January Baby Bears 2017 ~ 48 Momma Bears: 21 Blue, 17 Pink

[Literati_Love]

I'm very sorry you didn't get the house!! It sounds like it was a great one! Hugs!

 

[vrogers]

Ally- its so sweet when it happens even though until tonight her smiles had been pretty brief. But tonight I had her on the floor and was leaned over her talking/smiling at her and she gave me the longest smile yet. It's not very often yet but oh my goodness it makes me tear up each time! Really can't wait for laughs though!
Isa's trapped wind problems sound exactly like what we are going through with Lillian. The mylicon and colic tablets have helped the most, along with a warm compress on her tummy. I'm sorry you are going through the same thing!
I have heard many people say they sleep better on their stomachs, I think since you were watching him it's fine. The farting story made me laugh! I can see that happening to us, it's amazing the noises that can come out of someone so small

Literati- Starbucks + target sounds amazing. Unfortunately ours doesn't have a Starbucks but there is one nearby. I'm thinking when she doesn't struggle with gas so much (it makes her cry more/louder than she normally does) I will be there often.
I'm sorry your parents are being more stressful than helpful. You are violets mom, they should respect your wishes whether they agree or not. I hope dh is better soon so you are able to be back home and have his help! That must be miserable

Pompey- thank you, it is really hard to see her in so much pain!
I'm glad you were able to get out and spend some time with a friend, it makes a huge difference to just get out. Sounds like Jamie needed his rest!

Ali- I'm glad you guys found a better realtor! I'm sorry they stopped accepting offers, what a bummer. Hopefully you guys find a house even better than that one that makes you glad it didn't work out after all, but I know it's got to be disappointing.

 

[Literati_Love]

Thanks, VRogers. Too bad about no Starbucks in your Target! But good there is one nearby! Good plan to start going there once Lillian's gas troubles subside a bit!
I managed to get out for half an hour today (without kids) to get bloodwork and buy DH a Valentine's Day card. First time leaving Violet but it was only for half an hour so it was nice to just get out and breathe fresh air!
Tonight went better as my parents were more distracted with my dd1 so Violet had more mommy time and slept a lot more. When she was getting overtired at one point I just went downstairs to my room and turned the lights low and she fell asleep almost instantly once it was just me and her. She can't seem to handle so much commotion going on around her.
My mom apologized - not for disrupting Violet's routine, but I think just being a bit grumpy or harsh or something - and we had a nice chat in the evening so I am feeling less annoyed. However, now I have family coming in from out of town tomorrow and they want to meet Violet in the evening which would make my third evening away from DH and I'm stressed at the thought of it! Especially with it being Valentine's Day. We aren't going out or anything and he will likely still be a bit sick but I don't relish the thought of being at my parents' all evening again. Sigh!

 

[vrogers]

Literati- I'm glad you were able to get even just a little time to yourself and even if it wasn't necessarily something fun. I've been to the grocery store a couple times while dh stays with the baby, just so I can get 30-45 min to have a "break".
That's good your night went better and your mom apologized, even though not for the right thing.
With the out of town family, maybe you could limit the time they see her, like 30 min or whatever you think is best? Her sleep and your sleep are more important than everyone getting to hold her and keep her awake! I'm sure that's stressful and especially on Valentine's Day, I hope they are understanding no matter what happens

