PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[FrekeChild]

6 months today. 26 inches, 16 pounds, so she is finally average.

I'm a bit worried-- measuring at 97% for head circumference. Up from 75% at 4 months. Google just makes it worse - hydrocephalus, autism, etc. Doc is scheduling an ultrasound to rule out the hydro. Have an appointment with a neurosurgeon in July (may have to be bumped up).

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that everything is ok and she is just taking after her big brained (and headed) papa.

I'm still lurking around but never seem to have enough time to post as much as I'd like to. I'm still here though and I think about you ladies and your babies often!

 

[pancake]

Bobbin - we were up on the Gold Coast a couple of weekends ago, my husband had a workshop at the Sofitel for a couple of days so we tagged along (plus it was Mother's Day on the Sunday, not that we did anything special given the workshop, but it would have been a bit sad to be home in Melbs by ourselves!). Charlotte sounds like she is going beautifully - I'm sorry you're having such a time of things with breastfeeding, though. Are you getting cracks/blisters, or just pain? If it is the latter, the pulling pain does go away over time. Could you try alternating expressing and nursing through the day? I imagine it's the 2 hourly feeding that is making you so sore. I had the pulling sort of pain/tenderness at the beginning, but S spaced out to 3 hourly feeds quite quickly so after the first few weeks we were ok.

Re mothers' group - don't worry, it will be great! The fact that your babies are the same age really is the key thing here - it is that you are going through the same things at the same time, and that is a big enough point of commonality that it largely transcends the differences in your backgrounds, ages, etc. In my group we have 7 mums (had 10, but 2 went overseas and one dropped out), and I have become really good friends with 2 of them in particular (they're the same age as me, similar backgrounds in terms of being professionals etc, both do cloth nappies too), but still really enjoy catching up with all of the others too. The babies being of similar ages is really important... I tagged along to another group a few weeks ago (one of the mums in my group was originally in another group of slightly older babies, and they were doing more activities together so I went along) but whilst the mums were lovely, I just wasn't at the same stage as the others as Sylvie was a good 2-3 months younger than the other babies, and at this age, 2-3 months is a HUGE difference!

Try not to sweat the in-laws too much until they have displayed their wares, so to speak - as in, until they've arrived and you've actually established what your grievances are I hope that they will surprise you and be fabulous (I am sure they LOVE the name Charlotte now that their golden grandchild is out in the world!), but if they're not, it's still better to only be annoyed by actual things, rather than by the anticipatory dread, if that makes sense.

Oh oh - and I saw that C is now the cover photo on a certain nappy company's FB page!!! Wow!!! (I swear I wasn't stalking anyone, I was checking the page to see if they had any specials or sales!) So cute.

Freke, please don't get too stressed yet - Aralia is developing normally, and going from the 75th to 95th centiles is not a big jump! If, as you say, her dad has a very big head too, then the most likely thing is that her head is genetically programmed to be like his, and it will be ok. In my line of work we see lots of babies referred like this and I am not sure that I have ever seen hydrocephalus diagnosed in this way... I think I have heard of it occurring in one of our clinics once? So it is not likely, and the scans etc are a precautionary thing.

NEL, nice work on the crib transition! I hope that you are feeling ok about going back to work and that it's not too traumatic for you. Re the rolling - it's pretty common for bubs to achieve a new skill, then for it to go "dormant" again for a while! This thread is amazing for demonstrating the diversity in development amongst babies the same age. I always think of K, Ethan and S as being contemporaries and they are all doing such different things in different domains!

Janine - when I'm out with the Ergo I do carry my nappy bag as the pocket on the front of the Ergo is not big enough to hold anything much! (I keep a burp cloth in it) I just use the long strap on the bag and generally it's ok. Re the BJCMD - I can imagine that a double would feel clunky, no matter how compact! Would you consider an in-line double? I can't imagine it being easier to wield than a side-by-side, though, and it'd definitely be much heavier! We have the Select, which converts to an in-line double and I am wondering exactly how useful I will find it as a double if/when the time comes...

AFU, Sylvie woke at 5 hours overnight and then attempted to wake at 3.5 hours after that!!! I decided that I wasn't going to pick her up so I just rocked her in her bassinet for 10 minutes on and off, and she went back to sleep - woke eventually at 6:30, happy and playing (so 4.5 hours after the last feed). I am confident that when she wakes up under 4 hours that she is not hungry (she will comfortably go 4 hours during the day, and occasionally would probably go longer were it not for me limiting the interval to 4 hours) so I think I just have to work on re-settling if she wakes early. Previously it just seemed easier to pick her up and feed her, but then I found that she would have a fairly crappy feed (presumably not that hungry, still sleepy - she'd fall asleep halfway through).

I can hear her singing away in her bassinet at the moment (she's between sleep cycles in her morning nap)

 

[CDNinNYC]

The Ergo I just got yesterday, and so far it seems great! Comfortable and easy to get on (which were my 2 gripes with the Bjorn). Sad that I waited so long! But I do have some questions for the veterans: when you're out and about, do you also carry your diaper bag? That seems like a pain (at least with a stroller you can hook it on the handle). I'm thinking ahead for our City visit. Also - and for those with older babies I guess - is your baby still able to look all around if forward/in facing? Mine is at the age where she wants to see it all...but I'm not too comfortable with outward facing yet...

