life with a babe week of 11/20

[dakotamidnight]

So, how is everyone doing?

Got anything planned for thanksgiving?
We are having a big thanksgiving dinner {minus the potatoes - Still can't eat them from when I was PG}.

Trinity is doing great, she is starting to play with her toys when I or gramma put her down to nap in her crib {we cosleep otherwise}, and she held her wn bottle today! She is such a little smartie.

We have isolated a few more of her allergies - pecans {Nuts in general we think}, and coconut. Add that to oats, soy {flour and protein only}, and a slight intolerance to milk {came have small amounts, but not lots}, and we're having trouble finding things I can eat. I wish her pedi would just allergy test her already, but she won't until DD is 1.

I'm having supply issues when I pump, and not keeping up with her while I"m gone to work. Planning to work on that over the holiday. I'm drinking tons, and heading to get some More Milk extract tomorrow, so hopefully my supply will come back. Could be my period coming back too - hoping its not.

[Becken]

Sophia is 2 months old tomorrow!

In the last week and a half, I feel as if I've turned a corner with her. I am figuring out some of her cues. I can recognize her cries much better. I catch on very quickly when she's getting overstimulated and needs to just go down for a nap.

It's still very hard, though! She cries a LOT. There are days (the napless ones) where I feel as if she's just fussed all day long. It really wears on my nerves, and by the time I'm nursing her to sleep, I'm crying right along with her.

Her grandparents (my folks) are here this week and I've just totally passed her off to them at every opportunity. They're happy, I'm happy, and Sophia is fussy no matter what, so oh well!

She has brief periods where she's all smiles - usually after she's woken up from her nap. It is soooo cute!

She's not really reaching out with very much purpose yet, but she's finding her hands with her mouth on a fairly regular basis.

Her cradle cap is soooo gross, though! Agh! I've done the olive oil thing to no avail. I'm going to ask our ped tomorrow about it. Luckily the baby acne is starting to fade, so we only have one ugly skin condition at a time. hehe!

Things are getting better day by day, although it's hard to remember it in the thick of things sometimes!

I hope everyone else is enjoying their little ones!

[noteworthy]

Hi everyone,
Little Julia is thriving. I haven't had her weighed, but she is growing and filling out nicely. She has such chubby cheeks, I just want to kiss them all day. We always marvel at the fact that our dcs don't have dents in them from being kissed so much! We have an appointment with our FP doc in a few weeks. I choose to vax, but I totally respect folks who decide not too.

I am starting to level out with the PPD. What a bummer that was. I hated to go on meds, but it is helping tremendously. I forgot to take it one day, and had an awful day... :

Anyhoo, I think maybe AF returned. Jules is sleeping 4-5 hour stretches at night, so that makes sense. She is 8 weeks tomorrow. I also had a UTI. First one in 20+ years and hope it is the last one. Now, I am worried about thrush since I am on an antibiotic. I started the probiotics, so hope that will help. I also want to start running again on the treadmill. Trying to wait it out to see if this is AF or the pp bleeding... I will wait a few more days to be on the safe side if it is pp bleeding, I don't want to make it worse. I really want to try to loose some weight. I am not hugely overweight, but from all three (4 including a mc) I gained about 25 pounds. I would really like to loose it. I am eating all healthy foods and have cut a lot of sugar out of my diet and am eating only whole grains. But nursing makes me so hungry I find it hard to cut back any more.

She is starting to sleep a more regular pattern and is smiling and cooing away. She lights up the world when she does... I bet your babes do too! Last night though, I took her in the tub with me and it over stimulated her. We couldn't get her to sleep til after 1200. That hasn't happened in about 2 weeks or so. Worst of all, we had big glasses of wine with a movie and so we were sooooo sleepy, but she wasn't. We love our ring sling and I would love to try another kind, but $ is an issue. I am looking for a new style at a consignment store. Ha, maybe I will try to make one... ha ha ha. I have fabric from 2 years ago that I bought to make a scrub top. Still in the closet.

