PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[S&I]

Just wanted to post that we got an Ergo carrier today, and A is sleeping in it now! I guess he likes it because he fell asleep shortly after I put him in it. We also got the infant insert, but it seems like there's a lot of extra material at the top so I have to fold it back. I hope I have A in there correctly and am not causing any problems with his spine or hips. I can't really tell if he's in there the right way.

Thanks for all the positive reviews!

 

[lliang_chi]

Hey ladies,

S&I, awesome hope Alex enjoys the Ergo carrier. It's been chilly here in Chicago, so using the infant insert was an easy decision for me. FWIW, there seems to be a bunch of different ways you can carry your baby in the Ergo. As I said in my rogue comment, I use the Ergo carrier to take Ethan on walks with the dog, or just out in general. It's much quicker to walk with the carrier than walking with my snap & go stroller since the SnG doesn't handle sidewalk bumps and lumps very well. It's also much easier taking Ethan on the bus in the carrier than in the SnG too. Also I wanted to say, I didn't do any MOTN nursing sessions until very recently. Neither of us were very good at it, so the bottle was just easier and less stressful. No worries on that. As you get more comfortable with nursing you''ll probably feel like you can start doing that if you'd like. TBH, the only reason why I started nursing so much is because 1) I hated doing dishes (bottles & pump parts) and 2) it seemed like whenever I hooked myself up to the pump, Ethan would cry to be picked up 2 seconds later. So I told myself to only pump when I wasn't home by myself.

Pancake, I also found wearing DH's jackets when I took Ethan on walks with the Ergo in chilly weather worked great. That's only if your DH isn't that much bigger than you.

NEL, I'm so jealous and impressed by Katie's great appetite! Ethan's still at 120ml (4oz) per bottle feeding and doesn't even eat it all. He's been doing a little better the past few days, but I still worry if he's getting enough. He's gaining weight and peeing and pooping, so I know rationally he's fine, but my mind gets over worrisome too. How's the pumping going? Are you going to try the nursery transition today? Good luck! Any giggles yet?

PT, aw, so cute that Ava startled herself. Ethan's always getting startled by the dog barking out the window or whenever someone comes home. On one particularly bad crank-fest it took me and J an HOUR to calm Ethan down and put him away. J finally put him down and told the dog, "If you bark and wake him up, you're spending the night on the balcony."

AFU: Not up to much Ethan's been doing OK this week. He's actually been eating a lot more. Maybe he caught onto me praising NEL's Katie so much he got jealous. LOL.

 

[pancake]

LC, Sylvie rarely takes 120ml from a bottle. In fact, I think the last one she took last week was 120ml for my mother, and that was a record! I know she definitely takes more from the breast though (each of her bottles is the result of one pump session off one breast, and it never feels empty the way it does after she takes a BF) - Ethan is probably the same? Re the Ergo, the infant insert is so great in the cold weather - like wrapping them up in a big thick quilt! Our winters are very very mild compared to Chicago though - we rarely get below 13-14 deg C during the day and even at night we don't get close to zero. DH is about 7 inches taller than me, so I look quite comical in anything of his! Glad that the E-man is going well.

S&I - yay for Alex liking the Ergo! There is something so sweet about a baby in a pouch/carrier... we always get fond looks on the street when people see S's little feet sticking out the sides (her head is always covered!). Keep at it with the pumping and feeding, you are doing a stellar job!

Janine - get the Ergo! It is great! You could also use it for baby #3

PT, hilarious that Ava startled herself into crying!! S has not laughed yet, but I think we're on the cusp. Especially when I smoosh and kiss her feet

NEL, I reckon that Katie is doing the same growth spurt/developmental leap that S did last week! We also had a week of more food/more waking - but S was fussy with hers, which she wasn't with previous growth spurty days/weeks. 6oz - wow!! Go Katie! I am sure that S grew at least an inch last week, will be interested to see if you think that K is visibly bigger after this too!

Bobbin - Charlotte is gorgeous, cannot wait to see more of the digital proofs from your shoot! Also - I meant to ask, where did you get the purple Wondersuit from? As soon as I saw a pic of C in hers, I started looking for one for S but I could only find the organic one (the one with no collar) in that colour. How is the latching going? Hang in there. You have a fantastic supply, so it's just a matter of time before C gets the hang of things.

Mannequin, how are you and Wes going?

AFU, another rollercoaster week with my dad. His brother was over here from the States this week and was looking after him in his own home, and on the positive side, he was much happier there. BUT - he clearly just wants to be there so that he can gallivant around with his friends and his girlfriend (who he has been with since 2008, but denied to the point of verbal abuse every time it was brought up, until he finally came clean when he got sick). He has very little interest in us (as in his kids) and didn't even seem that interested in spending any quality time with his brother (who was essentially his valet all week - he did an amazing job!). I dragged Sylvie and my brother across town in the cold and rain last Thursday to see him. He spent approximately 10 minutes with us during which he just asked repeatedly for me to "get my [his] life back in order" and "sort out the car insurance claim", and then disappeared for a while before going out for lunch with his girlfriend. His selfishness makes me really really angry and so I am finding that in many ways, I can do more for him and do it better if I don't see him or talk to him much. My uncle sat him down to talk and he essentially said that he wants to stay in his own home (so we would have to probably hire carers) as long as he is able to enjoy himself there, and then when he's too sick to enjoy it, he wants to dump himself on my mother again On the flipside, there are times when I just feel so sorry for him that it is almost unbearable. I wish I wasn't such a soft touch, but then again, maybe I don't... At the moment he is back at my mum's; he's being admitted to hospital for his first round of chemo on Tuesday and then will be back at home with Mum until his next sibling arrives in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, we will try and organise something more sustainable for him to be cared for at home. Sigh.