Hey Janine, we don't have the Ergo (we got the Beco) but my go-to carrier for forward facing is the Mei Tai Baby. It has snaps in the crotch area to cinch in the extra fabric. Isla loves it. I'm in NYC and use it all the time, much more than my stroller. Do you have a back-pack you can use for a diaper bag? I have the Petunia Pickle Bottom Back-Pack which is great for keeping your hands free when you're walking about. There's a great baby-carrying store (Metro-Minis - they are also online) in the UES that sells all kinds of baby-wearing paraphernalia. If you're in the neighborhood, you might want to pop in.

 

[lliang_chi]

Quick post here mamas, Ethan did splendid on his first flight. I carried him on in the Ergo and the attendant said he had to come out of it during take off and landing. So that was a fail because he started to fuss as soon as I pulled him out. DH tried to quiet him, but he would have none of it. I finally took him and he fell asleep in my arms. He slept the entire flight, snacked just a little bit, then plowed through 90 ml just as we started our descent. We kept his suckie in his mouth during the landing and he was fine.

Pancake, So glad you sorted out home-care for your dad after his siblings finish visiting. I think you have a wonderful plan on how to continue with watching and caring for your dad, I hope things stay (relatively) smooth. S looks so gooey and yummy! I could just gobble her up! Who's her little friend?

Bobbin, lovely pics!!! Happy 1 month Baby Charlotte. So nice that you had such a great time with your family. My hope is your ILs will surprise you. I agree with *NEL* when it comes to Ethan I'm all MamaBear about things and what I say goes (with exception of DH). And having DH talk to his mom about BF is a good idea. If he's tells her he's 100% pro-breast feeding and he wants her to give you encouragement then I can't see how she won't at least hear him out and give you some help. Or at the very least just keep comments to a minimum. Ethan didn't give us 6 hrs until he was about 10 wks.

Janine, The ERGO front pocket is TEENY TINY. I only use the Ergo when I'm off running errands and don't expect to be out for extended periods of time. E.g. walking the dog, going grocery shopping and back, or hitting Target/Post office and back. For diaper bag, will you be with your DH? If so, maybe have him carry a back pack of diaper-necessities? Maybe my body is just weird but I find wearing any other kind of back pack weird when I wear the ERGO, so I find shoulder bags more comfy to carry stuff (e.g. diapers, groceries whatever). Maybe you can put A in the ERGO in a hip/side wearing style? That way she's not facing out but she can still look around. The ERGO (I believe) doesn't do a front wear-outward facing. But I could be wrong about that.

NEL, Hooray, good job Katie int he crib transition! Fingers crossed it stays on track for you. Aw, so cute you've got a "thinker" on your hands. Ethan gets "all business" whenever we whip out a camera (either FLIP Video or digi-cam). He could be all cute and goofy and chatty, then he sees the camera and all business. I'm looking forward to starting work. At least you have PT to ease yourself into work. I'm going FT, I' sure it's going to be a tough week for me next week!

Freke, HELLO FRIEND! Post pictures of your gorgeous girl. That's the least you can do for not hanging out with us (just kidding of course). If you see ElleDizzy on FB or what not, let her know I'm thinking about her. I'm wondering how her little man's doing. Ethan has 95% for head circumference too. But Daddy's got a big head too, so I figure that's why.

MQ, how are you doing friend? How's Wes doing?

PhG, hope you're doing well.

AFU: As I said, Ethan's plane ride went fine. He finally met grandma (MIL) for the first time. Aw! She got to hold him. He starts out sweet but then turns into a Mr. Fussy-pants. OK, off to bed.

~LC

 

[pancake]

LC, that's one of her little friends from my mothers' group - she's about 7 weeks older than S (Sylvie is the youngest in the group by about 4 weeks)! So glad your flight was a success! We used the Ergo on the plane the other week and it was brilliant, so great. Your MIL must have been just so thrilled to meet the little guy

 

[FrekeChild]

Lol LC! Well, just so I'll be forgiven....

Had the brain ultrasound today. Get those results back early next week. Eye doc on Tuesday after physical therapy. She's going to be an exhausted mess on Tuesday. Fun times.

She's growing up so much! I think she's finally starting to take on some permanent characteristics. Her dark gray eyes are turning brownish (like daddy's brown eyes), her baby hair has fallen out and is now golden-y brown (like mine), she has a pretty significant dimple (like daddy) and has very fair skin (like me, very much not like daddy). Oh yeah and she has my smile. So, basically, no family resemblance. At all.

 

[FrekeChild]

And one more with the dimple because it's super cute.

 

[zoebartlett]

Freke - I just had to pop in to say how beautiful A. is. Such a happy baby!

 

[Puppmom]

Freke, just wanted to pop in to say Aralia is beautiful! I suspect her head is normal and the u/s results will relieve your worries. I'm in the big head club too. There are literally some shirts I can't fit over my kid's noggin! We're currently on the hunt for a UV swim shirt/rash guard that we can fit over his head. I wouldn't worry about the jump in percentile either because it is HARD to measure the head of a squirmy baby and I have never been able to duplicate the measurement done by our pediatrician. With the said, I think it's great that you're being proactive with her health.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Quick post since K is at the end of her nap.

Freke, I just had to comment about A! She is soooooooo cute! She seems like such a happy, smiley baby! I'm so sorry that you're worried about her little noggin', but I agree that the jump isn't that drastic--especially at this age when everything is growing at different times. I'm sure you'll feel better after the ultrasound, but I hope you're not too worried!

LC, I'm so glad the flight went well--enjoy your time with your MIL. I haven't even asked how she's been doing. Is she doing much better? Is J's sister any more helpful these days (I'm guessing no). And K is totally "all business" when the camera comes out. She'll be super smiley and then *bam* serious face.

