Valentines Babies, 2013!

[wamommy]

What gorgeous girls!!! I love seeing how the babies are growing I'll have to post a pic of Max in the next week or so. Happy 6 months to everyone's little ones! Dragon, the twins are close to 8 months now? Amazing, huh?? Time really does fly.

Helena, I'm so happy you made it home safely and that the trip was a success. I'm sure it's a memory the boys will treasure! I so wish we were able to take a trip like that. Even if the kids could make it, we're not in a financial position to go. I would love it, though! I miss adventures like that.

I feel like poor Max is behind in the food department. We don't give him nearly enough opportunities to explore new foods. I really will try to change that. So far chewing on cold apple slices and carrots are his favorite things.

Helena, how exciting about your friend A friend of mine just had her baby July 9th and he's SO cute. Her husband went out and bought a repsol Honda 600rr though (a motorcycle) and she's freaking out that he'll crash it. IT wouldn't be so scary except that he's a really severe type 1 diabetic and is prone to passing out or spacing out to a scary degree.

Are you finished having babies, Helena? I went on the pill when I stopped breastfeeding, but forgot how much I don't like it. I feel yucky on the pill. My skin looks ruddy and breaks out and I always feel bloated. It's like permanent pms I might just advocate for abstinence instead!

 

[wamommy]

Sierra, I just read your post on naps. Sorry I didn't answer sooner! I actually don't have any great advice... unfortunately. Max's naps are really random and happen pretty naturally. We don't have a set routine or anything. Usually I can tell he's getting tired because he gets fussy and doesn't want to do anything. His normal activities seem to irritate him. If I take him in a quiet room and rock him or go for a short drive in the car he goes out like a light. I can then transfer him to his pack n play on his tummy for an hour or so. I'd say he probably takes 2-3 naps a day like that. I wish I had better advice! Each kid is so different, and they change so often that what works today might not tomorrow... lol.

 

[helena]

I agree with wamommy - what works today might not work tomorrow as they change so fast.
I think it is easy tog et caught up in stressing out about getting into a routine. But each week baby is older and their sleep and feed requirements change.so the routine would change. I realized this after I felt stressed with my first. I worked really hard getting into routines. I felt very proud of myself for about a week and then the little devil would have a growth spurt and my hard work would go right out of the window and I would have to work hard all over again. It was pretty futile.
Fr me the only part of routine that is regular is bedtime. The rest falls in. Usually she naps at some point in the morning, maybe 10ish, then again after lunch and maybe one later in the afternoon, sometimes not. I take her cues, she rubs her eyes or cries. Ten she will nap in bed if we are at home, or in the car seat or stroller if out. Se can sleep ages, or just twenty minutes at a time. Yesterday was three twenty minute naps.

It seems she sleeps best in slightly noisy places (she put herself to bed at 7pm as usual even at Disneyland! Slept in the stroller despite all the noise!)
Will camden sleep in the car? I did use that with my sons when they were really fighting sleep.

Think we are. In another growth spurt or wonder week...Kiara is waking twice in the night to practice moving around and when I go in to put in her pacifier and give h her comforter she grins at me. Only milk will get her to doze off and stop playing...so she fed twice last night! Not so good on the hoping to stop night feeds front!...
Great that max loves peas!

It is exciting about my pregnant friend. She was ttc at the same time as us and had a loss at 9 weeks so am hoping this one is sticky! It seems unfair we we ttc at the same time and Kiara is now a big chunk of baby..

 

[SierraJourney]

Thank you ladies! Sounds like Camden is especially difficult in more than one area! lol All of my family keeps telling me that I got the fussy high needs baby out of the way in the beginning and the babies after him will be a breeze! haha. I sure love him, though! I just have to start thinking creatively about naps, I guess. . .he's getting a bit big for the swing but hates his pack n play and crib for naps! He'd nap all day on me if I let him (which I don't mind, but am not sure that's the best thing for him!)

Still just doing cereal for him here. . .taking things slowly. . .though he eats great! Hopefully introducing veggies soon. Love hearing about your explorations with different foods--and the pictures are gorgeous---sooo cute!

 

[Kellen]

Glad to hear everyone is doing great. Sketchy internet service as we have evacuated north to escape yhe smoke. The green smashed all over T is the remnants of an avocado.

 

[Kellen]

Okay. We are stopped and have decent internet now.

Helena - It sounds like you had a fantastic time on your trip. I'm glad that Kiara was such a good girl for you. Hooray for growth spurts and new sleep cycles. And it sounds like she is quite the little foodie.

Wamommy - I'm pretty sure my DH thinks that I'm an advocate for abstinence as well. Besides being difficult to find time alone I am so tired by the end of the day that I'm in bed by 10pm and DH stays up until midnight or so. He knows better than to try to wake me as I will become rather unpleasant to be around.

Teagen is cutting her first tooth. Yesterday morning DH and I were eating breakfast at our hotel and he was letting Teagen chew on his knuckle while I quickly ate. All of a sudden he pulls his finger out and says "OUCH!" Really loud... as in other people turned to look. Then proceeds to do his best Monty Python impersonation: "Fangs! She's got razor sharp fangs!" Which turned into me searching her mouth for the tooth.

