June Chat « Back to Group Discussions

[parsley]

Hi all, glad to see you at our new DDC!  I was thinking it would be great if we PM people as we encounter them on-site to let them know of our new location and encourage them to reconnect. 

How's everyone doing?  I'll post an update soon but for now I have like 12 minutes to run do 20 computer things and then herd DD1 up to the bath and hope DD2 stays asleep in the wrap on DH for 45 minutes to allow me to get DD1 into bed. 

Then, I'm looking forward to nursing DD2 while she dozes and reading Feast for Crows by George RR Martin.  I've been rereading the first 4 books to remember what happened before reading Dance of Dragons and I'm almost ready to read Dance of Dragons!  I'm really excited.  Anyone else read/reading Game of Thrones?

Looking forward to catching up!

[parsley]

Also can someone suggest a picture?  I really suck at things like that.  For now, I'm going to try and find a picture of snow or an icicle... since our babes are winter babes.  Lame but we're supposed to have something .

[Ramzubo]

Yeah, I'm not creative enough to help you out on the picture suggestion, Parsley

[TeamGR]

I would suggest a snow picture, but considering where I live we had literally no snow after October this year (weird for the NYC area!) I'm not even sure my baby qualifies as a winter baby this year!

I'm getting used to the baby, in a way that I haven't up until now. It was really hard for me to get through the first 10 weeks or so (we're at week 13).  I just couldn't wrap my head around not having a schedule and not knowing what the next step would be at any moment. Luckily, Finn seems to have scheduled himself out, with no help from me at all!  The only exception is the 8pm bed time, which also, he has taken to like a champ.

Nursing is going well after some difficulties at week 4, and I'm enjoying it a lot. Originally, I had thought 6 months tops. Then, 1 year tops.  Now, I'm thinking I'll just go until Finn wants to stop! 

For the past two days we've had some teething pain, which just makes me feel awful, and nothing seems to soothe him for more than a minute or two. 

And... next week I start back at work 2 days/ week.  I have an undergraduate babysitter who is going to hang with him on campus/ her apartment/ random offices.  In the fall I start back 4 days/week with Finn in professional daycare.  The big change will come in December, when we move back into the city, I start a new high pressure job, and Finn goes into 5 day care... not looking forward to that transition!

Two picture ideas:

[atomicrocket]

Parsley - I read the first four Song of Ice and Fire books a long time ago but just started reading Dance with dragons. Rather than read all of the books again I just browsed the Wikipedia plot summaries to brush up, haha.

Things are going well with ds so far - I am really loving how interactive he is at this stage. We are STILL having breastfeeding issues however, and it is taking a lot out of me. Ever since his hospital stay at 1 weeks old, his feedings consist of nursing, then bottle feeding, and then pumping. The lactation consultant I was seeing for a while told me at our last appointment that ds had a transfer problem and that I shoul give up on breastfeeding and just pump. However, I recently found a new consultant who did her own assessment and concluded that nothing appears to be wrong with him or me, and that he just needs to relearn how to breastfeed, so we are working on eliminating bottles. If I could eliminate the need for bottles and pumping I would be so, so happy. I feel like my confidence was destroyed by our early breastfeeding issues so it's nice to have an encouraging lactation consultant for a change.

[Ramzubo]

Now that the babe, dog, and DH have been put to bed I have time to update.

So the trauma from the nightmarish first 2 months is starting to fade.......Really not a pleasant time at all, I remember telling DH that they could take the Happiest Baby on the Block book and shove it and then I threw a sponge across the room.

We're doing much better now, ds really has a great little personality and is all smiles most of the time. He sleeps great at night and just started taking 1 decent nap during the day. He loves being outdoors so we're getting out for walks and gardening everyday which has helped with my sanity. We did a stroller 5k last weekend and had a blast.

Breastfeeding has been a challenge for me too. About 2 months ago my supply just fell off a cliff and I haven't been able to keep it up enough for ds. I'm so tired of eating oatmeal day after day and downing a bottle of fenugreek every week. And I'm really over having to get up and pump every couple hours at night despite ds sleeping for 7 hours. I think I'm the opposite of TeamGR...I thought I'd bf for a year no problem, now I just tell myself make it one more month each month.

[yippiehippie]

Great to hear how you all are doing:) I haven't been on in so long, ever since I read adelinesmom's post. Oh, I shouldn't have even brought it up, I do hope she is OK, as well as one could be. Now I have a lump in my throat, I cried every day for days, and still do, about that, Ever was the same age when I read what happened.

That's so sad about the breastfeeding issues! atomicrocket- glad you're sticking with it, good for you and screw that first LC! Ramzubo - do you know why your supply dropped? how sad! I hope you both are going to LLL meetings, they are so wonderful and supportive!