AFU, Sylvie is back - my gurgly, chatty, ever-smiling girl is back!!! She has just had a week-long period of needing more sleep, being more unsettled, feeding a bit more, smiling and chatting much less, and generally being more withdrawn, but as of about 48 hours ago she is back with a bang! Smiling and talking (loudly!) all day, settling easily, re-settling more easily, and generally being delightful. Also - I have usurped Roundy as her BFF again! Yay me

Has anyone else read about the Wonder Weeks? I am reasonably sure that we just went through what the authors would call Wonder Week 12...or even if the WWs are a bit of bluster, she has definitely gone through some kind of developmental thing in the last 10 days. She is making different sounds now - squeals and long, "up and down" sounds as well as ah-goos, ah-gehs, ah-guhs and gggggghhs - and she is so much louder than she was before! She is also starting to strain to sit upright when she's lying at 45 degrees, and is starting to hold onto things much more. No grabbing at things yet, but I think it's coming. Exciting times!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

S&I, I had to fold the top part down so K could see until pretty recently. I think that's normal. And I don't think K has ever been in there for more than a half of an hour before falling asleep. She loves looking around while she's in it, but her eyelids get heavy fairly quickly.

Pancake, my friend has the Wonder Weeks and told me about it. I went to a local book store to pick it up, but they didn't have it. Anyway, it does sound like S had a wonder week last week and is now at the next developmental "level".

As for your father, he continues to astound me. So he has a girlfriend? Why the heck isn't she the one taking care of all of this? He wants you take care of his insurance claims and wants your mom to care for him when he's too sick to care for himself (after acting like a baby about it to begin with). I can't help but think that if she's the one choosing to be with him, she can help with all of the logistics.

I'm so glad that S is back to her chirpy self! Is she giving you little laughs yet? Is she starting to roll?

LC, it figures that as soon as I said K takes 6 oz., she went down to five. And she still only does 4 oz. at her 8:30pm and 5am feedings--I'm not sure which one she's going to drop first. I keep trying to push the 8:30 feeding earlier, but it never seems to work out. The pumping is going okay, I'm trying to reduce sessions in preparation for work and it's tough. The nursery transition hasn't happened. What time does E usually wake up in the mornings? Do you leave him in his nursery until you're up and ready to start the day? K is stil waking for a 5am feed and she sometimes wants to stay up since she just had an 8-hour stretch. So I have to keep putting her paci back in her mouth so she'll go back to sleep. I feel like if I put her in the nursery, I'd be bringing her back to the bedroom after the 5am feeding since it can be hard to settle her back down.

AFU, K was fussy in the morning, but settled down by the afternoon. Still waiting for a laugh. I'm getting longer vowel sounds, but no "a-goo or a-ga"s like Sylvie is doing. And so far K is pretty quiet. She's social, but not loud...yet.

 

[pancake]

NEL - yes, my father has a partner. We have all given up asking the question that you are asking, although it is obviously the glaring one! My father is an incredibly narcissistic man, and part of that involves a lot of lies, omissions and deceptions in order to look the way he wants to to various people... I don't know what is going on with her at the moment but she certainly has never stepped up to the plate to help care for him. I feel sorry for him for that, and I feel sorry for him that he still desperately wants to go out socialising with her but that she isn't doing the ultimate thing that a partner should be able to do. BUT, more than sorry for him, I feel angry for my family that we are being used the way we are. Ultimately though, we are doing this more for ourselves than for him. I don't want to look back in 5, 10, 20 years and wish that I had done more. He is going into hospital on Tuesday and the social worker is going to see him as we need help in organising the logistics. I am going to volunteer his partner as one of the primary contacts for them to talk to about it all

Baby development is the most exciting, varied thing, isn't it?? I never get sick of seeing it in action at work, and it is endlessly fascinating watching S grow and change. She isn't rolling yet - she can get about halfway from tummy to back but doesn't try it purposefully yet (just does it by accident eg. in her bassinet). Think that is a while off. She pushes up on her arms when she's on her tummy, though, and her head control is really good. She's not laughing yet - I think she is close though, I can't wait! - but is a real little chatterbox. Think she gets that from me

I can't believe that Katie is doing 8 hour stretches! That is incredible! Have you thought about introducing a dream feed to see if you can move the 8 hours later? S is still a bit variable at night. There is always just the one night feed, but the length of the longest stretch varies from 4.5 up to 6 hours. The last couple of nights we have started experimenting with a dream feed - I am going to persist with this for a few more nights at least. I am planning to get her on a wake-up and bedtime schedule in the next month or so and would like her up in the morning around 7:30am or so, and in bed around 8:30pm. This morning she was up at 8am after a dream feed at 10:30pm and a night feed at 3:30.

 

[lliang_chi]

Pancake, I keep feeling like we're in the same family because you father sounds a lot like mine, unfortunately. I hear you on how you're helping him for yourself, not for him. I'd be in the same way too, I think. But do draw a line for yourself. That you're doing ANYTHING is more than generous, don't kill yourself trying to accommodate him. I know it's easier for an outside person to say that, but for me, sometimes with my family, having outside justification to say No is helpful. I'm glad Miss Sylvie is doing so well. Ethan "rolls over" during tummy time on his tummy time pillow. He throws his head over and slowly the rest of his body follows. We call it cheating since he doesn't like tummy time so much.

NEL, WOW, i'm so jealous Katie can do 8 hr stretches! Ethan is still doing 4 hrs consistently and sometimes does 5. He usually takes a feeding before we go to bed, 11/12M, then wakes up at 4/5. I put him back in his crib at 5, swaddled, and he'll sleep for another 2 hrs, then wants to get up for the day. So Ethan usually gets up for the day around 7AM. Between 7:30 and 9 he has his biggest poop of the day and is good to go. How's D's efforts with the diaper changes?

Ethan's getting more vocal. Making a lot of Oooh and Aaaahs. It's great because DH is starting to like talking to him and holding him. Not that J didn't like holding him but now he seems to really enjoy interacting with him, where before he just did it for a short time. Had a pretty lazy weekend thus far. DH is car shopping for our second vehicle. Not much luck so far. We added a hack to our changing table, putting an Ikea drawer under it.

 

[janinegirly]

LC: cute on E being chatty! Love that stage. Have you decided on childcare for when you return to work yet (sorry if you already discussed it).

