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

[Literati_Love]

I will reply properly later... but for those of us struggling with 2+ kids. Made me chuckle!

 

[AliJo]

Lite - That comic is on point lol.. I like to think every parent has struggled with the transitions. I mean.. how can you not to some extent? You are facing the unknown and have to learn and adapt as time goes. Some are more graceful at it than others but still.

Vrogers - I really expect she'll be fine with how he is since it is getting better slowly and he's doing well.

Still so sorry about the cramps! My period can just stay away. I'm doing a horrible job at remembering my BC. Ha.. I know it doesn't mean I can't get pregnant if it doesn't come back but I'm less likely.

Froggy - No, it's more of a high pitched breath. Like his airway is closing. He does it a lot while eating and also gets congested sounding. He basically sounds like he's aspirating milk into his lungs. He chokes a lot as well. He is getting better but it's a slow process. His pediatrician thinks it's a congenital abnormality of his airway that should get better as his airway firms up.

Have not heard of milk blisters.. how interesting.

He's so cute! I looove the smile! All the hair too! I hope he keeps it. T has some but not a ton from birth. He hasn't lost any yet and has new growth, but we'll see if he keeps it.

AFM - Just wanted to say I'm attempting the crib. So far it's going well. No high pitched breathing but I also held him for awhile after he fell asleep nursing. Hoping to do a good part of the night with him in the crib if all goes well. He's still in reach since the crib is attached to my bed. Time to get some sleep. I know I'll need it if I think I'm going to try and keep him in there. The more tired I am the more likely he'll end up next to me. Aaaand he's stirring... and he passed gas. Might be settled again. Okay I won't keep narrating my night.

 

[froggyfrog]

I hope your night went well Ali. We go through the stirring and pass gas then settle all night too . The milk blister is also called a bleb, pretty painful!

 

[Ally2015]

slammer- hope 6 week appt goes well. That is great you went out for lunch, it is so hatd going out with a little baby. I dread it, always worried he will cry lots.

lit- hope you are feeling in a better mood today. Its great you SIL took dd out for a bit. Thats a shame about dh and his migraines. But i also feel sorry for you. I got quite a few migraines in pregnancy and they just exhausted me.
that pic is so funny! i can imagine it feels that way !

angel- sounds like you had a good chat with dh, and maybe now he will be helping you more. how did the 6 week appt go?

froggy- glad gage is doing so well! Isa had a tongue tie too but his was really bad. After it he latched on really well and i have had no problems BF'ing- except for mastitis. I love how chunky your baby is, he weighs almost as much as Isa and isa is two months haha. i love the pics, he looks so cute and alert!! gorgeous!

ali- well done on getting him to sleep in bassinet! i hear you onthe other babies. Whenever i meet another baby a similar age, they seem to easy and relaxed compared to Isa! hope you slept well

afm- feeling a lot better- mastitis wise. No pain etc and isa feeding helps empty it and that makes me feel much better. He never took formula last night , he was settled on the boob each time he woke. He was in the crib but i moved him to bed as i was so tied and he sleeps better and longer when hes right next to me.
in laws are here, there first time meeting Isa. They adore him, it is so sweet. We had lunch together, and now they are at the hotel room having a nap so i am in bed- should be napping but replying to you guys just now!
in a little while they will come here and then we will go out for dinner. I think i will take a formula bottle at dinner and try it. I always dread going out, in case isa just screams the place down but fingers crossed it'll be ok!

 

[AliJo]

Ally - I miss when O was a baby. It was easier going out. Now he doesn't listen and doesn't want to sit still. We can't go out to eat because it just turns into a headache. Last time we did I was holding the back of his pants and shoving food down my throat to finish it. Not enjoyable! I'd rather hold his pants and have him laugh like it's a game vs him screaming because I strapped him down and that's not what he wants. Even if I did it and then took him away to calm down and came back he'd still scream if I tried it. Hoping T isn't the same otherwise we're never going out as a family till all my children are better at listening.

