:*:*:*:*: May 2006 Mamas & Toddlers- Happy New Year, January 2009 :*:*:*:*:

[**Mia**]

Happy 2009 mamas! I hope everyone has a safe and happy welcome to the new year.

We ended up going and hanging out with my sister last night, we'd sort of explained why it was special, but DD just kept thinking it was her birthday and kept saying "happy birthday year!" and thought she was going to get to stay up, but we set her straight pretty quickly about that one!

I hope you're all well, DH has been off since 12/19 and I think he and I are both very ready for him to be back at work. Our schedules are just so off, and I have a feeling it isn't going to be easy transitioning back to our regular schedules. DS & DD are super happy having daddy around though, so we've just been trying to get things done without driving each other crazy

Do you have any New Years traditions?

[TxMominCT]

Happy New Year!:

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! We did, I'll post some pics soon. Now it's back to work. We are having a rough time figuring out me working, Dan practicing and taking care of the kids, and oh yeah sleeping! I think we're slowly figuring it out though. May it's tough to work and be a Mom I can't wait to get out of debt and hopefully go part time!! Hugs to all my May mammas!

Oh yeah, New Year's traditions for us usually consist of me working, but I really like sparkling apple cider, and the whole black eyed peas for good luck thing, unfortunately I didn't get to do either yet! (except work!!)

[Mamabeakley]

We have an almost 20 year tradition of getting together w/my BFF - which we did!

If I didn't feel like crap, it would have been more fun, but it was fun anyway. DS1 stayed up, DS2 fell asleep around 11:30.

DH's temper is fraying with being on constant kid-duty since I am so out of it.

Yuck.

Sorry. Life is really good, I just don't like it right now :-(

[~*max*~]

Happy New Year May Mamas!!! : We had a nice, quiet New Year celebration. We always watch the previous year's home movies on New Year's Eve. It's lots of fun to look back at what we did over the past year & how the kids have grown. Then we have Chinese Food for dinner and after the kids go to bed dh & I watch a movie. (We gave up on going out long before the kids were born.)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

[~*max*~]

Hey mamas. It's been a tough couple days here in the land of the Wild Things. A couple days ago dd(5) fell down our ILs' wooden basement stairs. It was a really bad fall, but amazingly she only ended up a bit scratched & banged up. She was really frightened though. I think it took 10 years off my life! And today ds(9) came down w/chicken pox. The hardest part for him is that he had to miss a birthday party he had really been looking forward too. The hardest part for me will be if/when it spreads through the house!!

Gotta run, the kids need me.

[Mamabeakley]

Oooh, Max, I want my kids to get chicken pox! I mean, I know it would be hard, but I soooo want them to have it (if they don't, I'll vax them at puberty - DH & my bro both had BAAAD cases as 13 yos).

[ecoteat]

Hmmm... Max, you aren't that far from me, and we have other friends in your neck of the woods, and Phoebe will need to get CP some day... We actually have had 2 opportunities to expose her in the past year and decided against it. If we could do it in the summer when it wouldn't impact my work or her preschool, I think we'd jump at the chance. Mama Beakley, I've been thinking we'd vax if Phoebe doesn't get them by 13 or so, too. What a crazy situation our "health" care system has created with vaxes!

We don't do anything for New Year's. DH is especially turned off by the whole celebration of what is really not that significant a day. We did go out to dinner, and on our way there realized it was NYE and that it would probably be busy. New Year's Day our friends invited us and 2 other families over for breakfast. This is our core group of closest friends and we all get together often. Two of them are pregnant! So I get to go to a blessingway tomorrow--I can't wait!

Last night we got a babysitter and went out to dinner on a date! It was so wonderful--we had a delicious meal and a really nice time together.

Gotta go--dh and Phoebe are back from their walk and we have friends coming over for dinner.

[TxMominCT]

So are we coordinating a may mamas chicken pox party?? I had a teacher in nursing school talk about how horrible it was for people to try to get their kids exposed, I held my tongue (I think) but seriously, lets just inject them with a live virus vaccine that gets them sick and gives them yucky chemicals, that's way better than catching it on their own!! (okay sorry about the sarcasm!) I think we'll do the adolescent vax too, it's nice to hear other people taking that stance on the issue. I love you May mamas, it seems we tend to trend towards the same ideals generally! :

So in other news I am officially starting to work on getting my lactation consultant certification! It'll take a while, but I am going to a conference at the end of April, I'm about to take an online class, and I'm continuing to build up my contact hours at work. I still feel like such a novice in helping other people nurse. I had easy babies, they just got right on and ate no work was necessary from me! It's so different when you are on the other side trying to make it work, but I'm slowly getting better!

Well I'm off to work in a few so have a great night everyone!!

[~*max*~]

Looks like a Chicken Pox Party at my house is in order! C'mon over May Mamas. I think we have about anothr day of contagion. That is, of course, until the next one gets it. I gave ds a homeopathic remedy and that has really lessened the severity of his symptoms & made him much more comfortable.

Kathryn, you'll be an awesome LC. Good luck w/the process.

So I've started crocheting again. I had this box of really nice yarn and a project I had started years ago, and I finally decided to break it out again. I am really enjoying it. So far I've made a "snuggle shawl" for the kids (it's on the idea of a prayer shawl for when they aren't feeling well or are upset), and I've made matching scarves for the girls & me, and a boyish one for ds. My only problem is that my life & mind are way too busy to follow pattern (Kathryn, I don't know how you do it!), so everyone I know is going to be getting scarves! I'm also really interested in making prayer shawls, so I am thinking of doing that for my UU church. (www.shawlministry.com is a nice site if you'd like more info.)

How's your knitting MaryLizah?

Have a nice Sunday everyone.

