May Mamas~~November Thread! (or weekly?--you decide...) - Page 3

[Shahbazin]

Whew - just got back from my 4 day dog show trip last night - left Thurs. for a 3 hour + drive there (had to pull over to nurse her once each way), living out of a motel room w/a babe & a 120 lb dog (who is a working dog that I haven't had indoors in over a year - he lives in a pasture w/a flock of sheep), 1/2 hour trip each way to the show grounds (showing Fri., Sat, & Sun.) where we haul tons of show gear back & forth from the cars..... while wearing DD & leading a dog. Irwindale is in Los Angeles, & the park was really pretty - lots of trees & we were right on the edge of a lake; weather was perfect. DD was great - only cried a little at the awards ceremony at the club dinner when everyone clapped (we waited out in the hall then 'til they stopped clapping), didn't object to a friend holding her when I was in the ring showing my dog, didn't get distracted nursing at the show grounds, in the car, or at the dinner (BTW, the new Bravado bra is great - the fasteners are a kind of hook & clip thing, easier than snaps). This was our national specialty w/people from all over the US showing; the dog I was showing won his class, but didn't get points; however, 2 others I bred won best female (BOS - the next highest to best of breed) & best working dog, & another got best of winners (best non-champion) out of the puppy class & was in the final 4 males considered for best of breed (his sire won it). Oh, & when AF didn't appear this weekend, I took the test this AM - I'm pregnant again!

[ecoteat]

Nice use of the bury-the-real-news-at-the-end-of-an-unrelated-story technique, Shahbazin! Congratulations!

[Marylizah]

Originally Posted by ecoteat

Nice use of the bury-the-real-news-at-the-end-of-an-unrelated-story technique, Shahbazin! Congratulations!

:

Congratulations, Shahbazin!

Erin, THANK YOU for your post. I almost had tears in my eyes reading it. One, it's nice to know I'm not alone and two, it's really reassuring to have an experienced mama tell me it won't be like this forever. From the depths of sleep deprivation, one loses perspective.

That said, last night was a little better, I think he only woke up like 8 times. So.

Cindy, great pictures! I feel like Geo is a little deprived because Halloween is not a big deal here and we didn't do anything at all. But then, I'm like, ehhhh, I'm too tired to really be sad about it. :

[dharmama]

Shahbazin ~ BIG congrats mama!!!

Mary ~ again. We had a better night last night too but I agree, sleep-deprivation does scary things to people. I remember having very scary violent thoughts about my DD at one point when she went through a long strech of not sleeping. DH (who used to barely wake up when she woke up -- USED TO...now he pops up if she sighs in her sleep) was shocked when I told him. I of course was totally embarassed and felt upset with myself but at the time it was a real feeling. Very raw. I just SO wanted her to stop crying and let me sleep.

The prayer I've been saying during the night to help me is one we use to start our church service...

It is a blessing to be.
It is a blessing to be here.
It is a blessing to be here now.
It is a blessing to be here now together.

Also, I have a friend who just lost a baby at 22 weeks so when I am in a really tough spot with my children, I think of her and of her little one and fill my heart with grattitude that my baby is here crying or my toddler is here challenging the heck out of me.

Hang in there mama! It's great that we have each other to share these challenges with. What we are doing is VERY intense work.

[~*max*~]

Congratulations Shahbazin! What wonderful news. All is can say is WOW! And, glad to hear your show went well.

Erin, that is a beautiful prayer. I'd like to use it during stressful times to ground myself. Littlest is sleeping worse than ever these days too, definately teething related.

BBL. Hugs everyone.

[Marylizah]

Erin, thank you for sharing that beautiful prayer. And I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's loss, I can't imagine the pain of that. It's so important to remember to be thankful for what we have... something to meditate on while rocking the baby at 3 am. And I can so understand the angry thoughts. Last night I kept thinking "I'm being punished for something, or this is the price to pay for having a baby". These are thoughts I want to banish, they are so wrong and negative.

We saw the ped today, he said that physically there is nothing wrong with Geo, he doesn't think he's teething, his ears are fine, his growth is great. He said it might be separation anxiety causing nightmares. Possibly also a growth spurt.

