Weekly Chit Chat Thread 4/27-5/4

[TaraRae82]

Time yet again for a new thread!

Have a wonderful week ladies and happy baby-growing!

[TaraRae82]

I guess I'll post first.

I have colostrum!!!! I'm so excited but I feel rediculous for being so excited about having liquid leaking from my bewbies! I really didn't expect it this early. It doesn't leak on it's own quite yet but if I give a very gentle push I get several drops of it. Hooray for working bewbies!

We bought baby bedding this weekend too! We're trying to pick paint colors for the nursery now. I imagine we'll start painting in the next couple of weeks. We're doing a lot of home improvement right now like new blinds, new large appliances, new lighting fixtures, etc.

I had the best dream last night about our baby. I dreamt that it was our first day home and it was just me, DH, and my Mom. I felt completely normal, physically so I know the birth had to have been very natural and peaceful. Baby had lots of hair but it wasn't dark like mine, it was lighter with a red tint. DH has a lot of red in his hair but isn't a full red head and has lots of red in his family. He was so little, much smaller than I actually think he'll be. Also, it was a boy, just like my gut feeling. I was calling him Alexander and nursing him and he was actually getting milk. I felt so proud in my dream.

[Astrid1024]

Originally Posted by TaraRae82

I had the best dream last night about our baby. I dreamt that it was our first day home and it was just me, DH, and my Mom. I felt completely normal, physically so I know the birth had to have been very natural and peaceful. Baby had lots of hair but it wasn't dark like mine, it was lighter with a red tint. DH has a lot of red in his hair but isn't a full red head and has lots of red in his family. He was so little, much smaller than I actually think he'll be. Also, it was a boy, just like my gut feeling. I was calling him Alexander and nursing him and he was actually getting milk. I felt so proud in my dream.

Hi EDD Buddy!
That is a beautiful dream. That's a sign of very good things!

[Changed]

What a sweet dream! I doubt I have any colostrum yet but DS just quit nursing a few weeks ago.

[TaraRae82]

^I need help visualizing your u/s pic. Normally I'm really good at knowing what I'm seeing but I'm lost!

[Baby_Cakes]

Originally Posted by TaraRae82

I have colostrum!!!! I'm so excited but I feel rediculous for being so excited about having liquid leaking from my bewbies! I really didn't expect it this early. It doesn't leak on it's own quite yet but if I give a very gentle push I get several drops of it. Hooray for working bewbies!

We bought baby bedding this weekend too! We're trying to pick paint colors for the nursery now. I imagine we'll start painting in the next couple of weeks. We're doing a lot of home improvement right now like new blinds, new large appliances, new lighting fixtures, etc.

I'm jealous! I keep checking my boobs for leakage and I've got nothing yet! That's awesome!

Hooray for bedding! What kind did you pick out? I am in love with the classic Winnie the Pooh stuff, but I have a feeling I love it b/c it's gender neutral. Once we find out the gender, I wonder if I'll lean one way or another. I mean, I'm not going to pick out butterflies or trucks, but I might "lean" towards one or the other, ykwim?

Also, I'm a jerk and I updated last weeks weekly thread! I'm so oblivious sometimes! Go read it!

[TaraRae82]

Haha Babycakes! I read the other one already! I almost C&P'd it into this thread so no one would miss it!

That's so funny you mention Classic Pooh....that's exactly what we got! We're doing Disney in the nursery because my Mom is an artist and did a few paintings when I was a baby for my room that she kept for me and they're hanging up already. We had a Classic Pooh one from Target picked out and a modern Pooh from Nebraska Furniture Mart picked out that we were deciding between. The deciding factor ended up being cost. The modern Pooh set was $179!!! I just couldn't justify that much even though it was the cutest bedding I'd ever seen. The one we got was only $69. My Mom is going to do another painting or 2 for me to add to this room so I need to decide which characters I want, gender neutral. I'm thinking Nemo, Monsters Inc, Fox and the Hound, Jungle Book, Peter Pan. I'm not sure! My Mom wants to do a mural but I want something that we won't have to eventually paint over! I want something to keep!

My Mom's portrait website

There are several portraits of me on there including when I was little....can you find them?

[Changed]

Ok- On the left side is his back and bottom. On the right is just feet. THe little pointy white thing in the middle is his little boy parts... I think. Don't we have an ultrasound tech around here? I was easier to know what I was seeing while she was pointing at it and telling me.

[Fly Girl]

Originally Posted by TaraRae82

I guess I'll post first.

We bought baby bedding this weekend too! We're trying to pick paint colors for the nursery now. I imagine we'll start painting in the next couple of weeks. We're doing a lot of home improvement right now like new blinds, new large appliances, new lighting fixtures, etc.

I had the best dream last night about our baby. I dreamt that it was our first day home and it was just me, DH, and my Mom. I felt completely normal, physically so I know the birth had to have been very natural and peaceful. Baby had lots of hair but it wasn't dark like mine, it was lighter with a red tint. DH has a lot of red in his hair but isn't a full red head and has lots of red in his family. He was so little, much smaller than I actually think he'll be. Also, it was a boy, just like my gut feeling. I was calling him Alexander and nursing him and he was actually getting milk. I felt so proud in my dream.