We had a really rough day yesterday, seemed like every single feed Lillian would eat 2 oz (she generally needs 4-5 to be satisfied so I split the feedings into 2 oz so I can burp her in between) and then cry and act all fussy for the rest of the time, I assume with gas. She only slept a small amount until a longer evening nap and then after that she was even worse. She ended up cluster feeding for hours straight which I didn't think happened on formula. She finally went to sleep around 12:30-1, we actually put her down while she was still awake and she ended up putting herself to sleep! She didn't wake up until almost 8, most likely because of how much she ate last night.
Then I gave her 2 oz, burped her, gave her 2 more and within 10 min or so she vomited everywhere. It looked like the entire contents of her stomach. She didn't cry or seem in pain so I just changed her and put her in the RNP to let her tummy settle, figuring I would feed her in 30 min or so. Well she fell asleep and has been asleep ever since, which is going on 3 hours now. She has really seemed to need the sleep after yesterday!
I told my MIL about it (she's a nurse) and she's bringing by the playtex bottles that are supposed to reduce air intake as well as lunch for me, she's amazing. Hopefully these bottles make a difference at least because it's exhausting and miserable for everyone! If a week goes by from the time she started the gentlease formula (which will be this Thursday) then I will probably be calling her doctor to see if there's anything else we can try. I don't want to change up her formula too often and before she's had a chance to get used to it. This is one of the many reasons I wanted to BF, so frustrating.
Sorry my update was so long, definitely feel free to skip/ignore it, I just needed to vent really!

What are everyone's plans for Valentine's Day? I still haven't been comfortable letting anyone watch her, so we will be home. This weekend we may grab Olive Garden to go as we have a gift card from a couple months ago!

 

[Literati_Love]

VRogers - wow, sounds like a really rough day for Lillian and you! I'm not surprised she's having such a good sleep now as she must be exhausted. That really is too bad she is having so many tummy problems. It definitely wouldn't be ideal to switch formula too often but I hope you find the perfect one soon! I am hoping those different bottles will work! I am sure you will find something that eases her symptoms soon.

Sounds like a nice evening for you even with Lillian there! I also don't feel ready for someone to babysit Violet yet so we will be getting MIL and FIL to watch dd1 so we can watch a movie at home in peace (with Violet at home with us). Plans fell through with family coming. I am disappointed not to see them as I haven't seen them in probably 3 years! But I am relieved I don't have to see people tonight and I get to spend time with DH. Speaking of which, DH is finally feeling way better! He will still be contagious for a day or two but with him not actively sick I'm not nearly as worried about us getting it as of course he is good about washing his hands!
My parents seem very exhausted and grumpy from helping with dd1 so much the past two days, so it will be good to go home this afternoon and get out of their hair!
Unfortunately, I have to drag myself to two appointments tomorrow morning! Violet has her newborn hearing screening and then her 2 week appointment! At least then it is over with and don't have to go back until my 6 week check-up.

 

[Apple111]

Hi all, just trying to catch up, currently laid next to my toddler havivg mummy cuddles he is fast alseep now...oh has baby down stairs..

Lit sorry things didn't go too great with parents initially but glad it improved and you got some quiet time with violet.. Nice that u can be home with DH for valentines night.. Yay for DH finally starting to get better, you must be so exhausted with it all.. Fx this is it and u can get back to some normal family time with DH and your little girls x

Ally .. So funny haha.. Ollie definately knows when to let out his bottom burps lol.. When he does we call him squeaky lol..I can see how it would kill the moment ! X

Ali / sorry u didn't get the house, bumme. Hope you get something soon x

Vrogers/ thanks for advice on different options for wind, im glad u have found a good combination for your lo.. Hope she is doing ok now, sorry yesterday was so hard xx

Pomp/ glad you got out for a walk .. It does make a big difference to get a change of scenery.. By the river sounds nice not sure where in uk u r but wher i am it's been freezing and windy so not really had chance to get out much x

Slammer/ hope u t catching up on your sleep x

Angel/ 7 0z, Cool .. Haha, hope that cold has passed.. Sending hugs ️xx

Atm / not really doing much for valentines day, oh working till late evening, just had nice food. I managed to get toddler in bed so we will just chill for a bit now.. I have got into routine of going To bed early with ollie and oh will come up after, I have a full on day with the boys and oh has a full on day with his job and always come home exhausted.. Even though I do the night feeds and changes he still always looks more tired than me so we have found this way we both get to chill. Sad thing is we don't see that much of each other but I know it wil pass I think its just a case of needs must to get through this stage while the nights are difficult..

Had couple of better night as toddler has slept through to 6 am, so ive just had ollie to sort which is still tiring but no wher near as bad as sorting two out lol .. Ive started to co sleep now more which seems better..