I'm sure this will pass and I'll be missing rocking my sweet babe in the middle of the night. But I have to admit I'm looking forward to sleep again.

[JayGee]

Originally Posted by ecoteat

Nice use of the bury-the-real-news-at-the-end-of-an-unrelated-story technique, Shahbazin! Congratulations!

Yeah, that!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!

[Vortexing]

Shahbazin, Congrats on many fronts (that your LO did the trip so well, all the awards for your pups, and the new one comin'!)!!!!!!!!! Enjoy this awesome time, it sounds like you have a lot of things to be happy about!!!

[NYCVeg]

Originally Posted by ~*max*~

a rat(shudder!!) was on our porch yesterday;

for everything you wrote and Eek! re. the rat. We had a mouse problem several apartments back. At the time, we also had a cat who must have chased a mouse up a chair leg while my coat was hanging on the back of my chair. I put on the coat and the mouse RAN DOWN MY ARM, leapt onto the floor and ran away. : For weeks, I refused to put on any clothing until dh had patted it down first.

Originally Posted by Marylizah

In our news, we are still not sleeping. Last night, over an eleven-hour night I got up with Geo 11 times. 5 times he ate, the other six times he needed to be rocked/bounced back to sleep. This is the third night where it's been so bad. We're at our wit's end-- I'm taking him to the ped tomorrow to check for hidden causes, but unfortunately I think it's his teeth. I've never been so sleep deprived or miserable in my life and it's seriously affecting everything. It's really hard not to be depressed when you're this tired.

Originally Posted by dharmama

Max ~ I can relate. I described last week as the "perfect storm" of parenting. Clocks change. DD decides she's done napping. DS starts teething and therefore stops sleeping. :

Ugh. Sounds like the May mamas are going through a rough patch! The good news is, Marylizah, if it IS teeth, once they pop through, you should get a little respite. After many nights of waking, dd decided to be merciful and slept 10 hours last night. Our ped made a suggestion that might have helped: she mentioned that winter heating can make babies' (and parents') mouths very dry, so they sometimes wake up not actually hungry, but a little thirsty. We made the apartment cooler last night and added a vaporizer for moisture, so maybe that helped her stay asleep?

Originally Posted by Shahbazin

Oh, & when AF didn't appear this weekend, I took the test this AM - I'm pregnant again!

Congratulations, mama! You are a brave, brave woman.

So, dd had a check-up yesterday, and she's 17 pounds and 27 inches long (at 5.5 months)! I can't believe how TALL she is. She certainly doesn't get that from her shrimpy mama. When I asked about solids, she said: "Just follow her lead; give her pieces of healthy foods like avocado, squash, banana or pear wedges when she's interested; no processed foods." No rice cereal pushers here!

[mamacatsbaby]

Big to all my May Mamas, especially you guys really going through right now.

Woo-hoo! Congrats Shabazin! And so it begins.

Great pics everyone!

[Vortexing]

ack... not to distract the thread here, but I have sort of a different issue on my hands. DH took a shower this morning and normally Adia just sits and plays in the bathroom, but today he put her down about 3' from the side of the tub, and later looked out of the shower for a second and she was standing holding onto the side of the tub!!!!!!

What do we do? I'm so unprepared for a mobile baby b/c she's not crawling really, let alone one that's pulling up on stuff!!! How do you mamas shower? She's really too young to do much safe playing by herself, and we don't have any baby-proof rooms to put her in. Do we childproof the bathroom and just let her explore????

[NYCVeg]

Originally Posted by BambooMama

ack... not to distract the thread here, but I have sort of a different issue on my hands. DH took a shower this morning and normally Adia just sits and plays in the bathroom, but today he put her down about 3' from the side of the tub, and later looked out of the shower for a second and she was standing holding onto the side of the tub!!!!!!

What do we do? I'm so unprepared for a mobile baby b/c she's not crawling really, let alone one that's pulling up on stuff!!! How do you mamas shower? She's really too young to do much safe playing by herself, and we don't have any baby-proof rooms to put her in. Do we childproof the bathroom and just let her explore????

OMG, just thinking about that makes me shudder! Our apartment is basically a death trap--practically all of our furniture is pointy-edged, rickety, or both. And it's a small apartment, so it's not as though we can gate off a room--there are only two rooms!

