Mums of Many it's June - Page 2

[baltic_ballet]

Originally Posted by zjande

I always forget to come searching for the new thread at the beginning of the month. Sure would be handy if the new thread creator would post to the old thread, letting us know about the new thread!

Will try and remember for July

[mclisa]

DoulaVallere: Welcome!

[pixiekisses]

Originally Posted by baltic_ballet

Anyone heard from Pixie lately?

Oh, hello, hon. Time is running away from me.
There's been so much pregnancy drama and other stuff, I'm beat.
I lost the little one due in december. But I am knocked up again and due february 8th.
I just found out yesterday about the new pregnancy, so I'm sure it'll sink in with time (it sure hasn't yet, not that I lost either).

Anyway, we had the best weekend at this huge zoo and entertainment park, we all loved it, amazing place!
And on friday we start our 9 week summer holiday.

[Summertime Mommy]

Hi everyone,
I know I have posted on one of these threads before, but it has been a while. I am a mom of 5. Their ages are 12,10, 7, 5, and 2. Lately I have been really feeling the baby bug and would love to have number 6, but I haven't approached dh yet because I am pretty sure he would say no way. I am also having problems thinking about the logistics of it all. If we had a sixth baby we would have to get a new van because our minivan is packed now. Also, I have no idea how we would afford another child's activities and I don't want to have to give up their sports or dance classes just so that I can fulfill my desire for another child. So yeah, that is where I am at now.

I do have a question though. If you have more than 5 kids, what kind of van do you have? I have no idea where to even begin to look. Thanks.

[mataji4]

Hi all!! Haven't checked in on this thread yet- it's been a busy June so far.

I'm finishing up preschool next week, then I'll be enjoying summer (if it will act like summer here, jeesh!- it's still off and on cold and rainy, wierd) and waiting for baby!!!

Sorry pixie for your loss- I hope this pregnancy is meant to be.

Annettemarie- hooray for not throwing up and two healthy squirmy babies! Does that feel so wierd, two of them moving? I can't imagine feeling twice the bones and feet that I do now!

[ChildoftheMoon]

Summertime Mommy~

Have you thought about replacing the two captain's chairs in the van with a bench seat (like in the back)? This is what we are going to do until we can afford a suburban that seats more........ Our dodge grand caravan seats 7 currently and we will be maxing it out this year, so thinking ahead (and we always seem to be taking an extra person or two with us somewhere!) we are going to check the junkyards for a rear bench seat or a 70/40 split bench seat to replace the two middle captain chairs. One more seat for cheap! We hope to eventually get a 9 seater suburban......... but until then the van will have to work!

~Brandi

[ohiomommy1122]

I took my 3 older ones to see Toy Story over the weekend, that was so cute and DS 2 did GREAT in the theater we plan on going bluberry picking this weekend YUM I can't wait to make a bluberry pie with the kids!

[momtoafireteam]

Hi girls, I have been on MDC a while but the first time I have seen a MoM thread. I am pregnant with #6, due July/ August and I have a son who is 7, boy/ girl twins who are almost 5, a girl who is 3 and girl who is 2. #6 is a fourth little girl....

June so far is a little rocky, DH is a Marine and gone right now and I am EXHAUSTED. Thank God he comes home this weekend and I plan to sleep 21 hours a day until he goes back to work.

So nice to see so many other big families!!

[fairymom]

Hi all! Haven't been on here in a while, glad to see it's still here. And glad to see so many new los on the way! We are expecting #7 in Feb. A bit scary but we knew we wanted one more and s/he is on the way! We just told the oldest 4 last night and lets say that didn't go all that well. The oldest got irate, the next 2 weren't quite as angry but still quite rude and the youngest of those four was excited and seemed happy till the older ones went off. I was just so hurt- their comments are ones I would expect from strangers and rude family not from my own. Anyways now on to telling the rest of the family and the world.

I know it's been asked before but I need a refresher on good come backs for the rude comments and prying questions I know will be coming- so please give me your best!

[Kidzaplenty]

First off, congratulations! Each and every child is a blessing. . I am so sorry that you got such negative comments from your other children.

It is possible that your children are hearing and repeating what they have heared from others. I was shocked when my children started telling me what they were hearing, I thought all the rude comments were saved for me and DH. And when I heard them from my own church "friends" through my children, I was floored.

I just tell my children that each and every one of them is special, and I would not trade a single one. When they start seeing each child as an individual it is more difficult for them to be angry. And I tell them, too, that it is MY and DH's decision. One day they will grow up and leave, and children that I have are not their choice, but ours. So they can just get over it. (Of course, ours may moan and grown a bit, but they always love the babe when they arrive.)

One other thing I take into consideration, when I get pg, if they complain, it is usually because they feel over worked and burdened. So I need to reevaluate how much I put on them. With a few easing of responsibilities and an extra helping of privilages, things tend to even out again.

I hope it all settles into "good" soon.

[mataji4]

Congratulations fairymom!

I would second Jenny's idea that they might just be imitating what they've heard in our common culture. My kids seemed a little uncomfortable and even embarrassed, saying things like "Don't you have enough kids already?" which I knew wasn't coming from them. They got over it. Pregnancy is rough and mom is different, so maybe they're just old enough to know that the reality isn't all rosy?? Maybe they are selfishly not looking forward to your morning sickness or inability to do certain things??

I'm sure they'll come around at least by the time the baby gets here- everybody loves a baby : )

[peaceful_mama]

NO rude comments on this being my 4th. but then the last 3 people I told were all people with 4 or more kids

My own are excited and want a girl. In about 2 weeks, we find out.

