It's March! ~ Feb '08 babies ~

[eilonwy]

Happy March! Our babies are two, it's amazing! Bear is such a big fellow, very chatty and with the most amazing, loving, open personality. He's a little ray of sunshine in the gloom that is winter, and now Spring is around the corner.

I just had the most amazing weekend! I spent much more time driving than I would have liked, but other than that everything that could have gone right did. I am home and feeling seriously refreshed, energized, and with one notable exception ready to face everything life has to throw at me. I have the most amazing friends, old and new, and I'm just basking in that right now. Have you ever thought about the coolest people you could imagine, and spending time with them in a good, comfortable way? I used to wonder where you find those ridiculously cool people, but in the past few weeks I've come to realize that I already know them. This weekend, it all came to the forefront of my consciousness-- I know the most amazing people, they're all around me! I've got old friends and new friends and I'm generally blessed by the awesomeness of all of them.

The notable exception to my warm fuzzy feelings of loveyness would be the fact that I need at least one (possibly two) root canals... and there is no way that they're going to happen any time soon. So I'm in a LOT of pain, and I can't really eat solid food right now. I'm going to see if I can get some antibiotics and painkillers from my doctor this week. Aside from that, though, and the perpetual cashflow issues, I'm feeling spectacular.

How is everyone else? How are you enjoying your newly-twos?

[PlayaMama]

hi all! happy march!

megan- we have a half lab half rott and she's settling down nicely, of all the pets that i used to pet sit for the only one that truly needed two walks a day was the lab, and he was probably six-ish? i don't think i'll ever get another one, sorry teeny!

teeny- i wouldn't really count on a dog house helping all that much. being outside helps but most dogs are pack animals and want to be with their pack. it's the stimulation and exercising that they get outside of the yard that really help make the livable creatures. i mean, my dog will run along the fence and bark at people/cars/birds all day but she still needs a walk because it gets boring in the yard. dogs are a lot of work, i'm sure it's especially hard for a non-dog person because sometimes the only thing that makes it worthwhile is how much i love my dog.

rynna- yay for you! sometimes i really love my friends too! i'm sorry to hear about the root canals curtis had one and he was seriously non-functional because of the pain it was so bad. are there any dentists that take payments?

sarah lynne- i'm glad to hear that your trial night went well! my trial day went horrible and i ended up canceling it about two hours in because they were both freaking out. i've got my fingers crossed that it bodes well for your future! and congrats on the 5 years! that is so sweet!

i think my milk is drying up, there's hardly any left and i'm getting really impatient with the nursing. i'm totally ready to be done but she's not quite there yet. we'll see.

i'm amazed at her memory sometimes, she can sit and read herself an entire book from memory. she also knows a bunch of songs (curtis sings neil young songs for nap time) and they are LONG.

i'm trying to decide which school to go to but it's hard. i think i'm probably going to end up flipping a coin or something else random, because any of the schools would work fine.

[eilonwy]

I've yet to find a dentist who takes payments... usually they want you to apply for a bloody credit card first. Well if I qualified for a credit card, I wouldn't need to ask for a payment plan! Dorkuses. Still working on the painkillers.

Hm. I smell dirty pants. I think my moment in front of the computer is about to end.

[eilonwy]

Ladies, I just have to rant a little bit. Some friends of mine from high school are sleep training their six month old. I keep seeing Facebook statuses about how long the baby cried and how it's going and I've just got a rock in my stomach over it all. I don't get it. Why? Why are they deliberately being cruel to their own child? I don't want to be judgmental but it's just so unfair and illogical and I can't wrap my head around it. [/rant]

[Dea]

Rynna, a friend of mine just sleep trained her 5 month old. She posted how he cried for 3 hours one night. I had the same feeling as you. I didn't say anything to her, because he is her child, she knows how I feel about these things. but it's gut wrenching to know that a child just wanted his parents so badly and they denied him. She even commented that on the night before when she broke down and went into his room he was so happy to see her. sigh.

[sarahn4639]

Oh, my heart can't handle this CIO talk. So so sad to me.

Dea, how's breastfeeding going?

