November DDC Kitchen Table - Page 90

[BundleFishMama]

Hey mamas! Well, I got on the computer to write our annual Christmas letter so I can get it stuffed into the cards and mailed in the next day or two, but instead I ended up here, catching up on like 10 pages of posts I'd missed since Isabelle was born on Thanksgiving Day - oh well, I'll get to the Christmas letter eventually, there are 12 days of Christmas after all!

So now let's see how much I can remember to respond to....

Jen, all I can say is WOW!! Of course a special-needs baby is such a blessing as is every baby, but still it must be hard to not be expecting those challenges (or at least it would be for me, since I like to read, research, prepare for things in advance....) and you seem to be doing so well with everything. He is totally adorable! And he's lucky to have you for his mama! Sorry about the supply issues - I'm yet another oversupply mama who would be happy to pump for you if there were any reasonable way to get milk from the East Coast to the midwest!

Teff, sorry about your fall, ouch!! Just what you needed with already having that pelvic pain

Heat rash vs. newborn acne - also remember that infant acne (and cradle cap, incidentally) can both be signs of an intolerance to something in mom's diet, often dairy or wheat. It can be just normal newborn acne, but if it gets very bad, persists past a few weeks, spreads from the face down to the trunk, or the baby has other allergy symptoms, that might be something to look into.

As for carseats and diaper bags...

We got a Chicco Keyfit 30 (one of the new ones that goes up to 30 lbs./30 inches, since we tend to have big babies). I'm VERY happy with it. It installs really easily since it only has one LATCH strap to pull that tightens both sides at once. It's pretty narrow (we have 4 carseats/boosters to fit in!) And it seems more comfy than a lot of the infant carseats. I have a rule though, the carseat never leaves the car - we spend a lot of time in the car, so whenever we're not in the car, I wear DD. I don't ever carry the "bucket" around - I don't want her to have to spend any longer in it than absolutely necessary! But I'm really liking this seat, way more than the ones I had for the other DCs.

Diaper bags - well, I admit I'm a diaper bag addict (used to be a handbag addict before kids, LOL!) I actually belong to some other message boards just for discussing/buying/selling/trading diaper bags - kind of like TBW but for bags. (Yes, I'm addicted to baby carriers too, but that's another story!) Right now my favorites are the Petunia Pickle Bottom shoulder bag (it's big enough for 2 in dipes and sooo pretty!) which I have a few of, and also Ju-Ju-Be bags, which I have several off in different sizes/patterns (they are REALLY well designed, and washable!) These may seem pricey depending on what you're used to paying for bags, but keep in mind you can get them gently-used for considerably less than retail!

Sorry to those dealing with sicknesses, thrush (I'm with you on that one unfortunately!), infections, and overseas paperwork nightmares!

Happy Birthday Emma! Hope it's fun! And I agree, 30 was hard but 31 is not so bad now!

Things are, well, interesting here....we are all at once overjoyed with Isabelle and loving being a family of 6 and getting ready for Christmas, and at the same time getting pretty depressed and quite stressed with DH still being unemployed since his layoff back in August, and with our house still unsold (so still living, all 6 of us, in my mother's guest room). Hoping everything will work out in 2009! Still dealing with my c-section (very unexpected after 3 vaginal deliveries) emotionally, but physically feeling great. We had Isabelle's baptism last Sunday (a week ago today) and the Mass was beautiful. We had a priest friend do a private Mass for us and our guests as we usually do for our kids, and it was lovely, I should post some pics. And the party afterward was a lot of fun - the best I could pull together at only 2 weeks postpartum and with a suddenly limited budget, but I did the best I could!

Hope everyone else is doing well and for those that are getting ready to celebrate Christmas, hope it's very Merry! :

OK, here's a link to some photos - I need to upload more, but for now - there's one of Isabelle in her baptismal gown, and a few with all the kids
http://kerriklugewicz.shutterfly.com/

[emc03]

Originally Posted by EmmaWoodhouse

You gals are great! Thanks for the birthday wishes!

