NMY Graduates Love Thread, Part 4 - Page 117

[cking]

Happy Birthday Calvin and Sebby!

[~Shanna~]

Happy birthday from me too!!!!!

*********

Day 10 of af. Crazy.

[Maela]

Happy Birthday!!!!




Shanna, have you asked your midwives? When did it start? How long had you not been bleeding? Is it possible you just did too much?



Last night I realized that Maev hadn't nursed in 5 days due to us being out almost every night (she only nurses right before bed), and she hadn't asked for it. So I asked her last night if she wanted to nurse one last time and then be all done nursing. I have been telling her a story about a little girl being all done with nursing and all the fun things she can still do with her mama even though she isn't nursing anymore. Maev said okay, so I think last night was the last time. Hopefully, tonight goes well. She seemed to get it. She nursed and then during her bedtime snack she said (with a smile), "I don't nurse anymore!" And she gave me a hug and played with my hair (two things we talked about that she could do instead of nursing).
I was surprisingly okay with it. Nursing her just hasn't felt quite right since I was about half way through the pregnancy, but I/she wasn't ready to quit then. So I've been dreading and looking forward to this day at the same time.


Also, the last two nights after we read stories, we've been giving her some books to read in her bed and leaving the room with the light on, and *she has put herself to sleep*! Dh has been asking and asking when I think we can do this, and I finally decided to give it a try even though I didn't think she'd be ready. But the last two nights went well. We'll see if it continues.

[PiePie]

Originally Posted by cking

Hopefully it'll work better next time. And, um, you could always try temping a few days just to confirm.

Well in light of my viral gastroenteritis my temps would be 100 to 103, which I hope is not a baseline for anything long-term. I have been down for the count since Saturday night, after what I thought was just a vasovagal collapse and vomiting episode on the subway platform (DD: "Mommy yacked the yuckies on the platform!" You're supposed to hold hands on the platform, not lie down!") DD had had a tummy bug but I got it way worse. Her immune system must rock. On Sunday DH was princely and took care of her, although he violated our no TV rule but introducing her to a bit of ballet via youtube -- his logic was that I had already okayed her seeing it live, so how different was this? I am glad he did something when he was at his wits end. The big problem was that he did not enjoy his day with her. (He is rarely singly responsible for her like that.) It has provoked huge soul-searching on his part about TTCing #2 (because that would mean more 1-on-1 time for him with #1) and therefore on my part about being with him. I am sure we will power through but blech. I am just surprised because now that she can do puzzles, play board games, do more imaginative play, and be more fun for him, I thought he would be more into it than he is.

I am home sick today -- trying to clean for my family's arrival, trying to wrap presents, got frustrated, so taking a break to address cards, which makes me happy.

[cking]

Yes, Shanna, I agree with Maela, I think you should ask your midwives also.

Oh, Maela, I cried : when I read your post. Congrats on being finished nursing Maev. She is so precious. So awesome that she is putting herself to sleep.

Originally Posted by Maela

was surprisingly okay with it. Nursing her just hasn't felt quite right since I was about half way through the pregnancy, but I/she wasn't ready to quit then. So I've been dreading and looking forward to this day at the same time.

I completely understand this. Lately it just really hurts, and even though I try to explain to her how to latch better, and she listens and tries it, it still hurts. This morning she actually didn’t nurse, just snuggled with me for a while after she woke up, and it was nice.

Piepie, so sorry your sick. We’ve noticed that with Josephine as well, she will be just mildly sick (usually first) and then either of us (or both) gets hit really hard. I hope you feel better soon. Try not to get too stressed over your family’s visit. (advice I need to follow)

And this is totally irrelevant right now, but if you want to do just the minimum of temping, I’d do it on the same days you do your fertility monitor sticks, and then for a few days after the peak reading just to confirm the temp rise over the cover line. (and also in case you get several high readings and no peak again.)

