April showers bring... Nov '05 Mamas!!! - Page 2

[spughy]

Originally Posted by *Amy*

Second, I was going to just PM Fern but I will ask all of you, do you know of a good herbal PMS remedy type thing? I'd like to try something but have no idea what to look for. Thanks!

Amy I found this article which I thought was actually quite good: http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/pms-relief despite being from a very mainstream source. Especially the calcium-magnesium thing... I think a lot of women are pretty deficient in the cal-mag. A good dose of a hearty broth-based soup made from real bones would probably do you some good. (If you're not vegetarian - are you vegetarian? If so I apologize... and a good dose of pills or coral-based cal-mag liquid (which I have never been able to stomach) might be in order )

[SoulJourney]

Hi y'all! Just popping in for a quick hello since I haven't posted in FOREVER. I was looking for the March thread when I realized, DUH, it IS April now! : March was a hellish month for us...Noah was REALLY sick for eight or nine days (So I know how you feel Fern!), I was sick, Noah's dad came to visit and turned his world upside down (10hrs/day, 3 days in a row is TOO much for Noah, for the record), we moved in with our wonderful mama friend (MDC and IRL) who is newly single and I have been house/dog sitting for my sister. WHEW. Crazy month. : But, on the bright side, it HAS been beautiful and Mr. Noah and I have spent an amazing amount of time outside. I've been walking/jogging/rollerblading/riding every day that it's nice! He's starting to finally be OK with the bike trailer, which is a really good thing!

Bex80...good to see you around, sister! to you, you know you always have us to lean on!

Fern...When Noah vomited for twelve hours I gave up and kept him naked on a towel the entire time.

Helen...I agree with Amy, 30 was incredible for me! I love my thirties much more than my twenties, no doubt.

Ok, mamas, Noah is currently throwing EVERYTHING down the stairs so it's time to redirect my attention!

Miss you guys!

[Kavita]

I'm late to a Passover seder, so I'm just popping in to say hi and sub!

[flapjack]

Amy, did you have problems with PMS before you had Brynn? What I'm finding, and have done since I was pregnant with Skye is that I have extreme mood swings when I'm not getting enough omega 3's in my diet- and epo is my preferred method of getting those into me because of the whole skin thing. Because Brynn's still dependent upon you to provide the essential fatty acids she needs to help her brain grow, as well as you needing those efa's to help your brain grow and keep you sane and on top of things, I'd try it. I like the idea of calcium and magnesium, but I don't know if popping pills would be the right way for me to go at this time of my life. How about a nice cup of raspberry leaf tea instead?

[flapjack]

Originally Posted by *Amy*

I know! I think about that all the time too - like, OK, if I don't want her to have soy, what's the alternative? Tyson chicken nuggets? No thanks! Just for the record, I did drive 30 minutes to the whole foods store the other day and bought organic free range pork sausage, *hoping* she'd like that as much. No such luck of course! They didn't have beef sausage though, so I will wait til our farmers' market starts up again and get some from the local Amish farmer and hope she likes that. So I guess I should just buy some fresh chicken and fresh sausage, cut it into nuggets, cook it up, and then freeze it. Would that work?

OK- for the nuggets. Cut some chicken into strips across the grain and let it marinate in yoghurt for a few hours. I hear butterilk is better, but it's twice the price over here. Drain it off and dip in egg and breadcrumbs (I use ritz crackers, ymmv) Place on a baking sheet and open-freeze and then transfer to a freezer bag. Add spices at every stage of the proceedings as desired We use cumin, coriander, black pepper, thyme and oregano. Bake in the oven for a while until properly done.
I have never met a child who won't eat sausages, so can't help you there.

[Kavita]

Originally Posted by Queen of Cups

Well, I'm having a lady clean house tomorrow, then hopefully get the carpets cleaned on Wednesday, and the real estate agent will come out this week to measure and take pictures and then the house will be listed! Woohoo! (I think I'm going to go throw up.)

