Hellobee Boards

@Mrs.M57: I do all the baby care/chores/night wakings and DH gets all the smiles, too. And I feel guilty for not working. I handle the money so I know how much we are limited because I'm not working. I'm actually applying for jobs.
G decided to cry all morning today. DH was home for a nap and he got mad at me for not changing the baby because he(DH) couldn't nap with a crying baby. So I took G for an hour walk in the stroller. I knew he'd wake up when I stopped. He actually woke up a little before I stopped. Then we got home and he cried again, and I took him for a walk (hand held) and he cried for 1/4 mile. So... 4,4 miles with the baby today--not bad.
@LAGS: I use our dishwasher as a dish rack only. I've run it maybe 10 times in the almost 2 years we've been here. It sucks. Maybe we can nominate each other for What not wear... Hah! Glad little A's 4month check up went so well.

@calsmom: I hate walking when it's 80. Oh and the screaming--now that is a milestone I was not looking forward too. Hah. I hope you feel better. My appetite is still ridiculous!

Oh.... I lost a paci today (in the frustration with DH and G crying, I left the house with a paci not on a leash and it fell out sometime during the walk).

@regberadaisy: Oh goodness. How are you feeling about it now? I'm sorry you have to go through this : (

@Mrs.M57: LOL re: what not to wear! Wearing the same crap over and over again is brutal. You'll get there soon enough.

@msmini: glad you are feeling better...and at least Sawyer's naps are back on track. I love the idea of the fish bowl!

@Mrs.M57: I'm sorry your ped made you feel guilty....some babies just grow differently than others! On the other end of the spectrum, Tyler is only in like the 5th percentile for everything, so in the back of my mind is always whether he is eating enough....I feed him whenever he seems remotely interested. I agree motherhood is amazing but at times completely overwhelming...and I feel like I do get breaks....but the concern over sleeping, feeding, milestones is always there. And by the end of the day I just want to pass T off to his daddy when he walks in the door!

@LAGS: That's great news she is doing well. Your ped sounds really cool! I'm glad she doesn't think we (ehem, our babies) are a bunch of crazies.

@calsmom: Cooper is a mover and a shaker! Just keep active and with your decreased appetite, I'm sure the weight will eventually come off.

Things here are good - it's been beautiful fall weather in Boston (though today it's back up to the 80s!) My husband took a couple of overnight feedings the past few nights and I feel a lot more rested. Tyler was awful going down 2 nights ago (up like 6 times between 8-9:30 then up at 11, 4:30, then 7). Last night was better - asleep at 8, woke up at 8:20 and needed 1 soothe only and then slept til 1, then 5, then had a hard time falling asleep (needed a soothe) but ultimately then slept til 6:45. I'm so happy I'm not pumping overnight anymore - though, oddly it hasn't really reduced my supply. I still pump 16-20 oz every morning and basically 40 oz total. Naps are still terrrrible. Without fail, he wakes up after 40 minutes (whether in swing, crib, car, walk, arms) and sometimes I can get him asleep again, sometimes not. Yesterday, he only slept 20 mins in his crib and that was that. I think part of the problem is that I always let him nap in the swing and so now he needs the motion to nap. I know I need to stop swaddling, too, but it seems that's the only thing that really calms T even though he sucks his hands (and now has figured out how to just suck his thumb).

Oh, I just signed up for a music class with T starting Monday - 8 weeks - called "Jelly Jams" ; )

So for those who are or have started solids, why did you feel like you wanted to? I'm really curious! I was planning to wait until 6 months, though we haven't had our 4 month appt yet.

So, this is my 3rd day of not forcing naps early and trying not to watch the clock. It's going really well and I nurse Nico down for all 3 of his naps when he starts crying and so long as I wait that long, he is out for the nap no problem-o. This goes against all the advice, as his awake periods are always more than 2 hours, and I'm waiting til he's 'overtired', but it's working for us.

Although day napping is going along dreamily there is still nothing that seems to fix the night time. Not earlier to bed. Not later to bed. Not co-sleeping. Not the white noise. Nothing.

So last night I had a serious evening of TV-watching lined up....Parenthood AND SYTYCD. I could not have Nico's wake-every-who-knows-when cutting into my tv time. After a month of this sleep regression I have almost given up caring. So, I put the tv on in the bedroom, popped him on my boob, and there he slept for almost the entire first show. And then he slept on my lap (kept my boob out just in case!) for the 2nd show (2 hour show!). Then I put him in his crib and he continued sleeping until a reasonable time for 1st night feeding.