I go back to work in just over 1 week.... : Oh, well... It pays the mortgage, so not an option, and I like my work. Dh has been great. He is cooking more and I call him "Laundry Man". I think I will make him a super cape for Christmas. I hope that I can keep my milk supply up while working nights. I had some issues last time and had to take fenugreek. Something about not getting enough sleep really takes its toll on my supply. Only two nights a week though, so hope it will not be a big deal.

This week, I made some fleece liners for our diapers, and they work great. Keeps her and her sister drier and the poop shakes off easier for my toddler. We have totally ditched the disposables and we double diaper at night now. Guess I can add the CD symbol to my siggie.

We are going to friends for turkey day and then having a family celebration this weekend. only have to make a few pies and a few side dishes, nothing too fancy. Next week, I will cook a turkey for our family for leftovers.

So, that is what is happening in our neck of the woods. Oh, one more thing, I got a boppy pillow. I had a gift card to that awful place Toys R Us. It was one of the items that I have always wanted to try and about the only thing that was in the store that we would use. And, I love it! It has made nursing much more comfortable for my back.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Sorry so long, but I had the time to chat!

[myhoneyswife]

We're still doing really well over here. Hannah is often only waking up once a night. Unfortunately it's at 2:30 or 3 a.m. and she thinks that's time to be UP for the day! So she'll sleep in her crib until then then I'll pull her into bed so she can have full access to boobs and she eats on and off til the alarm goes off at 5. Sometimes I'll wake up and she's just laying next to me grinning and cooing, so silly! I suppose I'll be in for it if she becomes mobile while being awake in the wee hours, but for now it's not a bother really at all.

We got a huge box of hand-me-downs from a friend so we're set until 12 months! That was awesome!

I think she recently started seeing color? She's not as interested in black and white any more and LOVES her toy that has the primary colors and makes a clacking sound when I shake it for her. She likes to look at lights and her mobile now too. (mine didn't cost that much, but I can't remember where I got it from!). Car rides are getting slightly easier, but still are not a favorite activity at all :P

Not doing much for Thanksgiving. Instead of cooking a big meal we'll have something simple and if I have any spare time I want to sew something, maybe a doll for her or finish the baby quilt I started when I was preggo.

Oh, I'm doing crunches every day now. I have this mass around my belly button that I"d like to be rid of so I can fit into my pants again...

[blairinargentina]

Isa is 13 weeks now and sometimes I feel like we are regressing more than progressing . It's been a rough few weeks for her. When she is happy she is the most smiley baby in the world but when she gets upset... oh boy, watch out! Her fussiness has continued to climb... there must be a reason for it but I cant pinpoint one thing. We know food sensitivities are still an issue but I think napping may be the other culprit. She just cant stay asleep long enough to actually get rested. Instead she sleeps for 30-45 minutes and wakes up MAD that she is still tired but so awake. Any pointers on how to get a baby to STAY asleep? So now we spend most of our day trying to go from one mini-nap to the next... with lots of tired crankiness in between.

But it's not all bad, by any means. She still sleeps for 8hr stretches at night and has taken to fallen asleep earlier, which means quality time for DH and I.... . SHe is rolling over like crazy and totally holds her own weight when she stands up, which is her new favorite activity. The balance has a long way to go but she is getting strong!

We're going over to another little mtn town for Turkey Day. It will be so great to see friends, eat some good food (that I didnt have to cook ) and maybe even get some skiing in! We are gonna leave her with a friend for half a day or so... I am in desperate need of a break and I think it'll be good for her to have some new folks around and get used to that. Hope it goes ok.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[crazyeight]

ahh..turkey day. i hope some of that sleepy stuff from turkey (whatever its called...) will get into my milk!! we have THREE turkeys!!! : luckily i am not cooking them! its a get together with everyone who isn't/can't go home for thanksgiving and our friends feed pretty much anyone! now i have to figure out what i need to bring!! ??

ayla is just now starting to sleep longer stretches. alot of the problem i think was that she was so used to being in the sling and that constant motion (and the downside: noise) of the house and me moving that when she was put down it was only 20-30 minutes till her body said "wait i'm not being held!!" and she would wake up. putting her in the swing in the living room, then the swing/bouncy chair in her room and then finally in her bed has helped get at least an hour (and sometimes she just needed to be rocked back to sleep for another hour) for each nap. certainly has lessened my craziness!! love the sling but sometimes i just have to have a break!!

