NOVEMBER '05 Mamas' Fall Chat

[HoneyTree]

Hey, y'all!

Here we are a week into (most of) our babies' birthday month!

I thought maybe a seasonal chat might work better than a monthly? Anyway, that would make *me* feel more timely in my postings!

Hope you are all doing well; we're clipping along, still making daily adjustments to big siblinghood, a tough job for a just-4 y.o.

Does anyone want to start off this thread by sharing a favorite memory of the past 4 years? I'll start:

I used to love watching Woody "wash dishes" with his dad, pulling the chair up to the sink, gamely trying to wash a cup or two before giving in totally to the glorious feel of the suds all the way up his arms when he'd spalsh and splash and splash. We never worried about baths those nights.

Love to you all,

Teresa

[spughy]

I can't believe our babies are turning 4. And yet I can - Rowan rode her big-girl bike without training wheels today (she's had a run-bike for a while but she outgrew it). She's nearly reading, she can count to 10 in 3 languages and add small numbers, and she makes up intricate games and plays them for hours. She can stir muffin batter and make pancakes with very little help, and she peels mushrooms better than I do. She's growing up so fast, and I delight in all her accomplishments but at the same time part of me thinks it's all going too fast.

We still have two weeks until her birthday. This time last year she'd just nursed for the last time. I still miss it.

[DreamsInDigital]

Winter was one of the last November babies born, so thankfully I still have a month until I have to worry about it. Happy birthday to all the November babes!

[flapjack]

That month goes fast I can't get over how fast Skye has grown, and how big the transformation has been from the very clingy baby and toddler to the ferocious badass warrior princess I have the dubious privilege of parenting- she's come out of her shell in a big way and it seems so long ago that I was burning out because I couldn't put her down for a second.

[HoneyTree]

I don't know if it's birthday month or bf'ing hormones or the age, but so often lately I look at Woody and tear up. He's still in my bed 90% of the time, and I must say I'm not really so eager for that to stop!

[MelW]

Flash back to half of their lives ago: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...=nov+05&page=2

I had forgotten about our imaginary horse, since he stayed behind in Eugene when we moved. Jess, Neela's imaginary brother, has been living with us for over a year and a half now and though he often gets on my nerves he's been a sweet and long lasting addition to our family.

Neela just spent a weekend with grandma, and I'm amazed by how big she is. She just gave me a quick hug and hopped on the ferry, and didn't look back. She has also done an insane growth spurt in the past couple of months, so we had to go shopping in the kids section for new clothes. Though she's still wonderfully cuddly, she doesn't fit on my lap nearly as easily anymore (and she needs another month for her sense of where her body is to catch up so that cuddling gets gentle again). Nora missed her so much while she was gone, and I think that Neela missed Nora more than she missed her parents. The girls' hug when they were reunited was amazing

[Awaken]

I'm excited about age 4, although I miss my baby!

3 has been a challenging year, but Ezra is still totally adorable and such a cool person. He was my gift and pleasure after a very rough and emotional start to parenthood. He was the most smiley baby which was a whole new experience for me. He was so easy and fun to be around, I brought him with me everywhere, to meetings and conferences until he was over a year old, he was my little companion and I never got tired of being with him.

I still see that happy little guy, even though obviously at this age things are a bit more complicated. Even when he's being a pain, he's still smiling! I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of person he grows into- I can see him being a totally fun person to hang out with, life of the party type, and I hope he wants to still hang out with his old mom. I see us being good friends.

[HoneyTree]

My God. Please, mamas, cross you fingers for a for me this weekend. What was I THINKING?!?!? No p.p. AF, still nursing through the night, but ewcm and high, soft cervix. Surely I'm not fertile. Surely I am not going to have 18-month spaced babies. Please say that with me now... Surely...

Does anyone have a novena? A spell? A patron saint whom I might supplicate?

Mel, Woody has an imaginary older brother named, strangely, Watcher. He goes to high school, drives a black convertible, and lives far away. An imaginary horse is fun. I might suggest that should Watcher get bored.

