March Chit Chat - Page 8 « Back to Group Discussions

[dashley111]

B is just starting to get wiggling.  She is doing GREAT during tummy time and is lifting her chest, grabbing toys and teething on them.  She started rolling front to back a few weeks ago, but has since stopped.  She is complete opposite of DD1, even though she looks like her twin.  DD1 babbled constantly and rarely wanted to play or move-  DD2 like to play with toys and is quiet.  Its interesting to see the range of all 3 kids and how different they are.

Jaimee- yesterday went great!  DH did not complain at all, just said he was nervous.  He was pretty sore last night, but feels better today.  I'm worried he is going to over do it because he keeps trying to be helpful by sweeping and picking up since they don't involve bending or lifting. 

Anybody whose DH is considering vasectomy, I strongly encourage you to convince them to take a Valium first

[jbk21]

It's funny, because Owen was a big boy too, but he was shorter, so he was just big and stocky.  D is tall and chubby, so I think he has more range of motion.  Owen did things on a very average schedule- rolled at almost 4 months, crawled at 6.5, walked at 14 months, etc.  But D seems to want to get moving much earlier.  

Other than that, though, my boys have been pretty identical babies as far as temperament.  I notice minor differences, but not as many as I would have anticipated. 

I cannot wait until DH's vasectomy!  Our dog is getting spayed tomorrow, too.  Apparently March is the month for sterilization around here 

[birdhappy85]

DH is making me so nervous right now. He found we have a leaking pipe that connects from the kitchen sink down to the basement, and it's been flooding our basement in a little corner for some time now... well, a while, and we just didn't realize it was a leaking pipe until now when it got really bad and started seeping through the carpet a LOT more. Turns out water streams out of the pipe whenever the garbage disposal is turned on. Yikes. He is down there tearing apart the wall and ceiling in that spot and I'm freaking out because there's a good amount of black mold back there.  I'm allergic and am now wondering if I've been having random hives breakouts for two years now because of that. It did start ever since we moved into the house. A lot of my health problems worsened. Oye... I'm trying to get some guy friends over this weekend to help DH demo the basement now.

Someday I aspire to buy a brand new house so I don't have to worry about any old home problems! 

Edited by birdhappy85 - 3/9/12 at 5:54pm

[KayPea]

Originally Posted by birdhappy85 

DH is making me so nervous right now. He found we have a leaking pipe that connects from the kitchen sink down to the basement, and it's been flooding our basement in a little corner for some time now... well, a while, and we just didn't realize it was a leaking pipe until now when it got really bad and started seeping through the carpet a LOT more. Turns out water streams out of the pipe whenever the garbage disposal is turned on. Yikes. He is down there tearing apart the wall and ceiling in that spot and I'm freaking out because there's a good amount of black mold back there.  I'm allergic and am now wondering if I've been having random hives breakouts for two years now because of that. It did start ever since we moved into the house. A lot of my health problems worsened. Oye... I'm trying to get some guy friends over this weekend to help DH demo the basement now.

Someday I aspire to buy a brand new house so I don't have to worry about any old home problems! 

Oh dear. I can totally sympathize with mold issues, how stressful. I hope it's just a small clean-up job. Make sure they are really careful not to disturb the mold too much, as once it's disturbed it can get on and in everything, and if there is a lot, call professionals!

Originally Posted by Mal85 

Older kids behavior... 2.5 was a hard time for DD1. I was also very pregnant at the time which didn't help I'm sure. I just think the half ages are a rough time. 1.5 was hard, 2.5 was hard... for the most part she's been pretty pleasant now that she's 3, although she still has some really rough moments. Mostly, she just wants control over situations, so we're working on teaching her the appropriate times when she can have control. She picks out her clothes most days, she insists on using the bathroom by herself, etc. We also just started a sticker chart this week for behaviors and responsibilities (picking up her toys, throwing her trash away, using kind words, etc). It really seems to be helping so far, although it's only been a couple of days so we'll see!

DD will be 3 in a month, so it's not a half-year issue. I was wondering more if it was a "new-baby-is-4-months" issue.  I vaguely remember a mom at playgroup talking about how her son was fine for the first few months and everything got really tough at about 3-4 months, so I was wondering if anyone else was finding this as well?

Originally Posted by jbk21 

Mobile babies everywhere! Oren is a big guy too, right?  I know D and Shay are 17-ish lbs.  I wonder if the fact that they are just huge babies has anything to do with it.  LOL.  

We were no longer bedsharing with older DS when he was mobile, and he usually napped in a crib anyway.  I do wonder though, so I hope someone has some good advice!  D always naps in our bed.  

Yes, now that you mention it, it does seem like this is a really hard time for DS1.  He is nearly 3 years old (end of this month) and has been really emotional lately and has had a few accidents when we're out- but it's when he is busy playing, so I figured it was pretty normal for that to happen from time to time.  But maybe there is something deeper going on.  I don't know what behaviors are to be expected at his age, and what is due to the new routines.  

