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September 04 Mommas -- Gobble Gobble November is here!

3K views 120 replies 16 participants last post by  JenInMpls 
#1 ·
Ribbit Ribbit!

I can't believe I am the first! That never happens!

Becca ~ Looks like your Halloween was great fun. A toddler party sounds like much more fun than trick-or-treating!

Here are pictures of my clan :

http://flickr.com/photos/kristinb769/

The beards were off before we even got started!

Hope everyone had a fun Halloween

K
 
#55 ·
CONGRATS ZEN!! YEAH ELI!!!!!

Anna- I HEAR you. We are heros for making it threw one single day, that's how I feel. What you are describing is exactly what I go threw at times -- and it is harrowing. And do we get any support from our communities or society? I had such a hard time after Lulu's birth that I made sure that my mom was up for FIVE full weeks after Gingy was born. It was so disruptive to her personal life (her partner didn't *get* why I needed the help... that she's in the middle of a breakup because of it...)

Now Gingy's three months old. I literally couldn't have survived without my mom's presence. *And* my DH was home much of the first month (because school hadn't started).

In the first two months, and no one will believe me but a fellow mother... I got (because Gingy was eating every HOUR at night -- I got a total of TWO to THREE HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT. And not in a single stretch. It was a full sixty days before I got ANY sleep more than 2-3 hours total.

Things are better now. I decided I was going to go starkers if I didn't get sleep. So we broke down and broke out the bottle. My DH (emphasis on the dear) for the past month has fed Gingy organic formula at night and co-slept with her while I'm upstairs getting rest, co-sleeping with Lulu. That is what saved me. Gingy's got a really good digestive system and could tolerate the formula, which I believe is wholesome. Initially it screwed up my supply and also there was some nipple confusion, so I felt we were playing with fire. But I had no choice. From lack of sleep I: was losing my milk supply anyway (like it was *all* gone one day), I threw out my back and I became anemic. Now my supply's good and I think the anemia's OK.

So things are better, but, come 3 pm on a weekday (or a weekend, for that matter), I am desperate for help ... my DH is pretty much gone by 6am, and after 9 hours with no break with a toddler and an infant.... I am often times desperate. i feel for you Anna. No one knows just how difficult it is.

And yes, wonderful. But man, it can be hard. Big hugs...

Love
Liz
 
#57 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by CatskillMtnMama View Post

So things are better, but, come 3 pm on a weekday (or a weekend, for that matter), I am desperate for help ... my DH is pretty much gone by 6am, and after 9 hours with no break with a toddler and an infant.... I am often times desperate. i feel for you Anna. No one knows just how difficult it is.

And yes, wonderful. But man, it can be hard. Big hugs...
Yep, that. Hugs to Anna and... well, everyone!

And, congrats to Kristin!!!!! Yipeee!! Love the name Eli, too.
 
#58 ·
Yay! Welcome, Eli! Conratualtions, Kristen!

Hugs, Anna. Hope Jasper gets better soon. How miserable to have him be sick during an already trying time.

chrissy -- my dh has been struggling with depression for a few years, too. i finally convinced him to go to a doctor about a year ago because I just couldn't cope. But it is hard when things seem to be going better and then there's a relapse and you feel like you're back to square one. I'm glad your dh is coming out of the fog, and congrats on the pregnancy and on it seeming to be sticky!

okay, I"m at a youth retreat (other than my IL's visit next week this is my last crazy stressful thing I"m doing before the baby), so I'd better go and be responsible, and stop Andrew from unplugging this lap top.

Jilly.
 
#59 ·
Welcome baby Eli!!! Congratulations Kristin on bringing your son into this world with such love and power. Birth is a pretty intense experience, it sounds as though you knew what you needed to do and did it with strength and joy! I am so glad to hear you are home already and that everyone is well... Enjoy your precious little one, wallow in the joy of snuggling his sweet little tinyness. (they change SOOOO fast!)

Chrissy!!! I am always so glad to hear from you!!! So sorry to hear that the last few months have been so emotionally wracking... It's totally unfair when dealing with massive pregnancy illness and handling your own fears of losing this baby, for you to have to focus so much on your DH's needs. But , I guess life is seldom fair, huh? and us Mama's get awfully used to caring for everyone else's needs. I'm so glad to hear he's feeling better and that you are feeling so confident about your child's well being. (I've got a great gut feeling about this pregnancy as well.... before we know it you'll be posting a wonderful birth story and leaving us all in tears!) Welcome back mama, you have been missed!