So go figure. Sometimes not caring helps. It's probably just getting better because he's almost 5 months old. For the record, he was "sleeping" from 6pm to almost 8am! (woke up at 7pm, 12:30pm, 3am, 4:30 because that's when my husband gets up and makes noise, 6am, 7am). Lots of wake-ups, sure, but lots of sleep too. In the worst of it he was sometimes waking up every 30 minutes. It was nuts. So I've seen some improvement.

I'm with you gals on the 'What not to wear' issues. Last year for this season I didn't really get any new clothes because I got a giant box of maternity clothes that I just started inserting into my wardrobe--that was so fun. Plus, fall-winter I am usually a teacher and I like to dress up for work, so my fall-winter casual wardrobe usually only has to cover the weekends. I've got nothing to wear. And yet, I am in the tightest budget of my life, so I can't afford new clothes. Maybe I will poke my head around at Walmart....sometimes they have things on sale for like five dollars and they are not bad. I have found all my old belts, so that has at least made my jeans fit again.

I randomly have acne suddenly. Started out just my cheeks, but now it's my whole forehead too. I had severe acne as a teenager (had to go on Acutane) so it's not foreign territory and doesn't bother me so much because I know how much worse it can be, but it's still not fun. I didn't change my facewash, my cleansing routine, my makeup, my diet, nothing. So I can only attribute it to hormones. Maybe AF is around the corner? Or maybe it's because I've been on and off of antibiotics so much in the last few months from the kidney issues? It's fine. If acne is my biggest problem in life I'm doing okay.

On the milestone side of things, Nico can do a tripod sit for 10 seconds or so (leaning forward, with his hands on the ground). But he can only do it without his diaper. I'm starting to give him some diaper-free tummy time again for doing a morning workout after his bath because I wonder if the bulky cloth diaper gets a bit in the way of his moves. I put him down on a blanket AND on a change pad liner thingy. This morning he peed on the blanket but it was time to wash it anyway. The last 2 times he didn't even pee.

Midnight pet peeve: as I'm nursing Nico for his midnight snack at the very very end I hear him poop. He used to never do this at night and now he's done it 3 nights in a row. I am so torn as to whether to put him back in his crib with the poop or to change the diaper. Last night I changed the diaper in the dark. This morning when I looked at that midnight diaper there was only the tiniest little bit of poop in there. grr

@winniebee: I wanted to start the solids because Nico gets so extremely interested in our eating. I know he doesn't need it nutritionally, so I've started with something similar to BLW, except I hold the chunk of food and he uses his hands to move my hand to his mouth. He's just exploring and it's not really a nutrition thing....not much gets swallowed...he's just working on using his mouth to feel it and some of it ends up dissolving into his mouth a bit. It is satisfying his interest in trying foods, and I only do it on the days when I have time and I have BLW-appropriate food ready. Avacados are my favourite to use with him these days. I'm trying to stay away from the sweet stuff (banana) now so he will get used to the veggie flavours more.

@winniebee: My friend invited me to join a music class too, but it is at 10am, which is pretty much a guaranteed sleeping time for Nico so we're not going to do it. Had we not been in the sleep regression I may have said that one nap a week can be off no problem, but you can understand my hesitation at this point in time.

@MsMini: fish tank = so sweet!!! We had a fish tank for a few years and are 'over it'. We are bad fish owners. Ours were giant fish though....given to us from a friend.....well, given 3 fish and 2 died...long story, but it's not fun watching giant fish die....little ones I'd feel less bad about.....since then we passed the giant fish onto another friend. But it WAS cool having the fish in many ways....great white noise from the aquarium too.

@pastemoo: I'm excited for you to get a carrier to baby-wear. (I am responding based on memory, since this was on the last page and I read it yesterday....if I'm making this up, just ignore!). I love wearing Nico when I'm doing food prep. When we get to the oven or stovetop stuff, I just pop him down onto a quilt on the floor. I think he really enjoys all the cooking action....in the fridge, the cutting, etc. I have an Ergo, so it doesn't face out, but he can still see most of the action.

Alrighty, Mr Baby is up from his nap. I still leave him in the crib until about an hour is done if he wakes up early and he seems happy to just goo and ga and have some quiet time.

@winniebee: the ped told us we could start G on solids because he's more interested in our food then his bottles

@cvbee: Wow, no shows?? That's so frustrating. Sorry you've had company issues too. Not fun at all. Right now part of me is wishing for a no show... but I have absolutely no intentions of preparing a meal so it wouldn't be such a big deal.

