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

[Literati_Love]

Ali - well done on T rolling back to tummy! He is definitely early on that one. I think it's normal for them to stop rolling tummy to back when they are working on the opposite skill. I remember dd1 did that and I was worried she had forgotten how or something. But as soon as she had mastered back to front, she went back to rolling both ways again.

That's amazing he napped so long in his pack n play! These babies are all so different. And yeah, it would be pretty surprising if he slept through the night already, although it does happen! I don't know why everyone keeps asking you that.

Is that daycare cost for one child or two? I am so dreading paying for daycare for two kids when I go back to work. I will be working for very little money, but still just enough that it will still be worth it to work.

Slammer - wow, I hadn't realized you still weren't able to nurse lying down! That is what makes co sleeping so much nicer for me because I literally don't have to get up at all (unless a freak diaper change incident happens). I sleep while feeding and that's how I survive! So I am so happy to hear you can finally lie down and nurse too! That's great that your supply has settled down enough. My let down seems to have settled down as well. V used to choke and sputter during my let down but she doesn't anymore! Small victories.

Good to know about the different types of carriers. Thanks. Sorry your DH didn't have as good of a day yesterday. That's nice you were able to spend some time with Jack this morning while "working." I know just what you mean about not having enough to do so being able to waste a bit of time. I don't even know how I would get anything done working from home if the kids were home! I wish you could have had an extended maternity leave as well. I doubt anyone judges you for being honest about Jack. You can't help it he is such a hard baby!

VRogers- you are right that a new family member sure flips things around! Wow, good for you still managing school with a baby. Does that mean you are taking the course online or by correspondence? That is good you're able to complete it on weekends when your DH is home and you have fewer distractions.

AFM - I have to go to the pharmacy today because I realized this weekend that they had given me the generic brand instead of synthroid a while back! It doesn't sound like a big deal, but there is actually a significant difference in doses between brands for this medication, and I had a note on file to always give me actual synthroid. I am frustrated that they would make this mistake (and extra annoyed that it took me so long to realize). I am wondering if this is part of the reason it is taking me longer to lose my weight. I hope switching back to the actual brand will help me lose weight faster, although I might just be dreaming about that. It might just be that I have a crappy metabolism now from having two kids (and keep eating fast food)!

RE: the babies in size 3 diapers - Wow, Violet only just switched to size 2 diapers a couple weeks ago I think! However, I think I'm going to have to switch Violet to 3-6 month clothes this weekend! It seems like just yesterday that her 0-3 mo clothes still had plenty of room, but the last few days I have noticed she is getting too long for all of them! I am happy at least that she has stayed in this size for so long. My dd1 was in 3-6 mo clothes by 6 weeks because she was so long!

 

[newbie2013]

Just a quick note to say that Z also rolled back to tummy today for the first time ( that I've seen), and right as he did, he pooped! Let me tell you, it was a mess! Lol! Almost threw him in a shower... Probably should have!

 

[Literati_Love]

Oh, I totally forgot to mention! Violet giggled for the first time yesterday! So exciting! She was just looking at me and smiling, and then she suddenly just giggled! So sweet! I can't wait to hear more!

Newbie - well done on Z rolling back to front as well. Yay! That is too funny that it resulted in a diaper blow-out!

 

[newbie2013]

Meant to add, z is about to go into size 3s. They are a little too big but I don't see the point of buying more 2s when he wets then so quickly and I've got about 200 3s from my baby shower.

I also went through all his clothes and found lots for new ones for him to wear - again a little big, but he'll grows into them.

He also rolled back to front in his swaddle up this morning... That was his last night sleeping in that! This week will be a long one trying to get him to sleep in just a onesie.

 

[slammerkin]

AliJo - wow, nearly into size 4 diapers! Crazy how fast these boys are growing. Good job T on rolling back to belly! Jack keeps trying to roll himself out of his bouncy seat...getting a little scary.

Is that daycare cost per week or month? DH just calculated yesterday that by the time Jack goes to kindergarten we will have paid nearly $100,000 in child care! Makes me sick to think about!

Literati - yes not being able to nurse lying down reliably is a huge pain! It's part of why sometimes just sleeping in the glider was easier. If I did sleep in bed I often had to roll him on top of me while I stayed on my back so the flow wasn't so much, but he would sometimes not settle after that! Would have to get up and bounce and/or move to the glider so I could rock. I have enjoyed the last two nights - we were in bed by 9pm and I could nurse lying down half asleep and he has been nice and snuggly. Still waking often, but oh well.