So glad your mastitis is getting better! I use to take a prepared bottle of breast milk along in a thermal bag. Now I'm just like "Eh.. I have what I need" I may eventually get a manual pump and have a bottle available to fill in case it is just easier to do that.

Froggy - They sound painful. It makes sense that you could get a blister like that, but I never thought about it!!

AFM - The time in the crib didn't go well. I was able to lay him down and he laid there fine for a little while. He did one high pitched gasp that ended with a choking sound, but surprisingly didn't wake him up. He woke shortly after because of gas, though. Sometimes he'd settle after passing it and other times he'd wake up and I'd have comfort him back to sleep. He woke up like 4 times before midnight and I finally gave up. I had to nurse him once and put him back which went fine. A couple of times I just had to pat his back. Then the last time I just brought him to bed to nurse back to sleep. I should have kept trying because I didn't fall asleep till almost 2. I think him being in the crib got me worked up because he was making so many noises. He did wheeze a couple of other times but wasn't as bad as it was a few weeks ago. Oh.. and found out he can roll himself to his side on a flat surface. He settled well like that for a little while.

I'm going to try again tonight. It may just take some getting use to. He may slowly start sleeping and settling on his own more and more if I keep at it.

T is also 2 months today!! Can't wait to see his progress Tuesday! Not excited for shots, but I'm sure he'll do fine. Going to be proactive and give him Tylenol right away afterwards and probably another dose before bed. I just know it's easier to keep pain under control before it peaks and I'd rather not have him screaming making it worse on himself. Thankfully O doesn't have shots at his. I'd be really dreading that one.

 

[AliJo]

Just because I want to add to the conversation..

What are some movies you can't wait to show your LOs if you're not against some TV anyways. I honestly can't expect my kids to not try to use electronics if we do all the time. Double standard! Thankfully O doesn't want stuff like that all the time. I'm finding myself wishing he would just sit down and play with a tablet or watch TV at times. Horrible, but he does not slow or quiet down sometimes!

I can't wait to show a lot of the Studio Ghibli movies. I only found them a few years ago, but most of them hit high on my favorite list. I probably like Howl's Moving Castle the most. I haven't seen some of the big ones yet, though. I'd like to get them to read the books to the movies before seeing them as well if they have a book or have them read to them, but we'll see. Lots of the Disney and Pixar movies of course. Mulan was one of my favorites growing up and still is. I'll be sad if they don't like a movie I loved lol.

 

[Literati_Love]

VRogers - I am sorry your cramps are so bad this time around! I got lucky in that after having dd1 my cramps got WAY better. I used to have severely crippling cramps but after her they were barely noticeable! I hope maybe this is just a bad one because it is the first and after they will improve?

Froggy - such a cute little guy. Thanks for sharing.

Slammer - I admire your efforts with the crib. If anything cuts down on my sleep and makes life harder for a while I can't handle it! I am interested to see how long you'll have to keep at it before it gets better. You're doing great, though!
Sounds like O is even more active than my dd! She will sit down and watch a movie which is both good and bad haha. I have been using it as a bit of a crutch since Violet was born.

I can't think of anything particular I am excited for dd1 to see yet, but I know I was excited for her to see the Winnie the Pooh movie with me, and she loved it! Obviously all the old Disney ones will be fun to see! I was a huge Cinderella fan so hopefully she will like that one too. Thanks for the fun topic.

Ally - I am SOOOO glad you are starting to feel better! Yay!!! That is so great your in laws adore Isa so much. Sounds like you are having a pretty nice time.

AFM - I am excited (but nervous) to take the girls to see Moana at 'Movies for Mommies' today! It will be nice to get out of the house and will be the first time dd1 has seen a movie in theatres (besides when I went to MFM when she was a baby and she can't remember)! I am nervous about getting her across the parking lot safely while pushing the stroller with Violet though! Also trying to keep her from running away once we are there, etc. Thankfully I will be with my friend (same one I saw Tuesday) so she can hopefully help keep dd1 contained. Wish me luck!

