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PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

Mandarine

Ideal_Rock
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Jan 20, 2006
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CDT Thanks for posting that!!!

These guys were drinking 5 bottles a day, but when we started solids they started being all over the place...sometimes drinking like 1 oz, sometimes 8oz...and sometimes drinking 3 bottles all together. I was throwing away a LOT of formula!!! So that''s when I decided to drop to 4 bottles and increase the amount (so before they were drinking 4-7oz per bottle) and after the change it was 6-8oz per bottle (so 24-32oz + breakfast+lunch). They were doing great, but then they got the shots and now drink more like 5oz per bottle.... I know it''s on the low end (20oz), but I know they usually go through an off period with eating for 2-3 weeks after the shots.

I really can''t wait to get rid of the bottles....specially these bottles, they are such a hassle!!!!
 

Sabine

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Aug 16, 2007
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cdt, that was helpful for me too. Jacks has been on 4 8 oz. bottles since about 5 months I think. He''s now only taking about 7 in each for 28 oz. total. But some days he wants nothing to do with his 2:30 bottle, and then other days he''ll eat the 2:30 bottle and dinner, and want nothing to do with his bedtime bottle. I think maybe I''ll try replacing the 2:30 bottle with a sippy and snack soon (he''s 9 months and a week or so).

china, Jacks is definitely getting much more willful. He''ll go through stages where he screams a lot. Usually I feel like his screaming is his way of saying he wants more one on one attention and that me sitting on the ground with him while he plays or even using the computer while he plays isn''t enough, he wants interaction and attention. Oh, and I let Jacks watch cartoons (curious george or sid the science kid depending on time) every day while I shower. He still goes in the jumperoo so he''s not constantly watching it, but he does seem to like them.

Mandy, at Jacks''s 6 month appt that was actually at 7 months, he was eating 36 oz. a day and 3 solids meals. The pedi said he could be eating up to 2 stage 2 jars at each meal. We were already doing finger foods at that point, so instead of doing 2 stage 2''s, I''d do 1 and then finger foods if he was still hungry.

Ok, sorry for the brain lapse, but are any of the mommies of older babies also SAHMs? If so, how are you currently entertaining your LOs? Jacks seems to get harder to entertain each day! He wants to be mobile, so I have some big areas babyproofed, but he only seems interested in things OUTSIDE those areas, and when he can''t get to them, he gets frustrated and whines/cries. He''ll play with toys briefly, but now that he''s awake for 3 hours at a time in between naps I''m exhausting myself trying to keep him entertained. I really wish we could find a gymboree class or swim class or story time or anything here, but I haven''t had any luck yet. We do run errands in the afternoon, but there''s still a LOT of time to fill.

And fiery, hugs girl. Please let us know how it goes...really thinking of you!
 

Pandora II

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Aug 3, 2006
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Sabine - we go out A LOT. She drives me crazy at home and won''t play on her own for long so I can''t get anything done even if I wanted to. So... we go and feed ducks, go to museums, shops, exhibitions and playgroup once a week. I''m thinking of adding an extra playgroup as she seems to really enjoy that.

Here in London the museums and art galleries are all free, so I can just pop in for short visits without feeling like I''m wasting money - if she seems happy we stay longer, if she decides that she''s bored and gets disruptive then we just leave.

We''re doing a trip to the zoo for her first birthday and I''m thinking of getting membership so we can go as often as we want for free all year.
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Oct 30, 2002
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wow that information on dropping the bottles is really handy, cdt! i am totally going to save it for the future.

i was actually wondering when you start getting rid of the bottle because right now we only have 4 four oz bottles and we have 2 nine oz bottles so 6 bottles total and that is all we use, i just wash them like twice a day and sterilize them. sometimes i think about buying more bottles but i am like do i really need them... and bottles ain't cheap!

i swear every time someone starts talking about solids it makes me never want to start J on them. it sounds so complicated hehee.

