Moms of Many DECEMBER - Page 4

[dkenagy]

Hey, another newbie here. I wish I could find a MOMs group IRL to meet with!! I am expecting my 5th in May. People think DH and I must be insane... I think we are doing fine, except we will need to upgrade the van if we have anymore!! All the moms I know IRL "have their hands full" or "can barely keep up" with their one or two (maybe 3) kids, so I don't have anyone I feel I can really compare notes with. I don't feel like my 4 are just "chores"!
Anyway, I hope to join in here to take notes, empathize and commiserate, and mostly find some sympathetic ears!!

[baltic_ballet]

Welcome to our new Mom's of Many

Welcome back to any returning Mom's

[crittersmom]

Originally Posted by baltic_ballet

Welcome to our new Mom's of Many

Welcome back to any returning Mom's

I'd like to add a big welcome too the new ladies and a thank you for the welcome back I dont know when I get to type but I do lurk from time to time.We are in HI with the lovely furlough days so I get to homeschool part time so my oldest's brain doesn't rot. Those days are so exhausting though.I realized that I just want somebody to do what I ask without question for a whole hour.It would be so loverly.
Congrats to all the pregnant mamas and easy birthing vibes to you Helen, i allowed myself a glass of red wine a day at the end and boy did it help with my only posterior baby.
i drive a Chevy Suburban that we bought off of Craig's list that seats 9.I'm not hoping to fill up the extra seats though. ( well not all the time )

[baltic_ballet]

We have a Toyota Commuter with 14 seats - it has served us really well but as my eldest kids are not traveling with us as much as they used to maybe we could/should get a smaller van....

[flapjack]

Originally Posted by pixiekisses

s to you, Helen. Hope it's better this time.

Oh, it's not like that. Alex fell down a toilet whilst I was begging for an enema. Isaac had drama, shoulder dystocia and PPH (if the u/s is right, this one is fairly close to Isaac in terms of body shape, which is a slight concern for me), Skye gave me 27 days of prodromal labour, a bad hour and then eventually turned up, in an unheated bedroom at the end of November, on top of a nice crisp white cotton percale duvet cover AND duvet then River fell down a toilet because I was running away from the candles and the nice nest I'd built myself because I didn't want DH to see me poo. So it's not that there's anything wrong with my births, they just lack that certain serenity, y'know? Although it would be a shame to start the poor baby off with unrealistic expectations

[mami_guera]

Wow...those are some crazy birth stories!! I was super lucky with the first 2 20 mins each!! And the 3rd was one hour because her arm was behind her head when she came out...those were my girls all 7 lbs or less. Then I had my son he was 12 hrs and weighed 9 lbs and that was because they induced my labor. They were scared he was going to be about 12 lbs!! So if...if I am pregnant this time I hoping for the same as the first two! hahaha!

[mommajb]

flapjack, I joke with dh that we need to have children until I get the birth I want - comeplete with serenity and more. Sadly, I don't think it is meant to be for me though I came closest with #5...

[aniT]

#4 was my easiest. He was born at home.. in a tub of water after 2.5 with just me and DH there. Of course DH was on the phone with the midwife who was in route and while in the middle of pushing I had to tell him to put the damn phone on speaker so he can use both hands to catch his son. For some reason that didn't occur to him. Midwife showed up about 5 minutes after he was born to cut the cord and all the other stuff. Hehe.

[orangefoot]

Originally Posted by mommajb

flapjack, I joke with dh that we need to have children until I get the birth I want - comeplete with serenity and more. Sadly, I don't think it is meant to be for me though I came closest with #5...

In our house the joke goes in the other direction - it is part of dh's plan to tempt me to another. I'm not sure I will get an 'ideal birth' though even with a fifth because I am sure that it is his head shape that is the problem!

My boys were both born easily so I have 2 good births in the bag, one was peaceful-ish and the other was fast in water. (So I shouldn't complain too much) but the girls who are his biological children both got their heads stuck in odd positions.

Dd1 didn't engage at all then wedged herself transverse once my waters broke which ended up in an emergency transfer at 3am in really cod weather. Dd2 got herself all comfortable brow presenting and it took a couple of days to get her out with pit and hands everywhere at one point trying to work out if I needed a section or not. I managed it in the end but it was a very difficult labour.

