PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[JGator]

AMC, yes, K's probably getting about 20 ounces on a good day plus 2-3 tbs of rice cereal. This weekend she did get about 20-21 oz total per day plus a few mins of breast feeding each day. I get concerned when she swats away the bottle when it has been a long time since the last feed, but I guess she's not starving! She's an odd one - sometimes she will only take the bottle from her bouncy seat so I have to remember to try that as a last resort.

Dandi, our Pediatrician said to start rice cereal 3 tbs 2 times per day at 4 months. We have only given it to K once a day, and it's a lot of work - time consuming and messy. I would avoid it if your pediatrician did not recommend it. I also read the recent advice against it until 6 months which is why we never bothered going to twice a day. Also, K's nanny does it for us the one feeding Monday - Friday so it's not that hard for us to just do it once a day on the weekend. Adorable picture of Oscar - love those cheeks and adorable smile!

MP, yes! K is getting really loud. I call it squawking! Definitely talking very loudly! That can be really annoying. And, I think the sleep definitely is improving. I have the wonder weeks book - I will read that chapter again now that we are getting closer to 26 weeks.

AFU, K decided to sleep until 530am every day this weekend since her dad was home (430am today). I got a little more sleep as my DH got up with her, and it was so nice not to get up at 3am! She's really into pulling on my face - glasses, nose, ears, eyes, etc. I need DH to give her another nail clip! Also, K is really scooting around her crib at night which has led to leaky wet diapers 2 nights in a row. We even upgraded her to the size 3 diaper last night and that didn't fix the problem.

 

[monkeyprincess]

She's really into pulling on my face - glasses, nose, ears, eyes, etc. I need DH to give her another nail clip! Also, K is really scooting around her crib at night which has led to leaky wet diapers 2 nights in a row. We even upgraded her to the size 3 diaper last night and that didn't fix the problem.

Ditto to all of this. Ev woke up at 3 with a wet diaper this morning, and then he had a blowout at 6. He is also constantly caressing my face, which is so darn sweet, but the hair pulling and occasional scratching, not so much. Here's a pic from the other day. He is such a happy kid! (Except when he's not )

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Dandi, just wanted to chime in since we started solids at 4 months. I hadn't really planned to, but at her 4 month appt. our ped recommended it since K was consistently drinking over 40 oz. of formula per day and was very interested in food (always grabbing my spoon). K took to purees right away (I think she had 2 Tbsp. the first time we offered her cereal) whereas a friend of mine's baby hated them and still primarily drank formula/BM at 10 months. It totally depends on the baby. I'd do whatever you feel comfortable doing. I remember once we started purees, I missed the ease of just giving a bottle!

MP, E is getting so big!! It's funny you mention the Wonder Weeks book. I just threw that in my bag this morning because it's been awhile since I read it and I'm finding that it's still helpful in the toddler years.


Good luck to all of you ladies whose kids are in the grabbing phase! I feel bad saying this, but I really hated the grabbing phase. K would grab my face all the time and it hurt! I felt like I was saying "Katie, no! Katie, ow! Katie, stop!" constantly and she had no clue what I was saying.

Also good luck with the nighttime leaking. I remember switching to nighttime diapers around that time. After a lot of trial and error I landed on Huggies nighttime diapers to keep K dry. Oddly, Pampers worked better for her during the day, but Huggies were better at night. Not the most fun experiment.

 

[JGator]

MP, yes, I forgot about the hair pulling in my post. That's really painful and annoying! She just grabs everything so tightly! Ev is adorable - love the smile!

NEL, thanks for the diaper tip. And, K is too cute. Love your latest toddler on the move pic! She really is stunning with her skin and hair color combo and those curls!!!

 

[lliang_chi]

MP, look at your happy little man! He's got a sly look in his eye, like he's up to something and knows he can cute his way out of it. Sorry to hear about the diaper fiascos of late. Ethan's in cloth diapers and I have taken to triple stuffing them overnight. Weird for him, but he's waken up poopy a few times, which totally trips the Mommy Guilt of not getting up to change him @ Dark-o-clock when he first wakes.

