NMY Graduates Love Thread, Part 4 - Page 118

PS - I love our little tribe. It's so incredible that we all came together around being childless and are now growing these awesome, amazing little people...and that we all share a history and values and genuinely like and respect one another. Thank You.

Indeed! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEO!

true, true (esp when DH has made such accusations. ) I do think the week off can be both a help and a hindrance. DD is totally enjoying her time with Dada home - in fact they both took a nap *without me* today. But I think next week will be a big step back.

This is totally random, but I wonder if transitioning her is harder now since it's winter? There have been several nights recently when dd woke up, but just wanted us to cuddle with her - I think she's just cold. (and one early morning when DH was actually able to pull this off and I got to stay in bed! another first.) Could you try transitioning her to her bed in your room? (barring space limitations...)

It's funny - J is pretty much transitioned to her own bed; but at this point with baby2 coming so soon, I've been wondering how we'll handle morning nursing and/or cuddling - I've been coming to her for a while, so I'm trying to see if she'll be able to come to me. Wishing we had a bigger bed b/c four in a queen just won't do it.

seriously desperate for some more words of wisdom re the sleeping thing. dh is starting to question whether moving her from the family bed is the right move. mind you this whole thing was his idea. i am frustrated at her and at myself. apparently i have an hour and 45 minutes before i surrender and need to take some personal time. going to try to read to myself. dh is asleep and dd wants my attention.

cking, depends on what the gift is. if it is something huge and giant that you could only possibly want one of, then regifting is cool, or selling. i bought dd's tonka truck off of a mom who was given it for kids who were too old for it. but if it is something small, you might want one on each floor or one for the diaper bag. we got 4 duplicate board books when she was a baby and i don't regret not returning them. also surprised re 3 mos. the aap recs differ from 4 mos. to 6 mos. -- the nutrition comm. says 4, the bfing comm. says 6, don't know any mainstream rec for under 4.

Piepie, how long have you been trying the transition? Maybe it just needs more time. I know, not exactly words of wisdom.

Well, the gift isn't huge, but not sure we need a duplicate. It's the bee bop band - instruments in a drum. Kinda clunky, plastic instruments; plus we have a ton of other instruments, and she just got some more for Christmas. DH suggested leaving it at MIL's house, so we might do that. I just never realized how $$$ it was, as the other one was a hand-me-down. And we're both surprised that the gift givers never noticed the set that has been prominantly displayed in our living room for the past year.

Shanna, so sorry you're dealing with pink eye. I have trouble putting anything in my own eyes. I can imagine how hard it is with Fenton.

cking, Rhea got that for Xmas, and she loves it. I would probably leave it elsewhere too. We're talking about how we need to go through Rhea's toys and start putting some of them in other houses (like the ILs) as we just don't have the room. Of course, we could just give them to other kids as well. We'll see how that goes.

Xmas was pretty good, though it stretched out until yesterday so that we could see ALL of the family. We were supposed to go to VT for some R and R, but it's going to snow for the next 4 days, so I think we're just going to go back home for the rest of winter break.

The other night, DH started talking about the eventual transition of nightweaning and total weaning. Nearly broke my heart, even though there are plenty of nights I wish that I had nightweaned DD already. I just feel like she still NEEDS it, so I shouldn't. But I don't want to be a martyr, either. Dh's aunt and uncle were asking us about our family bed situation (and they're totally supportive of it), and basically our answer was that she'll sleep in our bed until she asks to do otherwise. I don't know how this will play out, but it's our hope. Of course, we're also not looking to have other children, so I think it'll be simpler in that respect. Our old upstairs neighbors also had a family bed, with multiple beds pushed together, so I think their family of four (Maybe 5 now--she was pregnant when we moved) all slept in the same room together. They seemed to be okay with it, although I kinda thought that was pushing my limits.

