***December Snowflakes 2012 Parenting***

[cococobain]

Way to go Camden! Watch out mummy, hehe.

Chloe, that's too cute! And ditto on the crankiness, though we are kinda screwed either way as all this crankiness will probably just lead into more mobility which means more headaches for us...I haven't even begun baby proofing yet.

Bean - It's funny, up until Mia was 6 months old she was still using 0-3 months! I think she may be the smallest baby here, we have her appt later on but I'd chance to say she's 7.5kg and up until now she's always been on the 5th percentile for height. She doesn't look small to me though. Last week we went to a birthday party and there was another baby there the same age and Mia dwarfed in comparison! Ohh but he was such a cute chunky monkey, I fell in love

https://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u632/cococobain/DSCF9056_zpsf4498fc4.jpg

^Toothy grin! Well, mostly gummy still.

 

[toothfairy29]

Hi ladies

I know some of you have gone through it already but I wondered if you can offer any advice. We seem to be going through 9 month sleep regression for the last couple of weeks. Last night was awful. He is waking at least every 1 to 2 hours. The thing that wakes him is either he rolls onto tummy in sleep and when stirs at end of a sleep cycle he wakes up panicking and cries. OR he is asleep on back and stirs then sits up almost still in his sleep. Eyes half closed and crying! I'm having to lift him and settle him back to sleep all over again.

he is hyper alert when asleep too at night and naps. The slightest noise and hes awake and crying!

I know its linked but he started proper crawling 2 days ago and learned to sit from laying 2 weeks ago.

I know its normal but what do I do? Does it pass or????

On another note. 9 months and 11kg (24lb 3oz)

Love to you all xx

 

[scoobydrlp]

So funny that some of your LOs are in 0-3 and 3-6 mos clothes! Camden has been in 9 mos since June. We're just starting to consider moving into some of our smaller fitting 12 month stuff. We don't have our 9 month visit until middle of September, but I'm guessing Camden is around 19 pounds at this point.

 

[cococobain]

So I was right, doc confirmed she is 7.3kg (16lbs 1oz) but she says she's healthy and normal so I'm happy She's just petite. Also turns out BOTH top teeth have cut at the same time, making it four teeth and counting.

Oh tooth, hugs! I can't help you - we're going through sleep problems, but I can't say what it is. Sometimes a pop of the dummy will do the trick, other times its not so easy (like once she woke up in the middle of the night and didn't go back to sleep for an hour and a half) I have heard that there is a transition phase sometimes after they learn a new "trick" like rolling/sitting up where they will do it in their sleep and wake themselves up and it just is what it is. Have you tried the sleep threads? xx

 

[Chloe597]

Sorry tooth, i'm not sure i can offer any advice. Hopefully it is short lived. I know there is a wonder week somewhere in the mid 40's, so perhaps he is starting with that? All kinds of things happening with babies around this age. to you!

Gabby has been in 9 and 12 month clothes for a good 3 months, too! I even have put her in some 18 month ones, because she seems to have a long torso, like me, but the sleeves and legs on those things are too long. Pretty much all of her 9 month clothes are ready for the storage bins!

Coco, cute pic! she is a petite cutie! 2 teeth cut at once? Poor thing! I hope she is in good spirits

 

[ImSoTired]

Scooby and Tooth congrats on the crawling babies!

Chloe lol about Gabby sleeping all hunched over. I have found Cait in a similar position a few times. They are so young and flexible it must not bother them much. Wish I could say the same for myself. I wake up twisted and in pain half of the time.

Bean Cait weighed the exact same at her appt on Friday. 18lbs 11oz and 27 1/2 inches tall. I think we've hit that point where their growth will be a bit on the slower side now? Anyway we've had her wearing 9 months clothes since a few weeks after she turned 6 months. That's how it's been for every size so far. She doesn't seem ready for her 12 month clothes really but I think some of the smaller stuff would fit her and I'm not buying any more 9month so with the weather changing she'll be wearing the 12s anyway.

We aren't having many crankiness issues or sleep troubles now. For the past 3 weeks she's been sleeping really well and acting like a happy little doll 95% of the time (Save for tiredness and getting her flu shot, oh and when I'm constantly moving her away from things she shouldn't do or taking things from her. She is a stubborn little thing). She was quite a handful back when she was just starting to crawl though, she was cranky a lot and slept awful. I think it was the new skill keeping her up at night and her lousy sleep that made her so cranky. Thankfully that's over. I hope it never returns! Tooth I think maybe Joseph's sleep issues will pass, maybe it's the new skills he''s working on causing the disturbance. I hope that it gets better for you soon.

coco I love the 'toothy grin' lol. Mia is adorable. I hope her teeth come in quickly and she feels better soon. No teeth here yet. Hopefully she at least has a few before she turns a year.

