August 2005 Babies -- April Thread

I loved looking at all of your sweet babes. It's great to have faces to go with the names. I got a picture trail account and I hope to link you all to it soon.

I have to tell you about our laugh party. It was so funny. Deladis was nursing, and for some reason we both started smiling at each other at the same time. Then, we both started laughing, for no real reason. DD couldn't nurse for our laughing, and it lasted about 5 minutes! We couldn't look at each other without laughing. Wow! Sometimes I wonder where my baby went. I felt like I was interacting with a small girl. It was a moment for memory for sure.

elight - Very nice name! I used to want to name a boy baby Octavian Augustus for the very same reason! Dh wouldn't go for it, so now we have the tamer Silas Luther reserved for our boy. Deladis is an old Appalachian name, with latin roots. My dh is an old time musician (banjo player), and there is a movie called The Songcatcher about the recording of that music. Anyway, Deladis is a girl's name in the movie that looks so much like dh's family. All those together made it the name for us. I had to give her a good mountain name. Proud mountain folks we are.

Conversation opportunity. I was just thinking this evening during our bedtime routine that a discussion on the babes favorite books and lullabies would be great!
DD loves a touch and feel book called Good Morning! Good Night! She also likes this Finger Poppet books that you can get from Family Dollar for a dollar a piece. They are pop-up books with finger puppet attached. They are 3 pages, and the punctuation is horrible, but dd loves them. Dh got her "art" books ex. Sunday with Seurat, that she loves too. I buy her a book every holiday and write her a note in its cover.

DD loves old time mountain music. I guess because dh plays it on the banjo and she heard a lot of it inutero. I sing her the ballads like - Pretty Saro, Raildroad Boy, Coocoo Bird, Fair and Tender Ladies, Little Birdie, etc... Those seem to soothe her like no other songs.

What's funny is that she really dislikes new wave music. I wonder why. Dh and I love it so. We are music lovers, as the first generation to grow up with MTV, we like a wide variety too. Too bad MTV isn't music anymore. Oh well, another reason we don't have cable.

Well, once again as the month went on, I got REALLY behind reading posts. So, I haven't had a chance to read up on what happened during the last half of march. Anyway, I can't believe it's april! Our babies are growing so fast! Jonah is a CRAWLING maniac. He doesn't even want to play with his baby toys anymore, he wants to play with go play with his older brother's toddler toys and follow him around like a puppy. It's so cute, he really looks up to big brother so much. Tonight, my DH was rough housing with the toddler, and jonah started screaming at me to put him down, so he could join in on the fun with his brother and dad. I was afraid he'd get hurt, but he loved it and my DH was careful to make sure he didn't accidentally get knocked about (toddler can be kind of rough w/o knowing it). Anyway, it's just been so much fun to see jonah interacting with everyone so well. Otherwise, he is still nursing strong. We tried giving him some solids, but he's not too crazy about it, so I'm not going to rush it. Jonah and I went to our very first La Leche League conference two wknds ago and it was awesome! He did relatively well, and was snug as a bug in my mei tai for the most part. This was before he was full blown crawling, thank goodness. Now, he insists that you let him down to crawl on his own, AND he's already trying to pull up to stand. I cannot believe it. He's a little bit ahead of my other son with the crawling, I think he's more motivated, b/c he wants to keep up with his big brother. Right now jonah's cutting more teeth, he's already got six, working on #7, he's been biting me a lot, which I hate, b/c my oldest DS was a horrible biter. It also sounds like jonah is saying, "dada." I thought it was a fluke, but my dh commented that he thought he heard the same thing on a different occasion. Maybe he'll be my early talker, my toddler was a late talker. I want to teach jonah sign language (our toddler knows it), but we've been lazy about it, I keep forgetting to sign as I do things with him.

Eastkygal- I love new wave music too! So far jonah doesn't seem to have any preference to music, but I think he's just used to hearing the wiggles and other kids stuff, b/c of my toddler.

Did anyone play or was on the receiving end of any april fool's jokes?

I've missed you all so much!

Sorry it has been so long since I've updated...becoming a SAHM has been such a tough transition for me, and we've all struggled with some health issues over the past several months. I feel many days now like we're starting to come out of the woods, so to speak, and ready to post more regularly. I'll try to read some of the last two months of threads to catch up on all of you and your GOR babes!

