Weekly thread, July 18-25

[jenfl]

You guys, Sprout gets the BIGGEST smile when he sees Nugget in the morning. It's just so cute and rewarding.

[GreenTeaGinger61]

Originally Posted by jenfl

You guys, Sprout gets the BIGGEST smile when he sees Nugget in the morning. It's just so cute and rewarding.

Ahhh...cuteness R is the same way with my son not so much with the girls.

I'm tentatively trying us on a schedule this week. We'll see how it goes. I felt bad as it seemed like dh was living separate from us (he gets up freakishly early even when going to bed late). Plus if he gets a teaching job, I think it would be nice to be up to at least say good bye. So far it kind of sucks. I'm not much of a morning person. And the girls are still sleeping. The girls are driving me mad. They keep waking me up...they wake me up more than Rowena does. I don't know what to do. They WILL NOT sleep.

Keep your fingers crossed: Dh has a job interview tomorrow. Not his dream job but it pays the bills and we wouldn't have to move.

Hoping this week is better. Rowena is staring to be able to handle being in the chair a bit and she's tolerates a back hold in the mei tai. I'm hoping I can get more done.

[ivymae]

There are four words Becky definitely knows: Becky, ninny (nursing), bath, and sisters. Everything else probably sounds like "Whawahwahwha" (charlie brown's mom's voice) but these four words make her light up. "sisters" is the best, because she starts craning her head around, looking for them.

Speaking of, how are your older's transitioning now? The new still hasn't worn off becky, so i still catch myself saying "leave her ALONE you guys!" every time i set her down. They just can't resist playing with her, even if she is asleep. They do have their moments of asking me to put the baby down and come play with them, and I try to comply as much as I can, but they also seem to time it so she's almost asleep when they come asking, so I have to ask them to wait. This usually means they will go and trash their room, but

GTG: Ugh, my older girls have been waking up all night as well. For us, I think it's the heat. I am also pretty ruthless about "morning rules", which applies to all night. if they are not hurt/scared, they stay in their room. I really don't care if they wake up at 2am and play with legos, as long as they are quiet and don't wake up the house.

[nikirj]

GTG, our schedule is "unusual." DH typically leaves work a bit after 8pm and gets home around 9pm (leaves for work at 5:30 or 7:00am depending on whether he's hitting the gym first), so the kid would never see him if they went to bed at 8 the way many of their friends do. Their bedtime is 10pm. I'm not a morning person, either, not at all, so it works just fine for me that they often sleep in past 8am.

Ivy, DH often says that the really difficult thing about having more than one kid is that you have to switch instantly between developmental levels any time you interact with them. On Friday I got so overwhelmed with everyone needing something and not being able to figure out where to even start that I just sat and bounced my head against the wall for a minute, with the 5yo "mommy, mommy, mommy"ing me the whole time (she wanted me to cut some cheese for her, the 8yo wanted to know why I was sorting some things that technically belong to DH, and the 10yo wanted an answer RIGHT THAT SECOND to "why can't I just walk around the neighborhood by myself?"). OMG I can't answer you all at once! They were completely oblivious to the fact that I couldn't answer them all at once, too. And to the fact that I was sitting there staring into space not answering anyone because I was SO overwhelmed. The moment passed quickly but OMG. I was actually banging my head against the wall; not hard enough to do damage, but still!

I also have one homebody (not as extreme as yours, it sounds like) and one big extrovert, and one that just kind of floats in the middle. The homebody has improved and makes friends fast at the park now, but he will ALWAYS say he just wants to stay home. And the whining thing he does any time I ask him to get ready to leave the house raises my stress level in a big way. But I'm trusting that he'll grow out of it, because it *is* improving.

[loveneverfails]

Ginger, I'll be praying for your husband's interview!

Yesterday was awesome. Well, the morning sucked, but at 4 or so, I left the house. I almost didn't go, but my wonderful husband kicked me out.

I got dinner at Five Guys, then returned some pants to Old Navy, then went to Barnes and Noble and got some new books. From Barnes and Noble, to Ruby Tuesday for some molten chocolate cake thingy, because I never get dessert when we're out with teh kids because dessert for one is doable but dessert for 6 is another story. And got donuts on sale at the grocery store on the way home. AND my new shoes are getting here on Tuesday. I am a very happy person right now.

[Carita]

popping in - gl to your dh gtg!!!

just moved fri & got internet today. its been absolutely crazy here *sigh* have 2 sec to surf the internet, but DD is crying so got to go!

[GreenTeaGinger61]

Ivy: I wouldn't mind so much if they didn't wake me up but they do! Plus with the middle, she'll be up until 3 am and then sleep until noon or one.

And the newness has not worn off here. Piper is pretty into the baby and it always in her face. It's hard because I know she just wants to play with her and because she's feeling really left out. But the baby is scared of Piper and cries if Piper gets too close.

