2015 MARCH-MALLOWS... Due in March 2015!! Come join us!

[Bookity]

The second baby Marchmallow is among us!!!!!

It's getting REEEEAL ladies!

 

[DrMum]

Ooh what did she have? And how did it go? Send my congrats!!!!

 

[MrsKChicago]

Since it's on the front page, I don't think she'll mind us sharing. She had a girl No details on Facebook.

 

[missfrick]

Right now I have 3 bottles in a bottom drawer in my kitchen, as well as milk bags (for pumping), bottle cleaner, and a bag full of teethers and stuff that I don't need yet. Since I'm planning on exclusive BF'ing and then trying pumping, I don't have too much "external feeding" supplies. Rattles and toys are on a shelf in the nursery closet right now, and thankfully I have already been working with the dog to "leave" the baby toys - if I stay on top of it I think she'll comply

 

[bucherwurm]

My dogs don't leave much alone they know they can't have. I brought down a little ducky holding a blanket things yesterday and it was in a dogs mouth as soon as I turned away. They are thieves at heart. Though it would probably be cute if a pacifier ended up being used like it's supposed to in the dog's mouth. They also love stealing socks, so I'm worried with how many baby socks and scratch mittens we might go through over the next couple of years.
I think I found a little space for bottles in the cupboard. I don't have a lot of space in my kitchen, but hopefully it will be just enough for a few bottles and any other supplies I might need. I'm planning on BF and hopefully pumping later on, too.

 

[MrsKChicago]

Oh no, I didn't even think about the cats. One of our cats is a sock fiend, I bet he'll find a way to steal them even without access to the nursery.

DH got a surprise day off today, so hopefully we can get some painting done. I know he needs to rest, but we're less than 4 weeks from my due date! I can't stand it. I really want the furniture built so I know what else we need.

It looks like I misunderstood and our doula meeting is next Sunday, not this Sunday. I'm glad, we have a lot going on this Sunday.

 

[DrMum]

Mrsk I ended up having to get a net for the top of our bassinette and crib as our cat LOVES babies and would snuggle right in given the chance. I know the risks if anything happening would be small but it let me sleep at night knowing she wasn't sleeping on the baby's face or something weird!
I actually thought she would have been terrified of a screaming wriggling thing, but no she would be boots and all in there right beside DS given half a chance! She still sleeps on his bed now, but at 4yrs I think his odd are better than hers!

 

[bucherwurm]

My cats are rather large, and one of them loves to snuggle. But I'm not sure she would be able to get into the bassinet, and she for sure can't get into the crib. The bassinet is going to be right beside me, so I think I would just have to worry about bathroom breaks at night.
I have a sore back today. I did some snow shoveling yesterday and I think that did it. Though I also shoveled on Monday, and it was a lot more then and I was fine. Managed to go for a walk with the husband and the dogs today, so at least I did something. Good thing we have a lot of big things done, because I think I'm going to have to slow down more in the coming days.

 

[missfrick]

Our cat can clear jump into the crib, but we'll be using a bassinet in our room for at least the first 3 months, so we'll just keep the cat out of there and will be fine. Then once she moves into her crib we'll keep the door closed. The only worry I have is that we have a pack-n-play with bassinet shelf for during the day so I can be downstairs and not stuck in my room, and I'm a bit concerned he'll jump in there while I'm napping or something.

Bucherwurm: good for you shovelling! The assistant at my OB's office told me that I should start shovelling in the coming weeks to help bring on labor, but I'm loving that I have the privilege of not having to shovel this winter (I'm sure DH will remind me of this next winter and hold it over my head lol)

Had my 36 week appt today and the nurse asked me if I wanted my membranes swept - I was beside myself excited, until she looked at my chart and went "oh no, my mistake, I can do it in 2 weeks though." So now I have an amazing plan.
1. Week 36: bounce and roll around on exercise ball
2. Week 37: use breast pump for 1hr x3 and see if that helps bring on contractions
3. Week 38: membrane sweep and stretch
4. Week 39: start crying
5. Week 40: continue crying
6. Week 41: pull the baby out myself!

Hopefully she's out by 38 weeks; DH's friends have been telling them how their babies came at "X" weeks and he's suddenly realizing that she's coming pretty darn soon. Carseat is being installed tomorrow and we'll be packing our hospital bag this weekend as well. Sunday we have maternity photos (though I swear we waited wayyyyy too long, I feel like a whale).

I wonder how many of us will have February babies, it's certainly getting exciting that our little Mallows are very close to making their appearances!