Samara will be 8 months on Monday -- wow. She is sitting on her own and doesn't fall back much anymore, reaching forward for things, and doing this very weird backwards scooting thing...not on her tush, but flat on her back with her head tipped way back! She looks like some sort of deformed crab! She's making tons of great noises: the standard bbbbbbbbbb raspberry sound, lots of "ma ma ma ma ma ma ma," some "wahhh wahhh" (not crying, just "ma" with a w), and squeals of laughter. She is truly daddy's girl...my older daughter (Ronni) is more "mine," but Sammi goes nuts for DH. She hears the key turn in the lock and starts bouncing and grunting and reaching for the door. It's so sweet! I have a new pic in my signature if you want to see her in her naked, bathing glory. She's probably around 15-16 pounds now, I'm not sure.

We kept out of the hospital for the last two colds, which was a huge feat for us. Using the nebulizer at home was a great thing. She's started on some solids, but only that horrible pureed jarred baby food. I tried making my own for her and she would not swallow it, but I had a jar for when we were out for the evening with her, and she gobbled it up...so I tried other jars, and she loves them. Try as I might, I cannot puree my food to that syrup-like consistency in the jars. Oh well. She also appears to be allergic to grains -- oats and rice both make her projectile vomit. Yikes. We'll see what the doctor says next month at her 9-month checkup.

I myself have been picking up some freelance work, which all seems to have come in over the last week or so. I got rejected by the graduate program I applied to, so I'm a bit directionless for now, but I'll keep plugging away on the freelance stuff and see where it takes me.

Eastkygal, I'm an old-timey fiddler...and I sing "Pretty Saro" to Samara every night as I put her to sleep! We'll have to compare notes on favorite old-time tunes for kids. Do you have the Mike & Peggy Seeger compilation "Animal Folk Songs for Children?" It has some great ones. We sing "The Leatherwing Bat," "Great Big Dog," "Hop Up My Ladies," "Oh Blue," and "Ole Stewball" all the time around here.

I'll catch up as I can. I hope everyone is doing well! Can't wait to see all the pictures I'm sure are around here!

I know what you mean about having no time to post! Kiernen has been awake a lot more, shorter naps during the day and sleeping less at night because he is finally actually cutting those first two teeth! One has slightly popped through and we're awaiting the other. Plus being seven months old is so interesting! So much to learn and know!

We visited our new ped the other day and he's 28.75" tall and 19.5 pounds - off the charts! And his head!!! The big giant head!!!

I'm not entirely sure about that height though - I think the marks on the paper may have been rather generous. I'd say give or take a half inch maybe. But he is definitely tall!

Kiernen isn't crawling yet but he has gotten the Army crawl - he still really just feels that Mommy or Daddy can get hm around just fine thank you, and he doesn't wanna be on his tummy. We're trying, though, to get him to "see" that he can be mobile. And we've begun to babyproof.

I still need to get the photos uploaded from last month so I can post them. I get so little time at the computer these days - Kiernen has been really demanding lately

8 months old on the 10th! Holy oh my goodness.

Hi, everyone!!

We just got back into town last night after our road trip - & I have too much laundry to do to write too much here, especially since I've used most of my screen time finishing reading the March posts!!) -- but I just wanted to say hi.

I checked out all the pics, and gosh do we have some GOR babies here! There was so much I wanted to comment on, but the biggest thing was the nipple twiddling -- aaaghhh!! Adam's started that, too, and I'm having the nipple soreness from hell with this pregnancy - for the first time last night, I was in tears trying to nurse Adam, and I finally handed him to dh who tried a bottle of previously frozen pumped MM with no success. However, Adam did fall asleep rocking with dh long enough for me to compose myself and relax enough to be able to get through the next nursing session... Hanging on until the 2nd tri and hoping the nipple pain disappears quickly.

Hugs to all - happy birthday to the birthday girls - love to the sick babies - and true empathy to the mamas who aren't sleeping due to teeth and other sundry 7 month issues!

Oh, and one more thing: : This made me laugh!