What a pain about your medication being messed up! I hope you lose some more weight when it's fixed. I have stagnated again with the weight loss. I haven't been doing my smoothies or going for walks.

I had to go out a couple weeks ago and buy a bunch of 6-9 months clothes for Jack!

Giggles are so exciting! Still waiting on a proper one from Jack! He will almost do it, but not quite.

Newbie - congrats on Z rolling too! Good luck on weaning him from the swaddle up!

AFM - I'm feeling bad for being SO impatient with DD this week. Everything she does is driving me crazy, and I know my reactions are just feeding into it more. Ugh.

DH definitely doesn't seem up to watching Jack all day on top of handling DD in the mornings. He wants to send him to daycare when the older boy leaves DD’s daycare, which I think is mid June. I don't really want to send him that early, particularly because our provider has two other babies to watch, and I feel it will be too much for her to handle three babies and give Jack the attention he needs. But at the same time I don't want DH to be completely miserable and dead on his feet with exhaustion half the week.

 

[Literati_Love]

Good afternoon and happy Saturday. I am not actually having a happy Saturday. I have been grouchy for no apparent reason since I woke up this morning, and have been taking it out on DH ever since. Not the nicest thing in the world, I know! I just feel so agitated, and I have had that 'low blood sugar' feeling all morning despite eating breakfast and lunch.

We have family in town with a baby just 3 weeks older than Violet. We will be spending most of the day visiting with them, and I'm dreading it. The mom is very into precise schedules, forced crib sleeping, not feeding on demand, etc, so I am not looking forward to facing judgment or weird looks when I hold Violet for her naps.

Slammer - EEp, that is early for a baby to be in daycare, so I can see your hesitation. It definitely wouldn't be good for your DH to be extremely sleep deprived and wrecked either, so I see the dilemma! I hope it all works out so it can be best for everyone.

Yeah, I highly doubt the change in brands will actually help me lose my weight, but a girl can dream, right? I'm feeling quite down about my weight really. I just feel so flabby and ugly. I hate having my clothes not fit properly. I hate wearing maternity jeans still, or squeezing into too-tight normal jeans that give me muffin tops. My stomach is so puffy and round still, so I look 4-5 months pregnant! Grr. Sorry to hear you are at a standstill with your weight now as well. It is hard to keep up with healthy eating and exercising constantly, especially while taking care of 2 kids! Hopefully we all lose our weight fairly soon.

I understand being so impatient with your dd. it really does seem like the more impatient we are, the more they test us! Hopefully you feel a little less testy this coming week. Maybe your Sunday off with DH will help!

 

[vrogers]

Slammer- ah, thank you for the info! I knew they just need breastmilk/formula until one year but wasn't sure how solids affected all that.
We actually went to grab coffee and she didn't cry once! She wasn't super thrilled, but she mostly just stared at her toys and just kinda sat there. I'm sure it was a one time thing though
I would have trouble working from home too, especially with babies there haha
Wow size 3 diapers! I'm using up the size 1s we have left then will move to size 2.
And yay for your milk supply settling down, I forget people can have problems with too much milk, I'm a little jealous! Glad it has improved nights!

Ali- that's the other thing, how the feeding schedule will work- solids first and then milk or other way around. Guess I will worry about that when we get there!
I'm sure the long nap in his pack n play was nice for everyone!
Wow! I thought they wouldn't roll belly to back for awhile now. I bet that was amazing to see. L has done belly to back and will also easily roll onto her side, but haven't seen her do belly to back.

Literati- thank you! I do online so it's nice I can do it on my own time, which was definitely much easier before having a baby. I would spread the work out throughout the week so that by the weekend I was done with school and could relax. Definitely not possible with baby now but oh well, you do what you gotta do.
Ugh I'm sorry about the med mix up, that definitely is frustrating, something that a pharmacy should have noticed.
We are just switching to 3-6 month clothes as well! L is quite long so she started getting too long for 0-3 month sleepers in the past week. They really do grow crazy fast!
Aw I bet the giggle was so sweet to hear! It's amazing watching a little person learn so many new things and discovering everything for the first time. I get excited about the weirdest things now like when she started reaching for toys and things like that.
I'm sorry you are having a rough Saturday. I have days where I wake up grouchy for no reason, I hate it because it is hard to get myself out of that funk. I hope your Saturday gets better!

Newbie- all the babies starting to roll! That made me laugh that he pooped right as he did it though haha. We joke about putting L outside to let the dogs clean her when she has her "messier" poops.

