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@LAZB: I'll be going back 40 hours all at once too. I'm trying to "prepare"... best as one can. Doubling dinner recipes and freezing half, making sure house is organized, etc. some can take advantage of every moment I'm home with her after I go back. Honestly, most the preparation is mental and emotional!
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ughhhh I just replied to so many people and I lost it
@Kbee: We have a lot of spit up as well. Somedays she doesn't keep anything down, and somedays she doesn't spit up at all. I asked at my last dr appt, and the resident dr just said it's normal. I have another appt in 2 weeks so I'll ask the regular dr again. I guess it's pretty common and normal though.
I don't wake to feed her. She's doing 8 hour stretches at night and there's no way I"m waking her. The only time I wake to feed her is if I"m going out and I want to top her up first.
@Mrs. Rabbit: G has had a couple bottles. She's 10 weeks old and will drink 3-5oz for the bottle.
THings are going well here, we've got into a good routine. I've been blessed twice with 2 chill babies. For the last 3 nights we've gotten 8 hour stretches at night which feels amazing. However, 2 of those nights my toddler was up. I think she's starting to have nightmares or something
I signed up for a 10km run at the end of the month. I'm not sure what I was thinking. I went jogging with my friend yesterday, we did 6.5km and I'm pretty sure I basically died. haha. Hope things are going well for everyone! -
@MrsB2012: Wow 8 hour stretches! That is so great! Last night we had a 5 hour, 38 minute stretch - and that was heaven
Our spit-up is about the same too - some days it's so bad and other days not bad at all. As long as he's gaining weight I suppose it doesn't matter, and it seems like he is gaining well. I'll know for sure at his 2-month appt on Monday. Also, that's awesome that you signed up for a 10K! I've starting running (err...jogging) again too, and my DH and I are going to sign up for a 5K in May. I'm not used to being so slow and in pain, so I can't wait to get back into good running shape!
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How's everyone doing? Any fun holiday weekends?
D had his 2-month appointment yesterday. The good news is he's 10 lbs 4 oz now, which is 4.5 lbs above his birthweight so we're thrilled! But he had to have his shots
He really took them like a champ, and really hasn't seemed to be too affected by them other than maybe being a little extra sleepy. I'm so happy he's growing well, but a little sad that these weeks are going by so fast!
Unrelated - does anyone else's LO hate tummy time? D can't stand it, and so we haven't been making him do it too long when he screams. Our ped said yesterday we should probably make him do it more to encourage his muscles to get stronger, even if he's crying
So, I guess we'll start trying that today...
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@Kbee: C tolerates tummy time okay, but we found she'll go longer and work more on lifting her head if we put a rolled up blanket under her chest/shoulders. I've seen a huge difference in how much and how long she'll hold up her head since we started doing that. Also, have you tried giving him tummy time on your chest? C will put up with that much longer than being on the floor. I'm actually starting a baby class today that focuses on movement and tummy time, I'll let you know if I learn anything useful.
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@Kbee: My son doesn't love tummy time, and can actually push himself over onto his back if he gets frustrated enough!
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@reyorra: What a strong boy you've got there!! And determined, too!
@Kbee: yeah, she doesn't really dig tummy time either, and I only have a short time that I put her on her tummy (usually when her sister is taking a nap since she likes practically get on top of her). I do more tummy time with her on me, but I need to bust out a towel or something like @Aria: suggested.
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@Kbee: I didn't do much tummy time with my older LO until he was a couple months old because hated it too. I did his tummy time with him laying on me while I reclined in the recliner. It still works the same muscles...he would lift his head so that he could look at me and look around. And my LO was not delayed a bit...he has always been ahead in gross motor and started standing up (without pulling up!) at 8 months, walking at 9 months, and was running and climbing long before his first birthday.
