***December Snowflakes 2012 Parenting***

[ttc_lolly]

So cute Verona! We have those socks too do yours say I'm wild on the soles!?

 

[verona]

yeah they do haha, I love them x

 

[Honey.Bee]

Trust you Lolly to have found some animal print for Millie! Cute pic Verona!

 

[ttc_lolly]

Hehe Millie is the very proud owner of a few leopard print clothing items much to my OH's dismay!

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend

 

[GenYsuperlady]

Chloe - vinegar will take the adhesive off your bottles

 

[joeliza24]

Love your new pic Lolly!!! Your two little girls look so much alike.

And GenY, Summer is adorable!

 

[ImSoTired]

Scooby I have never noticed a flat spot on Cait's head at all but I have noticed that her left eye seems a little less open then her right? I don't notice it all of the time just some of the time and the doctor has never said anything about it but I may bring it up when we go next. I hope it's nothing because if she has to wear a helmet as well as the harness I may just jump out a window. I have a hard enough time seeing her in this stupid strappy harness let alone a helmet. Is it really noticeable with Camden?

I feel like Cait is doing well but I worry so much. I know that she is right on track developmentally so far but I can't help but worry about every little thing that can go wrong? This harness has really got me down and I'm not sure I can mentally handle anything else right now. It gets really depressing seeing her in this thing all of the time. I love her so much and I just feel awful that she has to go through this. Overall she is a very healthy and happy child, I just wish that the hip issue was over with. Is anyone else worrying about everything?

samj I hope Iz's surgery goes well. I think I know how you feel and I'm so sorry you both have to go through it.I really hope it goes well for your LO and that you can get through it. I hope that if the time comes that Cait needs surgery that I'll have plenty of time for it to sink in. I'm sure it'll be difficult regardless but I'd like to have the time to think about a it a while so MAYBE I won't be sobbing in the waiting room.

Hope you're all well.

 

[daydream]

Imsotired/samj - my LOs surgery I had a few days to process the information but was still sobbing all night with him in the hospital. It's so frightening to have the LOs go under, but the risk is so so low now. The hardest part is handing them over to the surgical team because my LO was so small, only five weeks, I literally had to put him in the nurses arms. It was hard, but it was over so quick and then he was back with me (and ready to EAT!). just know they will be a little groggy coming out of the anesthesia, which would have scared me had my mom not prepared me for that.

Just find the best doctors you can, thankfully we live near a very good children's hospital and had the surgeon our ped recommended. Recovery for my LO was easy, his cries were just a little hoarse from being incubated. Make sure you have family or friends to be with you during the procedure. My mom, DH, and I went to the hospital cafeteria to (try to) eat and chatted about other things so I didn't spend the entire time watching the clock.

Now it is just a distant memory and LO is so perfect, barely a scar because their young skin heals so quick. The hospital gave him a little stuffed dr bear, we told him no more of those! There's a 40% chance he can develop a hernia on the other side and need surgery again. So far there's no evidence of one.

 

[ocean_pearl]

First ever projectile vomit experience at 4am, was pretty spectacular in terms of distance! Poor bubba, think he ate too much as my boobs were very engorged.

Loving Millie's new pic, beautiful!

 

[scoobydrlp]

ImSoTired - it's easiest to notice a flat spot on the head if you take a picture from above the head while they are sitting up. It's really not that obvious just looking at her normally. Also I had to put a hat on her head when I took the picture because her hair makes the shape harder to see. I can feel it better than I can see it. If your LO does have a flat spot it would likely be on the side with the eye that looks more open, because the flattening of the head can push the bones in the face forward causing the eye to appear larger. Camden's cheeks are also asymmetrical. The side with the wider eye has a longer looking cheek, and on the more closed side the cheek is more round. None of these things are obvious, I have to point it out for people to notice. But now that I've noticed it, it's making me crazy. I keep worrying that it will get worse and kids will make fun of her when she's older. I almost want to have her in a helmet just to keep the asymmetry from getting worse, even if her head would round out on its own over the next year.

I have the same fear as you, that Camden will need a hip harness as well as a helmet. I just can't imagine seeing her like that. And it seems like it's taking forever to get the referrals for our diagnostics, I've driven myself absolutely nuts with worry! But I have found some great support groups on babycenter.com, one of which is for babies/kids with hip dysplasia. I sure hope Cait's hips have improved enough with the harness to avoid surgery.

 

[scoobydrlp]

First ever projectile vomit experience at 4am, was pretty spectacular in terms of distance! Poor bubba, think he ate too much as my boobs were very engorged.

Camden does that sometimes too, and it seems to happen most when I'm engorged. I now try to pump a little off before feeding if I'm super engorged and I think it helps.

