June Mommies March 21 - 27 - Page 2

[dharmama]

Re: Getting ready

I haven't really done anything.

Well...that's not exactly true. We're having hardwood floors installed in our house and our motivation to do it was to get rid of the nasty carpets before the baby comes...so I guess that counts as something.

Right now we're sleeping in the "baby's room" and slowly putting our room back together. DH wants to just move everything back in there but I really want to purge first. BUT since my idea of helping lately has been laying on the couch and telling him exactly how I want it done : I doubt it's going to get done.

We have a hand-me-down co-sleeper that I can't wait to set up and I have boxes of hand-me-down baby clothes/diapers that I will be able to wash and put into drawers (as soon as we're out of the baby's room and we move the dresser int there).

As for strollers...I registered for the peg perego (I think it's the P3 or something like that). I love it. Like you Cieli, I have long drooled over the European pram/strollers. I was SOOOO trying to justify why I needed one. But the reality is for me...I live in a rural area so I really need to be able to pop the stroller in my trunk (small trunk - toyota corolla) and take it with me for walks and the pram/strollers are not very portable.

I also registered for a jog stroller...found one that folds up pretty nicely AND is tall enough for my DH (6'3") to push it comfortably.

DH picked out some plaid "manly" fabric for his sling and I made that a couple of weeks ago.

I guess I've done more then I thought! :LOL

This morning I can feel a REALLY hard spot on my right side...not sure if it's her head or butt but it feels so cool. This is the first time I've had any inkling about her position (and I'm still not sure which end I'm feeling).

Hope you all have a great day!

~Erin

[curlygrrl]

What have/will you to get ready for the new baby? Will you get a room ready or just a corner of your room? Are there things that you need to buy?

Wow, getting ready, I'm starting to freak out about this! We are total slobs and my house is in severe need of decluttering and I really want to get it done before the baby comes. Every week I say to myself "this weekend, I'll get the cleaning started!" And every weekend we end up doing lots of fun stuff but NO house cleaning!

In addition to general decluttering we need to rearrange our bedroom, the baby will be sleeping with us but we'll be setting up the crib in a "side car" arrangement which requires some significant rearranging.

Stuff to buy: Well, I don't have the money for any of it but I would really like to get a queen sized bed, a new stroller (I really want to get a jog stroller or one of those new three-wheeled strollers where the front wheel turns because we do so much "off roading"), maybe a new or different kind of sling (never really figured out the one I used with DS and it was TOO HOT!), a baby swing.

I'm so excited about what we did this weekend, we got some
GERBILS!! I've always wanted pets, we had a cat when DH & I first moved in together but I had to give her away due to a terrible rooommate situation. Then we had a fish aquarium later but we bought a couple sick fish and all our other fish died. We were too depressed to start over. Then we had a ball python for a few years but she died when DS was a baby. DS has been asking for a pet for probably a year but I respected DH's wish not to have one.

Then Saturday we were at a wandering around a pet store looking a fish and talking about starting up an aquarium again. The next day we went over to a different pet store and bought the stuff we needed to start it, rocks, ph test kit, etc. But while we were in there we saw this cage with everything including 3 male gerbils for $30! DH commented on it and I really wanted them but I figured he'd say no. So we're walking back to the car with the fish stuff and talking about the gerbils.

Needless to say, we returned the fish stuff and got the gerbils!! They are sooo cute and DS is totally thrilled. There's just a certain fuzzy feeling about having furry things around the house, it cheers me up soooo much!

Tamara

[Greaseball]

I LOVE GERBILS!! They are my favorite rodent. I've had rats and mice, and they just don't compare to gerbils.

Dh was not wild about the gerbil idea. But then one day I came home and saw that he had gotten an aquarium and a gerbil! He says he still can't believe he intentionally invited a rodent to live in our house, but I think he likes her. Then the next day he got another one. We called them Goofus and Gallant. But then a few months later, for some unknown reason, Goofus killed Gallant.

We still have Goofus, and have forgiven her for her murderous rage. DD likes her too, and asks for "joo-joo" a lot. I want to get a man for Goofus, but dh doesn't think it's a good idea. Most pet stores will buy the babies, though!

I plan to always have gerbils.

We got some fish for dd's birthday but they kept dying. We kept buying new ones, and all this fish medicine, but it didn't work. I decided I don't have time right now to find out how to keep fish alive. Maybe someday a fishtank can be a good unschooling project.