But we are now staying 2.5 hours from out house due to terrible smoke from wild fires.

 

[helena]

Yay Kiara went from 7pm until 6 am without food or milk, hurrah! I have warned her that now I know she can do it once, I will be expecting the same every night.
Unfortunately I did have to go in and settle her once in that time, and DH went in early in the evening, but maybe one day she will sleep all night!..

Oh I feel guilty, how is max sleeping now wamommy?

Oh I wouldn't fancy going on the pill either. It makes me headachey and rubbish feeling. A abstinence and general exhaustion works wonders for us!

I have my second appointment the week after next with a genetic oncologist to discuss avoidance of breastcaner and ovarian cancer. If they consider me high risk i may push for ovary removal which would have the bonus of being contraception too
Slightly extreme maybe but there we go. It would make me feel safer for the future.

Baby wise I would love a fourth. But I would want another girl. I never had s a preference for a particular sex with any of my babies, so I won't go for a fourth incase I have a boy and even though I would love him to bits I wouldn't want any of my children to be a disappointment in any way even for a split second. Plus DH isn't keen! Lol. Ad our first boy is s very demanding. If I got another of him I don't think we would cope! Lol.

Serra, having the tricky child first and then breezy babies is definately the best

 

[helena]

Edit: We have a TOOTH! Well, a tiny corner of one. Feels just like a bit of grit on her gum. That explains her grumpiness yesterday!

 

[DragonflyWing]

Hey everyone, sorry I've been MIA. I was off from work for a week and a half while my family visited from NY. My mom spent the entire week criticising my parenting skills, my housekeeping, even told me I'm not taking good enough care of DH! By the time they left, I was a wreck, and actually really glad to see them go. DH is on the rampage because my parents tried to "help" by moving his things around and throwing away some of his important papers, even though I specifically asked them not to move or throw anything away without asking first.

On a more happy note, the twins are doing great...they are such happy babies. They're starting to sit up on their own for longer periods, and laughing and smiling all the time. Kellen- Teagan looks so cute eating her avocado! We have the same seat/activity center, but we had to take the orange insert out immediately because chunky monkey Gunnar didn't fit in it . Here are some photos from the park this past weekend:

 

[wamommy]

Helena, good luck with your appointment next week how tough! I'm so glad to hear Kiara is sleeping so well, though! Max is actually doing better, believe it or not... thank goodness!! He goes to sleep around 9pm and wakes at 1 to eat, then back down until 4 or 5 when he gets up to eat and then sleeps another hour or 2 before being up for the day. Hey, coming from where we were, 2 or 3 wakes in a night is fab!

Dragonfly, it sounds like it was a tough week. Family can be so wonderful, and at the same time so difficult. I don't think I would handle that kind of criticism very well at all. On the plus side, the babies look great! I'm glad to hear they are so happy

Hurray for teeth!! None for Max, yet. He chews on my knuckle constantly, so I figure I'll feel it when one pops through. I can't believe how big they are all getting!

 

[Kellen]

Helena - Congrats on the tooth! It is so interesting to watch two babies develop at the same time in completely different geographical locations.

Dragon - The twins are adorable! I'm sorry that you had a miserable time with your parents. My mom is fighting with my grandma right now so they are using me as the go-between... ugh!

Wamommy- I am glad to hear that Max is being somewhat nicer about sleep.

Now my cranky, teething baby is whining for a nap. We have her 6 month check up tomorrow.

 

[SierraJourney]

Love the pictures Dragon! What fun! I have a park down from me with those types of swings. . .now I'm wanting to try Camden in them! Sorry to hear about your parents criticizing! And I can't believe they were saying you aren't taking good enough care of DH! You have TWO babies to take care of and you're working! My goodness! I often feel that DH gets neglected around here, but then I am reminded that it is the stage in our life. . .we're both tired and just trying to survive with a baby . . haha.

No teeth here yet. . .and Camden has been showing "signs" of teething for months now . . .so who knows when they'll come!

For all of you who are feeding baby foods now. . .how often do you give them food? And do you give them cereal at certain times of the day and food other times? We've been giving Camden cereal in the evening, and I just started to give it to him at lunch, too. . .but have been thinking of starting him a vegetable at lunch instead. But I'm unsure how often I should be giving food to him? Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner? Snacks? I'd love to hear what you ladies are doing!

 

[wamommy]

We don't have a set schedule for eating with Max. He definitely gets the majority of his calories from bottles. We mostly give Max food to make him feel included in our meals. When I'm eating something and he starts to drool and grab at my spoon, I go get him something to have a few bites of. Usually he eats 4-5 bites and then loses interest and is ready to get out of his seat I think as time goes on and he masters swallowing instead of spitting, we'll feed him more and more "meals." I just try to follow his queues for now, if you know what I mean

Has everyone had their 6 month check-ups now? How are all of the babies doing? Max's pediatrician is out of town for a MONTH, so we won't see him until August 27th. I'm afraid this will mess up our vaccination schedule, but they said that unless it gets off by a full month they won't schedule a separate appointment for the jab. I'm sure it will be fine, although at this age they grow SO fast that the percentile calculation will be off by then!!