As for your question: I shower by putting dd in a hand-me-down swing I got from my sister. I don't turn it on--just strap her in with a couple of toys and leave the shower curtain open so she can see me and I can talk to her. She finds nakedness (hers or anyone else's) so hysterically funny that she stays pretty content.

[dharmama]

Originally Posted by BambooMama

ack... not to distract the thread here, but I have sort of a different issue on my hands. DH took a shower this morning and normally Adia just sits and plays in the bathroom, but today he put her down about 3' from the side of the tub, and later looked out of the shower for a second and she was standing holding onto the side of the tub!!!!!!

What do we do? I'm so unprepared for a mobile baby b/c she's not crawling really, let alone one that's pulling up on stuff!!! How do you mamas shower? She's really too young to do much safe playing by herself, and we don't have any baby-proof rooms to put her in. Do we childproof the bathroom and just let her explore????

She pulled herself up already!!

Swing sounds good or maybe an exersaucer.

[Vortexing]

We had a little rocker/seat thing and I can't keep her in it. She'll take a dive over the side and if she's buckled in she'll take it with her so it lands on top of her. Maybe an exersaucer... hmm....

[*GreenMama*]

Originally Posted by dharmama

Cindy ~ Super cute pics! Did you get that binky just for Halloween? Love it!

Nope, but I love how nuk makes them themed in the 2 pack... Just had to buy more and there's a red/white one I suppose for the holidays.

Originally Posted by Shahbazin

Oh, & when AF didn't appear this weekend, I took the test this AM - I'm pregnant again!

I'm a big dog show person. Love them. What type did you have? I've got a gsd, but we don't show her.

And CONGRATULATIONS! I'd seriously freak if I found out I was pregnant again. You're one brave mama! Soooo, is this good news? I take it you're excited? How many kiddos does this make for you mama?

Originally Posted by Marylizah

Cindy, great pictures! I feel like Geo is a little deprived because Halloween is not a big deal here and we didn't do anything at all. But then, I'm like, ehhhh, I'm too tired to really be sad about it. :

I've always been a Halloween freak, plus its pagan Samhain, so I love celebrating it. You know, its not for everyone.

[Sydnee]

Shahbazin- CONGRATS mama!!! How very exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marylizah- Hugs mama, I just keep repeating, "this too shall pass...."

Dharmama- I looove that prayer!! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Amanda- What a tall babe you have!!! I weighed Alayna the other day, and she is 17 lbs too, just a peanut!

Bamboomama- I hear ya, at 6 months, my other two were just starting the army crawl, not crawling literally and pulling themselves up!!

Cindy- Adorable pics!!

Well, I am stressed, we had a congretional meeting at church yesterday, and there are ALOT of angry people who spoke up. For those that don't remember, my pastor was involved in a motorcycle accident a few weeks ago, and has admitted to having an alcohol problem for more than 30 years. It was just a very emotional meeting, kinda drains a person. And Brad and I have spent maybe a total of 5 mintutes together the past few weeks. Sucks.

I bought Alayna one of those strap-on-the-crib aquarium musical things, and she LOVES it! I have been putting her in her crib when I know she is tired for naps, turn the thing on, and she puts herself to sleep!!!!!!!!!! This is HUUUGE for me. My biggest frustration during the day is that she has to be asleep before laying her down, and then she usually wakes up right away, and it sometimes takes me a half hour or longer to get her to sleep.

Babe awake.....

[Marylizah]

Originally Posted by mamacatsbaby

Big to all my May Mamas, especially you guys really going through right now.

Woo-hoo! Congrats Shabazin! And so it begins.

Great pics everyone!

Glad to see you on the thread, MCB! Where've you been??

Originally Posted by BambooMama

ack... not to distract the thread here, but I have sort of a different issue on my hands. DH took a shower this morning and normally Adia just sits and plays in the bathroom, but today he put her down about 3' from the side of the tub, and later looked out of the shower for a second and she was standing holding onto the side of the tub!!!!!!

Oh, wow, how amazing! I'd be freaking out too! Good luck babyproofing!