Things are good here, we're mostly settled in the new house. I just learned that I'm going to get to co-doula a homebirth in April so I'm happy about that. It will be free, but the doula that has been working with the clients is very new and she was really uncomfortable with the situation as it was so I offered to help her and I've never been to a HB other than my own!

James is mostly potty trained, we pretty much just do diapers when we're out and for sleeping, it's pretty awesome! They stayed with a new friend for the first time today and he even told her when he had to go and pooped for her! It's so funny to be so excited about bathroom things.

Rynna, I'm so sorry about your teeth. Tooth pain is the worst, I hope you have a solution soon!!

Carrie, Linnea sounds so cute!! I thought you knew what school you were going to!?!

Sarah Lynn, I hope going back to work works out great!

[PlayaMama]

Originally Posted by eilonwy

I've yet to find a dentist who takes payments... usually they want you to apply for a bloody credit card first. Well if I qualified for a credit card, I wouldn't need to ask for a payment plan! Dorkuses. Still working on the painkillers.

Hm. I smell dirty pants. I think my moment in front of the computer is about to end.

bummer. we've had good luck with each of the dentists we've used for the kids. even for linnaea's surgery they were all three (surgery center, anesthesiologist, and dentist) willing to take payments.

though they did suggest the care credit card (i didn't qualify, go figure maybe it's because i'm poor and i have $65,000 in student loan debt? i dunno) anyway, after we were denied they did the payment plan.

sleep training makes me and though i will admit that i have sometimes in desperation briefly wished that i was the kind of mother that could consider it i've never actually seriously thought that it would succeed.

i'm too much of a scientist to believe that a child needs to be abandoned to fall asleep. evolution has given us babies that cry when they need us and _we_ respond to it. that's why the proponents tell themselves that they have to ignore their instincts. it's an instinct for a reason!

[Dea]

Sarah my breastfeeding is going. It's hard, but I remind myself over and over that while the calories he getting from me is small, there are a lot of other benefits, but it is a process, feed then bottle feed. He nurses as long as any other baby would and be done with it. So I'll give him credit that he puts in a good effort and doesn't give up when it starts to get a little sparse. (which is right away) Sometimes he'll get enough to sustain him for an hour, but he's sleeping, I suspect the effort just wears him out. But he's growing and is healthy so I don't see why I should change anything.

About sleep training. Not to bash, but I agree with Carrie, nature is what it is. Yay evolution. Also kinda on the same topic. I manage to get Trixie and Hudson to nap at the same time every day, and I nap with them. People always complain that this is so hard. I say YAY for cosleeping! I love my naps!

[smokeylo]

Robin has an ear infection and now the rest of us have caught her cold, too. Even Holly, who keeps choking on her mucus drainage . I'm so tired, and DH's work is extra busy right now... plus it was my first week back to teaching and I already had to cancel a class to stay home with Robin!! Feeling overwhelmed and wish I had family nearby .

[sarahn4639]

Good for you Dea, you're definitely right that any breast milk is better than no breast milk and I'm really proud of you for continuing to do what you know is best for your son. I used to nap with Grace and James like that too, it sure made it easier!

Lauren, that sucks. It's so frustrating when things all happen at once. I wish you had more local help too, it's hard to do it without family nearby to help. I'd love to live by my family, but they'd have to move here, I'm not moving back "home". I hope you are all feeling better soon!

I just have to say, I'm really proud of myself! I've been using SparkPeople.com to track my food intake and I joined the YMCA. I've been going 5 days a week and I'm seeing improvement in how hard I can work out (I'm even running a very little bit!). I'm down about 15 pounds! I still have a long way to go, but I'm feeling good and getting in the rhythm and I was actually really bummed when I had to miss a day at the gym last week!

[ema-adama]

Woo hoo Sarah. You totally inspired me to get back on fitday and keep track of what I am eating. I have been doing my exercise (no longer running, but walking and sprinting now - I got SO bored running, even with a MP3 player)

I would love to loose some flab before conceiving, and just anyway.

Lauren, I hope your family are all well on the road to recovery. Sick little babies is no fun all around.

Carrie, I also thought you were accepted at your school of choice, I didn't know you were deliberating.