NEL: are you still suplementing? It's so hard transitioning to the crib....sooner the better though. We still have A in our bed and it's just so much easier dealing with the morning feeds than getting up, picking her up, sittting in the stiff glider etc. But now I"m in a spot in that it's hard to break routine and she's used to it too. She loves waking up and seeing me, and I do too - but we all know that can't last!! And if you put K down later, she'll wake up later. That's what I've been doing. A still wakes up at 6ish for a feed (down at 10) but then will go back to sleep another 1-2 hrs.

Pancake: No way on #3, I'm too old! I've just been slow on some gear because I've been juggling so much and A is growing so fast (plus i have alot from #1). I'm sorry about your dad - it's too much, you need a break, so you can regroup and focus on what's important. Family can be so toxic - but then the part that makes it so tough is we all have unconditional love so you really can't just pull away even when it might be the healthiest thing. Try to give yourself some space though - since you are at that important stage in S life (and it goes so fast!) where you need to be in a good state of mind. I'm going through some cr@p myself with the IL's (so it's a bit less personal than it were my own family) and it makes me so angry because we are too old for drama and really, I have so many other things I'd like to focus energy on. Plus I want to focus on the people who are a positive in my life. But easier said than done since there is guilt too as it impacts DH and my kids (although my family makes up for it!! .

AFM; My eldest is now a 2nd mommy, it's so cute. The 2 girls always look for each other and A just laughs and smiles at #1 and gazes. But my eldest does come up with some hilarious stuff too...yesterday she didn't want A on her bed .. and said, "She never EVER can go on my bed, she will mess it up!!." Haha, already saying that at 3 yrs old. A is so cute these days, getting very attached to me and into clapping right now. She is a joy, so smiley and easy going - really the best thing to see after a long day at work!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Janine, sooo cute that your first is becoming a second mommy to A. And also very cute tha A is clapping and smiling all the time. As much as I want K to stay this small forever, I'm also really looking forward to more interaction with her and seeing her personality come out. Even now I love the little smiles and noises and that's really not much interaction at all, haha.

And you're right about the crib transition being easier now instead of later, but it is that morning feed that is keeping me from taking the step. I just feel that right now I'd be taking her back to our bedroom at 5am, anyway, because it takes some effort to get her back to sleep for the 5:30 - 8:30am stretch. And I've tried pushing back her bedtime a little, but no dice. She starts nodding off at 8:30 no matter what I do. If I start her bath at 8:30 instead of 8, she just falls asleep in it.

Pancake, I do find all of the developmental stuff at this age to be really fascinating. I feel like K learns and grows every single day. Her vision gets better, she talks more, her vowel sounds are more varied, she is starting to reach for things a little. It's all small stuff, but it's so interesting to think about how flooded her little brain is with information each day.

As for the dream feed, I used to do one at 11, but she dropped it several weeks ago. The issue is that when she falls asleep at 9, she's in such a deep sleep that a herd of elephants couldn't wake her. Lately she's been so sleepy at her 8:30pm feeding that she can't stay awake for the whole bottle. I try to waker her up, but it's impossible. So I might start giving her a bottle before her bath instead of after. Or maybe not, I don't know. She's only been taking a few ounces at 8:30pm, but she still sleeps until 5am, so maybe it's fine.

LC, so does E usually go down for the night around 11pm or 12M, then sleeps until 5am and another 2 hour stretch? Does he take a long nap from 8pm to midnight or anything?

D is making progress on the diaper changes! I feel like we're getting there and I do think we're on track for him to feel confident about taking her on his own in a few weeks. He said he feels much more confident now that she's a little bigger and less fragile. Still, we got into a fight last night and I told him my frustrations with feeling on my own a lot of the time. I feel bad for saying it since he already knows and feels bad about it, but sometimes I just need to vent a little.

AFU, nothing new! This is the last week of my mom group and I'm going to start a new class on Saturdays (for working moms). I wanted to continue the Tuesday class since I won't work Tuesdays until August, but the class is already full. The Satuday class may be better, anyway, since the weekday classes are for SAHMs and I'm trying to stay motivated to work

I'm excited to celebrate my first mother's day this weekend! It feels strange, haha.

 

[S&I]

LC, yay for E eating more - maybe he's going through another growth spurt soon? That's great that J is interacting with E more now that he's more vocal. I can see how the Ergo carrier is much easier to use than your SnG, especially on the bus. We went to the mall on Friday to pick up a birthday present for the party this weekend, and DH wanted to just stay downstairs with A because we didn't see an elevator for the stroller nearby, ha!

Pancake, so sorry to hear that things are still bad with your dad. You really are doing the best you can, even if he isn't acknowledging it. And that's quite messed up that your dad's GF isn't taking care of him instead of your mom! What's her deal? I'm glad S is back to her cheery self again. It does sound like she may have had a Wonder Week. I gotta say, I'm loving how soothing the Ergo is for A. I hope I'm not building a bad habit for him though, to be put in the carrier whenever he's fussy. He seems to know exactly when we try to put him down in his crib and will start crying to be held again. He must be slightly more alert during the days, because he goes right back to sleep in the crib after his MOTN feedings.

NEL, I'm sure K's laugh is coming soon! I'm sure it's fine that K has gone down to 5oz bottles instead of 6oz bottles. Don't stress out too much about transitioning her to her nursery though. Hopefully when the time is right, you'll just know and it'll be perfect. I can't wait to use the Ergo carrier this weekend (birthday party and church for Mother's Day). It'll be like his grand debut. Plus having him in the carrier will hopefully deter people from asking to hold/play with him too much.

Janine, that's so sweet that your DD1 is being so motherly to A, and that A is smiling and clapping so much! Sorry to hear that you're going through some stuff with your ILs. You should totally get the Ergo carrier too! I'm really loving it.