Was your ped concerned about your lo's actual abilities? Or just throwing out a blanket statement that babies should do tummy time? If it was just a general recommendation I wouldn't leave him if he is upset...just start slow and do as much as he will tolerate. Hopefully as he gets older the amount of time he can handle will increase.
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@Aria: @reyorra: @Mrs. Rabbit: @Mrs. Lion: thanks ladies! I definitely like the towel idea - we'll try that. His pedi didn't have any specific concerns about his motor development, was just suggesting it more as a general recommendation. Sometimes we try laying on us, but he's not really a huge cuddler anymore
He doesn't really tolerate being still either laying on us or in our arms, so that doesn't really work much either!
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@Kbee: So glad to hear that the shots weren't a super traumatic experience! We have our 2-month appt on Friday and I'm anxious that he'll be really sad. I can't wait to see how much he weighs now, though! Congrats on your big guy
The weekly email I got yesterday ("Your baby at 8 weeks" type thing) said I should be noticing a pattern of naps emerging… I haven't been thinking about it all, just following his cues all day! So I'm starting to pay attention to how long he's awake during the day, which does seem to be stretching a bit. I've noticed a long morning nap and shorter catnaps in the afternoon. Any other schedules showing up for you guys?
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@loopedd: we had L's two month appointment yesterday, and I nursed her while she was getting her shots, and she barely cried at all! I'm not sure if you feel comfortable with it, but if you do, you might give it a try on Friday.
L is up to 10 lbs and 23 inches, still long and skinny, but working on it! Newborn diapers are finally too small on her, but size 1 seems to be too big, especially on the legs. I haven't tried Luv's, but I'm going to give them a shot to see if they work.
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Some tummy time suggestions that really helped us have been to get to the tummy in stages. First hold baby in a curved passion in your arms, then place them on their side (also a good possition for them to be in) and then slowly roll (moving arms as needed) to their tummy. Also lying down with them so they can see your face. This avoids the shock of being set down on tummy. DS likes tummy time now for a while.
We are out of most of his 0-3 month things now. I was not prepared for that to happen already at 5 weeks! Cloth diapers help make him bigger for sure. I think he is over 12 pounds and at least 23", eeks.
We have a little bit of a routine, schedule would be too strong a word. Last night we went to a party and he slept through most of it, but on our way out he woke up and everyone wanted to see him. It took a long time to calmb down after that. He wasn't upset, just very awake.
I also think he threw up last night. It was right after I fed him, there was lots of it and it smelled like throw up... He was unconcerned by it and didn't have a fever so I tried not to worry. All seams well today. We go to the ped tomorrow for a shot so I'll ask then. Have any of you had this happen?
These days do go so fast.
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@LAZB: ooh smart idea, thank you! I'm guessing my guy is around 10lbs too. We just moved to size 1 diapers this week - the newborns were still fitting but not handling the amount of pee he could fill them with as he sleeps a little longer! The 1s seem so big. We're just into 0-3 clothes, too - he needs the length!!
@maddyz: I had a vomit incident yesterday! Not a lot but it looked really disgested and not just like milk coming back up - and it was a while after a feed. No fever so I just kept an eye on him and he seemed fine for the rest of the evening. It freaked me out though! And you are so right about the fast days. I am trying to soak up every snuggle!
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@loopedd: We haven't seen any schedules emerging yet, unfortunately. We're starting to think he's chronically overtired, which could explain his fussiness. The problem is, we CANNOT get him to nap well in the afternoon, so he's soooo cranky in the evening. We've also tried to get him to an earlier bedtime to avoid some of the evening fussiness and increase his sleep, but nope, he's not having it quite yet. We're trying every night in hopes that consistency works - but I just had A TIME attempting that tonight.
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@Loopedd @Kbee I feel like I am starting to see a pattern sort of, it's faint. Day time sleeping is a real challenge and I carry him for naps a lot, we walk around the neighborhood with him in the woven wrap. The fresh air is good for me too, but I would love to put him down. Evening sleep is better but he wakes to eat every two hours. Tonight DH is gong to give him a pumped bottle for one of them. I am looking forward to 4 hours of sleep.
