35+ TTC 1st Graduates!!! Come on Over!

[pablo797]

HA, thank you sooooooooo much for the update from Heartree!! I miss her and think of her often. Do I know how I can get in touch with her?? What thread she's on??

How are you?? How are things going?? I hope all is well. I need to pop in on the ttc page and say hi.

It's Friday!!! Went for an hour long run last night. Don't be impressed it was only 3 miles and I walked part of it, but a small part and the longest run I've been on in quite some time. Took the girl in the jogger and she slept a good portion of it. Now if I could just find time for some sit ups I'll be all set, but by the time I picked the girl up from daycare, got changed and running, then back to the house it was 6:00 and time for Jo's dinner, a bath and to be bed 7. Sit ups??? I'm exhausted!!! LOL I'm just happy to find time to run and today I'm sore in all the right places (inner thighs, butt).

Hope everyone is well, Jules Park Ave.!!!! You go girl, better be a big lottery!!

Have A great weekend!!
Anna

 

[pablo797]

Ohhhh I forgot to mention DH Let me sleep last night!! I slept from 10-5:30, but barely got up, then woke up at 6:45! Wooooooooooohooooooooooooo!!

 

[pablo797]

Me again...

For all you English ladies out there, I just had a couple of guys in my store that serve in the royal air force, part of the search and rescue team and they're based with Prince William. Very nice guys, father and son. They said William is a really nice guy. Like I had any doubts. Anyway, it was fun meeting them and they left me with a bunch of stickers. Very cool.

 

[rottpaw]

Hi girls!*

Well, I started a response and then lost the whole thing when I tried to insert a smilie. Has anyone else encountered that problem?

Quick recap -*

Anna, that is awesome about the British SAR guys. William has always seemed to me like such a nice guy. *And yay for sleep and exercise! Please get some of both for me right now!

HA, thanks so much for updating about Hearty. I saw Anna's question but couldn't get a response out yesterday. Anna, Hearty keeps a journal here:*https://www.babyandbump.com/pregnan...s-little-tree-blooming-after-4-losses-31.html. Sorry that the link is in text form but I'm afraid to use the link tool since losing my last post.*

I hope everyone is well today! I'm going to need to read back and catch up on all the news yesterday and I apologize. Last night, exactly at the six week mark, nausea kicked in out of the blue and with a vengeance. I was up most of the night eating crackers! I'm thankful of course because it's a good sign, but it sure will be nice if it not only starts later than it did last time (which it has), but also ends earlier. *We shall see! So far today I'm on a mostly-ginger-ale-and-crackers diet. Ah well. At least I kept my vitamins down.

We have our family/Ethan portraits tomorrow and I'm so excited! Just praying I'm not green in all the photos!*

Okay girls, more later. I'm so sorry, I'm running on about half a cylinder today.*

Hugs and love!

 

[rottpaw]

Sigh, sorry about the asterisks again. Seems to happen whenever I type my post in notes and then copy and paste over.

 

[HappyAuntie]

HA, thank you sooooooooo much for the update from Heartree!! I miss her and think of her often. Do I know how I can get in touch with her?? What thread she's on??

How are you?? How are things going?? I hope all is well. I need to pop in on the ttc page and say hi.

Angela beat me to the punch! Definitely go check out Hearty's journal - it's the best place to find her. The other two places she regularly posts are the recurrent miscarriage thread (in the miscarriage support section, but generally a very depressing place to lurk unless you are one of us who feel quite comfortable there) and the PAL after recurrent losses thread (which I think is in the pregnancy discussion area, but I'm not sure... I unsubscribed there after my last mc in a self-preservation move).