[Marylizah]

Hey mamas,

Happy New Year!

Things are a bit rough here-- I'm sooooooo sick (possibly with strep? or the flu or something) and have been since Monday. It's slowly getting better, but I feel rotten! I even threw up this morning from coughing so hard.

And, DH is in France . He left NYE, so my new year's celebrations were subdued, to say the least. He has interviews lined up next week, which is great, but being the sole caregiver is hard. DS really misses his dad a lot.

Mamabeakley, I hope the 1st trimester passes quickly and you feel better soon!

TXmom, that's great about becoming an LC! I think I would enjoy doing that, too.

Max, I'm so sorry to hear about the fall and the pox. I know what you mean about losing 10 years of your life in one instant! Kids have that amazing superpower to shorten their parent's lifespan. Congrats on the crocheting, my knitting is going well, though I have yet to make anything other than scarves! "Santa" brought me circular needles in my stocking, and I'm hoping to start a baby blanket for a pregnant friend soon.

Ecoteat, yay on the date!! DH and I were hoping for a date right before he left, but it was crazy busy with Christmas, family in town, then I got sick, not to mention my dad has been unwell since his surgery 3 weeks ago. He has another one scheduled for tomorrow and we hope it will resolve some issues he's having.

Well, off to shower and get the day started. Hugs to all!

[Peppamint]

Oooooh a chicken pox party would be AWESOME! And ya know... it's actually a good time for me because I kind of have an opening in my birth schedule.

Kathryn- I'm so excited for you, that's awesome! I am always thrilled to hear there will be another LC in the world.

Mary- I hope your dad's surgery goes well, and best wishes with the whole move thing. An international move seems daunting to me!

Max- lots of get well thoughts for your kiddos.

[dharmama]

Hello friends! Remember me? I just posted over in the main introductions forum but wanted to pop in here and say hi.

I haven't been around much for the last year but think of you all often.

I felt the need to take a break from MDC when things in my AP-mothering world weren't working the way I had imagined them. I found it challenging to make the changes I needed to make while constantly asking for help here at MDC, so I pulled back for a bit, found my own way and am now happy to be back feeling more confident in my parenting and eager to reconnect with old friends!

I've recently returned to work part-time writing, teaching yoga and leading workshops for mothers and couples and life is flowing a whole lot more smoothly in my house since I made this change!

I'm looking forward to reconnecting with you all!!!!

~Erin

PS ~ Here's a pic of my May babe that I think you will all appreciate!

[~*max*~]

Hey Erin! Welcome back. It's so good to hear from you. I'm glad you & your family are doing well. Love the pic of your ds fingerpainting!

Well mamas, chicken pox is a much more drawn out thing than I imagined. Ds keeps getting new outbreaks, just when I think he is doing better. And the contagious period lasts until three days after the last outbreak. So the poor little guy has been housebound and going stir crazy. (In case you're wondering, nine year old boys don't do housebound very well. )

[Peppamint]

Of course I remember you Erin- welcome back!! The painting picture cracked me, adorable!

Max- I bet he is stir crazy! Poor kid, I guess at least it's not summer, it would probably seem that much worse if it was.

[Marylizah]

Erin! Welcome back! I've often wondered what you were up to. I remember how hard we both struggled with our sons and their lack of sleeping as infants! You gave me a lot of good advice that helped me get through the worst of it. Love the fingerpainting picture, too!

Max, soooooo sorry to hear that CP is still going on. I can't imagine trying to keep a 9 y o housebound! I hope he feels better soon.

I'm finally starting to feel better over here, but I think DS is catching my virus from heck. Anyone know if I can give him Emergen-C? A whole dose, or just part? I think he needs some vitamin C pronto.

Hugs to all!

[Sydnee]

~~~~***Happy New Years, May Mamas We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. Very family oriented, but we had a lot of "our" family time too, which was wonderful. I had off inbetween Christmas and New Years, and we did a lot of nothing, which was great, lol!! Last Tuesday the girls and I got all my scrapbooking stuff out in the family room, and we scrapbooked until Thursday! I took the girls to buy their own scrapbooks for all the pages they did, we had such a blast. The only "real" thing we did was take the girls to Bounce Depot. It's a huge inflatable place, they had a ton of fun.

But now it's back to work, although this weekend I have a girls scrapbooking weekend, which will be a lot of fun. One of my daycare kids got sick here, so hopefully we don't get it Oh well, tis the season, right??!!!

[~*max*~]

Hey Sydnee. Glad you had a nice holiday. The scrapbooking sounds like fun. We've been to one of those jumpy places when we were visiting family out of state, and the kids absolutely LOVED it! It was so fun for them (and I even snuck on a few times . They left completely sweaty, hot & exhausted. I wish we had one around here. It's be a great winter outing.

MaryLizah, I'm glad you are feeling better. I was worried about you. How's dh making out in France?

[Marylizah]

Hey mamas,

I have a thread going in H&H. Long story short, DS has croup. Very scary.

He's feeling better now, though I'm still shaky.

I know it's wrong, but I feel like the universe is punishing us for something.

I miss my DH. This is so lonely.

Sorry, I'm really feeling sorry for myself right now.

[Peppamint]

aw, that sucks Mary. things like this always feel worse when your partner isn't around to offer support.

[dharmama]

Thanks for the welcome back!

I have a thread going in H&H. Long story short, DS has croup. Very scary.

We just experienced croup for the first time about a month ago with DS. It was terrifying. We nearly called 911 but I remembered one of my friends saying if you get them outside in the cold air and then into a steamy shower they can usually catch their breath.

I had actually weaned my DS the week before but luckily was still lactating and nursed him that night (and decided that weaning in the middle of winter cold-flu season is not the best idea so we're happily nursing again).