Nothing is working to improve A's night sleep either. Its just a game of chance right now. My face broke out this week too. I never get pimples on my cheeks and yet have four little ones, some along my hair and jaw lines too... all these hormonal side effects post-birth just keep getting better, don't they?

Oh and speaking of nighttime diapers, I had been changing Addie's diapers mid-night lately wondering if a less soiled diaper would help her sleep a little better by morning, but ended up having her pee mid change every time, one time that happened to be on our bed, the others just soiled her sleepers, swaddles and change pad So I'm over that, but like you, I'd probably still change if I suspected she'd pooped. Bummer when it turns out to be a shart though.

Well, last night was the best in a while, we had a 4 hour, a 2 hour, and a 3 hour stretch of sleep last night, then he was up for an hour and took a 2 hour nap this morning. Unfortunately, I only got about an hour of his 4 hour stretch of sleep because I stayed up to watch tv We went back to the 10pm bedtime last night, and he had a bath, so I am not sure what helped.

@winniebee: You will have to let us know how you like the music class. We were thinking of doing one but it was SO EXPENSIVE ... ($160 for 1X week for 8 weeks, so $20 per class). Fall is creeping up on us here as well, we had to cover our gardens last night to protect them from frost

@Goldilocks1107: I "practice" skills with Sawyer to help him along, I think you could look up online how to help her out if you want to!

@cvbee: We actually had 2 fish tanks in storage from when we moved (3 years ago), me and DH each had one, we took a fish tank break, but we are ready to set them up again I think. We will probably get our small saltwater tank up and running sometime around (probably after) Christmas. The guppies are nice and cute and small, so the are an easy start.

@LAGS: The cupcakes were amazing! I am glad to have mat leave to indulge in baking, I am working on perfecting a recipe for Swiss meringue buttercream ... It is close to perfection in both nutella and vanilla now!

@cvbee: AH! No shows make me want to punch someone. My MIL and her sister have pulled this on me 3!! times.

@MsMini: OMG! Yikes. Glad you had some good naps. I have found that good nap days=good sleep nights. I hope it's true for you.
So do you share your recipes or blog them

@winniebee: LOL. I don't count the 5-ish wake ups between 7 30 and 9 or 10pm as wake ups since I'm usually not in bed yet! I keep thinking--oops, I forgot to go to bed, I guess I'll just top him up. After that, I'm getting 2 wake ups now and definitely feeling more rested than I did 2 and 3 weeks ago. Win!
I hope T's sleeping keeps getting better. Seems like you are on the right track.

@cvbee: I wonder if the diaper-free think would help G to sit. What a cool milestone for you and Nico!
And.... I agree that the not watching the clock is helpful.
Yeah.... the no decent clothes thing is starting to get to me. I was walking in our apartment parking lot and this guy looked at me (my nips were totally sticking out) and he says "Nice uh..... (double beat).... shirt" I just laughed really loudly. It is an ugly fugly shirt.
@LAGS: Yeah, well I had to clean the kitchen floor again after I spilled 5 oz of milk... and I hadn't pumped since Sept 2 (all the milk in the fridge was old and had to be thrown out). I was so pissed. I told my DH he would have to use formula (not that he feeds LO).
And I woudl be super pissed about the uncle thing after the no sleep thing. UGH! What did you do today? Are you ok?
And as for overnight changes... I don't do them anymore even if he's wet through.... he wakes up and it isn't worth it. No diaper rash yet (knock on wood). He hasn't pooped at night in over a month.
@duckduckkristen: You need to leave baby with DH and just get OUT--even with the stranger anxiety. G has been top-of-the-lungs screaming lately and if I didn't walk away some times I would have squeezed him by now. The screaming thing is no fun.
I'm doing a semi-CIO thing, too. I don't know what it is since it's not something I read about, but hey, you do what you have to do and I hope it keeps working!
Enjoy the mom's club (and share!) and I hope your kitchen is done soon.

@calsmom. Hi!

@goldilocks: finally got the enfamil coupons (2 checks, $5 each), can you email me your address to my *real* email address again?

So ladies. I have called the lactation consultant, I don't know what to do! I was changing to go to the gym, and as I always tend to do because I am clumsy and always run into corners... I ran into my dresser while topless and cut my nipple/areola (yes, my stupid dresser is exactly that height. Ugh). It hurts a little but it's bleeding. Do I nurse on that side? I don't think I'd want to pump either.... I am going to block feed on the other side until I hear from the LC. Only I could be so klutsy.
Good news: got an ergo carrier from my grandma and some teething straps. LOVE it.

I am sooo behind... trying to read through everyone's responses.. just had to post this. Cobi has TWO teeth now! Seriously two teeth within one week. It's crazy! They're so sharp but SO CUTE!!