Yeah, O is over 17 lbs.  I was wondering if it had to do with the big babies too!  DD was doing fine with her toilet routine until a couple weeks ago, and now it's more accidents than toilet pees. And she's started to have accidents while we're out too, which hadn't ever happened before, not even when we were first toilet learning. But it's the emotional reactions that are our major issues - screaming, shaking, kicking spells (not even really tantrums, more like episodes) that she can't get control of. They are so bad that I end up a ball of sobbing mess every time, no matter how hard I try to be the calm, steady rock of a parent, and she's been having 1 or 2 of these a day. Poor kid. I try hard to be present with her when I can, but the baby is only napping 15-30 minutes at a time, and so I don't really get much one on one time with her. 

I think as far as the napping/being alone in the family bed goes, it seems like I just need to relax a little.  We have our bed on the floor, we have a the crib sidecarred. For DD (when she was older and finally sleeping without me) we used mesh rails. I might try putting the side back on the crib, as I think O has a disposition that might eventually be convinced to sleep in a crib. And adding an extra mattress in our room (DD comes into our bed in the middle of the night. Four in a queen seems like too much.) Was it someone on here who has Mega Bed? That's what I want. MEGA BED!

[birdhappy85]

KayPea - If DH disturbed the mold and allowed spores to fly around in the basement, would it circulate through the whole house then? I'm so worried over this. I started breaking out into hives on one side of my face and neck, and my face feels so hot and inflamed it looks like someone punched me. I have the worst headache and my breathing feels shallow. I'm worried that if this is because of the mold, that it could affect the baby. What would you or anyone else suggest? Is it necessary to remove a baby from a house with mold? I don't know what kind it is, all I know is it's black, and DH seriously disturbed it by taking an electric saw to the walls down there and everything. I guarantee he's not doing "gentle" demolition when he starts at it on Sunday. They're probably going to take hammers to the walls and everything. Now I feel like we should just spend a big chunk of our savings on having it professionally done... I just don't know! 

[jbk21]

Joanie I'd call her doc and see what they say, and/or call in a professional to have a look at it.  I definitely understand your concerns, and it *could* affect her if it is a certain type of mold.  I think general mold is not dangerous, unless you're allergic of course (which you are, but she may not be).  Get some expert opinions and, of course, try to stay calm   

[birdhappy85]

Thanks, J. I'll call the pediatrician in the morning. I'm off to take a Benadryl to hopefully stop itching soon...

[KayPea]

Sorry Joanie, I didn't want to freak you out, but I do think mold is a big deal and I want you guys to be safe. Black mold is very very bad, and I would definitely be careful. Other strains of mold are not great to be breathing in either, and I wouldn't want to expose a small baby to any large amounts of it, in the same way you wouldn't want to expose her to large amounts of paint fumes or exhaust or other pollutants/irritants. But black mold (true Black Mold - not all Black Mold is black, and not all black-coloured mold is Black Mold) can make you really really sick, and can affect babies and the elderly worse than adults. The spores, once disturbed can get circulated through your whole house, especially if you have a closed forced-air heating system.

When DH was demo-ing our moldy situation, DD and I (pregnant at the time) stayed at our friend's place for the long weekend (he was also sealing the basement floor with a stinky sealer, so that was part of it.) Though when our moldy bathroom got demo'd, I just tried to keep us out of the house as much as possible (by that point I was tired of being out of our house, and in the end we were all fine staying home). So I am going to recommend caution. We also bought like 3 air purifiers and two dehumidifiers.

In the research I did, some places recommend calling in the professionals if the moldy area is more than 8 ft square - the size of 2 sheets of drywall. So a pretty big area. Or if anyone is getting sick. Some places say one sheet of drywall.  They recommend removing it as gently as possible, sealing of the moldy area as best as possible while removing it, and if moldy materials need to be moved through a house, to tie all materials tight in bags before taking them through the house and throwing them away. Apparently bleaching is not necessary - TSP is what many people recommended for cleaning mold as it's abrasive. We did a TSP scrub followed by a full-strength vinegar rinse. There are lots of mold-cleaning suggestions out there, but don't feel you need to use bleach. 

Good luck! I hope it's not so bad, and everyone stays healthy!  Keep us updated. 

[Abraisme]

Joanie, that totally sucks!  I agree with the others, I'd be worried about mold too, especially if I was allergic!  We found one tiny section of mold under our kitchen sink once and I wanted to leave the house while my dh cleaned it up!  Let us know how it goes.  I hope you feel better soon.

[jbk21]

Joanie is there anyone nearby you could stay with?  I know it's stressful to have to uproot a baby with their routines and whatnot, but it would be worth it to avoid the mold issues... especially if he's using a saw!  Yikes!  Definitely not gentle demolition, you're right.  