Pancake, So glad that S's sleep is more stretched out these days. Quick question: when S wakes, do you just rock her? When K wakes up in the middle of the night, I tend to give her a paci and would like to stop doing that.

Janine, I forgot to answer the ERGO question. I don't usually carry the diaper bag with me if I'm wearing Katie. I bring the bag with me and leave it in the car when I'm taking Bo for a walk or going to the grocery store. When I'm in the woods, I just use the front pocket for my keys and phone.

AFU:
1. You know those giant FAO Schwartz stuffed animals? Well D got one for Katie--it showed up on our doorstep last night. It is HUGE--it takes up our entire bed, haha. Katie seems to really like it.

2. Crib transition is getting better. She did a 9pm - 6am stretch last night and woke up chirpy (not crying for her paci), so that was good! Our mom group instructor always says that if they do it once, they can do it again, so I hope it continues.

3. I think I'm in my final days of pumping My supply has really decreased and I've tried various things to get it back up with no success. And K can no longer nurse due to the acid reflux (I have to add rice cereal to my milk). I had only been able to give her one bottle of breast milk per day prior to this, so it's not a big change, but I at least liked giving her one bottle.

 

[pancake]

Freke - how did the ultrasound go? I hope the results don't cause you any stress, fingers crossed! Aralia is so cute - can see how spirited she is!

NEL, re night/early morning wakings, we haven't had any since the weekend, but when they were happening I was pretty lazy...I can reach the bassinet with my foot so I would stretch out my leg and rock the bassinet that way! Once when that didn't work I got up and patted her a bit, but I don't think it happened enough for me to be able to give any advice. My plan was that if it kept happening, I would start by rocking, then move to patting if necessary. S has never taken to the pacifier (she tongue thrusts, gags, grumbles, etc - we have about 6 different types but the last time I managed to get her to take one was probably a couple of months ago!) so I have never used it to soothe her at night.

That photo of K on top of the massive dog is hilarious!!! Where are you keeping it when you're in your bed??

AFU, changes seem to be afoot -- the last two days Sylvie has dropped her fourth nap (previously there was a morning nap, a mid-morning/lunchtime nap, afternoon nap, evening nap) and her feeds during the day have stretched out to 4 hours. We haven't dropped a feed, as I don't want her waketime in the evening to be pushed out TOO far, so the last two 24-hour periods have gone something like:

7:30am wake, feed, play
8:30am nap
11am wake, feed, play
12pm nap
1pm wake, short play
(these two sleeps are "usually" one long nap but she has done two shorter spurts for the last two days in a row)
1:30-ish nap
3ish wake, feed, play
4:30-ish bed
6-ish wake, feed, play, quiet play, more play
7:30-ish bath, feed around 8
8:30-ish bed
2am feed

So in short, it looks like her sleep-wake cycles are getting longer through the day, her waketime is lengthening towards the end of the day, and that fourth nap has been kaput. Interestingly she has been perfectly happy in the evenings; both evenings I have put her down for her nap (and she has looked tired) but she hasn't settled and when I've got her up again, she has been perfectly happy to sit quietly on our laps or play on the floor. I've also noticed that her evening and night feeds have been much bigger and longer, and she's taking both breasts instead of just one.

And oh my, she looks to have gained some weight in the last week or so! Those leg creases are spectacular and her cheeks need their own postcode I think the unsettled stuff last week and the night wakings were probably partly a growth spurt and partly her body working out how it wanted to change its routine.

 

[janinegirly]

NEL: I love that dog shot, holy cow is it big. My 3 yr old would be estatic. Your DH is going to be splurging alot over the years if he's already doing this at 3 months! I'm sorry about the pumping...I'm going through that now, but still trying - no idea why. Now down to 1 bottle every 2 days and she is a bigger baby so that represents very little, but for some reason I keep trying thinking maybe it'll come back (in past my supply has gone up and down). I think you did GREAT so far though and the first 3 months are the most important. It'll be much easier for #2 as well, so it's all good. Thanks for the ergo feedback- tried putting A in it a few times and so far big FAIL. I think maybe she is just not accustomed to the feeling of hanging there. I'll keep trying.

Pancake: I want to see more pics (haha I'll just look on FB), I love leg rolls. A has major thighs and fat calves too! DH thinks they are too huge but I love them! What's S weighing these days?

Freke: She is gorgeous, oh my! I hope the head u/s comes back clean soon so you can have peace of mind. I know many babies who measured that large and were fine - it's all relative and they test just to be sure. My DD's all had large heads.

Not much new here, but do have a question for the moms of older babes - did you switch to the fast nipples and how did it go? I never did with DD1 because it was too fast for her. I noticed DD2 though was sucking so hard the nipples were inside out so tried to up to the fastest nipple but now she is sucking down 6oz in 2 minutes! Not sure if that's too fast or if I should hold back.

 

[Mannequin]

Hi friends!

I have turned into a lurker on this thread. I wish I could post more, but I've been thinking about everyone. Weston will be three months old this week! He's doing really well. I did a bathroom scale weigh-in this morning and he's just over 15.5 lbs - hello 6 month outfits! He's consistently sleeping 6-7 hours when he first goes down for the night, and he's nursing like a champ. "Mr. Cheeks" is all smiles most of the day and is starting to laugh and put everything in his mouth. No rolling yet, but he is vocalizing like crazy and can sit in his Bumbo seat. I found out that I have to go back to school for the last week with the kids. I am already pumping milk to prepare for that week. I am not looking forward to missing my little man while his grandmas and his great grandma pitch in to help watch him. I still need to figure out daycare for fall and how I am going to pump at work, so this will be a test run for both of us. I hope it goes well!