L has rolled over stomach to back a couple times now but doesn't do it every single time I put her on her stomach. Sometimes she'll just get to her side and just stop. We've also officially grown out of 0-3 month sleeers, and about to move into size 2 diapers. She's so long and skinny! She woke up around 4 this morning just talking away and being all noisy but didn't seem hungry-went in and out of sleep until just after 7 when she was hungry. Dh fed her 5 oz and we all went back to sleep for about 2 1/2-3 hours, it was amazing!! Then we went and got coffee (and she didn't fuss in the car seat which felt like a miracle), got back and she was acting super tired so we tried her crib for the first time to try to get her to nap but she just moved around and talked and watched her little turtle light. So dh rocked her and she went right to sleep again.
That's about all that's new here!

 

[pompeyvix]

slammer - I totally get having little patience with DD!! I am the same with Anabella, I only wrote about in my journal the other day actually. Some days almost everything she does irritates and annoys me and I end up snapping at her. She's not even being too difficult, but with Jamie being unsettled and me being sleep deprived, my patience levels are 0.
Oh what a tough decision re Jack going into daycare in June. That does seem to be so early. Is there any chance your daughter could do more hours there so that your husband only has Jack to look after? Or does it not really work like that?
I am glad night times are getting better and Jack can now feed laying down. Sorry for the multiple wake ups, Jamie is the same and was up every 2 hours last night

LL - Oh sorry you're feeling down about your weight Often how we feel about ourselves is unjustified and critical compared to the reality , but I do understand how you feel. There is nothing worse than trying to squeeze into jeans and trousers and feeling all uncomfortable. I am sticking with jeggings and leggings which are elasticated for now! I am trying not to worry to much about it , but it is hard. I am below my pre pregnancy weight without doing anything special, but I need to lose quite a bit of weight anyway but I am just not in the right head space.
Urgh, the visit with your family sounds like it will be exhausting and draining. I feel I parent very similiarly to you.... very baby led and responsive and I know what you mean about other people being very parent led. A few of the mum's in the mummy group I am in are like that and I find it hard not saying anything.... afterall I don't want to lose friends before I've even got to know them. I don't think I'd make myself popular!

newbie - yay another roller! There are quite a few babies who have rolled on this thread now!

Ali - I am glad T settled in the pack and play for a nap. Hopefully there will be more of that going forward.

AFM - Jamie has had some very grumpy and unsettled days lately. He had his 12 week injection on Thursday which hasn't helped, but overall I am pretty sure he is going through the 3 month growth spurt. He is extra fussy and extra hungry and was up every 2 hours last night which was a killer! I've had next to no patience with Anabella. She has been off pre school as it's Easter holidays and she has been very demanding and attention seeking at times and I've snapped at her as my patience is very low.
Jamie gets himself into such a state sometimes and I think most of the time he gets overtired as he can't seem to settle himself to sleep easily during the day. He is fine at night re self settling (touch wood touch wood) so not all bad!

 

[AliJo]

I replied last night, at least I thought I did. I must not have posted.

Slammer - That would be a week. It's insane. I make good money and that makes it feel like I make squat! Definitely will be going a cheaper route. Hopefully I really like this lady. Need to go over a lot of questions to make sure she's a decent fit. I don't want someone running around with my children all the time or leaving them with someone without my okay. That crap happened with O.

I'd be nervous if T was almost rolling out of his bouncer as well! The bouncer we have has a good base and as long as he's strapped he won't be going anywhere. He weighs it down enough now that he lays further back as well. We hardly use it, though. He doesn't like it anymore. DH uses it for naps because its the only way he can get him to sleep.

He may be able to go through more than just this box. It just seems like these aren't cutting it. He's a heavy wetter and he is a big boy. He's not to the lower end of the weight for 4s. Although he didn't hit the lower weight of the 3s before we had to move him up.

I understand not wanting to send Jack to a daycare so early. I definitely don't want to send T, but I have to. I may be able to get away with 1 day a week for awhile, though. We'll see.

Newbie - When T went to 3s they were a bit too big, but there really wasn't any point to buying another box of 2s. He wouldn't go through them all. That's why I'm debating on 4s. I don't honestly know if he'll go through a whole box of 3s after this box.

That's great that Z rolled as well! Funny about the blowout. T had a really bad blowout the other day in his mamaroo. He definitely got a bath.

Lite - I hope getting the right medication helps. My weight is back down to where it was so I didn't gain anything other than water I guess. I'm so sick of the up and down weight.. it can just continue to go down. That would be great.

It's for both children weekly. I don't think I would flinch so much but we have a lot of debt and I need that money to help pay it. Bonus side is our credit is awesome ha..