Yeah, sleep training is something I have wished I could do in my desperate moments, until I realise it is not a quick fix, and not something I could sustain. I have read passionate debates on it, and I really can understand that sometimes it is the only option available to parents. That said, our neighbours son regularly cries himself to sleep. Hillel notices and doesn't like it Neither do I. Although I have learnt to ignore it in the hope that the boy will be OK (he is 3).

We are back in "where are we going to live?" mode after yet another blow up with IL's. I knew it would be hard living in a foreign country.... it's just SO hard sometimes. Communication is getting better, I think MIL is just taking a really long time to get who I am and the choices I make in my life.

[smokeylo]

Ended up taking Robin to the ER last night because her cough was getting worse and worse rather than better. She has been diagnosed with croup and we're giving her steroids to help. They did help but she totally freaked out when we got home which was terrifying and upsetting. Holly is very mucousy and is starting to cough, too. It seems to be related to drainage rather than the dry cough Robin had... but I'm worried about her, too. And extremely tired.

Weirdly enough, this happened a year to the day after we took Robin to the ER for pneumonia in Mar '09.

OK, Robin thinks she's making Holly happy but she's just annoying her in the bouncy, so I must intervene...

[Dea]

Lauren, I hope that Robin's feeling better now. I had to smile at the end of your post. Trixie often bounces Hudson thinking that he likes it, but I can see he's getting more and more agitated. I try to balance it so that she gets to feel helpful, but he doesn't go crazy from the extra love that she imparts.
Sarah, yay for getting fit. I think I've healed enough that I can start at a gym again. I feel this pressure to get all fit and stuff for Trixie, I want to make sure she has a good role model, plus the fitter and thinner I am for the next baby will make conception and pregnancy easier. (although I have easy pregnancies, but my births are hard-- hmmm... but I think that's more related to my over thinking!)

So it looks like our group is getting more and more quiet as the years pass. Kinda sad!

[PlayaMama]

i'm sad about the quiet too, so many mamas have just slowly dropped off. remember when we used to have a page a day in our thread? i still see flapjack and nausicaamom (jenn) on another board i'm on which is nice.

i did think i knew what school i was going to BUT it turns out that the prerequisites are not covered by financial aid and i have to come up with around $2600 before school starts, so i'm considering other programs where i don't have to pay that much money.

i'm also considering asking my grandparents for a little help as i know they really want me to succeed. it also depends on what, if any, scholarships i get. i just finished my statement of purpose, ugh, to send off tomorrow.

dea- yay i'm so glad you are nursing!!

megan- i can totally see how difficult it must be to live in another country. are you thinking of moving back to south africa where your dad is?

lauren- i'm sorry your girls are sick. there was one night lazlo had this funky wheeze and he couldn't catch his breath and i just freaked out and took him outside in the freezing cold and it helped him get back to sleep. of course, i slept next to him and worried that it was getting worse but it was okay in the morning. i hope holly clears up and robin feels better.

sarah- yay you for getting fit!! some how i've gained 20 pounds over the last few months and NONE of my clothes fit. what's weird is that i was totally over eating when i gained it but now that i'm not overeating it's not going away. i used to be able to control my weight by just waiting until i was hungry to eat and then stopping the second i felt full. my dh keeps telling me, "welcome to your early 30's" and it makes me because i don't want it to be this way. anyway, long story to say, i think i need to get myself active too!

[eilonwy]

Well, things have been busy around here. The weather just got nice, so the kids have been outside a lot. I'm hoping to take them to a state park tomorrow or Wednesday, it's become a bit of a spring tradition for us. I've also been spending a lot of time with friends, old and new, in person. This makes me unbelievably happy. As it turns out, my old friends are even cooler than I remembered and there are new friends everywhere. Last Sunday (not yesterday) I went to Pittsburgh and met a whole bunch of new friends; In fact, there were only three people at the party that I'd met before. I had the time of my life, it was brilliant!