I'm doing ok. A month out from my last mc and I'm starting to have more good days than bad. We're in a little break until late April, when we'll start our 2nd IVF and hope for a better ending. As for the other long-timers on the 35+ thread, Dwrgi just had a failed 2nd IVF (got her official BFN just two days ago) and will consider DE or adoption next; Twinkle is waiting on the results of her HSG (which was months ago, but she still hasn't been given the results - gotta love the NHS!) and in a move that made us all cry, her parents have offered to pay for IVF; FutureMommie has a new RE and will be having surgery soon to remove new scar tissue in her uterus... I'm trying to think who else has been over there long enough that you'd know her... Manuiti has just rejoined us after a long break, and has just started her first IVF after being diagnosed with high FSH/low AMH. I think that's it.... Don't worry about getting over there - those of us who've been there long enough to know you know you're busy with little Jo. I do think we need to see a pic of that little girl, though!

 

[rottpaw]

Thanks so much HA for the update on our girls!

I have seen the notation in twink's signature for a while now about her HSG and was wondering about the results, I never realized they still haven't given them to her! poor girl!! I can't believe that even the NHS moves that slowly! I got my results while I was lying on the table, for crying out loud. Poor Twinkle! Do they at least have an ETA on those results?

I am still praying for ALL of our 35+ girls and was so sorry to see Dwrgi's IVF result a day or so ago. I know you don't really prefer anecdotal evidence or stories about what worked for one person vs another, but if you think it would help Dwrgi, please feel free to share my story with her as I know she seems to feel her AMH is the problem.

 

[Mommy's Angel]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks HA for all the updates. I've been wondering how Hearty, FM and Twinks were doing. They've been on my heart along with you!! Not sure if this is any comfort but I have Incompetent Cervix. I had it with Jackson and I had it with Amelia. The good news is that she has a proactive Dr. Bed Rest has said to be quite the turn around for women with IC even those without a stitch or any progesterone treatment. Knowing she's on bed rest I am confident that she will be just fine. Does anyone know if she'll be starting Progesterone Injections if they find it to be IC?? If she continues bed rest and drinking LOTS Of water it will help. Even if it gets her to 28wks which is when they say baby is too big to come through on their own so she can breathe again. Also, I was in the IC forum which helped. Lizzie and some of the other ladies are very knowledgeable and encouraging if she ever wants to chat with other women who know the fears and the victories!

On Beth's subject, we tried a schedule with Amelia and it didn't work for us. I'm not sure if it was Amelia's reflux issues or the teething right now. A friend of mine told us about a different method which allows the baby's timeclock to let you know when they are ready to eat and sleep. It through this planning momma for a loop but it's working. Amelia refuses to nap in the morning. Seems that she LOVES what's going on and loves the stimulation around her. She takes a longer nap at 4pm after her bottle and then starts getting tired around 10pm. It works for us as well since she gets up around 730 or 8am. She tricked us today when she woke up at 930. I thought something happened and we slept through the natural "alarm"

It's odd because I grew up where I was put to bed around 8pm EVERY night. Mind you, they have recordings of me singing and talking to my dollies so I didn't actually sleep until maybe 10pm but they at least put me in the bed. It's hard to do that with Amelia because we don't want her thinking bedtime is "playtime" so when we put her down it's when she's actually tired and ready. It's easier to tell now.

Does anyone else have schedules like ours? My husband gets home at midnight. Amelia is in bed by 10pm so she's RARELY up when daddy gets home with exception to feed if she ever needs it or is sick for some reason. We go to bed around 1 or 2am (after my husband unwinds from work) and then one of us or both are usually up whenever Amelia wakes up around 730am or 8. She's a good sleeper. Always has been thankfully.

We think we found "The House". We're going to look at it tomorrow. It's in the country, a small village, no work needs to be done so far that we know of, new roof, updated, HUGE backyard which is fenced in, a garage and is close to the cemetery where our son is as well as our church. Only a small drive to Dougs work and a half hour or so drive to my parents. Thing is, 8 other couples seem to think it's THE ONE as well. ((sigh)) Wondering if someone else will nab it up before we put our offer in tomorrow if we decide we like it overall.

This process is CRAZY! It takes us a while to work through the junk places, we find one on the market for 2 days and people are all out to get it. I don't know what we'd do in the case that a couple other folks would want it. It's a couple thousand above what they purchased it for in 2004 BUT they updates quite a lot. If someone offers them the asking price would it be stupid to counter-offer higher than the asking price because we like it?! Or should we just step away and wait for another home to come up on the market?

