NOVEMBER '05 Mamas' and Babies' December 08 thread - Page 10

[HoneyTree]

Amy, Woody is just now on the other side of that terrible cough, and is down to about two coughs a day and hasn't thrown up in weeks. She's a strong and healthy little girl, and you're a strong and healthy mama, so I'm sure it will cycle through quickly. Meanwhile, let me share my favorite of the many, many cough suppressant recipes that were passed my way over the past two months: Honey mixed with cinnamon, to about a 2:1 ratio, and taken by the spoonful. Woody LOVED it.

Sarah, that's exactly the kind of thing that would have reduced me to tears, too. For some reason the big rational stuff I can roll with, but the little significances have a much stronger hold on my emotions.

ETA: I have to add the most wonderful thing that my mom discovered and bought for me and my sisters for Christmas: Trolley Dolly. Have y'all heard of these eminently clever little bags? Unbelievably good design for eliminating plastic bags from your life forever. I'm totally smitten. I'm nearly giddy for my next grocery shopping trip! (Though Helen, I did have to google "Oyster card," and am still not sure why it's called that...)

[barcelona]

spughy, i would just love it if we are in the same DDC! guess we'll have to wait and see

and i'm sorry you had the rough christmas. i totally get that, too, and i'm glad it ended with the malt and a good note. i hope your trip to see your mom is good and that you guys aren't too overwhelmed with too much stuff.

life is good here, with finley an absolute angel sweetheart cutiepie etc 90% of the time, with the remaining 10% (i don't really know how it's split up, but you get the idea) of just crazy illogical tantrums, screaming and crying and i have no idea (nor does dh) what he is saying. and they just come out of nowhere and usually make NO SENSE. anyone else?? i just hope it is relatively normal and not reflecting some deep inner lack of peace and love and good feelings...

and i am trying to really stay zen in those moments, which can be a challenge, but life is so much better when i do stay calm, letting it sort of pass through me, (though being there for him).

hope everyone had a beautiful holiday, if you celebrated, and that the new year feels like a great fresh clean slate!

we had a very simple, sweet christmas, the three of us, with not much to report, except that finley was very happy and sweet and got a wooden play airport and a couple of things in his stocking (half of which we dug up from our house!), and an orange. we ate turkey and were grateful. we wore sweaters and were glad of that and even had a fire. we called my family and said merry christmas. when finley went to sleep, dh and i watched "it's a wonderful life", one of our traditions, and cried our eyes out. and our eyes glistened with the joy in knowing (or at least very much hoping and trusting) that another little one will join us sooner than later.

[flapjack]

Spughy, are you charting? That doesn't sound like PMS to me, and Barcelona, I hope you're right.

Theresa, an oyster card isn't called an oyster card for any reason, it just is. You know that you can harvest oysters on the Thames, though, right? (including central London.) I love the bags, and I'm about to go and order a nappy bag from there.

I have a cold, and a blocked duct in my boob, and I'm fed up

[s_kristina]

We are dealing with nasty coughing around here as well. We had Joseph in to the ped's on Friday as he was starting to sound croupy. I badly did not way to deal with croup in the hospital over the weekend. He got a round of antibiotics as he was running a nasty fever and had green snot at that point. He is also now the proud owner of an inhaler. He has taken to using the thing quicker then I would have expected. He is currently diagnosed with reactive airways.

Christmas/Yule was nice here. The kids both got bikes. A friend got Joseph an adorable little bmx looking bike with training wheels and Annette got a bike through Toys for Tots. The UU church we go to got together a big box of new and used kids games that the children are enjoying. We have some great pictures of the kids riding their bikes on Christmas morning that I need to get up online in my photobucket.

[Awaken]

Helen- hope the plugged duct resolves very soon! And thanks for the playsilks idea, I've got to try that so I can pee by myself once in a while!

Spughy- thank goodness for that scotch!

Amy- so sorry Brynn is sick, that sounds really tough- I hope she is doing better by now! And I hope all of you can get the rest you need as you deal with the illness!

Kristina, I'm sorry Joseph is so ill as well, but glad he could get the treatment he needs. How wonderful that they got such nice gifts! I'd love to see the pics.

Barcelona- we are just about the same here- 90% cuddly sweet angel, 10% crazy defiant inexplicable tantrum-having little monster!

Wow, what a weird morning, both kids slept in really late- usually Ethan is up by dawn! It gave me a much-needed and rare HOUR by myself in the morning! Heaven!!

The other day I didn't hear Ezra calling me when he woke up, so when I went into his room to get him, he was upset and told me "You are a STUPID BOY!" It was so cutely sad- I could tell he was upset with me and was trying to say the meanest thing he could think of!

I just have to share something good- yesterday we had probably the best day we've ever had. I was so tired and run down after staying up late and eating too much sugar over the holidays, and it was dh's first day back at work after a week and my first day having both kids alone all day (literally from wake up until after bed time) and I was kind of down about it...we had no plans and I thought it would be such a loooooooong day, but for the first time EVER the boys got along all day, played together, SHARED trains, and we had such a fun time just hanging out at home just reading books, listening to music, and playing in the yard. My kids usually fight non stop, and a day with nothing to do and too much togetherness is usually a recipe for disaster. I'm just so happy that there's an inkling of hope that they may get along one day, that we had peace on a day I desperately needed it. Those good days just give me the energy and hope I need to get me through the tougher days!

[flapjack]

I'm glad things are getting better, Mary. If anyone can do it, you can.

Amy, I'm sorry, I don't think I saw the post about Brynn being sick, but I hope she's doing OK

Kristina, I hope Joseph's doing OK? I think kids get the hang of inhalers better than anyone expects.