I'm totally with you there sister! We have been working our butts off with the whole house situation. The people who have been supposed to come and get work done have been generally flaky/not showing up/behind schedule when they do show. With the result that now I am on a pretty intense deadline--we are already listed as of yesterday, they will put up the sign tomorrow or the day after, we got the pictures taken and loaded this morning, we are having someone come to do a virtual tour thingy on Wed or Thursday, and then we have our first open house on Saturday. We are mostly ready, but the hallway that was supposed to be painted on Sunday, wasn't, because the guy who was supposed to do it went out and got drunk Saturday night and didn't show up until 3 pm and then did one or two other things but not that. So now I guess we'll have to figure out when/how to do it ourselves. Meanwhile I am having either some tooth infection, or a sinus infection, or both. I'm supposed to have my permanent crowns put on this Thursday--don't know if that's going to happen given the situation with my teeth/gums. And then we're going to Louisville to look for a house on the seventeenth of April. :

Oh, a kind of funny thing happenned today. The sheet rock guy was here fixing the ceiling, and I went to put Ella for a nap and I was so tired I fell asleep nursing her. He left, and left the door unlocked. Meanwhile, my friend came over with her little guy who's Ella's age (I knew she was coming but thought she was coming a little later than she did) and she let herself in. So I woke up to hear an adult voice and then a little voice in the living room saying "mommy mommy mommy!" I figured that DH must have come home from work early, and that maybe he had taken Ella into the other room without waking me up. But then I looked down and there she was in my arms, still attached and sleeping away! Then there was this little "mommy mommy!" voice again from the other room. I was still so groggy I just couldn't wrap my brain around how Ella was asleep here with my boob in her mouth, but also awake in the other room calling me!! Then I woke up a little more and realized that it must be my friend and her baby! It was so surreal though!!

*Amy*--we tend to stay away from soy, for the reasons cited in that article. I'll feed her edamame sometimes, or miso soup and the bits of tofu floating in it if we are eating sushi or something, but that's about the extent of it. I'd actually rather feed her chicken nuggets! But I'm not veg either, so she eats lots of chicken, and she's a really good eater and not too picky about things generally. (Although she's getting pickier, and more opinionated about what she wants to eat, and how she wants to eat it and when. Like every morning she asks for blueberries first thing! And cheese. And she doesn't like string cheese--she wants baby swiss. ) Does Brynn eat eggs? I feel really good giving Ella eggs, we get the free range organic kind. How's the job hunt going for your DH?

Mel, that's hilarious about her missing button and nursing the doggie! Sooo cute! Ella's funny thing about the tummy is that we always play with her tummy and say, "oooh, it's so chubby!" So now she will rub or point to her tummy and proudly say "chubby!" I think she thinks that's what it's called, although until recently she would also say "tummy" too.

Bex, glad you're stopping in and it's good to hear from you! Sounds like you're doing what you need to do for yourself, I'm glad, and hope things start looking up soon!

SoulJourney, hope that April is calmer for you! Yay on the bike trailer! I think I want to get things hooked up somewhat so that I can bike again--either a bike seat on back, or a bike trailer. Do you have a little helmet for him? What do you recommend?

Spiritmomma, hope you can get everything renewed without incident!

Flapjack, sorry it didn't happen this month. But 30 is really young. Heck, I didn't even meet DH until I was 31, and I was 33 when I got pregnant for the first time. You are young and you have proven fertility and you have a lot of time. (Unlike those of us who are pushing 36, ahem!)

Susannah, hope you are feeling better after your yucky morning!! Do you know why you almost passed out? glad your DP watched the little guy so you could (try to, anyway!) rest!

[*Amy*]

Thanks for all of your feedback about the soy - it really helped me solidify my thoughts on the whole issue. Yes, she is rather a picky eater, but I am definitely of the mindset that I only want to offer her foods that I feel good about letting her eat so that she doesn't get used to/stuck on something that I eventually want to remove from her diet. YKWIM? That is a great idea on how to make nuggets, Helen! Oh, and for those who asked, we're not vegetarian - especially Brynn! Nine times out of ten when we ask her what she wants to eat, the reply is: "MEAT!"