Where's Steph been? Haven't seen her on as much lately either. I'm missing all our gals though I KNOW everyone is busy with their wee ones and their lives.

Well, I'll post an update after tomorrow mornings showing. We'll see what happens from there. I'm SO on edge with this process just as Carole said. I'll just keep my eye on the prize.

Love to you all.

P.S., Carole I bet little one will be just fine for vaginal birth. It's so fun to go through the process and wonder what your baby will look like, how big, etc. I SO miss Amelia's movements and kicking. I have to say though that she brings joy to my heart EVERY DAY when I watch her grow. Can you believe she's 6months yesterday?? It's going by SO QUICK you just have to bask in every moment.

 

[HappyAuntie]

I have seen the notation in twink's signature for a while now about her HSG and was wondering about the results, I never realized they still haven't given them to her! poor girl!! I can't believe that even the NHS moves that slowly! I got my results while I was lying on the table, for crying out loud. Poor Twinkle! Do they at least have an ETA on those results?

I know! My RE did my HSG himself and turned the monitor so I could see it and talked me through every step, explaining everything he was seeing. But even here in the US, I know Hearty had to wait a week or so for her results because a radiologist did the procedure and sent the report/images over to her RE for interpretation. I don't know how much longer Twinks will have to wait, but it's ludicrous. It's just bureaucratic red tape - you know her info is laying on someone's desk somewhere, but because it's not considered an emergency, she has to wait for months to get the result of a simple x-ray procedure, and she can't move forward with any fertility treatments until those results come in.

Thanks HA for all the updates. I've been wondering how Hearty, FM and Twinks were doing. They've been on my heart along with you!! Not sure if this is any comfort but I have Incompetent Cervix. I had it with Jackson and I had it with Amelia. The good news is that she has a proactive Dr. Bed Rest has said to be quite the turn around for women with IC even those without a stitch or any progesterone treatment. Knowing she's on bed rest I am confident that she will be just fine. Does anyone know if she'll be starting Progesterone Injections if they find it to be IC?? If she continues bed rest and drinking LOTS Of water it will help. Even if it gets her to 28wks which is when they say baby is too big to come through on their own so she can breathe again. Also, I was in the IC forum which helped. Lizzie and some of the other ladies are very knowledgeable and encouraging if she ever wants to chat with other women who know the fears and the victories!

I actually thought of you as soon as I heard her news! If her cervix continues to shorten they'll start her on progesterone. I don't think her dr is even considering cerclage at this point because she's so far along. But she's hopeful that bedrest alone will do the trick.

 

[rottpaw]

I know! My RE did my HSG himself and turned the monitor so I could see it and talked me through every step, explaining everything he was seeing. But even here in the US, I know Hearty had to wait a week or so for her results because a radiologist did the procedure and sent the report/images over to her RE for interpretation. I don't know how much longer Twinks will have to wait, but it's ludicrous. It's just bureaucratic red tape - you know her info is laying on someone's desk somewhere, but because it's not considered an emergency, she has to wait for months to get the result of a simple x-ray procedure, and she can't move forward with any fertility treatments until those results come in.

My hsg was exactly like yours; my RE turned the screen and explained everything to me and basically said he would write up the report a little more technically but that basically everything looked fine. The dr. that actually did my hsg was not my personal RE but another dr. in the practice, but even so they gave me my results right away...Oh my GOSH, I feel like what they are doing to Twinkle is just criminal! A few days I could understand, but months!!?!? I feel like that is just five different kinds of wrong and ridiculous even for a governmental entity like the NHS! Especially if they won't let her move forward without those results!

Sorry for the rant, I'm just still SMH here over that news..

Twink, when you read this sweetie, I'm sending you a big HUGE hug!

 

[newmarriedgal]

Hi Ladies,

I only have a minute to post and it will be a selfish one, as we are at the end of our ropes.