AFU, DH went back to work this morning after being off for 3 weeks. He went back to sleeping in our bedroom on Saturday night to try to help get back to his regular sleeping schedule, so I was "on my own" in A's nursery for all the MOTN feedings and diaper changes. I changed my first huge poopy diaper last night! A is on a pretty good 3-hour feeding schedule at nights, and is able to fall back asleep easily after his bottles. We don't have a set time for him to go down for the night - it's anywhere between 8:30pm and 11pm or later. During the day though, he's on a pretty random schedule. Sometimes he'll go up to 4 hours, and other times, he's up every 2 hours, or he'll stay awake between feedings too. I'm so jealous of all your babies that have a regular schedule.

 

[lliang_chi]

S&I, A is still a newbie, I'm sure his schedule will eventually tease out. And it'll probably take ou a while to realize it, but you'll start finding yourself anticipating when he does certain things (like poop, wake up, etc). I also log stuff during the day so I can go back and see what his patterns are. Well, fantastic that A sleeps so well at night, doesn't fuss about going back in his crib. Hopefully the day time napping will come too. Hope your DH's first day back to work goes well for both of you.

Janine, Hugs, sorry to hear things wiht your ILs are kind of meh. I hope it gets sorted out soon, or at least leaves you and your family out of it. Dude, time's too short for all this drama BS and your babies need you attention not IL-family drama. Aw, sounds adorable that DD1 is so caring for A. How much older is your eldest?

NEL, OMG I'm picturing K falling asleep in her bath and it's just sooo precious! Ethan does sleep a good stretch between 6/7 to 11PM/12M. So I guess you can say he technically goes down for the count in the early evening. Can you put K in the Snug-a-bunny (I think that's what its called) after she gets up at 5AM? I think you used that in your room for her to sleep in. Eventually when she gets used to settling at 5AM, maybe she'll be able to go back in her crib? Hooray for D making progress on the diaper changes. It's good to hear he's gaining confidence in taking care of Katie.

MQ hope things are going well with Wes's sleep.

Bobbin, how's Charlotte doing?

AFU: I think Ethan's boob strike has morphed into bottle preference. It's fine either way, but I slightly prefer nursing since 1) I don't have to pump and 2) less dishes to wash. We'll see. It seems like every week this kid changes his mind about something.

Also, today we got a giggle out of Ethan! DH and I were both around to hear it. DH was just about to leave for work, and I always like to bring Ethan to him so they can say goodbye. But this morning, Ethan was really good about staying asleep, so both DH and I went to get him from his crib. And he was smiling then he kinda giggled. I don't think it was a mini cry since he was smiling. So I think that's our first giggle.

~LC

 

[pancake]

LC, thanks for the solidarity. I'm sorry your father sounds similar to mine - it doesn't make things easy, that's for sure! I am doing pretty well right now. I found out a few more things that he deceived me about (details are boring, but suffice it he played me to take advantage of my sympathy quite a few times) and it has really got me drawing my line in the sand more firmly. I am resolved to try and do what I can, but to protect myself and my family as much as possible from being put through the emotional wringer any more. I'll do everything possible, but I am doing it because this is what family means to me and doing it for my mother and siblings, not for my father, whose behaviour suggests he doesn't give a stuff about us! Hopefully I can stick to this. It will be much healthier in the long run (and short, for that matter!).

Sorry to hear that Ethan is still on boob strike. Apparently breast refusal is pretty common - my baby bible (a book called Baby Love, which is really popular here and which I LOVE) says it most often happens around 8-15 weeks. Of course this does not help at all that it seems to be happening to you... I hope he gets back on the wagon! But if not - hey, you KNOW you are a power pumper!

And YAY for the giggle!! Baby giggles are the best! S has not laughed yet. Occasionally when she falls asleep on the boob at the end of a feed she will have a big grin on her face and I hear a soft "heh heh", but nothing as yet during waking hours

NEL - Katie starting to reach for things, how exciting! S is only just beginning to discover that her hands can do what she wants them to do. The last couple of weeks she has been holding things a lot more and she is putting her fists in her mouth a lot, but not grabbing at things yet. Can't wait for her to discover her hands - babies are so cute at that age where they are fascinated by looking at their little paws!

Interesting re the dream feed. It sounds like it wasn't making much difference to how long Katie slept for - and I have to say, after 4 nights so far, there's not much difference here either! I will persist tonight, and then if nothing much is happening I might stop. 5 nights is a fair trial, I think. S also goes to bed around 8:30/9pm. I have been DFing her between 10:30 and 11, and she still wakes up around 2:30/3-ish, which is what she was doing before.

Great that D is doing so well with looking after Katie! Must boost your (both of your) confidence so much with your return to work coming up. I totally understand re the need to vent occasionally and then feeling bad about it - my DH has anxiety too, which is for the most part very well-controlled, but sometimes the flares are frustrating for me...and then I feel guilty for feeling frustrated.

Janine, I am sure you're not too old - but fair enough on feeling finished I don't know how many we'll have, but I am 32 already so I doubt we'll have time for more than 3. Definitely would like at least one more. How adorable that C is A's little mama!

I'm sorry you're having issues with your in-laws. It is a hard thing to go through as a little family. These things seem so "grown up" to me - I know that sounds ridiculous coming from a 30-something year old woman, but somehow adulthood does not prepare you for dealing up with adult problems!

S&I - Alex is just a teensy thing still! He won't have a routine for a while yet and I think it's mean to put a very young newborn on a schedule despite what some sleep consultants might say. Like the others I found that a loose routine emerged of its own accord with S, probably around 4 weeks or so? We are still not on a tightly timed routine - there is a morning nap, a lunchtime-ish nap, an afternoon nap, evening nap, then bath and bed, but they are timed roughly within 45 minutes on either side each day. Like LC said, their bodies seem to regulate themselves too eg. S never poos overnight now, but always does first thing in the morning

AFU, we are going well. Trying to smoothe out a couple of things - eg dream feed (to DF or not?), daytime re-settling (on the improve after the fussy week, but I think around 3 months babies naturally start finding it harder to resettle after 1 cycle), what to do about swaddling. On the latter note - any BTDT advice on how to wean the swaddle? We have swaddled consistently since day 1, but I'm starting to think about weaning it as S is a veritable Houdini at getting out of it now. At the end of a sleep or overnight that doesn't matter, but if she wiggles out of it early in her daytime naps she has difficulty getting back to sleep and I have to re-wrap her.

