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[abouttobe5]

Hi everyone! Well, like you all, I'm a proud mama still! Maggie is 9 weeks old and doing great. I'm so happy, so content.  I always thought my family was complete, and it was, it was perfect - but once Maggie came along I realized how perfect it was then.  She completes us.

She's smiling, even giggling a little although it's a tentative giggle so far.  :)  She is so strong and so healthy, I'm just so blessed.  Especially since her older brother & sister are totally 100% in love with her.  They give her kisses as often as possible and yell "Maggie!" every time I walk into a room with her.  I"m practically tackled.  :)

Life is good otherwise.  I'm definitely tired.  She sleeps through the night but 3 kids, back at work, training at my gym, and all else that goes on in my regular life has got me tired.  I am, however, feeling fulfilled so I can't get sad about being tired.  :)  I love, LOVE my morning power hour.  I get up at 5AM and take one hour to myself.  To read, to journal, to blog, to stretch, to meditate.  I love LOVE my hour.  I highly encourage it for anyone who is looking for some sanity in their life.  It's worth losing that hour of sleep, I promise.

Anyhow, I've started up my blog talking all about everything I love - my family, my practice, and inspiring others to create extraordinary health for themselves.  www.relishthejourney.net

Hope you're all well.  I'd love to hear some updates from everyone!  

cheers,

andrea

[MrsKoehn]

Ana is 8 weeks old today and up to 9 lbs 7 oz on my scale. It would be more like 9 lbs 10 oz on the midwife's scale. She had her at 6 lbs 1 oz at birth so she' s gaining pretty well!
In life we are starting back to school today. I've let them do their work at since she was born and periodically grading it. Nice vacation but back to the grind! They're all teens so they can also help me out here and there. I know what you mean by almost being tackled when they see the baby. These girls (my sils) are the same way with her. She's used to it so she gets stressed easy. That's made for a needy day.....

All in all she's a good baby and really easy to read. She gets the ' go to Heaven' look on her face when she's thinking hard or annoyed. She also smiles and tries to talk, it's so adorable. She's almost laughed a few times so we're looking forward to that soon. When she decides she's mad or has enough kisses or something, she will turn her face away. Of course DH will try to kiss her and kiss her anyway. She will turn and turn and turn her head. Lol She gets that from Daddy's side because her double cousins do the same thing.

[babychak]

K is also 8 weeks today and doing well. We just think he is the cutest thing ever, which I'm sure every parent thinks. We have his 2 month appt next week and I'm interested to see how much he weighs - I think close to 10 lb by now. His newborn size clothes are starting to get a little small. It's just so crazy how quickly they grow and change! I feel like he's advancing more each day. He started smiling around Christmas - sooooo fun!!! Breastfeeding is going well, I think, though I have had some problems with overactive letdown (which seems to be getting better just over the last couple days...knock on wood). He nurses about every 2 hours during the day and 3-4 at night. Definitely a clingy baby - he needs to be held all the time and is still co-sleeping with us. Unfortunately he has a lot of gas so he goes through inconsolable crying phases pretty often -it's so hard to see and i feel so helpless. :( The carseat is still a huge struggle to. But despite the crying and the hard times, I never knew I could love something so much!

Life-wise, I'm thankfully still on maternity leave and am set to return to work in March. I'm really dreading leaving my little guy. I've applied for another job and have an interview tomorrow- the main advantage being it would be a 7 min commute as opposed to 40+ min!! I feel like such a traitor applying for a new job while on maternity leave, but we'll see what happens. Otherwise, I've joined a moms group for newborns and that's really fun and great to have that support network. I'm also easing into some light exercise as I still have about 15-20 lbs to lose.

Happy new year to all you moms and your babes!

[sere234]

Everett was 7 weeks yesterday and is delightful! He's currently suffering from a stuffy nose, poor baby, but pretty much sticking to his normal schedule and laid back temperment. He's 15 pounds (as of last week), up from his giant birth weight of 10lb 13oz. Nothing like having my last baby be a huge one! All his clothes are 6 months or 6-9 months now since he's such a long boy. Plus the cloth diapers give him a big butt. 

