BFP Chasers...........Feel free to join....

[Wish2BMom]

MrsKatie - "relax" - that's so the mantra of everyone but SO NOT the reality of ANY of this!!!

wicky - I hope DW's surgery goes without issue today!! Good luck!! I love that Miriam is being a little chatty monkey now! this is such a fun stage. Though let me warn you - there are some CHALLENGES up ahead! WHEW! I felt this morning like i'm literally saying 'no' ALL. THE. TIME. Or "stop" or "we don't do that" or whatever needs to be said to stop the insanity at the moment. It's gotten to the point where, when we get to the 'children' page of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, the kids go 'no biting, children!' Yeah - they've heard that a bit. :doh:

miki - wow, so tired so late in the game! I'm trying to remember if I was around then but I don't think so. But this is your 2nd AND you have a toddler! When is your next scan? Hang in there - only a few weeks left!! I can't believe that!!
I hope Kai is feeling better!! 106! that's so scary! just the flu?

I was thinking this weekend, as much as I was loving the idea of maybe a 3rd surprise baby, with how the boys are right now, I can't imagine trying to tame another toddler in my life! of course, I'd do it!! But man - it would be close to 3 yrs from NOW and well...that's a lot to think about. That said, I did get my IUD out at the end of Dec. To be clear - we are NOT trying for another! I have no eggs and we're old. But I didn't feel great on it and figured I was on it for no real reason since I have DOR. I feel SO much better with it out - no swamp face, I've lost a couple lbs, I have more energy, less headaches. Yuck - I'm good with ever being on contraception again!

The boys are adjusting to the 2's room - I don't think it's actually that much different, though there are less kids and only one teacher, which is good for them, I'm sure. They had so many graduate up to the 2's at the same time, they had to open another room so they got that one. I like their teacher too, so far. And we are keeping their last teacher as one of our babysitters, so she'll still get time with them every now and then. But the boys still eat at the same time, nap at the same time for the same length, etc. So not much has changed except probably the curriculum. They are really starting to learn their numbers and have counted up to almost 10 by themselves a couple of times! Letters are still being worked on but Timothy knows when to say 'P' when I'm doing the song! Speaking of songs, they are starting to sing along with some now! Ring Around the Rosie is popular b/c you get to fall down at the end , they now say 'Wheels On Bus' for the song, rather than just 'Bus'. They are really stringing together words to make sentences, which only makes the grunting/whining that much more annoying to hear b/c you KNOW they can say words! I think Timothy is trying to incorporate 'is' or 'isn't' which just sounds like he's stuttering 'isisisisis', but I think it's cute that he's trying to roll that verb in rather than just saying nouns or adjectives! Smart bugger!

Tantrums are a big thing, especially with Timothy. But I remember what you said Miki - he just FEELS bigger! Malcolm doesn't really throw tantrums but when he's mad, he still has to toss everything in his wake. Then he feels better. We are working on not throwing food on the floor again. The sound of food hitting the floor literally jumps from my calm nerve STRAIGHT to my last one and I almost lose it. And making him pick it up and throw it away doesn't seem to be much punishment b/c he loves to go around and collect things anyway. :doh:
What else is going on...oh, Timothy is getting his 2y molars and they are affecting him something fierce. Paired with the bitter cold, his cheeks, chin and nose are all chapped and I have to wrestle and pin him down to get anything on them to help him out. They are all red and look so irritated. He had been struggling last week and we just thought it was the new room, but then he started tugging his ears and kept running a low-grade fever. So I brought him to the Dr on Thurs and he was perfectly healthy, mind a bit of nose congestion. Finally on Saturday afternoon, after a ton of meltdowns in the morning, we finally gave him some Motrin in case it was his teeth. Brand new child within 20 mins!! That stuff is magical! He was playing around the house, all smiles and laughter. DH felt so guilty b/c he was clinging to him all morning and was just SO horribly fussy. We both felt so bad that we got him the medicine so late. But at least now we know what's going on. He teethed so long ago, I had forgotten how sensitive he was to it!
Food is still a challenge but I've gotten off my own back. My big thing is making sure the boys have enough veggies. They've calmed on fruits for now but that's fine. And we are finding new and creative products to get veggies into them, plus the tried and true pouches. Even if they come directly home and have a banana, some apple chips, an English Muffin and then decline dinner, they've had plenty and most of it was healthy and filling, so I'm good. If they then want to have some of my fish or rice or whatever, they can have it.

anyway - that's our life right now! day in and day out - a fun little circus that I wouldn't trade for the world!