A few pics of W to share:
One of his two month pics


Playing outside for the first time


Tasty bunny snack

 

[Loves Vintage]

Mannequin - Just popping in to say -- Oh.my.goodness!! He's so adorable!!

 

[janinegirly]

Love the photos Mannequin! # 2 is my fave

 

[NewEnglandLady]

MQ, I have to tell you how ADORABLE Weston is. Oh my gosh, he's so big and so cute!! Two girls in my previous mom group were teachers who had to go back for 2 weeks before the summer. It's a bummer, but then you get the whole summer!! It's great to hear that he's sleeping so well!

Pancake, it's so nice that you have a schedule. I'll have one for a few days, then she changes it. For instance today she completely skipped her afternoon nap. I'm hoping that daycare will actually help with a schedule, though it's not like I really need one--our day is pretty flexible. I love big baby cheeks, they are the cutest!

Oh, and the pup lives on top of our piano for now.

Janine, a bottle every other day adds up. I think I've just hit a wall and the stress of pumping is wearing me out. And I don't even pump that much anymore! It's more about pumping when going back to work. I will BARELY have any time with Katie as it is, I don't want to have to carve out time to pump. And then carve out time at work to pump. Sorry the Ergo is a fail, you may be right about the feeling of just hanging there.

AFU, I return to work tomorrow. I'm really sad. D is taking care of her tomorrow, so I don't have to drop her off at daycare, but I'm still sad. Ugh, this sucks.

Did a trial run at daycare (for 2 hours). I left and did a little back-to-work shopping. There were tons of moms out with their kids and it was kind of hard to stomach, but when I came to pick up Katie she was asleep and the two other kids were sharing this toy and it was so cute. For some reason, it just made me feel better. The upcoming months are going to be a big adjustment for me.

 

[parrot tulips]

NEL - I know this won't make you feel any better, but one of the mothers from Ava's play group just went back to work (4 days/week), and she said it wasn't nearly as bad as she expected. Partly because she felt so comfortable with the daycare she had chosen (and it sounds like you feel comfortable with yours as well). She said she missed her daughter, but it was also surprisingly nice to be back at work.

AFU - I've been lurking more than posting lately because my little one has become a little more...high maintenance than she previously was. I'm not sure if it's because she hit that mysterious 4 month mark (adjusted) when many babies become out of sorts, or if she might possibly be in the beginning stages of teething, or if it's because she's beginning to need an earlier bedtime (we had been putting her to bed at around 8-8:30), and the accumulation of sleep deprivation has made her a crank monster. We're aiming for a 7-7:30 bedtime now, to see if it helps.

Ava has also gone on a complete and total bottle strike. It's the boob or nothing for her. We have tried Avent, Tommy Tippee, and Playtex Ventaire Wide bottles, different nipple flows, feeding her in dark, quiet rooms, feeding while walking and/or rocking, having different people feed, making sure I'm not in the same room, different temperatures, and nothing works. The second she sees the bottle coming towards her, she arches her back and starts crying so hard she begins to gag. She used to take the bottle, which was lovely, because it meant bonding time for my husband, and the ability for me to have time to myself (shopping, running errands baby-free, getting my hair done, date nights with J, etc.). Luckily I'm a SAHM, but I'd still love to be able to have some time to myself once and a while, without worrying that she'll starve.

 

[parrot tulips]

Just a quick little photo. A friend of my husband snapped this shot when we ran into him outside of a bagel shop last weekend. Ava is making a funny face, and J has a scratch on his face from mountain biking, but I love it anyway.

 

[FrekeChild]

Awwww!!!! You guys are too sweet! I think she's pretty cute myself, but I'm pretty biased.

No ultrasound results yet. I hope they call me tomorrow. If not, I'm probably going to call the ped's office and start harassing, because my mental health and sleep is starting to suffer.

What I'm wondering is if the plagiocephaly and torticollis have deformed her head to throw off the measurements. Perhaps I'm just projecting.

Friday she started showing off some cold symtoms, so we've been pumping her full of fluids, sticking saline spray up her nose and using the Nose Frida regularly to torture her. Aka, help her be able to breathe.

She's funny, she will laugh for her dad and myself, and that's about it. She is very unsure about laughing or smiling at "strangers" aka her aunt, grandfather, etc. Sleep deprivation doesn't help!

I'm attaching a pic. Sometimes she looks more little kid instead of a baby...


NEL, hugs on no longer pumping. I gave up at 2.5 months if I remember correctly. A is still pretty dang healthy! Minus the current cold of course!

Janine, we use Avent bottles, and she's between 2-3 nipples right now, but starting to need 3s more. 1s are newborn, switched to 2s when she was sucking so hard they were flattened. Now she's doing that with 2s...she likes to take her time eating though.

Mannequin, W is getting so big! I'm sorry you have to go to work for a week, but at least it's only a week!

Pancake, your schedule is great, jealous! I think someone is going through a growth spurt, so between that and the cold, her schedule is a mess!

 

[Lauren8211]

Hey guys!

LC, Freke told me that you asked about me so I wanted to check in! I really need to catch up and see what's going on with all of your babies! They get big so quickly so I'm sure there will be tons to read!