I just heard of game of thorns the other day. Will someone enlighten me?? I am planning on re-reading Unconditional Parenting as my 2 year old has been challenging lately;) Then I'm gonna read the Continuum Concept for the first time. Meanwhile I've been knitting instead (can't seem to find the time for knitting and reading, lol!).

We are having some fun here. I love this age, out of the newborn stage and more smiles and laughs. DS1 was really high needs for his first year or so. I couldn't put him down and he never slept more than an hour or two at a time all night. I feel like I was always grumpy and tired. DS2 is more easy going, sleeps well, and is generally happy with life! I feel like it's easier with two kids, they are both in such fun ages!

We've started more EC this last week and he's been diaper free unless he's sleeping or we're out for a week. I've caught almost all of his pees! Anyone else ECing?

[Ramzubo]

Yippiehip: Thanks for the bf encouragement. The closest LLL meeting is 40 minutes away so I don't make those, but I have an LC at my family doctor who's been very supportive. The best guess is that my supply dropped down when ds started going longer b/t feedings. He still doesn't eat much more so my body seems to think that I don't need as much. We're Ecing too, just part time. Mostly we're working on cueing him now. We've been catching a good deal and I'm really glad that my diaper washing frequency has gone down!

[parsley]

I am also glad to have the newborn stage over.  I realize that I am really much more  of a kid person than a baby person.  When I'm driving in the car and the baby is screaming every minute in her car seat, I find myself thinking "this will pass and not too long from now she'll have words" (and maybe she'll be front facing at one year, no lectures!  Unless you've had a carseat screamer-- both of mine-- you have no idea how torturous this can be).   Even though I find the newborn stage really hard it was still much easier for me than with my first.  When DD1 was born it just rocked my world and I was pretty traumatized by the transformation.  This time, I expected it to suck and it wasn't that bad.  I was also SOOOOOOOO happy to not be pregnant any more!   I still can get a little panicky from the anxiety of a bleeding placenta previa and emergency c-section while hemmoraging!

Now, I'm really happy to have a four month old now; it all is starting to seem like much more fun.  A is a super-smily little babe.  It is so rewarding to have that smile light up her face when she sees me!  She's laughing pretty frequently now too.  I've gotten a few chuckles from peek-a-boo and blowing rasberries on her tummy.  And, she's a pretty good sleeper... as long as she's always in the arms of a parent.  During the day she's either napping at the breast on a boppy or in a wrap.  And, at night she alternates between sleeping next to me and nursing or in the moby wrap with DH (a ridiculous system but one we developed with super high needs DD1 and have resurrected for DD2).    We don't have much of a schedule yet but maybe she's starting to sort herself out... so much revolves around DD1's school schedule though. 

She is still super tiny (like-off-the-charts-if-I-checked-a-chart-tiny).  She was spitting up a lot and had some red flecks (blood) in her poop a few times.  I ended up doing a semi elimination diet (eliminated all possible non-daily foods) and we found she's definitely allergic to citrus, grapefruit is the main offender.  Her spitting up has pretty much stopped but we did have some mystery red flecks in her poop once this weekend.  I'm wondering if there is something like tomato that she's sensitive too only in large quantities.  I don't know.  I'm trying not to worry.  Our ped is pretty laissez-faire but we haven't talked about the blood yet and I'm a little worried he's going to try and push more invasive testing.  If he insists we'll do it since he has never recommended anything like that before.  Our appt is next Thurs and I'm a little nervous.  And then at the same time I'm hoping that since the spitting up has basically stopped I've cured the problem and she's going to gain some catch up weight and be healthy for ever after! 

[hildare]

pars- dh and i loved the ice and fire series- LOVED.  i might get him a set as a gift in the future, since we had borrowed them from the library before.

dd had the blood in the poop thing- i know i have talked about it a whole bunch, but she did outgrow most of it when she turned 6 mos, and our ped said there were no actual tests they could do on a tiny baby.  it sounds like you found the problem, though.  i also learned that there were combinations for babies that were issues, too, such as tomatoes and something else together but not separately.  hopefully the worst is over. 

us, we're plugging along.  i am back at work, and dd seems to be adjusting to a new sibling.  our garden is going well, got new chicks, and a surprise baby calf. 

we had to get a bigger car, but i am over the moon in love with it.

[mtn.mama]

no time for reading books here... and thankfully, no breastfeeding issues (beyond tongue/lip tie latch stuff).  i've been on a hugely limited diet for years, so baby girl is doing great at this point.  she pukes if i have cow cream in my coffee- so i don't do that, heh.  and for length, she's above the 98 percentile... with big big chipmunk cheeks.  one of my goats gave birth two days ago- breech- i'll link you after i get the youtube video posted.  crazy stuff.  love my life... so grateful.