[jbk21]

OH! And, I think mold-specific face masks are important if your DH is going to continue doing the demolition.  Not just the usual face masks- he needs a special type.  

[MrsKatie]

I agree with J here... if you can, make yourself scarce while DH is doing his demolition.  Can he wait to do that until a professional has assessed the mold and the best way to rid yourself of it?  I just feel like unless he seriously knows what he's doing maybe he should hold off on upsetting the mold until he has a better idea of what you're dealing with.

Good luck mama!

[MrsKatie]

Originally Posted by jbk21 

OH! And, I think mold-specific face masks are important if your DH is going to continue doing the demolition.  Not just the usual face masks- he needs a special type.  

Haha at first I thought you meant there was some kind of like mud masque (like a spa facial mask) or something that is made for people who encounter mold.  Does that make sense?  Probably not.  Oh man.  I need to start drinking coffee.

[MrsKatie]

Oh and KJ is all better today - no more diarrhea, and fussiness is way down.  I put on her amber teething necklace yesterday morning, and she wore it all day and then slept with it wrapped around her ankle.  I wonder if that made a difference.  She's still fussing a bit when I take her to the potty but I opened our cabinet so that the mirror on it is angled in a way where she can see herself while I hold her, and that seems to calm her down.

[jbk21]

can I just say- what IS IT with men and power tools.  Good grief.  

Also, DH has a man cold this week.  Oh the ridiculousness.  I made fun of him and he is not milking it so much now.  Bahahaha.

[wellforth]

Hi ladies!  I have missed reading what you and the babes are up to, and am finally able to sit down and catch up.  Luca is definitely in the 4 month growth spurt, and he's been eating at least once an hour, if not 2-4 times an hour.  I'm so tired!  Not just tired from lack of sleep, but my body is worn out from making so much milk.  We're on day 3 now.  Who knows when it will stop? 

We celebrated Gotcha! Day with my dd, who is 11.  It's the day her dad and I became her foster parents.  We (my husband/her step-dad, dd, ds, and me) went to an indoor aquatic center.  It was pretty fun, though I just have to not think about what I must look like in a bathing suit.  The baby enjoyed the water, but wow, overstimulation central.  My dh ducked out for band practice this afternoon, which was filled with lots of screaming from the baby.  I'm seriously done with the fussiness. 

We thankfully got a stroller with harness straps the other day, and I've been taking him out on walks for afternoon fuss time.  I'll be glad when dh's performance is over (tomorrow), and he can get back in on the baby business.  I know, I am totally spoiled by having him home; he's like a second mommy.  I just wish he could lactate.

Nicole (sorry if I am confusing names), the doctor told me that longitudinal growth takes far more calories than putting on fat. He was seriously impressed with the inches the boy had grown and could care less about the weight because he's hydrated fine and wetting diapers.  Luca continues to grow about an inch a month. 

I've been attempting to put Luca down in bed, instead of having my dh carry him until I'm ready for bedtime.  Sometimes it works better than other times.  We have our bed up against the wall, and then my dh is sleeping on a twin next to our bed.  I put pillows around him, and then pile up the blankets at the bottom.  He rolls belly to back and back to belly, but for some reason, he stays put in bed.  (Except when I am there; he's a complete bed hog, squirming over and inching me to the edge.)

Tired, tired, and hope all is well with you all!

carey

[jbk21]

Welcome back, Carey ;-)

I pulled a muscle in my back this morning as I was attempting to change Dylan's sleep position.  I picked him up and twisted at the same time and OUCH- omg, it is killing me.  I did the same thing when Owen was this age/weight.... seems my body hits the 3.5 month/17.5 pound baby mark and says HEY LADY! TAKE IT EASY WITH THAT FAT BABY!

SO yeah, keeping a heating pad on my back, waiting on my tummy pains to go away (they are getting better, whew!), and nursing this cold.  This totally sucks.  Oh, and all the boys are sick (I must admit, Dylan's teeny little coughs are so cute and so sad), and the poor dog got spayed yesterday so she is just laying around moaning.  Poor thing.  We're a hot mess.

[Jaimee]

Oooooohhhh J, that just sounds all around terrible!  I'm SO sorry!!  I hope everything gets better super quick!  Any news from your doctor about your stomach pains?

[jbk21]

Thanks Jaimee!  I know that you know how it is when everyone in the house is sick   I feel like things just won't go right.  Ugh.

I should have test results (all of them) tomorrow.  Not sure if it will show anything, but we'll see.  The pain is getting better slowly (it's been 6 days now) so maybe it's a dietary thing? I don't know.  I know it's not lactose intolerance since I don't eat dairy, and my digestion seems fine otherwise.  It's a mystery.

[Flor]

Can I jump in? Haven't been on here since pregnancy, but just figured out home to do this on my phone!
My 11-11-11 baby girl was actually born 10-27-11.