent air bottles I have. They just have so many parts and are just not convenient..and they leak from time to time which drives me NUTS!. I''m seriously considering getting new cheap-o, cute, easy to clean bottles.

Am I crazy? Is this a total waste of money?.

I have like 19 Playtex bottles and in reality probably need 12 bottles or so right now (they each drink 4 bottles a day, plus a few extras while the dishwasher is running. I don''t know if I''m nuts to be thinking of changing them this far along (7m)...so just wondering what you guys thought.

And a question about solids

My guys never get full. I mean, they are PIGLETS when it comes to solids. I made green beans today, thinking it was enough for two feedings each...and they ate it all!. How much should a 7month old be eating?

Thanks!

 

[fieryred33143]

Mandy-I think at 7mos they are still supposed to get 24 to 30oz of formula/bm but maybe they''re ready for stage 2?

Anchor-Yes she has seen a urologist but he didn''t do much except go over results from the hospital and keep her on her meds. Hope his appt goes well. So sorry about your time with the in-laws! Boo!

****

I have an appt with a psychotherapist tonight hoping I can get some answers to what''s going on. I''ve been crying all day at work today but I don''t know why. I can''t pinpoint it at all. And this morning I freaked out because even though I saw FI leave the house with DD, I had these visions that I imagined all of that happening and that she was actually sitting at home by herself crying. My heart was pounding thinking about it until I called MIL and heard Sophia in the background. But my heart hasn''t stopped racing and I feel nauseous/light headed. I haven''t been able to concentrate at all on work today and really just want to go home and sleep. I''m hoping talking to her tonight will give me relief.

 

[Mandarine]

Date: 5/10/2010 3:27:03 PM
Author: fiery
Mandy-I think at 7mos they are still supposed to get 24 to 30oz of formula/bm but maybe they''re ready for stage 2?

Huh? You lost me...

They do still drink like 24oz of milk (maybe a bit less since the last shots, but they''re usually off for a couple of weeks after shots).

My question about bottles really had nothing to do with my question about solids and amounts. Sorry, I think my post was just confusing!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Fiery-Hope that tonight''s appt is helpful and sheds some light on your current situation! big hugs!!!

 

[fieryred33143]

Thank you Bella.

Sorry Mandy I was writing in a hurry and wasn't clear with what I wrote. You had asked how much they should be eating and I meant that they should still be getting the same amount of formula as they regularly get but maybe they are ready to move to stage 2 of foods.

http://wholesomebabyfood.com/stage2-baby-food-recipes.htm

I know stage 1 if you are doing by ounces is 1-1.5oz and stage 2 is usually 2-3oz.

 

[sugarpie honeybun]

Date: 5/10/2010 2:54:22 PM
Author: Mandarine

And a question about solids

My guys never get full. I mean, they are PIGLETS when it comes to solids. I made green beans today, thinking it was enough for two feedings each...and they ate it all!. How much should a 7month old be eating?

Mandarine- our boys are the same age. DS usually polishes off 4 jars of Stage 2 baby food (mixed with rice cereal) throughout the day. I get the feeling that he would eat more, but I’m afraid that he’s losing interest in his formula and I’m trying to watch the amount of solids we feed him. He usually drinks 20-24 oz of formula per day.

Last night he inhaled a jar of pasta and veggies and a big bowl of rice cereal in less than 10 minutes. It was frightening, actually.

 

[NovemberBride]

Mandy,

I know you said that the post didn''t have to do with formula, but is it possible your boys need more formula and that''s why they are eating so many solids? You said they are getting 24 oz, which seems like it might be low for 7 months (the guideline for formula is 2.5 oz. for each lb of body weight). Olivia at 6 months is 15 lbs and easily taking 36 oz a day. Up until age 1, babies are supposed to get most of their nutrition from bm or formula, so if they are still hungry after a reasonable amount of solids I''d try adding more formula. As for your actual question about how much they should be eating, everything I have read and what the pedi said is that there is no real guideline as to amount, just follow their cues as to whether they are still hungry. So if they want more, I''d go ahead and let them have it.

I believe that once babies hit 1 the pediatricians want you to get rid of the bottles pretty quickly. I think at 7-8 months you can start trying to transition to sippy cups, maybe keep your bottles and try adding those in if it''s not worth it to you to buy bottles new bottles for 5 months?

 

[Mandarine]

Thanks guys!!!

I actually offer them more formula but they don''t want it

....I think they may be teething and it hurts them to eat...or this is just from the shots. I also always give them the bottle before any solids, to make sure they fill up on formula first...but I guess solids are just more tasty!...hehe.

I''m going to have to start measuring. Since I''m making their food I really have no clue how much they really do eat. I''m going to use an empty stage 2 jar to calculate more or less what they actually do eat. Maybe it just looks like a lot to me but it may be ok.