T may be able to stay in 3s for awhile, but I don't know. We'll see at the end of this box. He may be able to go through one more box.

I really hope she keeps to herself and accepts you have a different form of parenting. I hate it most when people make the "You're going to regret it when they're older" comments. No. Just no.

Vrogers - T will wake up super early sometimes and just give me this big ol' smiles and talk to me. I'm always like "Okay you cute little nugget.. go back to sleep.. I'm not ready to be awake" Thankfully he generally does go back to sleep.

Pomp - Has Jamie been back to the doctor for his heart lately? He seems to be doing really well! I hope it resolves itself.


AFM - I have T in the pack n play right now sleeping. I found that if I lay him down on his side he's less likely to wake up when I put him down. He rolls to his side most of the time while sleeping anyways.

T is a screamer and squealer. It's cute. He'll just lay on the ground screaming and squealing in joy. He's a crazy little man.

Never heard on the appraisal. Go figure! Oh well. Means that next week I'll most likely be getting calls up the arse while at work. Ugh! I wish DH would help handle some of this. It's been 99% me. Oh well. I hate doing business and adult stuff, but generally it is me if it needs to be done. I make him handle the internet and the car.

Well T is awake now so I better deal with him. He's content sitting here but he's a wiggle bum and makes it difficult usually.

 

[newbie2013]

Slammer, that's crazy money! I hope you can get it sorted out soon.

Lit, sorry you're feeling down. I how you can get some movement soon. While I'm down on pre pregnancy weight, I'd put on 10kg before pregnancy and I'm still no where near getting that of. I have also noted that my body shape is very different and I'm strength to get used to that.

Pomp, I hope your lo settles down soon. Injections can be rough.

Ali, sorry about not hearing about the house. Hope you hear something really in the week.

Afm, tonight we're going cold turkey without the swaddle up. He settled well to bring with but woke three hours later. Tried to feed him but he wasn't really interested, so tried to get him to sleep. He wasn't interested in that either, so I put him in his crib and left him for a while. After about five minutes of crying... He fell asleep on his own! I'm now waiting to see how long it lasts but I think he's settled now. I'm in shock! Hope he lasts longer than three hours this time.

 

[Apple111]

Hi ladies, thought Id just pop on whilst I have a min.. Ollie and oh fast asleep beside me lol.. Ive been scanning through when I can through the week but not had chance to reply so I won't comment to everyone at the mo as dont want to leave anyone out until read through properly..

We are doing ok, not sure if I mentioned that ollie had 2nd lot of jabs this week. Dreading next lot as it will be 3 again

So many babies rolling, that's really cool they are growing so quick, still waiting for ollie to attempt it but to be honest he doesn't get that much chance to practice as we don't lay him down that much when ds is legging it round. He can be a bit hyper. Ollie is in size 3 nappies now and ive started buying 6:9 month clothes as some 3/6 getting small now..Not had much free time this week as oh has been working loads then when not at work doing an assignment for uni .. So annoying but it's got to be in next week then that's him done thank goodness !! Been doing my head in.

I'm with u ladies annoyed with weight, it is a drag but I'm doing roughly a lb a week now so if I can keep going at that I'll get there eventually. I know I could do better but I'm rubbish with chocolate !

Still been having trouble with my teenager getting hassled of some boys locally and some from school, so that's taking up lot of time also as spending time with him..

Sorry again for not replying to everyone at the min im just really tired and like I said I want to read through and if Prob get mixed up with replies to wrong people at the min as my heads a bit mashed.. Just feeling a bit hassled at the minute..Prob why I'm going to the chocolate !!

I just thought Id do a bit of a check in so I don't lose touch all together im gonna try not to, anyway im waffling now lol.. Gonna try and get some sleep. I'll catch up again when I can x

Hope you all have a nice rest of the weekend x

 

[Angel5000]

It is taking me DAYS to write this!

I have one more week of Mat leave and then I'm back. I'm not looking forward to it. funny...I'm actually kind of excited about having a break from M during the day (does that sound awful??!) and she'll be with my mom and sister so it's not like leaving her with strangers (that will come in Sept when she starts daycare) but I'm dreading returning to my classroom after a sub has run the room for 4 months (and from what I'm hearing from other teachers, all my rules have gone out the window and the kids are running wild ). It may be a rough end of the year. At least I only have 8 weeks to deal with.