We can often put him down sleepy but awake so the night time wake ups aren't too long.
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@maddyz: Hooray for a 4-hour sleep stretch coming your way! Thankfully we've got a good night sleeper - otherwise his daytime sleep issues would be even harder on me than they already are. Also - thank you for the tummy time suggestions! I'm going to try those
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@Kbee: Man, when they cross the line from tired to overtired, it's soooo hard to recover! My guy will fight sleep so hard when he's like that. What time are you trying for bedtime? L just will not sleep by himself until after midnight - which I don't mind because I normally get a stretch of sleep between 1-4am. But I wish I could put him down at 8 or 9 and have the evening to myself until he eats at midnight. He has to be hanging out with us!
@maddyz: During the day, L MUCH prefers to be held while he sleeps, so I'm not really seeing a nap pattern emerge because of that. The wrap is a lifesaver but not a cure-all, for sure! Did you get your good sleep last night??
L had his two-month appt on Friday and got tons of shots -- he was cranky and lethargic for the next day or two, but he's back to normal and I'm so excited to get out into the world more! He hit 10 lbs exactly, too. Yay double digits for my little peanut!
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@Loopedd the bottle was a total bust! Lots of screaming and I was up anyways and ended up nursing him because the bottle was so upsetting and we didn't heat up enough.
I have no idea how much to feed him in a bottle. And I worry and he won't regulate because it comes out so much faster.
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@maddyz: Day sleep is a challenge here too. Any nap longer than 20-30 minutes is in the wrap or the stroller. Although I got lucky and the swing is working wonders today - she's been asleep for about 45 minutes, I managed to get dinner in the crockpot, do dishes and feed myself.
@loopedd: We had our two month shots last week too, I was surprised how well she did. A little cranky that night, but she rewarded us with 9 straight hours of sleep! 11 lbs 5 oz, I can't believe how fast she's growing!
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@Aria: 9 hours!! That's magic!
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@loopedd: Aww I'm glad he's feeling better after his shots now. Our previous bedtime for him was anywhere between 9:15 and 10:30, but now we're trying to move it closer to 8:30, and then eventually to 7:30 or 7 to hopefully solve this overtired thing. But he just will not go to sleep at 8:30!! I don't get it, and I have no idea what to do. I understand about wanting to have the evening to yourself. Our current situation consists of a crying baby from 6pm onward, during which time I mostly just nurse him to keep him calm, and attempt bedtime, of course
So no evenings for me! @Aria: Whoa, 9 hours!! That's awesome!
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@maddyz: Oh boo, I'm sorry the bottle is a bust! I was actually at lunch at my MIL's today and her friend who is an LC was there. She said that our babies' age she tells people to start with 2oz in a bottle, see how he's going, and then add an ounce, and another, slowly, to see how much he'll take. I know what you mean about regulating -- my guy will feverishly gulp a bottle and sometimes drink himself into a coughing fit!
@Kbee: I want the 8:30 bedtime too! Currently sitting next to DH patting a cranky baby
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Where do your babies nap? Mine usually naps in her Rockaroo or while i'm wearing her, but I'm wondering if I should have her nap in her bassinet/crib?
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@Mrs. Rabbit: She never naps in her crib. Usually she sleeps on my chest or I'll put her in the Rock n play if she's really asleep. Or the wrap/stroller if we're out. Most of her naps aren't very long so I figure I'll put her in the crib later when she's taking longer ones.
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@Mrs. Rabbit: He naps in the RnP. But he pretty much does all his sleep there now because he won't sleep anywhere else. We'll transition to the crib when his reflux gets a little better.