Thank you everyone for your sympathy and support in response to my post of misery. It's really not THAT bad... but it does make my head spin sometimes. I really love being a Mama, but sometimes I just want to quit, walk away and cry. Other times I want to dance on the table because I feel so loved and joyful. It's weird and overwhelming. Stacy I liked what you said about WANTING to be a good mother, but not knowing HOW. It's hard to know who to ask or what to read to learn how... I enjoyed reading "Nonviolent Communication" , not a parenting book, but a good book about communicating with others.. a key part of parenting. Thanks for letting me know I'm not the only well meaning AP mom who wishes she didn't lose her temper and feel like a failure.

Thank you for the concern about my well-being. I'm trying to make a few changes to my daily routines and give myself a little more me time, but Jerome's student teaching goes untill the end of January! so the light at the end of the tunnel seems very far away... But, it will go fast... that much I have learned in the last 5 weeks!

Love to all
 
#61 ·
Kristen - sounds like a good birth experience! can't wait to hear about how everyone is adapting to the new family member.

Chappy days are here again! RObin is having it really bad already - and not just on her cheeks. Whatever skin is exposed during the day, by evening it's rashy, red, and sensitive, and if I'm not on top of it aggressively, it's scaly and chappy the next day. So if she wears a dress, it's her knees and thighs; if she wears pants and a shirt, it's her waist. It's not even really cold here year - today she wore a sweatshirt and jeans, no jacket, and it's not cold enough for tights most days. Quality products are hard to find here (for me, at least) - I'm using Mustela lotion and cold cream (their "environmental protection cream") and Pigeon vaseline. But the Mustela is over $10 a bottle!! (the only other option I can find is like Johnson's - full of scent and chemicals that will irritate her) I can't believe I didn't bring aquaphor with me - it's going to be tough making it to december without it!

I went to the children's market today and spent all my money! I had to leave b/c I only had enough cash to taxi home. Robin is in need of warmer clothes, so I will have to go back another time - but I scored some great warm dresses, shirts, and knee socks. There are some pretty fun and fantastic cheap clothes and shoes here - plus the stuff that trickles into the local markets from the factories. I plan to get all the kids in my life shoes for christmas b/c they are so creative and fun and, unlike the cheap shoes you can get in the US, really soft and flexible. (I already bought the new baby it's first little pair of leather shoes - navy with green mushrooms)
 
#62 ·
Becca -- I'm sure many of us would be willing to get you some aquaphor! I buy it all the time because I have flare ups of psoriasis that aquaphor really helps. Thor also has a little eczema (sp?) that I treat with aquaphor. Lemme know if you want me to get some for you. Although I guess you'll be back in the states soon, too.

Well, Thor has croup. Last night about midnight I heard him barking like a seal and oh gosh, I thought, now it's all over. I really really hope Anna doesn't get it. I guess it's awful in infants... can be like RSV. I'm pretty sure i have whatever virus causes it, too, because I have a horrible sore throat, although adults can't get croup, of course. Anyway, it's not too bad in Thor. And it makes me glad he hasn't forgotten how to latch, even though he hasn't really nursed in a couple weeks. Last night he had the wheezing, horrible cough where he could hardly breathe and threw up from coughing, so I brought him in the bathroom and made it steamy, but he was sort of freaking out, so I got him to nurse. Worked like a charm. He calmed right down and fell asleep! Yay for nursing
, even though I had been wishing he was totally weaned...


And we've still got thrush off and on... ugh. Time to break out the gentian violet I guess.

Did I already say congrats to Kristin!?
Is Meg next?
 
#63 ·
Hey all!

I managed to get some photos organized at shutterfly, enjoy them here!

I also wrote in my blog, nothing too exciting, but seeing as how it's the first time in a few weeks... thought you might want to check it out. I actually wrote a big post the other day but then freaking blogger had a server crash and I lost the whole thing... I was so irritated I was considering not blogging anymore! Seriously, sometimes I wonder why I keep posting personal information about my life online...

Becca ~ sorry to hear about Robin having skin trouble, it's so hard seeing them with skin problems isn't it? Jasper's got a diaper rash I can't seem to get rid of... i think it's thrush that hasn't been cleared up by gentian violet, time to break down and get an antifungal, i think.

Augustine ~ I totally hear you on the nursing toddler thing, It's such a funny mix of helpful and frustrating isn't it? I swear Mielle asks me to nurse about 800 times a day! Yet, when she was sick last week I was glad to know she was getting liquids and comfort and the healthiest food possible... all at once!

Well I better go, I 've been online for hours organizing photos and stuff...
 
#64 ·
Reading a Midwifery Today online newsletter last night, I heard of another treatment for thrush. The woman who wrote it got the advice from her Mother who had breastfed 12 babies. She said before and after each nursing session, make a thin paste of baking soda and water and swab the inside of babe's mouth with it. Then dab the nipples with vinegar. This remedy takes three days of consistent treatment.