JGator, hooray for getting a chance to sleep in It's LOVELY! Is K scooting around when she's awake too? No help wiht the diapers, but maybe try switching brands for overnight like NEL suggested?

Dandi, We also started Ethan and just over 4 months with rice cereal. But that got him SUPER CONSTIPATED so we switched to just fruit/veggie purees. He loved them. Peaches was his favorite early on, but he also liked pears, mangos, and carrots. There's a few of us that made baby food, and my tip is fine different ways of cooking the produce, e.g. steam (stove top) and bake, so you can knock them all out in one go.

Babies in the grabbing phase, OMG I literally chopped off all my hair when Ethan was in that phase because it was SO ANNOYING that he was pulling my hair all the time. Good luck.

 

[amc80]

Dandi, just wanted to chime in since we started solids at 4 months. I hadn't really planned to, but at her 4 month appt. our ped recommended it since K was consistently drinking over 40 oz. of formula per day and was very interested in food (always grabbing my spoon). K took to purees right away (I think she had 2 Tbsp. the first time we offered her cereal) whereas a friend of mine's baby hated them and still primarily drank formula/BM at 10 months. It totally depends on the baby. I'd do whatever you feel comfortable doing. I remember once we started purees, I missed the ease of just giving a bottle!

Ditto to this. We started at about 4.5 months. B was drinking 50ish oz a day and that was just too much. He hated cereal so we went straight to purées and he was hooked.

 

[mia1181]

Hi Everyone! Thanks for snapping me back to reality re: the swaddling thing! It hasn't been the miracle I had hoped for with getting her to stay asleep, but it has been an improvement for sure! It's funny that with all my experience with newborns and infants (I used to be a nanny) I do have these moments of irrational fear that I am going to screw up my baby! I have to say that for the most part taking care of my own baby is not that different from taking care of other people's babies, but I do worry more!

So I guess I will officially join the thread now!

I had O a month ago today.
Things are going well but I have to admit there are parts of me that want to fast forward to the part where she interacts with us, and even to when she is sleeping through the night and napping on schedule! But I am enjoying her especially because she is mine all mine! She's a pretty good baby actually. She really only cries when she is hungry or needs help falling asleep. It's pretty easy to figure out which one she needs and make her happy. Nursing has also been going well. I haven't had any pain and seem to be producing enough milk (she's a big baby!), but O only nurses about 5 minutes at a time and then is hungry again 1.5-2 hours later. I have tried to get her to eat longer but once she pulls off, if I try to put her back on she starts gagging and crying. I think maybe she is just good at emptying the breast because she is gaining well and seems satisfied. She sleeps okay at night. We are bedsharing, something I never thought I would do since I lost a cousin to SIDS and I am a sleep-training fanatic! We try and make it as safe as possible though. Our bed is very firm, O is dressed lightly and DH and I sleep under different blankets with no blankets near O. We had some success getting her to sleep through the night in the pack and play in our room but I just prefer having her right next to me and not having to wake up to nurse. I am getting plenty of sleep this way and since the days can be tough, I'm not ready to mess with the nights. The reason days can be tough is that O falls asleep better for me. DH is great and changes all the diapers when he is home. He tries to put her to sleep but sometimes nothing he does works and then as soon as I take her, she is out like a light. She doesn't even take a bottle of pumped milk as well with DH as she will for me. It feels like I never get a break even with an incredibly helpful husband! Ah well, now you see why I secretly wish we could fast forward just a little!

Anyway that's what's going on with us! I'll add a couple of pics of Miss O too!