As I mentioned earlier, we have been experimenting with the dream feed but it really doesn't seem to make much difference apart from adding an extra feed between bedtime and morning! I guess S is just not ready to drop her night feed yet, which doesn't bother me at all for two reasons - 1) she was doing pretty long stretches at night anyway and I haven't been sleep deprived, and 2) I know that a lot of STTN-ers don't sleep much during the day, and I am not willing to sacrifice a well-slept, cheery daytime bubba in order to drop the night feed yet! During her fussy week she definitely slept longer stretches at night (6-7 hours) but she was just not herself during the day, so not very keen on that.

 

[janinegirly]

Pancake: sounds like you have a great attitude. I actually think it's the others who are behaving like children rather than us having to face adult problems! For me it's my in-laws so much easier than if it were my own parent, but it's still toxic. People are just so self absorbed. I'm pretty good at separating myself from people who are negative, but when it's IL's you can imagine the ammunition that gives them! Well, like you said, the immediate family comes first (DH and babies!), this is a time we'll never get back so just remember that.

NEL: cute on Kate nodding off in the bath! Once A nodded off while she was being held upright and being fed (spoon in mouth). It was hilarious! Eventually K will drop the 5am feed (or you will stop it - I heard at some point it become more comfort than hunger) and it might get easier to shift things. You have time, she's still so young. With me, I force the 6am feed because I want her to sleep 1-2 more hrs (my mom watches her so would rather give her a few more hrs between DH leaving and her taking over). She does occassionally wake up once before - it depends. Sometimes just some head or back rubbing will get her back to sleep in that case.

LC: DD1 is 3 years older, that's why it's funny to see her being a little mom. Sometimes shse's like a little wife to DH too - nagging him or telling me every single thing he did when I'm not there, haha. She insists on doing laundry (putting in the washer), taking A's diaper off, choosing her clothes. Once she pushed her stroller around the house and then fed her a bottle..it's just funny b/c she's 3 ft tall! I'm watching her closely of course and it can get annoying b/c she can get possessive. But the cutest thing is how they look for each other..A always is looking and then smiles and gazes. Thank goodness because those first few months when #1 was uber jealous was worrying! Yay for E giggles meanwhile - he is sounding so cute and glad that DH is interacting more.

S&I: hope the night time schedule regulates, it's tough when DH's go back but you're doing great so far (and it's still early early days)!

Thanks for all the ERGO shout outs - I wish I'd known this before! I'm also looking for a Baby Jogger City Mini Double and have been scouring Craigslist since I don't know how long #1 will be in it (and have 2 single strollers). Well these things sell like hotcakes! I missed out on 3 so far. Gosh, I am amazed at how fast those things sell (just like formula which never seems to be on the shelf). Might have to bite the bullet and buy a new one. So, what are you all doing for Mother's Day? Have your DH's got anything planned? I haven't heard a thing yet..hmm, guess I'll have to drop hints.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Janine, I forgot to answer your question about supplementing. Yup, definitely still supplementing. I only give 2 bottles per day of breastmilk. Yesterday K had a complete meltdown when I tried to give her breastmilk, which she's never done. I ended up tossing the bottle, which was hard!

So a good friend of mine with a 2-year-old and a newborn finally decided on the City Mini Double and she said that the newest version (the one that just became available in March, I think) is new and improved. The biggest improvement is that the basket is bigger and more accessible, which I think was the biggest complaint with older versions. I only mention it because it might be worth it to just bite the bullet and get a new one. She test-drove the double Bob, Phil & Teds and the Bumbleride double and is glad she went with the City Mini.

Pancake, it sounds like my experience is the same as yours, we're just doing our last feed at different times. K has only taken a few ounces at her 8:30pm feeding for the past few nights, but she sleeps until 5am, anyway. If S doesn't actually wake up and want food around 11, maybe it's not worth it to wake her up and feed her. Then again, I only stopped doing the 11pm feed because K refused to eat, so who knows.

And it's so cute when they stare at their hands, isn't it? The only time K really reaches for anything is in her carseat--we have these soft rattle-y things that hang down. She likes to stare at them and sometimes she reaches her arm out at them. It could just be coincidence--I mean, she has no coordination at all, but it's cute.

As for the swaddle, I've been leaving one arm out of K's swaddle because she seems to prefer that. She's really breaking out of her swaddles more, too. I've heard you do one arm, then the other, then remove the swaddle altogether, but I'd love to hear from a BTDT mom.

LC, sorry to hear about E's bottle preference--are you still using the newborn nipples? I definitely understand the frustration with pumping and washing bottles/pump parts. I joke with D that I should just set up my pump at the sink since I'm either pumping or washing during the day.

I'm so jealous you got a giggle! Has he giggled again since? So cute! And how is the second car shopping going?

AFU, yesterday was ROUGH! Everything was pretty normal until around 3pm. K had eaten at noon, we played, she went down for a nap just before 2pm and woke up looking hungry (hands in mouth). I gave her a bottle of breastmilk and he had about half of an ounce, but was eating very lazily. I tried to put the bottle back in her mouth and she had a COMPLETE MELTDOWN. She started crying, then SCREAMING and K never screams, so I thought something must be really hurting her. I looked in her ears (thinking maybe she had an ear infection and the sucking was hurting her), I stripped off her clothes, changed her (dry) diaper, inspected her body looking for any red marks. I kept trying to calm her, but nothing worked. What's worse was that she kept sucking on her hands like she was hungry, but every time I tried to put a bottle in her mouth (even formula), she screamed like crazy. She did this for an HOUR. I was in tears. Finally she tired herself out and fell asleep. I almost called the pediatrician, but decided I would wait and see if it happened again once she woke before calling.

Anyway, she woke up around 5pm and was fine. Took a bottle like nothing was wrong. I have NO IDEA what caused her to scream like that--she's never done that. Now anytime she starts to cry a little I start freaking out worrying that the screaming will start again.