Maybe this will help someone!

Get well wishes to all!

Becca: I have heard emu oil is very good for skin issues of the rash kind, maybe that is available near you? Hemp oil also.

Samantha
 
#65 ·
Augustine - Arg! Croup! Hope Thor recovers quickly and Anna stays well. Glad you were able to get him to relax. The steamy shower is supposed to be so therapeutic.

Samantha - but doesn't vinegar make baking soda get fizzy? is that the combo from way back in science lab?

Thanks for the sympathy and advice on Robin's skin. I'm being really aggressive witht he products I have here and cutting out soap in her bath (most days) and seeing some good improvement. I bought a humidifier too to run at night - and last night I tooker her back to ehr bed after she woke up so she could sleep all nightunder it - and her bed was SOAKED. Apparently the humidifier doesn't really make the water into vapor very well, b/c it just settles right back down and gets everything wet.
: And I'm so disgusted by the tap water, I'm using bottled water in it b/c I don't want us even breathing the water! Despite that, it's definitely getting better - I just have to be super aggressive.

Anna - I loved the slide show! Jasper is filling out, and Mielle looks so big and so little at the same time. He looks really chill. It makes me so excited for when Robin meets her new sister/brother. Looks like you had some good family time. Hope the thrush fight is being won on your end. Good luck with the diaper rash too. Give him as much bare-butt time as is possible. And don't stop blogging! I love your blog (I haven't read the new post yet b/c I have to get my proxy server up in order to access most of our blogs - yours, mine, Jen's and Jilly's).

Meg is conspiciously absent for a few days now...any bets she's had the baby??

Gotta go put Robin down for her nap (and me for mine...)

Oh, what are you guys' thoughts on travel in late pregnancy? Including air travel? We have been planning a big trip b/c clint has time off at Chinese New Year - but it falls Feb 18th this year, and I'm due March 14 (technically 40 weeks on March 7). I really want to get out of the city before I get "couch-bound" with a newborn!!
 
#66 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Yo Becca View Post
Samantha - but doesn't vinegar make baking soda get fizzy? is that the combo from way back in science lab?
That's what I was thinking, but maybe the fizz creates a less-than-ideal situation for the yeasties that cause thrush.

Here is the whole cut and paste of it ( from Volume 8, Issue 23, Midwifery Today E-News "The Perineum", under "The Art of Midwifery"):
"My mom, who has successfully nursed 12 babies, says that vinegar and baking soda are the best treatment for thrush. Before and after each feeding, swab the baby's mouth with a solution of baking soda in water-just enough to make a very thin paste-and dab vinegar on your nipples. This remedy takes three days of very consistent treatment.--Anon."

Who knows!
Samantha
 
#67 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Yo Becca View Post

Meg is conspiciously absent for a few days now...any bets she's had the baby??
Nope, no baby yet.
I have, however, come out of the fog (didn't really think about me or the baby much while worrying about Greg) and kicked into high gear for the month. I had hoped to defend my thesis BEFORE my due date, but with everything that went on in Oct, I just scheduled for defending the week after my due date.

Last time I started 'waiting' for the baby and I'm so determined not to do that this time. Sooo... I have my girlfriends toddler while she's in Paris this week, plus a lot of meetings for my Co-op (did I mention I'm president?), next week we'll have some friends over for Thanksgiving and then my defense on the 28th. THEN I can have the baby. My due date is the 20th, but I've recently remembered that I cheated my LMP by 3-4 days, so I might not fit my defense in.
We'll see. I'm a big believer in how your mind plays into things... plus my mother carried 4 children to 42-43 weeks, so I'm confident I have a few more weeks.

Although I did clean my house all weekend, top to bottom. It felt great! I have diapers ready, clothes washed (are they really that small?!) and Cecilia is playing 'baby' with all the baby toys.

Anna- can't wait to check your blog and photos.... they are always so nice.

Augs- croup! Yuck! Is that 'whooping cough' or something different? I hope it passes quickly or your dh can take a day or two off to help you.

Becca- yowie for Robin's skin! My SIL's kids are like that and every time I see them, I slather them in creme. Looks so ouchy! Celia's skin seems okay, so far, except around her mouth where she 'nuks out' at night... she only bathes a few times a week (yes, I'd recommend visiting on day #1 after bathing, not day #3!) but I swear it's better for her skin. It drives my mom nuts, so last week I let it go for 5 days- yikes!
 