We also have two chickens, which I just love. I carry a picture of one ("Fluffy") in my wallet. We've tried to have dogs, but one died and the other was too aggressive, and we saw that we didn't really have time for them anyway, so no more for a while. I'd like to get a cat, but right now dd just loves to dump out bowls of water that she finds, so she would make a mess with all the cat's stuff.

Goofus is totally maintenance-free, though! And if she is ignored, she doesn't look at you with big sad gerbil eyes or anything like that.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

[Ceili]

I woke up this morning and I can't tell if I'm sick or if these are just pregnancy symptoms, but I feel horrid.

I threw up twice last night. I did manage to keep down some breakfast this morning, but now I have diarrhea (sorry TMI). I feel like someone hit me with a truck.

I think I'm going back to bed now. Hope you ladies are doing better than I am today.

[mattjule]

curlygrrl-if you don't have $ for a new sling and find one you like, let me know. I am not a professional but I can generally make a passable sling. In fact, I just made one for another MDC mama that lacked funds for a new one: http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=...7205a0&notag=1
It is plain ol' cotton batik with a cotton/hemp knit section for baby to sit in.

I ordered my hug-a-bub, so I will be able to duplicate one of those too once it gets here.

Greaseball-I love the way you word things. I was LMAO about forgiving Goofus her murderous rage! Kind of weird foreshadowing about the names, eh?

QoC-I keep forgetting to tell you that your nest looks very serene. Our bedroom is so...not.

I got everything at the fabric store today, so I will probably finish all my outside projects and Rowan's quilt in the next couple days.

I've gotta say, I've always been intensely jealous of people who actually own and live in a house, but listening to all your projects makes me kind of glad we rent an apt. I get tired just reading it!

[eilonwy]

Ah, pets. My younger niece recently drowned a fish when she poured dishsoap into the fishtank. She also figured out how to turn the toaster oven on, but not off; so that's now unplugged. Last week, she decided she was hungry. She took the leftover hamburger meat out of the fridge, put it into the frying pan her dad had used to make dinner, and turned on the (gas) stove. My mother awoke from a nap to a house full of smoke. : I always wondered who those safety items were invented for, because we never had these problems when I was a kid, but now I know: They were made for my niece. She's a sweet, beautiful girl, but she's a very large, very dangerous child. :LOL

I'd love to get some fish too, but we'd have no place to put them at all. I think Eli would go nuts with a gerbil or a guinea pig, but again there's the space issue. We'll see what happens.

Eli decided today that he wants to use the potty. Why couldn't he have waited until after the baby comes, and I can bend over again? Ah, well, I'll do what I can for him.

Today I was tickled between the ribs. It really felt more like fingers than feet, which are stronger and tend to get lodged between the ribs. It was quite odd. Also, on a less than pleasant front, NewBean apparently finds my colon to be quite an amusing punching bag. : Seriously unpleasant, and way worse than the bladder kicks/taps/rolls.

For the most part, Eli is being very cooperative lately. He tells me when he needs to take a nap or go to bed (Saturday he pulled on my pants and said "I want love-love and milk, please." ) and he brings me things when I ask him too. He's also doing better about not eating things out of drawers. : I tell him every day how much I appreciate his helpfulness. I'm trying to remember that he's just a little tiny guy, but it's so hard when every day he's talking and doing more. I'm starting to worry that I may one day find myself treating him like a mini-adult, and expecting too much of him. I'm trying to take it one day at a time, and just to appreciate the good stuff but not expect it.

[dharmama]

Ceili ~ Hope you are feeling better. I had a stomach flu about a month ago...not fun at all.

I put together our co-sleeper last night (finished this morning because I got too frustrated last night : ). It's a hand-me-down and I didn't have instructions. Fun...fun.

Anyway...it's next to the bedframe in our room (even though our bed is still in the "baby's room.") I'm not sure what I think of it. I mean it was free so that's cool and my DH is really uncomfortable with having a newborn in the bed so we're at least going to start with a side care of some sort. But I'm not thrilled about the fact that it's lower than the bed. I was really hoping to have it flush with our bed so I could just sort of slide her in there when we're done nursing. Anyway...we'll see.

