Queer and Newborn! - Page 9

[pleasantlyfurious]

Hi Everyone!  Wow I've been away a while - this place is fancy-fancy revamped.  Despite my resistance to change, I'm digging it. 

Papa - She's GORGEOUS! and you look like the picture of beaming-proud-papa-ness. 

Lyndzies - WOW.  What a birth story.  I'm really glad you shared it.  Cady is too cute.  We need to get together soon!  Are you ever in West Philly?  Are you back at work?

As for us.  We are great.  Leo and I are going to Mexico for two weeks next month and I'm excited and nervous about it.  DP has to stay home and work, but Leo and I will be seeing family and eating a ton of food.  I'm a little nervous about the flight/layover/busride - but thing we'll manage.  I'll have an Ergo, Large diaper bag, Large suitcase (which I will check and pick up right before our two hour bus ride).  My mom keeps pressuring me to get a stroller for the trip which just sounds insane to me.  Anyone have any advice?  Leo will be 9 (OMG!) months old by then.  Once we arrive at our destination we will have a ton of help and support - just need to dodge scorpions and stomach bugs. 

Other than that we are healthy, happy.  Attending playgroup, going to the library, trying lots of new foods.  Leo could have a more reliable sleep schedule, but overall that's a small grievance.  How is everyone else doing? 

Now I realize why everyone disappears once the baby is born - those buggers keep you busy!!  I'll leave you with a picture of chef Leo...

[Smithie]

Is your part of Mexico largely paved? Serious question. If it is, a stroller may be quite useful - vacations are a time of much walking. If not, not. My folks live in Maine, on a dirt road, and I do not find a stroller much use there.

[wishin'&hopin']

Chef Leo is ADORABLE  !

Our guy started crawling (forward that is, he's been "crawling" for awhile but forward movement has been evasive) and turns 9 months this week.  He is currently fussing from me from his seat because he can't reach his o's!  He is about 23 pounds and his growth slowed considerably at about 6 months (breastfed baby).  Cloth diapering continues to rock our world, as does baby wearing!  He has been in his stroller maybe 5 times, ever (and dislikes it immensely) so ergo/storch/babyhawk/sling it is!  

AND, it looks like he'll be a big brother in about 8 months  !  

We're already discussing names ad nauseum.  Our guy is named after his grandpas (both deceased) but we inadvertently named him a name that has gotten quite popular amongst psuedo-hip, youngish, overly educated, professionals   So, we are turning towards slightly more esoteric relations for naming purposes!  Which of course means that something like Florence will take off in 2011 LOL!

[Lyndzies]

OMG, wishin'&hopin'!  Congrats!  That is just crazy awesome that you're expecting another so soon.  We'd like to have ours about 2 years apart, and I realize that means I'll need to be preggo around this time next year.  I'm not sure how I feel about the logistics of that, yet!  Yay for you two!!!

pleasantlyfurious - i LOOOOOOVE the photo!  So freaking cute!  I am back to work (ugggghhhh.... I wanna be a SAHM or WAHM SO BAD!).  I'm not often in the W. Philly area (I work in C. City) but we still do need to eventually get together.  I hear you on how much time these little kiddos suck up, though!  It's like there's ALWAYS something happening in our house.  'Cause, well... there is!  :-)  Amazing how we all found so much time for MDC  when TTC and preggo.  Lol.

I second Smithie's response re: the stroller.  I wear Cady as much as possible, and the only time I really use the stroller is when I'm shopping for clothes and will be trying things on.  That's the only time it's more convenient to have a stroller than a wrap.  Will you be doing a lot of walking?  I know I do get tired carrying her if I'm walking a lot, but even so... I STILL prefer the wrap.  :-)

So cool that you're taking the trip and visiting fam with Leo!  Too bad your DP can't join, though.

AFM - Cady just turned 3 months.  If you like, you can read my monthly letter to her on my blog.  She's such a fun, happy girl.  She brightens each of my days in ways I just can't describe.  I miss her so much now that I"m back to work, but I am thankful that we have MIL to watch her four days a week.  The fifth day, I work a half day from home, and hang with her.  I think she's going through a growth spurt now, because I'm finding it hard to feed her enough to satisfy her (including pumping enough during the day) but we're working on it and I have a freezer stash.  She started refusing to nurse during the day on weekends (I think because during the day she expects bottles 'cause it's what she gets at Grams' house) but we're working on that, too.  She still has nice, long nursing sessions in the morning and evenings. 