#68 ·
meg, wow woman, you have a lot going on! what is your thesis on? i can't wait to hear your birth announcement, whenever it may be!

becca, i would be more than happy to send you some aquaphor. just pm me your address. the children's market sounds fun! the little mushroom shoes sound adorable.

ashley, oh you poor things! i hope you and thor recover quickly and that anna doesn't get it too.

anna, i looooove your pics. jasper is adorable and mielle is too- as always. and you are beautiful too, as always.
thank you for the welcome back, i have missed you mamas too!

jen, are you around? no word from northwest here yet, so keep those fingers crossed for us!

jilly, i'm sorry your dh has depression too. that is great that is now seeing a dr though. have you seen a big improvement? my dh goes back to work tomorrow (after having been home for 8 weeks!) and i am really nervous about how he will do.

i know there is more i want to respond to but i really have to run.

love,
c
 
#69 ·
hey yeah I'm still here.
was on a weekend trip with the t-man to my sis. I'll sum it up by saying I have the best kid in the world when it comes to travelling and American Airlines sucks when it comes to travelling alone with a toddler, especially if you have a car seat you're bringing on board. I just wanted to yell "Don't you glare at me, they're the ones who wouldn't let me pre-board! Take it up with them!".

The vinegar for thrush comes from the fact that yeast cannot thrive in an acidic environment. What the baking soda does I don't know, since it's alkaline. Maybe the fizzing foams the yeast out of the little crevices? Maybe it's because the mouth is already acidic and the baking soda neutralizes it? Ashley, if you don't order yourself some gentian violet soon just give me your address and I will send you a bottle! Please! Suffering bad!!!

Chrissy I've got everything crossed to be having you as a neighbor


A funny quote the 4-year-old from 'Nawlins' (I'd never met anyone who really called New Orleans 'Nawlins') on our last flight yesterday, as we were about to board, and he was really excited and said to T:

"Y'all 'n' I's goin' to Minnesota!"

I marvelled at the example of early speech pattern acquisition.


peace, jen
 
#70 ·
I've heard the baking soda & vinegar thing for thrush, too. I'll have to try that again. Before and after nursing is so daunting to me... but I should stick to it.

Anna -- Your pictures are so sweet. Mielle looks so tender towards Jasper.

A funny: Thor asks me to nurse everything. Lately I've nursed (not kidding): A cookie, an umbrella, a stuffed racoon, a giant plastic dinosaur, his elbow, my elbow, and Anna's toe.


A bummer: Thor's croup doesn't seem to be worse, but last night he was awake (wide awake) from 12pm to 5am. I have NO idea what that was about. Oh god was it awful. I think I slept about 3 hours last night. I was a wreck this morning, and cried just out of sheer exhaustion. Thor was so sweet. He kept saying, "Oh, mama, hurt. SORRY mama! Oh, mama, owie. Sorry!"


Thankfully they're both napping now, I'm going to too!

Oh and meg, no, croup isn't whooping cough. Not as serious, thankfully. Hopefully you'll never have to hear the sound of a croupy cough... ugh...
 
#71 ·
Meg - You have been very productive! I had a similar plan before RObin came - i had some sort of plan for every day until she came. It was tough b/c I had to stay in Atlanta, but Clint had already moved to Columbus, so I didn't have him to distract me. Good luck with your thesis preparation and defense!
Robin does get a bath daily - it's part of her bedtime routine, and I think it's a good thing to be able to slather her up immediately post-bath. But she's not getting washed every day anymore - just a rinse. And actually i added baby oil to her bath last night, so today her hair is sooooo greasy! Thank goodness for ponytails!

Chrissy - thanks for the offer to ship the aquaphor. But I did get my hands on some baby vaseline - not the best, but it is doing the job okay, and I'll be back in the US in just over 4 weeks!! SO I'll hold out. Believe me, the day will come when I will be begging you guys to send me rescue items! Hope your Dh has a good first day back. Good idea to start mid-week - he'll get a short week. So you guys thinking of moving....?

Jen - OOhhh - United wouldn't let us pre-board from Atlanta, and we really didn't have time in Chicago, but they let one of us on with the first class folks. I made loud comments as people were piling up behind us: "SORRY! For some reason the airline says this is more convenient than letting us on early!" I'm really intimidated that when I come back to the US for summer, I might be alone - with 2!! on a 20-something hour flight! With a nursling newborn! It's boarderline abusive. But we'll have to pay for that flight ourselves, and Clint would only be coming to help me in-flight, say hi to everybody, and fly back. So it's not really worth the big bucks for his ticket. SIL will hopefully fly back with me. Awesome that Tristan is a good traveller! Does your sister live in Nawlins'?