I'm trying to prep for return to work. I bought a second set of pump parts and am paying a little more for pump bags that attach directly to the pump so I can pump straight into bags. Of course it'll feel wasteful if I only get maybe 2 oz in each side and I'm not combining them but it will save me from washing out the bottles and pouring into bags. The few minutes it will take to pour the milk into the bag and clean up any potential spills (because I always spill ) will be important since I have been given such a strict time restriction for my pumping.

Good news: Last night Melody only woke up 3 times to eat: 10:30/1:30/4:30 (instead of her usual 4 times). Bad news: She woke up around 2:30 coughing and congested and couldn't breathe and her coughing and congestion kept her awake for almost an hour, and I couldn't get her to sleep. Today after burping her after eating she spit up a ton but most of it was mucous and saliva and very little actual milk. Poor baby girl, I feel so bad for her I don't know what I can do to help.


Lite - I'm sorry Easter was so tiring. My sister and her family came over for Easter dinner and even though it was just them and us I felt like M was getting overstimulated and tired so easily. So exciting that V is moving up to 3-6 month clothes! They're getting os big so fast! Oh having family in town sounds like it will be a long day with such different parenting styles. Hopefully she leaves you alone and you don't have to deal with any judgement!




Vrogers - OMG she is just adorable! Love the pic! I agree, the main problem with a routine is consistency. I have had to keep telling myelf that just because it isn't working RIGHT NOW, doesn't mean I should stop. It takes 3-7 days for a new habit to form so I tell myself I have to try a new thing/pattern/routine for at least 3 days before I can quit. It's so hard though! I hope you're able to figure out a routine to help L nap better. I don't ever get more than 50-60 min naps out of M, BUT at least I usually get 4 regular naps so that helps. I use the exact sam eroutine regardless of nap or bedtime (except bath is only before bed). I figure sleep is sleep, right? Good luck on the crib too. It took M a little while to sleep there. I started just putting her in it while I played around in her room, organizing stuff etc and once she could stay in the crib for a good 20 minutes with me in the room but moving around without crying then I started naps. I didn't want her to be afraid of it. That sucks that you had your second period! Ick. I haven't had one yet, but I'm sure I will shortly after I og back to work since I won't be BF as much.


Ally - Good luck! One at a time, patience and consistency is the key. Or so I've been told by all my mama friends who were successful in getting their LO's to sleep. I'm so glad that Isa's reflux is better! That's great! It sucks that the naps are still 30 minutes, but hopefully they'll lengthen. M's naps are consistently 45-60 minutes, but they started out at only about 20-30 when we started doing routine. I'm hoping she starts making them longer soon.


Ali - I'm sorry that T isn't eating well while you're away. Is he making up the extra calories when you're home? That probably doesn't help you get anything done in the evening or sleep well at night though. I hope he starts to eat better! That's so awesome that he rolled back to belly already!!

I hate how expensive daycare is! We will have to use daycare when I go back next school year, this year I'm lucky my mom and sister will help out through June adn then I have summer free. But the daycare is going to cost about 2/3 of my paycheck! The only reason I'm not staying home is because we need the insurance and my job has the really good insurance and we can't live on just my paycheck so DH has to work. I hope that the lady you are looking at works for you! We considered an in home daycare but the couple that I have around here are also run by parents of kids I work with and I didn't want to have that much interaction with my students' parents.

I'm also really excited to introduce solids! I want to start sooner than later. I've actually messaged my doctor to ask when she recommends we start.



Slammer - Thanks! I'm glad it's normal to be quicker feedings. I know those stretches are kind of long, which is probably why she's still feeding so much at night (3 hours during the day, 2 at night ). I'm not sure how to get her to eat more often during the day though. If I offer too soon she flat refuses and gets mad if I am pushy and then strikes. Distraction is definitely a problem though. Every noise makes her pull off and start looking around (often trying to take my nipple with her ). I'm considering doing all her feeds in a dark room, but that's just annoying. I might start supplementing with an extra bottle during the day (maybe right before bed) to try to fill her up a little more and avoid some of the night feedings. I'm getting so tired of waking up every 2 hours.

That's nice that you can telecommute a couple days a week. I wish I could telecommute....teach via skype or something!

I know what you mean about wasting time spending 30 minutes for a 20 minute nap. I've had a couple evenings like those, especially the later nap. It will get better, as you all keep reminding me.


Apple - What kind of porridge do you do? Is that like a rice cereal? I tried to give a little rice cereal (very watered down with BM) a couple weeks ago at my friends' suggestions and it did not go well.