Niki: I'm not talking way early...it's more like 9 as opposed to 11 or noon:P I'd like to get to the point where it's 7 or 8. If dh gets this job he'll be at work from 9:15-4:15, and I have to be to work at five pm three days of the week. This means if I sleep late, we'll never see each other on those days. I hate that but I'm not sure if it's realistic for me to get up any earlier than nine. I don't have too much of an issue with bedtime with the kids as we homeschool so we can get up when we want. It's mostly, as I said, above, that the middle one stays up so late and sleeps so late that we have to rush or cancel playdates and field trips.

Carita: Moving stinks! I hope you guys get unpacked faster than we are (no we still haven't finished unpacking!

[Pepper44]

I'm still here, still reading. *waves*

Hormones are screwing with me in the WORST way. I keep thinking I have my period starting...I have terrible PMS with cramps and kind of upset belly. Then the next morning I have pink/brown spotting like my period starting. Then it just goes away! And it keeps happening over and over. Tonight I have terrible cramps and poo and a lower back ache and I had one bit of red earlier when I went to the bathroom. UGH. HELP! How can I make this constant PMS go away?

GTG I hope your husband's interview goes well!

LNF dessert all to yourself is definitely worth celebrating!

Jen-Smiles like that are the greatest. I love to see my DD's interacting with each other, it melts my heart. (I feel so hormonally sappy right now, I might cry lol.)

By the way, I am a major homebody. I hate going places other than my yard. It's been hard because my DH and DD1 are the total opposite and want to go out constantly when I'd rather just curl up at home with a board game or a good book or play in the yard...

[Carita]

pepper - are you on BC? the spotting is odd

gtg - no where near unpacked - i did have enough cleared to make pork and beans for supper LOL its been a chaotic nightmare frankly. our boxspring wouldn't fit up the stairs, our internet wasn't working, out dryer plus is diff from the wall so i've been hang drying our CDs, we lost out digital antenna cable, so no TV, our CC expired (embarrassing), ds decided to smear his poop around the whole apt 4 times in 2 days! - dreadful. breathe out the bad, breathe in the good... LOL

[rhiOrion]

Originally Posted by loveneverfails

I got dinner at Five Guys, then returned some pants to Old Navy, then went to Barnes and Noble and got some new books.

I had dinner at Five Guys tonight

[jenfl]

DD's been sick this weekend, and I can feel the sore throat and body aches creeping up on me. Oh, well. At least I'll make some tasty antibodies for Sprout.

[triony]

Laughingfox My babywearing group JUST posted this on bottlefeeding in a carrier today. http://beltwaybabywearers.blogspot.c...n-carrier.html

LO is NOT sleeping these days. Last night was a mega-ultra-fail for bedtime, got him to sleep at 9, but tried to rush it when setting him in the bed. He ended up actually going to sleep at 11. THen he woke up at 6am and wouldn't go back to sleep! Tonight he was in bed asleep by 9pm. I'm crossing my fingers we won't have another mid-night waking.

Still need a shower today, ugh.

[snoopy5386]

sigh - I wish we had some sibling love over here. 80% of the time they basically ignore each other's existence. 9% of the time DD1 is crying because I'm doing something with DD2, 9% of the time DD2 is crying because I'm doing something with DD1 and the other 2% of the time they interact - DD1 gives DD2 some kisses or DD2 makes eye contact with DD1.

LNF congrats on the free time and yummy eats. I got out to the pool by myself for a full hour before DD2's screams brought me back home. Can stranger anxiety happen already? DD2 is not happy being held by anyone but me, including daddy. Tonight at a potluck I had to scarf down my food while DD2 fussed, cried and made pouty faces while being held by another mom.

GTG - good luck with the schedule and interview. Tomorrow morning DD1 starts swim lessons - every day for 2 weeks at 9:15 am. DD2 and I are generally not even out of bed at 9:15 am! I'm scared that 2 weeks straight of getting up early is going to screw with DD2's awesome sleeping late schedule.

Carita - good luck with the unpacking!

Tomorrow we have swim lessons, then a hour to kill before music class (come home or stay out?) then going to the park or the pool with a friend. So much for a slow day!

[Pepper44]

Originally Posted by Carita

pepper - are you on BC? the spotting is odd

gtg - no where near unpacked - i did have enough cleared to make pork and beans for supper LOL its been a chaotic nightmare frankly. our boxspring wouldn't fit up the stairs, our internet wasn't working, out dryer plus is diff from the wall so i've been hang drying our CDs, we lost out digital antenna cable, so no TV, our CC expired (embarrassing), ds decided to smear his poop around the whole apt 4 times in 2 days! - dreadful. breathe out the bad, breathe in the good... LOL

Nope, just good old fashion insane hormones. I think the same thing happened to me with DD1 too, I'm getting flashbacks to the frustration. After I had DD1 I had a swollen lump in my abdomen at 6 weeks PP so I had an ultrasound and it turned out to be my swollen ovary with 3 bursting follicles. (I'm really skinny, so it was easy to feel the lump of it, kind of freaky.) Yay for hormonal insanity! Not yay for the possibility of triplets, ever.