I wish I had some wisdom, but as my DD is younger, I don't have anything to add here other than what we're hoping for. but I echo MMM's sentiment. I this group!

i would say that--for the first time in a long time--it was a really nice christmas. no family crazy even!

ok, i did feel like i wa sherding cats at times, but all in all, it was really a nice holiday. probably because no one wants drama at what could be a last xmas together.

it was also nicely spread-out. thursday, my father, ryan and i took hawk to his first movie--the princess and the frog. he *loved* it. as you might recall, he is obvcessed with music. watched the whole thing sitting in my father's lap, except the most tense part where he darted across our laps and nursed. LOL my father really enjoyed taking him to his first movie.

then on friday, we went to my ILs. because i'd made an extensive list of what we needed for NZ (clothing wise, etc), and a clear ssuggestion as to what to get the baby as a toy, we got a lot on our lists that are just perfecto. i was unhappy with the camoflage shirt that MIL gave him, but otherwise, it's all good. the big hit from that family was the harmonica that his aunt got him (also a small set with maracas, a tamorene (sp?), and a recorder that soudns like crap. but he figured out the harmonica in about 20 mintues and LOVES it).

then on saturday, my parents came down and gave hawk his gifts. more clothes (and gift cards for us), a teddy bear (i ordered a musical box windy thingy to sew into it), and the ukulele that my sister got for him. we got the case and extra strings. hawk went ape-poop crazy over the uke. played it, wanted everyone else to play it.

by sunday, not wanting the uke to get destroyed and also tired of 'playing' the poor out of tune thing, we came up with "uke needs a nap!" and so we put uke back in the box with a "blanket" (pillowcase) and hawk gave it a nice kiss "goodnight." later, i took it out and learned to tune it and we all played the various instruments with abandon and taking turns with which instrument. then, we put uke to bed.

so, we sold our house and closing is on modnay, thus this holiday season has been nuts because of that. getting the house ready, packing, all of the inspections (i felt like they wanted to see the place a million times), and just getting things ready to go has been a lot of work.

this weekend, we move out and move in with friends temporarily. ryan is off on thurs so we finish packing then. on friday, i pick up the old footlocker/trunks i found on craigs list (which will fit al of hawks toys and instruments save the uke in one, and that gives us a second o ne for "whatever."), pack up whatever else might be left, and divide it into the right "piles"--storage, donation, going with us, and going to auction.

saturday i teach and then we move our stuff over to our friend's house (the bed and bedding, toys and clothes that we're taking with us), my parents come to take stuff to storage, and the moving guys come to take everything left to the auctioneer.

we'll spend the night at my parents (having unloaded our stuff into their storage), and then come back on sunday for a final cleaning, and then do more shopping for the odds and ends that we need.

next week, we have closing on monday, banking on tuesday, and lawyer on wednesday, ryan's fittings on thursday (for his clothes, they always have to get taken in, up, around, whatever. LOL). friday and saturday i work again, but we also have friend's coming that weekend.

then, we hope that the visa will come. the FBI's stuff is due "any day now" (we're in the 9th-10th week of waiting and it is supposed to come in 8-10 wks); and we're talking with immigration tonight to figure out if we can come early with a temp work visa or as tourists.

also, ryan's entering a screenwriting/film contest in NZ, winners have to be there Jan 18, so if he wins, he'll have to be there. and, we have to tell them that we have new contact info!

whew. so much fun.

So much to read in just a few days! You guys have been writing a lot!

I agree with MMM. I love this little tribe we've got here too! You guys make me feel normal. Even a little mainstream sometimes.


Shanna, sorry about the pink eye. That stinks.

PiePie, I think it just takes time. (moving out of the family bed) Maev still isn't fully "transferred." She's nightweaned and she still wakes up at least once a night! Once she wakes up, we move her to a sleeping bag on our floor because our queen is not big enough for the four of us.


ZB, everytime you post about your move I get so excited (and a little jealous)!

we have tried the independent sleep thing for only 3 nights so far. my big issue is getting her down. i try to nurse her in teh rocking chair but she has the option of being in her bed by herself but not elsewhere in her room, and she can't bring delicate dollhouse accessories into the bed. she switches between which parent she demands and that is annoying to me. i have found that i am willing to try for an hour and 45 minutes and then i revert to the tried and true. but thanks for the reality check, i needed it! maybe she just needs more time and i should work the 2 hour nightly routines into my schedule until it works. dh is supposed to take over taking care of her during nightwakings starting tonight -- i give that zero percent chance of happening, though.

Oops! I also meant to say Happy (belated) Birthday to Teo!!!

