April 2011 DDC thread!

[Blanca78]

Thought I'd go ahead and start this, since our DDC is closing already. Our DDC hasn't been that active lately, but maybe we can jump start things here?

Here are some questions to get us going: What are your babies up to, developmentally? Do you feel like you've fallen into a family rhythm yet with the new addition? What things have given you a sense of accomplishment as a mother, lately? Who has gone back to work, and how is it going? Conversely, for those of us who are staying home for now, how is that?

I'll start: E is 14.5 weeks. She's rolling from back to side, but not all the way over, and has started giggling occasionally and is "talking" a lot. She's also very good at grabbing, and is exploring things with her tongue. I feel like we are *barely* getting into a rhythm, but we are definitely more settled. I feel more confident every day. Staying home is tough--often boring and isolating--but I'm getting better about getting out of the house and trying to meet other moms. In terms of pride, I'm proud that I am so much better at reading her cries/needs than I was at first, and am figuring out how to get her to sleep much more easily than I was before.

[abiyhayil]

Amelia is 14 weeks, she spends most of the day in a back carry or nursing.  When she's nursing mommy is usually on the computer ( I was really bad today and the kids WRECKED our playroom/computer room!) while reading books to the other two.  She has started liking to look at and feel toys and she is just starting to get them to her mouth - one of her favorties is a pom-pom.  She doesn't like the bouncy or her playmat - she wants to be up and looking around.  I'va sat her in our bumbo to shower a couple of times and she thought that was awesome, but I don't know if I should feel guilty for that or not :p She rolls from back to belly as soon as she is laid down.  I'm a SAHM to a 3.5 yo and a 21 mo tto and we're a 1 car family which DH takes to work - so we make each other bonkers some days

[Blanca78]

Yeah, I rely on nursing to get my computer time but the days when I could just hang out and watch an episode of Seinfeld or something while nursing are dwindling as she becomes more efficient and more eager to be up and exploring!

[windymama]

The baby aka DD2 is 4 months old tomorrow! I simply cannot believe how time has just flown.  I am very grateful that she's a mellow, relaxed baby - so unlike her older siblings.  She's begun to coo and laugh and loves being on her playmat provided that DS and DD1 don't tackle her.  She's rolled from her back to her front a couple of times too.

I'm a lot more confident with DD2.  I know her personality and cues pretty well and make things work with her and the other two.

abiyhayil - I can totally relate - DS is 4 and DD1 is 2 and we've one car too.  DH travels a lot though so I get the car (yay) but he's gone (boo).  You also just reminded me to get the bumbo from my mom's place. :-)

On a little bit of a sad note DD2 is shedding (for lack of a better word) her hair.  She was born with a glorious head of thick brown hair and it's beginning to thin out.  It happened with both DS and DD1 but DD2 has more so I'm sad to see it go.  I'm curious as to what colour will replace it - it could be anything.  

PS Blanca - we're April 2011, not 2010! LOL

[Blanca78]

oh, oops! Duh. I'll try to change the title.

[mamapigeon]

Wyatt is 13.5 weeks. He sits up well,but hasn't quite mastered balancing so he needs some support. He hasn't turned over yet, but he has been trying to crawl for a while so I imagine it's coming. Lately he has been grabbing everything (clothes, my hair, toys, his diaper when I'm changing him...). Also, lots of talking! It's getting exciting to see him respond to words he knows.

I feel like we've got a good rhythm going. We've been able to take Wyatt out from the beginning (thank goodness!). Actually, he seems to think it beats being at home.   I feel proud that I have a content and secure baby. I feel like we're growing closer now that we can communicate more with each other.

Staying home is going well,  but I'm going to be taking (online) classes in the fall and I'm not sure how I'll manage to study.

[abiyhayil]

has anyone been getting this: 

"Whats her name?"

"Amelia"

"Oh what do you call her?"

I call her Mealy, but I don't think she would like anyone else to   I can't get  used to calling her something cute!

[Blanca78]

Windymama--hugs on the hair! Eliza was born with a decent amount and most of it rubbed away within the first six weeks, but then is mostly filled in now with a lighter brown.

Mamapigeon--wow, already responding to words! We have have been wondering when she will recognize her own name--I read that usually it's between 4 and 6 months.

Abihayil--no, haven't gotten that one. How odd. Amelia is lovely just as it is!

[mamapigeon]

Abihayil-  I've never heard of anyone else being asked that! Maybe just unusual people in your area? We just get comments on who Wyatt looks more like.