Attaching a couple of pics--one is of my push present. We decided to make K the table centerpiece. The other is of K kicking her way out of her swaddle this morning. Like S, she's really been breaking out of them recently.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

S&I, I forgot to tell you congrats on making it on your own through the night! It's amazing that just after a few weeks, we feel more confident. And don't worry about any type of schedule yet. We still don't have much of a day schedule at 2.5 months. The night schedule usually forms first (we just started doing evening baths and went from there). These babies are growing so fast, something will stick for a couple of days and then it changes again!

 

[janinegirly]

NEL: could be teething. Mine was an early teether and it took weeks for them to actually show (they hurt most before they break through). I am already forgetting what stage your K is at, but since she is grabbing things, try giving her a teether - a cooled down one or Orajel if it's really bad. There's always Tylenol for the worst moments. Just imagine a bunch of sores in your moth - that's what I always tell myself..you would not want to eat!

Although it's just a guess, so call your pedi if you're really concerned.

PS That picture of K in the bumbo is adorable..I love it! She's got good balance. And I love your push present...love that it's practical and beautiful. Lots of room for a big family .

 

[pancake]

NEL, Sylvie has had a couple of episodes of unexplained screaming as well and they freaked me out! Like Katie, everything was back to normal after the next nap (once I eventually managed to settle her - took ages) and I was none the wiser. With my paediatric hat on, my learned professional conclusion was that it was "just one of those things" I think sometimes babies just cry - who knows, maybe overstimulation, maybe gas, maybe wind, maybe overtiredness, maybe maybe maybe...? But if it does settle and isn't persistent or recurrent, then I don't think you need to get too worried that there is anything medically amiss. Poor little things, though. It is HORRIBLE. I cried too!

Janine I obviously don't have the BJCMD, but I do have two Baby Joggers - the Select and the Mini single, and I LOVE them both. The best thing is the idiot-proof (ie me-proof) fold. So practical. The 2012 models of the Mini (both single and double) have two main changes - as NEL said, a more accessible basket, and a folding lock mechanism. Neither of those things bothered me much, so I bought the 2011 Mini off Amazon for a great price and I love it. The basket is not the easiest to get to, but not the worst, and it's still one of the bigger baskets I've seen on a lightweight stroller.

 

[bobbin]

Mayerling: It takes between 15-30 minutes to manually pump each side, depending on how much I get that time. I have now hired a Medela Lactina pump (I think it is an older model) and that takes just as long, it is just easier as I only need one hand to hold it.

Pancake: The purple suit is actually Target brand. They are $6 each and are fine quality-wise. Just watch out as we found that the purple ones have shorter legs than the yellow and green ones! I have no idea why.

Sylvie sounds like such a lovely happy baby! The chatty stage sounds so cute!

Sometimes C's facial expressions remind me of the photos of Sylvie you have posted, not sure why.

S&I: Not weird that you are jealous of my supply, I am jealous of your attaching baby! If only we could somehow combine the positives of our breastfeeding experiences to be a super breastfeeding mama! You are good to your DH not waking him up! I woke DH up at 3:30 this morning to give C her bottle while I pumped.

I also haven't been attempting to nurse C during the night – we just give her the bottle straight away and I pump. She often just snacks when she is at the breast and I don't want to be up every half an hour, and it takes a lot of effort/attention to nurse still and doesn't always work so it seems to overwhelming during the night!

We have a Manduca carrier which is almost identical to an Ergo and we have used it only a few times. We also have a sleepy wrap which I have used a bit too. We have mostly been carrying her though. She seems to really like both carriers though and promptly falls asleep in them. The Manduca comes with a built in newborn insert (a sling that is sewn in) and we have only used it with the newborn insert.

C is the same with her night schedule vs during the day. She will go down for the night between 10-12 and sleep for between 4-6 hours. When she wakes up between 5-8am, I take her into the bed with me and sleep again until 9-10am. But during the day her awake time and nap times are all over the place still.

LV: Thanks for the compliments on C! I think she is beautiful, but I may be biased..

NEL: Sorry to hear about K's mystery screaming fit but I am glad she is back to her normal self again today. I hope you get your giggle soon! I hope your DH is able to improve a bit with helping you out with bubs.

JG: Naww.. your eldest sounds precious! So good that the girls get along.

LC: Aww.. Ethan's first giggle. That must have been very exciting! I think C smiled at me for the first time today and I was pretty excited about that so a giggle must be even better! I hope E returns to the breast soon. This might be simple stuff that you already know, but when C was refusing the breast I did my best to make nursing a really nice place for her to be – skin to skin, stroking her back, talking to her and singing to her softly and not pressuring her to feed. She regained her interest fairly quickly actually.

AFU:
We have good days and bad days with nursing still. I have figured out that when using the nipple shield, everytime at least one part of the shield flips up or is not stuck firmly down to the breast, and the milk leaks out. That means that she is doing all the work for only half the milk. She is then getting tired and falling asleep without getting the milk she needs, which then makes her hungry and ask for more milk really quickly, making me top her up with a bottle. When I don't use a nipple shield she fills up, but often her attachment isn't good and she hurts me. I am going to a daystay feeding clinic on Monday and I am hoping they will be able to help me out with attachment so I can feed her without a nipple shield or a bottle!

My parents are here from interstate at the moment and my mum is loving spending time with C. She said that she regrets not taking more time off work to spend up here. It has been really nice having them here, but it has been difficult to nurse C with them at our house all the time. I don't feel comfortable doing it in front of anyone apart from DH, so I shut myself in my bedroom or C's room to nurse, which I find really boring and isolating.

I am loving being C's mummy! She is such a calm baby, sleeping well and is just so easy (touch wood).

 

[pancake]

bobbin, I am going to Target ASAP! I actually have quite a few of their terry suits - we have the pale green and pale yellow "classic wondersuit" ones, and she also has the dark purple and emerald green collarless ones. I will have to look for that lighter purple - love it. Target baby stuff is such great quality here.