I am really having troubles sleeping after I get up a change V's diaper in the night. That is when I tend to fixate on stressful thoughts and try to problem solve things that I can't actually do anything about in the middle of the night. It is annoying! Anyway, I realized my drastic mood change coincided with a change in my synthroid dose. We went back to my pre-pregnancy dose to get things back to normal. That was the dose I needed last time postpartum but I remember at first I swung a bit hypothyroid with it and then adjusted a month or two later. Anyway, so I am going to start taking my synthroid a little earlier in the morning so there is more time before I eat which means it will absorb better and hopefully help me get a bit more thyroid hormone. I also ordered some Vitamin d supplements for myself and hopefully those will help with my mood as well.

 

[AliJo]

Lite - I really want to see that movie! It's almost out so we can get it. I don't think there is any kind of thing like that around here for parents with really young children. I've been kind of looking but nothing yet. We do have a drive in theater near by, though. So we're going to take O there this summer to see a movie for the first time. Then I won't have to really worry about disturbing people too much because if he gets loud if we're outside of the vehicle we can just put him in it. I also can have T without any issues.

Hopefully taking your synthroid earlier helps!! I'm on vitamin D, but I don't know if it's helping my mood. I guess I would know if I stopped taking it. Rather not find out. I'm doing well, though. Sure I'm struggling at times, but things have been well. I've been really good with holding my patience with O the last few days so I'm hoping that sticks.

We'll see how long I stick to it! Hopefully I don't cave. The issue will be the nights I have to work the next day when I go back. Not much longer till then, but maybe he'll be a little better by then. Bah.. really bummed about going back. Glad I don't have to put them in daycare yet.

I'm excited to introduce my kids to books I really like as well. I know we'll be watching a lot of the Marvel movies once they're a little older. DH will be wanting to show those off as soon as they're even a little interested.

 

[Angel5000]

Our appointment went well yesterday. Doctor says I look like I'm healed up well. She suggested either minipill or IUD for birth control. I said minipill for now. I've heard horror stories about IUD's but also heard really good things from other people.

Melody is 23 in long and 10 lb 15oz! They said she's 95% for height! Tall gene must have come from DH because it certainly didn't come from my 5'2" self! She took her shots like a champ. Screamed for just a moment and then calmed down. She cried when we put her clothes back on and was fussy most of the night (crying in her sleep, heartbreaking) but I think it's because her legs hurt. She slept pretty good last night and today she seems to be okay except she's a little fussy and isn't sleeping well. I've put her in her swing and am just leaving her there for now since she seems to be content.


Ali - Congrats with the bassinet! That's awesome! I'm sorry about the airway problems though. I really hope the pediatrician says something helpful. Sorry the crib didn't go as well as you'd hope.

vrogers - The shots went well, much better than the heel prick! The heel prick killed me. Crazy, she cried more for that than the shots. The cramps sound awful. Sorry! Hope they ease up soon.

Ally - So gladh tat you aren't having any pain and feeding seems to be going well.

 

[slammerkin]

Literati - those migraines sound bad. I wish for you both he didn't get them.

I hope your pain down below gets better soon. That sucks that you have to wait, but I can see the benefit of only having to go once. Jack's appointments are with a pediatrician completely separate from my OB/midwife practice, so no combining them.

I hope adjusting your medicine timing makes things better. You're having a tough time and I hope things get better.

How was the trip to the movies? We have something like that… Crybaby Matinee or something. Forgot about it until now, but might have to do that.

Angel - glad your appointment went well and that Melody took her shots well. Sounds like she's growing nicely!

Froggy - that's hard when naps are a fight, but glad the Moby is working. I've used my Beco Gemini a lot the last few days, but can only get something done once he falls asleep because he fusses until then. I hope as he gets older he might come to like just watching and being in there while awake.

I hope you can get off the nipple shields eventually, but definitely keep using them if you're hurting. But yes, growth spurts can make you sore!