and re: how much they should be eating... i had been wondering about that. J is prob about 13-14lbs but he only eats about 23-25oz a day. if we use the whole 2-2.5oz per lb then he should be eating more like 27-32 but only about once a week does he eat more than 25oz. however i am pretty sure he is still growing because he seems giant to us and is outgrowing clothes. so i figure i am not going to worry about what he 'should' be eating because i feed him until he's done but he's really inconsistent. aka we start with a 4oz bottle and then he will either be happy or content when done OR cry for more. some mornings he eats 4oz and some he wants 8oz. so random. my girlfriend's kid eats 6oz every bottle and she never deviates. i wish he was more like that, i hate to waste so we just start with a small bottle and work our way up.

mp that is the cutest pic and omg he looks like such a MAN already! i can't believe he is still a newborn.

pg i know for some kids daycare is great, it definitely is not 'bad' AT ALL. i am just such a nazi with J's schedule AND not wanting him to get sick. i was considering it before he was born, but i feel more comfortable with the 1/1 care.

fiery i am so sorry you are having to deal with this. i really hope the therapist can help you out. it is very hard to rationally know something but then your brain just wants to mess with you. do you think that any of it might be related to wanting to be with sophia more or stay home with her? sometimes i think that our subconscious try to tell us something that is really not straightfwd at all. just thinking out loud.

china love the TV thing. i totally let J watch TV with me, its not like he understands it but he likes to watch the pictures move.

amber YAY for sex drought being over!

thanks for the info on the massage...i think i will try it tonite after his bath and see what he thinks. since he isn't cuddly, this might be a fun way for us to have some skin to skin time.

oh and i went to BRU today and they actually had a breathable bumper there, when online it said it was just for sale online. so i bought a blue one. i really don't like the way it looks (HA HA i am a freak!) but maybe J will like it. plus it was 20% off.

and i rounded up like 10 outfits and exchanged them for bigger sizes. btw..i don't know how many of you know this but BRU's return policy is no receipt, no return or exchange. that totally irks because if you have an outfit and it has the friggin TAGS on it they won't let you exchange it for a bigger size. thankfully the gal took pity on me and said she'd do it once but what a PITA!

in contrast Target's policy is no receipt then return up to $75 a year whereas BRU said theirs is NEVER. it is so irritating that BABY STORES try to make you produce a receipt because how many people give you gifts with receipts? like HALF the stuff we got from people never had receipts NOR was off my registry. anyway, vent of the day.
 

Pandora II

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Aug 3, 2006
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Just wanted to add that I haven't known how much Daisy eats since she was 5 weeks old. I don't express so no idea how much milk she gets... with solids she still messes about most of the time and doesn't eat any kind of quantity. She'll try bits of things, but tends to be half a biscuit or a finger of toast or three pieces of pasta rather than serious amounts.

I just go by feeling the fat rolls and what she looks like in general, I don't even bother weighing her. I get a bit worried sometimes when I read how much all yours seem to be eating, but then I reckon that she's very active and is not exactly waif like so something must be going in!

Mara - Daisy was never very cuddly, and so I did a lot of massage with her - I use the Burt's Bee's Baby Bee Apricot Oil.

I wasn't a cuddly baby and as a result my parents assumed I didn't like physical contact and so avoided it. It was something I discussed with the team of specialists I see as physical contact is still something I'm awkward with in general. They said it was very important to give Daisy as much hug and cuddle time as possible even if she seemed uninterested. Recently they've also picked up on her need for a lot of personal space and reiterated the advice on physical contact. A lot of the time I think D just thinks that the world is far too interesting to want to sit on my knee or be hugged when there is exploring to be done. Last week though she came rushing over to me, wrapped her arms round my neck, said 'aahhhhhh' and gave me a big hug... didn't last long, but was the first expression of physical affection on her part. So, if J is naturally not cuddly, then massage is a great idea!
 