[noteworthy]

Originally Posted by dhinderliter

we have THREE turkeys!!! : luckily i am not cooking them!

Three little butterballs here too... ha ha ha that made me giggle, thanks!

[noteworthy]

blairinargentina,

have you tried swaddling? Sometimes Jules will wake her self up with the startle reflex. When she is tightly swaddled and really warm, she sleeps longer stretches. Maybe it might work?

[blairinargentina]

we swaddle at night and it works like a charm... not sure why we dont at naptime. we're gonna try now though... thanks!

[nichole]

hi

babe is well...over 12 pounds! my big problem now is bedtime w/ two kids...takes hours. usually the baby needs rocking and does want to hang out while i lay with ds. then ds decides to fight sleep. we are losing our patience with ds1 which is BAD!

[mojumi]

We're 12+ lbs too! Thanksgiving was fun, Genevieve slept a lot or hung out in the sling while I cooked. She has a 'routine' that she wakes up aroun 6 am when her big sis wakes up (since big sis is usually in our bed by morning), eats and coos and then sleeps until around 11 (!! amazing!!) while I do stuff with the older kids or catch up on house stuff. Then every body gets lunch ready and eats and plays some more and everyone has a nap around 1. She might nap again while I'm getting dinner ready but usually she hangs out. She stays up past the older kids bedtime but usually conks out around 9 or 10 after some cluster nursing. I'm so amazed at how much she sleeps, compared to my other two. Even when she's not sleeping she usually hangs out peacefully. DS was on an 20 mn eat-20 mn sleep-20 mn active cycle into his third month -- so this is GREAT.

Genevieve seems to be trying to sit up sometimes (!) but still has trouble getting her fingers to her mouth to chew on them. Which is actually kind of funny to watch, as she concentrates so hard, tries to use one hand to move the other, ends up with a hand up her nose, etc... She smiles a lot and goo-goos. She does have some gassiness but I think my oversupply issues are working themselves out as that has been getting better.

Hope everyone had a good holiday.

[nichole]

how do you cook w/ the baby? ours has taken some naps by himself here and there but usually is in his sling or wrap. and i dont see how i could cook while baby wearing? is that safe? pls educate me!

[mojumi]

Originally Posted by nichole

how do you cook w/ the baby? [snip] is that safe? pls educate me!

Well, it is a learned art, keep in mind this is my third go round. I certainly would not have been cooking thanksgiving dinner with #1 in his sling!

I think it depends on how adept you are with the sling, how comfy your child is in it (like, is he a squirmer), and what kind of sling you have. When I'm cooking I use my Kozy because she's completely tucked in (no loose hands or feet) and I have both hands entirely free for food prep. You do get used to doing a lot of things sideways, though! And I did put her down to get anything heavy in and out of the oven. I can't wait until Genevieve is old enough to be in the back carry. Then I won't have to put her down even if I'm pulling out a turkey!

With my Maya or AFP, I don't do anything more complicated than stirring oatmeal or mac and cheese on the stove top, whatever I can do with one hand.

Other sling mamas who cook while slinging may have other ideas.

[VBMama]

Originally Posted by mojumi

Other sling mamas who cook while slinging may have other ideas.

I use my wrap and put Connor in a rucksack carry on my back, works like a charm! Two hands free and he's out of the way of anything hot. I'm lucky in that he's pretty happy in the wrap - ds1 would only tolerate it as long as I was in constant motion and even then only for short periods of time - so it depends somewhat on baby's temperament.