And what is a clean house? (read sarcasm) I don't think my house will ever be clean again until all the dc move out. Even then I doubt it because I have never been a good housekeeker.

we joke mom and dad had 7 so they wouldn't have to do housework.

just popping in for a quick happy holidays!

dylan hates it when i'm at the computer, so i don't get on very frequently. trying to pump now while dh holds him.

teff- take it easy for christmas! easier said than done, but wow! it's soo icy out there, be careful.

happy belated b-day emma! i turned 30 in august. i didn't think it was so bad. of course, i sometimes start to say my age is 25 or something and have to stop myself. little moments of denial.

acne here too, mama and babe for a while. i actually put some of my rareminerals blemish stuff on dylan's face. :

messy house, check! which you don't want on a ground floor nyc apartment. we scrubbed the kitchen and put down diatomaceous earth to kill the bugs. teff, you might want to look into it, it works great and is non-toxic. dh blends sugar and earth to attract them to the container.

here's hoping for a smooth process for the overseas mamas!

no car, so no carseat info. the diaper bag we have is just a messenger bag with a thermal pocket for drinks or bottle if dh has him.

okay, this took 25 minutes to peck out one handed, so i'm off. hope everyone has a blessed christmas

[TefferTWH]

Beautiful pics, Kerri, and I'm sooo jealous of a private Mass. We're doing ours at our normal Sunday time with our church family. Sorry to hear that the job situation is still dismal.

Liz - that's an idea. Now that we've cleared out the toddler's numerous snack caches, they should disappear. Ugh - kids can be sooooo gross.

I had my 6 week check today and a PAP. I'm just fine down there, but I can't jostle my pelvis, so no Christmas eve fun for us (sigh). Argh, that stinks!

One of my friends is giving me her 2006 Graco to use, since I detest the Combi. I'd like a Chicco Keyfit, but I'll borrow the bucket and save $$$ towards a Britax. I wish I didn't have to carry her in the bucket, but it's too risky with over a foot of snow on the ground. If I slip, I'd rather she was in the bucket and safe than strapped to me.

[coyotemist]

So is it possible for colic to START at 2 months? He's only a month adjusted, so maybe? He's taken to yelling at night for a couple hours, he's never done it before. Frazzling all our nerves.

Every thing else is going well, he's growing like a little weed!

[OkiMom]

Merry Christmas A little late everyone! I hope everyone had a good holiday.

Well, I did have a semi clean living room and kitchen but DD brought all her toys out of her playroom and put them in the living room so its not so clean anymore. Today we are cleaning, doing laundry and organizing what DD got for Christmas.

DD2 finally paid DD1 back for waking her up all the time. DH was holding DD2 without a diaper and DD1 was standing next to them. If you can't guess DD2 pooped all over DD1. It was funny and gross at the same time.

[AugustineM]

Heather, about the pooping on the head. We haven't had that one yet.

Coyotemist, I definitely noticed that Eve got fussier at around 5 weeks and she just now seems to be settling a bit at 9 weeks. She would cry inconsolably daily for like two 15 minute stretches. She would just flip out suddenly and not want to nurse or anything. Especially in the evening. But she hasn't done that now for like 3 days. Whew!

Anyone else notice that your LOs personality seems to be showing through? I'm just starting to feel like I am seeing some of it. She is a sensitive baby, more like my first baby than my second. She is also not super cuddly and doesn't want to nurse a lot. She's very strong, and is flexing her body a lot, and stiff sometimes, like she wants to stand up!

Uh oh, baby cries! Hope you all are well!

[TefferTWH]

Ok, so Nora was only EITHER 9 pounds 11 ounces or 10 pounds even on the scales at the pedi (depending on which scale). I'm so disappointed - I thought for sure she was over 10 pounds+. She jumped percentiles from 25th to 50th for weight (6 lbs, 13 oz at birth), but I really thought she'd grown more. I have abundant milk, and she's got rolls, but she's tiny and I envy everyone their huge fatty babies. Kelleymom says she's gained 6.5 ounces a week.

I'm hunting a new wrap. I like the Moby but I think I'd like less stretch. I'm using my Christmas money to fund my search. I also got a Glamourmom tank for Christmas, a bunch of nursing compatible clothes/cardigans/jackets and an organic nursing cover (I'm returning that). Not bad!

I don't know about you ladies, but I'm glad the holidays are nearly over. Even more glad that hubby decided NOT to invite his whole family to Nora's baptism on the 11th. Gah, my ILs make me crazy! BIL and SIL are feeding their 6 month old triplets meat already! And I was told "those people who don't vaccinate" are gonna find out in the end. Argh - so glad to be home and hanging our only with crunchy friends.

[emc03]

i wish i could not vaccinate b/c of the chronic health danger. but my gut tells me it's a bad idea for me since we: 1. live in a densely populated area with 2. a high immigrant population and 3. i'll be returning to the public school system to teach. i hate to think of what i might bring home. plus the outbreaks of stuff in nyc recently...

anyhow, i hope everyone is enjoying the last of the holidays. we had family give us some money that had to "be spent frivilously" (sp?). so i hit some online sales, mainly victoria's secret for clothes. and it's all going back except one sweater. pants were all too long and the tops didn't drape right. ok, the tops i understand b/c of the breastfeeding. but did i shrink 2" too?

ugh, now i have to go out shopping, which either means taking dylan with (or as i like to call it "how to transform a dressing room into the inner circle of hell in one easy step") or leave him w/dh. dh requires a meal and drink halfway through the rare shopping splurges i make since i pick through ALL the clearance racks. so i guess i'm stuck w/option two. i hate using my breastmilk stash unless it's REALLY necessary. *sigh*

[rockportmama]

Hi, Mamas!