 

[Wicky78]

Hi, ladies!

DW's surgery went great and she was so amazingly good within a couple of hours of the surgery! We were both shocked, thinking she would be out of it and feel pretty awful the first day, and probably for several days. Well, we were wrong! She was alert and engaged most of the day, until she crashed around 9 pm (we'd been up since 4:30 that morning, aside from the surgery). But Wednesday (the day after surgery) was rough. They planned to discharge her, so we got everything ready and were just waiting for PT. Well, during PT, her pain level was too high and she was not able to do everything they want to see to ensure a "safe discharge" so they didn't clear her to go home. And thank goodness because she spiked a fever and felt horrible most of the rest of the day. But by night, she was beginning to perk up and look more like her old self and the pain was under control. The next morning, she got to come home and she's been doing great (maybe overdoing it...)!

While DW was still in the hospital, my mom and I took Miriam to visit a preschool she might attend beginning in September. She loved it and loved being around the other kids! I kind of feel bad that we aren't sending her sooner, but I don't think we could swing it with DW not able to drive for the next several weeks. By the time we could get her started, they'd be finishing up the year. But I think we'll try to go to some of the family gatherings they have this spring and the play dates they have in the summer, so she can spend time with other kids and we can start meeting the parents. We just have to choose between the "younger 2-year olds" and the "older 2-year olds" because she is right on the cutoff between the two classes. The Director said she could go into either class and I'm on the fence. The younger class only meets 2 days per week, which I thought would be a good starting point for her, but now that I've seen her with the kids, I'm thinking she'd love more time. Also, the 2 day class seemed to be right in line with where she is NOW because they also have 1 yr olds in that class. But if she goes in the older class 3 days a week, I don't want to push her too much, since she'd be the youngest kid in the class. Nobody prepares you for all these decisions parents have to make!!! In the moment, they seem so MONUMENTALLY CONSEQUENTIAL, but in the scheme of things, they're probably not that big of a deal. Well, at least we have time to figure it out.

PT and OT for the kiddo have been going well and I think she's basically going to graduate from them soon. She has PT just once per month and may spread them out more so she sees PT just a few times between now and September. She has pronated feet with the right one very pronounced, so they want to keep an eye on her to see if it corrects itself as she walks more, or if they need to intervene. But she hasn't been walking long enough to know which way it will go. OT is still scheduled fairly regularly, but I'm not sure she still needs it. Speech Therapy decided she didn't need their services because she finally started with her language explosion in the last couple of months and is right on track.

Wish, the boys sound like quite the handful these days! I know Miriam wears me out and she's just one kid!!! I am also right with you on the throwing food thing. We are so over that at our house, but she does it every.single.meal! OT told us to just calmly tell her that if she's throwing food, it's a sign that she must not be hungry anymore (or at all), and so the meal's over. Then we remove the food and get her out of the high chair. Sure, it cuts down on the amount of food to pick up, and she definitely focuses on eating when she's hungry, but it hasn't seemed to stop the food throwing. Or spoon throwing. So I don't know how well it really works! I'm so glad, though, that Timothy didn't have an ear infection. It's rough when they have such a reaction to teething. I hope the molars come in quickly so he can get back to being himself. Yay for Motrin!

Miki, I can't believe you're getting close to meeting the next little bean! How is Kai doing with the idea of having a sibling? I was sorry to hear he was sick. That flu strain is no joke this year! I hope he is all better by now and that neither you nor DH caught it. I was pretty wiped at the end of my pregnancy (which ended at 34 weeks), so I guess you're not out of the norm on feeling tired and uncomfortable at this point in the pregnancy. It just sucks and I hope you keep your bean in for several more weeks! I can't remember, do you know what you're having, or will it be a surprise? I hope you can get some rest in the next few weeks before baby comes!

Mum, how are you doing? How is the sciatica these days? I hope you're doing well and getting in some rest before baby arrives!

