Nov. '05 Mamas, Marching into Spring!

[*Amy*]

Happy March, everyone.

Welcome to the world, baby Leah!! Congratulations, Alicia! Have a wonderful babymoon.

Here's the old thread.

[HoneyTree]

Congratulations, kaspirant, and welcome, Leah .

Yesterday I did a knit-a-thon! I spent 7 hours and 45 minutes crocheting squares for afghans for hospice patients. I made 13--enough for a good-sized lap blanket. My darling husband was there minding the boy for a good part of that time, though he was in and out running errands, too. But there were lots of little kids, and people from all walks of life. There was even this very old man with a long gray beard who saw a flyer for the event in a hardware store in a tiny little country town just outside of my city. He knit a scarf . But there was a lot of sneezing there, and I, dh, and Woody all came home with colds .

"the small but horrendously badly parked because all the mothers at my childs schools are selfish cows"

Helen, this made me laugh and cringe at the same time. It's so, so, so true--people are at their most oblivious to other life forms in this scenario. But your funny phrasing, I think, I will keep in mind for the days that I, too, am navigating the school parking lot with my child in one arm and my laundry basket full of teacher stuff in the other as all the selfish cows (and cocks, just to keep with the barnyard theme here) are zooming around in a ridiculous rush and making the not-even streets unsafe!

[spughy]

Happy March!

I pulled my left hip flexor yesterday doing Pilates, of all things. And just the DVD I've been using for months - I really don't know how that happened. But I'm in a large amount of pain now. DH says it's just because I'm getting old. He's such a comfort.

But in positive news, I've got a couple of my pepper and tomato plants poking through! Yay! This is the earliest ever I've got garden stuff going and I'm rather proud.

Happy babymoon again Alicia, and I wish you happy contented babyness

[MelW]

Congrats Alicia and welcome baby Leah!!!!

[flapjack]

Congratulations Alicia!!! What a nice way to start a month...

Spughy, gentle hip healing. Congratulations on the plants- they're undercover, right?

Honeytree, I wish I was joking about my school-gate compatriots

Right now I'm feeling really proud of myself because for the first time in a month, I have homemade cake for the kids lunchboxes tomorrow It's shocking how low my standards have become...

[spughy]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Congratulations Alicia!!! What a nice way to start a month...

Spughy, gentle hip healing. Congratulations on the plants- they're undercover, right?

Honeytree, I wish I was joking about my school-gate compatriots

Right now I'm feeling really proud of myself because for the first time in a month, I have homemade cake for the kids lunchboxes tomorrow It's shocking how low my standards have become...

Right now the plants are on my kitchen counter, in wee peat pots. I'll transplant them into containers in a few weeks and put them in my sunroom for a bit, then they'll move into bigger containers and move to new homes. I'm "ranching" the tomatoes and peppers this year - they'll go to wherever I can find hot spots and people willing to water them. I don't have enough protected space for 30+ peppers and 40+ tomato plants. Ambitious, much?

And, er, making cakes with a newborn??? All hail the goddess Helen!!!

[Queen of Cups]

Congrats, kaspirant!

We took the most amazing hike today... my parents came along with us and we had a wonderful time. My uncle (whose wife passed last week) came and spent the weekend with my parents and so I went over to their house after the kids were in bed last night and we all sat around and talked and it was so nice - I think my uncle is actually doing very well with everything. Today they all came over for lunch after church and we had such a nice time!

After my uber-stressful week last week I'm so happy to have had a nice, relaxing weekend to get back to be a relaxed, happy, cheerful mommy. (I'm sure my kids are glad, too!)

[barcelona]

hey mamas.

just popping on with an update and prayer request from kaspirant:
leah hasn't pooped yet, which is the only thing keeping them from going home. and, they said if she hasn't pooped by tomorrow, they're gonna put her in the NICU. so, send your prayers or good vibes and thoughts or whatever leah's way, so she can get home asap and avoid the NICU!

her dh and ds are home, awaiting the girls' arrivals back home.

Q of C, i'm so glad your uncle is coping well in these first mourning days...and a big hug to you and all your family for your loss. i'm so glad you are feeling more peaceful and happy.

we had a lovely day...i worked at the yoga center this morning for "energy exchange", and then we spent the afternoon with some friends, helping them with their garden, which we're going to share with them...a sort of community garden. i'm so excited! it's my first time gardening EVER! finley loved it, and played in the dirt, and ran around outside. we ate dinner there, and then he fell asleep on the way home. i'm looking ahead to a good week, as DH and i forge forward into the unknown life of "creative people"

[DreamsInDigital]

I'll sending poop vibes to baby Leah if you mamas will send some poop vibes to my poor sweet baby girl. She's been terribly constipated and waking up screaming from the pain. I am so sad for her, it's just awful. It took her two days of pushing and screaming before she was able to poop this last time and it was like a cat turd, totally solid and she has a little fissure on her poor bum now. I don't know what to do, she barely eats any solid food so I can only assume there must be some kind of change going on with my milk that is causing this. My poor little babe.

[flapjack]

DiD, I noticed that my milk dried up a lot earlier with my pregnancy with River than it did with Isaac or Rowan- with Rowan I was still producing milk at 24 weeks, with Isaac it was all gone at 17 and with Skye I didn't make it out of the first trimester. I'd consider the possibility that you may need to supplement with liquids at least.
Alicia, sending many many poopy nappy vibes your way.