The friend who had been hosting the GURPS game I've been playing told me he wanted to take a trip to DC one of these weekends, so we'll be carpooling down that way next Sunday. Oh yes: Saturday is Bean's very first Pinewood Derby (he's terribly excited and so am I!) so I'll be busy all weekend again. This is probably a very good thing, as I am going to ovulate at some point this weekend and I probably shouldn't be alone with anyone. Hormones. What's a woman to do?

Bean snatched my camera out of my hand at his Blue & Gold Banquet and dropped it. Now it doesn't work at all. I am absolutely heartbroken, I can't afford to have it repaired or replaced and I'm not getting pictures of the kids outdoors on this beautiful freaking day. Not having a camera is a huge (and hugely depressing) thing for me. It makes me want to strangle Bean and Mike (because if his sorry butt was working, I could definitely get the camera repaired). Mostly I cry about it alone in my room.

In most fabulous news, my size 12P jeans are quite loose! I've decided that when I get to single digits, I will buy myself some designer jeans of the sort that you can find at TJ Maxx (two seasons behind but still nifty). Provided, of course, that I can find a pair which fits comfortably and looks nice. $30 is a lot for me to spend on jeans, I usually buy clearance and get them cheaper than that, even before the great financial crunch... but damn it, I think I deserve something for hitting single digits without a completely insane and disordered food/exercise regimen. I've been working on getting more exercise, but have been insanely busy. I'll get there.

I'm going to ask Mike for some of the tax refund so that I can get my bike tire fixed. Now that it's nice outside, I want to do some riding! Especially if I can't take pictures.

[FelixMom]

Hi everyone,

Rynna, hope your teeth get better soon. And may your account be overflowing with the funds to pay for it.

I took the kids to visit my dad over March break and plunked down $500 in dental work for myself. An old metal filling had to be removed and replaced with a ceramic one. And now DS1 may require a palatial expander, a precursor to braces. Grrr that's another $2 000 we weren't anticipating in spending just yet. I will get the second opinion of at least 2 other orthodontists before moving ahead with this. Mind you, even the consultation for a second opinion will cost me $60 each time...

Ah yes, my 2 yo bouncing ball of energy. DS2 is a handful. Definitely a very curious mind and sharp eyes that don't miss a thing. He loves to drag around chairs or stools, climb on them, and access all kinds of stuff that we don't want him to get into. Even tried to climb the shelves in the fridge.

What happened to NOS? Haven't seen her around in ages. Is everything okay with her?

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by FelixMom

Rynna, hope your teeth get better soon. And may your account be overflowing with the funds to pay for it.

From your keyboard to God's ears.

What happened to NOS? Haven't seen her around in ages. Is everything okay with her?

I upset her by being offended that she compared renting a tux for her teenaged son's [public school] prom to planning a c-section or bottle feeding an infant. I think she still lurks, but she rarely posts here anymore.

[smokeylo]

I see NOS on facebook.

So, the steroids have helped R's cough but it keeps coming back. So it's back to the dr later today. I think it may be asthma.

Extremely tired from a week of illness/appts. House is a mess.

[eilonwy]

Asthma sucks. It's one of the reasons I'm so glad that it's spring-- the girls have both stopped wheezing with the nicer weather.

Bear's been throwing up again. What am I going to do with this kid? He's not acting sick so I'm not making a big fuss, but blech. I don't know if it's a virus, a sensitive tummy, a cold, allergies or what. If any of the kids succeed in giving me gray hair, it'll be Bear.

[Teenytoona]

Hello all!

Things are going well here. I too am sad about the dwindling participation here. But I find I'm having a harder time popping in to this thread because there are so many topics of conversation going on that by the time I post I forget all of what I want to say or who to respond to. then I feel like I just talk about myself on and on, so I figure you all could do without my self-centeredness. It's hard to keep up with a chat thread. I do miss the DDC set-up, for sure.

Croup sucks, smokeylo, no doubt about that.

Rynna, great work! You're a motivator! What have you been doing weightloss wise? Atkins style? Poor little Bear, gosh I hope he gets better soon.

Hi everyone else!

The other morning, DH and I were both awake and up and about, but DD was still asleep in our bed. I went in to get something, and she rolled over and in her sleep said "Tinkerbelle" hee hee hee... I later tried to ask her what she dreamt about and she said "I don't know."