We got poppy on omeprazole and picked it up this morning. It is a liquid that I have to give by mouth once a day. After a night of me and Charlie arguing - when he gave poppy a bottle at 11, and woke up at 1 for another feeding, I asked what happened and found he didn't wake up poppy when he fell asleep after a few sucks, even though I told him to keep him up to finish so he would have a full belly and sleep longer. Well, he didn't and he woke up at 1. So I fed him and he went down until 5 or so, and we used his paci and I fed him again and we were up at 6. Then I went to the pharmacy to get the omep and when I got home to give it to him - it's just once a day - he spit most of it up then had a HUGE spitup that was the rest of it. Charlie is so mad, saying we are alone on this as the dr isn't helping and he is swearing (which is rare for him) and isn't speaking to me.

I told him I would try it tomorrow in a bottle of my expressed milk to see how he takes it but am met with silence. Now I hear him banging things around upstairs and I don't know how to handle this. I have a miserable boy and an angry husband - who is about a second away from telling me no more kids.

ugh, gotta go, have to hold poppy as he is sad and miserable right now.

 

[rottpaw]

Oh Beth honey, I'm SO sorry. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make it better foryu guys, I know it was SO hard for us in those first few months because there's almost nothing that can prepare you for the sheere lack of sleep, BEFORE any issues or problems on top of that. I think the stress and sleeplessness is just catching up with both of you.

I will tell you what helped us, and you may or may not have tried some of these things already... First, at night, we traded off childcare and actually slept in different rooms so that the one "off duty" could actually sleep uninterrupted. I would go to bed right after dinner, about 8:30 or nine, and sleep till the 2 am feed. Hubby would go to bed at two and got up at like 7:30 for work. That way, we at least each got a survival round of sleep each night and at least five or so hours unbroken (which is a huge difference from six or seven broken up in three places). So that is my first suggestion. Secondly, we fed then held Ethan up about 45 minutes after each feed, to see if that would help. Third, and this may not be right for you but I just want to throw it out there. At two months, Ethan's reflux was so bad we switched him to the enfamil a.r. And it worked MIRACLES for us, NOT to suggest you stop bfing since that is working for you, just wondering if A.r overnight maybe one or two feeds could help get you all through the nights more comfortably?

Hugs and love!

 

[newmarriedgal]

Thanks Angela! I so appreciate your response.

I've suggested to sleep in different rooms and he won't go for it, he tells me he's fine to get up - then when he does, cranky bear comes out!

We do hold poppy up after feeds for almost an hour and he still spits afterwards - up to 2 hours after a feed and he grimaces in his sleep...

actually, I was at the point last night where I thought of going to formula if the omep didn't work. I am willing to try anything and am not against doing that as I never planned on bf'ing past 6 weeks anyways, it just was going so well I thought I would go for 3 months then see again. So I just may try it. I will try the omep in the bottle of expressed milk (in only about an ounce to make sure he drinks it all) and see how it helps, but by Wed if no improvement, I will try that at night. If I have to go to it full time, I will!

thank you so much for your help - means so much! hugs!

 

[pablo797]

Beth sweetie!! So hard what you are going through and I think it's sleep deprivation and stress catching up with you both too. Seems as if you've heard all the advice so I won't give you any more other than to say men hate to seem weak. Is it possible DH doesn't want to sleep in separate rooms because he feels as if it means admiting that things are hard and that he needs a break.

I think one of our big hurdles was admitting how hard it was to take are of a colic / reflux baby. At first you want to seem as if you can handle it all, no sweat, got the baby thing handled. But the truth is it's hard. And men are even more perplexed. It's a baby they think, how hard can it be?? In their world hard things are fixing the car, filing the taxes, digging up the dead tree in the yard. I think it's hard for them to wrap their head around a baby as being hard. This assessment is based ONLY on my DH. I am sure some men are a little more enlightened, but mines a bit old school an if yours is too then perhapse that is the issue. I have no solution for you only a possible explanation. Good luck and lots of hugs!!!!