MrsKatie, relaxing during TTC is pretty much impossible, so I feel your pain! I do recall, though, that the month I got my BFP, I had a calmness during the TWW that was kind of nice and kind of eerie. Not sure if it was just me trying to stay calm and doing things that worked, or if my mind just "knew." Distracting myself with things to do was helpful. Looking up pregnancy symptoms/early signs of pregnancy was not and made me kind of obsessive and anxious LOL. I hope you can find something that helps and that your cycle gets back to something predictable!

 

[mumof1+1]

Mum- How are you feeling? Are you preparing for your little girl's arrival? I haven't bought a single thing yet... I'm starting to feel a bit nervous!

And wicky too! The sciatica seems to be gone thankfully. Our growth scan yesterday shows she’s moved up the centile and is halfway between 10th and 50th so risk of 37 week induction has reduced. I’m feeling ok but having awful braxtons today. I’m sure they’ll ease. We’re almost ready and will be glad once it’s over and she’s here now. Getting to that stage haha. It is nerve wracking though isn’t it.
Hope everyone is well xxx

 

[Wish2BMom]

not long now, ladies!!! miki - I hope your absence from this thread doesn't mean anything. This is when I start to get concerned. I know your life is super busy too so I get that coming on here isn't much of a priority!

mum - so glad the sciatica is gone and you've gotten good results for baby girl's growth!! I bet you'll go all the way and then some!

wicky - hooray for DW's successful surgery! That's amazing! omigoodness - yes, everything does seem like the biggest, most stressful decision you'll ever make nowadays, doesn't it? I bet Miriam would thrive with the big kids - she's a tough little nugget! I kinda picture this little girl that is in the boys' class. She is a little STINKER and I love her! She's the tiniest one, she's smaller than Malcolm and she's 6 mos older than them, I think. But she was a little developmentally behind them but MAN she does not let that stop her. And she's walking and talking and keeping up with the 'big boys' now (she's the only girl in a class of 5 more boys! ha!!) Miriam will be just fine - go with your gut. I love that you'll be able to integrate with the other families beforehand too. We don't see the other families too much at our daycare. Only on the special gatherings they have at the school and that's if people actually make it there after work.

The boys had their 2y appointment yesterday and are doing great!! T is 35" tall and weighs a little over 27lbs. M is 33.5" tall and weighs just over 23lbs. Peanut! But both are healthy, developing well. T has 3 of the 4 molars broken through now with the last one close behind. M hasn't broken any through but he is swollen and ready. They both did great with their shots and the lead test (pricking the finger and taking the blood). I laugh when we have these appointments b/c by the time the Dr comes in, they are stripped down to their diapers and just trying to play with everything in the room - the stool that slides out from under the bed and trying to jump off of that or dance on top of it, rolling around the round stool, trying to play with any button they see/cabinet they can open/drawer they can pull. Madness. And now they can reach the door handle so they could escape if we're not paying close attention. She just walks in and takes one look and goes 'they look like they are developing just fine, gross motor skills, talking...yep! any questions?' of course she still checks everything else out but it's a rather quick trip nowadays.

 

[mikihope]

Am loving the updates! Unfortunately, what Kai had was RSV (doc tested), and we caught it. It went to my lungs as I have asthma, and I've been very ill. Plus I pulled something badly in my ribs from coughing, and Ive been in agony for a couple of weeks. I have to cough constantly, but its unbearable. I also got sinusitis from the virus. Until today, I couldn't move around or talk without going into a coughing fit. This makes working or looking after Kai almost impossible. I won't go into the pregnancy pains and difficulties -- the post would be too lengthy!

And I do have trouble with blood sugar even if I passed the GTT. Thanks for your congrats anyway, Wish and Wicky! When I raised my concerns with the doc, she told me that I'll be fine as the test was negative. So I'm doing the finger picks myself, 4 times a day. I can definitely eat more carbs than the last time, but from my numbers I'm still forced to restrict. And I'm starting to itch... Waiting for test results for cholestasis. Sigh. Might have to be induced at 37 weeks again.