Liam will be 6 months next Wednesday. Man does time fly! Here's a picture of him in his jumper:

 

[janinegirly]

NEL: Oh, I'm sorry about the return to work and the emotional toll - it's so hard but you are managing well. Great idea on the drive by at the day care---peace of mind those first few days is invaluable. And the fact that she was sleeping is huge!
I agree 1 bottle every other day adds up, although it gets tough to justify all the pumping and time it takes. I did give her 2 bottles a day plus bf at night up till 5 mos, then it was 1 bottle per day and the past few weeks the 1 bottle every other day...I think my body has had it! But I do not pump as regularly as I used to, and it is tough to stick to like you said! You've done great so far and K is a doll and healthy and spunky as can be. Good luck on your first day!!!

Freke: you might be right on the plagiocephaly skewing the measurement (and you are already addressing that and she looks great in photos). I think it's routine for them to request an u/s if there is a jump in growth (rather than the hard percentage number) but really that is still so vague. They could have measured off, could be totally normal - but in a way it's good to just know so I agree on calling the ped and asking for results. No call from them is probably good news though. And she is just so cute in all the pics..keep them coming, what a smile and I love her dainty little face. Thanks for the nipple feedback..I guess 3 it is!

PT: Hi!! A is ridiculously cute and glad to see she still has that chubby face, love the cheeks! Sorry about bottle strike...you can keep trying or how about the pacifier? Most babies reject the boob, so yours knows what's good!

Elledizzy: Aww, great photo. I need to get a jumper, what kind is yours. My A is 7 months and if I bounce her standing up she laughs hysterically so I better get one asap. How big is your lil' guy now?

 

[lliang_chi]

Hey mamas, posting from the pump room at work. First day back today and it's been poetry easy. I think everyone's just letting me getcaught up on emails etc. but things are more or less just how I left them. I have you say it's good to feel a bit like my old self

Well post proper responses when I'm at my desk but wanted to send a hug to NEL

 

[lliang_chi]

OK able to post for real now.

NEL, hugs. Sounds like you're having a rough go with the transition back. But it definitely helps to know that K is well taken care of at daycare and she's doing OK. I actually just called and they said that Ethan's doing OK. He fought his first bottle and his first nap, but after that he's been OK. I hope he's been able to sleep etc, the last thing I want is to bring home a cranky baby... How was D's first day taking care of her?

Janine, Sorry A isn't the happiest in the Ergo. Ethan doesn't like to be put in it but once he's in, he's kinda OK. I guess because it feels like he's being held? Also helps when I walk and bounce around with him. I keep putting him in it becaues I want him to get used to it. He more or less passes out once he gets settled.

Elle! So good to see you! I'm glad L is doing so well. My what a HANDSOME little man you have there.

Freke, well, from a completely unbiased 3rd party, little A is capital A -Adorable! I hope she bumps her cold quickly, poor thing! How is the Nosefrida? A part of me thinks it's kinda yucky, but the other part of me wouldn't want my baby to be wheezing and unable to breathe. I dunno if I can get over the ick-factor though. i know, i know, "Toughen up, you're a mom now." Maybe I'm a big wussy...

PT, love the picture of A & Daddy. Sorry to hear she's on bottle strike. Sounds like we have opposite ends of the spectrum kids. Ethan regularly goes on boob strike. I hope A will turn the corner and take a bottle. I think it's nice for dad's to get bonding time feeding the baby too, and SOO hear you on the "me-time." Keep us posted if A cuts some teeth in the next few wks!

MQ! There you are! I'm so glad Wes is doing so well. I love you're still doing hte onesie stickers. I kinda wish I did that too. Oh well. I think Ethan and Wes are on the same track for weight. I haven't done a bathroom scale weigh yet, but I'll do oen tonight and let you know. One week back at work isn't too bad, and you'll have a "light" at the end of the tunnel. Plus it'll be one week of school left, so hopefully everyone will be on cruise control.

Pancake, 4 hrs between feeds? How do you get S to do it? Ethan still goes only 2 hrs (mostly) on rare occasions 3 hrs between meals. He actually drank ALL the bottles that we sent to daycare (500 ml total), so I'm going to have to bump up the amount or get more bottles.

AFU, Ehtan's visit to FL went great. He was wonderful on the flights, and he charmed the pants off of the rest of the family. It was MIL's first time seeing him so she got to hold him a lot. He loves listening to her calm voice, compared to FIL who's so excited to see him he's always poking/pinching/laughing at him/startling him with "HI Ethan!'s". My mom is the same way too, she sees him and immediately runs over screaming how much she loves her grandson. I feel like saying "Dude, he just woke up from a nap, can we use our indoor voices?"

Will post pics tonight of Ethan. I realize I've been holding out on you ladies. Bad LC!

~LC

 

[pancake]

LC - wow, you seem like you have done really well with your first day back at work!! Power to you, mama... I think I will be a mess when I go back. Sounds like Ethan went great guns at childcare, must be such a relief to you.

Re S and how I "get" her to go 4 hours... Actually I get a lot of questions from other mamas (esp in my mothers group) about how I "get" Sylvie to do quite a few things The truthful answer is that I do very little and that it just seems to be the way she is. I mean, I institute the routines because she obviously can't decide whether she eats or plays first when she gets up, and if I know she hasn't slept enough I'll help her sleep longer, but that's about it. This morning she fed at 6:30, then slept until 10:40; I was in the middle of something at the time so I set her down on the floor thinking she'd probably squawk because she was hungry, but nope - she was still happily playing when I fed her 10 minutes later. I dunno where this kid's temperament comes from but it sure isn't me!!! Actually, MIL says that D was a happy, smiley, easygoing bub so it must be his genes.