I can't see a smooth birth in my future at all and that puts me off somewhat especially as I'd have to stop my normal anticoagulants and start injecting heparin before ttc as well. The high risk OB team thought I was loony planning a homebirth last time and were ready to hear that I had bed out at home. I think they may think I have totally lost my marbles if I plan another one.

You see, my rational head can talk me out of it really well

[flapjack]

Originally Posted by orangefoot

You see, my rational head can talk me out of it really well

Yes, and within the month I'll be dangling newborns in front of your nose, and then where will you be? (Trying to figure out how it's possible for men to have children, probably.)

I love my kids. Isaac had a scary asthma attack tonight and curled into a ball and had a hard time breathing, and DH was stuck at work until 8- it's an hour's drive home. So Alex read Skye's bedtime story to her- at her request- and River gently conked out whilst I sat with him, and then Alex and Isaac talked at length about comas, what causes them, the death rate from asthma in the UK, the research supporting the use of nebulisers over spacers + inhalers and other cheerful things. Oh, and the plot of Cool by Michael Morpurgo, where a kid goes into a coma and refuses to come out of it until his parents decide not to divorce. I need to have a discussion with school about their choice of reading material, I think. Then DH came home, I drove Isaac to the walk-in centre, he threw up all over the car telling me whilst he did so that he was so, so embarrassed, and then cracked one joke after another for the next hour. Bless him.

[orangefoot]

How is Isaac today? Have you had dh clean the car?

Good on River for being sleepy at just the right time, Skye for loving her big brother and Alex for being a good reader! Sometimes it all comes together in a weird way doesn't it?

Dangling newborns isn't allowed yo know

[mommajb]

flapjack, it all sounds scary (and messy) but I'm so glad your kids pulled through for you. Isn't it amazing when it happens?

[flapjack]

Yup. I get payback later though

Luckily, I had a double sheepskin rug (two mules- BFL crossed with a suffolk, in case anyone is interested) piled in the passenger footwell where Isaac was sick, so getting the car clean wasn't that bad Getting the rug clean, now that's going to be a whole other story. I just keep telling myself that wool is antibacterial.

[pixiekisses]

Oh my, Helen, those are some crazy-amazing birth stories. I'm glad they're all ok after those.

My births are just horrible, dramatic, traumatic, life-threatening. So I'm very happy we have some kids through fostering too. And, I'm determined to have my next birth be not life-threatening.
That's a good goal, isn't it?

[mclisa]

Well, we survived having the 2 oldest in the Nutcracker with their dance studio. I had a blast being back stage helping. Such fun to watch them get it all together.

We drive a Honda Odyssey. It fits 5 carseats. DH reeeeaaaaalllly wants another baby so we'll have to get a bigger van at some point. I don't want to think about another baby at this point, but since I'm still nursing this baby, I think that is reasonable.

Do any of you moms have kids with chronic health problems? It's hard enough to divide my time between the kids, but we have 2 that have health needs too that can suck up the time.

[rajahkat]

We're lucky around here in that our kids are all pretty healthy. Other than an awful allergy to cats we discovered in Alder last year at Christmas time. We were going to visit Grandma & he ended up with a scary asthma attack due to all the pet dander. Other than that, like I said, I thank the universe every day that we don't have any health concerns.

Kat

[annettemarie]

Hey mamas-- sorry I haven't been around. I've been licking my wounds a bit and feeling sorry for myself. Then I realized I was crampy and probably PMSing. Luckily my husband bought a giant chocolate bar and left it in the car. It's mine now, sucker!

Anyway, things are kicking into high gear for Christmas. We're also coming up on our 15th anniversary this week! Unbelievable. We always make a cake and celebrate the birthday of our family that day. Plus we have the church staff lunch. And then we're going out alone the next night.

I have 3 choirs going right now. I will have 4 when co-op starts up again. My teen girls sound awesome, if I do say so myself. We're going to try to tape them next week so I'll share. It's so weird to be back in the choir game after 10 years off though. I feel so out of practice!