AliJo - I hope the crib sleeping gets easier. I'm with Literati...too lazy/tired to try something when all I want is to get back to sleep, hehe. DD woke/fed up to 12 times a night during her first year and all I could do was bed share and feed her every time because it was the quickest way back to sleep. Really hoping Jack doesn't put me through that.

That sounds so hard with O being such a challenge when out and about. My DD is such a shy thing that she’s usually no trouble when out, and she likes running errands with us. But she's older too, so that helps.

Happy two months to T!

Vrogers - I want to do more walks, but it would be easier if it was just Jack and I could move at any pace. With DD it is a lot of stop and go.

I definitely had less milk when my period came back (at least for a week at a time...can't remember if it was when I was bleeding or before during PMS) but it would bounce back each time.

Ally - glad to hear the mastitis is getting better! And that your in-laws are in love with Isa. Hope you keep getting better.

AFM - OK night last night. Actually slept in bed from about 11 to 5 (with two wakings I think). He got wiggly and grunty then and I had to bounce him a bit and then sleep in the chair, but we had another good two hours sleep after that.

DH’s friend came over today with his six-month-old and we had delicious ribs DH made.

My left boob developed a sore spot today and it made me think of Ally and get the fear of a terrible case of mastitis! I think it's just a clogged duct and might be getting better already though.

 

[Literati_Love]

Angel - aw, glad M is doing well. Cute that she is so tall. That is like my dd1. Be prepared to go through clothes quickly!

Slammer - oh no! I hope you don't get mastitis! Make sure you take care of that clogged duct asap! I have had that a few times this time around but have managed to get rid of them right away.

Ali - I doubt Vitamin D will do much but it definitely won't hurt. I do get extra down in the winter and we have LONG winters so hopefully Vit D will be slightly helpful.

AFM - the movie went pretty well considering. It was a bit of a gong show taking two young kids, and I feel completely exhausted now. My friend and I agreed we wouldn't do it again until our toddlers are more manageable.
Dd1 was perfect for the first half and told me it was "the best thing ever!" And sat and ate her popcorn, but the last half of the movie was too scary for her and she kept begging to go home. Good times.
Since we've gotten home, I discovered dd1 had pumped half a bottle of lotion all over the sink and faucet. That was fun to clean up. Then about 5 minutes later she accidentally knocked our end table over, which had my water glass on it. Amazingly, it didn't break but it was still a hassle to clean up. Thankfully I didn't lose my cool. DH is gone this evening and tomorrow evening though, so hopefully I don't lose my mind before Saturday.

 

[slammerkin]

My breast is feeling a lot better already, phew!

The movie trip would have exhausted me too. I've still never taken DD to a movie but DH has taken her twice. Once she just got bored after a while and the other time she had to pee a hundred times so they missed a lot of the movie.

Having a fussy evening here. At least DH is home to help.

 

[newbie2013]

Oh! I hope your duct clears. How do you help clear a blocked duct? It would be good to know, just in case!

Ally, great that you're feeling better. I hope your mastitis goes away and you can continue breastfeeding.

Lit - a movie? You're brave!

What a long week it was! I got through it, though. I'm grateful that spring break now. I need a week to take stock and reflect. I know I need to be super organised, that's for sure. I need to get thing ready the night before so the mornings go smoothly. I also want to pump a lot this week so that I get a decent stash set up and also get some freezer meals ready. Going to be a busy week! I also get to pick up Z's passport!

 

[slammerkin]

Newbie - massage mostly. During and in between feedings.

Good luck getting organized. I agree getting a lot of things ready the night before is a big help.

 

[newbie2013]

Yep, I get an outfit for him and one for me ready, plus an emergency overnight change for him ready, just in case. Everything sterilised and ready to take with me. Food arranged and breakfast at up. All of it helps in the morning. Still takes me almost two hour to get out! Thank goodness I live so close to work.

Hopefully it will get easier as time goes on and I get more used to it.

Got Z's two month doctor's appointment tomorrow. More shots don't know how many. I need to check. I think they're fever bearing ones. I hope he'll be OK. I'll ask the doctor to prescribe something for him just in case.

