PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

[S&I]

Petite, did you find a new OB to check you out? Yikes, I hope you don't have to get your stitches redone. I saw the FB add from you this morning before I saw your post, and was wondering who it was. Love all the pics of L!

Mayerling, glad N is getting better sleep in his crib. He will probably start sleeping longer once he gets used to his crib. A still doesn't have much of a daytime schedule. He pretty much just eats, plays, and sleeps whenever he wants. But once I get home from work, he's ready for bath time, bottle, and being nursed to sleep no later than 8pm. Isn't it amazing how much better things are once you start getting more sleep?

MQ, love all the W pics! Did you get a new stroller?

Pancake, glad to hear that S is doing so well! I think my attitude about my parents doing whatever they want with A is pretty laid back now because he's still young and only on formula. Once he starts on solids, my type A personality will probably take over!

NEL, sounds like K just had an off day. Yay for 12-hour nights! Let us know how K reacts to the store-bought baby food versus your homemade food. I was wondering if A would prefer one over the other or get confused with switching back and forth, because I was worried that I wouldn't have enough time to make enough food for him. We have his 4-month well check on Friday, so we're going to talk about starting solids then.

ETA Monnie, we must have been posting at the same time. Cute pics of A! You did a great job re: BF. I agree pumping at work is a total pain, especially when I only got less than an ounce out of it, ha! My A drools all the time too, but no other signs of teething just yet.

AFU, A will be 4 months old tomorrow! He really loves to stand with our help, so I'm thinking he's getting close to being ready for a jumperoo/walker/exersaucer type thing. The question is which one. I still feel like his head is a little wobbly sometimes, so I'm not sure a jumper would be safe. I'm imagining his legs getting too excited and his head not being able to handle it.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Monnie, such cute photos!! And yay for 3 months of breastmilk, that's fantastic. I understand the frustrations of drying up, especially when you've gone through the ringer trying to make every drop count. Once the decision was out of my hands (meaning zero supply) it was easy to just accept it.

S&I, so far no reaction to the store-bought food. I've only given her a few ounces, but hopefully it's not an issue. I don't have an exersaucer, just a jumperoo. But K loves it. When she was younger I had to put a pillow under her because she couldn't touch the floor. But she loved it and it was nice to have another option for entertaining her.

MQ, I completely forgot to reply to you in my last post. I love the pics of Weston, he's such a boy's boy. Big and adorable!

 

[monarch64]

Thanks ladies! Quick question: what did you all do with your maternity clothes? I'm thinking of selling mine, but do people like to buy mat clothes as a lot or as separate pieces? Anyone have any experience selling or did you keep yours with another pregnancy in mind?

 

[Mannequin]

S&I - that's our Schwinn Turismo jogging stroller in the picture. One of the best baby gifts we received! LOVE it.

Monnie - for 3 months! Re: mat clothing - I am keeping mine for now because Hubs and I would like our next baby to be due in late spring 2014 and all my stuff is fall/winter weight so I can re-use it. I've seen people sell their wardrobe item by item and as multi-piece lots.

 

[pancake]

PP, I think one MOTN feed is going really well for L's age! S is a super-cruisey baby but she didn't drop her night feed until about 4 1/2 months. Since then she has rapidly dropped to 4 feeds (from 6) per day. Glad your husband is so supportive and so understanding of your need to rest. I found my mother a godsend in those early days - she would come over and "mind" the baby so I could have a nap or whatever. In other ways she drove me nuts but looking back those precious naps were the difference between sanity and unhinged

Monnie - you made such a superhuman effort for those 3 months, I think you can feel really great about having achieved that! Alex is looking so gorgeous - squishy cuddly little thing! Re the maternity clothes, I am currently handing mine around to my friends (3 of whom are pregnant). I suppose I could have sold them but to be honest I'm too lazy.

S&I, we don't have a walker or a jumper, so I'm afraid I'm no help there. 4 months - wow, that went quickly! Are you thinking of starting A on solids soon? It is really fun!

NEL, lovely to see you, we missed you in here this last week! Thank you for your kind words. You are right, it is a rollercoaster of emotions but when I feel really sad I keep reminding myself that I am feeling sad for myself and my family, the people who are left behind so to speak... for my father, the end was a relief and an end to suffering, and I am glad for that.

Katie and Sylvie could totally have an "eat-off", haha. I gave S packaged food (in one of those foil squeezy pouches) for the first time today at lunchtime. I didn't taste it myself but she ate it no problems, so that was good to know. Obviously I prefer her to eat what I cook for her but I left the house in a rush when our cleaners arrived and it slipped my mind that it was lunchtime, so I popped into the supermarket to get a package for me. I would say that S is probably eating somewhere around 12 ounces of solids per day now. I don't know where she puts it but she keeps opening her mouth and yelling for the food so I keep feeding it to her...

AFU, going well. I think S is entering another little sleep regression (the goalposts keep moving, argh!) just now...she is still STTN but she's more restless, and she is waking earlier in the mornings at the moment. She was waking around 6ish, playing, then going back to sleep until around 8, but for almost a week she has been waking between 6 and 6:30 and not going back to sleep. So I feed her then... and at first she was going back to sleep straight after the feed and getting up at 8, but for the last couple of days she's not doing THAT either, so the routine is going a bit funny!

