***December Snowflakes 2012 Parenting***

[ImSoTired]

Sigh Cait usually does 2 naps a day also. 1030/11 (at the earliest)930 and 230/3.I take her up in her bedroom where it's quiet and dark and I sit in the rocking chair and give her a bottle. She's usually still awake when she finishes eating so I put her in her crib and turn on her projector, turn on the monitor and shut the door. She'll play around for 5 to 10 minutes and then she'll fuss, like whine or a low cry for 5 to 10 minutes, 15 tops and then she'll go to sleep. She sleeps about an hour to 2 1/2 hours. If her first nap is long her second one will likely be shorter and vice versa. She always sleeps at least an hour though. I'm not sure why she was fighting sleep so badly the other day. It's not like her to scream like that. Maybe an upset stomach? Sometimes she'll skip (or shorten) her second nap but never her first! Night time she sleeps pretty well but still fusses in her sleep from time to time. Last night she fussed in her sleep every two hours

We got Cait a big girl car seat about a month ago and she isn't too fond of it yet but I like not having to carry the carrier. She is probably 18 or 19 lbs so she's quite heavy.

Chloe we have no real walker but Cait is ready to walk! We do have the fisher price little superstar piano gym walker. She can walk about a foot in either direction.

I'm both excited and nervous to be interviewed about hip dysplasia.

Kelly you are a great photographer! Beautiful pics! Carter is a handsome boy! I wish I could do that. I would love to be good at taking photos. Cait moves so much that my crappy camera can't take a good pic of her to save my life!

Kelly I also hope Carter feels better. Hylands...I'l have to remember TY scooby and now Kelly!

Hope you all have a great weekend and are well!

 

[Beanonorder]

We have another cold going on here too! And I have nothing to give her. I'm not going to bother with the doctor because last time we got the Chinese stock standard answer of 'drink more water'!

I was going to ask the walker question a couple of weeks ago. I'm still debating whether to get one or not.

I wish I could get Amber down to 2 naps. I've tried to extend her awake time but it doesn't really help. Its because she wakes up for the day at 5:30am. Anyway... I'll keep working on it.

How many of you use dummies (pacifier/ soother)? Amber uses one to go to sleep and I'm already stressing about how to wean her off it! By the time she is one I don't want it to be a feature!

Back to work for me on Monday. My boss is still making me work part time. So basically I'm home before 10am everyday. Lovely to have all that time with Amber. Not so lovely for the bank account. But hopefully I'll be able to find a new job for January. And then I would have been able to mostly be at home with Amber for a year.

 

[Kelly M]

Ist, glad Cait is back to her usual. C usually naps pretty well. He takes his first around 8:30 or 9, second nap around 12 and most of the time he naps 1.5 to 2 hours. Today he napped THREE HOURS! I napped with him and it felt amazing! And he only woke twice last night, once to eat and once Casey gave him his blankie and he went back off right away. Sleep has been so awful at night so that was a huge break for us. Hope it's not a fluke.

Bean, we don't use dummies because I didn't want to have to deal with putting it back in his mouth every 5 minutes when he falls asleep and it falls out at night. But, he's a horrible sleeper anyway so maybe we should have used them!

Carter has started giving kisses. He started giving them to the baby I nanny for and I think it's just the cutest thing ever! He absolutely LOVES this little girl. I've never seen babies so fond of each other. But today, he gave me my very first kiss and my heart seriously melted. I am sooooo happy!!!! It was slobbery but the cutest thing ever. I could tell it wasn't just him sucking on my face or anything because when he kisses he does this cute noise and bobs his head and keeps his mouth open. I said, "give me a kiss. Give mamma kisses!" and he grabbed my face and planted a sloppy one on me!

 

[ImSoTired]

Bean no pacis here. Cait sot of used one for a few months but it never really quieted her and it constantly fell out of her mouth and I used to fall asleep holding it in for her. So I finally just said forget it and she hasn't missed it. I'm glad we won't have to break her of it. Helping other parents break their kids of theirs at the daycare I know the first few days are hard but it gets better as time goes on. They were all over a year old though.

