Feb '08 Mamas - they're turning 2 - Page 4

[Teenytoona]

Originally Posted by PlayaMama

also, teeny, is your dog a puppy or an adult? because if it's a puppy you should really work on bite inhibition because it makes a huge difference when they are adults and it's a skill they learn as puppies. let me knwo if you need any info.

He's 8 months old. Nearly full grown from what we can tell... I don't know what bite inhibition is. He's a black lab, very playful, but too playful for me... I like dogs ok, but not sure I like living with them. Heh. I'll take info on it.

All's going ok here. I partied a little too hard on Friday and am still feeling sluggish from it. Guess I'm not as young as I used to be. Consequently I was way too snappish this morning trying to get everyone out the door. Oh how I hate hate hate the morning rush. Esp when DSS says at 6 am on Monday morning "I don't have any pants!" sheesh, boy all weekend long, and not one peep about it until one hour before we have to leave.

Ugh, the toddler bed is touch and go. One night she loves it, the next she fusses and cries and doesn't yike her bed. Grrr. She still wakes up at least once at night and it's at that time that she usually fights going back to her bed.

We had her and A's birthday party last week (though she won't be 2 til the 27th). They were cute, had fun, lots of energy.

[mishaj]

The new baby is a...

Girl!

Wow- a baby sister! DD knew it all along!

Thanks mamas for the support with the high quad screen. It has been nutsy-

Here's the latest news-(also posted elsewhere so sorry for the repeat!)

We asked the doc to repeat the quad screen test and it came back NORMAL (1:710) and I was so happy. The doc says the test is not repeatable and not accurate a second time around (why not?!) So I'm gutted. Then, we did our first u/s since all this began and it suggested choroid plexus cysts and a lemon shaped skull. I was gutted. Then we had our level 2 u/s and no cycts, perfect skull and no soft markers for Downs. I was so happy. Then the perinatologist tells us that 30-50% of babies born with Downs have no soft markers. I'm gutted again.

This is crazy making. Clearly the medical profession is steering me into an amnio. I finally speak with my doc and he steers me away from one due to the risk of losing a healthy pregnancy. The confusion continues... no choice seems like a good one.

I'm trying to trust everything is OK and we just had some wonky results. It is still hard to get those wonky results off my mind.

Happy birthday to the rest of the 2 year old crew out there!

Love,

Mj

[eilonwy]

The test isn't repeatable due to time constraints; It has to be done within a certain window or it's considered inaccurate. Sounds like they're doing their level best to make you completely insane, though.

[smokeylo]

Congrats, Mishaj -- with all the lack of markers, it was probably a faulty quad screen -- those are notorious for being misleading! Hooray for little girls .

Robin's birthday party on Sunday was really fun. We had 4 of her friends show up and did a balloon drop (like on New Year's) which was a huge hit. We ate ice cream cone cupcakes and everyone got bracelets and sunglasses. It was a low effort party that ended up being very fun. Robin got really overstimulated and was basically screaming as people walked out the door because she was so tired. She'll be 2 tomorrow soooo big!!

Stomach flu is moving through her daycare and has me terrified. Everyone but Robin and one other boy has caught it. I thank goddess I'm still nursing her some. But I'm probably keeping her home today in case that last little boy comes down with it. I really, really don't need a vomiting toddler, or for any of us to catch it. Sucks because she is so much happier when she can play with her friends in the morning... but not worth the risk, I think, sigh!!

Holly is just shy of 1 mo old, sooo big and happy and sweet. I think Robin is finally getting used to having a sister and is sleeping through the night again, and not freaking out quite as often during the day.

[Mommy2Austin]

Wow...Tristyn is almost a month old. It's already going by so fast!

I'm heading back to work on the 5th...I don't know how I feel about it yet. I'm ready to head back to work (excited even) but I'm worried and unsure about the logistics of being gone from Tristyn just yet. I've got some bm pumped and frozen already for the just in case (I can get pulled for overtime and would be gone for 16+ hours if it happened) and have the thumbs up from the Warden (she's really sweet!) on having my breastpump with me at work and being able to pump. Physically I'm fine to work, but emotionally..the jury is still out. There's not much choice on not going back yet because we need the money. SO I have to talk this out with DH and get myself mentally prepared to do this. I think maybe I'll have a girl's day out with one of my girlfriends around the time I'd be gone for work (~2pm-~2am) and see how she does with DH. That way if he needs me I'm just a call away and not stuck at work.

Steven has been a little off lately. He's at that in between stage where he can't do everything Austin does (activity-wise) but has gotten too big for the "baby" stuff. I'm not sure how to help him out because for the life of me I don't remember dealing with this with Austin. Hopefully things even out soon.

[Dea]

Hello!
Yesterday Trixie turned 2! (so did Robin!)
We had her party at a local activity place (pump it up jr) Trixie had so much fun, then we went for dinner with one of her little friends and they fed each other and made a jolly mess then we went to a playground and they played. A good day!
When she woke up I asked her what day it was and she told me it was Cake Day! Heh. My funny girl. She can tell me that she's 2 and sometimes she'll hold up 2 fingers on one hand (often plus a thumb) or one finger on each hand. She's so sweet.
I can't believe I have a two year old!