Originally Posted by CindyCaz

I've always been a Halloween freak, plus its pagan Samhain, so I love celebrating it. You know, its not for everyone.

Yeah, the French adopted it for a few years, but it's pretty much disappeared now. I wouldn't have been able to find a baby costume here, or anything like that. Oh well. If we move back to the states someday.

Originally Posted by Sydnee

Well, I am stressed, we had a congretional meeting at church yesterday, and there are ALOT of angry people who spoke up. For those that don't remember, my pastor was involved in a motorcycle accident a few weeks ago, and has admitted to having an alcohol problem for more than 30 years. It was just a very emotional meeting, kinda drains a person. And Brad and I have spent maybe a total of 5 mintutes together the past few weeks. Sucks.

So sorry to hear about the pastor stuff, that is hard!! I hope you get to spend more time with your DH, too.

[QUOTE=NYCVeg;6470326


Ugh. Sounds like the May mamas are going through a rough patch! The good news is, Marylizah, if it IS teeth, once they pop through, you should get a little respite. After many nights of waking, dd decided to be merciful and slept 10 hours last night. Our ped made a suggestion that might have helped: she mentioned that winter heating can make babies' (and parents') mouths very dry, so they sometimes wake up not actually hungry, but a little thirsty. We made the apartment cooler last night and added a vaporizer for moisture, so maybe that helped her stay asleep?
[/QUOTE]

I dunno if it is the teeth. The dry mouth idea is interesting, I'll look into a humidifier.

BBL, MIL is trying to hijack the babe...

[ecoteat]

BM--pulling up already! Eek! I put Phoebe in her bouncy seat outside the shower. She seems to really like the bathroom. It's sunny and bright in there and I think she likes the noise of the fan and running water. So she's pretty content to sit there and bounce herself for a little while.

Sydnee, I would love yo be able to put Phoebe in her crib awake for naps! She is a terrible napper. She's almost asleep on my lap right now, but if I try to put her down so I can fold laundry she'll wake up, I'm sure.

It looks like teething is in full force here! Between the drool, chewing, ear-pulling, nipple-munching, and restless slepping, I think little chompers are imminent. Hooray for Hyland's tablets! I've been giving them to her at bedtime the past few days. Last night I didn't because she seemed pretty comfortable and happy in the evening. But she woke up 3 times between 8:30 and 11, so I gave her some at 11. She slept until 6:30 with only 1 feeding at 2! So how long can I expect symptoms before I see teeth?

Oops! I've been sitting here too long--I have to get ready to go to school!

[Shahbazin]

Bamboomamma - gosh, pulling up already!? What about putting her in a Pack N Play type playyard? That's what I put DD in while cooking or something - she lays on her tummy & chews on her toys, or bounces around on her back.

Sorry to hear about those of you w/teething probs

Dharmama - that is a great prayer

Thanks all for the congratulations!

Cindycaz -

I'm a big dog show person. Love them. What type did you have? I've got a gsd, but we don't show her.

And CONGRATULATIONS! I'd seriously freak if I found out I was pregnant again. You're one brave mama! Soooo, is this good news? I take it you're excited? How many kiddos does this make for you mama?

I'm showing Anatolian Shepherds... here's a pic of me handling my little doodlebug, Ruh, after going BOW (best of winners) as a yearling: http://shahbazinanatolianshepherds.c...es/dsruhbw.jpg
and yes, this pregnancy is good news - I certainly didn't want this any earlier, but we knew we were going to try to have our kids closely spaced - we only really ttc last month - this will be child #2! I'm hoping that my milk supply doesn't dip too badly, but supplementing won't be the end of the world if we need to, plus I'm going to be starting a cup & finger foods this month - she's certainly grabbing at my food & water glass! I plan to tandem - have read the Adventures book, so feel like I'm as prepared as I can be.

[mamacatsbaby]

Originally Posted by Marylizah

Glad to see you on the thread, MCB! Where've you been??

I'm trying to keep up with you mamas. It's just so darn busy around here, I haven't gotten much extra computer time and if I get any I'm usually on the vax board. A lot of times DH needs the 'puter too so there's no rest for the wicked .

Big smooches to everyone though. I hope to chat it up more with you mamas soon.