Deborah, I think you should put : in one of your poems. Kind of hard to read out loud at a reading, but super fun to read. Okay, nobody would get it and you'd lose all your clout - maybe just write a poem for us with the chart

Just wanted to subscribe and share a little milestone here. My dh is out and about this morning with BOTH the girls (getting me a birthday gift ) for the very first time. A long time coming and definitely the downside (the only one I can see) of having an EBF baby who won't take a bottle. Boy, she's working on the cup drinking, though!

Really can't believe Annabelle will be eight months old this week. The development relationally this past week has been tremendous. Hearing "mama" is such a thrill and she's started to lay her head on our shoulders when she's tired and give hugs. Yesterday I went to work out and she crawled around saying "mama" looking for me. I'm so in love with her.

I think last week, someone asked about tub toys and bathtime. We have started to just bring Annabelle into the shower with us three or so times a week and that is working really well. She's happy enough to sit on the floor of the tub and play with cups and buff puffs and washcloths and have the water run over her. Then when I pick her up to wash her hair, she dives her head right under the spray, like she's rinsing her own hair. Hilarious! Yesterday, she took a shower with Lily too.

Big sis is just doing wonderfully with her. They are so connected and no one can make the baby smile quite like sissy.

Another first this week - swinging in a bucket swing at the park! Ohhhh, I love spring!

all cleaned up...

People also comment to me about how happy and healthy ds is. Some even start off by asking if he's BF, because according to them BF babies always look brighter.
Malek has been saying mum, mom, or mummy when he wants attention for a few months now, but I don't think he's going to be saying it any time soon as a title for me. He's dropped 'dada' for 'guh' or 'gee' and that sound one can make when curling their tongue to the roof of their mouth and sucking. He's waving more and more and still rolls his arms over the other when he's sitting around - all super cute. I've been showing his the sign for kitty the past week, but he hasn't done it yet - though he looks super curious.

I hear the 8th month is when babies start to get their groove on and bounce to music - I can't wait!

I tried showering with ds, but he didn't like it and I couldn't get much done. Maybe I'll try again after the current teeth break through and he's in a better mood. We've been bathing him with us for the past few months. Every other evening. He doesn't like to be in the tub alone. I hope this changes soon.

Malek, who is pretty much ebf - occassional rice, O's, fruit, here and there - has a BM about twice a week now of peanut butter consistancy. Is that about the same for yours? It sounds infrequent, but he doesn't seem to be constipated...

Best books are the 'Brown Bear Brown Bear' and 'Polar bear Polar bear - what do you see'' and "Good Night Mimi', which i read to him every ngiht in utero. I don't know any lullibies... I make up songs and, at night, we listen to a Kenny Logens lulliby cd his granma gave him while we dance and I kinda sing along. He LOVES the itsy bitsy spider though, but I usually save that for car rides.

about parabens: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabens

Emmie is eight months today... and she's been bouncing to music for a month at least already... Probably because she has two serious music hounds for parents. and since she got the commando crawl down Friday, she's really working at it. She is loving her newfound mobility...

Some pretty rotten storms around here. The closest news station just got knocked off the air. The next closest {wthr for my fellow hoosiers} is reporting 67 mph winds in the area of the station knocked off the air.. This storm is already said to have spawned tornadoes in Illinois.. I'm worried, so I'll be around for awhile watching the radar...

O. took steps!!

My sister held her in a standing position on the sofa, and O stepped onto my sister's lap. Then O took another step *in* my sister's lap to reach a necklace.

I gave a poetry reading today -- it went VERY well -- and DH and O showed up in time to see me. DH said that O saw me up on the stage and then she heard me talk and started to get so excited that DH thought it'd be better to take her out. She was reaching for the stage and wanting to come up there with me! Hee hee. How cute!

Afterwards, my friend said she need to talk to me. I could tell she was trying to get away from a strange man. He followed us to the hallway...He was dressed like a mafia guy -- dark silk suit with a collar-less satiny shirt. He wore thick silvery rings and spoke with a New Jersey accent and said "ain't." He brought up child molesters (he said he doesn't like them), said the women who could handle him called him "baby," and made a reference to having been in jail. When O looked at him, he said she was trying to stare him down.