Ha, thanks do much for the up date. I will drop in soon on the other thread. I think a break is good and I'm glad you are feeling better, day by day. I am very excited for twinkle!! That is so sweet of her parents!!! Take care of yourself and I know I will see you here soon!!! Much love!!

AFM, it's Saturday, went for another run this am and it went better than the other day so hopefully getting back in shape. Bi've been looking at new bathing suits on line at Jcrew and Victoria's secrete and a new bathing suit is over $100!!! Am I cheep or is that a lot of money for something that has no fabric!???? OMG I SOUND OLD!!! Anyway so I've decided to save my money and exercise and diet my way back into my old bathing suits. I have two weeks. Baby is down for a nap now. It's so warm I'm sitting on my deck in my bathing suit catching some rays!!!! Itay snow on Monday but it's beautiful today so carpe diem!!

Have a good weekend!! Anna

 

[animalcracker]

Hello ladies!

Beth - my heart goes out to you. I cant imagine how difficult this must be for you. Angela's suggestion worked for us - we didn't sleep in separate rooms but we took turns for 'night duty.' Last night was my night - if Gabby got up, I'd feed/change her and tonight it is Tony's night. That way you both get to catch up with sleep.

Also, the formula might not be a bad idea at night? I had to give up BF'ing completely because I wasn't producing enough milk and Gabby wasn't gaining enough weight. It was hard giving it up, but at the end of the day - as my pediatrician said - it's what was best for baby. So do not feel guilty if that's what ends up happening. You both might get your sanity back, which is just as important.

Angela - if I am not mistaken, your scan is on Wednesday?

AFM - I am SO FRUSTRATED ladies. Before I got pregnant, I could lose weight fairly easily and now - no matter how well I eat, how often I work out, my body refuses to let go of the weight. It is so incredibly frustrating to be depriving myself of the foods I love AND working out so hard to not lose an ounce. ARGh!!

Is it a hormone thing? Am I alone with this or did any of you ladies experience this too? Do I just need to be patient? I haven't gotten my period yet and tomorrow it will be 2 months since I gave birth. Any idea how long that will take too? I'm just so incredibly frustrated about my weight. Nothing fits and I refuse to buy more fat clothes

My second question - those of you who swaddled - when did you stop? I read somewhere that you should stop swaddling at the latest, 4 months because then babies can roll over and if they roll onto their stomachs, they could suffocate? I'm thinking of stopping swaddling at 3 months because the thought of that happening terrifies me and Gabby can already roll onto her side.

Hi to JuneBug, Anna, Chris, Steph and everyone else!! I'm going to leave you all with what is probably one of my favorite pics of Gabby I took last night..it's a profile, close up shot and she is starting to look a little like me now which is nice to hear LOL
https://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o262/spesh37/4b73aa6a7c6311e1989612313815112c_7.jpg

 

[rottpaw]

Jules!

First, YES you should stop worrying about not being able to lose all the weight yet. You are just two months out which is WAYYYYYYY too early (IMHO) To stress about this sweetie! I KNOW, believe me I know, the stress of finding nothing fits and just feeling fat and unhappy. But truly, the hormones that are still swirling around in your body just 8 weeks or so after birth can hinder weight loss. That said, you are my hero because I couldn't even THINK about working out at that stage!

So first of all, cut yourself a LOT more slack girlfriend! then, take it a little at a time to just focus on rebuilding (if you need to) muscular strength, which will speed up your metabolism.

To answer your question about pre vs post pregnacy life, i do think that it can really mess with your metabolism. My experience has been this: long story short, nothing I did in terms of dietary modifications worked to cause me to lose. Not even walking PLUS eating well... In the end, to actually drop weight, I had to go back to jogging. But for me, my joints didn't get back to being capable of taking that pounding until Ethan was 11 months.

So just know that YES, you will figure out a plan that works, but DON'T stress that it isn't happening immediately. Like most things pregnancy related, I've found it doesn't happen fast and it's a slow and steady wins the race kind of situation. Be kind to yourself and take it easy on yourself!

And beautiful pic of Gabby!

my scan is tomorrow and I'm SO nervous! Hubby won't be able to go with me and that is freaking me out a little. but I'm just praying all is well!