Mary, now that I have a basis of comparison, I, too, can appreciate Woody's sunny, easygoing baby disposition! How could they not want to hang out with us? I'm OK with a good parental shunning in the awkward years, but he better grow the heck out of it and into appreciating and seeking out some serious quality time!

We've been taking care of a neighbor with Alzheimer's this week. She loves Woody and tells us funny stories about growing up in pre-Castro Cuba. It's pretty great.

[Gunter]

well, it happened. ezra turned four! what in the world?

happy birthday, november babes and mamas!

[spughy]

Happy Birthday Ezra!

Teresa, fingers crossed for you. If it makes you feel any better, when I got my IUD in at 6 mo pp, my doc said that she saw signs of fertility - cervical mucus & positioning - and I didn't actually get a ppaf until 19 mo pp! So your cervix could be just playing games. They do that.

I hate it when I run out of tea before bubbles, when I make bubble tea. Off to make more tea...

[MelW]

Teresa, thinking of you. Helen had a link of herbs that discourage a baby from sticking, if you're so inclined. I've also had my body "faking" me out with EWCM and varying cervical position on and off since Nora's birth. With Neela I was obviously not fertile until over a year and a half later.

Neela has caught the nursing urge. She's been talking about it for a week, and after spending the day with a nursing toddler she is very, very interested. I asked her to wait, but may let her try later this evening to see if she'll back off a little. Hmmmmm... we're almost a year since weaning, except for two five second feeds last spring. I expected this when Nora was born, but am surprised by it now.

[HoneyTree]

Mel! HA! I have a book! With those herbs! Emmenagogues or something of the sort. Going to look now...many thanks!!!

And Woody kind of acts silly with nursing. Like, Fox will be nursing, and Woody will get down near to where Fox is, and he'll make a goofy face, or tell me he's my little baby, etc., but so far has stopped short of nursing. How do you feel about it? I was surprised to feel kind of weird about it, though I keep telling myself that if he really asks to nurse, I'll let him (but hope he forgot how). I don't know. Sometimes I'm not as enlightened as I'd like to be.

[MelW]

I let her try nursing again yesterday- she took one slurp, swallowed and then giggled and stopped. She only pretend nursed once (mouth on my shirt) today, so it's better. She says she doesn't want to nurse for real, just to pretend sometimes.

I have no problems with four year old nursing in theory, but it's the no nursing for so long that makes it feel strange.

[HoneyTree]

Originally Posted by MelW

I have no problems with four year old nursing in theory, but it's the no nursing for so long that makes it feel strange.

Yes. That's how I feel about it. But again, I don't know why. I guess, though, if you think of it as the nursing relationship, all relationships grow and change, and sometimes going back to an activity that *seems* to have been grown out of feels a little foreign.

Sorry, that was all for my benefit. Here, how about if I just talk myself through your scenario!?!? Sounds like Neela worked her own way through it beautifully.

We went to the farmer's market today, and were surprised and delighted to find that one of our favorite organic farmers started carrying meat. We mostly eat vegetarian, but eat meat occasionally when we can get ahold of good, local stuff and the mood strikes. But I guess we have not been as full in our explanations to Woody as we might have been, because he was incesensed that we were going to buy a pound of beef, and insisted that he wasn't going to eat it in his chili because "WE DON'T EAT MEAT." (We did buy it, and he did eat it after a little while, even though we gave him the choice of having vegi chili.) Note to self: Be careful not to indoctrinate child.

[Phoenix_Rising]

Hi, mamas! Today is Keagan's birthday and I can't believe it. He started spelling his name last week and is just growing up way too quickly for me. We are still nursing and co-sleeping and I'm not ready for either of those to end right now. Neither is he. Funny kid story - he told me two days ago he was going to nurse when he was 20. I told him if he was with someone who was lactating when he was 20 he could talk to them about it!