Oh, and birth stories... I loved reading them all!

My first was a nightmare-- 27 hours of active labor, 5 days in hospital, 3 failed epidurals and a forceps delivery.

My second was the best. Very peaceful and I had her within an hour of showing up at the hospital.

My third was here in the little podunk hospital and kind of sucked. He was breathing fast and instead of letting me hold him skin to skin they took him away from me. Also, I had a failed pitocin induction and then another 3 days later, and spent a month on bed rest due to high blood pressure.

My fourth was a homebirth. I feel kind of cheated, like I was promised rainbows and fairies and they never showed up. It was really hard, and at one point my midwife slapped my ass and told me to stop whining. Which I get, I guess, but still. I know it's kind of squiffy to say around here, but I am honestly not sure if I'll have a homebirth next time, especially given what's happened with the two losses.

Anywho... did I tell you all the doctor said we could try again after the new year? I am scared to death. And I'm two days late but am having cramps and feeling snippy and had a negative test. I'm kind of glad, because I would hate to be the first person in the history of the universe to get knocked up because her six-year-old thought her basal thermometer made a groovy rocket ship and took off with it and lost it, .

[pixiekisses]

Originally Posted by mclisa

Do any of you moms have kids with chronic health problems? It's hard enough to divide my time between the kids, but we have 2 that have health needs too that can suck up the time.

Yes, we have one with severe special needs who is very sick, always been. (6 yo.) She has a progressive syndrome.
And our 4 yo. has some sensory troubles that have become more visible/worse lately, and maybe something else, not sure yet. We have to do EI on him.
And it seems like the baby has neurological issues too, she's emergency care baby, and that will make her harder to place, so she'll stay quite a bit longer I think. (She's 17 weeks already, so, they should have found adoptive-family by now. They had one interested family, but then they heard of her SN and said no.)
Just PM me, if you want. Or ask here if you're wondering about something spesific.

Originally Posted by annettemarie

Luckily my husband bought a giant chocolate bar and left it in the car. It's mine now, sucker!

Originally Posted by annettemarie

I have 3 choirs going right now. I will have 4 when co-op starts up again. My teen girls sound awesome, if I do say so myself. We're going to try to tape them next week so I'll share. It's so weird to be back in the choir game after 10 years off though. I feel so out of practice!

Oh, more singers here! I sing too, as a solist, and in groups. I have lots of concerts and other assignments through the year that I get paid for.
Some of my kids are also very musical and good singers, and they play some instruments. (I don't play anything really.)
Would be cool to hear you girls! (And you.)

Originally Posted by annettemarie

(..)and at one point my midwife slapped my ass and told me to stop whining.

Gosh! Sorry, but the pictures in my head are quite funny.

And because of my births I'm so not having any HB's.

Originally Posted by annettemarie

(..) because I would hate to be the first person in the history of the universe to get knocked up because her six-year-old thought her basal thermometer made a groovy rocket ship and took off with it and lost it, .

And good luck with the trying!

And, happy 15th anniversary!


We finally got the snow we wanted today! It's so beautiful outside with all the snow (been snowing pretty much all day), and we've been outside playing in it. And making a little snowman, and had a snowball fight. We just love snow.

[pauletoy]

Hi ladies! Can I join? I have 4 (2 girls and 2 boys). I never did my siggy after they were all deleted. Guess I should work on it.

With 4 kiddos, I am pretty much a freak around our community. It's great to find a group of other moms of many.

I would love to have 1 more babe but dh says he is done. With 3 preemies, I know the odds of a full term birth are not in my favor but I can't help but dream about a homebirth. Dh just isn't willing to risk having a baby earlier than our youngest who was born at 33 weeks with some breathing issues. So 4 kiddos it is and I am happy to be here!

[flapjack]

Hello, pauletoy!

mclisa, our only one with health issues is the aforementioned Isaac, who has four kids worth of health complaints packed into one, bless him.

AM, your midwife literally spanked you during labour? Good luck with the new baby- I'm not a huge fan of TTCing, I find it absolutely terrifying- but have fun anyway And happy anniversary!