TravelingGal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
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Date: 5/10/2010 9:29:10 PM
Author: Pandora II
Just wanted to add that I haven''t known how much Daisy eats since she was 5 weeks old. I don''t express so no idea how much milk she gets... with solids she still messes about most of the time and doesn''t eat any kind of quantity. She''ll try bits of things, but tends to be half a biscuit or a finger of toast or three pieces of pasta rather than serious amounts.

I just go by feeling the fat rolls and what she looks like in general, I don''t even bother weighing her. I get a bit worried sometimes when I read how much all yours seem to be eating, but then I reckon that she''s very active and is not exactly waif like so something must be going in!

Mara - Daisy was never very cuddly, and so I did a lot of massage with her - I use the Burt''s Bee''s Baby Bee Apricot Oil.

I wasn''t a cuddly baby and as a result my parents assumed I didn''t like physical contact and so avoided it. It was something I discussed with the team of specialists I see as physical contact is still something I''m awkward with in general. They said it was very important to give Daisy as much hug and cuddle time as possible even if she seemed uninterested. Recently they''ve also picked up on her need for a lot of personal space and reiterated the advice on physical contact. A lot of the time I think D just thinks that the world is far too interesting to want to sit on my knee or be hugged when there is exploring to be done. Last week though she came rushing over to me, wrapped her arms round my neck, said ''aahhhhhh'' and gave me a big hug... didn''t last long, but was the first expression of physical affection on her part. So, if J is naturally not cuddly, then massage is a great idea!
Just a quick comment on cuddliness..

That is great you are making the effort. I was not a cuddly child either and hated holding hands or general contact. Amelia was the same way...in fact when she was younger I often commented on PS that she would yank her hands away from me and didn''t seem to like being touched. She pushed me away a lot. This continued for a long, looong time.

I am much more affectionate as an adult, and definitely kissed and hugged her as much as possible. Now, as a two year old, she loves to hug me (although she''s still not a huge cuddler). She''ll kiss me and sometimes willingly hold my hand. She seems to like being near me (when she''s in the mood, of course.
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) So things can definitely change and it''s really sweet when it does.
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fieryred33143

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 18, 2008
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Thanks for the well wishes. I went to see the therapist, she told me what she thought, referred me to a psychiatrist to get on antidepressants. Not dealing well with all that was said or being on medication but I know I need it. She wants me to take a leave of absence which we''ll discuss in the upcoming weeks. I''m not feeling great emotionally at all and want to just snap out of it but I can''t and it''s hard not being able to. I feel like I''m in a really dark place and talking to her tonight sank me even lower. Time will tell I guess.
 

Pandora II

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Joined
Aug 3, 2006
Messages
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Date: 5/10/2010 11:09:00 PM
Author: fiery
Thanks for the well wishes. I went to see the therapist, she told me what she thought, referred me to a psychiatrist to get on antidepressants. Not dealing well with all that was said or being on medication but I know I need it. She wants me to take a leave of absence which we''ll discuss in the upcoming weeks. I''m not feeling great emotionally at all and want to just snap out of it but I can''t and it''s hard not being able to. I feel like I''m in a really dark place and talking to her tonight sank me even lower. Time will tell I guess.
Fiery, I want to write a proper post to you, but just to say that I know how hard it can be to hear things of that kind and to look at the thought of taking medication. I''ve been in the place you are in the past and I can tell you that there are ways out and that once the meds start to work and you get better it is a wonderful thing.

Please also know that it can take time to find a med that works for you - I went through a number before getting the right one - so don''t panic if that happens.

Big hugs, you''ve taken a huge step and I promise you that things will be fine!
 