Wish- So lovely to hear about your boys! Glad they did well in their transition. Timothy sounds like Kai, tantrums big, and is so big with emotions. Kai's so insanely jolly and hilarious, full of clownish energy.
I'm truly impressed by T and M's verbal and other abilities. Talking in sentences, singing, counting... Wow! Kai doesn't do those yet. I was worried about Kai's language development, and was thinking of asking about speech therapy, but he started stringing 2 words at around his 2nd birthday, so I stopped worrying about that.
Ah I see your newest post now. Nice to see how well your boys are doing, and their antics in the doc's office! Thanks for worrying about me! Just been in too much pain and discomfort for so long. I finally managed to write a post, but I can't really keep up or make much sense.

Wicky - I'm so glad that your DW's surgery went so well, and how good she's doing! I hope she recovers quickly and fully. Sounds like she's being a trooper. I remember how it was to recover from a broken pelvis, it was so tough being so helpless and how painful it was to try to just stand up.
It's wonderful that Miriam is now talking up a storm and climbing around (mixed blessing, I'm sure!) I hope PT works wonders for her pronated foot.
Oh, I tried explaining to Kai about the baby (boy!), I got a couple of books and even a baby doll. He still doesn't seem to understand. But he does love babies. Yes, Kai is going to be a big brother to his baby brother!

MrsKatie - hope things are going well! I don't think that relaxing is as important as they make it out to be for TTC, but it's always good to try to feel less stressed out!

Mum, I hope you're doing well, and as comfortable as it is possible to be this far along! I hope your back is holding up. Oh, I see you've posted, so glad your back is good!

 

[mikihope]

Argh, my test results show slightly elevated bile acids again! I got 11, the max is 10. I think this time I'm "lucky" enough to feel itchy. It's still coming and going, so I'm not sure. I may be induced at 37 weeks again! I'm so not ready. We haven't bought anything, the house is a giant mess, and I haven't even figured out my maternity leave with HR. Breathe...

 

[Wish2BMom]

omg miki - that's 3 weeks!!! I wouldn't be ready either!
WOW I'm so sorry that you've been so sick! that sounds horrible!! I hope you're on the mend now and things are going a bit better. Though that sucks about the cholestasis! Just another thing! I have a couple of friends who are in their 40's and pregnant with their 3rd and they are not enjoying this pregnancy at all. They can tell they are older and just not feeling good. I'm so sorry.
I really hope you get a chance to feel a little more prepared and get a wind of nesting!
That's so scary about Kai getting RSV too - my Dr's office said that's actually not a terrible thing for a 2yo to get - it's really just a cold at that point. It's the little ones that you should worry about. But that's terrible he shared it with you!

keep us posted on things!!! good luck to you! i hope you get to post a couple more times before baby boy comes!! Do you have a name picked out yet?

 

[mikihope]

Thanks for the support, Wish! Yeah, that’s what the doc said about RSV too. But Kai gets this asthmatic reaction to respiratory viruses, so it’s a bit more difficult for him. It was supposed to be a mild cold for me too, but I guess my asthma and pregnancy made it way worse. I’m finally slowly getting better. Plus I can’t seem to function at work, especially when I have to move around. It’s times like this when I realize just how hands on and my lab work is, and how much standing and moving around I do. Simple movements now make me feel like I’ve run a marathon or something. Oh, and the heartburn! And the Braxton Hicks contractions, it's like my belly is a rock all evening and night! It's so uncomfortable and I struggle with breathing.

DH is so upset at my boss who keeps requesting that I continue to work on these hands on projects even though I’ve mentioned loads of times that I can only move slowly, and that it’s now horribly difficult to do these things. I think my boss still doesn’t get that I’m not the same person as I was pre-pregnancy. At least I can still squat and stand from a deep squatting position without using aids, but other than that I feel like the weakest person on earth!

Cholestasis also means weekly NSTs, so I got to see and hear Beanie earlier this week. That’s the nice part of it! Sorry to hear that your friends are also suffering. I guess my age finally caught up with me too!

No nesting yet, and I never had it the last time! Maybe I’m just not nesty. Or maybe the nesting comes later for me. I’ve finally started to prepare a little for beanie’s arrival, but I have to tackle paperwork for maternity leave, work, and DH is pushing me to do and finish taxes by this week! I think DH is much more nesty than I am, he's rushing around to get things prepared. Unfortunately he's also A.LOT more grumpy and stressed out than I am, which makes things really difficult. Sigh.

And no names! I can’t seem to top Kai, so I get discouraged. DH has one request for the name, and that is that his parents and relatives be able to pronounce the name. They speak French Creole, and may struggle with many of the English names. Kai was perfect, now I have to find another simple name like that.

Talking about Kai, I'm so worried that he'll have trouble coping when baby comes. Poor little thing.

TTC, I hope you’re doing well, haven’t heard from you in a while!

 

[Wish2BMom]

I'm very glad to read you're on the mend but yes, it really sounds like you're in the dog days of pregnancy now. Slow moving everywhere, everything is an effort. I remember sitting on my stairs trying to get socks and boots on and it just taking everything I had! And I couldn't reach so had to contort just to stick my toes into the sock! I can't imagine having to squat and stand and move around too much. I was so thankful to be able to work from home for the last month or so of my pregnancy. I think I still went in a couple of times but that was also tough - there was no 'pregnancy' parking or anything so I had to hoof it in a 1/2 mile in the snow/ice. Sucked.

Oh I didn't realize Kai had some asthma too! Oh and I bet he'll be over the moon for the baby. There may definitely be an adjustment period of not having you to himself anymore. Soon enough he won't remember a day without his little brother! One thing my friends did before they had their second was have a little 'date' of sorts with the firstborn before the baby came. A day together or something.

Creole!! My heart is in New Orleans so I jumped all over that! Is there a cool and easy Creole name that maybe matches up nicely with Kai? of course I just started Googling!! I can see a little mini Kai named 'Leo' (there's a Leo in the boys' weekend My Gym class and he's so cute, with a darker complexion and huge brown eyes).

Not too much new here - Timothy had some vomiting a couple weekends ago - 2x Friday just as we walked in the door from picking them up (so we had to cancel our plans that night), a couple times Sat morning and then not again until on his way into school Monday, so he had to stay home that day. Then he was ok until Thursday, he came down with a different rash other than his eczema so the school called and asked that he be seen by a Dr. So we brought him in - STREP. APPARENTLY...when a child has strep, sometimes it presents itself with random vomiting, no fever, and a rash! They've had this happen 3x in this daycare and then another one in another town nearby! Thankfully Malcolm is doing ok so far - knock on wood!
SO - my PSA for the day is this awareness! So he was home on Friday too. I was so worn out by yesterday I slept any chance I could get. I feel better today, thankfully. I'd be a terrible SAHM!!

 

[mikihope]

Yup, dog days is a good description! You were pregnant with twins, so I'd expect you to struggle a lot more! I remember being a lot fitter last time around. I used to have to walk almost a mile with a heavy backpack to my office from my parking spot, and it was mostly uphill in one direction.

This pregnancy, DH has been dropping me off, and I highly doubt I could do that now! I'm struggling so much. Some of my lab work requires a lot of moving, like when I have to dip sample for 3 seconds, bend over to press the run button, take it out, wash, turn sample and clamp, do the same thing every 3s and repeat 20 to 40 times. I can't sit and rest, I have to keep moving. I have to put on shoe covers every time I come in to the lab, and I'm now in and out almost every half hour to use the bathroom! I've been having bad braxton hicks contractions and it makes me breathless and unable to stand up for more than a minute at work. It's exhausting me so much.

I keep telling DH we have to go to Louisiana! I've been, but he hasn't. The Creole in Mauritius has evolved from a different part of Africa but it looks like there are similarities. Funny, I was actually thinking of Leo for a possible name. I'll see if DH likes it too. I do love Kai's darker complexion, and a plus is that he seems to be less prone to skin issues.

Yeah, Kai has asthma sometimes when he falls ill. I'm hoping that he will outgrow it! In fact we were just in the ER for the 1st time to get him some breathing treatment. I can't believe the ordeals that you go through with your two boys. DH wouldn't be able to cope, a mere cold stresses him out! I didn't know that strep throat could present that way. I hope that the winter illnesses are all done for you all.

So I'm now stressed out about my parents and sister being able to come. Singapore has the most cases of Covid-19 outside of China, so we're afraid that things change and they get banned from entering the US.

So i was stressing about that, and then I realized Friday afternoon that I didn't remember feeling beanie move since the night before. I couldn't get him to move, and I got panicky because I had really good glucose levels the previous day and I'd read it could be due to the placenta failing. I went to labor and delivery, and everything was great. What a relief!

Induction is set for the 28th. Can't believe how unprepared I am! My latest blood tests just came back slightly elevated, but i haven't heard from my OB yet. I'm wondering if she'll ask me to induce at 37 weeks like the last time. That's the 24th!

How about you, Mum? Hope you're feeling decent and prepared!

 

[Wish2BMom]

WOWWWWW NEXT WEEK!!!! HOLY MOLY!! I'm glad you found little beanie and all was well.

oohh breathing treatments make me so sad We had Timothy in the ER once for croup and he needed the vapor, xrays, etc. It was terrible and scary.

That's terrible about your family - I assume that's the Coronavirus, yes? I hope they are safe and do not get exposed to it. But that does add some stress and sadness if they cannot come be with you.

I had a little scare last week - I haven't had AF since having my IUD out at the end of Dec except for about a week and a half of spotting right after. So I have no idea if/when I'm ovulating and we had unprotected BD'ing on 2/1. The weekend after, i was so rundown, feeling a little nauseous for half the day each day, and just couldn't focus and was very flighty. So I took a test that Monday and SWEAR I saw a faint line. I took another and saw the same. But took another and got nothing. Took one the next day and got nothing but I had severe line eye and thought maybe...so I made a Dr appt for that Wed and took a test that afternoon and it was BFN. She said I may have had a CP and that my body would probably have AF soon but I still haven't started as of today. So I guess my body is just trying to readjust from being on the IUD, though I didn't think I was on it for very long (Apr-Dec). I may take another test this week, but besides a cold, I'm feeling much more normal. Though i guess I felt normal when I was preg before too. Though my boobs hurt and mine don't hurt me right now.
Anyway - the reactions were crazy ups and downs - going from 2 to 3 would be a huge financial shift as far as ANOTHER daycare bill, needing a bigger car, etc. And really just the age - i'd be 47 when this one would become a toddler and that blows my mind. I know you're a little older than me, Miki, so I applaud you! I know we do what we have to do to get the family we want and I love that. But with us having 2 already, a 3rd would be interesting. I would welcome it completely and they'd add so much joy to our family, but I'm not 100% heartbroken that it wasn't a BFP. Maybe 98%... Actually my biggest thing was that 'hey! we actually did this NATURALLY!! and they said it couldn't be done!!!'

 

[Wish2BMom]

omigosh miki - you could be having the baby today!!! Please post when you can!

mum - you're soon too!! how are you doing?

 

[mikihope]

Wow, I can imagine how many mixed feelings you had with that little scare, Wish! It's pretty awesome you managed it naturally, but I guess it's good to be able to concentrate on your lovely little family as it is now.
​

Thanks for being excited for me! Argh! Induction day is on Friday and I'm completely unprepared! I'm starting to feel very anxious as I haven't done anything to prep for labor. We haven't set up the crib or anything for little beanie! No hospital bag... Hyperventilating!

Luckily my parents made it here on Sunday. No issues with the Coronavirus situation. Kai is still completely enamored with my dad. So cute!

He was wearing a horse costume when we went to pick him up from daycare last week. We had such a good laugh, it was so random. Apparently he loves dressing up in that costume. I've attached a couple of pics. The boots are not part of the costume, they're his own.

 

[Tiffanyx4]

I'm Tiffany. Have 4 children, been ttc #5 for 9 years. We did one failed medicated IUI cycle, and on my 3rd Clomid timed intercourse cycle. Currently 9dpo. I'm also 43 years old. Woke up this morning with a sour stomach, been extremely tired, and sore boobs.

 

[Wish2BMom]

miki - it's todayyyyy!!! I'm so excited!!! I can't wait to hear all about it. I hope everything went well!
omg that pic of Kai in the costume! HAHA! I love it - he's such a ham! I'm so happy your family made it here in time too. Hopefully they can get things squared away at home for you. And you know this - all you need is the place to sleep. Someone can set up a crib in an hour. The hospital gives you most everything else for a few days and if you're BF'ing, then you're the food. You're good!

tiffany - welcome! my hat is off to you for trying for #5! especially for 9 yrs - that is quite a journey. I'm sorry it's taken so darn long. Your chart looks amazing - I hope it's happening for you now!! Those symptoms sound super positive!