Um, oh-kaaaaaaay. We made a hasty exit. I won't even tell you about the guy who said he tells his friends to name their children Lucifer.

Quote:

laughup

You all crack me UP.

:

This formula mama is 100% proud of her friend Deborah. 87% is FABULOUS!!!! We never got higher than 30%. I am really looking forward to getting off the formula in the near future and starting goat's milk. Owen is allergic to cow's milk.

Not to start any controversy, but does anyone give their baby juice to drink?

Can you believe how our babies are growing????? Owen is all over the place. We went to the park today and he was just about jumping out of his skin. He wants to run and play.

That's interesting about babies and music at 8 months. I've noticed that Owen is more responsive to songs now. I make up a lot of silly songs using his name, and sing some camp songs and Elvis songs and whatever comes into my head. He REALLY likes songs in the car. If he is getting sick of being tied down in the car seat, I can start singing and he turns his little head toward me and listens and smiles!! I love that mirror that lets me see him.

Elight...that's hysterical about the grass.

Kaitnbugsmama...I hope the storms pass right by!

Mamacoltrane...have a great vacation! It would be SO AWESOME to get together!!!!! I am going to be in NH this summer. We should have a NE round-up.

Ktmama...does Annabelle kind of suck and breathe in at the same time with the cup? Owen won't drink water from a bottle but he LOVES to drink from a cup. He's not very good at it yet though!

Easykygal...love the laugh party! We had one of those when laying down for a nap. Sweetest thing on earth!!!

Happy April, mamas...YAY SPRING IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi I've never posted here before but my lil guy Spence was born on Aug 5th although he was due two weeks earlier in July. So hello fellow August mamas!

Nope, no juice here but we aren't big juice people in this house...my older son didn't get any juice until he was 2.5 and that is just a splash to top off his water.

Spence is barely eating solids at this point. He is pulling up from the floor to a stand but falls in less than a second. Scary...my first was much slower in this regard! We are doing part time EC and that is going well. He has a rare medical condition that we are dealing with but other than that not much to report....I take lots of pictures http://theroefour.blogspot.com/

Juice - I don't give dd juice to drink, but I do mix her oatmeal with it in the morning. I use pear or apple. She doesn't eat many solids, and refuses them all together most days, but she will usually eat her cereals mixed with juice or water. I love to drink juice myself, but I probably won't give her much until she is older because I want her to get used to drinking water. We don't drink anything, but water and occasionally milk or orange juice. Dh will have a pop sometimes at the tattoo shop.

Yogurt - I bought some of the yo' baby yogurt, and dd loves it. We share it, and she actually eats about half of the tub! I let her eat from the big girl spoon. She loves that. I bought the banana and vanilla. I just hope this doesn't mean that she has a sweet tooth like me! Yikes!

Katinbugsmama - Those storms were bad. I'm in Louisville and our local station went out for a while too. It was worse most places though than here. I hope you all made it through all right.

We started the No-Cry Sleep Solution here. I loved the book and found it very helpful. I like it because you only have to use it for as much as it works for you. You can pick and choose your strategy. It goes well with AP. I'm thinking of putting the bar down on dd's crib and using it as a sidecar. The book suggests that, and I think she would love it. I'm too afraid to co-sleep in our queen bed with our dalmatian, but she does end up there some nights between myself and dh. I just read that they shouldn't sleep next to anyone but their mother when co-sleeping until they are older babies. We can't fit a bigger mattress up the staircase. We had to fold the queen like a taco to get it up there. Very narrow.

DD loves music. She grabs dh's banjo and holds it correctly! She copies beats that I play on her drum. Only up to 3 taps, but it is so cool! We both love music. She loves when we do our Infantastic Dance Baby Dance exercise DVD. It is a cool way to get exercise when it rains or is other wise too cold.

I think dd can say hi and bye. We were at BRUS the other day and she looked at people from the sling and made a HAA sound at all of them. Then, we were at my sister's house. She allows TV, and her son was watching teletubbies. It was the bye-bye part and we both thought dd said bye-bye to them. Dh and I have been trying to get her to say bye-bye or wave to us for forever! We don't let her see much TV here, just on occasion, so she is mesmerized when she sees one. Ours is just a 20 inch my sis's is a big screen.