Augs - hope you get a nap squeezed in. Thor is such a sweetie the way he "mothers" you. Hope you didn't spread thrush to the cookie, that would be a real shame!

Well, I'm really excited to travel over Chinese new Year in February - but Clint is worried about me flying so late. I'd be fine to take the train - but I don't think I want to go anywhere that I can go by train!! I want OUT of the city for a while. And if we flew to Thailand, which isn't cheap but we could swing it, we could split a week between a national park (with waterfalls and elephants) and a little family-oriented beach. Via train... we could go to other cities in China. Cities - ugg! We were supposed to have a week off when we got here, then a week off in October - but Clint ended up working through both and our plans to get out of the city got scrapped. I like big city living - but I'm used to being able to visit family in the country often. So I have to do some research and try to help him feel better about me flying...or else find another location.
 
#72 ·
Baking soda is anti-fungal, I think. I know you can use it for Athlete's foot and yeast infections (and just about everything else in the universe).

Sorry, was that a non-sequitor? My IL's are visiting and I am momentarily diving into the computer room. After today I have come to an end of the crazy things I have to do before the baby. Now I just have to do baby stuff and youth group stuff and normal Christmas / life stuff. Whew!

I should go before I get caught showing my son Homestarunner cartoons and get the spanish inquisition about what Homestarunner is and why I show it to my 2 yr old.


Have a good day, y'all! Jill
 
#74 ·
But its true this time. Honest! Well, except for the millions of Christmas visits we'll have to do to well meaning people in our church who don't think dh has enough to do with a billion special services to run and choir things to sing in and don't realize that he's super introverted and they are just exhausting him. But that doesn't really count, that's just normal Christmas stuff.

The funny things is that I'm not nearly as involved in things as I was before I had Andrew, so I feel like I"m slacking a lot. Although my house is generally cleaner now . . . it used to be a good month if the dishes got washed once a week. -- HEY! Where did the LOL smiley go? Pretend I inserted it here.

I'm due mid-January, and I have a list of only about 15 things I have to do before then, and that's mostly making quilts and organizing and washing things, so I actually will be pretty relaxed for the next 2 months. Its not nearly as crazy as, say, Meg's list -- I have no theses to defend or wood to chop.
 
#76 ·
Oh, the only reason I have such a crazy list is because I invented it for myself...
: I get pretty nervous around the last part of pregancy, so staying busy is a way to keep myself from worrying. If I let myself, my head can wander from 'will birth be okay' to 'what if the world ends and my family has to live on the moon?' Deciding that I MUST defend my thesis this month is just a way to think about something other than the 'what if's.' My thesis defense is 'Medicated hypertensives and their response to cold exposure with and without a heat exchange mask.' Zzzzzz academic and dull, but I could publish if I wanted to- which I DON'T.

Becca; what's wrong with flying while pregnant? Not to sound simple, but other than traveling right on your due date or after it (when I would guess that pressure changes might help start labor) what would be the problem with flight if you are having a normal pregnancy?

Jilly; your to do list sounds fun. I envy people who can do quilts and 'crafty stuff.' I hardly had the patience to sit through sewing a dog bed. Yes, I'm 29 and my mother is teaching me to sew- and I STINK! But I want to learn...


Augs, I'm glad croup is different. But sorry you have to go through it.... it still sounds awful. And I can't wait to see the chickens! I'll peek at work, where the internet is faster. We won't talk about how slow mine is at home.

I hope you are getting sleep now!!


Oh, baby names.... this week I like Carl (cute with Cecilia, I think) after Greg's grandfather or we both still like Gabriel (Gabe) which was Greg's brothers suggestion- the one who won't have his own children, so ours are speical to him. A girl is easy; either Ruth (we know three wonderful women with that name, one is my midwife, one is our friend who passed suddenly and one is my 'grandma' who always remembered me even when my biological one didn't) or Francesca (Frankie) or Vivian. We'll see. I am excited to meet and name the baby... who knows what kind of name we'll come up with on the spot!
 
#77 ·
Meg, I love the name Carl. My best friend's very wonderful youngest brother is Carl (the Finn version Kalle, actually). Frankie is cute too.

Also, I am able to do so many crafty things because I'm okay with miserably failing in about half of my projects. I'm the queen of cutting literal corners because I'm just a tiny bit short of fabric, or (as in my last project) re-stitching half the seams when they pull apart in the washing machine because I switched thread half way through. So I just do it for fun, even though I'm totally bad at it and always make things that people say "oh, that's really . . . interesting" to.


AugsM-- are you guys getting the same weather as Vancouver? Are you flooded too, or did the crazy rain storms miss you?
 
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