Blanca- Wyatt doesn't know (or at least, doesn't respond) his name yet either. In fact, he seems to think his name is "Baby".

[IdentityCrisisMama]

Hey, Mamas!!   I can't believe our DDC is closing.  I JUST got around to visiting today - jeez.  Thanks for starting this Blanca 

First, I want to say that I have a really terrible time with usernames.  I can't keep track/remember them all that well.  So, if we see each other on the boards here and there say hi to me so I remember we shared a DDC.  I'll do the same if I see a name I recognize.  

DC2 is doing well.  I'm a mildly stressed from time to time with how fast life is going.  It seems like I close my eyes and another week goes by.  I took a nice long baby moon where I basically nursed and watched TV for 2 months.  It was awesome!  But I don't think I did a good job of giving myself a transition period because I went straight into crazy summer activity mode.  We went to Florida, then sailing camp for DC1, then the beach, then camping then home to deal with my mom's stroke.  All of this with a maximum of 1.5 days between to catch up.  Oy.  I've manged to put the breaks on now and am catching up but then I'm bummed about summer being almost over and feeling like we're wasting August with boring things like laundry and school work (DC1 needs extra help in the summer/mild LD).  

Anyway...

What's baby doing.  Lots of what you all are describing.  Rolling a bit, playing with toys, visibly bored from time to time, very interactive with people.  

Sleep and feeding wise things are going well.  DC2 is a good baby.  We're still doing the swaddling thing, I wish I could get her to take a pacifer, feeding is going well though I wish I could limit the cluster feeding but some articles I've read make me think I need to just deal.  

I am going back to school in late August - just for two 4.5 hour stretches.  DC2 doesn't take a bottle though so I'm a little stressed about that.  

DH is reading NurtureShock, which makes me really happy to see him  taking the lead on some parenting stuff.  I'm relieved that the book he picked reinforces my/our many philosophies.   

I'm not really experiencing any insolation issues (I did with DC1) because I think I already made the transition to "parent life".  Emotionally, things are much, much easier the second time around (for me).  Of course it helps that there are 9 years between DC1 and DC2.  I am having the pangs of an identitycrisis a little still, however.  I've got a bug up my butt about getting my ears re-pierced in the cartilage.  Still, that's mild compared to what I did with DC1.  I don't know why my new mama drama manifests itself in such a physical way because I'm not a particularly image conscious person.  :shrug  

Looking forward to keeping in touch!  

[Blanca78]

IdentityCrisis--good to hear from you! I am also going back to school, just for a term, starting late September. DD will be in daycare three days a week. We have not really tried to get her to take a bottle yet, but I'm a little worried she'll resist.

That's great that your DH is reading a parenting book of his own accord. I wish mine would. I really struggle with giving him the room to take the lead, especially when it comes to soothing her, because it's so easy for me to just step in and give her the boob if she fusses. At the same time, I find myself resenting him for not doing more. I would like it if he would read more and take more initiative/have more patience with soothing her, but then I also need to be more willing to step back and let him learn, even if it means she cries more. He's great with her in many ways--loves reading to her, talking to her, etc.--but not very patient with rocking her down and stuff like that.

[justrose13]

wow... i just had a huge post... and the 'puter ate it. be back later...

[pattimomma]

Hello Everyone! Abbey will be 4 months tomorrow and I can't believe how fast time is passing. She is doing all the standard baby stuff, rolling over, cooing, playing with toys. I am really pleased that I have been able to pump enough at work that she doesn't need formula. She goes between breast and bottle with no problem which is another great thing. This is my 5th child but DH 1st and he is such a wonderful dad. Watching him with Abbey makes me fall in love with him again and again. He keeps her at home on days that I work so they get a lot of daddy-daughter time. I have really learned to let go and not try to micromanage his parenting. Their bond is so strong. This is new to me since my exes were and still are uninvolved with the child rearing.

I am glad to see this post, because even if I don't check in all the time, I realized I got kinda attached to the group LOL

[Blanca78]

Pattimomma--wasn't there some concern about her not gaining enough weight? Just wondering how that all worked out. Sounds like things are going great!

Hey, I have a question--I might also post a thread in the forum at large. But I'm wondering how naps are going for you all? DD is doing great with night sleep--there have been some ups and downs but most nights she'll start with a 6-7 hour stretch (sometimes even close to 8 hours) and then a 2-3 hour stretch. But her naps are just so wildly inconsistent. I feel like I never know if she'll sleep 25 minutes or 2 hours. As she approaches 4 months, I'd like to try to get her on something resembling a schedule, but right now wake times, nap times, and bedtimes are all over the place.