[PlayaMama]

lauren- what a great party! how's the stomach flu doing?

mishaj- i had a lot of ups and downs with linnaea too, and what fixed it for me was my bff telling me that i would be a great mommy for a down syndrome baby. really, i think that most mamas would be, it's just reaching that point of acceptance that's hard.

sarah lynne- best of luck to you, remember to keep up the pumping, i thought that bringing in a picture of linnaea would be helpful and instead it was heart-wrenching, ymmv, of course. it sure does seem like it has flown by though! i hope the transition is easy for both of you. have you tried the bottles yet?

dea- yay good party for trixie! what a smart little girl!

teeny- i saved you for last cause i have lots to say at this age your best bet is exercise, lots and lots and lots of it. when the puppy is tired it won't do all the annoying puppy things they do. i'd also work really hard on "come" (say "name, come!", run away from the dog and when it chases you give it a treat, eventually it will associate come with cookies and it will come without it being a game, never tell him to come and yell at him or punish him.
that's a really good way to get a dog to run away from you when you tell it to come.

labs are usually very boisterous and they take a while to settle down with age, like 2 or 3. your best bet is to make sure that he has manners. make him work for his dinner, for every kibble he has to do a sit or a down or a come.

there's a book called, how to raise a puppy you can live with, that my mom recommends. i'd also suggest a training course, something that uses positive reinforcement as it makes training fun for your dog and it's something that kdis can do really well so you get a dog that responds to everyone in your family. i'd also suggest neutering if he's not yet, that will help quite a bit in settling him.

okay, off my dog rant! i used to show and train dogs for about five years in my teens and my mom has worked at a vet or the animal shelter for 30 years so i've got a lot to say on teh topic

news for us. linnaea has taken to scrunching her brows and walking around the house saying, "i'm mad" but she's not really mad, usually just bored.

[Mommy2Austin]

Well my night out/baby at home trial run was a success. It would have been better had DH actually slept the night before, but whatever. I pumped every 2-3 ish hours while I was gone (managed 2-3 ounces each time!) and at least I know I can provide plenty for her while I'm at work. DH did really awesome not overfeeding her (he went through ~10 ounces from 2pm (I nursed her at 1:30) until I got home at 2 am (I nursed when I got home.) I was very proud of him. We did decide he has to learn how to wrap her on his back so he can get stuff accomplished when she refuses to be put down.

I am curious to see how he feels after a week alone with the kids...

I have to finish pumping and then I'm gonna try and clean the house a bit before DH gets up.

[Teenytoona]

Thanks Carrie for the dog info. Excercising, yeah, in the winter, deep snow, and the lack of time that we're home, the poor dog doesn't get much. Once spring hits, DH plans to build him a dog house, so that will help, being outside and all.

DD's finally two! Woohoo. She had a cold this weekend (still does). She's extra cranky and extra nursy, but what can you do?

Not much to report, but wanted to say howdy.

[ema-adama]

labs are usually very boisterous and they take a while to settle down with age, like 2 or 3. your best bet is to make sure that he has manners. make him work for his dinner, for every kibble he has to do a sit or a down or a come.

I had to giggle at this. Our lab is 10, and boistrous is a very mild way of putting it. He is insane. Not to freak you out Teeny, but I will never ever get another lab, ever! He drives me insane. Think Marley and Me. The damage he has incurred is pretty impressive. Although since I have been home it is better, as he needs people around. But still, the minute I leave, I know I am going to come home to something having gone wrong.

Otherwise.... hi all.

Not much news here. I am part of a homeschooling group now, that I am loving! Hillel is having a bit of an adjustment to older and rougher kids... hoping it will all settle down.

SL - Way to go on pumping and making it work. That is awseome.

[Mommy2Austin]

So I've had a Doh! epiphany this morning... All this pumping I've done has left me engorged all the time. Then I realized why...Tristyn block nurses. One side for 1-2 feedings and then I switch to the other. She nurse every 2-3 hrs. and if she wants some sooner than normal I nurse her on the same side previously. I have OALD so I do this to give her a chance to nurse without having to choke half the time. I've been pumping BOTH sides everytime I've pumped. So telling my breasts I need way more than I do... Blah! Hopefully I get the engorged/leaking breasts issue under control somewhat before I return to work. I'll remember to bring an extra shirt and leave it in my car just in case.

We're all fighting a cold/virus thing here. DH, JJ (my BIL) and Tristyn are phlegmy and hoarse. All the kids (Austin, Steven, and Lily my niece) have runny noses (not clear either ) and coughing intermittently. I'm actually OK at the moment, but I'm waiting for it to hit me.

I'm trying to convince DH that we can borrow a little cash from my dad (since I never ask the man for anything) to tied us over another week so I can have our anniversary off (it's next Monday.) It's our 5th anniversary and I at least want to spend it with him not with some witchy inmates and cranky officers. I don't know if he'll go for it or not, but we shall see.

[eilonwy]

I started a March thread. Spring is right around the corner!