[Sihaya]

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! We aren't doing anything special since we're attending five different holiday celebrations (plus Christmas Eve service at church) this Thurs-Sun. We got Calvin a potty and his own bed (to put next to ours) as gifts and will probably also be getting him a table and chairs in the next month or so.

As soon as this crazy cycle is over, we'll finally be not avoiding - I can't wait! I was certain I had O'd, even stopped taking OPKs, just to have a "warm-up" peak and now I'm not sure when I O'd. Doesn't matter since we were avoiding, but I was hoping it would be clear this cycle so I could be sure of my LP length. Anyway, hoping my next cycle will start around New Year's and fantasizing about a BFP before my birthday...

Maela, what huge milestones for you and Maev. So exciting!

Piepie, that stinks that you're sick. Hope you start feeling better very soon! for issues with DH. I hope you're able to work through them.

[Maela]

Last night went well! She didn't even ask. So I said that I'd like to cuddle with her before bed since we're not nursing anymore, and she was very happy about that. I'm sure she was ready now.

[MujerMamaMismo]

10.40pm Christmas Night...
Xmas is soooooooooo fun with a kid! (Sebby was 4 days old last Christmas, I was still delerious!) We had a gorgeous day.

As I flop into bed, most of you will just be stirring and soon to wake on Christmas morning. I hope you day is as magical as ours was!

[~Shanna~]

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

[~Shanna~]

Wonderful Christmas this year, so fun to have a toddler that is starting to understand all of the fun! We abstained from the larger family gatherings (which was brilliant, I wish I had done this years ago), and all of the parties were spaced out over several days. Very laid-back and kid-friendly (thus parent friendly). And, I'm not as inundated with junk like I usually am. Only a few things went straight into the Goodwill box. Fenton got a remote-control car that we are ALL enjoying. And a tent-tunnel combo that takes up the entire living room. Which he loves and has already incorporated into all of the (very active) pretending he's engaging in lately .

I need to figure out a game plan for how to deal with my mom. Picture a woman who is stooping over while children are opening gifts, thrusting a camera up and in their face, shouting at them "Woo hoo! Over here! Smile! Smile for Grandma!". Made gift opening tense and grumpy for me, though Fenton just calmly walked away from her each time. Wouldn't you know, we gave her a digital camera for Christmas.....Talk about buyers regret....DH said it's as if she buys gifts and thinks it buys her entitlement to a certain reaction from the kids. Common, but given my mom's mental and emotional limitations, I'm trying to figure out a "rule" to talk with her about (only 1 picture, click away but stop shouting at the kids? She's does NOT understand nuance). Taps into my moral outrage at people being more concerned with evidence of having a good time rather than actually having a good time.

Funniest moment yesterday: Eating christmas dinner, and DH leaves the table to see what "the boys are up to". Comes back to regretfully tell us that the boys have opened every package under the tree. And my mother, desperate to preserve her camera moments, goes about re-wrapping the gifts .

[Maela]

Originally Posted by ~Shanna~

Funniest moment yesterday: Eating christmas dinner, and DH leaves the table to see what "the boys are up to". Comes back to regretfully tell us that the boys have opened every package under the tree. And my mother, desperate to preserve her camera moments, goes about re-wrapping the gifts .

We have a similar story here. I found Maev a few days ago with her stocking pulled down from the mantel (so relieved she didn't hurt herself ) and she was playing with the little figurines of sleeping beauty and cinderella that were in there. (Yes, we love disney and she loves princesses ) She said, "my stocking just fell down, and I got cinderella!"

We had a great christmas too! I'm really looking forward to next year though when Jaim will be probably walking and opening up his presents too.

[~Shanna~]

Thought I'd pop over here while I am on MDC looking for pink eye remedies. Going to try breast milk and wait and see until tomorrow.

[~Shanna~]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have any of you ever tried to put drops in a toddlers eyes????????????????????
I'm at a loss, it's been nearly impossible to get breast milk in Fenton's eyes, and going to the dr. is going to mean.....drops in the eyes. We've even tried sitting on him an just generally manhandling him, but you really can't force someone's eye open. I think I got a little in, but

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!! !



