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January 2012 Whatever Ladies Are All Done Having Their Babies!

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17K views 509 replies 12 participants last post by  pokeyac 
#1 ·
Member List:

lyeterae ~ Baby boy born February 2011
annie ~ Baby girl born April 7, 2011
Barefootscientist ~ Baby boy born May 30, 2011
AnnieA (due 7/18) ~ Baby girl born July 17, 2011
MarineWife (due 7/30) ~ Baby boy born July 25, 2011
Baby_Cakes (due 8/16) ~ Baby boy born August 16, 2011
MovingMomma (due 8/9) ~ Baby girl born August 18, 2011
akind1 (due 9/28) ~ Baby girl born October 11, 2011
mom2one (due 10/23) ~ Baby boy born October 21, 2011
jeninejessica (due 12/10) ~ Baby girl born November 29, 2011
Kindermama (due 1/6) ~ Baby boy born January 1, 2012

Here is the January 2012 Pregnant thread:

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1340508/january-2012-whatever-ladies-having-babies-waiting-on-the-last-one#post_16809188

Here is last month's thread:

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1337786/december-2011-whatever-ladies-having-babies-we-are-down-to-one
 
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#352 ·
Thanks for that link. I don't think that was the place I was talking about. It doesn't seem familiar but I'll try it. I remembered that I printed a bunch of the recipes from before. I think I still have them. Just need to find them. I liked it because none of the recipes used meat substitutes. It was all whole veggies.

What do you all think is worse, hormone-laden meat or GMO plant based foods? I know what Carrie will say.
winky.gif


That's a big part of my problem. I don't have much choice for organic or non-GMO foods. A lot of the GMO foods aren't labeled so there's not really any way to know. The few things that I can get here are so expensive that I can't possibly buy enough for all of us all the time. It's so frustrating! At least I wouldn't have to worry about Ryan. He has no interest in going vegetarian. Sean will spend all his money on meat when he gets home, too.
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#353 ·
Both bother me! LOL! If I had to choose though, I think the meat is unethical, but the GMO stuff scares the crap out of me. I make sure what I buy says non-gmo on it. I don't know what i'd choose if I had to pick b/w the two...

I don't know necessarily what the other kids are bringing but I do trust the teachers to not give her anything she isn't allowed. They understand no meat, no dairy, no eggs. To that extent, if they aren't sure what's in it they don't offer it to her. And she's wise enough to ask, as well. She doesn't share others food and asks unprompted if it has cows milk or if it's meat. So. That's all I can "control".

The irish soda bread is in the oven! We'll see how it turns out. I've never made it before, so here goes nuthin'!

PS. Finn is sitting up so well! I didn't have a memory card in the camera so all the pics I took came out a little blurry b/c I only had my phone. But look!!

2012-01-26100459.jpg?t=1327595615
 
#354 ·
He is! such big boy (both in the literal sense and in the he's just growing up so fast sense)

Which bothers me more? hmmm. It is easier to buy hormone and antibiotic free meat. One of the stores here - publix which I know isn't in NC - has a store brand of organic meats and milks. The non-GMO stuff is freaky too, but I only buy the non-GMO stuff when there is a clear option. like with baby oatmeal. or some of the cornstarches, etc, if there is GMO (it's not labeled as such, but whatever)next to one that says non-GMO, I choose the non-GMO one.

What I like about e-mealz is there are a lot of options. I used to subscribe to a couple different menu plans (low carb, eating for 2 at whichever store, etc) so I would have some options.
 
#355 ·
I think the only way to be as safe as I can is to buy all organic. But, it's soooooo expensive. We just can't afford enough of it to feed all of us. Not to mention there's such a limited supply here. I do wonder, too, how safe non-GMO produce is from GMO produce. I can see that everything will eventually be GMO even if we stopped producing it because there's no way to completely control cross-contamination. Unless, I guess, all the non-GMO stuff is grown in buildings that can't be accessed by free-range bugs and seeds.
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yay for finn sitting up!

That sounds like a good set up, Carrie. I was imagining you asking for a list of ingredients from everyone's food and them giving you the evil eye.
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I'm in trouble. My house is a mess and I need to go to the post office but I threw my back out. I can barely move or even pick D up. Nothing is going to get done and it's going to drive me crazy.
 