 

[newmarriedgal]

Hi Ladies -

well, after 2 days of the omep, I think we may have turned a very small corner. i put the omep in his bottle of my milk yesterday and while he knew it was different, he did drink it...and seemed to do better. He slept for about 6 hours last night, which was a blessing, even though I made him take a nap during company and then we had our bedtime routine again (more on that in a bit) and I think he is doing a bit better. Even gave us big grins. I hope this is the start of things getting back to sane and happy. I'm going to get it flavored to see if that helps him - I think it is worse because it has to be refrigerated, and he doesn't like cold things, the gripe water has to be refrig too and he spits that out too. hmm. I just gave him his dose today and he hatesssssssssss it! poor thing screams. Hoping the grape flavor helps.

Charlie and I had a big calm talk last night and I got out most of my fears and issues. He just hugged me for awhile and reassured me and talked it all out. So I feel much better. That and getting to sleep from 11pm to 5am helped. He had to step out to the store yesterday morning, so I made him Death by Chocolate cookies and blonde brownies (his favorite) and he had brought me flowers when he was out, so we were on the same page.

I've been pumping more on my left side (which never gets more than 2-3 oz) because he is having trouble latching onto that side now and it is painful. He had this problem on the other side and the left was perfect, now it's reversed But he is also eating more (i think, from what I can tell from the bottles) and he isn't getting much on that side but he tries and sucks so hard! This morning when I went the 6 hours, I had Charlie give him a bottle because I desperately had to pump, the sheets were soaked and I was in so much engorged pain! I got about 3.5 from the left side and 6oz from my right! Good thing the left boob was always a bit bigger otherwise I'd be lopsided!

We had charlie's kids over yesterday - he has 2 from his first marriage, a son (mark) who is 30 and a daughter (tara) who is 26. They both loved poppy. They were at a wedding of their cousin (Charlie's ex's brother's kid). I know the girl, she is very nice, but there was no way in hell I was going to that wedding, even if I didn't have poppy. His psycho ex-wife was there and no thanks!!!! It's enough that I have to listen to how freaking much his sisters loved being with her again and how they want to invite her on family vacations and parties (don't get me started, my blood pressure has been good lately).

As far as the bedtime routine goes - I think I got it through to Charlie that it is a good thing....thx to Bek and Anna and everyone who gave me their hints and thoughts. Anna - I made charlie sit there while I read your post outloud to him and he was interested enough to do some research on it and liked what you said So here is my routine - it isn't so much as ok it's 10pm, go to sleep. It is: 7:50 bath and or lotion rubdown, 8pm-8:15pm, change into pj's, dim lights a bit, have a good long feed/snuggle with us quietly. 9pm, in the swaddle sleepsack but arms out, lights very dim, tv quiet, we are talking low and poppy is on the boppy between us in bed, usually drifting off to sleep. 10:30-11pm, the final night feed, kisses goodnight, swaddled up tight, last upright half hour after feeding then down for the night in the bassinet for good. When I swaddle, he's out for a long time, when Charlie does, he wakes up a little (very drowsy) about an hour later and I re-swaddle without talking and he drifts back off himself, sometimes he makes noises for about 10 mins but puts himself back to sleep.

Jules - LOVE LOVE LOVE the picture! those cheeks! those lashes! you really have a beautiful girl. As far as the weight loss is concerned, I'm sorry I can't be of much help. I think because I'm bf'ing almost every 2 hours constantly, it has wiped out the baby weight.....BUT that doesn't mean I was like you before I got pg.... I needed to lose weight then, so even though I'm back to pre-baby weight, I still need to lose a good 30-35 pounds to be happy. I have a new weight loss ticker at the bottom, we will see how that goes. I plan on getting a pedometer and getting the 10,000 steps a day. Will it help, not sure as I heard that it messes with your metabolism. Lucky us girls! We go through so much!

There is a sleepsack that doesn't have the swaddle for the arms - I have one in cotton I will use for the summer......I heard stop swaddling around 4months too, but they need a blanket, so this helps with that too.