Happy New Year!

Teffer- check out Sleepytime Wraps. That's what I want.

Augs- yes on the personality thing. This baby is WAY more laid back than DS was! She even puts herself to sleep on occasion. DS never went to sleep not nursing untill well after age 2!

emc- have fun shopping! Hope you find something fabulous!

Does anyone think we need a Nov '08 thread in Life wth a Babe?

[JenInMpls]

Originally Posted by rockportmama

Does anyone think we need a Nov '08 thread in Life wth a Babe?

As someone who is still gabbing with her Sept 04 DDC (now firmly ensconced in "The Childhood Years"), my answer to that is a resounding YES.

[OkiMom]

Happy New Year everyone!!
Can I complain for a second (again)? One of my friends decided I HAD to have a baby shower even though I told her time and again I didn't want one. So, she planned one for Saturday and didn't tell me until after she had paid for the catering and cake (non refundable). So, Im stuck going to it (yeap, a baby shower for a two month old). Im not to happy about it since DH only has one day off this week and thats Saturday. Well, she sent out an e-mail to invite everyone and told everyone that instead of gifts (I told him I definetly didn't want anything for the baby) to bring diapers... disposible diapers.. even though shes known me for years and knows I don't use disposible diapers. So, Saturday Im going to end up with countless packs of disposible diapers that I won't use and can't really return (you have to have a receipt to return to the PX).
Its sweet and all that she wanted to throw a party to welcome the baby but couldn't we have done a little get together someplace close to home (Im looking at a 45 minute one way drive that will turn into an hour and a half since Lexi HATES her carseat) and then Im going to have a closet full of diapers that I won't use.Ugh.

[TefferTWH]

It sounds like she was trying Heather, which is nice, but ugh. The crazy ILs gave us regifted Luvs for Nora. We use sposies, but those just STINK. I've been hiding them in a closet until I can donate them - they smell like Febreze through the plastic.

I just scored a Moby D, and I'm eyeing a Gypsy Mama is gauze. I'm thinking the D might be halfway between a woven and a stretch. Luckily, I found someone who wants my Moby, so it shouldn't hurt too badly to buy!

We did do some vaxes - we are mostly against those we have moral objections to because of aborted fetal cells used in their production and Hep B because I'm pretty sure Nora's not using IV drugs or is sexually active.

I don't know your older kids, but K is making us nuts. We had the ant thing licked after tearing the house apart to find every one of his stashes (and they are numerous), and he stole some lunchmeat and hid it in his play kitchen fridge. While I have to admit that it's cute, we're back into WWIII here against them. He needs outside play time, but he's got a nasty cough, so I'm reluctant to let him play outside in 20 degree weather. He also randomly turns into Swiper from Dora the Explorer (thanks to my dad he loves Dora) and steals whatever it is you find important at the moment (toilet paper, anyone?). I'm tired....

[OkiMom]

It wasn't so bad but now I have 15 packs of disposible diapers sitting in my closet. And some of them are HUGE (like a size 6 and a size 7) so I don't know what to do with them (can't return things over here without a reciept).

DD1 decided that she won't wear diapers anymore. Monday she refused to put a diaper on and insisted on using the potty so I guess its potty training time! Shes doing pretty good too, shes only averaging 2 accidents a day (which to me is AWESOME!)

Lexi figured out how to roll over the other day and is now doing it for fun. She just rolls over and laughs then gets mad because she can't figure out how to do it the other way.

[Om Girl]

Oki-Oh mama...a closet full of sposies...don't suppose you could trade them to another mama for "something"?

Teff-my DD#1 is driving me nuts too. She's been waking up when DH leaves for work at 6:30-7am (she never used to wake before 9!) and is able to keep herself occupied until I pry my arse out of bed, but she's watching a LOT of tv.... Oh and she too hides things in her play kitchen, last I found was 2 cups of "tea" (fruit juice) thankfully it's winter here, so no bugs.

rockport-we definitely need a thread in Life with Babe!

On the home front Kiki gained 3lbs and grew 3 inches in 5 weeks. She's a 10 pounder! WOW...she's getting so big so fast. Wednesday we had her portraits taken and M got in a couple as well. So precious.

[rockportmama]

Nov '08 DDC thread in Life with Babe

Here's the link:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...7#post12952537

See you there!

[TefferTWH]

posting my reply on the sparkly new thread!