NEL - big return-to-work hugs to you! I can imagine how you must have mixed feelings about expressing and giving it up. What a lot of BTDT mamas say is that it's really hard at the time of the transition, but once they give it a little time it's fine. I'm sure that will be true for you, too, but try and cut yourself some slack and give yourself some TLC whilst you're going through it.

Re Sylvie and her schedule... I think calling it a schedule is probably too strict a word for it, it's more a routine. I have very close to 0% to do with the fact that it exists apart from the minor interventions I listed above, but I am thankful for it!

Mannequin - Wes is freaking ADORABLE! That second photo is definitely my favourite. What a gorgeous little fat chops. Love it. Sounds like you are loving it too - so glad that things have settled so well for you!

Freke, I hope A is feeling better soon. Poor little snuffly thing! Hope you manage to stay well! Re the US, I think if it were grossly abnormal or anything to worry about they would have rung you, so try not to sweat it TOO much.

Elle, Liam is GORGEOUS! Cannot believe the time has passed that quickly. I remember you were one of the "senior" mamas-to-be when I first joined the preggo thread. How things change...

PT - bugger re the bottle refusal! I am getting a bit anxious that S will do the same, she hasn't had a bottle for probably 3 weeks now and she was never that keen on them to begin with. She'll have to have one tomorrow as I'm taking my dad to hospital for his chemo, so fingers crossed my mother can work her magic and get her to eat! I love that photo of J and Ava. Those cheeks get me Every. Single. Time.

Janine - any better luck with the Ergo?

AFU, not much news. Miss Fat Chops is just cruising along as usual. The last couple of days she has started rocking side-to-side a bit when on her tummy, so maybe she'll think about rolling (or think about thinking about it!) soon? Otherwise, she's just storing away fat for the winter months

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Pancake, I forgot to say "woohoo" for S going 4 hours between feedings. Our mom group instructor said that going 4 hours between bottles is a big jump because it means 4 bottles per day. And she said that most babies don't make the jump until they're doing 8 - 10 hour shifts at night. K does the 9 hour shift at night, but is still having 6 bottles per day, though her 8:30 bottle is more of a dream feed and she usually only takes 3 ounces (she has 6 during her other feedings). She'll go 3.5 hours between her first two bottles, but then back to 3 hours after that. So she usually does 6:30am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm...then the dream feed at 8:30pm. Strangely enough her eating times are pretty regular, but when she sleeps between them isn't.

LC, congrats on going back to work, mama. And I'm so glad the trip to FL went well. K also fought sleep her first day at daycare (she's there for 2 hours again today). Our babysitter told us that it's completey normal--new people, new sights, new smells. It's normal for them to be a little fussy as they're trying to take everything in. How was he when you picked him up?

Janine, thanks for all of the support about pumping and returning to work. You have done such a fabulous job, I still sometimes think about both of our journeys over the past five years or so and it's amazing.

Elle!! I was going through some old posts in the preggers thread the other day and was thinking about you! I love that photo of Liam!!! He's so cute!

Freke, as always, A is so, so cute! Just curious, how did you find out about the plagiocephaly? I only ask because K really prefers to sleep with her head to one side. I felt like it was impacting the shape of her skull, so I talked with my ped about it. She said she thought it was fine, but to just keep working on having K sleep on her other side. I've done everything I can think of: shifted her bed around, put things under one side of her head, moved her around the room...but she alwasy finds a way to shift herself in the position she wants. During the day, I can correct it, but at night, I'm asleep. Anyway, I'm getting concerned and not sure if I should go back to my pediatrician. Still keeping my fingers crossed for the u/s results!

PT, oh my goodness, A is just so, so cute. She looks extra petite in your husband's hands. I'm so sorry to hear about the bottle strike. K would SCREAM when I gave her a bottle a few weeks ago (we're still pushing through it). I cheated and nursed her a couple of times, but I'm not supposed to because of her acid reflux. Now I have to do the whole bouncing thing, then sometimes have her suck on a pacifier to get her sucking, then switch to the bottle. And stretching out her feedings has helped, too. Anyway, just saying that it can be SO FRUSTRATING! I hope it gets better soon!

AFU, Okay, so after all of my drama about going back to work I actually really enjoyed it. First, it was nice to have a little downtime on the train. I can actually read books again. Second, I missed my coworkers, so it is nice to see them and interact with them again. Third, I feel like I didn't miss that much! I had stayed up-to-speed on all emails, so I was never THAT out of the loop. I jumped right back into meetings yesterday and am even finishing a deck today that I'm presenting next week. So I feel really confident about coming back and actually contributing.

I got to play with Katie for about a half of an hour before I left for the day, so I got my fix When I got home, she was happy and awake, so we went out to dinner and she smiled and chirped the whole time. We did our normal bedtime routine and she fell asleep at 9...so I spent about a half of an hour doing housework.

Being part-time does help--I never work more than 2 days in a row, so I feel like the majority of my time is still spent with Katie. And I told my project manager to only make me 80% billable instead of 100% starting in September since I don't think I'll ever come back full-time. The pay cut is worth it, so I don't think I'll ever work more than 32 hours a week. At least not for awhile.

Anyway, I'm babbling. I do feel like a different person...I just feel like my life is more full in a good way.

 

[janinegirly]

NEL: yay!! sounds like you've adjusted very well and already feeling the benefits of some balance. Your schedule does help . And isn't it nice to get things done during the day - I do all my administrative errands/bills/shopping during the work day (shhhh...). And that is awesome that Kate has adjusted so well too. 80% is not much of a paycut either, probably save that back in commuting and childcare. Well done on that - wish I had that option although I do "work" from home on Friday.