For tummy time, I try to do it with Melody at least once a day, up to 3 or 4 times a day depending on her mood. Sometimes she'll happily play on her tummy for 20 minutes and sometimes she gets really angry about it in a few minutes and either rolls herself back over OR just gets mad and starts screaming until we move her to her back (and she'll stay there content for quite awhile). In the first 6 weeks she did tons of "tummy time" on our chests and she has really great neck control now so I'm not as worried about it but I know that she gets really frustrated on her tummy because she is trying to move and just doesn't have the ability yet.


Pompey - how does that work, the school choices? Here the kids just go to the school that in their "district". So all the kids who attend my high school also live in this town, except for a few who have waivers allowing them to attend from another district for one reason or another. Unless of course they are in private school and that's another matter.


Danser - :wave: Hi! It's been so long! So good to see you! I agree about US Mat Leave. It sucks. How long did you get? I can't believe that you almost have a 6 month old, that's just so crazy to me!


Newbie - So exciting Z rolled back to tummy! M is trying so hard but isn't quite there yet. As for moving him out of the swaddle, if he really struggles then you could look into using the "zippity-zip". Its such a silly name but Melody loves it, and it still gives her some resistance if she startles but lets her move around fairly freely. It is a little on the big side so depends on Z's size, but it might be a helpful alternative if he resists going from swaddled to nothing.

 

[AliJo]

Apple - O is really hyper as well so floor time involves me sitting there with him. I always gets more excited when T is on the floor so constantly running. Gives me heart attacks. Working with him with walking but I have to make it into a game otherwise he doesn't care.

Angel - Ouch.. teachers don't get paid what they deserve. Heck nurses don't either. I meet with the in home lady end of next week. Hoping she works. It'll be less than half the price. But I only need child care for at most 3 days a week unless I pick up an extra shift but they aren't allowing overtime at the moment.

AFM - Been feeling sick today. Thought it was from taking mess on an empty stomach but it has come back. Bleh

Other than on our chest I hardly ever did tummy time. Then one day I did and he rolled belly to back. Now I just lay him on his back. He rolls back to belly and belly to back all the time now that he mastered both. He squirms across the floor.

 

[Ally2015]

ali- thats great baby t is rolling back to tummy, well done him how are you feeling now?

lit-sorry pharmacy made the mistake and i hope its easier for you to lose weight now

newbie- well done on baby z rolling! how adorable. My body shape is different too definitely. That is great baby z fell asleep on his own !

slammer - totally get why you dont want to send J to daycare so early. hope you will find a solution that suits.

vrogers- we are on size 3 nappies(but sizing might be diff in UK) and the 0-3 sleepers are too small. He is a tiny baby. He is almost fully on formula now, hes taken to it really well. Glad you got out for coffee.

pomp- sorry jamie has been so unsettled, does sound like a growth spurt, hope it passes soon.

apple-nice to hear from you. It'll be good when your OH hands in his assignment. sorry teenager having troubles.

angel- no its not bad at all, i totally get wanting to have a break and also some time to dedicate to work. It's great she woke less.
Yes i totally get the consistency, he has given me a couple of longer naps, it's a start.


afm- not much to update. still sticking with routine, it's been helpful and Isa has given me a few longer naps. A few times i have put him down drowsy and he falls asleep, but mostly i put him down just as he falls asleep and he then stays asleep.
My breastmilk is really drying up now, but isa has taken to formula really well. Its based on goats milk rather than cow, and seems to be gentle on his tummy. Mixed feelings, in one way i am glad to have him on formula after the mastitis problems but also sad in another way as he doesn't get my milk now.

its beautiful weather here, going to get out walking. This week going to try and go for a run too. Thats about it really. Hope everyone else is doing great and sorry if i missed anything, i am just quickly posting x

 

[AliJo]

Ally - Glad the routine is helping. I don't know if I have the energy to stick to one. O can make it difficult as well.

Hope you get out to enjoy the weather.

I think I'm feeling better. Thanks for asking. My stomach hasn't bothered me today. Emotionally wise I've been better.


T is out growing all his 6 month clothes. His sleeves are too short on him right now and it is fitting snug length wise.

I wish the mamaroo had shoulder straps. Really don't get why it doesn't. T half sits up then ends up leaning sideways and throws the balance off and it won't move right because of it.

FIL had another test done but won't tell my MIL what it was. He doesn't even know we know. Bleh.. DH is really taking it hard and we don't even know yet. He is a lot closer to his dad than his mother and then the fact that they could both be in failing health soon is going to really bother him. I really want to get up to see them but we're stuck until we settle into the house. Even after that the trip will be short because we can't afford it at the moment.

Really hoping to hear on appraisal tomorrow.