TravelingGal

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
17,193
Date: 5/10/2010 11:09:00 PM
Author: fiery
Thanks for the well wishes. I went to see the therapist, she told me what she thought, referred me to a psychiatrist to get on antidepressants. Not dealing well with all that was said or being on medication but I know I need it. She wants me to take a leave of absence which we''ll discuss in the upcoming weeks. I''m not feeling great emotionally at all and want to just snap out of it but I can''t and it''s hard not being able to. I feel like I''m in a really dark place and talking to her tonight sank me even lower. Time will tell I guess.
Hugs fiery, my heart hurts for you. I hope the things she suggested helps and I''m glad you went to see her.
 

Mara

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31,003
fiery i am sorry that tonite made you feel worse. did the therapist talk at all about cognitive therapy before resorting to medicine? if so, and it''s not something you are interested in then nevermind, but if she did not mention it then i would ask about it as well, as sometimes there is work you can do on your own without medicine--at least to start.

it''s pretty crazy that our brains are so powerful and it''s also extremely sad when they seem to turn against us. seems like they should be our allies in this thing called life. big hugs and i hope that things get better. know that you are a GREAT mom and that you WILL get through this.

re: massage and cuddliness. i don''t think i was a very cuddly baby either and as a result (or maybe it was the reverse?) my mom didn''t cuddle me much. i remember when i was little when i was really sick and she would be administering to me at night that she would always tell me she loved me. i remember thinking that i wanted to be sick more so she would tell me she loved me. looking back i KNEW she loved me, but she would only say it when i was sick. now when she observes J, she says he is very much like me when i was a baby.

i am not a touchy adult at all, but i am affectionate with greg and portia, and i am trying to make an effort to be more so with J even if he doesn''t seem to want much of it right now. in fact, now that he is getting more interactive, i am starting to feel like he is more responsive ... aka when i make loud smacking nuzzling kissy noises on his cheek, he giggles or when he is fussing i can stroke his cheek and he will calm. but i doubt he will never be one of those babies where i lay him down on my chest and he snuggles into me..my girlfriend tells me her daughter does this and will fall asleep after a few minutes, not my little crazy man. pandora, i totally agree with ''the world is so much more interesting'' kind of thing as well and am sure when he gives rare bits of affection i will be all melty.

anyway, i did massage tonite after his bath and at first he was really calm, just observing me and then he started talking up a storm. but he wasn''t kicking or active at all, so i think he liked it.

oh and amber you asked about upping the rice cereal, i am not sure about spoon feeding as we only give it to J in his bottle but i will put 1-2tblsp of cereal for every 3-4tblsp of liquid--and if i can use BM for the liquid, i do.
 

TravelingGal

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Date: 5/10/2010 11:33:00 PM
Author: Mara
fiery i am sorry that tonite made you feel worse. did the therapist talk at all about cognitive therapy before resorting to medicine? if so, and it''s not something you are interested in then nevermind, but if she did not mention it then i would ask about it as well, as sometimes there is work you can do on your own without medicine--at least to start.

it''s pretty crazy that our brains are so powerful and it''s also extremely sad when they seem to turn against us. seems like they should be our allies in this thing called life. big hugs and i hope that things get better. know that you are a GREAT mom and that you WILL get through this.

re: massage and cuddliness. i don''t think i was a very cuddly baby either and as a result (or maybe it was the reverse?) my mom didn''t cuddle me much. i remember when i was little when i was really sick and she would be administering to me at night that she would always tell me she loved me. i remember thinking that i wanted to be sick more so she would tell me she loved me. looking back i KNEW she loved me, but she would only say it when i was sick. now when she observes J, she says he is very much like me when i was a baby.

i am not a touchy adult at all, but i am affectionate with greg and portia, and i am trying to make an effort to be more so with J even if he doesn''t seem to want much of it right now. in fact, now that he is getting more interactive, i am starting to feel like he is more responsive ... aka when i make loud smacking nuzzling kissy noises on his cheek, he giggles or when he is fussing i can stroke his cheek and he will calm. but i doubt he will never be one of those babies where i lay him down on my chest and he snuggles into me..my girlfriend tells me her daughter does this and will fall asleep after a few minutes, not my little crazy man. pandora, i totally agree with ''the world is so much more interesting'' kind of thing as well and am sure when he gives rare bits of affection i will be all melty.

anyway, i did massage tonite after his bath and at first he was really calm, just observing me and then he started talking up a storm. but he wasn''t kicking or active at all, so i think he liked it.

oh and amber you asked about upping the rice cereal, i am not sure about spoon feeding as we only give it to J in his bottle but i will put 1-2tblsp of cereal for every 3-4tblsp of liquid--and if i can use BM for the liquid, i do.