Greaseball ~ We have chickens too. We don't name them anymore (we got way attached the first year we had them and lost them all to dogs, coyotes and who knows what else. It was very sad. ). So now they are just collectively "the chickipies."

We also have lambs, who will be getting their first "haircuts" in a month or so. Should be fun!

Anyway...my DH made an awesome yummy dinner last night (salmon, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus ) but our kitchen looks like a cyclone blew through so I must attend to that before work.

Hope you all have a great day!

~Erin

[seedling]

Ceili, that sounds like a stomach bug. I hope it was just a 24 hour thing and that you are feeling better. And for everyone who has fallen lately...yikes! I think about it everytime I come down my stairs.

My dd spent yesterday morning throwing up. I think she may have a touch of a stomach bug that's been going around. But she was fine after she ate some toast and ate like a champ for the rest of the day (very un-like her to eat well). Anyway, she seems to have just been temporarily feeling lousy. So far, her immune system amazes me. She told me "I'm throwing this bug up, I don't want to be sick".

I had a repair guy come out yesterday and fix the hole upstairs. There went about half of my tax refund. I do think we'll end up saving in the long run with our energy bill...you could hear the plastic that was covering the hole rattle everytime the wind blew. Anyway it's done and my DH didn't freak out on me. I think he's just scratching his head and hoping I don't try to remodel him.

So the leg cramps have started. I remember this phase fondly from my first pregnancy. (sacarcasm dripping here) Everytime I move at night I get a leg cramp. I finally just got out of bed at 5:00 this morning and had a banana and started my day. I got some more painting done upstairs and am getting ready to start with my work day. I'm hoping DD sleeps late and I can get a bunch done before she wakes up.

Well, I'm just rambling now so I'd better get going.

[Queen of Cups]

Seedling - I had a leg cramp last night, too! I used to get them in high school, and have had them a few times before, but I was hoping I wouldn't have them during pregnancy. I woke up screaming and writhing around, poor DH didn't know what to do! Finally I stood up to walk a bit, and remembered - duh! - I'm doing hypnosis for pain managmnent. I used a couple of my hypnobabies tools and instantly felt better. I told DH to just remind me to do that first next time.

[seedling]

Yeah, I've struggled with them my whole life. I find it helps to stand up and put your foot flat to the floor or even go up on your toes. It's counter-intuitive but it seems to help the cramp go away. Of course, if you are hopping up and down doing that all night, you might as well be awake. Leg cramps suck.

[Doodlebugsmom]

Seedling and Queen, I have leg cramps every night. I usually get my foot flexed in time so they don't come on full-force. I used to get them all the time in high school too.

Ceili, I hope by now you are feeling better!

Erin, you could try not putting your bed on a frame to even it out with the co-sleeper. We did this and it was great. We did it after dd took a couple of tumbles off the bed! We still have it that way and it is the exact height of her toddler bed, which is pulled up beside it. On her own, she decided she wants to sleep in her toddler bed last week. Now dh and I can stretch out in the bed, but she's still right beside us. It's great!

Hope we all have great days today!

[curlygrrl]

Originally posted by dharmama
I mean it was free so that's cool and my DH is really uncomfortable with having a newborn in the bed so we're at least going to start with a side care of some sort. But I'm not thrilled about the fact that it's lower than the bed.

My DH was really unsure about the whole co-sleeping thing too, but I shared with him the section of Dr Sears' The Baby Book that discusses the benefits of co-sleeping and by the time DS was born, I was scared to put the baby in the bed and he was encouraging me to do so. Of course, when he was still tiny, DS mainly slept on the opposite side of me from DH.

I really don't think the co-sleeper should be lower than the bed. Correct me if i'm wrong?? Are you able to make sure a rift doesn't form between your bed and the co-sleeper? That's very important.

Back on the topic of GERBIL LOVE!
DH and I decided to name them after the Three Musketeers: Aramis, Porthos, and Athos. They each have their own personalities. DS is still obsessed with them but DH thinks he'll be ignoring them by next week, who knows? They still seem a little jumpy but I hope they'll be settled into their new home soon.

Greaseball, Goofas sounds like a sweetie! They can be very territorial though, makes you wonder what Gallant did to tick her off! Yay for our DHs who finally gave in to the fuzzy bug

mattjule: you are too sweet to offer to make me a sling. email me at [e-mail] if you get a chance!