Are any others finding their little ones are getting a bit hopeless with milk feeds during the day? I sometimes wonder if S is getting any in at all during her two daytime feeds - she is just SO DISTRACTIBLE that sometimes the feeds last for maybe 3 minutes? On and off? At the moment she keeps arching her back and looking at the world behind her upside down and grinning. It is ridiculously cute but also kinda frustrating...I just want her to take her feed!!!

Doing a lot of cheeky scrunchy-nosed faces at the moment. Adorable. Loving this age - S turned 6 months yesterday! Where did it go...?

 

[PetitiePoire]

NEL- I haven’t scheduled the appointment yet. I really hate finding new doctors and I’m scared to know the answer to my question. However, this week is week 6 so I need to make the appointment! And Yay for K sleeping 12 hours!

S&I- I haven’t made the appointment yet. I’ll add it to my list and force myself to call this week. Happy 4 months to A!

Monarch- 3 months is awesome! I love the new pics. She has such an adorable smile. I still have my maternity clothes. Mainly because I haven’t thought about it and I also only have a few pieces. I’ll keep the shorts and jeans for the next and maybe change the shirts when the time comes.

Pancake- Yes, one MOTN feeding is good. I know it could be worse, but I really got used to the 6-7 stretch from 11-6:30. That’s great that you have your mother to help out. Maybe it’s the moon or something because L’s sleep has been off even more this week. I’m glad S is still STTN.

 

[janinegirly]

HI all,

Kunzite: Oh my goodness that photo!! Too much cuteness, and totally color coordinated too .

Monnie: 3 months is awesome, can't believe you are back to work already! I love the photos, the smile is infectious.

LC: how are you doing?

NEL: I have been trying to make my own food (more on that later), but she doesn't love it. I don't know why! I can see how it would get tiring, I do it on Sunday nights and DH is like are you still making food? Meanwhile it took 30minutes and I'm the one doing it so don't worry about it! Anyway, great news on the sleeping stretches and PT winding down.

Pancake: Oh S is a champ at the eating, I can't believe the amounts! You're a good baby chef though and way impressed with all the finger foods. My A's eating has been inconsistent...maybe you can chime in, more on that later. S sounds so adorable and what a personality!

Mannequin: What a cutie and so big already, all the babies are growing too fast!

AFU, almost 10 months, I can't believe it. I feel like I have the oldest baby here! A is doing great but I wish she'd eat more. She is stilll a chunky monkey since she was born chubby, but she is not excited about solid foods. She was when we first kicked things off but now just ho-hum about it. I try to distract her to get that mouth to open! I have been making her food too (sweet potato, zucchini, pear and and bannas, peaches), and she is still not crazy about veggies. She gumming puffs/cheerios so she's figured it out but we have not gone for other finger foods yet, although she did try to sneak a cookie in (one of my 3 year old's). I'm a bit scared of meat but will try that soon. She is also sleeping 12hr stretches now so I'm worried she 's not getting enough milk either. Even an 8oz bottle is alot to drink every 3hrs but she's only up 12. Don't get me wrong, I"m happy she's not waking up as much but then she is missing a night time bottle. Any thoughts on this or other feeding tips? Otherwise she's great, happy and easy still but more active and trying to get her hands on everything.

 

[S&I]

NEL, that's great that K didn't have any problems with the store-bought food. How early did you put K in her jumperoo? Did you wait until her head control was pretty stable? I remember when you posted that pic of her in it when you first got it though - which one did you get again?

Monnie, I haven't thought about what I'm going to do with my maternity clothes either. Mostly because I don't have that many pieces to begin with, and also because we haven't decided about a possible #2 yet.

MQ, I see that your jogging stroller is also red. And yay for planning out a due date for #2!

Pancake, love that S is still so happy even with her slight sleep regression lately. At least she's still able to STTN, so that's a plus. A is also starting to get distracted when he eats, especially if anyone walks by to look at him. He'll stop sucking and start smiling instead - the little goober. We'll be talking with his pedi at his well-check appointment on Friday about starting solids and if she thinks he's ready, etc.

Petite, good luck finding a new OB to get checked out. Hopefully everything is healing fine though.

Janine, can't believe A is almost 10 months already! Yay for the 12-hour stretches at night too! I'm not sure if this will help, but have you tried mixing any of her veggies with something else that you know she likes?

 

[lliang_chi]

Hi mamas!

Ack! I can't believe it's been so long since I posted. I swear I thought I tossed up a post before the weekend but I don't see it!

Thanks ladies for your input on the post-baby sex. I'll see if I'll try taking NEL's advice and hop to it a bit more. TBH, DH is the one that has the lower libido. Not sure what his ideal amount would be, but even before baby we were a once a week couple. Now we're like a once every FEW weeks. I dunno, sometimes he gets a little turned off when I'm too forward, so it's all a fine balance. Also TBH, sex is so uncomfortable for me, I really don't mind the lack of frequency. But I used to really enjoy it, so I'm kinda sad that I"m starting to not enjoy it. And I wish I had the excuse of a baby passing through there to be the reason for my discomfort, but E was born via c-section, so I really am quite perplexed why I'm experiencing such a negative sensation. I got a Mirena IUD so not sure if that has anything to do with it too... Who knows.