 

[mlk]

Hi Ladies, wow its been such a long time since I posted an update on us but I have been reading along when I can. Lucas is taking up so much time and he is very demanding when he is awake so I am never able to type a post! He is now just over 4 months (2 months corrected) and he is now starting to turn on the charm, smiling and chatting up a storm. I am struggling along with no help whatsoever, I am lucky for my DH to do the 6-7am feed on the weekend and for him to hold Lucas after I have fed him at 6pm so I can cook dinner! I am so envious of those who have had their parents or in laws come to stay to help them out.

Lucas is now 4.4kg (9 pounds 11 ounces) and is growing well although he is really tiny still. I still have strangers come up to me on the street and ask how many days old he is. He never really took to breastfeeding, so I am still pumping, am on domperidone and am giving hom 1-2 bottles of formula a day. I dont know how much longer I can keep it up though I will try to get him to 6 months.

I will try to be a better pser and post more and respond more personally to everyone but I am loving reading along, hearing your stories and advice and seeing all the lovely baby pics.

Some recent pics of my little guy...

 

[mia1181]

MLK Oh my that is one.cute.baby! I want to nomnomnom him! Sounds like he is doing well. I can't believe he has been here for 4 months and is only 9lbs 11 oz! I think my girl weighed that like 2 weeks after birth! People keep asking me if she is 3 or 4 months old too so we're the opposite of you guys. He looks healthy and strong though so enjoy carrying around a light baby while you can! My ped said that lots of moms with big babies like mine get carpal tunnel and my wrists are definitely starting to hurt from managing her. I am curious about corrected age thing for preemies. 2 months is such a long time. Does he ever hit the 4 month milestones or is he on track for his due date? I know how you feel with no help. My MIL was here for a month which was nice, but now it is really hard to get anything done around the house while taking care of O. Anyway it sounds like you are doing a great job and just look at what a cutie you got there!

 

[Skippy123]

oh my gosh these newborn babies are killing me.

 

[JGator]

Welcome, Mia and MLK!

Mia, love your Easter egg basket! Too cute!!! I'm so happy she is doing well with nursing!

MLK, Lucas is adorable! I'm so happy to hear he is smiling and chatting up a storm now! That is so much fun.

 

[sunnyd]

Mia, we got the same bunny ears for Harlowe! Love that picture!

MLK, Lucas is a cutie pie! I'm also curious about the 2 months vs 4 month thing. My coworker had twins but only 4 weeks early I think. They might be a little behind but I don't think much!

Question for you ladies - when did you bump your babies up to 8oz per feeding? H seems to want more when she finishes her 6oz, but only sometimes. What we thought were teething cries (tortuous, painful...both for her and for us to watch ) might actually be hunger cries, since she calmed when the bottle went in her mouth! We JUST got her into the medium flow nipples, for crying out loud. Haha, she's a messy girl. Actually, that may be why she started getting up at night again...hunger? Experiment time!

Hi everyone!

 

[amc80]

SunnyD- B still only gets 6oz at a time, although occasionally he will want more and end up with 8-10. He is 8m (as of Monday, which is crazy) but the size of a 14m old or so, for reference.

B has figured out that he can crawl to the ottoman, pull himself up, and help himself to whatever is there. Looks like we are baby proofing this weekend.

Developmental question- when did your babies start babbling consonants? I just read something that said babies start this around 7 months. B does all the vowels but that's it. No mama, dada, baba, etc.

His sleep has been terrible. Part of the cause is his crib. Now that he is moving he gets himself stuck in all sorts of positions, and gets his legs caught between slats. Buying a breathable bumper ASAP. I think he might have an ear infection as well. Back to the doctor tomorrow.

Hope all is well with everyone! I haven't been very active due to being busy at work, with puppies, and starting a side business. And, you know, raising an infant

 

[mayerling]

AMC, N started babbling - i.e. consonant and vowel combinations - just before 7 months.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Congrats Mia and MLK, you're little ones are SO cute! So cute and litte

AMC, I've noticed that a lot of babies who are more active and physical are a little slower to be verbal and vice versa. I bet B will be babbling away in no time. Hope the sleep gets better. I'm about ready to add our breathable bumper too because Ev always gets his legs (secured in the woombie) stuck in the slats and then he wakes himself up kicking the crib.