She's HUGE, weighing in at 15 lbs, 6 oz and 25 inches long last Thursday (she was 3 months on Saturday).  She is starting to outgrow some of her 6 months clothes, and started wearing some 9.  Although she's just above the curve and at the top of the curve for length, proportionately, she's in the 50 - 75th percentile, so she doesn't look TOO chubby (except for her CHEEKS!).

I'm feeling pretty good, and have dropped just over 50 lbs since giving birth.  That's 20 under my pre pregnancy weight, so I'm super psyched.  Nursing has been amazing for my metabolism, I guess!  I'm excited to see what happens when I can finally establish a regular workout routine (hard to do since we're still getting used to our regular routines!).  Below is a pic of me at 39 weeks, and then a pic from this morning.  I went to 42 weeks, but this is the last decent preggo photo I have of me for comparison purposes.

Here's one of my favorite pics of her from this past month, and a family photo of the three of us.  Many more on the blog!  :)

Hope everyone else (and their babes) are doing well!  Update when you can!

[Monarchgrrl]

Wishin & Hopin- CONGRATS!!!!! That is awesome!

PF- Chef Leo is soooo cute!

I think I'm going to join ya'll too! :) I've been following this thread. Sophia is now 12 weeks today. I've just been too busy to join, as I'm sure you all understand. DD was born at home on 11/2/10, Day of the Dead! We either wanted a Halloween baby or a Dia de los Muertos baby. :) The birth was intense! I labored for 27 hours but it took 23 hours to get to 3 cm dialated. I wasn't going to get checked in labor but after 20 hours I wanted to give up and begged for a check. With some cervical massage (OUCH!) I went from a 3 to holding Sophia in 4 hours! I pushed for less than 20 minutes. The midwife was expecting me to push for a couple of hours so she barely got gloved in time to catch! It was fast and intense, but only two miniscule tears that didn't need stitching.

She was born in our bedroom and we stayed in there for a week. Then we went outside (a walk to the beach) for the first time at 2 weeks. That was heaven!!!

I had some PPD and major trouble breastfeeding. That first month was hell! It took us a long time to bond and we were both miserable. But we've worked things out (I pump for her) and the depression lifted on its own. Things are going well. She is a happy, easy baby. She started STTN about a month ago. I'm sure that will change in about a month, though. ;)

I'm so happy being a mom. Sophie has the best, funniest little (ok BIG) personality and makes me smile constantly. She loves routine and rarely deviates from our set routine. DW is now a SAHM and is adjusting to that new part of life. Life sure has changed in the last 3 months! We are so happy though.

I'm looking forward to keeping up with the babies here, whenever anyone has time to post. ;)

Here is our first family picture at about 4 minutes old. (with a photoshopped tank top)

Here she is at 12 weeks and then at 10 weeks 

Edited by Monarchgrrl - 1/30/11 at 4:00pm

[Coco99]

That s one awesome dimple she has Monarchgrrl :) What a cutie !!

[carmen358]

Loads of cuteness in this thread! Love it! It's so fun to hear updates with your babies after hearing so much when we were all ttc and pregnant :)

Skylar is almost 13 months now and is definitely a toddler rather than a baby now! Well, she'll always be my baby but you know what I mean ;) Sleep at night is a huge issue for us but I'm very fortunate that I'm on maternity leave until July so at least I don't have to get up and go to work all day with very interrupted sleep! I also blog about sleep, diapers, eating and all things baby.

Here are a couple of photos of Skylar celebrating her 1st birthday on Dec. 30 :)

[Lyndzies]

Hi Beth!  *waves*  I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  Sophia is rocking some serious cuteness.  :-)  I am SO SO SO glad that you seem to be getting past the nursing/PPD "issues" and am just happy you and family are doing well. 