I never thought A would be one of those either (and she wasn''t as a baby) but she does this now as a toddler! Of course, it''s a ploy to postpone bedtime because she knows I''m a sucker for her snuggles because I LURVE them, but so what...I''ll take it!!
 

AmberWaves

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Oct 19, 2005
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Fiery: just want to give you some hugs.
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Mara: thanks for the tip on cereal.

Q: does anyone else have tailbone pain? Ever since I had P my tailbone just kills after sitting for a bit, or even as I''m trying to go to the bathroom. Maybe it was from all those hours of pushing, when she''d descend then go back up? Or it could be from all those days of just laying back in the hospital. Either way, it started when she was born and has not gotten any better. It SUCKS.
 

Bella_mezzo

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Fiery-Huge hugs to you. I am sorry that you are in a dark place right now and that tonight was so difficult. I hope that you are able to take some time and sort through things and that whatever course of treatment you pursue that it has a positive effect. It''s great that you are able to "talk" through things on PS and I hope that you have a good support system IRL too.
 

Mandarine

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Fiery, big hugs. I can''t imagine how hard this is for you...ut you''re doing the right thing taking these steps to get better. We''re here for you....(( un abrazo ))
 

cdt1101

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Fiery - Hugs...I''m sorry you''re going thru this. I hope you can take the time you need to get thru this. We''re all here for you.

Amber - I had TERRIBLE tailbone pain after I gave birth, like could barely sit. It still feels funny to this day, but it doesn''t hurt anymore, it just goes numb if I sit too long. It used to do this popping thing (shudder)....glad it doesn''t do that anymore!

Cuddly babies - Lex is way too active for that, he won''t sit still for a minute so there is no way he''s cuddling. I''m super affectionate person though so I''m hoping all of my kisses (that he pulls away from half the time) will eventually wear him down
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Mandarine

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oh I meant to comment on the cuddling.

I''m a very cuddly person...even though my mom is not really cuddly at ALL!. So I don''t know whether my boys liek to cuddle or not, but they get cuddles anyway...and hugs and smooches all day long. Yes, I''m one of THOSE moms. Poor guys! haha

My dog loves to cuddle...and I think it is because I would always make him cuddle with me when he was a puppy. But he doesn''t lick...because he knows I didn''t like the licking so much...hehe.
 

fieryred33143

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May 18, 2008
Messages
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Thanks ladies. I woke up this morning feeling like it''s a new day and things will get better. I was very fearful that she would tell me what I was going through was normal because I didn''t feel normal but then when she said ''yeah that''s not normal behavior'' it hit me hard.

Mara-I will be doing the cognitive therapy with her. She thinks that I''m going through anxiety and depression but that the depression can be treated with medication just to help my mind get back in balance. It''s up to the psychiatrist to decide though.

Pandora-she mentioned the same as you that it may take some time to find something that works.