I've got my midwifes appointment today, and I have to do my 1hr GTT. I'm a nervous wreck about it but will be glad when it's over. I really can't believe I'm nearly 28 weeks pregnant! The time has really flown by!

Tamara

[liz-hippymom]

WOW..i usually get on MDC everday- but we spent all weekend moving and now is my first oportunity since friday..i have alot of catching up to do!!!
what are we doing and what do i wih we could do to prepare?
well we moved , thats a start! i love this house..all except that the washer wastewater line backs up all over the floor...sigh...so we have to request them to come fix it..and meanwhile i have laundry seriously piling up!
other than that this house is perfect!
we are soooooo broke... but what i want to buy is-
-a dining room table- right now the kids eat ontop of a cooler and we eat on the couch!
-a king sized bed- haha we cant afford that!
- a low dresser for baby clothes that can also be used to chang the baby on
-new carseats for everyone..both of Ds's carseats are really wide and there is no way another seat will fit in the volvo. but both boys are 35 + pounds so i am going to buy them both not so wide boosters and then a new convertable for baby.
-prefolds
-birth kit, plastic sheet, fishy pool, waterbed attachment, pads


we have enough clothes for her, thanks to handmedowns from friends...she'll be sleeping inbed with us..dh isnt nervous about it seeing as tristan has always slept with him since day 1.

ok i have to go catch up!

[dharmama]

Liz ~ Congrats on your new house!!

I really don't think the co-sleeper should be lower than the bed. Correct me if i'm wrong?? Are you able to make sure a rift doesn't form between your bed and the co-sleeper? That's very important.

I think it's a "safety feature" (more like a design flaw IMO). I've heard other people talk about it on MDC. The mattress sits down about 4-5 inches inside the frame so there is a lip between the bed and the co-sleeper.

I've heard some mamas use foam to raise it up. I'm not too keen on putting foam in my baby's bed but I think we can fix it with some 2x4s. Anyway...I'm really hoping DH will get into bed-sharing and we won't use the co-sleeper but for now...it was free...and it makes him feel better. (He's a big guy, 6'3" and I'm a major bed hog so he's worried that with the baby IN the bed...he'll really get pushed out. Plus he's scared about rolling on her.) Anyway...we'll figure it out.

Oh another "gear" question. We're going to use a bureau as a changing table. DH is very concerned about having safety rails. He wants to construct some kind of wooden box to put on the bureau. Or he also saw a snuggle nest and thought that would work on top of the bureau to keep her safe. They are expensive though.

I don't think it's necessary. I registered for a contoured changing pad with a strap and I figure once she's really wiggly we'll use the floor/couch/bed anyway. Any thoughts?

~Erin

[eilonwy]

Erin, the only reason you'd need guard rails on your changing area is if you plan to leave the baby alone there. It's a bit of a : puzzle to me. Since you're going to be right there the whole time, with your hand on the belly preventing rollover anyway, you definately don't need rails. I've also found that people who have such "saftey features" as guard rails and straps on changing tables and the like tend to take them for granted. They assume that those measures are working because their (new) baby has never rolled over. Then the child gets to be 2.5 months old and rolls of the changing table one morning, and the parents wonder how it happened... In summary, no, you definately don't need a guard rail, you need to remember to have diapers & wipes at the table before you wipe the tiny buns! :LOL

Speaking of buns... we had our first colostrum-based poop last night!! Perhaps tmi, but it's a bit exciting for me, because it means that there was enough colostrum yesterday while Eli was nursing to make a big difference in his digestion! Mike said he's noticed a difference from the first few drops of colostrum (he's the one who deals with the poop most of the time) but last night was not to be missed. :LOL I was very annoyed at the timing of it, but still quite pleased.

Oh, Mike didn't want to co-sleep either; he was also afraid of rolling over onto EliBean. The thing is, when Eli was a few weeks old (like 2) it got very very very cold, and we were living in an attic. I had to bring him into bed (he was in a bassinet at the foot of the bed) because I was worried that he wouldn't be warm enough. The first semi-warm day we had, I put him down in the bassinet to sleep and Mike said 'But what if it gets cold tonight? We should bring him back to bed with us!' :LOL In only a few nights, apparently, Mike had become accustomed to smelling sweet baby breath and waking up to Eli's extra babyness right beside him. :LOL He also loved the fact that when Eli was in bed with me, I would wake up to nurse before he got to the wailing point because I could feel him wiggling around. He actually said something about how interesting it was that Eli could sleep for eight hours without nursing and I almost died laughing... : I told him that Eli was still nursing three or four times a night at that point (and he was, he was only a tiny fellow, like three weeks old). He had just never heard it because when Eli started wriggling ('writchin' as they call it in PA Dutch country) I would wake up and give him the nursie. He's been a huge fan of co-sleeping ever since.