S&I, Look at your little man!!! OMG what a cutie! Has he been sleeping the longer stretches more? There's nothing wrong with him getting good tuckered out (not bad over-tired, well y'know what I mean). What's A's normal bottle amount? I just started bumping E up to 6oz bottles, more on that below. Has A's napping gotten better? I would say do what you're comfortable with re: where A sleeps. Re: the floppy head and jumper etc, how's A's tummy time action going? At about this age, I found Ethan was more interested in tummys when he had a toy he could play with while he was on his tummy. Then his tummy time would go WAY long, like 20-30 mins. In just a short amount of time he was ready for a doorway jumper. Now Ethan does tummy time for way long, I stopped measuring.

Pancake, How's Miss S!!! I love those pictures of her. She's always smiling and laughing it seems. OMG I totally know what you mean about being distracted on the breast. Ethan REFUSES to eat in one go. He's better when we bottle feed him, but he still will push the bottle away and take a look around. Oh and we have to feed him facing out on our laps otherwise he'd crane his neck around bottle feeding too. The only time I can successfully nurse him is when its' WAY late at night in a dark room wiht NO sound. Or when he's super hungry after daycare. Then once he's kinda satiated, back to looking around again. Takes FOREVER!! Wow, Miss S is totally eating up a storm and is now trying finger food! Wow!!! I just started sneaking/putting chicken broth in Ethan's veggies (I made a BIG batch of sweet potatoes last night) DH would likely FLIP OUT until we get a go-ahead from our doctor, so it's kinda on the sly.

Janine, I had asked you (in my phantom post) how the baby food making was going. Is A eating any more green foods? Did you try green beans? I've done zucchini too, and Ethan liked it WAY more than green beans. Otherwise we've done a good amount of fruit too. Maybe you can try kiwi? I've got that "on deck" for the next batch of fruit (apricots & kiwis) for Ethan. Maybe you can ease into meat with giving her broth with her veggies? No thoughts on the bottles, but I'd be inclined to just give her the 8oz bottle.

PP, L's doing great with just one MOTN wake up. You'll get your 6-7 stretch again soon, so don't sweat it too much. Fantastic that your DH lets you sleep in on the weekends. It's great that you can the extra snoozes. I used to (and still do) clip Ethan's nails when he's passed out after feeding. That was the only way I could manipulate his fingers without him pulling them away. I'd suggest you check with a GYN on your episiotomy. Hopefully you can find one?

Muff, congrats and welcome. Look at that CUTIE PIE!!! Love his bright blue eyes he looks so alert and "What's going on Mama!" I'm glad L's doing better during his awake times, and you guys sound like you're getting into a groove. Good for you!

Mayer, How's N doing with sleep? Sounds like you guys are getting there, I'm so glad. I'm sorry to hear (from the other thread) you think you're dealing with thursh. Did you get a diagnosis from your GYN? N will push through for the longer stretches. I'm *TOTALLY* jealous of NEL and Katie's long stretches too, so don't feel bad. But what you're saying about a growth spurt would likely cause him to get up MOTN. How does N like the nursery?

Bobbin, how are you and C doing?

Kunzite, OMG look at your boys!!! I'm a twin (fraternal) and my mom said she used to mix us up all the time. One of us would get two baths and no bottle and the other one would stink to high heaven and be overstuffed. LOL. I do think the boys are starting to look more alike as they're getting bigger

MQ, OMG look at what a big and adorable little monkey you have! He's gorgeous! Have you sorted out the daycare sitch for W when you go back to work. How lucky you are to have such a nice long summer break with him. No wonder he's so happy, he's hanging with mama I'm sure he'll like daycare too. Ethan loves watching the other babies so I think he rather enjoys going to school. And with your hours you're likely able to pick him up pretty early too, right? I pick up Ethan 5:45 so it's a long day at school for him (6:30-5:45)

NEL, Wow, sounds like you've been busy. So glad Miss K is still eating very healthy and you got the go ahead to give her more. I'm glad you're getting into a groove with work. So am I, I feel like I FINALLY have my arms around stuff at work. It took a good 8 wks to get here but I'm feeling good about it. Wow, 12 hrs sleep, I'm JEALOUS! Ethan's been having sleep issues and I haven't gotten a full (6+ hrs) night sleep for 3 weeks. I get enough, but I am tired during the day. I've taken to starting a little bit of coffee, but I would prefer tea as that's my actual preference. But I don't find enough time to make chai in the morning, plus I'd have to carry it to work on my bike and not sure how that works out.... Maybe I need to start adding sweet mods on my bike, a cup holder, storage basket etc.... LOL!

Monnie, Wow, 3 months of BM is FANTASTIC! You go mama! I think drooling just happens at A's age. Ethan was DROOLING a storm and slightly fussy, but he's still sporting bare gums. I'm not expert but maybe the saliva is to prep them to start solids?

Whew! that was a long post. Off to pump, but I'll post my update in a little bit.

In the meanwhile, here's a pic of the little guy

 

[Skippy123]

LC, he is darling!!! I love his little hat!

 

[lliang_chi]

Skippy, the hat's almost too small for him! E's head size has consistently been in the 95th percentile. He's got a GIANT noggin'.