I'm way too nervous about being on tv...I even broke out recently so I'll look like some idiot teenager on tv Not looking forward to it.

Kelly that's great about the kisses! I love baby kisses. Cait was giving them for a while but she only does it on occasion now. She has just started clapping and saying Mama though I don't think she means me when she says it. So those are her two new skills. I feel like some things she doesn't do as much when she learns something new .

I hope you all had a great weekend. I have so much to do....

 

[Chloe597]

No paci's here, either. I had tried to give them to Gabby on multiple occasions but she never really liked them. She has started chewing on her thumb, so i'm hoping she wont become a thumb sucker any time soon. Good luck with the weaning!

Aren't slobbery baby kisses the best?? Gabby will kiss me when i ask, but she also seems to think 'give mommy kissy' also means 'grabby mommy's glasses', as it never fails she will go for the glasses first, and then the kiss, once i take the glasses off. And I taught her to high five this weekend She also looked right at DH and said dada, but then she wouldn't stop saying it again, so still trying to figure out if she knows the difference. still no mama sounds

 

[sigh]

Aren't slobbery baby kisses the best?? Gabby will kiss me when i ask, but she also seems to think 'give mommy kissy' also means 'grabby mommy's glasses', as it never fails she will go for the glasses first, and then the kiss, once i take the glasses off.

^THIS!! Beware, Ellie turned into the hulk one day and broke mine. I was walking around with tape on them for days but now superglued it and it seems to be holding lol.

No paci here. Ellie only took it for a few weeks after she was born.

IST - what channel?? I'm not too far from you so I might be able to see it

Ellie has become hilarious. She has definitely inherited my weird sense of humor. She babbles and yells random sounds that sound like words but we know they aren't. We were watching tv yesterday and she yelled out "DOUCHE" and DH and I started cracking up. She now whispers when I whisper, dances and claps to music, and started crawling in reverse today. She hasn't figured out what to do with her hips yet so she's just dragging on the floor. She prefers to be sitting so she can butt scoot.

Speaking of sitting... I woke at 6 am on Sunday morning and looked at the monitor only to find Ellie sitting in her crib and banging on the railing while singing. I have no clue how she sat up on her own but I'm thinking she pulled herself up. Do I drop the mattress now or wait until she can stand?

Her top teeth are very slowly coming in and she is in a lot of pain. She has has a bump for a week now where its starting to break through the skin... sooo sooo slow!!! Do the top teeth cause more pain? She was fine with the bottom ones but she really seems to be hurting and cries while nursing. Breaks my heart!

I've become really overwhelmed with life in general and am an anxious mess. Not sure what's going on here but need to relax and stop stressing over every little thing. blah.

 

[ImSoTired]

Caitlyn has been gentle with my face and glasses lately but always leaves them smudged with her little fingerprints. So funny about Ellie being the hulk, sigh...my dh always says 'Caitlyn Smash' when she is wrecking stuff around the house. He thinks it's hilarious. The interview will be on the healthwatch segment on WNEP16. I don't know if it goes that far down there but it'll probably be online anyway. I don't recall if we have that channel when we visit philly. I'm not sure what day it will air either but we are being interviewed tomorrow. As for Ellie sitting up she probably rolled to her belly and pushed herself up. She'll be crawling forward soon probably. I'd lower the crib because she can probably pull herself to a stand now if she tried. So funny about her sense of humor. I get pretty overwhelmed some days also, sigh. It's definitely normal but it's something I've been dealing with forever already. I hope you get a break from your anxiety. I know it can be tough.

DH went away for work today so I'm on my own until Thursday night. I'm pretty nervous about it actually. I'll have no one to hand her off to for a break and I'm kinda nervous to be alone in the house. Cait is usually a good baby but today she threw a huge fit and I hope it was just because she was overtired (missed her second nap) and it doesn't become a common thing. She definitely has a temper when she wants her own way.

I hope you're all well.