Not much new here at all. I'm thinking of going back to work due to some money troubles but DH is fighting me on it. I don't want to go back at all but I'd really like to buy Cait some nice things for her birthday and for the holidays and I just can't see that happening with what he's bringing in alone. We'll have to see how it goes I suppose.

I hope you're all well!

 

[expatttc]

Helllllllllllooooooooooo from Sri Lanka! We have finally made it, out of PNG, and here we are!

It's been a crazy ride, and we're still living in a hotel, but hey, we're safe and sound. Yay!

Loads to catch up on, happy to read back and see what everyone has been up to. I've missed everyone!

Rosa has:
-had her first hair cut -- just a trim, by me since her hair was always falling down in her face and I caught her eating a. her hair elastic, then b. her supposedly baby-friendly barrette. I cried, she was happy as a clam, and DH is over the moon since he hated her hair being in her eyes.
-learned how to crawl everywhere (in Bangkok, good grief), crazy fast, and is now pulling herself up and walking holding on to everything. Amusing to baby proof hotel suites, but that's what we're doing
-gotten her first two teeth (on the bottom, in Italy on the first day with the grandparents)

We're also trying to give her formula rather than breastmilk during the day, which isn't going so well...she's not taking bottles, or sippy cups, or even avent toddler cups that have formula, though she will take the sippy cups with water. I'm feeding her in the morning when she wakes up, then ideally the pre-bed feed at 7ish, but for the past two days I have been giving in and feeding her at 5 as well, because she's been so cranky. We have been mixing formula into her rice and cereal, but she's still not getting very much AND she's nursing every ONE TO TWO HOURS at night now. Total regression, I think because she knows she can get booby time then. Help!

We were doing so well in Italy with sleeping, 5 hour stretch followed by 3 hour stretches. Bliss, and 2 great naps of 1.5 hours each. Now, not so much, so I'm with you tooth on sleep regression.

 

[Beanonorder]

Expat! I was just thinking about you today and wondering if everything was OK and if you'd made it to Sri Lanka! Glad you guys are safe and sound! Sorry to hear about the sleep issues. I've started a new job and I have to work all day and I don't know what I would do if I had to be up and down all night! I'd definitely be the grumpiest teacher around!

I have the next few days so I'm very excited to spend extra time with Amber! She's been pulling herself up in her knees but she's slowly starting to try get on her feet. But the head bumps are breakingy heart!!!

 

[expatttc]

Bean congrats on the new job! Sorry about the head bumps...I didn't mention in the previous post, but when we were in Bangkok, Rosa fell off the bed. Slowly, but there was a slide then definite 'thunk' involved, right onto teak flooring............she cried for a few minutes, then was just fine, but I was scarred for life. I was literally an arms length away, and just let go of her to get a diaper when she decided to jump over the pillow beside her and slide down to the floor. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, but I felt HORRIBLE. Thank goodness DH was supportive.............now all diaper changes, everything really, happens on the floor. Still following her around like a living seatbelt as she cruises over the furniture so we'll see what I am like when she lets go...

 

[expatttc]

This is Rosa, pre haircut

 

[Chloe597]

oh Expat, she is adorable with those pigtails! Sorry to hear about your excessive night feedings. Sounds exhasting! And her tumble off the bed. You were probably more hurt by it than she was. Babies are resiliant! And so many milestones for you! Yay!

We had an 'incident' at daycare yesterday, complete with incident report. A baby hit G in the head with a toy and it left 3 red bumps on her forehead. Broke my heart! My poor innocent baby just sitting there, getting bopped in the head and helpless to do anything about it because she can't walk, crawl or speak out! The daycare wrote up a report and said they treated it with 'hugs and ice', and G only cried for a little bit, preferring instead to try to play with the ice on her head. I guess these types of things are unavoidable when you have many babies together, but I am still none too happy. She was SUPER clingy to just me yesterday. Wants no part of DH, just wants me to hold her and be touching her while she is playing. I'm still at the point where I think its adorable, but I think pretty soon I won't be so thrilled with it.

 

[ImSoTired]

expat, glad to hear you are well and you have gotten out of PNG. I know you were frustrated with your living situation there. Rosa is such a beauty and doing so well. Congrats on everything and so happy to hear from you! We haven't gotten Cait's hair cut yet but DH and my mother have suggested it. So sorry to hear about Rosa's fall off of the bed. As others have said it probably hurt you more than her. Happy all is well.

Chloe I am sorry to hear about Gabby's ouch report at daycare. It's not easy when these things happen, but they do. It's hard for me to say how I'd react at this point being a 'new' mom but I know when I worked in the infant room it happened. It's really not easy for anyone involved. I hope her bumps heal up quickly.