Sleep is going well, E takes a 2-4 hour nap in the swing each afternoon, during which DS1 also naps so yay, I get some free time! The morning and evening naps aren't quite as predictable and sometimes take place on me (in the Ergo). Nighttime he wakes every 2-3 hours and generally is happy to go straight back to sleep after eating. He's cosleeping with me, which I love :) Nothing like cuddles from a tiny baby all night long! I do miss the 2 yo's cuddles tending to E all night. Though he's pretty much slept in his bed for months now, DS1 wanders in our room around 5-6 each morning. That's also when E tends to wake for his last night meal so DH takes ds1 while I nurse E. 

I'm loving the newborn gummy smiles! Everett has these giant grins at the beginning of his happy-awake time that just crack me up. He's also cooing and trying to talk, it's so sweet! Breastfeeding is going smoothly since I have these awesome nipples of steel.  We are working to regulate my oversupply and over active letdown and it's happily going well. 

I'm getting the hang off parenting 2 kids finally. Everett's first 6 weeks were tough, with his NICU stay, DH working overtime due to a big deadline, my tear from the birth not healing, DS1's rough adjustment, and us staying home allllll the time so I could rest and heal. I'm working on letting all that go and focusing on NOW. 2013 won't be stressful and crazy! Determined to make this a good year and stay positive. I'm still having some trouble with my tear, though it was just a 2nd degree I've just struggled with resting enough for it to heal. Especially the first 2 weeks PP, which were the most important. Oh well, it will heal completely soon!!!

I've lost all my pregnancy weight (and more due to a stomach bug 2 weeks ago) which isn't a good thing for me. I tend to turn into a walking skeleton when breastfeeding newborns and I'm trying very hard to avoid that this time. It's kinda hard to remember to eat when I'm chasing my toddler and calming a newborn at the same time! While it's nice to have all my clothes fit again and to be able to eat whatever I want it's not so nice to have a stick figure at 6 months pp.

Hoe everyone is doing well! Pretty amazing that our babies are all here and growing strong! 

[MrsKoehn]

Sarah, what are you doing for your overactive let down? I've been block feeding her the past couple days and it's better but not 100% yet.

I hear you on the weight. Not sure how I'll be, but with my Crohns (which reared it's ugly head yesterday and I dropped 2 lbs) I've been 82 lbs before.... I'm 5' tall but still. I'm 111 as of this AM. That's -1.5 from my pp weight. Grr. Just eat, eat, eat. I think I didn't eat or drink much yesterday, she did, and I had the runs, so ya. Hoping to get it back. Had a muffin and oatmeal this AM but already feeling starved again....

[kateaton]

So glad everyone and their babies are doing well!  I often come on here but rarely post anything- it's so hard when I'm holding my LO all the time.  

Genevieve is 8 weeks old in 2 days.  We had her 2 month check up today and she's 11 lbs 12 oz (90th percentile)!  Up from 8 lbs at birth!  She is outgrowing her clothes and diapers so quickly!  She is such a love- smiling and cooing more and more everyday.  She's pretty mellow, except for 6-9PM and then it's fussy, cluster feeding time.  She sleeps pretty well- she does a 4 hour stretch at night and then she's up anywhere from every hour to 3 hours, so it still varies.  She sleeps in the co-sleeper but ends up in my bed at various points every night.

 She takes a consistent nap in the morning for a few hours, but not so consistent in the afternoon.  It's kinda tricky since I have to transfer her to her carseat to drop off and pick up my bigger girls from school.  I feel like I'm getting into the groove of being a mom of 3.  It's so much easier the 3rd time around- I find that I'm WAY more laid back and feel so much more confident in my mothering.  I'm already (secretly) hoping for at least another lo!  Not for at least a year though.  

It's hard with 2 kiddos who go to school- there are so many sicknesses going around.  They're both home sick today and I'm praying that G does not get this one.  She had her first cold at 4 weeks- not fun!  I also had mastitis when she was 3 weeks- so horrible!

She hates hiccups- which she has now.  gotta go!

[sere234]

MrsKoehn- I'm block feeding too, for about 2 weeks now, and feeding in a more reclined position or with E's body laying down rather than across me. I found some good info on Kellymom.com and have been following it. Poor kiddo has green poo half the time though that could also be remnants of my stomach bug and antibiotics for my tear. We're all a hot mess here!  I did find a cool app called My Fitness Pal to help me track my food and make sure I'm eating enough. Sometimes I even have time to enter the food I ate during the day to see if I met my 2500 calorie goal! 