 

[bbygurl719]

Hi ladies. As for the paci's. Angelica never took hers. But Ella my 21 month old does. I wanted so badly to wean her from them whenshe turned a year old but she kept ending up sick. Once a month for five months and I wasn't going to take her comfort item away from her while sick. She still has the paci's but she doesn't get them during the day. She only gets them for nap time n bed time. But I'm going to start taking them away during naps because it's so hard to get themfrom her after her nap. Sorry I hhaven't been on much will try to be on more. Oh n angel has a walker n loves it as long as Ella's not around to beat her up. Al right well I'm off to bed have to b up@ 7am to take step dd to her second day of school. She is now a big third grader. Time sure does fly she was only in prek when me n dh got togetherness.

 

[ImSoTired]

Interview is supposed to be on next tuesday. I look like a moron, I know lol... Oh well.

 

[Beanonorder]

Hi everyone! So much been going on here!

Lets start with Amber! She has started clapping! I've been trying to teach her for weeks now but she was more interested in holding my hands. Then on Thursday evening we were watching my friend do some gymnastics and all of a sudden she started clapping while he was doing something - totally adorable! Of course now he claims he taught her to clap!!!
We think she is starting to teeth now. She is miserable most of the time, not sleeping, eating or drinking as well as usual, has poo in every nappy, her rash is terrible and she is very clingy. She's not drooling much but she does like to chew on things. And she's very unhappy if I stick some finger in her mouth to check, although I can't see any signs on a tooth. I hope this doesn't go on for ages!

We rescued a three week old kitten last week. It is absolutely adorable but lots of work. I have a new found respect for people with two young kids! I have Amber yelling for attention and the kitten yelling for food. We have managed to find a home for it and it will go tomorrow. I would have loved to have kept it but with everything going on (news to follow) and with two cats already its better for it to go to a new home.

And awesome news for me - I got a new job!!!!! The recruiter contacted me on Tuesday to say he had something else for me, was I interested. So I said yes lets see what happens. I was interviewed on Thursday morning and they made an offer on Thursday afternoon! So we are moving to Shanghai next weekend! Everything has happened so quickly but all the right doors are just opening for it to happen so we're pretty excited.
I am a little sad because I have finally started to make some friends here and a new foreign mom's group is about to start in the next week. But with Shanghai being so big there are plenty of them around so I'm sure I'll find one soon enough! And this job is exactly what I want to be teaching so that will be good. Its going to be a bit of shock to work the whole day and be away from Amber though. I'm really hoping I'll be able to go home over lunch times so I can at least say hi.

 

[cococobain]

Hey girls. I've kind of checked out of the forums for now. Mia isn't sitting unaided, or pulling to stand, or crawling, clapping, talking, babbling, she's practically still EBF. After a while I felt like I had nothing to update or to contribute, but I have been coming back every once in a while and lurking - just to check that everyone else is doing fine and that your babies are well

Spoiler

Today was the funeral of a girl I trained with and took my exams with (back when I was a firefighter). She was my age (24) and left behind a little 4 year old girl. I can't stop thinking of her daughter, asking where her mum is and not understanding the answers she gets. Nine others were hurt, another I trained with in critical condition. It's just a very dark day today. I don't even know why I'm putting this here.. guess because I don't really discuss my that part of my life with OH.

tooth - I know I'm late here, but I understand feeling like everyone has got it sussed and you're the only one struggling. And then feeling guilty for "moaning" or "complaining". It's good to vent. These children are the greatest thing to come into our lives, but no one ever claimed they were easy. (ps-solids here has been on and off and she's a catnapper also - I can relate)

Kelly - beautiful pics
IST - good luck with the interview xx have fun.
Bean - congrats on the job

 

[Chloe597]

Coco, i'm so sorry about your friend Its always tough to watch someone your own age pass away, especially someone you knew or were close with, and when children are in the mix, we are so much more empathetic now that we have them. I have experienced the loss of old friends, and the loss of a friends LO, and it was devastating each time. Give Mia extra hugs. And don't worry that she isn't progressing like some other babies. She is obviously content with her current abilities. I had a friend whose LO wouldnt sit up until he was almost a year old, and now he is happily walking around and eating all sorts of foods (he is 15 months now). It will all happen in its own time. If you are concerned, have you asked your pediatrician? When gabby wouldn't roll over, she said she wouldn't be worried until she was 9 months if she still hadn't rolled. She finally rolled both ways in her 7th month of life.