 

[AliJo]

Lite - I can just imagine how exhausting it would be! At least it went decent all things considering! I think O would be all amazed and enjoy just sitting there and watching for maybe.. maybe 30 minutes. Then I guarantee he'd want to get up and run up and down aisles and try to be silly to make people laugh.

I should probably take vitamin D every winter for that reason as well. Just to see if it helps. They're not as long here, but bad enough!

I saw a double stroller I was interested in. Read reviews and one complaint people had was that the front seat was too small for a 3 year old. That threw that out the door since O is already that big if not bigger. I'm thinking about a side by side. I would like it to work with the car seat or at least have an adapter.

Slammer - Glad you're feeling better already and that it didn't develop into something more. I get sore spots sometimes, but it's usually when I'm starting to get engorged and feeding or pumping usually takes care of it. I always massage them anyways just in case.

I wish O was a bit more shy! He is towards people to an extent, but that doesn't slow him down from wanting to run around. I miss when he wouldn't go far from my side and would follow me! That lasted for a very very little amount of time.

Angel - Glad Melody did well with her shots! Sorry she was unsettled because of them, though. O always did well with them even after. She sounds like she's growing really well! I was the longest baby.. I don't know if I kept being in high percentiles, but it didn't continue! I'm short lol

Newbie - I'll definitely need to be organized when I start back up work as well. I won't have to get the boys ready yet, but still need more time than before.

AFM - Attempted the crib again. It kind of went better. He was already asleep out in the swing for a bit and then I transferred him to the crib. He stirred for a little while, but didn't wake up. He eventually settled and was quiet and sleeping. He woke up after an hour in the crib. Probably partly ready to eat and also he started passing gas. Soon after he woke up he pooped. He actually seemed like he could fall back asleep, but of course I had to change him. I used the little night light on his mobile and it must have scared him because he cried then looked it and starting smiling and cooing at it. After that I fed him and got him back to sleep. Took about a half hour to do it all, but I laid him down too quick I think because he woke right up. I let him stay in there until he really cried. He was up a total of an hour with the diaper change and feeding included. I just kept him in bed at that point. O was finally falling asleep and I was tired from the little sleep the night before. He almost got himself on his side again as well.

Other than that.. I'm actually waiting on a game to come in. I love video games and have always been pretty big into them, but have not had much of the chance to complete any games in the last several years between school and children. I'm hoping to find a little time to play this one, though.

 

[Literati_Love]

Slammer - The potty trips make things fun too. I had to make one with dd which was I think stressful for my friend who had to hold violet and deal with her busy toddler at the same time.

I am glad DH was home to help with your fussy evening.

Newbie - That is great you get so much ready the night before. I am the exact same way when I am working and it makes life so much easier. 2 hours to get ready is still a long time though! I hope you can find a way to cut that down a bit eventually so maybe you can get a few minutes of extra sleep!

Yay for being on spring break finally! Sounds like you have a very busy and productive week planned.

Ali - ugh yeah, the double stroller we were looking at seemed suspiciously small to me and I wondered if dd1 would even fit in it with her being so tall! I have found some umbrella strollers which are much cheaper, but those won't do because I need to use the car seat in them for the first six months. By the time she can go in an umbrella stroller I almost won't need one anymore. I'll have to keep researching. Also still going to keep an eye out for used items.

Yay for a video game. I am not into them but most of my family absolutely loves them, so I understand the obsession. I hope you get some time to actually play this one, as I know it is sad to let favourite hobbies go once you have kids. But it is so hard to fit them in!

That sounds like a very long wake-up and I don't blame you for pulling T into bed with you at that point. I'm surprised you were even able to sleep after all that!

AFM - I managed bedtime by myself last night and even got dd1 asleep by 9:30 ish! We dropped her nap about a week ago btw, so that is also part of the reason I am struggling. I don't get a break anymore so the days feel very long suddenly, and dd1 still isn't used to it and hits a wall where she gets very tired and cranky but I still have to push her through until bedtime. She has been sleeping in too which is helpful for me, and hopefully I can push bedtime earlier slowly until it's maybe 9:00 or something.