Update on us:
The whole family (minus the dog) went to a friends' lake house this weekend. The weather was crap but it was nice to get away. The friends have 4 kids and they were all so interested in Baby Ethan. Those kids are really well behaved it's shocking. Ethan hit some milestones over the weekend, sitting up properly for a few mins and rolling from back to tummy. The tummy roll was in the MOTN when he was fussing and J put him down (on the ground) to change his diaper. He turned around and E was on his tummy crying and fussing. J took E that night during his what is now routine MOTN fusses and J was aghast that he was so unpleasant that late at night. His reaction was, "Is that typical?" Yup, totally typical with what I've been doing for the past week. I've been experimenting with E's food intake because I really do think that the issue is he's not getting enough during the day and wakes up hungry. I started feeding him solids when we get home (twice a day), feeding him MORE solids (almost 4oz at a time), and have now upped his bottles to 6oz. I haven't tried packing him lunchtime solids yet, but I might do that next if the bigger bottles aren't cutting it. Mamas with babies in day care, how do you pack your purees to daycare?

Other than that we've got a meeting with his daycare director on Friday. We've been pretty unenthusiastic about the level of communication we've been getting. Both on a teacher level and a center level. Turns out we were left off the distribution list for the center level emails (we've just been going there for 3 months) and still want to address the teacher communication too.

Then on Monday Ethan has his 6 month appt. I think he's maybe 19lbs? He's getting quite hefty and I think he was 18lbs a week and a half ago, so I'm guessing 19lbs now. Maybe he's big enough that I can weigh him on the scale on his own without the weigh me, then weight me holding him step.

 

[pancake]

LC - freaking adorable!!! I don't care what your DH says, I still think E is pretty That's really unimpressive re daycare and poor communication - you would think that would be one of their absolute priorities, given that parents are being separated from their beloved little ones for long hours and it would make such a huge difference to know what's happening through the day. Some daycare centres here (and I assume in the States too), send regular photos and updates through the day. That would be awesome and I'm hoping that when S eventually goes to daycare that we'll get that sort of service.

I'm glad that your transition to work is more or less complete. I am still dreading it. I suspect that the longer I leave it the harder it is to go back... but oh well.

S does spend most of her time smiling, laughing and making scrunchy faces. At the moment, anyway! It is so lovely to see her going through an exuberant phase as she only came out of her poor-sleep-and-generally-withdrawn phase a few weeks ago. She is a little greedy guts, I know. The finger food is hilarious, she literally throws her head at her food and ATTACKS it

S&I, exciting to be starting solids! I did feel I was dragging my feet on it a bit because I just figured it would be inconvenient... and it is, a little, but not as bad as I thought it would be. S eats her food warm, cold or at room temperature, so with lunch and dinner I can just heat it really hot before we go, and it cools to a good temp for her to eat it by the time she needs to eat. She has her breakfast (fruit and weetbix) cold or warm, so that's no problem either. A is so round and yummy at the moment! I just want to squish him!

Janine, I wouldn't call myself a good baby chef! As it is my mind is like a sieve and after almost burning down the kitchen several times early on (and wrecking a couple of saucepans) I am now very careful to set the timer to alarm whenever I'm cooking! That said, I do make sure that whatever S eats is something that I would eat, if that makes sense. What bothers me most about packaged food is the smell (although certainly not as bad as they were 20 years ago when my siblings were little!)... so I always make sure that S is eating something that smells and tastes good. I know they say not to add any salt or seasoning, but I do add a little fish sauce to the broth that I cook her vegies in (she is a half-Vietnamese baby after all!!) and she does eat some of the stuff that we do, eg. a couple of weeks ago I made a really slow-cooked beef ragu with tomatoes, herbs, red wine, etc, and she loved that mixed in with some vegies.

Re A and her reluctance to eat, I suspect that she's not hungry, if she's getting a bottle every 3 hours during the day. Obviously it's also the apprehension around new sensory experiences, etc, but I do think she might be more receptive if she were a little hungrier? One of the mothers groups I go to is mostly comprised of older babies around A's age (9-10 months) and they were just discussing how much milk they were giving their tots the other day, on their FB page. The general consensus seems to be that they are giving 3-4 bottles a day, of around 7-8oz. A couple of bubs were having a bit more, a couple a bit less. But the general guidelines that I give my patients (well, when I was working) are that after 12 months, bubs only need about 500ml of milk (BM, formula, cow's milk, whatever), the rest can/should be solids, and that is completely nutritionally adequate.

PP, I totally get why you're sort of putting off seeing a doctor and getting checked out, as I am the same - but you will feel so much better once it's sorted!

AFU, having a good day. Truncated morning nap, but S is happy as a clam, so I'm happy too

Unfortunately going to get her 6 months immunisations at lunchtime today. Poor bubba, sad mummy.

 

[mayerling]

LC, how annoying that Ethan's daycare is not very communicative! As for post-baby , time to get back on the horse!

Pancake, how did S handle the vaccinations?

S&I, yay for A starting solids! I'm hoping N can start solids at 4 months too but, as I understand it, not all babies are given the go ahead to start at 4 months, right?

Janine, yay for the 12-hour stretches!

Petite, I'm so jealous of the one MOTN feed. Also, do get your stitches checked. I didn't have them checked straight away and I ended up with a vaginal infection. By the way, are you still in France?

