***December Snowflakes 2012 Parenting***

[daydream]

I've also found the Circo low cut socks at Target stay up well too! The boys have the cutest patterns in those socks as well.

I had to share this photo series I got of Harrison rolling over yesterday. I love it!
https://25.media.tumblr.com/58fc3de98542b4a0f1d0ad18324729eb/tumblr_mlhhn1x1wl1qd99p4o1_500h.jpg

 

[Chloe597]

daydream, love it! He looks so determined!

Wish us luck at the cardiologist today, ladies. I hope Gabby's heart murmur turns out to be innocent and the cardiologist says he never has to see us again!

 

[daydream]

Thinking of you and Gabby today Chloe

 

[Kelly M]

Good luck Chloe and Gabby!
Daydream, he looks so cute! Good work Harrison!

Well, it happened today ladies. Carter chomped down on my nipple and tried to rip it off. I hope this isn't a recurring event.

 

[toothfairy29]

Hope all is well Chloe and gabby.

Quick question ladies. I am fully breastfeeding still and have not expressed at all. Don't even have a pump. I tried to express when I had my 1st baby 16 years ago!! I hated it and tried a couple of pumps and could never get any milk to flow. I found the whole experience pretty awful.

I plan to return to work when Joseph is about 9-10 months. If I'm still breastfeeding which I hope to, will I have to have mastered expressing by then? Or will he be able to go the day without boobie? I should also say that even when I am really full I can only express a few drops by hand.

 

[ttc_lolly]

Daydream so cute!!

Good luck Chloe & Gabby thinking of you today!

tooth, I am hopeless at expressing by hand. I barely get out a drop before I give up. I have a medela swing & a medela mini pump and both are fab. By 9 months milk should still be his main diet and source of nutrients so I think he'll still need to be nursed/bottle fed during the day x

 

[sigh]

daydream - sooo cute!!!

Chloe - good luck today! My DH has a heart murmur and is completely healthy so I'm hoping Gabby will be the same!

Kelly - OMG same here!! she has been BITING my face and then last night she bit down and turned her head and would not unlatch. I screamed and had to stick my finger in her mouth and it scared her. I felt so bad because she looked worried afterwards but it hurt so badly that I couldn't nurse her on that side until this morning.

Sleep has gone downhill for us the last week and I think it's time for sleep training. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind waking up and feeding her a few times (I even enjoy it sometimes because she snuggles up on me). The problem we're having is that nursing/rocking her to sleep is no longer working. She'll fall asleep but as soon as the nip is out of her mouth, she'll wake up and freak out to reattach. I give it back to her and she falls asleep in a few seconds... anddd repeat. When I FINALLY am able to keep her asleep and put her in the crib, she wakes and freaks out. Her cry is weird too...it starts with a cry, then her whining and going "uhhhh ahhhh ahhh ohh" like she's trying to talk, then it escalates to screaming. I've changed her, burped her, made sure she isn't cold, rubbed her gums incase it's teething.... Getting her to sleep has been so stressful and it's taking everything I have not to scream at her (I know I'm horrible ) I need to find a way to teach her to drift off calmly without freaking out. I was against letting her Cry it out but I know any method I use will involve some crying... and she's crying anyway when I try to put her to sleep. My dr said to give her tylenol but I don't want to medicate her every night... ugh!!! Any suggestions?

 

[Honey.Bee]

Daydream - lovely photos. Great that you caught Harrison in action!

Chloe - hope things go well with Gabby today x

Tooth - I'd agree with Lolly, but don't despair about the pumping. You might feel differently this time around? I have an ameda lactaline. It's a dual pump so v efficient (and yes, I can't hand express either!). I also have an Avent manual pump which is not bad for occasional use, but I personally wouldn't like to use it daily. I do feel like a bit of a cow in a milking station but there is something oddly satisfying about stashing away the collected milk! (Maybe its me?).

It's been a gorgeous day here. We've been pottering about in the garden, with Ava in the sling enjoying a nap in the sun. I had forgotten how nice it was to feel the warmth on my skin. Mmmmmm.

 

[Honey.Bee]

Sigh - sorry, we were typing at the same time. Would really recommend Elizabeth Pantley's No Cry Sleep Solution - there is a method described in it called "Pantley's gentle removal plan" and it really works!

https://www.pantley.com/elizabeth/books/0071381392.php

 

[Honey.Bee]

Sorry to clog up the thread but I HAVE to tell you all that I have actually had Ava in her own cot for the last 2+ hours! I know that some of you have very well behaved babies who sleep beautifully, but until a week or so ago Ava refused to sleep at night unless on/in full body contact with me. She has stirred from sleep cycles a couple of times but I haven't even had to pick her up. I just held her hand and let her feel out to see that I was there and she settled herself back to sleep with minimal fuss. Even if she wakes now, it's still a big step for us.