I actually got dd1 to fall asleep with me not even in bed with her or touching her (also probably a first). The reason is that V was of course bawling her eyes out, so I had to walk around the bedroom bouncing her to calm her down. So dd1 fell asleep to the sound of her sister crying and me pacing around her room! Haha. It didn't help her sleep at all and I think she came to our bed by 2 am. Sigh.

 

[Ally2015]

ali- i cant think of any particular movie either really, not something i have given much though too! Crib sleeping is hard, i always put him in for a little while , if he manages a few hours a night i call it a success. I don't mind if he isn't in there all night. Cute about the video game - im not into them at all though.

lit- sorry about the insomnia you are experiencing. Hopefully taking the medicine earlier will help.
Glad you enjoyed the movie!

angel-glad appt went well! cute how tall Melody is. My dh is tall and im a tiny 5 ft but isa seems to have my short genes for now haha

slammer0-i can't believe your dd woke 12 x a night! that sounds exhausting! Yeah if its a clogged duct just massage it,i actually developed another clogged duct the other day. I started panicking, but managed to get rid of it with massage, pumping and having isa feed on it.

newbie -enjoy your spring break! If you feel you are getting a clogged duct please massage it and empty the boob. Don;t let your boobs get too engorged.

afm- feeling better RE mastitis. Still can feel a lump but hopefully a few more days and it will go! fingers crossed. had a lovely time with in laws, had a nice lunch with them today and a long walk in the park. They just left about 30 mins ago. They just doted over Isa so much, it was lovely.
Tomorrow my aunt is coming for the day. And then SIL is planning to come one weekend too. Busy busy!
Isa has been restless the last few nights, it's been tough. Last night he did a 3.5 hour sleep in the crib though, but still woke about 3 times

 

[AliJo]

Lite - I wish I could drop the nap! I never try to encourage it and I never have time to put him down for one, so I suspect it'll fall off on it's own sooner or later or he'll get use to sleeping by himself. He generally falls asleep on the couch by himself at some point. If he doesn't then he tends to crash as soon as DH is up. If he takes them earlier they tend to be short because he wakes up upset and wants me to cuddle him back to sleep, but I generally can't. He has been having days without naps more frequently, so fingers crossed. When he does he usually falls asleep between 7-8:30. Which is about the time T is going to bed. He usually wakes up early then, but he's been generally waking up early anyways.

Hopefully you can get the sleeping arranged how you want it!

Yeah, it's a tough decision. I don't want to spend a TON although I do plan on having a couple of more children, so at least it will get used again. Or O could just decide to be a real gem and cooperate! Ha..


Just got T to fall asleep on his own in the swing with some white noise! Yay! He was tired and fighting it.

Also going to look at 3 more houses next week. Everything keeps failing us. There is one that is super cute, but kind of small and only two of the bedrooms are on the same floor. Rather I have 3 on the same floor. Does have a lot of extra space due to the basement being finished and I don't think it is including the attic area in the sq footage which is actually the third bedroom. Another I really really like the house, but it's on the busiest street in the town and doesn't have much of a yard. I was looking and I could fence it in to give a little area for the boys to play, but definitely not as much as I'd like. It's been on the market for awhile too so makes me worried I won't be able to sell down the road. The third is nice, but a foreclosure so not getting my hopes up.

 

[AliJo]

Ally/Lite - Ha.. I love my video games/books/movies anything to get my imagination going. I just have no time for any of it! I like to think I'm a gamer, but that status is on a hiatus! I love being a mother more, for sure!

Ally - Wow lots of visitors! I would love some from time to time, but no one comes over! Some are just too busy so I don't blame them.

I've just always thought of all the things I'd love to do as a parent. As soon as I got pregnant the first time I was always thinking "I can't wait to show this to my son! I can't wait to do this with my son!" Etc. So I have a list going in my head haha

Yeah, really any time in the crib is. At least keeping them familiar to it will make it easier in the long run I think.