Monnie, yay for going 3 months! Also, I didn't really buy many maternity clothes; only a couple of things. And I'm keeping them for the next one. Though, depending on what time of year the next one comes, they might be useless.

NEL, congrats to you too about those 12-hour stretches! So is K teething?

How's everyone else?

AFU, life is still throwing me some curve balls with respect to post-partum recovery. I've now discovered I have thrush and that's why my nipples hurt all the time. But I feel better knowing what I have and knowing it can be treated. I started treatment a little over 12 hours ago, and I'm already feeling a bit better! Poor N is also receiving treatment so we don't keep passing it back and forth.
I feel a bit sorry for N because for the last couple of days he'd been having trouble feeding (pulling away from the breast but still holding the nipple which apparently is an indication that he was in pain but still hungry). The sores in his mouth were preventing him from eating properly. My poor baby! He's still thriving, though. At his last weigh-in at 5 weeks old, he weighed 4560g!
This thrush situation has also set him back a tiny bit. Right before we discovered it, he'd started doing two 3-hour sleep stretches between MOTN feeds, but when his mouth got sore he wasn't able to feed properly and would wake up more often. But he had a good night last night so I'm hoping he'll bounce back. So last night he slept from 11 to 2:30 am (the longest he's ever gone!) and from 3:30 to 6:30! I'm counting that as only one MOTN feed! I know it was probably a fluke, but I'm happy nevertheless.
I also had my 6-week appt yesterday (a bit earlier than 6 weeks because I went in to be checked for the thrush situation). They said my stitches are gone, my episiotomy is healed properly and they also gave me a cervical smear.

 

[PetitiePoire]

Janinegirly- 10 months already ? Wow time flies ! I don’t have any feeding tips, but it seems like the other babies, like NEL, are sleeping 12 hours.

LC- I forgot you had a C-section. That’s interesting that your body is still having the reaction towards sex. Even with a c-section though you still deal with postpartum bleeding right? Maybe that’s it? And the hormones associated? Hmm. When I think of it I just think of the mess that followed birth and get disgusted so it completely turns me off. I’m hoping to get passed it for DH’s sake, but it’s difficult! Btw, Ethan is super cute! Look at all of his hair! Good luck this week with the daycare!

Pancake- Good luck with the immunizations! L has hers this week and I am dreading it. How are they during and after? S is so cute. I love her little faces and that smile. Precious!

Mayerling- Don’t be jealous. She’s regressing (read below). Sorry to hear about the thrush. I hope you both feel better soon. Poor baby (and momma!). I’m glad your 6 week check up went great! It’s encouraging me to get it done. I wonder if I missed the talk about a 6 week appt. Thank goodness for PS and realizing it’s a must! Also, we are currently in the US now. That was our big move right after her birth.

PPM/AMC- I’m not sure if you ever check in on this thread, but I hope you’re both doing well.

AFU- Ahh, long night! These last few days have been hard. Two of the days she was waking up twice- about 2 and 4am. Last night was only 1 MOTN feeding at 3, but it was hell putting her down for the night. Every.single.time I put her down (after her falling asleep on the boob) she would wake up and start cooing, which led to full crying. We did this at least 5 times. I tried the pack ‘n’ play, the bed, the swing, everything. TBH, I was at the end of the rope and wanted to just go downstairs on the couch while she cried in the room with DH… but, then I see her cute little eyes and trucked on through. I finally got her to sleep by feeding her while lying down. I really dislike that position, but it was the only way to get her to fall asleep without having to move her afterwards. That also meant she slept in the bed, which meant I had to get creative with where I slept. DH was on the right, L was on the left (my side) and I slept across the bottom at DH’s feet--- like a dog! Actually, I think the dog, who was also in the bed btw, slept better than me!
I know they are supposed to sleep a lot, but I much preferred when she was awake more during the day and slept at night. Now she is fussy around 8pm and difficult to get to sleep with all of the sleeping during the day.

 

[janinegirly]

Pancake - thanks for the great response and tips! I think A is at the 7-8oz of 3-4 bottles, but problem is she is sleeping more so awake hours means every 3 hrs to get those in, and then I think she is too full for solids. That's the conundrum. Good to know on 500ML at 12 mo's although now I have to go look up what that is in oz! S is ridiculously cute meanwhile...I just love her. And I love that she's already tried fish sauce. I did mush up chicken yesterday and A gagged a bit, so think I might have to start with fruit first or the mesh holder. What does S's food schedule look like? What is she weighing these days?

Petite Poire - well not quite 10mo's but I'm kind of sad that she is growing so fast, I want my baby to stay a baby! She's starting to get into her sister's things and toys and that is causing some tension! Meanwhile i hope you get a sleep schedule that is better for you - it'lll happen, I promise!

LC: Hi! I did try to give the zucchini, she was ho-hum about it. D probably thoguht they tasted fantastic because anything is better than those green beans, lol. He is a cutie, I love his expressions! Glad you are meeting with your daycare meanwhile, you need to feel at ease with everything and communication is so important when they are long days away. And don't you love when DH's complain about babies when they've only been in charge for a few moments? And D is a big baby, wow! I wouldn't worry about his food intake, he's obviously getting some good stuff in!