Mentioning nappies, Skye has totally regressed over the last month and is back in nappies- she had an extreme reaction to the antibiotics and has been diarrhoeay for much of this time, and I don't see this stopping any time soon. If any of you have kids still in nappies (pocket dipes, specifically) can you give me recommendations for a chunky toddler? I'm looking at either XL FBs or bumgenius or wonderoos.

I got given a sourdough starter today Yay me. I bought some kefir grains too, which should be here tomorrow.

[spughy]

Helen, kefir grains are wonderful. We've had kefir smoothies for breakfast every morning since I got mine over a year ago. MMmmmmmm. And good luck with the sourdough starter - that's one aspect of culinariness that has somehow eluded me, my sourdough bread always sucks and I've given up.

DiD - I know it's an extra expense you guys probably don't need, but probiotics will likely help Suriya deal with a sudden increase in solid food (if needed), and probably extra water will help too.

Kaspirant - here's some poopy vibes for you!!! Er...

Barcelona - yay gardening! What kid DOESN'T love dirt, really?

My hip is better this morning, so I guess it is just a muscle pull, thank goodness!

[MelW]

I'm thinking poop for Leah and Suriya

Does anyone have a totally amazing (and dairy-free) homemade cracker recipe they want to share with me? I have one that's a really basic cracked-wheat cracker, and today we're trying a vegan goldfish cracker. But I'm experimenting, so happy to try anyone else's terrific recipe

[Queen of Cups]

I'd love to see a good cracker recipe! It is nearly impossible to find crackers without HFCS, and Killian loves to have crackers and cheese for snack.

The weather is soooooo beautiful today - sunny and close to 70 degrees. Ellie and I just had an early lunch and now I think we're going to go for a very long walk (her in the stroller so I can get a good workout), and then after picking Killian up we're going to the library. And for dinner I'm making sherried tomato soup and quesedillas. Can you think of a better way to spend a day?

[3for3hb]

I have a whole sprouted grain recipe that I haven't tried yet (was planning to with the sprouts dh just sprouted). I'll post it AFTER I've tried it.

Congrats Alicia & Leah!!!

OMG... that means I'm next! :

DiD, here's my infamous poop ball recipe:
1oz ground flax seeds (ground to a powder)
1oz powdered licorice root
1oz powdered slippery elm (bark I think)
1 pint of dried fruit (prunes, apricots, anything really)
-pulse in food processor until fruit is finely chopped into the powder.
-then, depending on the fruit you used, you may need to add blackstrap molasses or honey to help the mixture stick together (without being too sticky)
-roll into small balls (think m&m covered peanuts) and roll the balls in carob or cocoa powder.

My kids love them. Just be sure that she drinks a lot of water/fluids to get the stuff dissolved in her gut.

Aloe leaf split open, should soothe and heal her fissure. You can even insert it a bit if the fissure is up inside.


As for me, I just seem to be a magnet for drama and disaster. I learned this morning what it is like to have an exercise ball explode beneath your weight. Sorry, it kinda hurts to type so that's why I'm linking it. I still think I broke something in my left elbow but I'm waiting it out. What craziness is next????

[flapjack]

Mel, are you OK with lard? If so we do oatcakes- 1oz melted lard, half a pound of oatmeal and pour in boiling water to make a thick dough. I normally add salt and herbs too.

[Phoenix_Rising]

Congrats, Alicia on Leah's arrival! Now just poop, Leah

Originally Posted by spughy

And, er, making cakes with a newborn??? All hail the goddess Helen!!!

No kidding. I am in awe.

Originally Posted by flapjack

Mentioning nappies, Skye has totally regressed over the last month and is back in nappies- she had an extreme reaction to the antibiotics and has been diarrhoeay for much of this time, and I don't see this stopping any time soon. If any of you have kids still in nappies (pocket dipes, specifically) can you give me recommendations for a chunky toddler? I'm looking at either XL FBs or bumgenius or wonderoos.

We love FB but if you got the bG then you could use them for both of the littles I love the bG but they confused Allison when Keagan was smaller and she had to use the snaps

[barcelona]

alicia needs help

Alicia/kaspirant is having a hard time in the hospital.
I'm not 100% clear, as we're communicating via text, which is limited.
But, I know they are giving her a hard time for tandem-nursing,
and they are evaluating Leah again to see if she needs to be admitted into NICU in 8 hours, based on if she has a BM or not.

Anyway, she wanted me to share her number with y'all, so that if any of you might have any wisdom or help for her...I think she feels stuck and bombarded with hospital/medical talk/crap...

Here's her number: 909.915.5266. Thanks so much! She appreciates it!


I'm off to the park with Finley for a bit to meet some other mamas and babes.

[barcelona]

good news!

Another Alicia/kaspirant update:

Leah had her first BM! So I think they are in the clear, and will be heading home soon. I'll keep you posted

[flapjack]

Whew.

[*Amy*]

Oh, I am so glad to hear she is fine and they are homeward bound! Thanks, barcelona, for relaying the messages.

So who is our next impending Mama - Monique? I hope I'm not forgetting anyone.

Not much new around these parts. I've been sick the past few days with Mystery Illness. I guess it was a cold or something, but all I had was a headache and horrifically swollen glands or tonsils. It was really painful. No fever though, or sneezing, or anything. I'm still swollen today but feeling a lot better.

Brynn turned 27 months yesteray (which was also my conception date back in 2005 - awww! ) and I took the most beautiful pictures of her this morning. They're on the blog if y'all want to check them out.

Oh, I did have a random question, most likely for Helen. I re-use empty glass jars (salsa, jam, etc.) for food storage, but I can't get the smell out of the jars even after they've been washed. Would white vinegar do the trick, or would it just make the jars smell like vinegar?