She said I should be feeling like myself again in 2-3 months and that if I don''t, they''ll work together to evaluate and come up with another treatment plan. Anyway, she gave me some other things to do. I have to do something ''relaxing'' 3 times a week, exercise twice a week, and on the weekends do something relaxing as a family. She also asked me if she could give me a million dollars right now, would I go back to work. When I said no, she said that we need to work on the internal conflict I''m having with wanting to be home and needing to work either through finding a way not to work anymore OR changing my mind so that I view work differently.
 

vizsla

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Aug 23, 2005
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fiery - ((HUGS)) i think you are doing an amazing job as a mamma and an amazing job of keeping yourself as happy and healthy as sophia. i totally applaud you for the steps you are taking to ensure you are a happy and healthy mamma for many years to come.

hugs and love fiery! FWIW, i always admire your outpouring of love and attentiveness to your sophia - you can tell from each and every picture she is so very cared for and loved ;-)

i often wonder if i'm having some destructive thoughts about work/my working situation. each time i try and figure out how to be home more, it flops. this, in turn, makes me more upset about the situation and hinders my performance at work. i also wonder if i'm doing some self destructive things at work so i will be let go - and then i can stay home? sorry i went off on that tangent. i just find the whole working mom thing so hard to get a real grasp of.

bottles: oh how i would love it if my kiddo ate more than 4oz at a feeding... it's probably the reason he still eats
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8 times a day... at 6 months and 2 weeks old! maybe this is all related to his ears and when we get a solution there he will eat more??? i'm putting a lot of stake in this ENT this thursday.

speaking of.. i can't even go to the apt!
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another caveat to my situation is the PG onset carpal tunnel i have
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. i have an apt with a specialist this friday to assess the damage. it's so bad in the morning i can't move my thumbs... gah, i sound like a poo storm broken record right?

on that note... WHOO HOOOO AMBER
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- i'm glad someone is getting something something
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cc - O is a serious heartbreaker.. must remember yo gabba gabba... i'm not ashamed to admit that in the morning we turn on the tv for c so he will watch it while we get 15 more mins of sleep ;-)

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everyone else!

oh i did want to say re: daycare... i know it's not daycare's fault C is sick.. he's probably more susceptible than other babies - and in a way i'm glad he's getting this out of the way now
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? buuuuuuttttttt it's just been so hard to adjust to life back at work, being away from him AND his constant sickness. right now i don't think we could afford a nanny, so i'm putting all of my chickens in the ENTs basket and hoping he can provide us with some relief.

i hate that i'm so negative nelly about his sleeping.... b/c really and truly 80% of the time he is the BEST baby evah! it's just the darn nighttime that goes whack.

ETA: re: cuddling.. OMG i am a totally cuddly person.. and i think i've made c cuddly.. he's totally a mamma's boy right now.. as soon as i walk in the door - in my arms is where he wants to be ;-) he even gives me these open mouth kisses and wraps his arms around my neck
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vizsla

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ginger????? how are things today????
 

littlelysser

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Hola everyone. I wrote this last night, and then forgot to post it before I went to bed. Gah.

Anyhoodle - C is keeping me on my toes. That kid can move. And he goes everywhere. And he loves the dogs. And the light on the tivo. And he loves crawling to the door as fast as he can when someone comes over. I am just enjoying the wholey shmaholey out of him. But he keeps me busy and engaged all day.

Viz - that sucks about C. My little sister had tubes and it made a world of difference! I really hope it is a game changer for you guys!

Ginger - Many many healing thoughts going your way.

China - O and C are totally soul brothers. Calvin SCREAMS when he''s playing. SCREAMS. Honestly, we only take him to family friendly or otherwise loud restaurants. No fine dining in his immediate future. When C starts screaming in a restaurant, I try to redirect him with a different toy or a bite of food. He had some scrambled egg and avocado for lunch today. Anyway, I feel your pain, and it is really a shame we couldn''t do a lunch play date somewhere. I''m sure we''d be really popular with the staff and other diners! Hehee.

Fiery - I''m so sorry to hear what you are going through. I really can empathize. I hope your appointment goes well. Hugs!