 

[MrsKChicago]

The cats aren't allowed in our bedroom, and won't be allowed in the nursery, so hopefully we don't have too much trouble with them. I don't know what I'll do about the swing in the living room, though. I'm pretty sure it'll be one cat's favoritest thing ever.

 

[mommasquirrel]

missfrick: You're plan is hilarious. I just wrote one up earlier today. Mine includes raspberry tea, evening primrose oil and the breast pump. The amounts increase each week as well. I started using the birthing ball to help with rolling my hips every other night. I need to get some massage oils to rub on my belly. Apparently that can help tone the muscles there but we will see. ---btw 1 hour using the pump..you are brave. I pumped a few times when I got engorged but I could only handle about 10-20 minutes max before my nipples started getting aggravated.

update: 33 freezer meals completed..And more in progress. WTH was I thinking? I still have more to make so we can have variation. I guess the good thing is that I will be done by the end of tomorrow. I was just planning to make 14 days worth but it's looking more like 3-4 weeks of food. DH loves it and has told me to keep it up while I have the energy.
So the plan is to have a breakfast, lunch and dinner option. The only option for breakfast so far is Quiche, fruit, yogurt or smoothie. Is that enough?

 

[DrMum]

Our vet told us to to put tin foil in the swing or the bouncy chair a few weeks before baby arrives and then if the cat tries a covert nap she will be put off by the tin foil! Not sure if it works or not yet but I can let you know!

The net was the only thing that kept her out the bassinette last time and already I found her napping in the pram since I got it out again. She just LOVES babies! Or maybe has delusions of grandeur....!

I'm loving your labor induction plan! I, on the other hand, absolutely don't want to go into labor before my c section date a) because we had a previous c section b) because we are an hour from the hospital in the sticks, in winter in canada c) because my OB is off next week! So, I'm trying to avoid any and all labor inducing things! No pre baby shenanigans for us!! Poor DH!

 

[MrsKChicago]

33 meals! You have been busy! I have 7 big casseroles - enough to feed a guest or two, or to eat dinner and lunch, and maybe a random snack. DH wants to help with the next batch.

I've heard tin foil is good, but our cat is too smart for us, I bet she'll find a way around it.

I'll be keeping my knees together with you, DrMum. The very earliest he's allowed to arrive is 38+3.

I'm planning to take baby inventory tomorrow. I was going to wait til the nursery was together so I'd have the space to do it, but it's just taking too long, and I can't wait forever. I'll find somewhere to do it. I need to know what we have in newborn and 3 month clothes, and make sure I'm up to date on my diaper list, and check for other little bits and pieces (bibs, etc), so SIL and I can go shopping next week. I put in a big Amazon order today, for the crib mattress and the diaper pail and a million other little bits and pieces that I don't want to get stuck without. I don't even remember everything I ordered, babies use so much stuff! My SIL finally found a replacement for their changing table, so that and the swing we're buying from them are getting dropped off Sunday, too. It turns out I was mistaken and our doula meeting is next weekend, so we'll have some time Sunday before class to get things done, I hope. And this is our last class, too. Woohoo! I really like the classes, but it'll be good to have one day off back, since our other day off together is full of appointments.

 

[missfrick]

Tin foil that's smart... I should try that. If all else fails, we have a water squirter that he gets pretty offended by.

Mommasquirrel: I know it sounds like such a lot of pumping for me too, and I'm a FTM so it scares me quite a bit, but from what I've heard via my prenatal classes, a couple minutes is useless and it's best to do an hour x3. I don't know if that's true, and I'm actually nervous to use it because I don't want to lose all my collostrum or become engorged before she's here, but it can also cause contractions and that's what I'm going for.

 

[Teilana]

I haven't planned anything as far as self inducing goes. I tried the RLL tea my midwives gave me and I couldn't drink more than 1/4 of the cup. I started feeling sick to my stomach. I don't know if I'll try it again or not. Once we are closer we will likely do a lot of walking and probably some bedroom dancing, although that is definitely not comfortable anymore.

Tomorrow we are doing up a bunch of freezer meals with a few other families. I have to take off part way though as we have our maternity photos tomorrow afternoon.

 

[twinkie2]

Tin foil works! at least on some cats, when our youngest cat was just a kitten and realized he could free jump to the counters we had a heck of a time keeping him down (primarily because you just can't physically be standing there to stop them all day and night) we put tin foil up for 2 days, never had a problem again! Thanks to whoever mentioned it because this same cat has already jumped in the crib and the pack and play so hopefully that will fix itself just as quickly as the counters did. Our other cat is a bit "fluffy" lets say so I don't see her attempting either the crib or pack and play just because of her size (I feel that way some days now too!)