 

[Kelly M]

Sorry to clog up the thread but I HAVE to tell you all that I have actually had Ava in her own cot for the last 2+ hours! I know that some of you have very well behaved babies who sleep beautifully, but until a week or so ago Ava refused to sleep at night unless on/in full body contact with me. She has stirred from sleep cycles a couple of times but I haven't even had to pick her up. I just held her hand and let her feel out to see that I was there and she settled herself back to sleep with minimal fuss. Even if she wakes now, it's still a big step for us.

That's great honey.bee! Hope she is on to something. On that same note I must share that Carter has been napping so beautifully the last four days. He was always a horrible napper, 20-30 mins max and up and down all day long with awake time only being 1.5 to 2 hours max. This week he's had about three naps a day and about 1.5 hours! Today he's had a 1.5 hour morning nap and has been napping for the last 1.5 hours for his afternoon nap. It's a huge improvement for us. Here's to hoping our babies are starting to sleep better!

 

[Chloe597]

Gabbys appointment went well! She has a bent artery that she will grow out of, so no worries! Thanks for your good vibes!

 

[ImSoTired]

That's great Chloe! Happy to hear that Gabby will be fine and grow out of it!

Sorry to those of you having issues with sleep and congrats to those of you having NO problems with sleep, lol.
I'm somewhere in between. I'm very torn between wanting Cait in her own room and wanting her with me. I love just being able to open my eyes and see her a few inches away, but at this point I think she's more than capable of sleeping in her crib without waking at least 5 nights of the week. I'm also just praying to get her on some sort of schedule. I guess I'm paranoid but I still want her with me? Is anyone else afraid to move baby into their own room?

I know that some of you will disagree with me (and I do not want to start a conflict) but I have started Cait on baby food and she's doing great.

Also, Cait's eye looks much better.

Hope you're all well

 

[scoobydrlp]

So happy that Gabby is okay!

 

[joeliza24]

Yay that baby Gabby is well! Nathan is 100% back to normal, thank God. Here's too all of our baby's issues being limited to sleep/eating!!

My son has been in his own room since about 8 weeks. I needed to be able to watch tv/read in bed (am I bad?). We do keep an eye out via a video monitor. And as to expressing by hand, start at the areola and work into the breast - I managed to hand express 5 oz in a pinch this way.

 

[sigh]

yay for Gabby and Nathan!

imsotired - I felt the same way but we took the plunge at 11 weeks and I'm so glad we did! We were all sleeping so much better... And then the 4th month hit. She's still sleeping better than she would in our room though!

 

[daydream]

Yay for healthy babies!!

Wow joeliza! You sound like a pro at hand expression!

 

[Chloe597]

Kelly, sorry about the biting! I do not look forward to that day at all, but I know its inevitable!

I have never been able to hand express, so props to those who can! Also know nothing about how much babies will need at 9 months. Interested to find out tho!

Sorry about the sleep troubles, sigh. Hope it gets better soon.

Gabby has had her own room since 8 weeks and it has worked out great for us. Dh wanted her in bed but I was afraid I would roll over her in my sleep so I refused. I do look forward to when she is older and wants to come into bed with us cuz then I don't have to worry about suffocating her!

Those of u Feeding solids, how much are your babies eating each day? I give gabby tastes of certain foods but that's it. I often wonder how much she will eat once I give solids.

 

[Beanonorder]

Imsotired I'm scared to move Amber out of our room! But I've always planned to have her in our room til 6 months at least so I don't feel bad about it! And i want her to be regularly STTN before i move her. Most nights she wakes up once and my dh never wakes up so it would always be me having to get up and go to her.
As for starting baby food - its entirely your decision. Its about what works for you and your baby. I can't wait for all that! But Amber doesn't show much interest in food so not ready for it yet.

It was my grans memorial service today. I was sad to have to miss it, especially as the WHOLE family except us were there.

 

[ttc_lolly]

Honey.Bee, you're not weird hun! I love collecting my milk too very satisfying pouring it out and stashing it in the fridge or freezer. A lady at a breastfeeding cafe I go to said the other day how whoever penned the phrase "don't cry over spilt milk" has obviously never knocked over a tub of breast milk before so true!! I literally stand there getting every little drop out of my container when transferring it into bags!

Chloe that's fantastic news, I'm so happy for you both

Bean, so sorry you missed the memorial service

Not much to report here. It's lovely here today so the girls and I went for a picnic and a play at our local park and had a stroll around. I have sold my double pram and bought a single for Millie now, Amber will have a buggy board to ride on the back if she tires of walking. I was so sad to see it go but I love my new pram so all is good! Can't believe Millie will be 5 months old in just 1 week she's still only on milk, although I have given her fingers of mango and avocado on a couple of occasions. She just likes to suck furiously on them!