Enjoy the fact that C is easygoing, and don't worry about jinxing yourself. I worried about it with S for ages but the other shoe never dropped and she IS just an easygoing baby. Like all babies she has her moments, but not many! I remember finally allowing myself to unreservedly enjoy her easygoingness once we were past 8 weeks

 

[janinegirly]

Hi all,

Thanks for the BJCMD information - I think I might go with a 2011 (if brand new) since the upgrades are not that important to me. I think we'll use it lightly so basket,etc. are low priority. The easy fold is though, but from what I read there's little noticeable change there! I'm going to keep stalking CL for a bit and then bite the bullet and get it off Amazon.

Also for those who use formula, specifically Enfamil, are you finding any deals? Bulk maybe? I find the price pretty firm and the coupons rare. Amazon bulk has been the best I've seen but it's still only a dollar or 2 savings per pack. I tell ya, anything baby related is big business!!

 

[Skippy123]

J, you can call Enfamil for coupons monthly! I think they give a $5 monthly coupon. Also Target has sales like once a month so then I ask for rain checks and use those later. I do agree that amazon runs pretty good deals. The number for Enfamil is 1-800-baby123 or you can talk to your Ped nurse and sometimes they can get you a free case of Enfamil or at least ours did.

NEL, awwww she is so precious!!!


I popped in here to see pics! We need more pics mommas pls!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Janine, I use Enfamil and can't find a deal for buying in bulk anywhere. In fact, I don't even bother ordering from Amazon because there is no savings. Target has a deal right now where you get a $10 gift card when you purchase 2 boxes of the refill packs. I think the box of refill packs are $33 each. So essentially you're getting $5 off of each box.

Keep us updated on the BJCMD quest. I know I'm going to be figuring out the same thing in a couple of years. I heart my Bumbleride single, so I may go the direction of the Bumbleride double when the time comes, but I like hearing others' opinions.

Pancake, you are so right about the sporadic crying just being "one of those things". I don't think this recent episode was a growth spurt because she just had one. Maybe she was just in a funk. The good news is that any little episode at this age is just temporary. But phew, I missed my easygoing baby! It's amazing how quickly I can go from feeling sane to feeling on edge.

Bobbin, So sorry that the nipple shields are such a PITA. I remember I was always fussing with mine. But I'm so glad to hear C is such an easygoing baby. I agree with Pancake--enjoy the easygoing baby I was always worried that K's easygoing personality was going to change...anytime she would cry, I would be worried it meant the end of my calm baby. But that hasn't happened. I remember one of the nurses from the nursery in the hospital told me that K would be an easy baby. I asked her how she knew since she'd only spent a couple of nights with K and she said "I've been doing this a long time. I know. This is an easygoing baby." Turns out, she was right. So I think you really can tell from very early on.

MQ, S&I, LC, thinking about all of you.

AFU, I think the fuss-fest has blown over. K woke up smiling as usual today and I breathed a little sigh of relief.

We went to Target this morning. I live in the 'burbs, so on any given weekday, during the day, 90% of Target customers are moms. The remaining 10% are retired. Anyway, there was this toddler who wanted something and his mom told him "no". So the kid started screaming "I HATE YOU!" The mom just rolled her eyes and the rest of us moms just sort of chuckled. I said to Katie "soon enough that will be you, my dear".

Also, while at Target I got am amazing tummy control camisole. I'm going to go back and buy one in every color.

 

[janinegirly]

Re: Enfamil -

Skippy: are those $5 off one pack or 2?

NEL: when you say $33 refill, do you mean the 23.4 oz? Because teh Amazon deal comes out to around $21 per pack refill if you do Amazon Mom. Not exactly a steal but the best I've found (well the best has been when I get a killer load of coupons and combine, but that's one-offs). Maybe it's different pricing by type too (I'm using the yellow tub).

Haha on the toddler. Mine has not said that yet thank goodness..but she has said plenty of things that I thought I would not hear until she was 13, but using 3 yr old's vocabulary. It's quite funny because she's cute. I"m scared for when they're 13 though. Sweet on the caminsole find. I just ordered a very expensive swimsuit (ONE PIECE of course) that claims all kinds of wonders - let's see if it works. I find it depressing that it's one-suits for me now and that in about 15 years my girls will be sporting bikinis and god knows what I'll be in at that point!

 

[Skippy123]

no, they give you a rebate check. You take the check to any store and it is like a coupon. You can use it on one can or multiple cans. I would just call each month and they would send me a check. I talked to our Ped and they mailed us a case of formula. I would mention it at your next baby wellness check. Let me see if I still have the info and I can give it to you. Oh and the number is wrong; it is 1-866-4baby12

 

[janinegirly]

J, you can call Enfamil for coupons monthly! I think they give a $5 monthly coupon. Also Target has sales like once a month so then I ask for rain checks and use those later. I do agree that amazon runs pretty good deals. The number for Enfamil is 1-800-baby123 or you can talk to your Ped nurse and sometimes they can get you a free case of Enfamil or at least ours did.

NEL, awwww she is so precious!!!


I popped in here to see pics! We need more pics mommas pls!

Thanks Skippy. I did sign up to be put on their "mailing" list and called when I didn't see coupons kick in. With DD that was enough . This time around the coupons are much more sporadic, I hadn't thought of calling every month - what a pain but thank you for the tip! I'm ok with paying what it costs, I just think there's a big mark up and should be a more economial way to buy in bulk,etc. Thanks for the number!!

ETA: so I called Enfamil - what a business! They did agree to mail a coupon and said I haven't seen them despite being on their mailing list because they didnt "have all my information." I said but you have my name and address? They proceeded to ask the baby's birthdate, other children in the house, whether I'm bf'ing. I guess I'm a cynical person but tend to not give any personal info (especially on my kids) unless absolutely needed since I know it's used for tracking and marketing purposes. Anyway, she agreed to send the coupon (with my spotty answers, haha) and a tub. LOL.