I hope I had my last visiting nurse appointment today. I see the ob for my postpartum checkup tomorrow and hoping I get the all clear to stop.

Hope you all have a great day - here are a few funny pics of poppy that make me laugh. The one where he is looking at me from the side - charlie and I say that he is saying: "take the boob away from me will ya! Why I oughta slap you one!" Note that he is also giving me the finger.
The one in the blue hat melts my heart

 

[rottpaw]

Beth, so glad things are looking up! And rereading your post made me aware of a couple points I wanted to comment on as well - first as to your question regarding routine, YES I think routines are critical to good sleep and you can tell Charlie I said that, lolololol!

And Jules, re swaddling and rolling over, JMHO buti would stop swaddling NOW if she can already roll to her side. It wont be long before she rolls all the way over and you don't want it to happen when she is swaddled. Ethan always pulled out of his swaddles anyway and got them up in his face and freaked me out, so we quit pretty early. He actually slept better lol!

 

[pablo797]

Good Monday morning all!! As promised it's snowing today. All is good as we've had a beautiful spring, but it's funny to go from shirts one day to snow the next. Steph, if u move to Colorado be prepared for wild swings in the weather.

Jules, do I hear you on the weight loss front!!! However Angela is right cut yourself some slack!! They say nine months to put it on, nine months to take it off. Thanks to working on my feet, working out, a dedication to lean cuisine every day for lunch, and two bouts of stomach flu last month I am down to pre pregnancy weight ... Mostly. My hips and butt are back to normal mostly but my stomach!!!! Ahhhh I HATE it. Instead of buying a new swim suit I've decided to commit to wearing the old ones, but my stomach. I have to start doing sit ups now and not stop for two weeks. Anyway, so cut yourself some slack. Eight weeks post baby is nothing!!! I love the picture of Gabby just beautiful!! I love those shots that are so intimate. Swaddle thing, I think we stopped at three months. Our little Houdini kept breaking out and liked having her arms out. However that also marked the end of good sleep for us and we still haven't gotten back.

Angela, good luck with the scan!! How's running going? Are you still running now that you're pregnant?? I think I remember you saying you were going to walk the color run.

Beth, oh my I hope I had my facts straight!!! I am glad it made sense to Charlie and maybe helped. As MA pointed out every baby is different and what works for some may not work for others . That said the research I did made sense to me and if I can get Jo on a good sleep schedule it makes a world of difference. She's a different baby if she's well rested. I am glad all has worked out between you and Charlie. The new baby thing is so hard. A friend of mine recommended a book to me called "and baby makes three". It's about the impact of a baby on relationships. I haven't read it yet, but it sounded interesting. Sounds like you and Charlie have things worked. Sorry for the ex wife comments!!! I am floored by some people. The sleep routine sounds awesome!! And I live the pictures!!!

AFM, not much to say other than I am exhausted!!! Josephine was up All night last night. SCREAMING!!!! She may fuss but not scream like that. I am pretty sure it's tooth #2, but holy crap I did not sleep at all. I finally got her settled down by putting her in the crook of my arm next to me. This was at about 1:30. I kept trying different things, different positions and they would work for 5-10 min and SE would wake up crying. Poor little thing. Poor mom. DH Got up early to go to Denver and I begged him to stay home a little longer so I could get just an hour more of sleep . Man oh man I hope this teething thing ends soon. Beth I am so jealous of your six hrs of sleep!!! I am happy it's happening now and not while we're on vacation. Speaking of quick question to everyone... How do I clean bottles on vavcatuon? We can take soap and bottle brushes but what if the water out of the tap is bad??? Most hotels in Mexico have good potable water out of the tap but what if it's not?? Any ideas??? Do they make disposable bottles???

Ok all for now. I took the best picture of Jo last night in the tub. I will see if I can post it from my phone, and yes my ticker is still wrong . I like the weight loss ticker idea may copy you Beth!!

 

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Bath time!! Hard to believe this is the same baby that cried all night!! Have a good day. Anna