Sigh, that is adorable about Ellie mimicking you. And sounds like time to drop the mattress! Sorry you are feeling so stressed tho. Babies and life will do that. I hope you can get some relief...get out, get a massage, go on a date with DH, do something that you enjoy that doesn't involve cooking, cleaning, or trying to entertain a baby

IST, how did your time alone go?

Bean, congrats on the new job! I'm glad it is what you want! What does your DH do that he can move so quickly as well?

Today, Gabby clapped for the first time. and I taught her how to high five she also sat in a restaurant high chair for the first time and looked so tiny! She looks so much bigger than she used to, yet i do things like this and am reminded of how small she really still is.

 

[cococobain]

Spoiler

It's not just the age or who she was. It's the nature of her death. She fell down the burning mountainside her team were trying to escape from. The other person I know was the one who tried to go back after her. Three thousand people were at her funeral and it's plastered all over the news. It hit me hard because I walked out of that life not long before I fell pregnant. A part of me is so thankful I didn't need to be there and another part of me feels like I SHOULD have been there, fighting with her. It's a mixture of sadness, shame and guilt. I couldn't possibly explain these feelings to OH though. I guess that's why I'm putting it out here, I just need to get it out of me.

Her next ped. appointment is in September and I'll def. bring up my concerns there. I'm not worried in the sense that there is something wrong with her. I just don't want to linger in circles where people make a big competition about hitting milestones (referring to baby-club, not this group) because it does make me worry for no reason.

Ohmygosh, I have to see videos of all your babies clapping (and highfiving)! Sounds simply adorable. I think this is really when they start doing more and more "cute" stuff. The slobbery kisses are definitely my favourite (because she currently does it a lot )

 

[Beanonorder]

coco sorry about your friend. Wow, that must be hard to deal with! I hope your next paed appointment goes well. I agree with you that I don't like it when people turn things into a competition. Why on earth would we want our special, amazing, awesome miracle to be just like everyone else?! I'm not sure if this will work but here's a link to a video of Amber clapping.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10153155523985713

Chloe my dh has been working part time at a language school here. He was actually in the process of negotiating his full time contract but thankfully hadn't signed it yet! So its not an issue for him to leave.

 

[sigh]

Oh Coco, I can't even imagine how you feel. Hope you're doing ok! Very sad to read that story. I'm a really big believer in everything happening for a reason and even though losing someone is unexplainable, Mia coming into your life kept you safe!! Give your baby some hugs and kisses - she is truly your angel Thinking of you!

Also, don't listen to those moms. I met one in my neighborhood today. Her son crawled and pulled himself up at 6 months and she feels the need to make everyone else feel like their kids are "slow" because they didn't do the same. As long as your baby is happy and growing, you are doing an excellent job! Yayy for slobbery kisses and double yay for your powerful milk!

IST - I'm sure you did great on the interview! Congrats!

Bean - Congrats on the new job!! Good luck with the move!

Chloe - aww high five to gabby! and yay for clapping

Updates here... Ellie's top teeth are cutting through and are definitely hurting her but she's being SO brave!! She even got a shot on Friday (There was a shortage during her 6 month visit so we had to wait) and she only cried for a few minutes. I saw some little babies today and realized how big she's gotten. too fast She has been moving in reverse and tries to crawl but one leg has decided it wants to stand so she'll get in an almost crawling pose, try to stand on one leg and then falls on her head and cries. Crazy baby!! We are down to 2 naps (around 10/1030 am and 230/3 pm) and it's going well! She's still in the swing but atleast she's getting some rest.