You should post a pic of your baby bedding! I love seeing what other people are picking since I have absolutely no idea what I want yet. Great baby dream, too. I haven't had any baby dreams since I got pregnant. I had tons of baby dreams before I was preggo but none since then. Isn't that weird?

Well, I'm over in Norway right now where it is still cold and rainy. DH and I come here twice a week for work but this trip we are staying a little longer than usual and spending some time having fun and visiting family. So I won't be back home until May 19th. Yeah, very long trip. We work in a hospital in Bergen and the maternity ward is the building right across from me. I am so tempted to go over there and see the babies and ask questions about their labor and birth practices. I'm sure they are very different from ours. I wonder what they think about homebirth?

[Changed]

I feel weird having nothing to buy now. We cosleep exclusively so a nursery is a total waste. DS never ever slept in his beautiful pottery barn knock off. I cleared out the armoire in our bedroom and put a nickel spring rod for clothes hanging and put some chocolate colored canvas baskets in for clothes. I got the carseat and diaper bag a few months ago and my sister is coming to visit this week and bringing boy clothes, a moses basket and all the little things like socks, blankets, hemp nursing pads... I'm totally set. Now, we wait.

[TaraRae82]

^Haha!! And I have EVERYTHING to buy! Thank goodness DH and I both have Mom's who love to shop and are thrilled about their first grandbaby! We'll be using a cradle in our room while the baby is still very young but when baby outgrows that we'll transfer to the nursery which is next door. I'm so excited because the cradle is coming from my MIL and it was the one DH slept in. I'm not swearing off co-sleeping but it's not the plan. We'll see!

[TaraRae82]

Originally Posted by Fly Girl

You should post a pic of your baby bedding! I love seeing what other people are picking since I have absolutely no idea what I want yet. Great baby dream, too. I haven't had any baby dreams since I got pregnant. I had tons of baby dreams before I was preggo but none since then. Isn't that weird?

Ask and you shall receive!!

packaging picture

actual comforter

bumper pad

wall size painting

large painting

[mkmb129]

I have the cradle I slept in as a baby, ds slept in it maybe.. 3 times. My mom made adorable bedding for it, she made his crib bedding, and don't ya know he didn't sleep in it more then maybe 10 times (including a few naps, lol) until he was over a year?? I didn't plan to co-sleep with him, but he had other plans. I will go with this baby's cues as well, so only time will tell. I'll have the cradle set up in my room for times when I need a break if s/he decides to co-sleep.

[Fly Girl]

Tara - the Pooh stuff is so cute! I haven't seen that one before. And the paintings your mom did are really great! She's very talented.

[Changed]

It's good that you're open to co-sleeping even if it's not the plan.

When I had my first, the Dr. and everyone else told me I'd kill her if I slept with her. I was SO tired. I slept with my neck hanging over in the bassinet for a week. It felt SO WRONG to have her even that far away from me. I got really bad PPD and felt very disconnected from her and failed at breast feeding.

Knowing what I know now, I look back on that and it makes me feel ill. I hear new moms talking about how the first 6 months are hell no matter what you do. I laugh but then feel really sad for them. It doesn't have to be that way. The first 6 months with DS were pure magic. No crying (either of us!). Just snuggling in bed nursing. Of course, the first few days were kinda hard because he was early and too sleepy to nurse but in comparison, it was a bowl of cherries. Our relationship is completely different for it and I have not a single regret. A completely different experience and all I really did differently was listen to him and give him what he needed.

I can't wait to meet this little one and snuggle up in bed with him. Cosleeping is my favorite part of mothering.

[sonshine_rae]

Hi girls,

Congrat's Jörð on having another boy ! I'm having my third boy lol.. boys are fun!

On co-sleeping.. I'm kind of a hybrid lol.. my intention is always for my kids to sleep separately but in the newborn months.. I always end up co-sleeping off and on in order to get any rest. So eventually we do sleep separately but all rules are tossed out the window in the newborn period . I just do not sleep well with a kid in my bed, I'm afraid to move in my sleep so I wake up stiff and sore because I didn't twitch all night lol!

Anybody else starting to change things for the older kids in preparation for the new baby yet?? We just moved a crib into my 3 yr old's room, so that my 19 month old can move in there soon. Then the new baby will get his own room (when he sleeps in it). I just don't want the new baby to wake everyone if we can help it.. hence giving him his own room for a while.

We had to buy a 2nd crib again to make this work though, my first two kids were only 21 months apart and ds1 was no where near moving out of his crib (he stayed in it till he was almost 3 yrs old)! So we had a second crib until Feb of this year.. DS1 had moved to a toddler bed last fall, so we got rid of one of the cribs. And then like a week later found out we were expecting another baby hahaha!

So I bought (used) a convertible crib that will become a toddler bed, to put in the boys shared room. So that ds2 can be in a crib as long as he needs, and ds3 will have a crib and bedroom to himself as well.

NOW we are in the process of researching a new carseat for ds1 who is about to outgrow his convertible carseat. I think we are going to get one that goes from 20lbs up to 80-100lbs at least so it will hopefully be the last one we need for him. Thankfully though we have two convertible carseats (because of the first two being close in age) and they go from 5lbs-40lbs.. so I won't have to buy a new one for ds3 at least!