Kavita, Soul Journey, Fern, and QoC - sounds like y'all are going through so many transitions now and having a lot of stress in your lives. I hope this time passes and your normal routines can resume (or be re-created) soon!! I will be right there with you in a matter of weeks, though!

Spughy, thanks for the link to the article. I haven't read it yet but I will when my brain is a little more awake. : Speaking of awake, I can't imagine how hard it must be to get up and go to work and try to be functional after having nights like I know we do. I think that is my only saving grace, that I can get away with not being intellectual on most days!!

Originally Posted by Kavita

How's the job hunt going for your DH?

It's going really well right now. He's in San Jose today (and yesterday) interviewing with a private school, which would be cool for me because then I could get a job teaching pretty easily, maybe next year when Brynn is 2 1/2 years old. Also, we'd be driving distance to my family (yay!). Then he comes home tomorrow and we drive to Louisville for an interview Thursday. He also had an interview in St. Louis last week, which he felt good about, and then he's got one penciled in for Friday the 13th (dun-dun-DUN!!) in Atlanta! I am glad he's got that one scheduled, but my hunch is that he will accept an offer from one of the other 3 before that one even happens...which would be bitter-sweet for me because I will be THRILLED BEYOND WORDS when this whole thing is over, but I still wish that we could move to Atlanta so that I could be closer to Melia and her family. So, I guess we'll just wait and see.

I'm starting to feel some minor panic about moving too. The military is moving us (for free, yippeeeee!!), which means they come and pack everything, move it, and then unpack on the other end...but it also means there isn't a lot I can *do* to make myself feel like I'm getting us ready. And, until DH accepts an offer, we don't even know the date that we'll be moving (our lease is up here on May 15th), so it's really like we're just holding our breath for the next week or so to find out what's going to happen in the next month to 6 weeks. It's crazy!!! The owners of our house are putting it on the market too - this week - so I have felt a ton of pressure to deep clean and make it look really presentable. Thankfully we took about a zillion pictures when we moved in, before Brynn was born, so the house was spotless back then. Actually when I looked at the pictures, I was like, "Wow, our house will never been that clean again!" and I told the real estate agent she should use those instead of taking new ones of what the house looks like now. So anyway, we've had to schedule the home inspection, minor repairs, blah blah blah. That's all annoying, especially in the midst of DH being gone so much. The house is a wreck!

Overall, though, I am excited about everything. It's just so surreal to think about how different our life is going to be by this time next month! I can't wait to find out where we are moving so I can start looking into apartments and/or rental houses (we're going to rent for a year, most likely), figure out the neighborhoods where we'd want to live, and get in touch with the other MDC mamas in that area. Which, can I just say - MDC has been such a great resource during this whole relocation phase! I have been able to reach out in all of the different areas that we're considering and I feel like I've already got a network! Kavita, have you been in touch with the Louisville moms yet?

God, I'm just rambling away here, aren't I?

[*Amy*]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Amy, did you have problems with PMS before you had Brynn? What I'm finding, and have done since I was pregnant with Skye is that I have extreme mood swings when I'm not getting enough omega 3's in my diet- and epo is my preferred method of getting those into me because of the whole skin thing. Because Brynn's still dependent upon you to provide the essential fatty acids she needs to help her brain grow, as well as you needing those efa's to help your brain grow and keep you sane and on top of things, I'd try it. I like the idea of calcium and magnesium, but I don't know if popping pills would be the right way for me to go at this time of my life. How about a nice cup of raspberry leaf tea instead?

No, I didn't really have bad PMS before Brynnie. I do take a supplement, usually it ends up being every other day or so. I think it's EPO but I'd have to look at the bottle. Do you really think RLT would make a difference? I still have some left over from pregnancy (I used to drink it daily) but I don't really crave tea anymore so I haven't even thought about it.