Oh and has anyone done the blood draw for lead? A was supposed to do it at 9mo's visit but I wanted to wait to do it at the lab where they are a bit more proficient. I am dreading it though!!! When C had hers it was awful, tinsy arm with rubber band and of course lousy nurse couldn't find the vein. So trying to get it right this time (the nurse makes all the difference) but still seems so wrong to draw a baby's blood!)

 

[S&I]

LC, aww look at E! I love his little hat too. Awesome that you got to enjoy a trip with the family over the weekend, and funny about J being surprised at E's typical behavior. Wow about the tummy roll. Sorry to hear about the lack of communication from his daycare, but hopefully they'll get on it after your meeting with them on Friday. That's great he's doing so well with tummy time. A is still not enjoying it much, even with his toys all around him. He was doing pretty good with 7-9 hour stretches most nights, but the past 2-3 nights he's been getting up after only 5 hours. Last night, he went to bed a little after 7:30pm, but then got up around 9pm and 11:30pm to nurse, and then 1:30am to nurse and take a bottle. Not sure what's going on with him. He usually takes a 4-5oz bottle for his overnight feeding, and 5-6oz bottles during the day. I feel like he's eating so much now!

Pancake, love S's squishy face! That's great that you have a routine all sorted out for S's solid meals. How did she do with her shots yesterday? It's funny that you mentioned earlier about her blowing raspberries all the time now. A just started that up yesterday, but he ends up blowing spit bubbles all over the place!

Mayerling, so sorry to hear about your thrush diagnosis. Hope your treatment works fast for both you and N! Glad your episiotomy healed properly too. I'll let you know what A's pedi says on Friday about starting solids. I have also heard not all babies get the go-ahead to start at 4 months, so we'll see.

Petite, sorry about L's sleep regression. We're going through one too, it seems. Like I said to LC, I'm not sure what the deal is, but I hope we move past it soon and get back to the longer sleep stretches at night.

Janine, good luck with the mesh holder. Maybe it'll help A get more interested in eating her solids. Is the blood draw for lead the first time that they take blood from their arm veins? My A has only had blood drawn (lots and lots of times) from his heel to check his bilirubin levels. I can't imagine a baby holding still long enough for them to stick a needle in their arm, let alone into the vein correctly.

 

[missjae]

All you Mommies and Daddies that have a Bumbo Seat. There has been a voluntary Safety Recall. Please stop using the Bumbo and visit their website to order a FREE Repair Kit which will include a restraint belt and new warning stickers. Once the Repair Kit has been properly installed, you'll be able to continue use of the chair!



Canadian Mommies and Daddies go here: http://www.bumbocanada.com/

American Mommies and Daddies go here: http://recall.bumbousa.com/

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Janine, I didn't know there was a blood draw at 9 mo's. I've scheduled K's 9-month appt., but I probably should have done more research into what it entails. I have a hard enough time with shots, a blood draw would make me even more nervous!

The food making is such a pain. It takes me hours every week, and that's with increased efficiency! I totally sneak in veggies with the fruit. I usually do a few fruit flavors and just one veggie. Sometimes two. This week I have summer squash mixed in with peaches, bananas and pears.

PP, I have a friend who started doing the same thing (lying down to feed because she was so exhausted). Her son is just over 6 months now and they're finally training him to sleep in his own crib. How much is she sleeping during the day? Sounds like it could be a phase or the sleep could be getting lopsided. Hopefully it's a phase!

Mayerling, you poor thing! You've been through the ringer since having N! Despite the thrush, it sounds like you're having more success overnight, hopefully it just gets better and better as he gets more comfortable. So far no teeth for K!

Pancake, I'm definitely having issues with K focusing while eating. Lately I'll give her half a bottle, let her look around and give her the rest 15 minutes later. It's a PITA, but she can't sit still through an entire bottle. She's distracted when she eats solids, too, but at least I can still get the spoon in her mouth regardless of where she's looking. I hope S's 6-month appt. went well! Cute pics!

Oh, and the shifting wake-up times can be frustrating. We're still going through that, too.

LC, E is so cute in his photos--he's such a cutie pie. As for food, I bought small tupperware containers for K's food, so I pop her food out of the ice trays and into the tupperware each night, then take the tupperware to daycare. I keep melting the tupperware lids in the dishwasher which is super annoying. And I totally understand the frustration with the lacking labido. D was always...amenable...before. Now he's more stressed with his limited hours and I actually have to guage his mood before pouncing. I preferred the old "anytime is good" attitude.

S&I, I think I started putting her in the jumperoo around 4 months? I did wait until she had good head control, but she's always had a strong neck, so that wasn't so bad. I was more concerned about her inability to touch the ground (I guess it's bad for their hips if their legs hang). But the pillow solved that problem. And I ended up getting the FP Rainforest jumperoo and she likes it, but not sure if there are some better options out there.

Monnie, I'm keeping my maternity clothes for baby #2. After that, I'll probably donate. Or keep just in case we decide to go for #3, haha. My issue is that D and I are tentatively planning a fall baby and all of my maternity clothes are winter. So I probably won't use many and will need to buy a wardrobe of summer maternity clothes.

AFU, our babysitter's daughter went into labor today, so I'm working from home. I have taken a few conference calls today while playing/feeding/changing K. It's actually easier than I thought it would be. She's also been sleeping for the past 3 hours, so that helps. I'm about to jump on another call and I'm sure she'll wake up crying.