I don't like the bucket (infant) carseats, we had a old one for my first ds and it was horrible I hated it. Once he moved to a convertible carseat I wished we'd never had the bucket. So when my 2nd ds came along we just bought another convertible (Evenflo Triumpth deluxe was our fav for newborn to toddler), and it worked great.

But then I carry my babies around in a sling or pouch for most of the first year, so I don't need a 'carrier carseat' or bucket seat.

Sorry for rambling...... so does anyone else sling or pouch carry their babies (or plan to if it's your first) ??

[Fly Girl]

I am definitely planning on wearing my first baby. There are so many cute and cool slings out there and I'm so confused on which type I should get so I'll probably get a bunch of them to figure out what baby and I like best. Any recommendations?

[Changed]

Thanks

I bought the britax companion bucket style seat. My babies are short and would never fit in a convertible. We used to have a triumph and like it a lot though! Right now we only have the babys bucket and ds is in a recaro young sport.

I'll be leaving it in the car as long as it's not too cold. I'd hate to put a baby in a cold seat! But yes, I sling my babies pretty much all the time. I make my own pouches but I adore kangaroo korner ring slings. I use an ergo when they get older. I had DS in it the other day and he's 3.5, still comfy.

[birthdancedoula]

Originally Posted by Jörð

I can't wait to meet this little one and snuggle up in bed with him. Cosleeping is my favorite part of mothering.

I feel the *exact* same way. I seriously cannot wait to change the sheets on my bed after the birth and snuggle up with my girl and drift off to sleep drinking in her sweet newborn-ness! Is it October yet??

Tara, your mama is one very talented lady! And you two look a lot alike, too. How awesome you're gonna decorate the babe's room with pictures she hung in your room. I think that is so great!

AAM: I just got back from a mommy spa day at my bff's house. Her mil is a hairstylist and does an amazing job. I got a bunch cut off and I feel so much lighter! No pics yet though. I'll have to have dh take my 16 week belly shot with hair this time.

We went strawberry picking yesterday afternoon to this organic farm and had a blast. We picked 48 bucks worth of berries between dh, my mil, the 4 kidlets and me! We've alredy eaten a bunch and I'm planning on making jam but help...what else can I do with them? Good thing I'm craving strawberries lately! We took some super cute pictures while we were there...I'll have to update my sig with some.

[mkmb129]

Originally Posted by Jörð

It's good that you're open to co-sleeping even if it's not the plan.

When I had my first, the Dr. and everyone else told me I'd kill her if I slept with her. I was SO tired. I slept with my neck hanging over in the bassinet for a week. It felt SO WRONG to have her even that far away from me. I got really bad PPD and felt very disconnected from her and failed at breast feeding.

Knowing what I know now, I look back on that and it makes me feel ill. I hear new moms talking about how the first 6 months are hell no matter what you do. I laugh but then feel really sad for them. It doesn't have to be that way. The first 6 months with DS were pure magic. No crying (either of us!). Just snuggling in bed nursing. Of course, the first few days were kinda hard because he was early and too sleepy to nurse but in comparison, it was a bowl of cherries. Our relationship is completely different for it and I have not a single regret. A completely different experience and all I really did differently was listen to him and give him what he needed.

I can't wait to meet this little one and snuggle up in bed with him. Cosleeping is my favorite part of mothering.

I learned a lot on the message board I was on before Colin was born, so I knew that co-sleeping wouldn't harm him, but also didn't reall WANT to, but wasn't opposed to it if he wanted to, and he sure did. It made life so much easier. But not all babies from what I hear want to co sleep, so if this one is okay sleeping alone, I won't push it since I do like being able to move at night. Sleep while co-sleeping is different then that when not, I sleep so much lighter and it's not as good of a rest, for me anyway. But of course does the trick. I had ppd with Colin, I think it was because of our difficulties nursing, my husband left to go out to sea when ds was 11 days old, and I was just a mess! I didn't actually "like" him until he was 3-4 weeks old, I remember one day I just woke up and was so in love with him and couldn't get over how much I love him. I think the co-sleeping helped with the bonding, because we for sure didn't bond instantly, and co-sleeping (he slept through the night around a 6 days old until he was a few months most nights if he was with me/in the swing on nights I needed to not be touched gave me the chance to snuggle with him and be with him without him crying and wanting to nurse (which hurt ridiculously) and was a nice, quiet time. Anyway, co-sleeping for us was wonderful. He stopped sleeping through the night around 3 months and was up every 1-2hrs, as he got older, he was switch sides (comfort nurser, had to nurse to sleep) every 30mins and he was mean and cranky, I was mean and cranky. Around 13mos I put him into his crib, and much to my surprise, he slept! On his own, all night long! He was nicer in the morning, but I still woke every couple of hours : My biggest fear was I'd have him in my bed until he was 2-3 (what everyone told me when I told them we co-slept.. that or that I was going to kill him, dh yelled at him the first time he woke up before me and saw him in bed with us), but he transitioned well.