On the plagiocephaly - I wanted to chime in. Now do you notice anything or are you just seeing her favor one side. It's not really something that gets formally diagnosed beyond visually..unless it's more severe (at which point they do measurements for alignment of ears to determine what should be done). We had this with DD1 but with her I think it started in the womb and it resolved with "repositioning". Anyway now is the time to try to correct it - pedi's always seem to downplay it. I too noticed a bit in DD2 (but it's in the back), so I think it's common because of all the time they spend on their backs. My suggestion (and this is just what we did / do) is to consider tummy sleeping. She'll still be able to turn her head (which is good from a saftey perspective) but alot less than they do on their backs. Frankly it's because they're more comfortable! Anyway, just a thought and depends what you're comfortable with. Otherwise she's at the age where she'll be off her head more and more so could just be better from that alone.

LC: Yay for easy transition back for you too!! woo-hoo, you girls are making it look way too easy. Is E still loving dc?

PT: Fat chops, lol. Haven't tried the ergo yet - I think I'll give hip carrying a go but go knows if I'll figure it out.

Ok not to get TMI, but for bf'ing moms, what are you doing for bc? 7 months out and I'm about to give up bf over this (and for other reasons). Mini pill has not gone well for me and seems kind of lame in general (can't miss it by 1 minute I'm now being told) and I'm having AF more than 1x a month so god knows what that means. I'm thinking of IUD since I don't love the thoughts of regular pill. In the past it made me very squeamish, but I guess it's not that bad. DH has mentioned the big V (we're done having kids) but no surprise hasn't followed through on it yet! He also is not a fan of condoms swhich brings us to abstinence, and at 7 months out ....not a great option since we're trying to normalize things more.

 

[lliang_chi]

Pancake, good point that you don't 'get' S to do anything. You're just blessed with a totally chill baby. Good for you. I think I'll try to transition Ethan to eating at least every 3 hrs. Glad that S got her daddy's even keel temperament. J said he vividly remembers throwing tantrums and pitching fits, so I pray, pray, pray that Ethan inherits my temperament. I don't recollect throwing tantrums at all.

NEL, congrats too on your day back. Wow, you were so good and kept on top of emails? I turned off my laptop when Ethan was 2 wks old an ddidn't turn it back on since. So there was/is a lot of catching up to do for me. I'll start my debrief today. I just marked all my emails as read and will plow through whatever needs to be done here on out. I figure if there's something important, people will track me down to get my attention. I'm so impressed that K takes in such good feedings. Ethan's just bumped 4.5oz per bottle. But I've been giving him less for daycare because they toss the bottle when it's not consumed within an hr. They said to give him more bottles with less in it until he gets used to eating at daycare. I think I'll see how he does in a week. If he's getting to a point where they're not throwing out any milk, then I'll bump him up to 4.5oz bottles @ daycare.

Janine, I called again to see how E was doing. They said he's eating, but his napping is not so good. He was definitely more tired yesterday than when he wasn't in daycare. I got Mirena inserted. It wasn't too bad at all. It was a very uncomfortable pap, but thus far I haven't found any issues. Although, DH and I haven't had any time. We tried once, but it was pretty uncomfortable for me. Midwife says BFing = dryness and therefore discomfort during sex. So BFing moms, do you just use lube? It was pretty uncomfortable for me that I said I had to stop, which would like never happen normally.

~LC

 

[FrekeChild]

Janine - Awww!!! Thank you!

LC - GO GET THE NOSE FRIDA! I know it's gross (snot sucking, I mean, really?!) but it takes 5 minutes to get a TON of mucus out with that vs the bulb aspirator, which would take an hour or more to get the same amount out. Her first cold wasn't that bad it turns out, but this one came with a vengence, and she had to learn to breathe through her mouth it was getting so bad. Pulled out the Nose Frida and voila! Could breathe through her nose again. Plus it has a little sponge thing in it so you can't actually suck any mucus through and swallow it. Bad thing is that A HATES IT, but she hates aspirating in general. Luckily she seems to realize that she feels better afterward, so she cries during it, but calms down quickly afterward.
Any tips for taking a baby on a flight? We're going to be flying to California relatively soon and I'm nervous about flying with her, especially because we have a connecting flight and can't fly direct.

Pancake - she is doing much better! Less mucus, and is back to being super happy and smiley instead of mediocre happy and smiley. Thanks for the extra reassurance.

NEL:
Plagio:

This is what my ex-neighbor, current peds resident said:
"Plagiocephaly is an unfortunate result of the back to sleep campaign for SIDS. Better to have a slightly flat head with torticolis than SIDS. The plagiocephaly may be affecting the head circumference a little bit. I'm guessing she's been otherwise a normal baby and is doing all the fun things a 6 mo old should do- like sitting up, babbling etc. So I'd expect the work up to be negative."

If you think her head is getting flat, I'd recommend doing something about it and insisting that your ped take it seriously because plagio & torticollis don't exactly get better on their own, and if she continues to sleep in the same position, it's just going to get worse. We have learned that the hard way. ETA: our PT isn't too worried, she said if they don't catch it until later, they can still majorly improve it with intensive treatment. Usually that includes helmets though.

When we went for the 2 month wellness check with our ped, she noticed it right away and sent us in for Physical Therapy ASAP. We didn't get in to see the PT until almost 3 months, and I wish they'd gotten us in sooner (so does our PT). Luckily as soon as our Ped brought it to our attention, we were proactive and did a lot of research, so we started working with her right away with tummy time, and repositioning when we could. When we started PT, they diagnosed her with minor torticollis, and we've been working on that ever since. Tons of tummy time, various exercises, stretching, etc. Her plagio has greatly improved. Her torticollis has not improved as much as we'd like. Such is life.