 

[scoobydrlp]

I'm doing a horrible job of responding after reading everyones posts, mainly because I've been using my phone and it's such a pain to type posts on it. But I have been keeping up!!

Coco- I'm so sorry about your friend.

Bean- congrats on the new job! Hope it goes well! It will be an adjustment being away from Amber all day, but I'm sure you'll both do just fine!

Nothing super exciting going on over here, excpet that Camden has decided to go back to sleeping through the night, woohoo!! I have a whole new appreciation for those mommas who have been waking up with their little ones multiple times every night since they were born. It is quite wearing!

Here's a video of Camden shortly after she learned to clap, probably taken 3-4 weeks ago.

Clapping Camden!

 

[cococobain]

sigh - I'm a believer in things happening for a reason too. I often tell OH that all the bad stuff in the past was erased when LO was born, because I had to take those paths in order to get to the precise moment where she was conceived. Any "what ifs" or "if only I had done x instead of y" doesn't matter anymore, because otherwise she wouldn't be here. It does help to think that way and put things in a different perspective.

Bean - Maybe it's cause I don't have FB, but I couldn't see your vid Aw!
Scooby - Cute video! And congrats on sleeping through the night again - it's amazing what a difference uninterrupted sleep will do for the system.

Back again to sigh - Are they her first teeth? Or are her bottom ones through already. I'm curious as to how long it takes for teeth to fully show, as Mia cut her first tooth on the 10th and it seems to be only barely showing. Poor brave Ellie xx

The transition from 3 naps to 2 was absolutely horrendous, but it's seems she is finally back on a routine. It is nice being able to plan things around a schedule and having a baby that can stay awake longer than 1.5 hrs at a time.

 

[sigh]

Back again to sigh - Are they her first teeth? Or are her bottom ones through already. I'm curious as to how long it takes for teeth to fully show, as Mia cut her first tooth on the 10th and it seems to be only barely showing. Poor brave Ellie xx

The transition from 3 naps to 2 was absolutely horrendous, but it's seems she is finally back on a routine. It is nice being able to plan things around a schedule and having a baby that can stay awake longer than 1.5 hrs at a time.

She cut the bottom 2 the last week of July and they are still 2 little stubs! I thought they would come out faster but they are creeping up sooo slowly. I think that's why the top ones hurt much more... it has taken them 1.5 weeks just to break through the skin!

Yes, that nap transition drove me NUTS. Glad it's over but I heard the transition to 1 nap is... fun. lol

 

[scoobydrlp]

Is Camden the only one without any teeth? Not that we're in a hurry for them, she chews just fine without!

 

[Kelly M]

Coco, I'm so sorry for your loss. Such brave people who fight fires and I'm so thankful for them all! It is truly a miracle that Mia was born and you have taken a different path. I always think back to how lucky I am that I met my husband and that any small thing in any one of my ancestor's lives could have prevented it from happening. If my dad had never taken Karate classes when I was a kid I wouldn't have taken them either and then wouldn't have met my best friend who ended up introducing me to my husband 10 years later. Def ask your ped about Mia's development. I bet he/she will just reassure you that all babies develop ate vastly different rates. I know how it feels though, so hard not to be compared to others. Seems all the other babies here are clapping and high fiving and C does nothing of the sort. I know he'll get it eventually though.

Bean, I couldn't watch your video either. Maybe the privacy setting is not set to public? Congrats on the new job! That's so exciting! Can't wait to hear how it goes.

Chloe, good job to Gabby for clapping! So cute!

Sigh, hope Ellie's teeth come in soon. C is getting his top teeth too and it's been pain off and on for him for weeks now! Poor babies!

Scooby, that video of Camden clapping is the cutes thing ever!!! She's such a smart girl!

Not much going on here. C is all over the place and keeps me so busy. He hasn't been eating much solids the last couple of weeks and has been nursing a lot more. Must be a phase. He's sleeping ok, up about 1-2 times a night on a good night. Very inconsistent. I'm trying to decide what to dress him as for halloween still and I can't make up my mind because all the costumes are so cute!