Had quite a productive day today, I somehow managed to clean my windows, sort plie of ironing, go shopping, rearrange my living room and put loads of stuff in my shed that ive been wanting to move for weeks ! And then took ds to a play area with ollie in pram and him on reins.. Got home and made tea !! Funny thing is .. Oh came home from work , sat had tea and never noticed till half HR later that front room was totally different ! Lol

Sorry if not mentioned everyone, I'm still reading through and catching up x

 

[vrogers]

Literati- aw I'm sorry about the plans with family falling through, but on the plus side you'll get time with dh and don't have to stress about Violet's sleep being interrupted. But I hope your family is able to reschedule a trip and meet baby and see you sooner rather than later!
I hope both of the appointments go well!

Apple- it's good you guys have found a routine that works for both of you. I can relate on not being able to see dh much, at least during the week. I really miss time with him and also keep trying to remind myself that it will get better!
Also I'm sure it is not easy sorting out two sleep schedules! Hopefully your toddler keeps sleeping and I have read so many success stories with co sleeping, glad it's working for you!
Wow just reading how productive you were made me tired good for you! I was proud of myself for showering while the baby napped today haha

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day! I got chocolate and a stuffed puppy (it's a tradition since when dh and I were dating when I said I wanted a puppy for Valentine's Day) and I jokingly asked what he was going to get Lillian. We went to grab dinner and ran a couple errands and he went into Walmart and came out with a tiny stuffed puppy for her, it was so cute!

 

[Ally2015]

sorry guys catching up now.

newbie- yes my baby is soo noisy too, i am jealous of the quiet babies haha.

lit- what a shame your parents ignore your parenting! but im glad dh is feeling better now.

pomp- how did he sleep at night?

ali- so sorry about the house! i hope something better comes your way soon.

vrogers- sorry you had such a hard night! i have days that are so hard and then the next day is better. its just how it is i guess!
valentines we stayed in also, dh was very sweet an left me a hamper of gifts when he went to work. I bought him a couple of things too.

apple- i cant believe how much you got done! wow! well done. I think its so hard to get any proper time with dh's at this stage. we are both so tired, normally at the weekends we get more time but the time goes in so fast

afm- i've not been so well, i felt a little lump in my right breast. its very painful and y breast seems a bit swollen and inflammed. Went to doc today who said its a blocked duct that has an infection- so now i am on a course of antibiotics. I also need to massage it and drink lots of water and make sure the boob is drained. I really hope it gets better soon, its so painful and hard to move around, and has left me feeling extra tired. I think last week there was a couple of nights where isa slept longer and my boobs were very full and engorged and that may have caused the blocked duct.

has anyone else experienced that?

had health visitor today, isa gaining well so not seeing her for another 2 weeks now which is good. His thrush has mostly cleared up and i noticed he burps easier so hopefully his gas issues are slowly going away x

 

[Literati_Love]

VRogers - very sweet of your DH! I got a nice bouquet of flowers and a card.

Apple - good for you being so productive! I can't imagine. I get nothing done and I only have 2.

Slammer - are you doing ok? You must be busy with your DH working this week.

Ally - oh, so sorry about your infection! I had mastitis with dd1 and it was just horrible! It definitely could have developed after you woke up engorged that one time. Whenever I feel a blocked duct coming on I make sure to feed lots on that side while massaging the sore lump. Very paranoid always that I'll get mastitis again as it was awful! I hope you recover quickly!

AFM - Violet had her 2 week check-up and like I predicted, she is the heaviest baby on this thread for 2 weeks old! (She is only 2 days shy of 3 weeks though). She was 10 lb 4 oz so around 90th percentile for weight, but she was only 60th percentile for height, so she is just a short chubby one compared to dd1! She is still shorter than dd1 was at birth! Violet has a terrible diaper rash but the dr had no suggestions. It was an awkward appointment as I kept mishearing or misinterpreting her questions and awkwardly answering the wrong things. Felt quite embarrassed after.

 

[slammerkin]

Sorry haven't kept up properly in a couple days....

Alijo - sorry you missed that house. Another will come!