No clingyness here lately. Cait wants to be down and crawling around and cruising along the furniture. Trying to pull all the books off of the book shelves and rip them up. I must have cleaned those books up 100 times in the last week. Then she crawls over to my plants (non poisonous, I checked) and pulls the leaves off. I'm always on my toes, here. I think she'll be walking soon too and she'll be falling more again and into even more things...Oh boy. My house always looks like a tornado came through and I am absolutely beat! Things are pretty hectic nowadays and I'm just hoping to get my stuff together soon.

I hope you're all well

 

[sigh]

expat - :wave: Glad the move went well! Rosa is a beauty! Sorry about the sleep issues. Ellie also will only drink water in a sippy cup! I finally found a straw sippy that she will take but if I put expressed milk or formula in it, she gives me her "GIRL, PLEASE!" look and tosses it. Ellie also had a fall when I was taking her 9 month picture on the rocker in her room. She lunged forward laughing and fell head first on to the floor. I totally know how you feel... I felt so horrible but people keep telling me it's going to happen all the time now so I'll get used to it.

Chloe - I'd be pissed too. Poor G

chloe & ist - Ellie fell asleep hunched over too! I took a pic of the monitor with my phone... will post it when I find it.

Tooth - We had all kinds of sleep issues when Ellie learned to sit up. She would sit up and cry because she couldn't figure out how to lay back so I'd go help her and she'd sit right back up again. Eventually DH wouldn't let me go back in because he said she needed to figure it out herself and he was right. It took 1 night and she's ok now. She still grumbles and cries sometimes but shes veryyyyyy mobile in her sleep so sometimes its hard for her to get comfortable.


So DH was making dinner yesterday and I was preparing Ellie's food and washing her bottles. Ellie was playing by herself in the family room (connected to the kitchen). DH suddenly asked me, "Did you stand her up?" I looked over and Ellie was standing and playing on her activity table. She pulled herself up from the ground for the first time and we both missed it! She did it again several times since then but blah for missing the first! We also have tooth#5 and #6 coming I think sometime this week. My big girl!

She's also been trying to imitate what we say and babbling random things. She repeats something that sounds like "bit-chy po-ta-to" over and over. Not sure what she's trying to say but it's quite hilarious!

 

[cococobain]

Clearly she's saying bitchy potato xD haha that's so funny sigh! And wow, pulling to stand!! And 6 teeth!! Have you found the top row of teeth get in the way of breastfeeding at all? Because Mia has her two top teeth coming in and it worries me.

Wow Chloe, poor thing! That kind of thing is bound to happen around other babies though. We went to see a friend who has a 2.5 year old and she kept "petting" Mia and at first was quite gentle...but towards the end became more and more like a smack O_O When we left I lowered myself down to kiss the girl goodbye and she yanked Mia's head backwards so she could kiss her too. I was mortified! Thankfully Mia took it in her stride and wasn't bothered (or maybe she was just in shock haha :/)

Lol IST -She's a destructive little one! Hang in there! xx

Oh and rosa is sooooo cute! Those pigtails.... oh my gosh how adorable. About the night feeds... stay strong! You're not alone My mum gave me some sound advice when I was pregnant... she told me "Just expect horrible sleep for the first two years and if she's STTN earlier than that then you just count your blessings" I have low expectations!

 

[scoobydrlp]

Hi ladies, how exciting to hear about all the standing and cruising babies! Camden pulls up to her knees quite often but rarely makes it all the way to her feet.

Expatttc - so glad to hear from you! It must be hard living in a hotel, but sounds like you're making the best of it!

I'm wondering how you decide what your LOs first word is officially. Camden makes a "woof woof" noise whenever she sees our dog, and whenever I ask her "Where's Macy?" (that's our dogs name). So would her first word be "woof"? It sounds more like "wa wa", but she says it consistanly and in context. Regardless, she loooooooves that dog!

 

[sigh]

coco - they do sometimes. Ellie has been refusing to nurse more than a few minutes and when she does, she isn't very efficient. I think it has something to do with her teeth but I could be wrong. Sometimes when she latches I can feel the top teeth and they leave indentations Atleast she isn't biting me anymore though (knock on wood!) No one ever told me breastfeeding could be this stressful. My supply is tanking again ahhhh!

scooby - I would consider that a first word! That sounds soo cute!

 

[Kelly M]

Wow, so many mobile babies on here now!
Expat, so glad to hear from you. Glad you made it safe and sound and are out of png. Rosa looks SO ADORABLE in her pigtails! She's so cute! I think it's so cool that she has had so many firsts in so many different countries. I want to travel so bad. Rosa is lucky to be growing up so cultured and well traveled. If I had the money I'd be all over the world with Carter.