[MelW]

I hope Joseph and Brynn (and any other sick kiddos) are feeling better soon!

10%ish hard to understand tantrums here, too. Like big fits over calling her the wrong superhero name (sorry, hawkgirl), the wrong clothes, something I can never understand about dinner, etc.

[SeekingJoy]

Originally Posted by MelW

I hope Joseph and Brynn (and any other sick kiddos) are feeling better soon!

10%ish hard to understand tantrums here, too. Like big fits over calling her the wrong superhero name (sorry, hawkgirl), the wrong clothes, something I can never understand about dinner, etc.

OMG! We are in meltdown city, too! DS loses it about everything these days. TV, cheerios for breakfast, and whether Daddy goes to work today or not have been major ones lately. It makes me feel like a completely inadequate parent.

[Queen of Cups]

This tantrum thing is exactly what I find SO HARD about parenting toddlers. I love the baby stage, I love the big kid stage, but I think I would honestly skip the 18 months - 3.5 years stage if I could. But, around three and a half is when Killian started to get over it, so I'm hoping Ellie will be the same. Though, if he's overly tired or hungry Killian still throws tantrums like we're talking about.

So what are everyone's New Year's Eve plans? My parents and sister are coming over and we'll do a snacky dinner of crackers, cheeses, sausages, and shrimp - yum! Then we'll put the kids to bed and watch movies and drink till midnight. (my sister doesn't drink and my dad never over-indulges, so please don't worry about the kids' safety!)

[HoneyTree]

Dh's brother, sister, and their families are arriving tonight, AND THEY'RE ALL STAYING AT OUR HOUSE. Insisting on a hotel would be much saner for my nerves, but that's just not how we do it in his family or mine--we're all too strapped to add the extra $200 to a trip, and of course we'd (he'd ) rather see them and be put out than not see them. (Don't get me wrong; I really like his family. I just also like my space, time, and quiet whilst 39 weeks pregnant and feeling as if the babe could pop at any time.) So, I'm putting on my bravest face, cozying up a corner of my bedroom to hide in, and hoping that the baby waits a couple of more days. Ah, the trials of partnerhood.

But we did have a sweet moment last night making my belly cast. Last time I had this beautiful community of women who insisted on doing it for me, but we're all fragmented and onto other things now, so I tentatively asked dh to help. It was a very different experience, less laughing and storytelling, more gazing and smoothing! I had to laugh when looking at the two casts side by side afterward. If one didn't know that the first cast was done by friends and the other done by a lover, the attention given to the nipples in this most recent one would be a dead giveaway! :

[flapjack]

39 weeks???????? How did that happen????? Oh, so exciting.

We're just chilling out for new year, nothing special.

Oh, we got the pictures back- here's the group one

[HoneyTree]

What a beautiful picture of all of you, Helen. Steve looks hunky! Very Bruce Willlis-y. And I love the glasses, yours and Isaac's? Alex's? (I forget which of your boys wears them, and I "know" them more by stories than images.)

[Phoenix_Rising]

I've been MIA for awhile because of various things. Mostly I don't know that Allison and I will be together for much longer
On the bright side, Keagan is wonderful. The love I have for this (not so) little boy constantly amazes me. I am so blessed in so many ways because of his presence.
Know that I am thinking of you all even when I am not posting though.

[SeekingJoy]

Susannah, I am really sorry to hear that.

[DreamsInDigital]

I had my final follow up ultrasound today. It was not the day I'd planned.

Long ranty update here.

[MelW]

DID, I'm so sorry.

Susannah, wishing you the best solution for you and Keagan. Thinking of you.

Helen, your kids all look so grown up. How dare they? I think of Skye as a baby still, and even River isn't looking so baby-ish.

Teresa, I hope your family visit goes smoothly and you have your own nesting space back soon. And I love your bellycast story

I just got home from work to an empty house and a small panic about where my family is in the snowy, icy roads. Luckily I just got the call- they were safely having dinner with old friends and are on their way home now for a quiet New Year.

Wishing everyone the best in 2009, wherever it may take us. Love, Mel!

[spughy]

Happy New Year everyone!

DiD, big . I don't understand US medical insurance but it sounds like you got jerked around, and that's just not nice to do to pregnant ladies.

Susannah, I'm so sorry. .

Everyone who's mired in tantrums -

We're ok on that score at the moment - since Rowan stopped napping during the day and started sleeping 12 hour stretches at night, life has gotten SO much easier. She wakes up happy, stays happy all day and is very much easier to get along with. This afternoon she did have a nap though, since we'll be out tonight. We're celebrating with FSM (remember her?) and her kids who are up here for a few days. Hotel pool and hot tub, yeehaw!

And, FTR (coughHelencough) I am not pregnant, it was totally PMS, my period arrived bang on schedule with the new moon.

Hope everyone's little sickies get better soon!

[flapjack]

Oh, Spughy, I'm sorry. Have a drink or several with FSM when you see her though, huh?

Mel, I know they're all growing up too fast. I still can't get used to the idea that I have a 10yo, let alone the fact that we're less than a month away from my youngest child's birthday.

DiD,

Susannah, I'm so sorry. I hope that you can find a way of working things out, but if you can't, know that we love you and we're thinking of you

Theresa, it's Isaac who wears glasses, and Steve says thankyou : I'd never thought of him as being all Bruce-Willisy, but he seems quite pleased with that. Thankyou
Oh, and I'm wearing my nursing necklace from Family Tree (the one like yours) and thinking of you NOT having a baby today.

[MelW]

It's January! New thread here