Does anyone know if there's a growth spurt at 10 weeks? Or is my LO just hitting the 12-week spurt early? Or is he just plain crazy? He's been eating SO often the last few days, and he was fighting sleep all last night and throughout the day today. The only thing that seems to help is feeding him more, but it's way more than usual! I know there's supposed to be a growth spurt at 12 weeks, so I am not excited that things will apparently not be fun 2 weeks from now as well.
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@Mrs. Rabbit: He's napping on me as I type
He naps a lot in the Mamaroo, on my chest, in the Boba, in his stroller… very rarely in the RnP where he sleeps at night, and only if I put him there once he's already asleep. I have no idea if I'm doing him a disservice but we're in the "whatever works" phase, still! We're planning to transition him to the crib at night around 3-4 months but since I reach over and replace his pacifier in my sleep about 100x a night, I'm not in a rush to move him…@Kbee: Sometimes I feel like growth spurts can happen literally every week! I got this app called The Wonder Weeks that predicts sort of stormy/moody periods based on mental and physical development and baby's age. It does say that the "leap" weeks during which there is a lot of growth and change can be +/- 1.5 weeks. So fingers crossed you won't be dealing with this twice!
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@loopedd: True, sometimes it feels like one constant growth spurt, with maybe a few good days thrown in there! We're mostly still in the "whatever works" phase too - but trying to think of what we can do soon to remove some of his sleep crutches. I can't believe you have to replace his pacifier that often! Will he wake up otherwise?
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She naps pretty much wherever - in the carrier, in her swing, on the floor, anywhere. I only put her in her crib once and that's when I managed to get both kids napping at the same time, so I went for a nap as well.
Sleep has been the same for the last few weeks, 6.5-8hours, then 3-4 hours.
We had our 3 month check up today. She's up to 12 pounds 1.2 ounces. Her sister was 12 pounds 2 ounces at the same time so it's neat to see them so close. The Dr pointed out a bit of a flat spot on her head. She said to do more tummy time, but we have a hard time with tummy time as she pukes every single time she's on her stomach. We still have a lot of problems with her throwing up. The Dr said it should get better between 3-6 months so hopefully it improves soon! -
@Mrs. Rabbit: we are probably the odd ones out but I try to aim for 1-2 naps per day in the crib and she sleeps in her crib at night. We did the same with our first and it worked out well so we are trying that again. She usually takes one nap in her carseat while we are out and also sometimes sleeps in her swing.
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@Mrs. Rabbit naps happen being carried (wrap, sling, or beco) or on his bed. Sometimes I can put him down sleepy but awake.
@kbee i feel like we are in a constant growth spirt, but then it gets worse and I realize what was happening before was normal... He eats so much!
We just had a check up and at 7w he is 13lb 8oz and 25". I guess all the eating is working.
My ped said we should start vitamin D for him. I have read that I can take it and it will be passed on. What are you all doing?
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@maddyz: We give him Tri-Vi-Sol, which has Vitamin D in it. It was what our ped recommended.
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I just had to share because I just can't believe it, but C rolled over today! Time will tell if it was a fluke or not. She looked so shocked when it happened!
How's everyone been doing lately?
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@maddyz: We're always told to give vit d from birth. As far as I remember, it's not passed through breast milk which is why you should give the drops. We live in Canada though so I think the recommendations are a bit different here.
13'8 at 7 weeks?! Wow! that's impressive! Nice job!@Aria: wow nice! Rolling over! G looks like she's getting close but she doesn't get a lot of tummy time as she pukes every time haha.
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@Aria: that's impressive!
@MrsB2012: L is the same way with tummy time, always puking lol -
@Aria: Wow that's awesome! What a pro!
I think we may be starting the 12 week growth spurt here, at 11.5 weeks. He's been eating every 1.5 hours during the day and up every 1.5-2 hours at night. Hoping it doesn't last long!
How's everyone else and their babies doing? It's been quiet here.
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@KBEE growing is no joke!