 

[Angel5000]

I keep forgettting to post these pics of Melody. Her Easter dress and her 3 Month photo.

Will post properly later. Right now trying to get M to get some sleep. She's been extra congested, coughing with a wet cough and not sleeping at all. Poor baby doesn't feel good at all. Going to try s warm bath in a steamy bathroom and some baby Vicks on her feet. But if she's still coughing tomorrow I may call the doctor. 2 nights of less than 4 hours of sleep for all of us is wrecking me!

 

[slammerkin]

Literati - sorry to hear you were in a funk on Saturday. We all have those days! Hope today was better!

I hate situations where your parenting is so different from someone else’s. I mean, not that everyone has to do it my way, but it's hard to find common ground and just makes it awkward. Hope it went OK though.

I am living in leggings right now. And I bought a bunch of looser shirts from Target that hide my tummy a bit. I don't feel too unattractive in those things. Still nowhere near fitting into my old jeans. Sigh.

DH’s day off turned into...not a day off. He was on 4-close, so...yeah.

Pompey - DD goes 9-4, so he really only has to handle 2-3 hours with the two. But it's stressful getting her out of the house if Jack is fussy or has to be woken from a nap in order to get in the car. It's just all that on top of two hours sleep and then facing the rest of the day with a baby is a lot for him. Plus if it's a Monday he could have closed Sunday night, gotten two hours sleep, taken care of Jack all day, and then be facing another closing shift that evening. Brutal for him. I think if he goes to daycare it would be just 2-3 days...the days DH is exhausted...but still.

Poor Jamie getting shots and being unsettled. Sorry you are feeling the same impatience with Anabella. It is so freaking hard!

AliJo - hope you hear about the appraisal tomorrow! I handle most of the “adulting” in my house too. DH handles the cars here too.

Newbie - hope Z gets better without the swaddle. I'd take 3 hours happily here!

Apple - good to hear from you, but sorry teenager is still being bullied! Poor thing!

Angel - I once tried pumping directly into bags when I went back to work after DD but realized it was a waste for me (for the reason you said...the amount you pump into each bag may not be what you need for a full bottle). I bring six small bottles to work with me and keep them all in a cooler bag with ice packs. I also put my pump parts in a plastic bag and keep that in the cooler bag between pumps so I don't wash in between pumps. It's only once I get home that I transfer milk into bags...I mix and divide the milk from the six bottles as needed to make the right portion sizes to transfer to bags that then go in the fridge.

Sorry to hear Melody is sick! Cute pics though! Jack is snotty again too, ugh.

Ally - glad Isa is doing well on his formula. Hope you got a nice walk in.

AFM - DH ended up having to work today. He's now doing 5 closing shifts in a row and we are all going to lose our goddamn minds. Night 4 of 5 tonight. Yesterday DD was losing her shit being bored in the house yesterday. At least I took her and Jack to Target after DH left and it was good for us. Jack was good in the car and slept at Target while DD and I just walked around browsing.

Today I was doing fine. Took DD to the mall for a bit while DH and Jack stayed home. Took them to the playground after he left. But have reached my breaking point this evening. Cried and yelled at bedtime. I want my husband home with me!! I am so sick of bedtimes alone with these kids! Weekends are a freaking joke. A tiny break of a couple hours in the afternoon after DH wakes up and before he goes to work and alone the rest of the time and sick of it!! I want a normal family life! Feeling super sorry for myself and hating life tonight!

 

[slammerkin]

Oh and forgot to mention that from 3am to 7am Jack woke about every 30 effing minutes looking for my nipple to be in his mouth. That sure was fun, let me tell you. Reminds me of the good old days when DD did the same effing thing for MONTHS ON END ALL NIGHT LONG. Yes, really looking forward to living through that nightmare again.

 

[AliJo]

Slammer - I totally understand wanting a normal family life. 4/7 nights I'm on my own with only a few hours after he gets up till he leaves. 2/7 I come home exhausted and mostly just get ready for bed. No time with DH. The one day we have "together" he has to sleep some. Then if I get him up too early (honestly doesn't seem to matter what time) he's falling asleep wherever he sits. Then I have to get everything in order for while I'm at work so my child doesn't live off junk for 2 days. So 0 quality time. I'm use to it but it doesn't do us any good. I'm going to try and get at least one day off together every other week. I could do more but I want to save on child care.

Angel - Melody is such a doll! Thanks for sharing. It's too bad she's not feeling the best. Hope she gets well soon!


Really wanting O to calm down. I'm ready for them to go to bed. T was asleep and woke up. Probably could have got him back to sleep.. but O came in and game over. Now O won't chill and T is wide awake.