Mandy - The food thing is difficult. Calvin REALLY likes solids. Today he had 3 oz of yogurt, 1/2 a scrambled egg, 1/3 an avocado, 4 oz of sweet potato, leek, cauliflower and cheese, and 4 oz of a puree of green beans, leeks, potato and spinach. Oh, and a couple baby mum mums. He also nursed 4 times and got a six oz bottle of breastmilk before he went to bed. When I write it out, I''m pretty amazed at how much he''s eating...but he''s really leading the way when it comes to solids. I basically feed him until he signals that he''s doesn''t want anymore. He''ll sort of close his lips or just get disinterested and that''s when I stop feeding him. Now, I know that solids aren''t supposed to take the place of bm/formula...but given how much C is eating I think it would have to have some impact. And early on, I''d feed him 4ozs of squash, peas, etc and then nurse him - so if he was still hungry, he''d get what he needed from the bm. Sorry, I wrote a book there!

Hola everyone else! Hope all is well!
 

E B

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Aug 31, 2005
Messages
9,490
Viz- I'm so sorry about C's ear infections. Tough on him AND you.
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I hope the ENT has some good recommendations. You're such a great mom, and both of you deserve some serious relief.

Mara- We do massages every now and then, and H loves them! I try to scratch his back too, but I think he's too ticklish to enjoy it.

MonkeyPie- Micah is so precious.

China- Henry's doing the same thing with the screaming and occasional tantrums, so I think it's a developmental thing. I've read all you can really do is re-direct/distract (since they don't understand "NO" yet), so that's what we do.

My husband watches Yo Gabba Gabba with Henry in the mornings (despite my not being thrilled with it) and H LOVES it. I'll admit, I'll turn it on every once in a while when he melts down and nothing else will work. It's baby crack, for sure. We've got a few favorite episodes saved to our TiVo- have you seen the one with Jack Black as the guest star? It's pretty funny. I think the episode is called "New Friends," or "Friends." Something like that.

Amber- We started with fruits and veggies, and the cereal came later. I think anytime after 6 months is okay, as long as they're not on the 'to avoid in case of allergies' list (strawberries, etc.).

p.s. Woo hoo!
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Sabine- I'm a SAHM, and we do a variety of things every day. We run errands, we go to the pool, we have a couple of mom meetups, etc. We've completely baby-proofed his play room so I can sit on the floor and work on my laptop while he plays. The floor is COVERED with toys and so if he goes for the one thing I won't let him play with (a cord from the iPod speakers) I quickly distract him with whichever toy is closest.

If you haven't already, check meetup.com for moms groups in your area. Also, check your local library- ours has baby/toddler meetups once a week. A large bookstore (Borders, Barnes and Noble) may have something too. And until you can find a swim class, you can always get Jacks used to the water without an instructor. Just float around the pool (at your nearest rec center or gym?) with him and let him splash and kick. My little waterbug LOVES to splash and kick. Mixing it up every day helps a LOT, and it's important to include a fun errand for you every now and then. Last week, we went to two jewelry stores just to 'oooh and ahhh' (and possibly try things on
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).

fiery- Hugs to you. I hope you and your therapist are able to make good progress, and we're all here to lend a supportive ear/e-shoulder.

RE: Cuddly babies- Anyone want to borrow mine for a little while? I call him a little barnacle. He'll play by himself throughout the day, but takes a million breaks to come over and nurse, or sit in my lap, or play with the wall behind my head as I hold him to my chest. The few times a day I hand him to my husband to eat, or go to the bathroom result in serious meltdowns because WHERE ARE YOU GOING, MOMMY? COME BACK PLZ.
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I do love that he's cuddly (and hope he stays that way), but I'm pretty touched out by the end of the day.

A fun little 'Tuesday Poll"- I know a few of us have LOs with birthdays coming up, so what are your 1st b-day plans?

Henry's birthday is the day before Father's Day, and my ILs will be in town to celebrate, so we're going to have a low-key, family-only celebration that sort of blends the two events. I think we're going to grill burgers, and I'll make some sides (corn on the cob, fruit salad, etc.) and Henry's first birthday cake. Henry loves bananas, so I'm going to make a banana cake from a recipe I found online with almost 500 positive reviews. It's supposed to taste like a lighter, fluffier banana bread. YUM. Anyone have any input as to what I should frost it with? I'm stuck between vanilla or cream cheese. I'm also going to attempt to create either gum paste or marzipan monkeys/bananas to put on top of and around the cake. We'll see how that goes.