Jaim's Birth Story

It's kind of long.

yeah, i only write so that people will be jealous. LOL

i read, quite a bit, but if i have nothing to add--pink eye or what have you--then i can't say much, can i? lol

i have two questions though:

1. how do you exfoliate a dry baby? i can oil him no problem, but he hates baths (so no oatmeal soak) and i don't want too rough of an exfolation cream on his skin (he won't like that i'm sure!).

and

2. how do you keep your clothes and sweaters from pilling and linting up? i can't tand my clothes looking like this.

good birth story, too. i love reading HB stories.

I've heard of people using something like a "skin brush". I don't know if that's what they're called, but it exfoliates and is said to be invigorating - you brush your entire body as you would your hair. Maybe google different permutations of that concept? As for pilling, I take a disposable razor and shave my knits, though I'm not sure it would work well for weaves. Tshirts come out looking pretty newish after that, just make sure they're lying flat and taut.

Our birth center Yahoo group is swtiching to a vBulletin-like discussion format this week and in some fog of insanity I agreed to moderate the health forum. This puts the volatile topics of both circ AND vax in my corner. I don't know what I was thinking, our birth community gets hot around the collar on both issues......Guess I'm going to get good at confrontation.

Barely holding pink eye at bay, starting to wonder if it's something else. If it doesn't look remarkably better tomorrow, I think I'm going to push for us to go to urgent care (assuming I can't get into ped that day). His eyeballs are looking clear, but he looks so red and swollen around his eyes. Which could be his cold, but a couple of patches of red and abrasive have me nervous. Could just be from him rubbing, but I'm picturing all sorts of exotic things I've never heard of.

Maela, thanks for sharing Jaim's birth story . I really enjoyed reading it.

I use a skin brush (sometimes) and it works well. Maybe a very soft brush for baby? Also, I use baking soda to exfoliate my face - maybe that would be more gentle for baby skin too...?

For pilling, I have a sweater stone. I think it's a very smooth pumice. It seems to work well, and lasts a long time.

zb- I have both a skin brush and a facial skin brush. The facial one is softer. I think mine came from frontier. LMK if you want links or something and I'll try to find the time to find them. It's wedding craziness here.

i have one, i'll try the brush!

but here is the BIG NEWS.

Ryan needs your votes!

here's his note to all of you (and everyone):

Dear Friends,

I’ve entered the Your Big Break filmmaking competition in New Zealand and would love to have your vote!

Voting is simple. Check out my entry, "Capturing the Spirit," at http://nzt.strutta.com/entries/10773 and click the big green button! When you register, you’ll be entered into the sweepstakes to win a trip to New Zealand !

Voting closes at 11:59 AM PST on January 15, 2010. Thank you for your support!

Ryan

P.S. Please feel free to pass this message on to your friends!


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i hope that you enjoy his script, his pitch film, and all of that. And when you win your trip to NZ, you can visit us. We'll feed you, we'll baby sit your baby for a night on the town. it'll be awesome!

a sweater stone? you save my existence.

I dont know if its the new year, or the fact that I'm still losing baby weight, but I'm feeling blue about how frumpy parenting is making me feel lately. I feel like everything about how I look is linked to parenthood. I miss carrying a purse instead of just my wallet in the diaper bag. I'm tired of short hair that's "easier". And I miss the clothes I could wear before I had to have access to my breasts every hour and a half, and before I could count on my toddler wiping his nose on me..

I'm not particularly vain, but it's hard enough to have my sleeping, eating, conversation, viewing and reading patterns taken over by parenthood. But when it takes over my lingerie too.....

What do all of you do to deal with this? Anyone else feel this way? I just knew I shouldn't have looked through that Eddie Bauer catalogue!

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I'm playing with my Christmas present today: Photoshop Elements. I've started digital scrapbooking with it. I know, i know...."how quaint". But I really love being able to integrate journaling with pictures, and I was never really into the kitschiness of reg scrapbooking. I'm loving digital because it's perfect if you love the product but hate the process. and i can nak.
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I'm putting together a 6 week workshop on "Parenting for Peace and Justice" that DH and I are going to lead after Easter. I'm feeling like most of the resources we're drawing from are heavy on inter-family peace (conflict resolution, etc.) but there's little out there on activism for families. Feeling a little at a loss given that my kids are so young so I don't have a lot of experience with integrating children into activism beyond just bringing them along. Do you guys have any ideas for what you'd be interested in on this topic? Any stories on how you've approached it?

Going to read about Jaim's birth!