 

[mommasquirrel]

So excited because DH comes home tonight. I'm running to the grocers again to get more ingredients to finish my darn project. I'm going to need some more baskets to put trays in. The chest freezer might get packed today. =) So glad, whoever told me quiches freeze well. I was worried that I wouldn't have many options for easy breakfast other than yogurt. =)

MrsK: I prepped small containers of food. The size of a loaf of bread. We don't use microwaves so I wanted to make sure we only make what we will eat each day. I don't plan on having any visitors while I'm recovering. DH knows better than to invite anyone over. I'm a germaphobe for new people around this baby that's not born yet. I'm still upset that last weekend we were around 2 people who had bronchitis and they could have told us before we met up. Then I saw on FB that another person who was there got sick and now I am so worried that I might get it..ARGHH

Sometimes I feel like I'm on a roller coaster. I keep telling myself it's just a few more weeks. So anyone else dealing with lava throat? I'm tempted to ask my OB for meds.

Cats!! Yikes. I used to have a huge cat. She was 20+ pounds and thought she was a kitten. I couldn't imagine her with a newborn. She'd try to sit on babies chest immediately if she were still here. She loved sitting on my chest and just purring away. Ever since she passed in 2009, I couldn't get another cat. It almost feels like cheating when I even think about it. A dog though, I could see us getting a dog but I want to wait for baby to get bigger and strong enough to push the dog off in case we end up with a "lap" dog that's 40+ pounds. Though, We will be dog sitting a cute little corgie for a few months starting Valentines weekend. We've been told that she is fantastic with newborns. I need to buy a "play yard fence" I figure as long as we can keep her out of the living room it's fine.

 

[DrMum]

Momma- as someone who has checked out every gate and yard ever made ( we moved house 5 times before DS was 2...) I absolutely can't recommend the babydan ones enough!

Super sturdy, moveable, reliable. All you need!

https://www.babydan.com/page1073.aspx

 

[MrsKChicago]

Ah, that makes sense on the small containers. That was my original plan, but then Costco had a pack of 30 giant pans for $5, so how could I not? I'm not planning on lots of guests, but there are a handful of people who may be allowed over. None of them would expect me to feed them, but I want the choice of something home cooked rather than them bringing takeout. Which reminds me, I should freeze a casserole that my friend who's allergic to everything can eat. She lives in Indiana, and if baby isn't born on a weekend, she's going to come visit him at home instead of in the hospital. She won't stay with me unless I need help and beg her to, but she'll be over long enough for a meal, and I don't want to deal with either of us cooking, and ordering pizza isn't an option.

I can't stand people who drag their sickness around without warning people! Especially with pregnant women and other people at extra risk. I understand that sometimes you misjudge whether you're contagious or something, but don't do it knowingly! Jerks! I hope you stay healthy. Shame on them!

I love my cats, and I always thought I was a cat person until DH talked me into adopting a dog. I'm definitely more of a dog person now. There are inconveniences, like having to take them outside several times a day to do their business, and having to actually feed them twice a day instead of leaving out a bowl of food, and the little one barks at everything, but they're so loyal and sweet. Having dogs is rewarding in a way that having cats usually isn't, even if you have a very affectionate cat. I think I've referred to the little dog as a gremlin and threatened to make her into soup several times on this thread, but really I can't imagine not having her around. I wouldn't adopt one with a tiny baby in the house, though - too much adjustment all at once!

DH just emailed that he's having a good day at work (Saturdays are usually rough, but the boss and the other guy whose role is kind of vague but who's kind of a boss are both out today), and dinner is already in the crockpot so there's no cooking to do. Maybe I can talk him into getting some baby stuff done tonight!

Thanks for the gate tip, DrMum! There are a couple places we'll need gates once this little guy is more mobile. Thankfully our house has lots of doors to keep the pets contained if necessary for now.

 

[bucherwurm]

We already have baby gates everywhere in our house from having puppies. They keep the dogs out of the cat's areas, and can contain the dogs if people are in/out. One really needs to be replaced before baby is mobile because it has some broken pieces, but other than that, we're pretty good. We bought a new one for baby's room to keep the cats out. We may buy another one if we need to keep the cats out of our room. Just depends on how much of a nuisance they are at night, though I don't want to disturb their lives too much by not letting them in there at all.