He is starting to show signs of learning to crawl!! in this pic he is trying to get on his knees! He can now pull himself into hands/knees position, but only for a few seconds!! I cannot believe that I ALMOST have a crawling baby... no way.

@pastemoo: ouch! Your poor nipple!

@Coco Bee: Teeth and crawling! How exciting!

@winniebee: I think we did the Ferber method? I read him goodnight moon, wrap him in his blanket, sing twinkle twinkle, then bounce him til he is drowsy and put him down, rub his belly and shh him a bit, then leave the room. That first night, I came back to rub his belly and shh him after 3 minutes, then another 3, 5, 5, 10, 10, then 20 minutes. The important things are that you shouldn't swaddle their arms so they an self soothe and you aren't supposed to pick them up, just rub their belly and shh them. that first night almost made me cry and I hated it, but it was worth it and now he only cries for a couple minutes so once I put him down I don't usually have to go back in there at all. Good luck!

@LAGS: lol shart

Re Ferber @duckduckkristen: did Liam calm with a pat and shhhh? My issue is Nico does not calm down from my shhing and patting AT ALL.

@LAGS: Oh I know! I love his peach fuzz too - I rub it all the time lol!!
I had read that when they're teething often they'll gnaw or gum the nipple and thankfully he hasn't done that! I would have never even noticed his teeth except that DH lets DS bite his finger lol and he told me about both of them. So far it hasn't affected nursing, knock on wood; but my sister said once her son had teeth he was biting all the time. She tried lots of different tactics to get him to stop and nothing worked.

@cvbee: I don't pat and shh. I stroke his face/nose and sing lullabies. @LAGS: Glad the uncle/gf visit turned out to be a good thing. Hey, it's ok to react how you did and I'm glad it came out a good experience. And... she said to pump. Um no. She also said it's OK if LO eats some blood. Eww. I just skipped that side and we'll try it at 2am if it doesn't hurt to the touch. If I can't nurse on that side tomorrow, I'll probably hand express and possibly go to the hospital to meet with the LC in person.
: And I know what you mean about hell freezing over. But hey, the thought counts for something. I dunno about stranger anxiety. No clues...
@Coco Bee: Phew! Hope he keeps it up.
@msmini: Glad the cover s working for you! I mostly don't use a cover anymore. Or just a napkin if I need something...

This thread is moving so fast these days! I am on my phone so I can't easily reply but wanted to jump in!
Penny has her.4 month appt tomorrow morning. I have been dairy free for 2 days. Besides the fact that cheese is my favorite thing on the planet, I think I am handling it ok. I got some diary free bagels and fake butter as a treat. Tomorrow I may go get some coconut milk/coffee creamer, too. We'll see. Re;sleep and cio: I tried it modified last night. She would not let me pit her down anywhere and would cry right away when I did. I could tell she was just so tired and not hungry so I was just trying to rock her in the rnp back to sleep in our dark room. DH was already asleep but after several minutes right as she escalated and I began to pick her up made a com,ent about that not working. I totally snapped at him. I have been nursing this baby to sleep for 4 months and I just need to figure out another way! I apologized for being short and all is well now. Tonight was Way easier to get her to bed. Side laying breast feeding on our bed, then transfered her to the pack and play without waking! Success! Although it's only 9:30 so her waking up again is still within the realm of possibility.

Tomorrow we start our lap baby story time group at the library. I have already "met" another mom who will be there through a local resale FB page. I think we will have fun, although it will mess with her naps for sure. Hoping for the best!

I hope to reply more specifically tomorrow. Hope my typos weren't too bad in this post. I can't go back and read what I wrote so editing after I notice one isn't possible from the phone!

I feel RESTED. OMG I can't believe it! He slept at 7 30.
Up at 9, 10 (I went to bed at 10 40)
Up at 2, 5, and finally up cooing and chatting with the monitor at 6 30.
I was not ready to be up at 6 30 but now I feel.... HUMAN. Whoa.

@MsMini: how are you feeling? Hope you're kicking the flu in the butt. My husband's been sick for about 2 weeks now. Can't seem to kick it.

@pastemoo: I've been doing a semi blunt chin length cut with bangs for years now. Then let it grow way too long before I go get another haircut. This time I cut it short but still long enough to put in a pony tail and with side swept bangs but more layers.
And OMG How is your cut??

@Mrs.M57: It IS really overwhelming! Last night I was laying there watching Sons of Anarchy with my husband and it really struck me that this worrying about my baby thing is never going to end! But when she looks at me and smiles and babbles it makes it all worth it.