#356 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarineWife View Post

I think the only way to be as safe as I can is to buy all organic. But, it's soooooo expensive. We just can't afford enough of it to feed all of us. Not to mention there's such a limited supply here. I do wonder, too, how safe non-GMO produce is from GMO produce. I can see that everything will eventually be GMO even if we stopped producing it because there's no way to completely control cross-contamination. Unless, I guess, all the non-GMO stuff is grown in buildings that can't be accessed by free-range bugs and seeds.
lol.gif


yay for finn sitting up!

That sounds like a good set up, Carrie. I was imagining you asking for a list of ingredients from everyone's food and them giving you the evil eye.
lol.gif
Lol!! No way!! We're strict but not THAT strict!!

Idk much about the GMO dilemma. I should read more about it. I read something the other day that whole foods was even starting to sell GMO things. It's a bit out if control.

What if you did free range organic meat once a week, or twice? The rest of the week eat vegetarian. It's easy enough. I think you could save a ton of money, and not buying those over priced Amy's meals will help!!

I'm going a, little nuts today., Nora is very needy, everything is mommy come here, mommy come see, and Finn is stressing out over sitting, teething, and his reflux. I stopped the zantac BC we were down to once a day every other day. Today he's having lots of silent reflux, choking, and barking hiccups. He's not happy. I gave him his medicine tonight, and some Tylenol for his teeth. I feel spent. Totally spent. Having some wine and watching blues clues with Nora, then we are all going to BED.

MW, I hope your back feels better soon!!

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
 
#357 ·
I can't even get organic, free range or grass fed meats. The Commissary sells organic ground beef and bison and I buy a little of that. That's why I want to switch to vegetarian again as much as possible. I think it will cost less and probably be healthier.

I'm not clear on exactly what the issues with GMO foods are. At first I thought it wasn't any different than cross-breeding and didn't get what the big deal was. But I've read that they insert DNA from completely related organisms, like from fish into corn (I don't know if that's what they actually do but it's something like that.). That's freaky. And, maybe viruses or other organism that are supposed to act as internal pesticides. I don't see how that's any safer than using something like DDT. We were talking about that at park day today. One woman told me that she knew someone who used to raise feeder rats. At first, this lady just fed the rats the store bought corn stuff that was GMO but all her rats developed stomach tumors. She switched to making her own organic feed and the tumors cleared up. She said she had fancy rats for a while and fed them corn-based rat food from a store and they got stomach tumors, too. Totally anecdotal but it makes you think.

Dylan's been having a lot of silent reflux again, too. He's been spitting up a few times a day, which he never used to do at all, and he cries when he does. His weight gain is slowing. He gained a little over a pound from month 4 to 5 but less than a pound from month 5 to 6. He's 18 lbs. and 3 ounces. He was 17 lbs. and 14 ounces at 5 months. That's a gain of only 6 ounces. I didn't get around to measuring his length today. I'll do that tomorrow. I know it's normal for weight gain to slow from 4-6 months and then again from 6-9 months but I don't know by how much. I need to look that up.

My back is feeling better after I took a double dose of ibuprofen. I'm still not going to clean anything today. Sweeping and mopping and bending and lifting make it worse. Hopefully, I'll feel well enough tomorrow to do it because my house really needs it. If I miss doing laundry one day, it piles up fast.
 
#358 ·
Marine Wife...totally crashing, but I moused over the list of posts and caught "can't get organic, etc" from you post, saw your name, and knew you live in NC. I used to live there and would get my beef from a man in Wilmington. I would buy it by the 1/2 cow, and we really enjoyed it. It was really good. His name is Ron Koster of Tarheel Beef. I don't know if he is still doing it or not, but though I'd throw it out there if you're interested. He would deliver on base for about $50, too.
 
#359 ·
gah. I keep reading, and having things to say, but then not being able o type, so intending to come back later... and then I forget everything I wanted to say. Oh well.

I know several of you have SSCs... I think we're going to be in the market for one soon, once I can convince DH that we truly do need it. I feel like a basic mei tai is my preference, but I know there's lot of other similiar options out there-- boba, ergo, etc. Which ones do you guys have, what are the benefits over a mei tai? I like the mei tai in theory because it seems simpler. I seem to have a bit of a sensory integration issue, and so not having extra buckles and straps etc etc seems like a big bonus to me.
 