So to recap what we had to do:
Saw Ped at 2 month, she diagnosed plagio
Saw PT at 2.75 months, she sent us to the prosthetics company for a helmet consultation
We were told to go to physical therapy 1 time per week
Prosthetics company measured her head, it was 6mm off, which they considered to be "cosmetic" and our insurance would not cover a helmet for it at that measurement ($4,000)
Prosthetics company sent us to the pediatric neurosurgeon to check to make sure her sutures weren't growing together prematurely and that was what was causing it and to take a look at her head in general - this was fine
Pediatric neurosurgeon wants us to return in about a month for a check up so he can clear her for good
Ped got nervous about 75-97% jump in head measurement at 6 month appointment, sent us for brain ultrasound & consultation with an opthamologist
Brain ultrasound was perfect
Opthamologist would like to see her again in a year to see if she displays any near or far sightedness because we're both nearsighted, otherwise everything is perfect
Physical therapist had us order a "tot collar" to help with the torticollis
Have another company coming to our house for a consultation to do follow up physical therapy once our insurance runs out

Plagiocephaly is almost gone- as in the right side of her head has filled out
Torticollis is still a work in progress

I think you already have a Bumbo, but I used that a lot when we first found out because that was the one seat in the house where she was able to sit and not have her head resting against something


AFU: Just plugging along. Cold is almost gone, just residual mucus left. She's currently sitting next to me on the couch playing with her feet because they have monkey faces on them. Lol.

Unfortunately my husband's June class didn't get enough students, so I'm going to have to work 5 days per week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday all day and Tuesday, Thursday just in the morning. I need to clear this with my boss, but I don't know that she'd have any problem with it because we have all of our appointments in the morning. So money will be tight for now, BUT he's been asked to teach an online class in the fall, and he gets a bonus for designing it (it'll be the first time it's taught online), which more than makes up for missing the June class.

Not really much going on besides physical therapy and aspirating. Lol. Oh yeah! A started solids...kinda. Rice cereal is GROSS, butternut squash is ok, carrots are pretty good, and next up is either green beans or peas. Frankly I thought the butternut squash was MUCH better than the carrots, but what do I know?

I bought her a ton of clothes with a gift card I got for my birthday today. They range from 9 months to 3T. I think about 7 outfits? I love baby clothes. It's a problem.

Someone needs a diaper change!

 

[lliang_chi]

Freke, OK I'll get the Nose Frida. Touch wood, thus far E hasn't caught any bugs so we've been pretty much in the clear with general snottyness. He gets really snotty when he cries a lot, but other than that, hadn't needed to do any aspirating. I'm glad A's plagio is a ton better. I hope the torticolis gets fixed soon too.

NEL, Ethan also favors facing one side (to his right) when sleeping, so I roll up a swaddle blanket and place it under his back so he's propped up on his left side and faces left a little bit.

Attaching some Ethan pics. I miss spending most of the day with him, but I know I'll make up for it on the weekends. I'm also missing our nursing time, but again, we'll make up for it on the weekends.

~LC

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Janine, I completely understand what you mean about getting admin. stuff done at work. I am the keeper of the joint account, so I pay all bills and keep that check book balance, which takes some time. I usually block off about a half of an hour once a week (at work) to get it done. And since I'm downtown, I'm hoping to get some shopping done on lunch breaks.

I'm not on BC, but mostly because we want to have another somewhat soon. I'm not sure what we'll do after #2. I think I'll probably wait until I'm done breastfeeding and then go back on the pill. My OB said great things about Mirena, but D was freaked out by the idea of a fertilize egg not being able to implant into a hostile uterus, so we took that option off the table for us.

LC, I think it's really good that you shut off your laptop and didn't think about work. I probably should have done the same--especially since I'm already feeling a little stressed. And I'm hoping E ajusts soon. I'm giving it a couple of weeks, too. Yesteray K only at 1 oz. at a regular feeding, but apparently a couple of hours later she took a full bottle. It may be that things are always a little different at daycare vs. at home and so long as K seems happy, healthy and thriving, then I'm fine with it. We have yet to do a full day at daycare (that happens Monday), but she hasn't napped well either while she's there.

Oh, and we use lube. More specifically, we use lubricate condoms since I'm not on BC, but I also have extra lube just in case.

Love the photos, btw. And thanks for the sleeping suggestion. Our physical therapist wants K to start sleeping on her side, so that should be interesting.

Freke, thank you so much for all of that info! Sounds like we're having a very similar experience as K was diagnose with minor torticollis (mostly right side) and the symmetry of her skull is also off by 6mm (average is 4mm). We also noticed it at 2 months and pedi thought it was minor, so she just had us work on repositioning. We tried everything with little success, so that's why we went back this week.

Just curious, was A very low in your pelvis for some time? I only ask because K was really wedged down there from about 28 weeks on an the PT thinks it caused her neck muscles to be stiff since birth (since she couldn't move around in utero). Anyway, we'll be at PT 1x per week and working on it in the meantime. Also, we have to get rid of K's swing (she never liked it anyway) and we have to have her sleep on her side as much as possible.

AFU, I just wrote to Freke about K needing physical therapy for her torticollis. The PT thinks it's minor and that we can loosen up her neck muscles and in turn she'll stop favoring one side of her head which will help with symmetry. I'm definitely glad that we're at an age where she really prefers to be upright.