 

[bubbly1126]

Gorgeous babies everywhere!

Re: I can be found on FB. First name Melissa. Last name starts with a C. A pretty generic last name. I am friends with a few ladies from here already so you can probably find me through them. Any issues let me know! I am.always looking to friend other moms!

Updated 11 month pic of Liam.... Currently planning his birthday party! Woohoo!

Oh eta: my main pic on fb is of Liam in a green outfit with his back to the camera and he's looking over his shoulder. The bigger pic is of him and dh sleeping on the couch together.

 

[mayerling]

IHA, I tried finding you on fb but couldn't.

Petite, I don't know how I missed the fact that you were moving to the US. I saw something about a long flight but didn't put two and two together. I'm going to miss having somebody on this side of the pond...

NEL, I can't imagine how difficult it must be to work from home with a baby in the next room.

AFU, sometimes I feel like it's one step forward and two steps back.For the first time last night, N slept for 4 straight hours and went 5 hours between feeds. After that 3:30 feed, he refused to go to sleep until 6:30 and only slept for an hour. And during the day, he resisted sleep, except for one 2.5 hour nap mid-morning, and one 1.5 hour nap in the afternoon. At 5.5 weeks, shouldn't he be spending most of the day asleep? I'm already dreading tonight given how he's been fighting sleep all day...
Also, by some weird coincidence, the times he was asleep coincided with the times he should have taken his thrush medication, which means we'll fall short of the directions to apply it 4 times daily. My thrush medication hasn't made much of a difference yet; my nipples still hurt like hell.

 

[S&I]

NEL, hope your babysitter's daughter is enjoying her LO by now. How did the rest of your day WFH with K go? I've started WFH in the mornings and then going into the office after lunch, so I can squeeze in a couple extra nursing times and try to avoid having to pump at work because it's such a pain. My dad still comes over in the mornings to watch A though, so I'm not too distracted. I was looking at the FP Rainforest one or the FP Discover 'n' Grow one. I think the reviews are slightly better for the Rainforest one.

IHA, Liam is so cute! I just added you on FB.

Mayerling, sleep schedules are very one step forward, two steps back! N might just be a little more irritable these days due to the thrush. I'm not sure what's going on with A at the moment either. He was crying in his sleep last night, eyes still closed, but definitely wanted to be held. He would sleep for about an hour and then start crying and whimpering again. It was so weird and very disruptive, so I ended up putting him in bed with me from around 2am through this morning. Needless to say, I am quite tired today. It's like he somehow knows he's going to get shots tomorrow. something similar happened around his 2-month appointment too - so weird!

ETA: I'm looking for a new thermometer. The one I have says it can be used in multiple ways (forehead, underarm, rectal, etc.), but it doesn't seem very accurate. Does anyone have one they love? I'm also going to ask A's pedi tomorrow for a recommendation.

 

[mayerling]

IHA, I just found you on fb through S&I!

S&I, how did A handle the shots?

How's everyone else doing?

AFU, since I keep posting about our troubles, I'll make a change and post about when things go right. Last night, N fed (including burping which takes forever, diaper change, and giving him his thrush medicine) from 9 to 10, took until 11 to go to sleep, but slept until 3am; so basically 4 hours straight, 6 hours between feeds! We then spent another hour feeding (and everything else I mentioned before), but he was very quick to go to sleep, and slept until 6:30! Somebody mentioned a few pages ago that the difference between sanity and insanity at this stage is whether you're able to sleep or not. And the fact that I got 4 hours straight, plus another 1.5, makes me feel human.
Also, we finally managed to put in N's application for US citizenship today after spending 2.5 hours at the embassy.

 

[PetitiePoire]

Mayerling- yay for the application. Did he get a little flag? They gave L one when we put in the application and applied for her passport. Does that mean N will have citizenship in 3 places? If so that's awesome! I'm already jealous of L with her double nationality. Haha. I already miss being on that side. I do love being able to talk more, which is a change from my previously shy self. I feel like with babies we just have to expect the worst. When I assume she'll be up multiple times a night she ends up sleeping longer and the opposite when I assume she will sleep. Do you have a swing? Sometimes that's the only way she will nap during the day.


AFU- i have accepted L is going to wake up between 1-2 times per night. It now means I'm in bed sometime between 9-10 to maximize the amount of sleep I get. I've also been fully cosleeping just so she will stay asleep. Now we are off to get vaccines! I'm terrified for my baby!

 

[mayerling]

Petite, he'll only have two citizenships. No UK citizenship as he wasn't born there. They didn't give him a flag Also, they said the consular report of birth and passport should be ready in a couple of weeks (they'd better be as we're flying back home to the UK in four weeks), but the social security card takes months to process!
What vaccines is L getting at 6 weeks? They told us N won't get any until he's two months.

 

[PetitiePoire]

They scheduled the appointment but didn't end up giving her her shots. I go back in September at 2 months.

They told us 2 weeks for the passport and report of birth but we received it less than a week later. It was postmarked 3 days after we went to the embassy. The social security card took Just under a month, but we had that mailed to the US.

How has N been today? Any naps?

 

[mayerling]

He took a nap in my arms at the embassy - about an hour. Then he took a 3 hour nap when we got home. And then he intermittently dozed in the carrier when we went out to get something to eat - I say 'intermittently' because he kept waking up screaming.