#360 ·
JJ: I am going to through you for a loop by adding an option: a Half Buckle carrier. It buckles at the waist, but the shoulders are ties, like this:

look here: http://babiesbeyondborders.com/catalog.php?category=10

I am really leaning towards trying one. I hate adjusting 5 different buckle/straps on the Boba for the right fit. (same with any full buckle carrier) Though I like my Boba better than the Ergo. I really love Kinderpacks (you have to google them) but they are pricey. but can be found used on FSOT alot. Also, KP's are available in lots more sizes so maybe can get a better fit without having to adjust as many buckles and what not.
 
#361 ·
Theres a site you can rent carriers from to try them out...what is it called????

This is it!!

http://paxbaby.com/zen/paxbabys-sling-exchange-c-44.html?zenid=4501d70c1acb8800a4fef0d2e3036aa0

I've never used a mei tai so I can't compare, but I've wrapped, used a sling, and a Boba, and the Boba wins hands down for ease of getting baby (when bigger) in and out and off you go. Tho -- I'm still trying to figure out the whole back carry with it, so I can't comment on that ease.

Tenley seems small(er) than my beast, so I think if you want something 2 shouldered, something padded and easy is the way to go, whichever way you choose. There's no right or wrong, just what you like and what she likes.
 
#362 ·
Someone showed me this site to compare different SSCs: http://www.theportablebaby.com/carrierfeatures.html It doesn't compare me tais, though.

This one has a short comparison of wraps, mei tais and slings but no SSCs: http://wrapyourbaby.com/kinds.htm The Resources link has links to other babywearing websites where you can get reviews and find used ones for sale.

Here's a site that has patterns for making your own baby carriers, among other things: http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/index.html

I have never used a SSC. I considered one but they are expensive and I had already bought a ring sling, pouch, wrap. My mei tai cost a lot less. It is Sean's favorite of all my carriers. Other than the wrap, it is the most comfortable for carrying baby for long shopping trips and hikes and that sort of thing. Sean carried Ethan in it while we hiked all over the Big Island, Hawaii. Back carries are relatively easy. The only thing about mine that I wish were different is that the shoulder straps were a bit longer so that I could bring them through the straps across my chest when in a back rucksack back carry so the straps wouldn't feel like they were pulling my shoulders back and slipping off.

I think baby carriers are like cloth diapers. You may have to try several before finding the one that works best for you. That can be difficult because of the cost. I like that rental site. That's a great idea. Plus, using the patterns from sleepingbaby.net if you can sew would save a lot of money, I'm sure.

What a great night of sleep for us! D slept for 4-5 hours for the first stretch! Maybe now that that 4th tooth finally broke through, he'll sleep better. Now if I could just get him to go down at 10 instead of midnight or 1 am. Ugh! Hopefully, when basketball is over, we can go back to a more reasonable schedule.

It's Friday and I have nowhere to go. I'm going to hang at home and try to get some cleaning done. My back feels better but still a little twingy so I'll have to be careful about what and how much I do and I how I move.
 
#363 ·
Carrie ~ I've been meaning to show you pics of Dylan in his OS dipes forever now and am finally getting around to it. I especially wanted to show you pics of him in the Wonderoos OS pockets that I use for night. They are very bulky, which is why I use them only at night. I didn't use one of those last night so all I have for now is him in one of my larger, thicker OS fitted dipes. To put it in perspective, he can wear this fitted dipe all night without any leaks. Actually, it barely feels wet.

Here's the front (obviously):

700

And here's the back:

700

I want to get a pic of him in one of his trimmer OS fitteds so you can see the difference. In general, though, OS dipes are going to be bulkier just by nature of their design and purpose. If you want a cloth diaper comparable in size to a sposie (which is getting harder and harder since the sposies are getting smaller and smaller), you'll have to get a sized diaper.
 
#364 ·
Oh how adorable he is!

What OS dipe do you use at night? I'm still skeptical of all mine, I don't think I could get away with any of the ones I currently have at night, especially not the blueberry or the FB. Those are damp on the outside after a long nap!! I think I'd need to break out some big guns to get through 9-10 hours. His morning 'sposie is HEAVILY soaked.

One of my new mama friends, who came for a playdate the other morning, gave me a GroVia OS and two Flip diapers, with a bunch of disposable liners, and a few regular inserts. The one I posted is the GroVia. My goodness, super trim. Awesome. I want to see though how these biodegradable liners are. I wonder how much they hold. He's down for a nap now with it on, so we shall see.