Sunny, Ev is still only drinking about 5 or so ounces at a time. He is a spit-up machine, so we can't really load him up much more than that. Why don't you try 6.5 or 7 ounces and see how she does? We are sometimes able to use medium flow nipples, but other times, we have to switch back to the slow flow because it starts pouring out the sides of his mouth. That seems to happen when he is tired.

 

[amc80]

AMC, I've noticed that a lot of babies who are more active and physical are a little slower to be verbal and vice versa. I bet B will be babbling away in no time.

I was wondering about that. I'm sure one day he will start babbling like crazy and I'll regret having worried

AMC, N started babbling - i.e. consonant and vowel combinations - just before 7 months.

Wow, that seems early!

 

[mayerling]

AMC, N started babbling - i.e. consonant and vowel combinations - just before 7 months.

Wow, that seems early![/quote]

Actually, it was kind of late - babies begin to babble around 6 months - but N is being brought up bilingual so I wasn't worried.

 

[sunnyd]

She got just over 7oz down last night before bed. She fussed at 12:30 and 5, but fell back asleep when I put the paci back in her mouth. Hopefully we'll be starting some solids next week so her lil tummy will stay fuller longer.

MP, H also has a dribble problem, which is why we took so long to switch over to med flow!

AMC, H is only 6 months (tomorrow!) but she does GA and MMMMMMA. Otherwise it's a lot of grunts and general noise. Babyproofing...good luck! We might be there soon, H is well on her way to crawling. Yikes.

 

[amc80]

Well, the good news is no ear infection, just a(nother) cold. Freaking day care. I asked the doctor about the lack of babbling and he wasn't concerned at all. I also mentioned how B likes to sleep on his stomach with his head face down. He said at this age it's fine because B is perfectly capable of moving or rolling over as needed. Still freaks me out.

Oh, and he's 25lbs on the dot. No wonder he's outgrowing his 12m clothes. Does anyone else feel like they are constantly shopping for their babies?

 

[monkeyprincess]

amc, I definitely feel like I'm shopping constantly for the baby. It's hard to plan too far in advance because it's hard to say how big they'll be when the weather gets warmer..

So funny we were talking about babbling today because Ev cane home from daycare saying dadadadada today. DH is all cocky about it. now I need to work on mama! His favorite is the old standby gaga. He also accidentally rolled over onto his stomach twice today. Big day in the monkeyprincess household today.

 

[sunnyd]

Haha, accidentally! H was so surprised when she did it the first time. Like, how did I get here?! We got it on video to embarrass her with later.

AMC, ugh to another cold. Poor boy, but at least he's getting EVERY illness out of the way early so he'll be a rockstar health champ in school?

 

[monkeyprincess]

Sunnyd, that's so awesome you got it on video. Ev has been getting super close to going all the way over lately, but he usually realizes it in time to stop himself. Yesterday, he didn't stop himself, and then he started frantically flapping his arms around and fussing. A few minutes later, he did it again, and reacted the same way. It was hilarious

 

[monkeyprincess]

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. Ev turned 6 months yesterday. Can't believe how quickly time is going! Here's what he thought of his mommy's attempt to take his six month picture yesterday

 

[Haven]

LADIES!!!! How are you? I've been lurking late at night on my phone but not posting because, well, I'm always on my phone. I have a quick minute to pop in now so I wanted to say HI! and tell you all that I miss you!

I love all these babies!

Things are going well here. B is doing great, amazing as ever. I am loving being a mommy more than I ever could have imagined I would. We are having a ton of fun, going to story time at the library, taking mommy and me classes. I can't believe my little baby is going to be four months old on the 18th. Time is flying. I cry every time I think about going back to work in August, so we won't talk about that.

The only new thing with us is that I've started making baby buttons to sell on Etsy because I'm just so darn in love with my boy. It's a ton of fun, I've been loving designing them and putting them out there.