 

[pancake]

Janine - are you trying solids before milk? If she is already full plus is doubtful about solids to start with, you probably need to try when she's hungry to have any chance! What about trying simple finger foods instead of spoon-feeding?

Mayer, you guys sound like you are doing well! I have been following your EASY thread. Seriously, N is unlikely to get more unsettled than he already is, so if you're feel stretched, maybe just do whatever you need to until things settle a bit, then work out what you're aiming for and figure out a super-consistent approach. Is the thrush settling down?

PP - here they have actually moved the 2 month immunizations forward to 6 weeks, because of a sharp rise in the number of pertussis cases in small babies (due mostly to adults not beingimmune and passing it to susceptible little ones). At least you got a 2 week reprieve! S's first lot of needles was fine, she cried while the needles went in then forgot all about it after about 10 seconds and fell asleep during the observation time afterwards. It is much worse for parents, for sure!!

NEL, that's great that working from home worked out so well, even if just for a day! Katie is a pretty cruisey bub so I'm not surprised. S is much more distractible with breastfeeds than solids - with the latter she mostly has her eyes on the prize!!

IHA - wow, L is so grown up! I can kind of imagine how he's going to look as a toddler now, his features look fully formed now ifthat makes sense. It must feel like a year has just flown!!

S&I, we just have a cheap digi thermometer from the chemist. I only do axillary temps on S. How did you go with the shots?

AFU, immunizations were fine - S didn't bat an eyelid except while the stuff was actually being injected. However, exactly 6 hours later, whilst in the bath (and having been completely happy up to that point), she started HOWLING! I yanked her out and gave her some paracetamol (acetaminophen) but sh screamed inconsolably for the next 30 minutes, refused the breast, hysterical! Poor little thing... Once the medication kicked in she was fine, but that was one harrowing half hour! I felt quite shaken afterwards. But since then - back to normal!

We're down at the beach house this weekend. S is SO much more aware of her surroundings now and has been crying when we put her to bed - very unusual, especially in the evening. She cried for about half an hour last night and 25 minutes this morning - but seems to have it all figured out one and went down well for the last two, although not as happy as usual. She has been SUPER happy in her awake time though - she loves having my in laws around, the dogs, the new surroundings...

 

[mayerling]

Pancake, it's great that S is such an easy-going baby and that she took the whole immunisation thing so well. And how nice that you're able to go away for a few days.

I look forward to updates from more PS mamas.

AFU, N is 6 weeks today! He had a 4.5 hour stretch of sleep last night, so he went 5.5 hours between feeds. And he's been sleeping like a champ all of today, which means my attempt to try to implement a routine has failed. He slept for 3 hours after his morning feed, woke up, fed, had some activity, and when I noticed his sleepy cues I tried to put him down. It took a while so there was only about an hour left before he had to feed again. So I took a half hour catnap. He slept for 2.5 hours I'm a bit concerned because he basically went 4.5 hours between feeds - he never does that during the day; he's a 3 hours like clockwork baby. Anyway, he woke up again, fed, had a bath, some tummy time, so play time with my aunt and uncle and is asleep right now! I shouldn't jinx it. I don't know whether such long naps during the day means that he won't sleep well at night...
By the way, has anyone heard of a vaccine against the stomach flu? Our pediatrician suggested that N have it at 6 weeks but I'm not convinced...

 

[parrot tulips]

Wow, I've stepped away for so long, it's impossible to catch up with everyone!

IHA - I can't believe Liam is almost one! I hope you'll still peek your head in here every once and a while.

Mayerling - I'm sure you and N will find your groove soon enough. I hope you're not reading/hearing about how "easy" some babies are, and thinking you're not doing things the "right way." Ava is 7 months adjusted (9 1/2 months actual), and still not STTN (her sleep is greatly improved, but not stellar). We've been trying to feed solids for nearly 3 months now, and on a good day, I'm lucky if I can get a 1 TBSP in her cumulatively. She's refused a bottle for so many months now, I've stored them away. In these aspects, she may seem like a challenging baby. What I've found, though, after following the advice of doctors, friends with young children, and several books, is that my instincts are nearly always more effective, because I know my baby best.

Once I let go of trying to be a "perfect" mom, I was able to enjoy motherhood much more. Ava has been sitting up unassisted for prolonged periods for a while now, rolls over from all positions/directions like a champ, smiles constantly, laughs hysterically to the point of squealing, and is super easy to take out and about. And although I know she has no idea what she is saying, she has begun saying "mama" and "uhm-ma" (Korean word for mother).

Funny side note - I went out with Ava and a woman commented that Ava was a big baby. When I told her that she was 9 1/2 months and 14.5 lbs, she repeated, "BIIIIIIIG baby." Wonder how big she thinks 9 month olds usually are...?

 

[mayerling]

Do they call it STTN when baby sleeps for 5 hours straight? Well, N just did 6!!! Though, I'm not sure how 9:30 to 3:30 constitutes STTN, but I'm going to count it as such!
I got about 4 since my breasts were really feeling it. I woke up really engorged and was too uncomfortable to go back to sleep. I'd even leaked through my clothes. Does anyone know how long it takes for supply to meet demand?