They are definitely not lacking nutrients as they still have leg rolls

Maybe I''ll stop obsessing about hating my bottles and concentrate on getting them to drink from the sippy cups. They''re not very good at it just yet!

 

[ChinaCat]

Ginger- Thinking of you. Your situation sounds miserable, I hope it improves and quickly. I hope you try to remember that you HAVE to take care of yourself in order to be able to take are of Aiden. Please try and cut yourself some slack, NO ONE can do it all, much less when you are ILL. Hugs hugs hugs.

Viz- When is your ENT appt???? I am anxious for your appt for you, I really hope/believe if you can clear up those ear infections, C will be a whole new baby at night.

Fiery- Ok, making that appt was the BEST thing you could do for yourself right now. And now you have to GO to the appt and be honest. LET the therapist help you. We all have irrational fears regarding our kids, the responsibility and the frisson of fear at even the THOUGHT of something happening to our little ones is overwhelming at best. But you can't let it take over your mind and you don't want to become so overprotective of Sophia that she can't explore that great world out there. I'm not lecturing you or trying to make you feel bad, I am reminding you of what you already know. And you are SUCH a good mom, I know you can do this for you and for Sophia. I'm so proud of you for admitting you are feeling this way and doing something about it. That's huge. Hugs and please let us know how it goes.

Mandarine- For reference, O at almost 9 months gets about 32-40 oz of formula a day. Usually about 36. He "eats" about 3x a day but I treat his solids as extras and "practice", I don't count on that as the calories he needs. From what I've read, babies don't NEED solids until 1 year, it's really just for practice and fun and texture (and cause they usually are interested in it!). So I would try to up the formula intake, but really, if they want more solids, let 'em have it. As far as bottles, I think they will continue to take some bottles till a year. So if you really hate your bottles, might be worth it to buy a few new ones. We still use at least 4 or 5 a day. And he does get a sippy cup. We will probably start dropping one soon, but you've got a good 5 more months of some amount of bottles.

ETA: Mandarine- Well if they are eating as much formula as they need and still eating lots of solids, and are growing, then why fight it? Sounds like they are getting what they need. I kinda take O's cue now. It's a weird switch from when he was little when you HAD to get x amount of milk or formula in them, it's easy to forget that they are growing up and you can let them lead a little now!

 

[steph72276]

Mara, we give E a massage every night after his bath and he LOVES it! He will just lay there forever while I rub his little back especially. I do it with the room dim and his classical music going low and it really seems to calm him down before bedtime. I use the Aveno baby lotion.

Anchor, so sorry about your in-laws

Mandi, maybe give them one more feeding of solids and see how they do.

Fiery, hugs...hope you get some answers tonight.

Hi, everyone else...gotta get back to E, he is over tummy time!

 

[phoenixgirl]

Fiery, hugs. I hope you find some answers.

Viz, I hope the ENT provides some help and relief, and FAST!

Anchor, I thought my MIL was annoying, but yours takes the cake! No wonder your FIL has been spending so much time at your house! (Not that that''s any consolation when you have to play hostess.)

Re daycare and illnesses, Claire got sick shortly after starting daycare, but she''s only been sick the one time, which in her short life is pretty good, I think. It cleared up pretty quickly. It''s different for every baby, I''m sure, but I just wanted to throw that out there so that those considering daycare wouldn''t think it has to mean sentencing your child to constant illness.

Speaking of my sweet girl, she''s crying in her crib again. I''m giving her just another minute and then I''m going to see what I can do, which I don''t think is much. She hadn''t napped in 5+ hours when I picked her up from daycare, which is really too long for her. 5 p.m. is really too late for an "afternoon nap."

 

[MonkeyPie]

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother''s Day! Mine was relaxing and Micah was SO good - he slept tons, which is wonderful. Last night he only woke up to eat once, and when he woke up at 6am "for the day" he just laid in bed with me, kicking his feet and being quiet. Then he fell asleep on me. Ah, I love being a mommy

drk, I''m a little late here but I figure you can take the baby in the shower whenever you are both ready. My mom started taking me in the shower with her at 6 months - she would wash me, then hand me off to my dad to dry while she finished her own shower. Every time I see that commercial for the Babies documentary that opened on Mother''s Day, I laugh at the fat little baby taking a shower with his daddy. It''s so cute.

fiery, I am so glad you made that appointment. I can''t imagine how awful it must feel to have that kind of anxiety all the time. I really hope it works for you.

Mara, we do baby massage, too. Just regular baby lotion (with the lavender to relax him), but so far I don''t think he likes it because the lotion feels wet and he has hated being wet from the start. I do bicycle his legs all the time and he really likes that, so I rub the soles of his feet while I do it. He will spread out his toes and make the "O" face lol. It''s hilarious.