 

[Literati_Love]

Vrogers - That's great you can do it online, but yeah...spreading it out throughout the week and being relaxed ever is not really an option with a baby! Babies do make things quite challenging at times! Life pretty much revolves around them! Which is ok but it can be difficult to get anything done. Sounds like L is very long and skinny! They are all so different and perfect in their own way!

Pompey - I agree - we seem to have similar parenting styles! I am definitely hesitant to talk about the way I do things if around a lot of parent-led sort of moms! Oh, and I think I forgot to mention from your post a while back, but your comment about how you miss playing with Annabella, but don't actually enjoy it was so true for me too! I completely feel the same way.
I'm sorry Jamie has been so grumpy and unsettled lately, and that Annabella has been getting on your nerves. I completely understand. I hope this week you find you have a bit more patience!

Ali - That's great you're back to your pre-pregnancy weight at least. I gained a whopping 49 lb, so it is a bit trickier to lose it all. I only have 12 to go, and really I only need to lose 9 before I am at my goal weight (I was a few pounds lighter than my usual weight when I got pregnant).
It really sucks when all your income goes to day care. Makes it really hard to get out of debt. My DH has a ton of debt from before we got married that we are going to be stuck paying off for ages. I don't know how we'll ever put extra towards it once we are paying for 2 in daycare.

That's cute that T is such a squealer. That is how my dd1 was. Violet is fairly vocal, but not so squealy/screechy...or at least not yet!


Newbie - Yes, even with the pre-pregnancy weight off, it takes ages to get our bodies back to somewhat normal. Even though I lost an additional 8 lb beyond my pregnancy weight last time, my stomach was still bigger than it used to be. Proportions change and body fat shifts after a baby. Good thing these cuties are worth it!

YAY for Z falling asleep on his own! You did great.

Apple - Yeah, I think I'm losing about 1 lb/week as well, but it feels so slow to me! At that pace, it will still take me another 2-3 months to lose it all! Grrr. I know I'll get there eventually as well, but I just feel impatient. I agree - I can't resist indulging in some chocolate and other treats even though I could lose weight faster if I didn't.

Sorry about your teenager still being hassled by other kids at school.

Angel - Wow, just one more week of maternity leave! So sad. It goes by quickly. I hope the transition back goes well. It is understandable you would be a bit stressed out about getting back to the classroom after 4 months away. I can also understand looking forward to a bit of a 'break' and adult interaction.
I find family gatherings (Easter, etc) really have the tendency to make babies overstimulated easily. They get a lot easier when kids are 18 mo or older.
It is inconvenient to always feed in a dark room, but you might find it helps with M being so distracted when she feeds. Perhaps then she would take in more during the day and a bit less at night. The distraction while nursing is difficult! Violet is also getting more distracted these days.

What great pictures of M! She is such a cutie.


Ally - I understand your mixed feelings on switching to formula. I am glad the transition has gone well, though. That's quite amazing that Isa will be put down and stay asleep when you put him down after just falling asleep. I'm glad that's working well for you.

Slammer - Ugh, well at least we are in the same boat with not fitting our pre-pregnancy pants. I have been wearing leggings as much as I can, but I only have a couple shirts that are long enough to be worn with leggings...so I find it really restricting. I suppose maybe I should go shopping for some nice long/loose tops so I can wear leggings more often. I wish we still had a Target. It was good for inexpensive clothes like that!

I am sorry your DH didn't end up getting the day off. I'm also sorry your weekends are so NOT fun or a break at all. I am also feeling like life isn't all that fun lately. I feel bad for you having to do so many evenings/nights by yourself. That would be so tough. Lots of hugs for you!

I'm sorry Jack was up so often to comfort nurse. I wonder if it is a developmental thing that they need to suck a lot more often at this age. I am VERY lucky in that Violet will take a soother, but she has seriously wanted to suck CONSTANTLY lately as well. She has also woken more often to comfort nurse and I find it very annoying. I try the soother first, but it doesn't usually work.

AFM - The visit with family didn't go too bad after all. It was actually nice to get together. My cousin wasn't nearly as judgmental as I thought with her parenting style. She actually said, "I'm not like those laid back moms who can just go with the flow" so it almost seemed like she was a bit insecure about her own scheduled style as well. Makes you realize we are all just a bit insecure and should really just be ourselves and not worry about what people thing.

I did cheer up yesterday but I'm in a bad mood again today. I think I could use a break. I would love a short outing to go to the bookstore by myself or something. Oh well.