Are any of you on a nap schedule? Is this inconconsitency something they grow out of? We try to start bedtime at the same time every night (7:30-8) but sometimes she falls asleep right away and sometimes she doesn't settle till close to ten!

[mamapigeon]

Wyatt started rolling over yesterday! Really exciting, but whew, now I have to be even more careful to hold him while changing his diapers.

No consistency here with naps... He's down right now, but I have no clue how long it will be so I'm wolfing down my lunch! I'd like to find a pattern in his napping schedule so I could get more done around here. We're moving soon and I want to get everything packed up.

I've got a question too! How big are your babies getting?

Wyatt has nearly outgrown his carseat (the straps are at the loosest setting and still cut into him ). The last time he was weighed and measured (2 weeks ago) he was 17.5 lbs and 26 5/8 inches... Anyone else have a jumbo baby?

[Blanca78]

Wahoo! Way to go, Wyatt! So exciting!

I'm glad I'm not the only one dealing with lack of nap consistency--hopefully it's developmental and may fall into more of a rhythm down the line. The only sort-of pattern I can discern is that over the last couple weeks she has tended to take short (25-45 minutes) naps earlier in the day and then a long (1.5-2.5 hours) nap in the mid to late afternoon. I'm trying not to stress about it but it's hard. I worry about her getting enough sleep.

I have no idea how much Eliza weighs, but I think it's a lot. At her two month appt she was in the 70th percentile for weight and the 30th for height! If I recall correctly, she was almost 13 pounds at 9 weeks. She doesn't look that chubby and still fits in her three month clothes at 15 weeks, but her thighs are hilarious--so roly poly. She seems to have gotten taller lately, too.

[pattimomma]

Blanca78- Abbey goes to bed (with a feeding) between 10 and 11PM. She eats at 2:30AM, 5:30AM, 8:30AM and finally gets up for the day around 10AM. Naps are pretty much whenever she seems tired and can last anywhere between 20min to 2 hours.

She is 4 months old today and weighs about 11.5 pound. She is just small. I quit worrying about her weight.

[mamapigeon]

Wow, it really sounds like all of our babies are doing so well!

Pattimomma-  It's so nice that your DH can spend so much time with Abbey! I need to work on stepping back to let my husband spend more alone time with DS. I bet Abbey is so cute! I don't think she sounds too small, maybe she's going to be petite. I think a lot of Wyatt's weight is from big bones and his height.

Blanca-  E's thighs must be adorable! I like plump little baby legs! I expected Wyatt to be a little butterball, but he's actually somewhat thin. I love seeing how different babies are (I like to daydream about what other children will look like). Any good naps this weekend?

[windymama]

We planted DD2's placenta this past weekend under a fruit tree at MILs.  Anyone else plant the placenta?  It was the 1st time we did it with one of the kids (DS and DD1 were hospital births).  I can't wait to watch the tree grow.

Finally got around to trying a bottle on DD2.  I went out for dinner with some girlfriends and MIL gave DD2 her bottle.  Am glad that she'll take one - I've a course coming up and I need her to take it so I can go to it.

Blanca - DD2 has about 3 naps a day or so.  Honestly I stopped counting and just keep looking for the signs of sleepiness (she's my 3rd and my older two don't nap so I'm not as concerned about getting her down at a certain time).  Some days are better than others though.

mamapigeon - it's amazing the shape of little babies!  DD2 is round with "thunder thighs" LOL.  She sorta melts into you though.  My niece is a bit younger than DD2 and I compare her to a sack of sugar - she's very firm and solid in her fat.

[justrose13]

windy, awesome that you planted DDs placenta... I've been meaning to get around to doing that! we're dragging our feet 'cause we don't plan on staying here (this house), my parents offered for us to plant it under the tree they planted after DSs birth but DP was feeling a bit possessive about it. I think it might go into the garden next spring.... maybe.

naps: no consistency here... except for the fact that he (mostly) will only sleep in arms... and has to be nursed down for them. he still seems to need sleep every 1 1/2 - 3 hrs.

Milestones: he has rolled both back to front and reverse but doesn't continue to do so... he recently found his screech (in delight) voice, it's so cute! he's also very interested in our food and drink! also my iPad and the computer mouse. it's amazing to watch him reach for these things 'cause it means he's mimicking us!

so I have a question... DS is 4 1/2 months and DP is anxious to start solids... I'm hesitant. thoughts?