Oh, E seems to have cradle cap now (also probably due to my antibiotics). Any suggestions? I'm putting coconut or olive oil on it and my MIL said to gently brush it with a soft toothbrush? Other ideas?

[MrsKoehn]

I'll have to check out KM.com, I need to get off here and get my bedding on my bed while she's sleeping in the bouncer. Yesterday it was a 2 1/2 hr nap, I hope she does that today too, though that puts her waking up to nurse when I need to start supper. Oh well.

Ana has a tiny bit of cradle cap too, I put EVOO in her bath water and only shampoo/soap her every other bath. Seems to help. I also do coconut oil, it was GREAT when she was molting a week or so after she was born. I have a child's nail brush and I use that for her hairbrush. I also use it to brush out her hair and scratch the CC out. Other than that.... No ideas. I know that's more or less what my Mom would do with us and we all had it worse than she's got it so far.

[PacificMar]

I'm so glad to hear everyone's updates! I've been thinking of all of you and your little ones and hoping you're all doing well.

Sarah, another thing to consider for the cradle cap is essential fatty acids, as they're necessary for the production of healthy skin. You can pick your favorite source (cold-water fish and/or the oils of evening primrose, walnuts, borage, and flax seeds) and increase your dietary intake so they'll come through with the breast milk. I hope that helps!

Luthien will be eight weeks old this Thursday. She's such a delightful little person, equipped with distinctive likes and dislikes. (Her likes: breastfeeding, which she wants to do almost constantly--every hour or less, going for walks with us in her Ergo carrier, being outdoors in general, and socializing. Her dislikes: bright light, late afternoon/early evening, if I eat anything with soy in it, going to sleep.) She is a wakeful baby, sleeping well at night (up every two to three hours, with one four-hour period of sleep) but basically awake throughout the day, with cat naps of ten minutes or so once in a while. Because she's up so frequently, she's constantly curious and learning. She smiles, laughs a little, and is wriggly as can be. As with many of you, she's either in our arms all the time or sleeping beside us at night, and the cats love cuddling up to her. 

Many blessings to all of you and your families!

[kparker]

Guy is ten weeks old tomorrow. He's up to 13lbs and is 25in long - 75th percentile for weight but 95th for height! Insane long kid, outgrowing things due to length alone.

His lip tie is still a huge problem, forcing me to pump a lot to relieve some of my stress over breastfeeding. We'll be seeing an oral surgeon in 8 weeks though for evaluation and correction at that time, if necessary. Also this Friday he's got an appt for his lumpy head - I kept telling people his head was too lumpy for his age, and I was right! He's been referred to STAR Cranial Center here which will scan his head and see just how bad it is, and if needed we'll fit him for a STARband to gently correct his lumps. Can't have my kid have a lumpy head! He has to look good if he ever decides to keep a buzz cut ;P

We managed to fix our milk imbalance as well with block feeding. Poops are normal again. Only downside is my oversupply has calmed down so I am not freezing as much as I'd like for emergencies!

[MrsKoehn]

Well, Ana's latest game is biting as she falls asleep. One slow chomp as hard as she can before I stop her. Ouch! No wonder I'm sore. She'll chew my fingers forever, starting to drool and chew her fist. Say it ain't so! I know this is just an overture to teething, but still. She's only 10 week's!

Beside that, she's 10 lbs 2 oz and I guess around 22- 22 1/2'' long. She's still working on the giggle. It comes out for a second here and there. She's starting to really go after her toys when in her bouncer and still loves her Daddy time. I can't believe the ' fourth trimester' is closing out so fast!

[tm0sweet]

Nak
Soooo… cradle cap. I did the oil. Did the brush. Now what? I've got a baby with clumps of skin stuck in his hair now!! Yuck! I tried my best to comb it out, but his poor little head was turning red so I stopped.

Edison is 8 weeks old and a whopping 13 pounds! His ped tried to tell me he is over weight and to only nurse him every 3 hours. yeah, right. He is such a mellow baby. So happy to be held and just look around him. Very smiley and he loves when his daddy holds him. He's not so keen about his big brothers who like to be right in his face though

I'm heading back to work next week… kinda excited, kinda nervous. I'm a high school theatre director, so I'm pretty anxious to see my "big kids" again. I've missed them these last few months

Love everyone's updates! I'm so thankful to be able to share this experience with such wonderful mamas

[Simonsez2u]

Hi Ladies,

I'm glad to hear everyone seems to be settling in with their new babies and doing well.  Sorry I've been MIA but it seems when you have three LO's three and under your pretty busy!