@calsmom: hah I've been giving M my water glass after I takea drink. She puts her mouth on the rim and sucks on it and wants to hold the glass.

@MsMini: I've been wondering if there was a winner! YAY!

***
M is really starting to show a interest in us eating. She gawks at us. I am tempted to try and see if it'll help with her sleep. I think I might see what my husband thinks about just introducing solids but in no regular pattern for now until she's at least 5.5 months.

Finally buckled and ordered her a bebepod flex plus even though I've been waiting for weeks for one to appear on NBD. Next on the order list is an exersaucer but trying to hold out for the Amazon Mom Appreciation Event.

Found out yesterday that my whole family (as in 4 adults and 4 children plus us in a 1200 sf house) are coming to visit this weekend. We are so excited to see them but my husband is a little stressed that we are between two houses. Both houses are a mess and he is pushing hard to finish so we can hopefully move in by end of October. So with them coming we're losing a whole weekend. And my ILs are coming in two weeks and they are driving a 14' Uhaul full of stuff that will be stored at our current house. So there's the added stress of packing up our stuff to move to new house so there's room here for their stuff. Whew.

I'm doing OK now about the PT. It's spread throughout the office and as horrible as it sounds, it makes me feel better that it's not a select few.

Oh BTW M nursed the heck outta my boob and cleared the clogged duct up right away! hehe.

@regberadaisy: yay for your clear clog and glad that you're feeling like the office cutbacks are not as scary since it happened to everyone. Good luck! Re: exersaucer, there is a Mom-to-Mom sale in my town this month. I will go and if things are really garage sale prices (super duper cheap) then I might possibly get an exersaucer.

@pastemoo: AWESOME NEWS!!!

@cvbee: Sounds like a good routine to me. I like how Nico likes to walk. T still generally falls asleep on stroller walks...but not Moby walks...

@regberadaisy: That's so cute that she wants to join you eating ; ) I'm glad you feel better about the work situation and that it's not just you.

@calsmom: So happy that you have a good sleeper - especially given that you have to deal with the feeding issues. T ended up sleeping til about 8. It was great, because I could pump before he ever even got up : ) He goes to sleep within 1.5 hours of his first wake. He was up until about 9:30 then down for a nap. He's been sleeping 1 hr 20 minutes (in his swing...yeah, I need to work on that...). His awake stretches get a little longer throughout the day - his last awake stretch is usually 2 hours (last night was 3....but that was because he fought bedtime like hell...)

Hey, I wonder how @auntpol is doing these days with her twinnies....

@winniebee: what!!!!!!

Here is Nico doing his trippod sit with no diaper (but onesie closed up for modesty!) PS. Sorry I don't know how to make the pic sideways.

@winniebee: lol. happy walking!

Hi all! I hope I'm not too late to join the party but I've semi-stalked this thread since I was pregnant and on Weddingbee. Since my LO has been born, I unintentionally went on an Internet freeze and missed the transfer to HelloBee but am so glad to find this board again.

My son Owen was born on May 26th (EXACTLY on his due date) and was 8 lbs and 20.5 inches long. Since then he's been nothing but a little milk monster. At his two month appointment, he was just under 15 lbs and he's probably around 18 lbs right now. I look back at his newborn clothing and just marvel at how teeny they look now as I carry Baby Hulk. He has his 4 month appointment at the end of this month and I shudder when I think of what his pediatrician will say about his weight.

Developmentally he's sooooo close to flipping over from his back to belly. I keep finding him in his crib with the lower part of his body flipped over but his upper half still facing up. His head circumference was in the 99% at the last appointment so his doctor said it would probably take him longer to hold his up. He's been doing it for about a minute at a time now but then he becomes a bobblehead and just tips over so it'll probably be fooooorever before he can learn to sit up, much less crawl.

My husband and I live in Boston and we recently bought our house. Unfortunately it's a fixer-upper and also 40 minutes from where we currently live so the first few months of Owen's life has been him strapped to his carseat going from our rental to the house as we fix up our house. My husband and I were seduced into the fixer-upper by way too many episodes of "Property Brothers" and thought we could handle having renovations. I'm not sure why we didn't factor in a newborn in this equation but I'm sure you can imagine the last few months have been hectic and stressful. But then my little guy will give me his grin and giggle routine and it's like a drug and I forget everything.

I'm slowly catching up on this board but I'm so glad that there are other people out there that understand what I'm going through that I can talk to now. None of my close friends have children so it's been a bit lonely to not have other moms who understand what it's like to adjust to life post-baby.