[SoulJourney]

Kavita: I definitely have a helmet for Noah! I used to sell bikes & equipment for REI and another small locally owned shop. I was also an (pre-Noah) avid cyclist and beginner racer. Therefore, I have always been a stickler about helmets. Noah has a Trek helmet, which was around $30. The cheaper ones aren't as good and definitely do not have the adjustability, which means they don't fit as well, which means they are essentially useless. If you are going to spend time cycling for longer periods of time as opposed to just tooling around town, I would definitely invest in a trailer. The seats are fine for short distances/commuting around town but the trailers are infinitely safer and more comfortable. I am fortunate that the woman I nanny for purchased a two seater trailer for her son and mine, and she has a REALLY nice road bike that I can use. I talked her into a Chariot trailer, which is AWESOME. We have the Classic and it also doubles as a jogging stroller. Noah enjoys being in the trailer with some snacks, water and a book! He falls asleep in it easily, too! Hope that helps!

On the PMS note, I definitely am more *ahem* bitchy now that I've had Noah. It's probably just as much stress and such as it is hormones but DAMN. Does EPO really work? I think my sister should use it, too! The biggest thing that works for PMS and stress in general for me is exercise. It's seriously my drug. At the end of winter I actually took the online quiz for PPD and I fell into the range of needing to seek therapy! : I have NEVER in my life felt like I was even close to depressed until this past winter. Thankfully, the weather cleared up just in time and I am now exercising five days a week on average and I feel so close to my old self it's silly!

[spughy]

SoulJourney, I am envious of your exercise. I have to plan and be super-efficient with my time in the morning to even get a 20-minute workout in at lunch. I miss exercise. I miss it so much. I miss having a healthy body. And on the amount of sleep I got last night, I can't even contemplate exercise. I'd dissolve.

Mamas, I need help. Yesterday Rowan was, as usual, at my IL's all day. DH totally believes me that exercise is the key to getting her to sleep better, but he's unwilling to ask his mom to change anything she does. She takes Rowan for a long walk in the afternoons IN THE GODDAMN STROLLER. She likes it. Rowan tolerates it.

I didn't get much sleep last night. Rowan was up every hour or two after 1 am.

I am on the verge of crying at my desk. I am SO tired. I feel sick to my stomach. I just wrote DH an e-mail threatening to put Rowan in daycare if he & his parents can't get it together to get her outside running around for 2-3 hours a day. He'll probably be all pissed off about that. I don't care. I can't handle it anymore.

Should I go through with it? If they won't take her outside to play for as much as she needs in order to sleep, should I really put her in daycare? I'd have to take a few vacation days to get her used to it but it might be worth it. Opinions?

[spiritmomma]

Spughy: Maybe you could (or DH) present them with ideas that wouldn't take too much energy on their part, but could give Rowan the exercise she needs... Is there a toddler friendly park near their home? Can Rowan walk instead of being in the stroller? Do you have a Children's Museum (if so, it is worth whatever the cost in membership fees...TRUST ME.) Maybe they just don't know what kind of exercise she needs or WHY she needs it.
Personally, I think any place she can run around without having to be told "no" a zillion times would work. Is their yard a safe place for her to do that?
Short of that, tell them her doctor says she needs more exercise. That ought to do the trick!

[*Amy*]

Hmmm, well, would she be getting more exercise at a daycare, do you think? I agree with Jaymi that you should help them come up with alternatives and TOTALLY play the doctor card if that'll help!

I just bought some running shoes last week and have been exercising every day, which does feel good. It's hard to get going, that's for sure, but I have lost a couple of pounds...so I'm staying motivated. I miss fitting into my cute clothes and feeling good about my body, but most of all, I miss feeling fit!!

Brynn is currently running around the table (we're outside on the screened porch) giggling and chanting, "Nipples, Booby!" Where's the camcorder when you need it!?? A few minutes ago she was opening her mouth and saying "Aaahhhhh" (which we've practiced so that I can see her molars) and I asked her, "What's in there?" and she said, "Monkeys!"