[parsley]

Originally Posted by hildare 

pars- dh and i loved the ice and fire series- LOVED.  i might get him a set as a gift in the future, since we had borrowed them from the library before.

dd had the blood in the poop thing- i know i have talked about it a whole bunch, but she did outgrow most of it when she turned 6 mos, and our ped said there were no actual tests they could do on a tiny baby.  it sounds like you found the problem, though.  i also learned that there were combinations for babies that were issues, too, such as tomatoes and something else together but not separately.  hopefully the worst is over. 

us, we're plugging along.  i am back at work, and dd seems to be adjusting to a new sibling.  our garden is going well, got new chicks, and a surprise baby calf. 

we had to get a bigger car, but i am over the moon in love with it.

I can't get enough reassurances that the worst is over with regard to the allergies so thanks for sharing more details; esp the fact there probably isn't some impending colonoscopy or something awful like that to subject my tiny babe to!   The combination thing is also really good to know.  I was baffled to see some red specks this weekend when I had been studiously avoiding citrus for awhile.  Then two days ago I absent-mindedly added some cranberry sauce (frozen from Thanksgiving) into a smoothie and it had orange juice but there was no reaction!  It's somehow not quite as straight forward as it should be.

We bought a new car too!  I'm in love as well.  We've also just become a two car family and our life is about 300x easier as a result.

Have you finished the ice and fire series?  I can't believe how many details I forgot from my first reading.  DH Is reading it for the first time and it's making me crazy that he's still 1 1/2 books behind me.  He just read about the Red Wedding last night when awake with DD2.  He was pretty crushed this morning. 

[1blueheron]

Thanks for starting this!  Another Ice & Fire fan here.  uh oh here comes DD!  

[1blueheron]

Hildare, how did you end up with a surprise baby calf??

Parsley, my first was a carseat screamer too....I feel your pain.  It sucks and unfortunately seems to compel everyone to say "Oh my kids always LUUUUUHVED the car!"  

[hildare]

Originally Posted by 1blueheron 

Hildare, how did you end up with a surprise baby calf??

because... baby human has caused us to not pay much attention to the goings on around us.  also it was a wretchedly warm winter and there are bugs everywhere and we neglected to do an early spring worming of the goats and had been extremely preoccupied with that and new chickens (and baby human) and then one day... there it was!  it's a smallish calf and the cow was always roundish anyway so we just did not notice. 

i think we need a baby picture thread.  for some reason i am not yet able to start threads but i neeed to see baby pictures.

[atomicrocket]

My kid hates the car too. He starts crying as soon as his butt touches the car seat. Ugh!

[hildare]

our first hated the carseat after a while until we switched her out of a bucket.  you could try that if they seem ready. 

and, man, babies are like the lottery.  dd hated pretty much everything and this baby, he is perpetually smiley.  i don't know how that happened. 

[parsley]

My first hated the car seat and screamed 100% of the time unless my breast was in her mouth.  When she turned one we bought her a bigger kid seat and turned her front facing and she still didn't like it but she stopped that constant screaming.  With this babe, she screams 75% of the time but she doesn't want to nurse in the car (which is actually better for me in the long run-- it is seriously painful to contort myself enough to make that happen!) I've been driving myself crazy trying to extend or reproduce the conditions that allow DD2 to not scream during that 25% of the time.  I do think part of it is the seat.  She looks too scrunched up.  I think if she could sit up taller she'd be happier.  But, she's WAY TOO light for that still (long enough but too skinny). 

I've also been fantasizing about a magic car toy that she could look at or play with that would distract her from her discomfort.  Anyone have any reccs (or magic spells )?

So I've been thinking a lot about the differences between DD1 and DD2.  DD1 was the classic high needs baby... and we were relatively unprepared for it.  I assumed based on tons of babysitting experience that I could do things like put a baby in a stroller or rub a babies back to fall asleep in a crib.  DD1 never allowed those things or much else other then being carried and nursing.  We adapted.  We found Dr. Sears. and we adapted better.  DD1 remains a high needs kid (still wakes 3 times a night, nurses to sleep, yells about the car, and is intense in every imaginable way... but she's also brilliant, creative, empathetic, and super fun.  

Recently family and friends from out of town have asked me to describe DD2 personality.  And, she's super smily, quick to laugh and relatively willing to go with the flow.  But, she also hates the car, doesn't sleep without my breast or a wrap.  I keep wondering how much is a temperment difference and how much is a parenting difference.  We never even tried a crib, don't have a swing, etc ... 

[parsley]

BTW, does anyone else read Brain, Child magazine?  I found out yesterday that they are going out of business.  I'm crushed; I actually found my eyes well up with tears!  It was an amazing magazine. 

[1blueheron]

Originally Posted by parsley 

I've also been fantasizing about a magic car toy that she could look at or play with that would distract her from her discomfort.  Anyone have any reccs (or magic spells )?

wrist rattles - velcros around the wrist...hard to drop, good to suck/chew on