I sent this picture to DH yesterday because I can't believe how big our boy has gotten. He weighs above 15 lbs now. Where did my tiny baby go????

My happy boy:


Sorry for the quick post, but I have missed you and wanted to pop in.

 

[Dandi]

Thank you for the advice re. solids, ladies! I tried Oscar on some baby rice cereal yesterday, and he was not in the slightest bit impressed. I tried again today but this time I mixed it with breastmilk instead of water, and he actually opened his mouth and swallowed a bit (albeit witha look of total disgust on his face ). I'm calling it a success! That is, until I put the bowl too close and he grabbed it... man that kid can move fast! Most of it ended up all over him. Rookie mistake on my part

Oh, Haven!!! How handsome is B?!?!?!?! You clever clever mamma you, he just gets more and more gorgeous!!!!!!

mp, that pic of Ev is priceless!!! Definitely one for the 21st birthday photo board!

mlk, Lucas is so totally beautiful, what a looker!!! I'm so sorry to hear you're having a rough time re. feeding, you're a wonderful mamma. Lucas is one lucky lucky guy!

Big hello to sunny, amc, mayerling, JGator, mia, lliang and NEL, and apologies if I've missed anyone!!

AFM, I'm back to my old self again, thank goodness. I love love LOVE being a mummy. Healthwise I'm starting to wean off my antidepressants already, which is a really good feeling. Oscar is sleeping 8pm-7am, then feeding, then back to bed until about 9am. His daytime naps are going really well, he usually naps at 10:30am for about 2 hours, then back down again at 3ish for another 2 hours. I can put him down wide awake, and he usually jabbers away to himself for five minutes and puts himself to sleep, he has really gotten the hang of it! The fact that I'm sleeping well has improved my emotional health tenfold, I'm sure. He has been waking every now and then at about 2am for a feed... growth spurt maybe? Or my good luck has just run out He is nearly sitting up unassisted and is rolling from tummy to back, and from back to side. I'm astounded at how rapidly he changes. Every day he learns something new, it just fascinates me!

Here's my big boy, 17 weeks old, in his brand new high chair, looking pretty chuffed with himself!

I'll try and keep up a bit better with this thread, I adore reading everyone's posts and seeing your beautiful, beautiful babies!!

 

[monkeyprincess]

Hi Dandi, what a cutie O is! So glad that things have evened out of for you. I knew you would be back to normal in no time! You are one lucky mama to have such an awesome sleeper! Our little guy used to sleep through the night once in awhile for 9-10 hour stretches, but now he is getting up at least once a night and whimpering enough to wake us several more times.

Haven, I wondered where you've been hiding. What a handsome little man B is becoming. It's amazing how fast these little ones grow in such a short time. I love your carseat comparison.

 

[monarch64]

Hi Mommies!!! I've been reading along but haven't had time to post for awhile! I threw my husband a surprise party for his 40th birthday this weekend and had been planning and getting things together for about 6 weeks. It was a smashing success and he really enjoyed it. I did a scotch and chocolate tasting in our home, and it was very well-received, but it was SO HARD keeping the surprise!! Fortunately I have friends who are amazing party planners and were able to help with set up while I faked him out by telling him I was taking him out for a surprise date night. After driving for about 10 minutes, I told him I forgot something at home that we HAD TO HAVE for the evening so I doubled back and SURPRISE!!! He was so shocked, but I haven't seen him that ecstatic since Alex was born!

Here are some pics:

 

[monarch64]

A couple more:

 

[monarch64]

Now for personal responses!

MP: Ev is just gorgeous, what a sweet boy. I love seeing pics of him smiling! I'm not huge on the hair pulling either. A likes to examine my teeth and lips with her hands, and I let her, but the hair pulling is very very annoying. Even when I have my hair pulled back, she finds a way to get a hand in it and yanks. Ouch!