TONS of swimming. They all love it. Though I have NO idea what I will do next summer....

Right now I only take them to places/times I think I can handle, and sometimes just the older 2 to certain places they like, no toddler in tow.

But next summer, the baby will be about 6 months, IMO, too little to leave for that reason. (I have not pumped and left a bottle for anyone since I stopped working, I'm a crappy pumper and I don't miss it in the least!)

I will also have DS 2, who will be 2 1/2 and LOVES LOVES LOVES LOVES LOVES the water. (I am almost afraid to have another waterbirth because I don't know if I can handle two that little together who *adore* water, )
To me, that's still young enough to need all my attention and both hands, especially if it's not a little wading kiddy pool.

then there will be DD who will be 4.5, she is getting good this year at knowing where she can and can't handle being, so I really don't think I'll have to worry a lot about helping her, just knowing where she is.

And DS1 who will be 6.5 and he's already bugging *now* to be in the "deep end" wants to do the waterslides and all this stuff. I think he's the perfect age and comfort level right now to get some lessons. (unlike DD who does not like to get her face wet.)

Next year, I am seriously envisioning that DS1 will not be at all happy to go to the little wading pools. And I still will not be comfortable enough with DS2's abilities to want to take all of them to the pools that can accomodate--0 entry and gradually getting deeper, with a roped off 3 FT and more section for bigger kids. And I won't want to leave the baby home...

What have some of you done?? Oh and DH is not into taking them...and it's HOT here in the summer so we go all week long when he is at work currently.

[fairymom]

Originally Posted by Kidzaplenty

One other thing I take into consideration, when I get pg, if they complain, it is usually because they feel over worked and burdened. So I need to reevaluate how much I put on them. With a few easing of responsibilities and an extra helping of privilages, things tend to even out again.

I can completely agree w/you on this..normally, but since we recently moved and w/summer break- I've laxed a lot on what their chores. My ODD (almost 17) seriously isn't here most of the time (off with boyfriend and friends) we're lucky if she sleeps here 2xwk and so giving her chores has been completely out- they won't get done. My other 2 girls have to pick up after themselves and empty the DW once a day, my ODS takes out the trash when needed, and the YDS helps out when I give him something age appropriate to do (he's 5). The baby obviously doesn't have to do anything yet since he just learned to walk 2 weeks ago! lol

But I do feel you hit the nail on the head w/others comments. Because they are typically things you'd hear from adults- "Don't you have enough already!" and "But you just had one!" (lo is 15 mths- will be almost 2 when this one is born but most of my kids have a 3-4 year spacing). I think/know it will get better but it's just so frustrating and makes me dread telling anyone else! I love my large family and it doesn't actually feel that big to me!

Peaceful Mama- I'll have a similar situation next summer too and plan wearing the baby, getting LDS a life jacket (even in a wading pool- he loves the water too much to be trusted) and setting clear boundaries for the others. As for you oldest (he'll be 8?) my YDD is 8 this summer and still loves the wading pool- I try and get them to a lake EOW and EOD to the wading pool, she's just happy to be in water! I've had my 11 and 15 yrs tag along to the wading pool too just because they want to- they can go to the lake together but rather be w/us. But yeah that's my advice a water friendly wrap/sling and a life jacket- I love the speedo ones- and if they are coast guard approved (there'll be a label in the jacket) they can wear them at most larger/deeper public pools (like the 0 depth entry ones).

[Kidzaplenty]

For me, I used to dread telling anyone. Then one day I realized the comments had stopped. THEN I realized that they really had not stopped, but they were being said to my children rather to me. I guess people thought that I would not listen (which I wouldn't) so I might listen to my other children. This is what was so hard for me. Using my own children, confusing them and planting ideas in their heads. So wrong.

I actually stopped talking to my own Mom for a couple of years over this (she consistantly "talked" to me through my children - things she would never say to my face).

[prairiebird]

We're having a bit of a confusing time now. Originally, I had hoped for 7 children. I have been blessed with 6 now, and my last is 4 months old now. My pregnancy was completely uneventful other than a bout with the stomach flu requiring hospitalization during the winter. (this happens every time for some wonderful reason). I had an awful c-section for a footling breech baby that would just not turn, and the recovery from that was awful. We decided afterward that perhaps maybe we might want to complete our family now.

Now, of course, I'm seeing big families with expectant moms or with new babies all over the place, and I'm having that baby-baby yearning already. UGH.

So now I guess we'll be in a holding pattern for a while. I know that if I hadn't had a c-section, I'd probably consider trying again soon, but with the section, I was told I should wait two more years-- I'd be 36 at that point. I am frankly terrified on TTC and going through a pregnancy at that age now that I've had the section. (And I gained a ton of weight post-partum because I was depressed and decided to eat Starbucks entire menu.)

I don't know why I'm scared about that- maybe I need to read some happy stories of mom's that have had multiple pregnancies prior to a C-section and then went on to have successful pregnancies afterward (vbac or another section).

Or maybe I should just be happy with my children and stuff down the yearnings. I donno.

I totally missed this thread this month too! I cannot believe June is nearly over. (Probably over already by now in some areas of the world)

[naturallyspeaking]

I'm not MoM (yet), just 3 kids, but would love to hear stories of large families.

[baltic_ballet]

Hi Ladies, I have started a new July thread:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...1#post15581331

[zjande]

Originally Posted by baltic_ballet

Hi Ladies, I have started a new July thread:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...1#post15581331

Thank you so much for posting this!