Also, what is everyone doing for car seats? Are you still in an infant seat or transitioning to a convertible? My girls were both in Recaro convertibles by 6 months and forward facing in that seat until just recently, when we bought them both the larger Recaro that converts from 5-point harness to booster at 90 pounds. Basically it'll be used until the girls are 9 or 10, so totally worth the investment!! My 3-year-old's outgrown seat is still WELL within the expiration date, though, so I'm thinking of just ordering a new cover for it (that isn't pink and trashed). The only problem is that I've found it so handy to pop Max's infant seat into our stroller and shop without waking him. I just want to make sure he's as safe as possible, since I think he's nearing the weight limit for our seat... hmm...

 

[SierraJourney]

Thanks wamommy. Camden's six month checkup is next week. He's still in his infant carrier and will be for quite some time... it goes to 30 pounds and he's only 14 pounds right now! I love the convenience of it and the safety of rear facing. What weight limit does your seat go up to?

 

[wamommy]

Mine only goes to 22 pounds Also, only 29 inches. Max is about 20 pounds now blush I'm thinking we only have another month or 2 to safely use our seat. If I knew then what I know now, I would have bought a different seat! I know a lot of them are rated to 30 pounds. We'll still keep him rear facing until after at least a year, but in a bigger seat that does both rear and forward facing. I actually just got off the phone and a new cover for our seat is $75.00!! Yikes.

 

[helena]

Hi,
We haven't had the six month check up yet. Our Russian doc was on holiday for a month!

Kiara has three meals a day. It's all flexible but an average day could be:

8am breakfast - 1 apple, 1 kiwi mushed up with added cereal to thicken (that was today's choice). plus 1 slice of toast. Little bit of butter on.
And maybe a small baby yogurt if she is still going.

Other days she may have baby cereal / porridge and toast.
It is her biggest meal of the day.

10am ish bottle

Lunch - 12 ish with the family. Cup sized bowl of mushed up fruit vege or our lunch if suitable. Maybe some finger food at same time, bread or meat or packet baby snacks or biscuits.

2 ish bottle

Dinner - 5pm with her brothers. Same as them if its suitable, or often I give her porridge and another pot of fruit or yogurt to fill her up.

6.30 - 7pm bottle

Sometimes if she hasn't had enough milk I will swap her evening meal and milk around. I haven't sorted that one out yet.

5 nights out of 7 she doesn't feed again in the night.

Her bottles are usually 180 but she doesn't always finishe them.

I think she is a big eater but i'm not sure..
She can fully chew and swallow now. She only dribbles or spits out lots if purée is too soft, so I thicken with powdered cereal.


I haven't even thought about car seat upgrade.. Should check what our maxi cosi goes up to! Thanks x

 

[SierraJourney]

Wow Helena- that sounds great! You have a good eater there it sounds like!

 

[helena]

Greedy maybe
If it was up to Kiara I think she would live off baby cereal and bread.
I used to have a Norwegian friend living near by and that is pretty much all their babies eat for two of the daily meals. I guess it's filling, full of added vitamins and milk. The cereal / porridge at least. It is what I think has built our baby chub rolls

Kiara fell today. She was trying to sit, and i had my legs either side of her, but mean mummy glanced away and bump, she fell forwards! She was very very upset about it....cried for ages and was so angry. no bump or cuts, so we have a very dramatic sensitive girl on our hands I fear! I am sure there will be plenty more screams before balance gets sorted.....

 

[SierraJourney]

Awww! Poor baby! I'm pretty sure Camden is a sensitive one too...so they are in good company! . He hasn't fallen yet but I've bumped
him before while carrying him and that was bad enough for me

 

[wamommy]

Helena, the Maxi Cosi Mico goes to 22 pounds and the Prezi goes to 30, so it just depends which one you have. When we bought the Mico the Prezi wasn't out yest, dang it! It's so much cooler looking, too

It sounds like Kiara is quite an eater! That's great It will benefit her later in life to like to try new foods and experiment. I read an interesting article the other day about why AMericans all like bland, salty foods, and it talked about how in other cultures babies eat whatever their parents eat, even spicy or strong flavors. Apparently the least picky eaters in the world are in Korea, where snacks aren't allowed and children (even babies) eat what's for dinner or don't eat. I'm sure there's a happy medium, but I know I should encourage more experimenting!

Poor Kiara with the fall. I'm sure there will be many more Good for her for trying to sit, though! Max just slumps to the side when I try it, lol. That, or reaches straight for his foot and topples forward.

We're taking the girls bike riding today! I'm so excited. My 3-year-old can finally steer well enough to not run people off the trail I'll have to walk along behind pushing Max in his stroller, but I'm excited for the girls to get riding. They're growing up so much! My oldest starts Kindergarten in a month *gasp*. It feels like yesterday that she was born! So proud.