We're going along pretty well here. Connor is not the best napper during the day but sleeps well at night. He's got the cutest little baby laugh and is very social, loves to smile and coo at anyone that will talk to him. Oops, he's waking up, gotta go!

[dvons]

Originally Posted by VBMama

I use my wrap and put Connor in a rucksack carry on my back, works like a charm! Two hands free and he's out of the way of anything hot. I'm lucky in that he's pretty happy in the wrap - ds1 would only tolerate it as long as I was in constant motion and even then only for short periods of time - so it depends somewhat on baby's temperament.

We're going along pretty well here. Connor is not the best napper during the day but sleeps well at night. He's got the cutest little baby laugh and is very social, loves to smile and coo at anyone that will talk to him. Oops, he's waking up, gotta go!

Does anyone have the link to the rucksack carry? For some reason I thought they had to have more head control to be on the back. I'm so VERY lucky that this one loves the wrap or sling, neither of the other two lasted longer than 5 minutes.

I also have to ditto your non napper post. She doesn't nap well during the day but sleeps 7-8 hours straight at night. She is so happy at least during the day and loves to give people smiles.

Deb

[msnadia]

I have not posted here in so long...Isaiah is 7 weeks, he'll be 8 weeks on monday. He's 11lbs 4oz 23.5in long.

He started to sleep through the night at 6 weeks...he thinks 1am is his bedtime because he'll fight sleep until then and he's out until 8am. He does not nap well during the day, he takes cat naps that last maybe 30minutes, I'll get an hour if I'm lucky.

He is having an allergic reaction to something because everytime I take him to his great-grandma house he comes back with tiny bumps on his face, arms, and thighs. I cannot figure out what the cause could be--maybe its the laundry detergent, perfume/cologne, dye in clothes or a pet allergy. I thinking of calling the doctor but it never happens unless we go over there. We not go there today and I did not notice the bumps.

[nichole]

i can't wait til i have to stop worrying about burping. every time i get ds1 down for a nap, ds2 is drifting off side lying and then wakes up needing to burp. a five minute nap does wonders though!

[blairinargentina]

Originally Posted by msnadia

He is having an allergic reaction to something because everytime I take him to his great-grandma house he comes back with tiny bumps on his face, arms, and thighs. I cannot figure out what the cause could be--maybe its the laundry detergent, perfume/cologne, dye in clothes or a pet allergy. I thinking of calling the doctor but it never happens unless we go over there. We not go there today and I did not notice the bumps.

Isabel was having the same issue... on her cheeks and neck, some on her back and chest too. the Doc called it "contact dermitis" or in other, more simple terms, a rash! for us it was detergent (we were using ECOS and it has something harsh in it) so we tried ALL free and clear and its totally gone. but everything has to washed in it... even the couch cover! if we miss something and she lays on it the rash pops back really fast. good luck!

[Guest*]

Still doing well here. Evan is 13 weeks and over 12lbs. He has started eating more at night, about every 3 hours, but he doesn't wake up. Just nurses then goes back to sleep.

He's become very gassy and it's quite painful for him. I started giving him Gripe Water and that works like a charm. He's a very happy, easy baby. I'll just be happy when he starts liking the sling, because he does want to be held during his waking hours.

DD is getting better with him. I don't have to keep such a watchful eye anymore as long as it's before 4pm (her evil side comes out after then!). We've got a nice routine and I'm comfortable handling the 2 of them now. We go grocery shopping and to playdates and the library with no problems now.

[VBMama]

Originally Posted by dvons

Does anyone have the link to the rucksack carry? For some reason I thought they had to have more head control to be on the back.

Deb, here's one set of instructions at The Babywearer. If you search the site a little bit there's info about doing it with a younger babe - I've even seen pics with 2-3day old babies in this carry! Nice because they can see over your shoulder, too.