Valentines Babies, 2013!

[SierraJourney]

It's been a while since I uploaded a picture of Camden, so here's one of him playing.

 

[wamommy]

Look how cute he is, