***December Snowflakes 2012 Parenting***

[sigh]

IST - soooo so cute!! I may be right there with you soon... Ellie has not rolled back to front, will not do tummy time or even try to crawl and yet 2 days ago she started pulling herself up while sitting on my lap. Today she was sitting on my lap and we were playing with this wood activity center thing (like this:https://trus.imageg.net/graphics/me...covery-five-way-activity-cube-13144131-01.jpg)
and she reached up, grabbed on and pulled herself up. she was just standing there with her feet on the ground and a grin on her face and my jaw dropped. I guess we're going to just skip the whole crawling thing here... this is crazy!!

 

[Kelly M]

Ist, wow! Cait is impressive! Go Cait go!

Sigh, wow that's cool that Ellie is standing up too! Maybe she will just skip rolling altogether. She's like "that stuff is for babies!"

Carter crawled today! A real proper crawl! I'm so proud! Can you tell? I caught a little on video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyVR1Zr2hV0

 

[scoobydrlp]

Wow IST, you are in so much trouble! Cait is going to be walking in no time! Sigh, sounds like Ellie isn't far behind her! Carter is so cute crawling!

I can't believe how mobile everyone is. Camden isn't even up on her knees to attempt crawling. I guess I'm ok with that, I'll enjoy not having to chase her a while longer it seems.

 

[sigh]

Yayyy C!!! He is soooo freaking cute!

Scooby - this standing thing came out of no where. Ellie won't get up on her knees either. She pulled herself up today and started shaking her booty... it was funny! She still cant pull herself up from the ground (only when she's sitting on my lap) so we have some time. I'm in no rush either

I just reserved our community clubhouse for Ellie's 1st birthday party cry. Our development has a really nice and large clubhouse that is very cheap to rent and it tends to fill up quickly during the holidays so I figured I better reserve it now since she turns 1 in less than 5 months (double ). We're going to do a Dr. Seuss theme since I have a crapload of Seuss stuff left over from my sister's seuss baby shower and I need to make room in my basement for the containers of clothes that no longer fit her (triple ). Time is flying by... I feel like I never have time to pause and enjoy it .
(Note to self... make time to enjoy it).

 

[Kelly M]

Scooby, enjoy it for sure! Camden will crawl in time. I met two 8 month old babies that aren't crawling at all so there's no rush I suppose.

Sigh, I was just thinking about C's birthday yesterday. It does seem to fly by. It feels like forever and a split second all at once. I feel like I've had Carter in my life forever and that we've always known each other but then again it feels like yesterday when me and dh were talking about maybe trying to have a baby. Crazy!

I haven't exactly decided on a birthday party theme yet. It's between mustaches, sock monkey and owls. Owls are C's nursery stuff, sock monkey is just so cute and mustaches are funny but they are such a fad these days that it's getting annoying. I think I'm leaning toward sock monkey the most. www.birthdayexpress.com has the cutest birthday decorations, I'll probably order it from there. I really want to do Where the Wild Things Are but I'd have to make everything myself as I can't find any party supplies for that.

Have you ladies given any thought on what to get lo for their 1st birthday? I've started a list on Amazon for C so I can remember cute stuff when I see it. So far I've added a piano (it's this adorable little one that is like a baby grand) and a few other wooden toys. I love the wooden toys because they are non-toxic and healthier plus super cute. Melissa and Doug is one of my favorite brands.

 

[ImSoTired]

Scooby no rush. Once they crawl you will have sore leg muscles and a sore back. I'm constantly following, chasing, and bending over. Besides I think 7-9 months is around the time most start crawling and so on....Cait just decided she couldn't wait so I'm in trouble. I can't imagine her walking anytime soon though that's what I said about crawling, etc.

Sigh Ellie is such a smart girl. She may just go strait to walking for all we know. Babies are funny that way!

Kelly that is awesome that Carter is crawling! They get fast in no time, it's crazy! Also Cait does that move with her feet on the ground. That"s how she started standing. She crawled over to her chair, and put her hands up on it and then did the feet on the ground move. Now she does it half a dozen times a day.

I haven't really even thought about Cait's birthday. I wasn't thinking of having a big party. I can't imagine my baby will be one already! I can't even believe she is 7 months! I think time flies faster when you have kids or something!

I hope you are all well!

 

[Beanonorder]

Scooby, Amber isn't making any attempt at getting up on her knee's either! She rolls all over the place and loves getting onto the floor because then she slides along! I'm in no rush for crawling just yet - and we do have the babies of the group so its ok if they're taking their time!!!

Sigh I keep meaning to say if Ellie is already sitting then she probably isn't going to try and roll back to front. All the developmental things I read say that rolling back to front is part of developing their muscles to get ready to sit.
Apparently I didn't crawl. I just went from sitting to pulling myself up to walking.

Is anyone else still waiting for the first tooth to make an appearance? I'm not concerned just curious. My mom said it took so long for my first tooth to appear that they started to wonder if I was actually going to have teeth!

Yesterday we went through Shanghai to say good-bye to my mother-in-law and her sister. And of course I read in the paper this morning that yesterday was the hottest day of the year there! The temperature went over 40 degrees C. Thank goodness we went from the air-conditioned train to the air-conditioned taxi to the air-conditioned hotel to the air-conditioned restaurant! And thankfully this morning Amber's rash has just about cleared up! There are just a few spots left of her arms. For various reasons we haven't been able to move her back into her room yet so tonight is the night! Hold thumbs that all goes well because the past two nights her sleep has finally gone back to normal!

First birthday party... I want to cry when I think about it. I desperately want to go home over December so we can have Ambers first birthday with family. But unless a miracle happens I don't see how we'll afford it! (And I have to get special permission to have leave then too because we don't get Christmas off) And if we are stuck here its going to be just awful. Basically all our friends do get that time off so they'll have gone back to their own countries by then. So it'll be the three of us and maybe a couple of others to celebrate her birthday. Anyway... sorry for the pity party...

 

[Chloe597]

Such clever mobile babies! Giving all you mommies extra exercise

I haven't thought about a theme. G's birthday is on thanksgiving this year, so maybe turkey?

Bean, what kind of work do you do that brought you to china? And no teeth for G yet either. 32 weeks old already. I"m happy for no teeth tho cuz i feel breastfeeding would get painful, but i guess i can only speculate. G likes to gum my shoulders....i hope she doesn't turn into a biter when she has teeth. so far it doesnt bother me cuz its just her gums. fingers crossed!

 

[bbygurl719]

No crawling her and no teeth either. My dd1 didn't get her first tooth until 10 1/2 months old.

 

[ImSoTired]

bean, Cait is toothless. I didn't get teeth until I was 10 months old, and my brother was even older before one popped. My grandmother says my mother was 14 months or so before she began getting teeth. I'm kinda hoping Cait starts soon only because if she is going to be cranky I want to get it over with...though I hear that some kids don't get sick and cranky from teething so it could go either way.

 

[Beanonorder]

Oh wow, we still have quite few toothless wonders!

Chloe I'm a teacher. At the moment I teach English and general Business although my subjects are actually Business Studies, Accounting and Economics. Sadly there are not many options for white people in South Africa which is why going home for good isn't really an option.

 

[daydream]

We have the two bottom teeth in, and for first birthdays I am going back and forth between a circus theme or a nautical theme (because that's what I want to do for his big boy room, and then we can reuse the party decor for his room). And I already bought his present... It was on sale on zulily and I couldn't resist. https://upscalebaby.com/blog/toys/trademark-giraffe-plush-rocking-animal/

Sorry just checking in, we're on a work trip, H had his first airplane ride and did GREAT. I'm exhausted though, time for bed.

 

[bbygurl719]

I wanna do for angel's first birthday the Disney princess theme as we go camping at Disney world quite often. So we are thinking of doing Ella's and angel's party at the same time as they will only b 2 n 1. And there both right around the holidays. Ella's is just before Thanksgiving and angel's is right before Xmas. So if we do that it will probably b a mixture of the princesses for angel and minnie mouse for Ella.

 

[ImSoTired]

You all have such wonderful birthday ideas! It's really making me consider a party for Cait's birthday! DH and I both have huge families though, so the party would be enormous and I'm not too keen on that.

I have been thinking about Halloween though and wondering what to dress Cait as. I understand there are probably some people who don't participate in Halloween but those of you who do, what were you thinking of dressing LO as?

Is there some sort of sleep regression around 7 months? I only ask because Cait has been waking at strange times and really fighting going back to sleep. Rocking doesn't do much for her anymore either. Also sometimes she self settles great and other times she cries a while. Her napping is unpredictable also. She will sleep fine some days and barely at all others and that never indicates whether or not she will sleep well at night. I'm just hoping that this odd waking will stop. It's been three nights now of waking 3-4 times a night and occasionally having to be up for an hour or more. I'm getting pretty tired...

I hope you are all well

 

[cococobain]

Oh my god, girls!! What is this nonsense of first birthdays??? I can't believe our babies will be classed as toddlers in less than 6 months It was only yesterday that I was staring at a pregnancy test watching two faint lines magically appear and realizing I was going to be a mother. Then hearing her little heartbeat for the first time, like a tiny galloping horse. Then being told I was having a daughter and feeling her first kick on the same day Bah!!

I have no idea what we might be doing for her birthday. I'm torn between doing a big do or keeping it intimate. It's a special date, but at the same time it's not like a) she'll remember if I do something grand and b) I don't want to overstimulate her/make her uncomfortable with a big party. As for theme, I think I'll go with what I had planned for her baby shower (but never had, cause I ended up in the hospital/put on bed rest) Alice in Wonderland Tea Party.

IST - Wow, I can't believe she's already pulling to stand! That's incredible!

Kelly - He is sooo cute! He seems so chuffed at what he can do, awesome stuff!

Such mobile babies Mia is almost 7 months and still doesn't sit unaided. She does roll all over the place though, today she was playing on the floor and I went to get some toast and she had rolled under the bed by the time I got back I get back and think "Uh, where's my baby??" and hear her giggling under there

Edit: Halloween isn't widely celebrated here, but OH and I love it and dress up every year. She's really fidget-y though and would probably hate anything over the top so I was thinking of a skeleton onesie? Not sure yet! I'm also worried about her being scared by our make-up... we're always zombies.

 

[Chloe597]

IST, i love halloween and have no ideas yet. DH wants her to be Yoda, and me and him to be luke and leia (sp?). I figure we'll probably dress her as some sort of cute animal, but I really don't know yet.

Daydream, glad you flight was good! did you have to nurse H on the plane during takeoff/landing?

coco, thats too funny that she was under the bed! DH gets ready in the morning often with gabby laying on the bed, and as soon as she figures out how to roll all around or crawl, that will be over quickly. She can sit unaided great, but still doesn't want to roll around. its amazing how different all of our babies are!

 

[cococobain]

Haha @ baby Yoda! "Pooped myself, I have."

I keep forgetting that in the US there is a lot more "freedom" in what you get to dress up as for Halloween, since (from what I can tell) most people dress in non-scary costumes. As a kid it was always a choice between witch/vampire/bad attempt at werewolf and that was it! In that case I'm sure your babies are going to look adorable come Halloween

Oh yeah Chloe, the days of plopping baby in the middle of the bed to do something are over haha. I think it's really interesting the differences between all our babies and a lot of fun seeing everyone's LO hitting new milestones

 

[bbygurl719]

Halloween... I have a choice I can have her as a ladybug (Ella's first costume last year) or a witch ( my Bruce's first costume from 2006) haven't decided yet. And we bought Ella's costume on sale after halloween last used so she's either gunna be lalaloopsy or Dorothy for wizard of oz.

 

[Kelly M]

Ahahaaa! Coco that's too funny! A baby yoda costume would be adorable. My niece was that one year and it was super cute. I totally forgot about halloween! I'm excited to pick out a costume now. No ideas yet but would love to do something as a whole family although dh doesn't usually wear a costume.

What is halloween like in the U.K.? Or do you not celebrate it at all? I was never allowed to be truly scary things for halloween as a kid but I didn't want to anyway. It's one of my favorite holidays! I love dressing up and seeing everyone else's awesome and creative costumes. Plus the decorations are fun and I like to watch spooky B-movie horror films and eat candy.

I found a super cute 1st birthday pack on birthdayexpress.com that is "Goodnight Moon" themed. Such a cute book, a classic! Would make for a cute party. We aren't having a huge party but it will probably be bigger than I intend because just our family is big enough with my parents, sister and her oh, her four kids, me, dh, and birthday boy will make 10 people right there. Of course, we will invite some other friends who have babies the same age as Carter. He is making a lot of little baby friends at our play
group.

Ist, not sure about a 7 month sleep regression but I guess it could happen at anytime. C was sleeping great after cc for about two weeks and then he went right back to his old ways. Maybe I slacked off on the training too much or it's that in combination with teething? Last night he was up crying from 3:30 to 5:15 am! I got so frustrated I screamed into my pillow and stormed out to sleep downstairs after dh told me to go sleep on the couch because I was getting too upset. Speaking of sleep, it's waaay past my bedtime!

 

[cococobain]

Sleep has been crap here also, can't say for sure what it is, be it teething, growth spurt, wonder week, separation anxiety, whatever it is it sucks.

UK celebrates Halloween, for sure I haven't been there in over 10 years now, but I remember every house on the street was fully decorated where I lived and we did trick-or-treating and the usual house parties. It's very "scary" however - you didn't see little fairies and cowboys and astronauts around. My mum always made it her job to have the scariest house on the street, she'd replace the lightbulbs with red ones and have thunder and lightening and the sound of heartbeats blasting, fog and smoke, people jumping out at you for your candy etc. The kids loved it!

When I said it isn't celebrated much here, I meant where I live in Portugal. We do have Carnival though, kiddies get to dress up as whatever so I guess I can get all creative with baby costumes then!

I was going to ask you Kelly (and anyone else who has sleep trained) whether you are supposed to keep it up during teething as well? I know you shouldn't do it when they are sick. I want to start helping her self-settle as I started rocking her to sleep when MIL came with us so she wouldn't complain about the crying. Now she wakes several times unable to settle herself to sleep and rocking doesn't help much either