Literati - sounds tough staying with your parents and having DH being sick. Glad to hear he's on the mend.

Vrogers - sounds like a touch day with Lillian. I hope she adjusts to the gentle formula or you find the right one for her soon! Thatst super cute about DH getting her a stuffed puppy!

Apple - seriously, how did you get so much done? Crazy!

Ally - ouch on the plugged duct! I had that once with DD, but not to the point of needing antibiotics. It was super sore for a couple days and I felt like I had a fever even though I didn't actually have one.

AFM - I'm struggling a bit with Jack's awake periods. They're sporadic and I can't really tell when he wants to be awake, or is just fighting sleep. He's pretty much just cranky and fussy anytime he's awake. I don't know how to entertain him. He might sit in the bouncy seat for a few minutes but then he's just fussy for ages - doesn't want to sit, doesn't want to be held. If you can get a pacifier into him he'll chill out a bit, but that's hit or miss. I don't remember DD being so fussy about being awake. She'd just stare at us and it was clear and relatively easy when she wanted to sleep. Jack was tough last night, going in and out of sleep for a few hours before we went to bed and just not settling. DH took him for a while and I slept a bit. Just frustrating! Anybody else's baby just seem to dislike being awake??

I went to DD's dance class yesterday and it was cute to see, but I didn't get as good a look as DH did because the door was closed and a sheer curtain drawn, so I couldn't take pics or video like he was able to last week. I guess it keeps the kids more focused if they aren't distracted by parents standing at the door the whole time, but I wanted to get pics!

 

[Literati_Love]

Slammer - sorry you're struggling with what to do with Jack when he is awake. Violet isn't all that fussy but I also can't really tell when she wants to be awake or if she's awake because she's overstimulated and actually wants to go back to sleep. It's weird because lots of the time she will only be awake for a couple minutes and go right back to sleep, and then other times she is up for a couple hours. I don't think she can handle that long of a wake-up though and she seems prone to overstimulation. She loves looking around and it seems she can't shut her brain off once she gets started. I hope you can figure out Jack's likes and dislikes during awake time soon.
That's too bad you weren't able to take pics at your dd's dance class.

 

[pompeyvix]

slammer - Sorry Jack is so unsettled whilst he is awake. Maybe he has trapped wind or something? Will he fuss if he's in the sling? Sounds pretty difficult! I am pleased you managed to go to DD's dance class

LL- Wow what a weight Violet it, that's fantastic!

Ally - it sounds a little bit like mastitus? I've never had it but have heard a lot about it and it sounds absolutely awful!! Have you got flu like symptoms as well? I hope it clears soon
I am pleased Isa is still gaining weight well and his thrush has now cleared up.

vrogers - aww, how cute your husband thought of you and Lillian for valentines We didn't do anything at all!

Apple - I feel exhausted reading about how much you got done yesterday, good for you! I am glad the nights are slightly better

Ali - sorry you missed out on the house when you fell in love with it It's always the way. I hope another property comes up soon for you.

AFM - Jamie was unsettled beginning of last night and I was still awake at gone 1am which was depressing. He then slept until almost 4am though and then my husband took over and the next thing I knew my daughter woke up and it was after 8am and Jamie was sleeping soundly next to me. Me and hubby working as a team at nights really helps. He tends to go to bed early and get in 5/6 hours sleep whilst I tend to Jamie and then he takes over 3/4ish until he goes to work. It's not ideal as we don't get our evenings together but at least we both get some half decent sleep.

I took Jamie to the hospital yesterday as he needed some blood tests to make sure the medication he is on for his heart is working OK. Whilst there, the consultant said he looks like he has jaundice. I must admit I had been wondering, but where I see him day in, day out, in all honestly I couldn't really tell. Anyway, apparently if they have it beyond 2 weeks, it can be a sign something isn't right , so of course I worried myself sick and then googled and got even more worried. Thankfully the blood tests showed he levels are normal and he has 'breastmilk jaundice'

Jamie wanted a feed this evening, so I warmed a bottle for him. Whilst waiting for it to warm I thought I'd try him at the breast and to my utter surprise he latched on! I had no pain at all and he was latched around 10 mins or so. I was unsure if he was even having any milk but when he unlatched he had milk down his chin so I guess he must have done. I was so happy!