Speaking of reproducing, two of my hens went broody and their eggs have hatched! I am totally in love with this one chick. I want to keep it in my pocket so I can stare at it and pet it at all times.

http://eingefangen.smugmug.com/Child...66_bEmzT-M.jpg

[loveneverfails]

Pepper, how IS our good friend, lecherous duck these days?

Snoopy, doesn't sound so much like stranger anxiety as "I love Mom, I want to be with Mom at all times, because Mom is my Universe." Other people will get more interesting and you'll be able to disappear to the pool or even *gasp* the store by yourself more often.

I have to write up the story about my oldest two boys and where babies come from. "The Talk" started a bit this weekend. Hilarity ensued.

[smeisnotapirate]

Originally Posted by jenfl

You guys, Sprout gets the BIGGEST smile when he sees Nugget in the morning. It's just so cute and rewarding.

Awesomeness. Nomi does that to her brother all the time. So.freakin.cute.

Originally Posted by loveneverfails

I got dinner at Five Guys, then returned some pants to Old Navy, then went to Barnes and Noble and got some new books. From Barnes and Noble, to Ruby Tuesday for some molten chocolate cake thingy, because I never get dessert when we're out with teh kids because dessert for one is doable but dessert for 6 is another story. And got donuts on sale at the grocery store on the way home. AND my new shoes are getting here on Tuesday. I am a very happy person right now.

Oh wow, that sounds amazing.

Good weekend over here. DH and I are starting to realize how messed up I was after DS's birth, because I'm so healthy and able to cope now - with exponentially more work on my plate!

I feel really good and despite the fact that my 2yo will only nap consistently for his father, we're all happy and healthy here. Yay.

ETA: I almost forgot to mention - Naomi STILL has blue eyes. They're a dark grey/blue. Unbelievable. My mom has clear-blue eyes, like ice, so it's possible for us to have a blue-eyed baby, but it's the first thing anyone comments on when they see her. DH and DS are so dark brown it looks black (you can't see the pupil) and mine are hazel (on the gold/brown side).

[Knitting Mama]

I had both a good day and a sad/anxious day today.

Good: I got to order TWELVE BG organic one size snap diapers!! I have 4 regular BGs and one organic, and the organic has ruined me for the other ones. It's so much softer, and so much more absorbent. Plus the feel of the microfiber is weird to me and the cotton feels delicious! I asked my husband about getting more diapers because the bulk of what we have are infant PFs and x-small covers, and sometime soon Cecilia will outgrow those. Boy was I surprised when he agreed we could round out her stash now! Can't wait to get my fluffy mail!

Sad/anxious: We're almost out of donated breast milk. Cecilia's been drinking more lately as she grows, and we're going through what we had a lot more quickly because of it. I have someone willing to ship to me, and that is awesome, but it's getting harder to find donors overall, and shipping is so expensive, especially if the donor's not on the west coast. The milk has to be shipped 2nd day at the slowest, which you can imagine gets pretty damn pricey. I'm really worried that we're going to have to switch to formula, and that saddens me, even though I know it's not the end of the world and that Cecilia will still have what I can produce (on 3 herbal galacs, waiting for a shipment of DPD in hopes that I can increase my supply).

[ivymae]

Aimee, I am So impressed with how committed you've been to get C through these early months with breastmilk. What happens next will never take away what you've given her. She's a very lucky little girl.

Becky is having a rough night. I think her teeth are bothering her. No where near popping through, but I'm sure they are moving and shifting. She's really spoiled me with sleep lately, so I'm paying my dues I suppose.

[jenfl]

Rough night here, too. I've got a killer sore throat, so I imagine Sprout does, too. Gave him some Tylenol this morning in hopes of giving the poor boy a break.

I'm sorry to hear about the milk, Cecilia's Mama. You've done an amazing job and have done all you can. That's all anybody can do.

[rhiOrion]

*hugs* to you, Aimee. You've really done such an amazing job, and are continuing to do so. I've heard good things about the dom, so good luck!

AFM: We got our nap nanny yesterday!!!! L slept for like 3-4 hours in it last night! And then she wanted to nurse, so I nursed her, and we both fell asleep with her on me. But I bet I could have put her back in, if I'd wanted to. Then she slept in it for another hour this morning while I got read for work.

I wish I'd gotten it two months ago.