Gosh nothing really new here. Timothy was out sick most of the week this week - he seems to be getting the brunt of the issues this year. He went to the Dr on Wed and was diagnosed with an ear infection and the flu, but mostly through the flu so they didn't give him any Tamiflu. Just said to keep him on Motrin as needed. He went back to school today. But we also saw Malcolm's ear was draining so we started drops for him this morning too. The fun never ends!

 

[Wish2BMom]

thinking about you Miki!!! I hope you're heart is just bubbling over with new baby love right now!!

 

[mikihope]

Thanks for thinking of us, Wish! I hope Timothy and Malcolm are well now. Things did work out fine for us after all. We slept the living room with baby while my parents were here. Aiden was born just past midnight, on the 29th of February. At 37 weeks and 5 days, he weighed 8lb 10oz!

It's been up and down these past weeks, due to Coronavirus impacting our lives. I was actually coping ok this time around as I didn't get fanatical about breastfeeding and was open to supplementing with formula. He started on his 2nd day, while in the hospital, as I noticed he didn't seem to be getting enough from me. But we've been thrown a giant curveball as the school district just announced last night that all schools here are to be closed on Monday for 3 weeks. With Kai at home and my parents gone, there is no way I can try to make breastfeeding work and get any sleep at all.

Also, my mom had been hinting ever since they arrived that they need to get back. She only turns up to appear like a good grandparent. In reality, she's dying to go home to attend the weekly parties where she rubs shoulders with socialites. So when I found out that school was going to be closed, she announced that they had to leave right away as something was happening back in Singapore and they might be shutting entry to people coming in from the US.

They just left for the airport. I didn't know until this morning that they changed their flight from Mon to today. I was in floods of tears all last night as I couldn't imagine being able to take care of Kai and Aiden, plus there is no way I can make bf work. Its early days and I'm once again struggling with establishing supply. I felt so sorry for little Aiden and for Kai, who will be so sad that his grandpa is not around. He never got to say goodbye. My mom doesn't care, she wanted to leave early all along and she finally manipulated my dad into thinking they really had to go.

So that's the horrible part. The great part is that I have an adorable newborn, and Kai really likes him! He was a bit sad at times at first, but I made sure that his routine didn't change, and I paid loads of attention to him. I think he's naughtier than usual, but in general he's been really quite good with baby.

So that's my update, we're over the moon but so stressed out. I hope to post my birth story soon!

 

[Wish2BMom]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I adore that name and I'm so happy you're all well, safe and over the moon!!! >3 A leap year baby!! how cool is that??
Your mom, man - she's a piece of work, that one! I'm so sorry she just seems to continuously add stress to your life.
I'm very sorry to hear you're struggling with getting a supply again too. Please yes, be kind to yourself and go to formula if you can. There is NOTHING wrong with it and I'm sure you could use as little stress as possible right now.
Kai sounds like he's adjusting perfectly normally, from everything I've heard and read. He'll be such an awesome big brother and soon never remember a day without him. My heart is bursting for you all right now!
I hope you continue to stay safe and out of the line of fire of this virus. I know you have respiratory issues on your own so I know you're concerned. Be well and be smart about your distancing!! ha! not like you have socializing on the mind, i'm sure!

 

[mikihope]

Thanks so much, Wish! I can only be grateful that Aiden seems to be a chill baby. I can place him in the crib while I tend to Kai, or get essential stuff done, and he's often just chilling out for a while. He's also giving me way more sleep than Kai did. I'm not sure if part of it stems from how chill I was about bf'ing and supplementing with formula.

Anyway, it has helped us survive without help. Kai is at a really difficult age, and just full of tantrums and whining. Plus he's still acting out every now and then. What helps is to give him some attention. Luckily, he's also super cute and he's quite a good big brother. He loves Aiden and will pat him softly if he's crying. He's seemingly grown into an adorable little boy overnight, speaking in 3 word sentences and making us fall over with laughter at his antics!

Oh yes, my mom. She went home and has been trying to convince my sister not to come (sister was supposed to come over for 2 weeks on Friday). This is because she wants her there to make sure her grandkid does well in her exams this year. She wants to be able to show off. Anyway, she now has my dad under her thumb. My dad's mind is sadly getting bad. He used to be really smart, but now his short term memory is shocking. When we were watching CNN, every time the ticker went by with some repeated news, he acted like it was the first time he'd read it. He can't remember anything we tell him, minutes ago. So now my mom is manipulating and brainwashing him to do what she wants. It's awful.