Carmen - Skylar is a cutie-pie, too, and I enjoyed checking out your blog!!  I'm sorry sleep continues to be a struggle, but she does look like such a happy baby, despite those problems.  It's great that you're still on leave, and will be through June. That is a huge blessing!

AFM - not too much shakin', but had to post this pic of Cady.  Our adoption hearing for DP is on Thursday, and I'm just looking forward to having all of that bureaucratic BS over with.  Already she's had to do her FBI background check TWICE because our local PD apparently doesn't know how to properly fingerprint.  So, we're still waiting on that, but the judge has agreed to go ahead with the hearing, and she'll sign the judgment of adoption as soon as the background check comes back.  She also agreed to waive the home study, which I was VERY excited about. 

We're taking Thursday and Friday off so we can have an extra-long weekend as a family to "celebrate" the formality of the adoption being over and done with.  Any reason is a good reason to celebrate, am I right?  :-)

Hope everyone else is doing well. 

[Monarchgrrl]

Coco- Congrats on your babies!!!!!!  I saw the announcement on Q&P. They are just beautiful! And sounds like it was a fast birth! Welcome to the other side.

Carmen- Skylar is beautiful and it looked like she had a great party! I love the amber necklace. I have one ordered and hope it comes soon. I'm drowning in drool!

Lyndzies- HI!!! Thanks for the Sophie props. She's rocking our world! We're just glad it's now in the positive way, instead of the first month it was "turned our world upside down".    Cady is too darn cute. I can't stand it. Her smiles are so big and I still can't get over how much she looks like you. I have to get a onesie like that. We have one that has a little cracked egg on it and it says "Hatched by two chicks".

Here's what's going on in my life right now. I'm trying decide if I should leave my family for 4 days in April. :( I'm part of this nationwide group for people who lost their siblings in Iraq or Afghanistan and I'm a peer counselor and very involved in this group. We have a yearly meeting in Vegas and it's coming up in April. It's a retreat with speakers, seminars, a day at a dude ranch, etc. The only issues would be pumping every 3 hours while there (doable, but sucky) and TOTALLY MISSING MY BABY! She would be just fine with her other mama, so it's not like she'd be with a babysitter, but I just can't decide if I should do it. I've been so involved with this group for 3 years now. I would hate to miss it. I just don't know.

Anyway- Here is a picture of our tiny reader.

[Coco99]

Thank you for your congratulations :)

Our babies arrived Jan 28th and they are wonderful !

I guess I am ready to join this thread !!

Coco

xx

[megan sacha]

So nice to check in with everyone.  I don't get on her often now as life is crazy with two kids.  We're doing pretty well, though we've been battling household illness since the first week of Dec.  First the 3 yr old had a stomach bug, then DW and I both got strep throat which she needed 2 rounds of antibiotics for and I 3 (and I'm not totally convinced it's all the way gone still), then DW got a bad cold and DS got sick again with a stomach bug and yesterday I seem to have come down with a mild mastitis.  I think I'm not going to need the antibiotics as my natural stuff is helping.  But boy am I sick of being sick.  Zivia is still very rarely giving me more than a two hour stretch of sleep at night (and often not even that) and so my body is just so susceptible to getting sick and can't get well.  

Zivia on the other hand hasn't been sick at all yet really, minus a 12 hour extremely mild cold.  She's doing great and has just started sitting up and is rolling like crazy in an effort to get on her tummy and push up.  She's pushing her whole pelvis up and now and seems to be in a hurry to get moving so she can chase her brother.  She's a delight with such a wonderful personality and we're enjoying her more and more. Can't believe she'll be 6 months on the 23rd.

Here's a few pics:

[pleasantlyfurious]

wishin&hopin - AHHHHHHH!   Congrats!!!!!!!!!!  How exciting.  I'm so glad for you.  We are starting to talk about trying for number two - maybe towards the end of the summer.  I'll be keeping an eye out for updates from you along the way!

I'm loving seeing all these gorgeous beautiful babies.  They all look so happy and loved :)

[osker]

Oooh! Zivia is so lovely and chubby!  I can't believe our babies are almost 6 months old either!!! E is so much fun these days!!