My mom is in town to watch DS this week while I work. I have long days Monday-Thursday and I feel totally unprepared for it. Most of the time she will be near me watching him and I can nurse whenever he needs. But the evenings I need to really concentrate so he will be away from me and taking a bottle of pumped milk or two or three (he nurses so much in the evenings). This might be silly, but I am more worried about how I will take it and not him.
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Hi everyone! I dropped off there for awhile, getting used to being a new mom and everything! I have just skimmed the last page of comments on this thread and it looks like everyone is doing pretty well! A is a slow gainer, but happy and hitting milestones so I'm trying not to worry. He is EBF and I don't want it any other way!
This week I've finally made the decision not to return to work. It was really hard for me and I'm still not 100% confident it's the right move, but it's been a long couple of weeks going back and forth between my boss, director, and HR, and ultimately I feel like it's my only reasonable option all things considered. I am beyond nervous. We have savings, but we really don't want to have to use it to live on, and since this wasn't really the plan, I am honestly not sure how it's going to work. Please tell me this was the right thing to do! And do you have any advice for me? I know we have to budget, and that's something I'll be working on very soon, but my head is still reeling right now
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@maddyz: It will all be okay momma
@Circusbee: Did you read my blog post this week? I am so right with you there friend
I think with parenting we will never be 100% sure we are making the right decision...about anything! But all we can do is trust our gut and make the best decision we can for our family. And the beautiful thing is that most decisions aren't permanent...if we make one that doesn't work, we can always change course! After publishing that post (about my crazy work/stay home internal struggle) I accidentally came across a job opening, at a private school that pretty much 100% aligns with my teaching philosophy. It sounds like a perfect opportunity, and I talked with the director for an hour yesterday. But then I talked to a couple teacher friends who have been where I am, and chose to stay home. They said that the first two years were SO SO hard, and that they constantly questioned themselves, but now that their kids are older and they are back at work they have absolutely no regrets and are so glad they took the time off. I think it just comes down to what you think you will value more later on. I am still on the fence, because I feel like I could still make the most of the time I do have with the kids if I did go to work. I don't feel that our bond would suffer, and I don't feel like it would be wrong for me to go back to work, but something deep in my soul just doesn't feel right about it right now.
All that said, there ARE some things you can do to make it easier, financially speaking. Make sure you adjust your tax withholdings so that you don't get a refund (if you haven't already). That extra month to month made a huge difference for us. We also use cash for our spending categories of our budget, like groceries and "blow money" and entertainment...this helps us to spend a lot less. When the money runs out, we stop spending. It helps us to be in control of our budget. Lots of studies show that when you are spending cash you naturally spend less than when you use a card, even a debit card. We also buy almost everything for the kids second hand, at either consignment stores or on facebook buy/sell/trade websites. They use things for such a short time that second hand stuff often looks new or almost new anyway, and then we are able to sell most of it when we are done. We have saved a fortune this way.
Sorry for the novel...I just felt like I should respond because I totally understand where you are
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@Circusbee: You mentioned that you are starting a budget...this website is by Dave Ramsey's company and was just launched in the last month or so. It's an online budget creating tool (similar to YNAB, but free) that follows his steps. I haven't used it because we have a pretty solid system in place already (We use a google doc spreadsheet) but I have heard great things about it. https://www.everydollar.com/
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@Mrs. Lion: thanks that helps a lot. We are big fans of Dave Ramsey as well! We became debt free by following his baby steps plan and I think that's why I feel like this May be an irresponsible decision. I just keep trying to tell myself I can go back if it doesn't work.
Our spit-up is about the same too - some days it's so bad and other days not bad at all. As long as he's gaining weight I suppose it doesn't matter, and it seems like he is gaining well. I'll know for sure at his 2-month appt on Monday. Also, that's awesome that you signed up for a 10K! I've starting running (err...jogging) again too, and my DH and I are going to sign up for a 5K in May. I'm not used to being so slow and in pain, so I can't wait to get back into good running shape!
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