I hate the fact that she doesn't really care about my kids, since they're not genetically related to her. Kai seems to sense that she is cold towards him. One day, he pointed to my dad and shouted, "papa!" and to DH, "daddy!" and to me, "mommy!". Finally he pointed to my mom and said, "this!" He never picked up a name for her. He never went to her, he always ran to my dad and he still misses him. He knows who really loves him, I guess.

Anyway, my sister can't come as both countries have been getting more strict with travel as the days go by, and the entire San Francisco bay area suddenly got an order yesterday afternoon to shelter in place starting midnight. I guess it's a good thing that I wasn't planning at all to be social for quite a while! I'll try to embrace my time with the little ones, but I'm worried that DH might get increasingly upset over the situation. He has been very angry and grumpy of late, and he got so upset with me over what my mom did. Argh, it's not my fault! He stresses out easily, or at least it seems like it to me, as I'm way more relaxed about things than he is.

I hope that you are staying safe and coping well in this pandemic, Wish! Are there school closures where you are? And everyone stay safe and sane as well, this is such a crazy time for the entire world...

 

[Wish2BMom]

Heyyy!! I am so happy to read that Aiden is doing well and is so chill for you! We need chill right now, for sure. I hope your DH takes his lead. I can totally see how this is NOT the scenario your DH would thrive in and I'm sure he's completely on edge. Yes - VERY good thing you weren't planning on socializing anytime soon!
That's so sad about your Dad. I hate seeing my Dad, who was the smartest person on earth to me growing up, start to lose it a bit. My Dad will say the same story or comment a few times when visiting and I can't tell if it's b/c he doesn't know he already said it or if he's just still a little awkward at socializing at our house for a week straight and runs out of material. I said something one time and was immediately sorry that I did. I think I hurt his feelings.

I'm trying to remain calm but i can easily let my mind wander and start to freak out. I've been about 90% good at staying calm so far and it helps that children don't seem to be contracting it as much as adults. So if one of us were to get it, at least life would just suck for 2 weeks while one person quarantined themselves in a bedroom while the other took care of everyone and everything.
THANKFULLY our daycare is still open and they are being very stringent following CDC guidelines, etc. A couple of the teachers there have independently said they don't think they'll close. We had the boys home yesterday b/c Timothy has conjunctivitis and to try to get work done was almost impossible. Thankfully DH had a slow day and had them covered for most of the time, but trying to attend conf calls with them screaming at each other is a bit tough. But overall - the only places we go are to drop them off/pick them up and the store when we are low. And we have a lot of food supplies now so trying to not go to the store too much. NH isn't on lockdown yet, we only have 44 cases. But MA is on lockdown I think and they are RIGHT THERE, so it's only a matter of time. I assume we'll all get it to some capacity, it's just a matter of when and to what extent. Malcolm shared his cold with me now, but I'm just sniffly and have a little cough. But I get nervous that if I get a full-blown cold and then get exposed, does that mean extra horrible ability to fight it off? It's all so unknown. And kids haven't really gotten it yet but what if Malcolm has a terrible cough like he does now? Does that make him more susceptible? Who knows! This is where I worry.

yes, we are in that challenging stage too - Malcolm is Mr Independent and loses HIS MIND when he doesn't get to do certain things his way, like even open a banana or take the snack out of the wrapper. If you do it, he loses his sh*t and you really can't make it better b/c how do you close up a banana that's already been peeled??? And they pick fights with each other by just saying random things out of nowhere. So M will just randomly say 'NO TIMOTHY, NOT YOURS' in the car. Random. No idea what is 'not his' but man this starts a war!!
So....if we lose the daycare, we'll all lose our minds! HAHA! DH and I have started trying to think of what we'll do - we'll have to trade off days or something like that. Use up our vacation time? I have no idea. But the other alternative of working super early morning/late nights won't be sustainable either. We'll get our work done one way or the other but it may not be at 40hrs/week. Which is ok in one sense b/c we are salaried but in another, we're not working our contracted hours. Who knows. Such a weird time, like you said. Who knows how to navigate it?