[Monarchgrrl]

oooh Zivia is gorgeous! I love those eyes!

Here are a couple pics from Sophie's photo shoot.

[Coco99]

Gorgeous babies all around !

Here are our girls... having the hiccups together :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3a3h8XXW5Q

QOTD : We received a gift certificate for professional photo... I was wondering what you girls think is the best time to do photos of babies ? Right now they seem a bit small to me... I wish they were able to smile "for real" for the shoot... but I dont want to wait too long... What are your experiences ?

Coco

xxx

[osker]

Oooh! Totally do photos now while they'll still sleep thru them!  Gorgeous!  

Here are some ideas of what I mean: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=newborn%20twins&w=all

[carmen358]

Originally Posted by Coco99 

Gorgeous babies all around !

Here are our girls... having the hiccups together :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3a3h8XXW5Q

QOTD : We received a gift certificate for professional photo... I was wondering what you girls think is the best time to do photos of babies ? Right now they seem a bit small to me... I wish they were able to smile "for real" for the shoot... but I dont want to wait too long... What are your experiences ?

Coco

xxx

SO cute! I would do them now. They change SO fast and the first few weeks are so precious :) Also, if baby acne kicks in, it's usually at about 6 weeks lol

[Monarchgrrl]

Originally Posted by Coco99 

Gorgeous babies all around !

Here are our girls... having the hiccups together :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3a3h8XXW5Q

QOTD : We received a gift certificate for professional photo... I was wondering what you girls think is the best time to do photos of babies ? Right now they seem a bit small to me... I wish they were able to smile "for real" for the shoot... but I dont want to wait too long... What are your experiences ?

Coco

xxx

SO cute!!! I love little hiccups!

We did ours at 3 months old and now I WISH we had done little newborn sleeping pics. I was just in a bad postpartum state and wasn't up for it. I regret it now. The smiley pics are great too, so I would do them both if you can. ;)

[starling&diesel]

Hey Monarch ... Can you bring the family?  I had to do a few trips for author appearances in DD's first year and I just took her and DP with me.  Babes under two fly free, so we just had to pay for DP.  We thought it was worth it.  But then, I'm neurotic that way and still bring DD with me on work trips (Quebec and Yukon in April) even though I'll have to pay for her and DP or my mom to join me to take care of her while I'm doing my writerly shmoozing.  We're turning the Yukon obligation into a road trip, to make it a holiday, so it's not just DP and DD holed up in a hotel for five days. 

I can't imagine being that far from DD physically, should anything happen. 

No matter what you decide, I'm sure you'll all be fine! 

And my goodness gracious ... what a CUTIE!!!
 

Originally Posted by Monarchgrrl 

Coco- Congrats on your babies!!!!!!  I saw the announcement on Q&P. They are just beautiful! And sounds like it was a fast birth! Welcome to the other side.

Carmen- Skylar is beautiful and it looked like she had a great party! I love the amber necklace. I have one ordered and hope it comes soon. I'm drowning in drool!

Lyndzies- HI!!! Thanks for the Sophie props. She's rocking our world! We're just glad it's now in the positive way, instead of the first month it was "turned our world upside down".    Cady is too darn cute. I can't stand it. Her smiles are so big and I still can't get over how much she looks like you. I have to get a onesie like that. We have one that has a little cracked egg on it and it says "Hatched by two chicks".

Here's what's going on in my life right now. I'm trying decide if I should leave my family for 4 days in April. :( I'm part of this nationwide group for people who lost their siblings in Iraq or Afghanistan and I'm a peer counselor and very involved in this group. We have a yearly meeting in Vegas and it's coming up in April. It's a retreat with speakers, seminars, a day at a dude ranch, etc. The only issues would be pumping every 3 hours while there (doable, but sucky) and TOTALLY MISSING MY BABY! She would be just fine with her other mama, so it's not like she'd be with a babysitter, but I just can't decide if I should do it. I've been so involved with this group for 3 years now. I would hate to miss it. I just don't know.

Anyway- Here is a picture of our tiny reader.

[gumshoegirl007]

Coco - Our photographer recommends doing newborn shots within the first 10 days and baby shots after 6 months.  Hope that helps.