NEL, thanks for chiming in with diaper suggestions. We've been cloth diapering since September, but have had to use disposables at night due to leakage issues. I don't even know what brand we use, I think they're Luv's. Husband buys the diapers and formula and baby food, and I just approve if things seem to be going well. Your Katie is just a peach, gorgeous as usual, I have been lurking on the 12-36 months thread and watching her grow. I can't believe I'll be joining that thread soon!

Mia: welcome! O is such a beautiful baby, omg I miss that stage so much! I'm so glad to hear that your DH is so helpful, that is such a blessing. Those were tough times for me, too, mostly because of the recovery issues and lack of sleep plus too many visitors, but I really do miss A being a teeny, tiny baby. Now she's a squirmy wormy distracted/doesn't wanna be held BIG baby! Gah! You are doing a great job, and again, so glad you joined this thread!

MLK: you're doing fantastic being the primary caretaker, I am so impressed! Lucas is absolutely adorable, what a sweet smile, and he looks like he's doing well with tummy time! You deserve a HUGE pat on the back and many hugs for being such an awesome mother and doing so much of the caretaking yourself!

Sunny: Hi! We never bumped A up to more than 6 oz. We started purees and stuff instead and it's just been baby food plus a 4 oz bottle during the day, and then maybe a 6 oz bottle if we're out somewhere and that's it During the night she gets 4 oz bottles of formula, and now we've switched to diluted forumula and are trying to give her more water, either at night or during the day so we can start weaning her once she's 12 months. I realize you're probably nowhere near weaning yet, just sharing. I think someone told me once that 8 oz is too much for a tiny baby tummy and I think that stuck in my head. I may be totally wrong, though.

AMC: I think Alex started babbling right around 7 months. It's always D's. Da-da-da, and another D-sound. Then it was Mmmm--oooo. Not like "mom," more like "moo." She's heard us yell "Daisy" at the dog so many times I think that's what we were hearing. Now it's definitely "dada," and "ay-see." "Hi," is "I!" B will get there, of course! Congrats on starting your side business!

Haven: Wow! Great to see you posting, I've missed you all over the boards! B is such a doll, thanks for posting a then and now pic! He's gorgeous, I'm sure you hear that all the time, though. Glad you are enjoying this time with him. I totally understand the struggle with going back to work. I know you'll make the best decision for yourself and your family. I do want to tell you that I just recently resigned from my position at work and cut down to part time hours. I am so much happier, and so is my husband, and obviously, our girl. I don't say the following without knowing it might influence you and I probably shouldn't say it, but I'm going to anyway: I look at Alex sometimes and feel like I didn't bond with her enough, that I didn't spend enough time with her when she was very young and that now we are just getting to know each other again, and I really regret that. I wish I could turn back time every day and re-live all those months I missed over again. I feel at this point that she thinks of me as a caretaker instead of her mommy! If you and I were having coffee somewhere and we were real life friends, knowing your situation and having been there, I would tell you to put off going back to work. There I said it. Fortunately, I'm only a random stranger on the internet and you can take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

DandiAndi: so happy to hear you're doing well! Your boy is beautiful, you've done such a wonderful job with him! Is that a Beatrix Potter pattern on his bowl?

AFU: Alex is growing much too quickly for my liking. She has a couple "words" now that are only understandable to us. She can stand between two things for about 7-10 seconds. She seems to understand "no," and will shake her head vehemently if I say the word "no" when she's pulling the dog's tail or something dangerous. She is starting to hate to have her diaper changed (gets bored) and hates having her face wiped. Pretty typical almost-a-year old stuff. Still loves having her hair brushed and blow-dried after baths which I am ecstatic about.

 

[monkeyprincess]

Monarch, looks like you pulled off a great surprise party. That's great you are enjoying more time with A and working part time. I'm envious. I'm hoping I can find a way to do that as well one of these days, but my field doesn't lend itself to that very well.

Question for you all. What brand of baby cereal do you use? Anyone use Earths Best? Thanks in advance....