Pandora, those pictures of Daisy are SO cute - the shirt is so big but it''s adorable. Yay for her saying mama!

ginger and viz, you are both in my thoughts, I feel like neither of you can catch a break and just relax

----

I''m having a hard time figuring out if I am feeding Micah enough. He gets 3 ounces every three (or so) hours. (I read that 2.5 ounces for every pound of weight applies, but he was 8 pounds even at a week old so I am not sure how much he weighs now.) Sometimes he starts lip smacking and digging at his mouth with his hands sooner, so I just feed him when he acts hungry, but maybe I should up the ounces? He''s such a little piggy, I can''t tell if he''s really hungry or he just really enjoys eating lol. Sometimes when I take the bottle away when he''s done he cries like I am pinching him. Maybe I will just give four ounces a shot later today and see if he is happier afterward.

We brought home the swing by aunt got us on Saturday, and this baby LOVES it. If I put him in it then stand in front and make faces at him, he laughs and laughs. (Well, he makes a noise with a huge smile on his face - I don''t know if it''s really a laugh yet, it sounds like, "mmmmgeeeeeeeeee!") And he falls asleep in it a lot. I am so in love with the swing lol.

 

[MonkeyPie]

And since I missed BPF - Micah smiling because his daddy was blowing air on his tummy when he was hot.

 

[ChinaCat]

Sabine- Btw, great idea about the posts. I actually started that awhile ago, but forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me!

Anchor- Why is your FIL over for 12 hours plus????? That''s intrusive, no matter how great your in-laws are.

MPie- GREAT photo of your little man!!!

So questions for moms of "older" babies- O has started screaming lately. And by lately I mean ALL THE TIME. It''s not really screeching anymore, just full blown screaming at the top of his lungs. It''s not when he''s upset, he will be happily playing and just look at me and let out this SCREAM. He''s very proud of it. I know he''s "finding his voice" but it''s really loud and it''s a little much if we are in public. He''s also throwing more temper tantrums, complete with tears and hiccups after. I am having a hard time knowing if he''s just having separation anxiety or learning his voice or whatever, or if it''s truly more of a manipulative, I-want-my-way thing. I try to say "No screaming" and re-direct but he clearly doesn''t understand. So I feel like he''s really too young to "discipline" but at the same time, I fear he''s going to become that brat that people in restaurants roll their eyes about.

Just curious if your little ones started getting more "fiesty" around this age and if there''s something I should be doing.

One of my best friends and her husband came to visit this weekend and stayed with us. They are thinking of getting preggo and I thought, well, a weekend with O will either send them screaming or convince them to go for it. Luckily, she was so smitten with O and he was pretty good for them, screaming notwithstanding. He also has had a serious diaper rash, which means lots more diaper changes (he hates, screams and tries to dive headfirst off the table) with lots more steps (towel-dry, aquaphor, diaper cream) and lots of nake-o time. And yes he has peed on my floor and my shoes.

He LOVES naked playing. I find it hysterical. I''m sorry, but boys look silly crawling around with their junk hanging out.

AND he has some rash or excema all over his face. He''s a sorry looking baby these days!

My confession/pictures: So I watch a lot of TV but O does not. He doesn''t really pay attention to it and I''ve never really put any kids shows on for him, save an Einstein video or two. But DH and I were desperate this weekend, so so tired but of course couldn''t nap. So I pulled the PNP in front of the biggest TV we have and put on Yo Gabba Gabba.

Can we say MESMERIZED???? Bad mama, sticks baby in baby jail and makes him watch cartoons. Next I will give him a Coke in his bottle. Or maybe a mocha.

Just kidding. I don''t think a little tv in moderation is that bad. But it''s a slippery slope isn''t it, now that I know it works!

 

[ChinaCat]

And a close-up.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/10/2010 5:24:21 PM
Author: MonkeyPie
And since I missed BPF - Micah smiling because his daddy was blowing air on his tummy when he was hot.

adorable. Must be fun to use your photography skills on him now!!

 

[AmberWaves]

Hi All!

Hope you all had great Mother's Days!

Anchor: sorry yours was not good! Really, what a day. You poor thing!

Pandora: I love that sweater. Ugh. Daisy is so ADORABLE. She just looks so happy!

Sabine: I'm glad you DH is home on weekends now! My husband JUST finished his last track meet, so now I get him home again on weekends!

Ginger: I hope your appointment went okay, and you have good news.

Viz: I really hope the ENT is able to give a solution, or something that leads to solutions!

Fiery: Girl. Girl girl girl. I just want to give you hugs. There is nothing worse than being someway and desperately wishing you could STOP being that way, but unable to actually "fix" the problem yourself. Let's pray your appointment today sends you on the path to getting your head back to YOU again (I hope this sounds supportive, in my head it does). You're a great Mommy, we ALL know that.