I hope everyone had a great weekend/Mother's Day and an easy week ahead.
 

taovandel

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
1,434
Can''t keep up!

Fiery: Hugs to you!

Glad to see the convo has turned to solid foods.

We tried some mashed up avocado yesterday for the first time and Evan started gagging and dry heaving to throw up the avocado.
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We switched to some peaches and his oatmeal and all was well. I might try the avocado again later on...but it broke my heart watching him try to throw up the food!

At 7 months we are going to start having our babysitter start feeding him some solids at lunch time also and eventually breakfast...he''s so messy with oatmeal I''m scared to let her feed him. It''s kinda embarrassing how messy he gets!

When do you know to switch to number 2 foods? When do you start puffs and yogurt? When is it okay to start table foods?

My mom was drinking from a glass the other day while holding Evan and he grabbed the glass and tried to put it to his mouth. We let him try to drink from a water bottle the other day for fun. It was funny to watch. On mother''s day we let him lick and suck on some pieces of fruit (Honeydew and an orange slice). He''s really interested in eating what we are eating.

Viz: Evan is eating two 8 oz, one 6 oz. bottle and one 4 oz bottle a day and having solids....I can''t imagine having to do 4 oz. bottles still---you are truly amazing to be dealing with all of this!
 

Mandarine

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
3,786
Just a small interruption to show you delicious chubby baby rolls

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E B

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
9,490
Date: 5/11/2010 10:52:18 AM
Author: Mandarine
Just a small interruption to show you delicious chubby baby rolls

Oh my god. Double the deliciousness! They''re such adorable little guys.
 

vespergirl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
5,497
I know that I''m still just doing drive-bys, but I had to post these pics from Mother''s Day. Here is baby Connor, 11 days old:

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vespergirl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Messages
5,497
Here''s one, fully dressed, with big brother Andrew in their Mother''s Day finery. I love the Children''s Place for kid''s clothes!

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taovandel

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
1,434
Gah, dying from all of the adorable on this page!



So Evan is doing his crazy sleep thing again. It is now noon---I''ve been in three times trying to wake him...he moves around and falls back asleep. He did wake up for about an hour last night and ate a 6 oz. bottle--which isn''t normal for him.
I''ve left his door open and have done the dishes, banging around. And nothing. Still asleep.

We had told our Pedi about it at our last appointment (Thursday), she said it was because of the tooth and probably a growth spurt. It still worries me though.
 

jcrow

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
7,395
quick drive by as my computer''s screen is shot :[ so i''m on hubby''s computer which i dislike. haha. anyhoo...

amber - re: gas, etc. we tried mylicon, but it seems she spits up a bunch when we give it to her. we tried gripe water for the first time last night and it seemed to help a ton. i''m hoping it continues to do so until this phase is over.

--

so, we returned the hospital pump we rented and now i''m on the fence as to whether or not to buy a pump. i work from home so there''s no need to pump in order to return to work. however, it would be nice for hubs or someone to give her a bm bottle every once in a while. but then i worry about her not taking the boob after learning that the bottle flows so easily for her. i also think it would be nice to pump in order to up my supply if i ever needed to do so. i do think i have a good supply right now, and she''s not taking it all so i think pumping may help with engorgement and my supply not deminishing. akk, i''m so torn!! any thought on all this?

if i don''t pump and continue to ebf, do i need bottles, sterilizer, bottle brush, etc? or will i never need bottles and go straight to sippy cups? i''m so lost!

also, when were you all able to get back to exercising? i haven''t had my 6 week post partum appointment yet, but i was just curious...
 

jcrow

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
7,395
mara, which pump did you get. i remember it''s the purly yours, but which one?
 
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