That said, there are some people for whom co-sleeping is simply not an option, and some babies who don't do well with it. If you have your heart set on co-sleeping but your husband seriously wouldn't wake up if he rolled near the baby, or you wouldn't, or any one of you can't get any sleep at all, then you might have to explore other options. There are some babies who really prefer to sleep on their own, and the whole family is better off for it. There are some adults who just can't sleep with a small person in the bed with them, and they are better parents in the morning (and even in the night) if they put their babies in a bassinet or crib. It doesn't make you any less AP if you do what your family needs to do!

[dharmama]

Erin, the only reason you'd need guard rails on your changing area is if you plan to leave the baby alone there.

Exactly. Which we will never do and that's what I said to him.

This all goes back to some time like 10 years ago when he babysat his nieces and he was trying to change one of their diapers...got the baby all undressed on the changing table and realized that the diapers (or whatever) were on the other side of the room and he was trying to keep one hand on the baby as he stretched to reach for the diapers. : It's just silly. There are so many things wrong with that scenerio. I'm not going to stress about it. I plan to have a nice diaper area set up w/ everything right there so it's not going to be an issue.

That's cool about your DH and co-sleeping. I'm hoping the same thing will happen for us. DH is a very snuggly guy so I think once he gets used to it he'll really like it!

~Erin

[Greaseball]

We got Goofus first, and then Gallant a day later. I thought since they were both females they wouldn't fight, but I guess they do. We put a divider in the cage and switched each gerbil a few times a day for a week, to get them used to each others' scents, and this worked. So I don't know what prompted the domestic violence. Maybe they both needed a man to straighten them out.

[eilonwy]

Okay, so here's a random and strange question... where can I get a birthing ball? Or at least, a ball big enough for me to sit on comfortably and strong enough not to break. I'm already at the point where sitting on a ball sounds much more comfortable than sitting in a chair! We bought Eli a ball at the grocery store and I sat on it for a bit.. what a releif! I'm afraid I'll break it, though, and he'd be heartbroken (he adores the thing).

[dharmama]

Re: Birth Ball

I got mine at Walmart. Or do you have TJ Maxx near you? I've seen them there. I'm sure you can find them online too but last time I checked they were a lot more then what I paid (under $10).

(Ok...this is like my fifth post today...I am a very bad employee. )

[LizD]

I was excited when the leg cramps started last week because I figured it's a sign things are moving along. And getting the foot flexed in time does stop them, though I let one go last week and my calf hurt for days. Interestingly, have not had any since then.

I really don't care for the yoga balls from target, etc. They are not sturdy enough compared to the real physiotherapy balls. I think the latter are worth the money and also they are larger and have a wider variety of sizes. Most of my doula clients cannot sit on the balls they got from gaiam or whatever by the time labor starts, and love my super enormous physiogymnic ball. The doula agency I work for sells them if anyone is interested.

I have been debating registering for stuff. I have never really liked the idea though I know everyone does it. We didn't have a wedding so no registry there and never bothered when daughter was born ten years ago. Also the few things I actually want are quite expensive (stroller, playpen, wood highchair etc) and I would not like to make that impression. A cousin of ours had a five-page registry a few years ago and I just felt the whole thing was so icky. I had an errand to do in Babies R Us a few weeks ago (new otoscope) and the place was mobbed with everyone gluttonously zapping their desires with those gun things. Anyone else feel funny about it? Or, perhaps better, anyone able to talk me out of this, since I could honestly use the help buying some of this and people are, of course, going to want to give us presents anyway?

Someone asked me if I am going to have a baby shower. I doubt any of my friends are together enough to organize such a thing and I would like to have a party anyway. Perhaps I will throw my own un-babyshower. A friend of mine did this and it apparently turned into quite a party, with marriages dissolved and reunited in a single afternoon. As the only person there not drinking or smoking, she found the whole thing very amusing.