Owen is 8 weeks and poor thing has a cold.  Other than that the only other issue we have is gas.  He seems to have to pass gas constantly and when he can't his belly hurts and he gets upset.  I have a whole belly massage routine that I perform that helps but only short term.  I've tried gripe water, gas drops, and probiotics all of them work short term but I would like to prevent.  I guess it is just a waiting game until his digestive system matures.  My husband thinks I should give him formula because the culprit may be my milk.  However, I refuse to do that and I have our pediatrician backing me on that one.  I am open to suggestions.

Our other kids are doing great with him.  At first they wanted to kiss and touch him all the time but they seem to have lost some of their initial interest.  I have found that we have more tears in the house and I think it is mainly when DD and DS feel they need attention.  It's rough sometimes especially when all three get upset at the same time.  All I can say is thank goodness for the wine region of California.

All in all we are loving the little gummy smiles, showering him with kisses and snuggles, and watching him grow along with his brother and sister.  I am enjoying this period as much as I can and even during the rough spots I am savoring these baby moments since Owen will be our last.  It's weird because I have been in baby making mode for four and a half years and now not to have to think about when we will have another or being pregnant is taking some getting use to.  It makes me sad and relieved all at the same time.

Anyway, hope everyone continues to do well.  We should post some new photos of our little ones.  I will download some today if I have time!

[wantabeanbrat]

Originally Posted by Simonsez2u 

Owen is 8 weeks and poor thing has a cold.  Other than that the only other issue we have is gas.  He seems to have to pass gas constantly and when he can't his belly hurts and he gets upset.  I have a whole belly massage routine that I perform that helps but only short term.  I've tried gripe water, gas drops, and probiotics all of them work short term but I would like to prevent.  I guess it is just a waiting game until his digestive system matures.  My husband thinks I should give him formula because the culprit may be my milk.  However, I refuse to do that and I have our pediatrician backing me on that one.  I am open to suggestions.

We have the same problem of gas and so far we tried many solutions, some more effective than others at different times. 

Belly Massage helps my LO feel better too. You can also try lifting his legs and bringing them towards his belly/head....that way his tummy is slightly squeezed and the gas comes out easily for him. When he has gas trouble, try giving him some tummy time (if he is not fed right before). My LO when put on his tummy to lie down, immediately feels better and goes to sleep.

I checked with my pediatrician regarding "what should I stop eating" so my baby doesn't have gas and she said mommies should not change their diet to suit the baby. 

My mom got me an indian spice named Thyme/Carom Seeds. It helps digestion. I eat a pinch of these seeds after every meal. If you want a really long term solution to prevent gas - Thyme/Carom Seeds is the way to go. They have a strong taste, but aren't that bad. You can mix these seeds with fennel seeds and chew on them post every meal. Alternately, there are Thyme extracts in liquid form for babies that you get in Ayurvedic/Herbal stores that you can safely give to baby directly. 2 drops twice a day is enough to take care of all gas issues. We tried that for our LO and he spits it out...hates the strong taste. So we stuck with me eating these seeds and passing it to him through my milk. 

Hope this helps :) 

[babychak]

We have had major gas issues too. I'm probably going to jinx myself now, but I want to say it's gotten a lot better over the last week, maybe 2 weeks. He is 11 weeks today, so maybe it is just a matter of time? We're also using probiotics now (BioGaia); not sure if that has something to do with it or just the maturation of his digestive system. Gripe water and Colic Calm didn't do a thing for us. Hang in there!

[Simonsez2u]

As promised here are some recent photos of my cutie pie!  Anyone else wanna share?  I would love to see everyone's babies or did I miss the thread where we are doing that?

[franjapany]

awww! cute cute cute!

[kateaton]

Here is Genevieve at 10 weeks!  She is so sweet and 'talkative' and smiley.

[Simonsez2u]

Kateaton she is absolutely adorable.  Love love love all that hair and blue eyes!

[PacificMar]

What gorgeous babies! 

Here are some recent pictures of Luthien. Here she is at five weeks, resting in her Dad's arms.

Here she is at six weeks, looking around.

Here she is at seven weeks with our big, patient cat Muops.

I just took this picture today, at the end of her eighth week. This is a pose we call "X Marks Luthien."