 

[samj732]

daydream, I'm also going to a children's hospital (Minneapolis) for Izobel's surgery. It makes me feel a bit better that they have done surgeries on little ones before and it's the best equipped hospital in Minnesota to deal with it too. I can't decide if I just want to get it done and over with or want to keep pushing it off

 

[Nellie83]

Hi ladies, I hope you are all well and those of you who have been sick or have lo's who are sick get better soon

IST i'm sorry to hear your having such a hard time I do really hope that Cait's hip will show some improvement at your next appointment it must be hard seeing her in the harness but it sounds like it doesnt bother her and sounds like she is a pretty happy baby

Scooby my little guy has a flat spot aswell he was born with it from the way he was laying in utero but from early on (like 1 week old) if i laid him dow with his head facing the other way he would roll it over but couldnt roll it back again so has made it worse. He has been seeing a physiotherapist to make sure he has full movement of his neck but nothing has ever been mentioned about a helmet for him, i've just been given advice on different positions to have him in to avoid the pressure on his flat spot and to try and round his head out. He also has assymetry of his face like you said with one cheek being fuller then the other but i think i notice it more now because im looking for it, if that makes sense. They were also worried about his hips because they can be linked (when born with it) plus his sister had bad hips but so far they are perfect so fingers crossed Camdens will be too

 

[scoobydrlp]

Scooby my little guy has a flat spot aswell he was born with it from the way he was laying in utero but from early on (like 1 week old) if i laid him dow with his head facing the other way he would roll it over but couldnt roll it back again so has made it worse. He has been seeing a physiotherapist to make sure he has full movement of his neck but nothing has ever been mentioned about a helmet for him, i've just been given advice on different positions to have him in to avoid the pressure on his flat spot and to try and round his head out. He also has assymetry of his face like you said with one cheek being fuller then the other but i think i notice it more now because im looking for it, if that makes sense. They were also worried about his hips because they can be linked (when born with it) plus his sister had bad hips but so far they are perfect so fingers crossed Camdens will be too

From what I've been reading it seems as though different doctors have very different opinions as to whether helmets are really necessary or not. I have been doing LOTS of repositioning the past week and I'm hoping that keeping her off that flat spot is going to help a great deal and that a helmet won't be necessary. The absolute earliest they ever start with a helmet is 3 months, but usually wait until 4, so we have some time to make improvements.

I've been reading more about torticollis (the neck issue) and it seems that it can also contribute to facial asymmetry, and once you get those muscles all loosened up the asymmetry can improve also. I hope this is the case for Camden as well as your LO! We're going to take her to a chiropractor (family friend) later this week in hopes that an adjustment will help and that she'll be able to show us some good stretches while we wait to start PT, and also I'm hoping she'll be able to tell me if she finds anything unusual about her hips. I hope the physiotherapy for your LO is going well!

 

[ocean_pearl]

Can I ask you girls a question re slings and carriers?

Which do you have?

I'm thinking of getting the Ergo classic for when out and about with Oliver. I have a fabric sling at the moment for when at home for colic etc but want something for when we go out.
Is the ergo easy to get them in and out of?
My sling makes it very tricky to get him out without disturbing him a lot. X

 

[Samia22]

@ ocean : I have a baby carrier for my son , its and old one cause my sister-inlaw gave it to me 3 years ago for my first child and she used it aswell long time ago for her own children.
I dont know anything about a sling but they do seem tricking but i heard that once you get a hang of it,it will be easy!

Mine baby carrier is very easy for me i just pop him in and then out, the only thing i have to do is locked the safety and iam ready to go.

Sorry girls im too busy lately its so hard to be here. once they are asleep all i want is just sit down and watch a bit telly and im off to sleeep, or iam cleaning the kitchen.
Yahya was last friday 3 months! HURRAYYYY.

i haven't read everything but will do soon hopefully tonight!

 

[ttc_lolly]

I'll be looking out for carrier advice too if any one has any? we use a sling at home but like ocean, disturbs baby when getting her out. I've heard so many good things about the ergo. I was looking at trying a woven wrap style but they look so complicated I'd probably end up doing it wrong!

 

[Beanonorder]

Scooby I'm sorry for all you have going on now! I know that waiting to see someone and waiting for results is the painful. Praying for you!

I don't have much carrier advice. I use a moby and find the kangaroo hold the easiest to put Amber down. But, I have heard really good things about the Ergo. A few friends have used different ones but they've all said it was the best of all of them.

I took Amber for her shots today. The admin was a nightmare! But the injection was a breeze. She didn't even wake up when they stuck the needle in her arm! So far (touch wood) we've had no adverse reactions.

Amber and I are off to South Africa on Friday! I am SO excited and can't wait. Although I am a little nervous about flying on my own with her. Does anyone have any tips or advice?

 

[Chloe597]

I hate my sling. I use a Moby and have had good luck, but its also not super easy to get a sleeping baby out of it and keep her sleeping. I have a Bjorn too but unless gabby faces out, it compresses her tummy weirdly and she spits up every time i put her in, so i have given up putting her in it facing me.

I think gabby has a little cold. She is super snotty. And unrelated to the cold, she has stopped pooping with every diaper change (so far a small poo every 24-36 hrs). She did, however, decided that in the tub was the perfect time for a poo! Enormous gas bubbles came up, stunk really bad, and then the water got cloudy, and poo started floating up! I was laughing and horrified at the same time. Poor baby had to be wrapped in a towel while we changed the water and refilled it so we could wash the poo off of her. Not a happy baby!

 

[ocean_pearl]

Thanks girls. I'm going to a baby class weds and the teacher is bringing in loads of different ones so will try some out with Oli and see what suits