I took some beautiful pics today. Want to see?

[MelW]

Spughy~ I agree with Jaymi, too. Before making major changes (since the change to a new daycare would likely involve some disrupted sleep initially, too), I would see if you can work with your MIL. What if you paid for classes- gymboree-type stuff that she could take Rowan to where Rowan could get extra exercise without too much running around and extra work for your MIL?

Amy~ Your photos are beautiful! I love the comparison to last year- she's so much bigger.

Kavita~ Good luck with your teeth, your move and all of the rest!

We're the proud owners of a chariot bike trailer/jogger stroller, too. We checked out the Burley trailers, that are made locally, but preferred the Chariot. It was a Christmas gift from all of the grandparents. We've been running a couple of mornings a week, and I tow Neela to daycare in the afternoon and drop of the trailer for DH who picks her up and tows her home. I'm amazed that my former stroller-hating kid loves it, but it's so roomy that she can easily eat and read/play with small toys it in. And it feels great to exercise as a family! She has a good helmet (I think it's a Bell). Which she sometimes wears to do crazy daring things on the playground, too.

[Awaken]

Nak. Subbing. Things are such a mess here, I am really down. : : : toddler fussing.

Originally Posted by Bex80

Just thought I'd say that I'm still alive. I'm really busy with the therapy/dealing with crap stuff. I can hardly take care of regular life but I think of you guys all the time. I started Zoloft last week and am looking forward to feeling better so I can start getting things accomplished again. And work towards healing.

So, I'll be reading. I'm always reading.

Bex- 2

Originally Posted by MamaFern

. both my kids are now very picky eaters.. it makes me want to bash my head sometimes.

ug, same here. i go crazy cooking healthy stuff and driving around to get the healthiest ingredients and me and the dogs are the only ones who will eat it.

Helen - - thinking of you

Sarah spughy- so sorry things are rough. if it's any help you have lots of us here in the same situation.

[MamaFern]

Originally Posted by itsybitsy25

Nak. Subbing. Things are such a mess here, I am really down. : : : toddler fussing.

ug, same here. i go crazy cooking healthy stuff and driving around to get the healthiest ingredients and me and the dogs are the only ones who will eat it.

oh momma.. im so sorry things are tough right now.

i know your older boy is really tiny like elwynn.. do you find yourself worrying about your baby too?
ngaio was big when she was born but she is only about 23 Lbs now.. i cant help worry about her growing slowly like elwynn. i actually made him a drs appt after trying to be okay with him Still being 20 something LBS at 4 years of age and having most 2 and 3 year old tower over him. im always sick with worry that something else is wrong i just want to know i guess, but on the otherhand, i dont want him to be poked and prodded, which is why ive avoided it so long.
and ngaio..all she wants is boobie and i just dont feel like i have enough, or that my milk is nutritious enough..shes just not gaining quickly at all. *sigh* she nibbles food or chews it and spits it out. she wants Juice and raw carrots all the time, which i hesitate at and refuse to give her (carrots that is)
i try everything and its making me so sad.. not to mention the fact that im makingall of this food that i dont want to waste so i end up eating it and im getting fat . Ug.

[spughy]

Fern, itsybitsy, bex80 - . I should be grateful that the only issues we've got are sleep issues. Rowan is a cheerful, happy little soul who eats well. But, Fern - Rowan's only 23 lbs too. She was pretty big when she was born as well - not as big as Ngaio, but nearly 9 lbs - the second biggest girl in our DDC, IIRC. I don't know if it would work for you, but there are these fresh mozzarella or bocconcini "pearls" that you can buy in the deli section of most groceries I think - by TreStelle - they aren't salted, so the LOs can eat as many of them as they like. Rowan LOVES them. They are our stand-by, if-all-else-fails food.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about Ngaio's weight. And Elwynn looked pretty healthy to me, just small. What was Timothy's height like when he was that age?