My new diapers that I ordered should arrive today!! I added 5 dipes to my stash this week, it is really going to help me keep up with the laundry. Now I should have plenty to get through more than 2 days of CD'ing before switching back to sposies while they wash/dry.
 
#365 ·
the one he has on in that pick is from Piper's Closet http://hyenacart.com/stores/pipers-closet/index.php?info=677. The store is inactive now.
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. She's on FB, though.

I usually use a Wonderoos stuffed with a premium PF with a hemp insert wrapped in it. That's the nice thing about using OS pockets at night, you can stuff them with as many layers as you need. You can always add a soaker or two to a fitted for extra absorbency as well. They are bulky but I'm able to get a 9 month sleeper on him if it's cold. when it's warm, he's just in the dipe and a shirt. since we bedshare, that's usually all he needs. it gets pretty warm under the covers with 4 bodies. I could probably use my other OS pockets as long as they are stuffed enough but I use those with just one Joey Bunz hemp insert when we go out. Those are pretty trim with just that.

I don't know if anyone makes Wonderoos anymore. Mine are really old and the elastic is pretty much shot in all of them but they still work great. Never had a leak or blow out or wicking. They are lined with microsuede instead of whatever the fuzzibunz are lined with. is it microfleece? i like the microsuede better. seems to stay drier.

How do those biodegradable liners work? Do you flush them or throw them in the trash?
 
#366 ·
Yeah! on the checking how biodegradable they actually are. We had the kushies liners, which are flushable and biodegradable. We accidently sent one through the washer and the dryer one day-- and it came out intact!

We haven't used them since. No way you should be flushing something that will come outo f the washer/dryer intact!

Thanks for the comparison website, I'm going to go over it with DH. We're ideally looking for a carrier that both of us can use, so I guess that's a point against buckles etc.

Our local babywearing group has a lending library, so I want to take out a mei tai, but there's waiting lists, and I thikn you can only take 2 at a time, so obviously I want to make sure I choose wisely!

Anyways, I only have like a minute left, but I wanted to share that we had the BEST day ever yesterday! It's the only day in two months we've had where it was a good day all day long. She slept well night before last, then woke up, we nursed, played for a bit, and then got bundled and went out for a walk with the new stroller (I'm soooo out of shape, but the ride on that thing is so awesome!), where she napped for about 30-45 minutes, came home, had lunch and nursed, played lots, and then she napped again from 315 until 615, and I got to sleep for the last two hours as well. Then she got up, nursed, and we played again for a long time, put her in the sling and she walked around with me while I did some little tidying, she also played by herself for a while on the bed, and on her tummy mat, nursed, then from 9 until midnight she kind of nursed/played/dozed off and on, starting to get more fussy, finally fell asleep at about midnight, and slept so well all night. She woke up at 430, nursed (being flooded...) for FOUR minutes, and then fell back asleep right away, slept until 7, woke up and nursed, changed, went back to sleep, and slept again until like 930. It was glorious! We're going to be positive and hopeful for today as well. The key will be getting her a good nap- she's so much nicer when she's not tired, even though she fights it,.
 
#367 ·
Depending on you and your DH, buckles are actually the only thing DH wil use. He isn't too keen on wrapping. And we both use the Boba with a little adjusting.

Gabe let's me wrap him! Doesn't like the Boba, but tolerates wrapping! I am really happy about that, because he us a beast to carry.

Yay for good days and nights. I have no complaints about either.

Grr. I don't like long typing on the iPhone
 
#368 ·
We have a wrap and a homemade sling (I used the link you posted MW- turned out great!), but I want something that's just a bit easier and mostly, that I can do the back carry with. DH will use both of ours now, though he doesn't see the point of buying a new carrier. I like the fact that with the SSC's they seem easier to put her in/ take her out, because that's often the problem with her and carriers, is that by the time I have it on and ready for her, and then have to do all the shuffling to get her in, she's usually angry and screaming and then won't calm. I have been trying the kangaroo hold in the sling lately though, and she's a much bigger fan of that, but I can't seem to get the top rail tight enough to actually hold her in safely. I keep a hand in that area, and I've been stuffing her teddy bear in to help her from shifting! lol Not the best option, but it's working for now.
 