Mara: I give Piper a quick massage when I'm rubbing her lotion in (we use Aveeno's ultra moisturizing formula in the am, and their calming in the PM), and she just LOVES it. Piper's 4 month wakeful lasted only a week or so, not too bad.

Mandy: No help from me, as I'm solid CLUELESS!

PG: Sometimes Piper just fights her naps and I have to just hold her until bath/bedtime, and she'll go down for bed a little earlier. I do wish she'd nap more!

MP: LOVE the pic! Look at that sweet face.

So we did rice cereal last night! 1 tbl with like, 4 tbl of BM, but when am I supposed to increase the cereal amounts? Also:

When do you feed your babies their cereal/solids? When can I start with the fruits and veggies?
ETA: SEX DROUGHT OF '09 AND '10 IS OVER. Praise the sleeping baby!

 

[cdt1101]

Mandy - If they still seem hungry I''d let them eat more. Lex scares me some days w/ the amount he eats, but then he has days where he eats very little so it all evens out (says the mom w/ a 25 lb 11 month old

)

And I hear you about bottles! I''m so over them. Lex is down to only 1 during the day and 1 before bed. Cannot wait to get rid of those 2 soon.

Phoenix - didn''t mean to imply daycare = bad. Most of my friends went the daycare route and had an easier time then I did, just wanted to commiserate w/ Viz

All the pics are super adorable!!

 

[ChinaCat]

CDT- How/when did you start dropping bottles? And when you do, does he just get less formula/BM and more real food?

 

[cdt1101]

Date: 5/10/2010 6:11:49 PM
Author: ChinaCat
CDT- How/when did you start dropping bottles? And when you do, does he just get less formula/BM and more real food?

At 6 months I believe he was getting 5 bottles a day. So at around 7-8 months I dropped one, but increased the other 4, to 8 oz bottles. I started doing dinner regularly then (I was never consistent w/ solids until this point, so 3 meals a day).

at 9 months I dropped another bottle. Instead of getting a bottle first thing in the AM, he would get a small sippy w/ a little formula w/ say a waffle. I increased the remaining 3 bottles to 9 oz.

at 10 months I dropped the afternoon bottle. I replaced it w/ a sippy cup. The sippy's do not hold 9 oz, so he only gets about 5 oz in that cup. He still gets roughly 24 oz of formula a day though and seems like he gets plenty to eat.

So to summarize....

his current schedule looks like this.

7:00am 3oz formula (sippy) w/ small waffle
9:30am - fruit (either baby food or real...he still does better w/ pureed fruit)
10:30 - bottle - 9 oz
12:30 - lunch
2:30 - snack w/ 5 oz of formula in sippy
5:00 - dinner
7:00 - bottle - 9 oz

I didn't feel comfortable dropping that afternoon bottle until he mastered the sippy. I posted what worked best for him last week (let me know and I can post the links again). Also, he does fine w/ most real foods now, so I wanted to make sure he could also eat "grown up" food before I really started weaning.

My current plan is to now tackle that nightime bottle. Actually he went down early tonight and I only gave him 8oz, I'm going to do a gradual wean. The mid - morning bottle shouldn't be much of an issue so I figured I'd start w/ the night since he usually falls asleep while drinking it

I'm crazy psycho about getting rid of the bottle so I've had a master plan for awhile now (evil laugh).

ETA - Yes, I had to add real food especially when he went down to only 2 bottles. But I always let Lex decide when he's had enough even if that means opening another jar and wasting it because I misread his cues.

 

[ChinaCat]

Thanks CDT! That is really helpful. At 8 months, 3 weeks, O gets 4 bottles of 8 oz each. Sometimes he will get a small 4 oz bottle before bedtime depending on how long it's been since he's eaten. Sometimes he drinks the whole thing and sometimes he won't have any.

We just started practicing with the sippy cup, so I guess when I feel comfortable he can do it "right" I can start putting formula in there. I am just not that consistent with the real food yet, so a tidge nervous about getting rid of any formula. Though my nanny is during the week, thankfully.

Your plan sounds totally doable, though I'll be a month behind!

I for some reason thought Lex was already one! Keep us posted on dropping the bottles, if you don't mind, I don't think that is posted about much and I (for one) would find it helpful.

ETA- YAY AMBER!

Almost missed that sly slip-in in your ETA!

 

[cdt1101]

China - no problem! I fear dropping that nightime bottle since somewhere along the way it became a crutch

So last week I started thinking and figured why not try a gradual wean (increase somewhere else during the day). I hope it works

Nope, my "little" man will be 1 on June 3rd

So sad! Can''t believe how quickly the year went.