Just curious why you are giving Rosa formula now instead of breastmilk? I'm with you on night feeds. Carter wakes several times a night and sometimes won't go back to sleep until I feed him. We basically get no sleep around here since he was born. I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that I'll never sleep again.

Chloe, so sorry to hear about the incident at daycare. Poor girl! I bet she's over it quickly but us momma's hurt more than our babies most the time when that kind of stuff happens.

Ist, it's a hurricane over here all the time so I'm with you. A natural disaster named "Storm Carter" has destroyed my house! Lol It's a constant battle to keep him out of things.

Sigh, oh my gosh Ellie is standing up to stuff! So cool! Bummer you missed the first time. I missed the first time Carter rolled back to front because I was at work. Of course, it was my first wedding since having him and the first night I leave him for work he does it for the first time! I know how you feel! Wow, she has so many teeth too! Lol bitchy potato. Yes, that bitchy potato is so bitchy! That's cute. I love how babies all have their own languages. Carter says all kinds of stuff that makes no sense what so ever.

Scooby, that's so cute that Camden says woof. Carter LOVES our dog too. He follows him around giggling at him.

Casey brought C to me the other morning to feed him before his nap and I THINK he said mama. I mean he said mama and he looked right at me but I'm not sure if it was a coincidence or not.

C still has two bottom teeth and his top one is sooo swollen and the tooth is about to pop in any day....So puffy and I can feel the big giant bump but just waiting...

He's taking more and more steps on his own now but still very unstable. He will take one or two steps in between furniture when he can't reach. It's so cute!

 

[expatttc]

Chloe, so sorry to hear about Gabby’s ‘bump and run’...but it’s great that the daycare gave you a report. We now have a nanny for half days -- we hired her based on her experience and ridiculously long history (I was a bit over the top with the hiring process) with other diplomatic families, and my fundamental concern is that if something happened, I wouldn’t be told about it...I still find it very difficult to leave Rosa alone, but it’s impossible to take her to the events that I have to attend, let alone do a bit of work (since I work from home).

IST, Rosa’s also all about finding shelves of things to empty. The only things we keep within her reach are her clothing, and a light cardboard box that we fill with plastic blocks and plush toys, so when she grabs things, the main issue is how long it takes for us to put them back again.

Sigh, LOL at bitchy potato and oh, I know that ‘girl, please’ look...heehee.

coco, that’s good advice, i’ll keep it in mind

scooby, Rosa says babababababa when she sees bananas, but then she also goes pfffffft, so not sure if it’s coincidence or just that she really likes them!

Kelly, Rosa is getting formula just during the day...only mixed into her rice and oatmeal since she doesn’t drink it, though she wears so much of it from her cup that perhaps she’s also getting some via osmosis I’m not pumping thru the day in the hope that my cycle might come back, and not at night as thats when I breastfeed her. Plus there’s no way to store it here even if I did express. The suite has a small fridge but no freezer…

Rosa is saying Mama all the time when she sees me, but still also saying it when she gets excited. Tuk tuks are also MAAAMA, the pool is MAAAMAMAMA, and hilariously, when she sees DH she clicks her tongue!

 

[Chloe597]

Aww. sigh, what a sweet surprise, a standing baby! and LOL to bitchy potato!

I echo the tornado sentiment! DH won't stop complaining about how our house is a disaster, but I have just accepted that it will be that way and he can feel free to do something about it with his abundance of free time (insert sarcasm! What free time?!?!). And really, its not that bad. so there are toys on the floor sometimes, and the counters aren't pristine. who cares?!?

Scooby, that's cute! woof is a great first word...won't make mommy or daddy feel bad for not being first, cuz you are both not first. G has been saying dada for a long time, and i'm not actually sure she knows what it means yet. I have a cat named jack and she has looked at him and said Ja, but i don't count that yet.

Kelly, thats great about C making such good headway with walking!

Gabby was in a great mood yesterday, so the bumps on her head seem to be a thing of the past! Makes me feel better now.

Anyone thinking of making baby #2 yet? I keep going back and forth between trying at 1 year, or trying at 2.5-3 years

 

[scoobydrlp]

Chloe, I would love to try for #2 right now, although haven't really talked with DH about it. Even with both of us working full time money is a little tight right now. He is at his company's GM training program this week in Texas, and from what we've heard they plan to promote him to general manager before the end of the year. Soooo...when that happens he'll get a significant pay raise and hopefully he'll agree to TTC again. I have a good friend that just found out she's pregnant, and someone I work with came in to visit with her 1 week old baby the other day, so I am super broody!!