So, so grumpy. Trying to remember that my big fear this year is complications from swine flu, so this should be a cake walk. But the funny thing is that... its not. And keeping Fenton away from Reece is heartbreaking

[MujerMamaMismo]

Shanna, you could try bathing F's eyes in aloe vera juice. I've had luck with that for myself before and it may be easier to bathe as opposed to drop-in.

Love love love your present/christmas tree story. My mother would have done exactly the same thing!

Has anyone seen Away We Go? I'd been waiting for it to be released here forever and Mum took S so DP and I could go on a date. I loved it - except for that one bit with the continuum parents - I really felt as though that whole section wasn't true to the film. Those parents were like caricatures whereas the other parents were loads of fun, and interesting and far more 'real'. I was really disappointed.

I got DP a Wii for xmas. I've never been into video games and was nervous about introducing them into our house - especially now that we have a kiddo but DP has wanted one forever and ever and she never gets what she wants (and I always do...) Anyway...we've been having sooooooooo much fun with it! I love the interactivity of it. We haven't laughed so much in ages. The down side is that we're both sporting Wii Tennis shoulder injuries...and that's kind of embarassing!

Heading down the coast with my molar cutting, grumpy, snotty babe for xmas with my Dad tonight. This should be fun.

[~Shanna~]

Originally Posted by MujerMamaMismo

Shanna, you could try bathing F's eyes in aloe vera juice. I've had luck with that for myself before and it may be easier to bathe as opposed to drop-in.

Thanks - F is notoriously cautious about these things, not sure if it would be better or not. Manhandled him one more time with bm, now I'm not sure if I'm seeing low-level pink eye or red/puffy/watery from his cold. Never saw mucous from eye.

Originally Posted by MujerMamaMismo

Has anyone seen Away We Go? I'd been waiting for it to be released here forever and Mum took S so DP and I could go on a date. I loved it - except for that one bit with the continuum parents - I really felt as though that whole section wasn't true to the film. Those parents were like caricatures whereas the other parents were loads of fun, and interesting and far more 'real'. I was really disappointed.

Cant wait to see this. i have the hots for Jim and Maggie. Interesting plot to me.

Congrats on the Wii - I'm not a gamer either, but I hear they are great fun. Must try.

Felt a little blue this chtistmas: between Fen's diet and my hand recovery, I couldn't do anything for the holidays with Fenton that I've looked forward to doing "once he's old enough". We're on month 11 of his diet and will be introing "illegal" foods in a month or two, trying not to get my hopes up. told DH that i want to celebrate "Christmas in July" if Fen's eating is less restrictive and I have an opposable thumb. Can't wait to decorate a gingerbread house or train with him

Have to decide soon about whether I want to go through childbirth educator training with Birthing From Within. Training is in May at The Farm.
I'll feel moreconfident once I know more about DHs grad school acceptances, hopefully before the March deadline. Have a lot of big ideas on hold until I know if we have to move or not.

[MujerMamaMismo]

Originally Posted by ~Shanna~

Cant wait to see this. i have the hots for Jim and Maggie. Interesting plot to me.

Have to decide soon about whether I want to go through childbirth educator training with Birthing From Within. Training is in May at The Farm.
I'll feel moreconfident once I know more about DHs grad school acceptances, hopefully before the March deadline. Have a lot of big ideas on hold until I know if we have to move or not.

This movie made me not be so in love with Maggie. Perhaps that's why I feel so disappointed!

Training at the farm...wow...I know what my decision would be!