#369 ·
JJ: with a ring sling I found it really helped to pull the top rail towards you (like horizontally) and up to tighten. the bottom rail down and away.

After going to some meetings and seeing the stash others have, I think DH doesn't mind the few I have, and understands a bit better about why you might want more than one or two (or 4) LOL

Such a beautiful day outside!
 
#370 ·
JJ ~ Yay for a good day!

Men seem to like SSCs with buckles best. I think some may think the slings and wraps are too feminine. You can get SSCs that are quite adjustable so that, if there isn't too much difference in size, two people can use the same one. Of course, many of the SSCs except the Ergo have very feminine prints, which men may not like so much.

After pulling the ring sling tail as tight as I can, I pull each end/rail to tighten them up separately. I do sometimes have to do a bit of shifting and pulling with the top rail to get it tight enough for my comfort.

I found my menus and recipes from years ago. I have several weeks worth so I don't really need any more right now. The website is savingdinner.com. It has changed a lot, though, and doesn't seem to have the same options as before. I couldn't find any choices for types of menus, like meat, vegetarian, vegan, etc. I think the person only sells books now. I was excited because there was a banner for gluten free, paleo meals but I couldn't find a sample. I'm not going to pay for something before I know what it consists of.

Oh, and I think I got all the cat urine smell out of my bed. I threw the comforter away, by the way. It's way too big to get clean enough in my machine and I hate dry cleaning. I zipped off the mattress cover and cleaned both sides and the inside of the mattress with vinegar.

Back to mopping that we were discussing a while ago. I've tried just about every mopping system there is, sponge mop and bucket, that vacuum/mop flip-it thingie, steam mops and a mop like the Swiffer but with reusable pads and a bottle that I can fill with anything. I use the Swiffer wet jet sometimes but I like the reusable mop the best right now. I fill the bottle with vinegar water and I think it does a better job that Swiffer without having to worry about nasty chemicals. I use vinegar to clean just about everything.
 
#371 ·
Oh JJ, yay for a good day!!

These liners are grovia, they say compostable and biodegradable, but the elastic hasn't been tested. Eh. Better than a pain old Huggies, at least.

I don't know, there's a, learning curve I'm sure, but lining up the insert is tricky with the flip diapers. I like the grovia shell better so far.

Agreed, men like buckles and structure.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
 
#372 ·
I use gDiaper disposable inserts inside my flips. there is no elastic, it's just a big rectangle.

I was not a grovia fan, esp their velcro.

Mop: w/ swiffer wet jet or similiar is probably done once a week or so. With an actual mop? that's like a couple times a year.
 
#373 ·
Ooh, I like the Velcro on the grovia so far. gDiapers, yes, those inserts were good, and flushable. I don't have any of those, but I'd buy those again.

Do any of you have hard wood floors? I need something to clean them, but what? I bought some stupid orange glo thing a few years back and used it once. The fake orange smell was obnoxious.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk
 
#374 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by akind1 View Post

Mop: w/ swiffer wet jet or similiar is probably done once a week or so. With an actual mop? that's like a couple times a year.
Yeah, I can't remember the last time I used a mop and bucket now. I just mop with sprayer one, take the pad off and throw it in the washing machine. It's so quick and easy that I can do it almost every day.

Here's Dylan in one of his fitted OS diapers.

450

450

I don't know if you can tell the difference. It's hard to get the same perspective with photos. This one is more trim. I have no idea what size regular pants would fit over it, though, since I only use my knit longies that stretch a lot.
 
#376 ·
These (Muttaqins) fit really trim even when on the smallest setting and they start at 8 lbs. I still have it snapped down one time. I don't snap the Wonderoos down at all anymore because when he sits up in them I see crack.
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They are still quit bulky. They are pretty big diapers. But then, I stuff those pretty full for nighttime. Oh, the Piper's Closet and Wonderoos start at 10 lbs., I believe.

I don't recommend Muttaqins anymore, though, because of the trouble I've had with them. They were some of the ones that disintegrated within a few months. I talked to a friend of mine who makes diapers and she said there was a bad batch of bamboo going around a while ago. Some people wouldn't use but I guess others did because it was cheaper. Once she told me that I decided to contact the maker and ask if she would replace the snap-in soakers since that's what disintegrated. I also asked if she could make some more for some used diapers I bought and offered to pay for those. I never got a response.
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