Love to all

[flapjack]

Mel, Skye did the same thing- I seem to remember Isaac did, too. It didn't last. :

Theresa, PMed you.

Happy birthday Keagan!!

[Queen of Cups]

Hello! It is wild to think about all our "big kids" now... Ellie weaned herself a few months ago. She falls asleep in her own bed, but comes to our bed during the night every night. She's really come into her own this year at preschool - since her big brother is at another school and she's not the youngest or smallest in her class anymore she doesn't seem to fall into the "baby" category anymore. Last year kids would carry her around and help her (way more than she needed), but this year she's much more independent. At parent-teacher conferences her teachers commented on how polite and respectful she is, and how she really does a lot for herself considering that she's not quite four years old (still one of the younger ones).

I turn 30 on Sunday, which I'm not thrilled about but am trying to accept gracefully. I'm biking a local trail on Saturday (53 miles) and then having a date-night at home with DH while the kids spend the night with the in-laws. The next day we'll have a little party with my parents and the in-laws. It should be a lovely weekend!

PS - Megadoses of vitamin C can help start a period. However, it can give you diarrhea, too.

[Phoenix_Rising]

Originally Posted by Queen of Cups

I turn 30 on Sunday, which I'm not thrilled about but am trying to accept gracefully. I'm biking a local trail on Saturday (53 miles) and then having a date-night at home with DH while the kids spend the night with the in-laws. The next day we'll have a little party with my parents and the in-laws. It should be a lovely weekend!

PS - Megadoses of vitamin C can help start a period. However, it can give you diarrhea, too.

I know this will be late by the time you see it, but Happy birthday! And you biked 53 miles? I'm in awe. Hope it was great!

[Queen of Cups]

I got a late start, so i ended up only doing 40 miles... It was wonderful! I was all bummed about turning 30 until my birthday, and now I'm really fine with it. Taking the bikeride by myself was a wonderful time to think and reflect and I realized that I'm honestly pretty happy with my life and with myself. On to another wonderful decade!

Ellie's birthday is Thursday but we're having her party on Sunday so relatives can come. She wants a chocolate ice cream cake, so if anyone has any expertise in making ice cream cakes, tell me your secrets!

[barcelona]

Just wanted to say Hi!, and Happy Birthday!!!! to all of our babies!!!!, who are now 4. How did that happen?! And Happy 30th Birthday, QofC!

I'm turning 30 next week (27th) and haven't thought too much about it...I'm not thrilled, but not upset, either. My DH thinks I'm going to LOVE it. I don't know about that. (He's 38, so he's been there, done that). Maybe there will be a bit of relief of settling into adulthood, now that I'll be out of my 20's. What do you think, Q of C?

Finley turned 4 last week. We had a sweet little party just the four of us, plus my mom, who was visiting, and then we threw a little party, with three of his friends, on Saturday. Both were very exciting and fun for Finley, which made me happy. I realized I didn't even need to do the Saturday party, Tuesday was so great, but it didn't hurt and wasn't excessive. Just a lazy-on-my-part get together of playing, pizza, and cupcakes.

My parents visited us last week (first mom, then dad joined), and it went okay. They came out to meet Nikolai and celebrate Finley's fourth. I am so proud of how far I have come since I had Finley four years ago. I'm so much more comfortable and confident in myself as a mother. I was able to let their comments roll off my back, instead of really bother me, anger me, and make me self-doubt, like last time. On a side note, we just found out that my mom was sick with swine flu the whole time she was here (!!!), so I am hoping and praying we manage to avoid getting it. Just knowing that, though, makes me start to 'feel' sick even if I'm not...Aak! I should go meditate after this...meditate the flu out of the house.

Life with two, so far, is great. There are challenging moments, of course, but for the most part, Finley is doing great with the change, and I am loving being a mother to two sweet boys! And I am loving holding and getting to know my new little bundle.

Sending birthday love to you all, be it belated or early. Am reading along still, just bad about posting.

Thinking of you all and so glad we are in touch this special month!

More soon, hopefully, if I can manage