Spiritmomma and everyone else who responded to my "they won't exercise my kid" woes - yes, the IL's yard is a safe place to play. I suggested (in my email to DH) that his father take Rowan outside and play "I'm going to get you!" with her for half an hour or so. She LOVES being chased. She giggles and runs and runs and runs. She's not so good at chasing although she will do it if the mood strikes. There is also a park very nearby with a small playground but the slide (which is the toy she loves best) is too big for her there still. Basically, there is no excuse for her not getting exercise except they just don't do it and MIL looooves the stroller. And yes, it can be tedious walking with her. She is slow, she doesn't just follow automatically, and she generally needs to be convinced that she wants to go the same way that you want to go. She's not keen on holding hands, either - but she is very good about staying on the sidewalk. Although there are no sidewalks around the IL's neighbourhood, now that I think of it. Odd. Lots of walking paths, but no sidewalks. Anyway, they would have to put considerable effort into her outside jaunts. DH IM'd me a little while ago and we chatted about it a bit. He thinks that her not sleeping when she doesn't get enough exercise is a symptom of the problem not the cause. Sure, but if you CAN treat symptoms, you should, right??? :

[barcelona]

Oh my, there is so much to catch up! And I'm sorry I've been pretty MIA. Between rehearsals, my two mornings at work, and keeping up with Finley, it's been tough to find free typing time. I have been reading, reading along, though. Big Hugs to all of you mamas going through a rough time...

Unfortunately, I only have a few moments before I need to go get dinner ready and do our nightly thing.

But I did want to let y'all know that I will be on Law and Order: Criminal Intent tonight, if you happen to be near the telly! (Helen, I realize you won't be able to see it, but I'll post it on my website next week and anyone who misses it can watch it if you want). It starts at 9pm Eastern time, on NBC, and I'm toward the end of the episode. I'm both excited and nervous, and just hope I'm not mortified.

Sorry to come by with just "me" news, but will be on in the coming days to catch up more with everyone!

Love to everyone. Thinking of you all the time.

[spughy]

Barcelona! Which character do you play? How will we know it's you???

I'm totally going to be watching

[MamaFern]

me too! i never watch this show, but i will tonight.. how exciting!

fern

Originally Posted by spughy

Barcelona! Which character do you play? How will we know it's you???

I'm totally going to be watching

[SoulJourney]

to all you mamas...I know what it's like to have a rough go of things.

Spughy...The only reason I am fortunate enough to exercise at least five days a week is because I nanny. There are trails EVERYWHERE nearby so I can easily walk or ride the boys into town to play at the park, then head back while they nap. We make full days of it so that we all get our exercise. I couldn't imagine not having that as an option. I know me, I would seriously be psychotic. : I'm sorry it's so hard for you to fit in "you" time. You need that exercise just as much as Rowan does! I second (or third or fourth!) the idea for a Children's Museum pass or Gymboree classes or something for Rowan. Something that would be "easy" on MIL. It sucks when other people don't put forth the same effort as you do with your child, doesn't it? I would be afraid that daycare would create a whole new set of problems for you guys, though. I really hope that you guys can come up with some sort of solution that works for everyone!

Fern...Noah's growth has TREMENDOUSLY slowed in the last few months. I actually think that, after his stomach illness last month, he has lost quite a bit of weight. I wouldn't worry too much about Ngiao, 23 pounds is not tiny by any means! My nephew never even hit 20 pounds until 16 months. I'm sure Elwynn is just fine, too!

MelW...Which Chariot do you have? We use the Classic. I'll have to say, though...when the day comes that I'm no longer caring for D and I have to get my own trailer...the Cougar is THE. WAY. TO. GO. I absolutely DROOL over that thing. Noah enjoys wearing his "hat" (helmet) as a fashion statement but I have a hard time keeping it on him in the trailer. Any tips? :

Barcelona...I will try to check out L&O. If I can figure out my sister's TV, that is! I'm so clueless with TVs.