 

[Skippy123]

J, you can call Enfamil for coupons monthly! I think they give a $5 monthly coupon. Also Target has sales like once a month so then I ask for rain checks and use those later. I do agree that amazon runs pretty good deals. The number for Enfamil is 1-800-baby123 or you can talk to your Ped nurse and sometimes they can get you a free case of Enfamil or at least ours did.

NEL, awwww she is so precious!!!


I popped in here to see pics! We need more pics mommas pls!

Thanks Skippy. I did sign up to be put on their "mailing" list and called when I didn't see coupons kick in. With DD that was enough . This time around the coupons are much more sporadic, I hadn't thought of calling every month - what a pain but thank you for the tip! I'm ok with paying what it costs, I just think there's a big mark up and should be a more economial way to buy in bulk,etc. Thanks for the number!!

ETA: so I called Enfamil - what a business! They did agree to mail a coupon and said I haven't seen them despite being on their mailing list because they didnt "have all my information." I said but you have my name and address? They proceeded to ask the baby's birthdate, other children in the house, whether I'm bf'ing. I guess I'm a cynical person but tend to not give any personal info (especially on my kids) unless absolutely needed since I know it's used for tracking and marketing purposes. Anyway, she agreed to send the coupon (with my spotty answers, haha) and a tub. LOL.

Oh good!!!! I know; I hate that they gather all that info! Yes, I hated calling monthly for my coupons but with twins and needing the uber expensive Enfacare for Preemies I did it. If they forgot to send coupons they would send me a can or two of formula which was nice!

 

[lliang_chi]

Hey ladies!

J is back tonight He gets back late, like close to midnight, but I'm glad he'll be home again. We've been crashing @ Sis's place, and i feel bad subjecting her and her BF to Ethan's fussiness sometimes. He has his fussy moments, not like the wonderfully easy-going-ness of NEL's K and Pancake's S. I'd say from the Baby Whisperer baby personalities, he's probably a Textbook baby, because he's pretty easy to predict.

Ethan's slowly ending his boob strike. He'll nurse for very short increments on some occasions. I have to bait & switch him with the bottle or paci, and in the early AM, he'll do some side-lying nursing. The lactation consultants were like, "Just lying in bed with him and have some skin to skin time and let him come to you. Make it a positive experience." Dude, I do not have time to lie around all day in bed, there's ton's of stuff that needs done, and it's not going to get done without me.

Otherwise we're doing OK. Ethan's 14 lbs, and has outgrown all his 3M clothes.

Janine, hope you can score some coupons. Pretty great you're getting a few extra tubs. Weird they're asking for all sorts of information etc. I'd also feel uncomfortable sharing that with them. When did your DD1 start like taking care of A and stop getting jealous? Was there anything you did to help her start liking her sister again? It's nice that they're getting along so well now.

NEL, OMG love the dining room table! We haven't gotten one yet. I think we'll do some car shopping then maybe get a table this summer. When Ethan starts crawling (hopefully before then). I'm glad Katie's meltdown was a one time thing. So funny about the toddler screaming at his mom. Car shopping is OK. J is doing most of the actual going and test driving etc. I'm just here to listen to him complain about car shopping. But hey, at least I don't have to do it.

Pancake, how's the BJ Select? Do you think that can be used as a day-to-day stroller? Do you think you can take that on an airplane? I'm trying to figure out what we'll do for our non-jogger once Ethan outgrows his Snap-n-go. How's the family stuff? I hope it'll get easier for you. Has Sylvie done any waking giggles yet?

Bobbin, Thanks for the suggestions. I've been doing side lying and nursing Ethan when he's a little sleepy. But at sometimes, I really just need him to eat, so I'll try once or twice, then just give him the bottle. Sorry to hear about the nipple shields giving you issues. How did the breast feeding clinic go? Were they able to help you? NIce that your folks are there for a visit. WHen my mom came for a visit, I just nursed and pumped in front of her. But when FIL came, I did all that in our room. We have a tiny 2 bedroom condo, so when I'm holed up in the bedroom, it's pretty weird.

MQ, thinking of you!

Skippy, attaching some pics of Ethan for you.

 

[monkeyprincess]

LC, ahh, I love the recent pictures of Ethan. What an adorable little guy!

 

[dcgator]

Hey mamas,

Long time no post, but I wanted to let you all know that Sophia and I (and the rest of the fam) are doing well. She is 9 months today, which I can't believe, and is growing like a little weed! At our latest doc appt she was 29 inches and 18+ pounds, so I think she will be tall like her daddy. I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long, but there has just been so much happening in the last 2 months. The highlights:
- After her fourth ear infection in like 2 months, I finally got the ok to get the baby the much needed ear surgery and now after about 6 weeks with her tubes in, no ear infections
- She has been pulling up on stuff for weeks, but is getting really close to walking, as she does the furniture asssited walking now.
- She is taking swim/survival lessons since Florida is a dangerous place with all the water. She doesn't love it, but is doing pretty well
- After her two front teeth, no other ones have popped up, so we are on watch for the next ones.
- She eats like a champ, is eating some big girl food (mainly puffs, cherioos and some bread) but we got the green light for meats and small veggies, so that should be our next adventure.
- She made a 2nd plane trip and did really well, so we were happy parents

Well, that is all the big things. As for some of you mommies:

New mommies and all those who have been so great here - Enjoy the site and keep posting those pics, the little ones are adorable!
IHA - Your little man is too cute, gotta love those cheeks
Basil - Long time no speak, but I hope all is well with your new house and everything else. H is such a handsome little guy!

I will leave you with a photo and hope that I will try to come back more often

 

[Skippy123]

LC, awww beautiful pictures!!!
DCGATOR, awww she is so beautiful! Happy 9 months!!!

 

[missrachelk]

Hi Mamas! Question from a soon-to-be:

Can anyone comment on the choice between a pack and play and an arm's reach cosleeper? Just wondering if the PNP will do the same or similar job as the Arm's reach and have a longer lifespan, or if the features of the Arm's reach are good enough to justify a seperate purchase (or registry spot).

Any other cosleepers / basinnets that you ladies recommend?