 

[Literati_Love]

Pompey - I'm glad your teamwork at night time is helping you get more sleep. I find I need a lot of total hours of sleep due to all the interruptions, and I still find I never catch up and have purple around my eyes from sleep deprivation.

That's great Jamie latched so well and got milk. What was the reason you were expressing again? Will you try BFing again now?

Glad it was just breastfeeding jaundice. My HV said they rarely worry about that.

 

[slammerkin]

I kind of forgot about the three week growth spurt, so maybe that's why he's fussy? I dunno. We're having success this evening with bouncing on the ball and pacifier, but if you stop moving around he's just fussy again. Ugh. I dunno how I'll handle this when DH is at work.

I haven't tried my proper sling, but I'm not a big fan of the sling anyway. I don't find it comfortable. I've put him in the Ergo and he seems like that more than my Mei Tai, but still not to just chill in, only for sleeping.

I spose he could have gas, but I don't think that's the main issue.

At least after I finally took him to bed last night around 1am I was able to nurse lying down and get him to sleep and then he gave me a nice long stretch of sleep.

Pompey - that's super awesome Jamie latched and you had no pain! I hope you can get him to do it again.

 

[Literati_Love]

Ah yes, perhaps it is a growth spurt! That's good he did a nice stretch for you after feeding him lying down. I always just feed lying down at night and it makes things much easier. Longest stretch I've gotten is 3 hours though.

 

[slammerkin]

I'm slowly doing more side-lying nursing - when I'm super full it seems a bit much for him. Would love to start doing it all the time!

I think he slept 3-4 hours, so not anything super impressive, but is a great improvement on 1.5 hours!

My left boob was SO FULL when he did wake for it!

 

[Literati_Love]

That is a great improvement! Violet is a really mediocre sleeper for a newborn so I can't complain.
I'd bet you were super engorged after that! It was very uncomfortable when I woke up engorged when Violet had a cold and couldn't nurse as much at night! I really hope Jack starts doing more 3-4 hour stretches for you!

 

[newbie2013]

US based ladies, do you give your babies vitamin d drops? My doctor recommended that I give Z drops but I can't find them here. I have a friend travelling to the US who can bring some back for me. If you do, what brand do you use and how much is it? Thanks in advance.

 

[Ally2015]

lit- thank you, it is awful and so painful! the nights are hard lying down makes me hurt more. lol love your chubby baby- isa is 10 ibs 5 and he is nearly 7 weeks !

slammer0 i dont know about disliking being awake but i really cant figure isa out. His sleep pattern is different every night, he sometimes is awake for hours and i worry he is tired but over stimulated etc. it is hard work.

pomp- yup it is mastitis and ouch it is SORE! No fever though so hopefully i got it before it got too bad. although i am feeling lethargic and slow and not quite myself.
amazing about the breastfeeding! try to get him to do it again. Glad jaundice is nothin g to worry about. working as team helps- last night i was very tired from the mastitis so dh did all the nappies and burping etc during the night and i just did the feeds. i feel more rested.

afm- the mastitis is tiring me out, and i still feel very sore. its very draining. I am massaging and taking anti biotics and i read rubbing honey to inflammed area helps as well as cabbage leaves so im doing all these things along with continuing to feed him on the sore breast. x

 

[Literati_Love]

Ally - oh yes get as much rest as possible! Mastitis is very draining and you will need to just rest and be a couch potato for a while! When I had it my DH was off work and he just brought my dd to me to feed and then took her back while I slept all day long trying to recover. I am glad your DH helped in the night! I really wish for help with diapers in the night as they are the most tiring part.
I hope you feel way better soon.

Newbie - I am not from US but from Canada and the brand I buy is just "Baby D Drops." The same brand might be available in the US too. It is a good One as no artificial additives. Hope you can get some!