[PiePie]

so far the transition to the family bed has not been going well. it's hard to say, because there is a lot of other stuff going on right now -- post-Christmas excitement, post-visit from my family, having both parents home all day to play with her, no school and with that comes less reliable naps, but so far putting her down takes forever. i rock her in the rocking chair and read stories and then turn off the lights and listen to the same lullabies we have for a while while rocking and nursing. she is ricocheting between which parent she wants, which i interpret as nothing more than a delay tactic but dh fee;s it is really important that we are there for herf upon her request so she doesn't feel abandoned in her time of transition. my rule is that she can be on the lap or in her bed -- i don't care what she does in her bed but she has to be there, not on the floor. the first night she rocked to sleep eventually and i put her in the big girl bed where she slept until 2:30 when she needed to nurse and i took her into the family bed so that i could lie down while nursing (parenting fail?). last night she didn't go down so after an hour and 10 minutes i told her i was going to sleep in the family bed so she could either stay up and play or stay in her big girl bed or come with me i didn't care but i was going to sleep. she opted to come with me and as soon as we were in our familiar position she was asleep in seconds, although i couldn't sleep for hours. just going to keep riding out the great experiment. fortunately we have all of this week off work, so that is great in terms of having a flexible schedule to work around her sleeping times. i keep remembering that i cannot make a child sleep but i do secretly wonder if i effed her up by nightnursing, etc.

[cking]

MMM, I was disappointed with that part of the film too. Tom was esp pissed about their (main characters) comment about midwives and doulas. (he loved our doula and is pushing to hire her again). Also disappointed with Maggie - watched a bit of the commentary on dvd where she said she made the part more real b/c is already a mom - like knowing how to tie a sling - but the crappy way she modeled the Moby wrap with a sleeping babe also me.
Sorry, hope that didn't spoil it for anyone.

Shanna, OMG, you would be freaking awesome at teaching BFW. We loved our class (cbe was also our doula ). And training at the Farm would rock too.
I've been leafing through Ina May's guide... and I can't help but chuckle at how stereotypically hippy the language is...but it's so nice to hear so many positive stories in one place.
eta: it was Spiritual Midwifery. I thought I had remember that the language in her Guide was a little more modern....

Also enjoyed your Christmas stories, Shanna and Maela. We had a very nice Christmas, and loved watching J take it all in. It's weird, I kinda felt like we're more of a family this year than last year. I really think Josephine enjoyed most of her gifts, including a couple homemade: play kitchen and ergo-style doll carrier. (I will post pics on FB soon.) And some MIL stories too.

Quick question on gift etiquette: what to do when someone gives your child a gift that you already have? I think I messed this one up by not mentioning it right away..then i felt it was too late, and the wrapping was taken off already rendering it unreturnable.


And, a little late, but Teo!!! Can't believe he's three.

[MujerMamaMismo]

Originally Posted by PiePie

i do secretly wonder if i effed her up by nightnursing, etc.

Is there a co-sleeping, breastfeeding Mama alive who doesn't wonder this? I recently started a natural parenting playgroup and have felt so relieved to know that I'm not the only one who constantly questions my parenting choices. When it's good it's great but the hard bits and the transitions are really, really tough. My recent mantra 'think big picture.' This is such an intense time, but it's so short and I'm already seeing a really gentle, secure, confident, independent little boy emerging...imagine what a great big kid he's gonna be!
[Listen to me, like I've got my shit together and am an expert. It's amazing the difference a few weeks can make. A month ago, I was struggling soooooo much and today, the fact that I have a teething, cranky toddler and haven't slept for 2 nights is just rolling off me. This trip is SUCH a trip!]

[cking]

Oh, and I had a confrontation with my SIL and brother re: starting solids for their three-month old (they are planning to start next week ) I lent her my copy of Baby-Led Weaning and sent them a copy of Sears' Baby Book, but not sure that will help. Most info I can find is geared toward breastfed babies, which this little boy is not. Also mostly annoyed with my mom for chiming in (along with my two other SILs) about how wonderful starting solids is and how she thinks he's ready for it...since I've heard her talk lately about how she wishes she hadn't started so early with her kids, but didn't know better at the time. wth, mom?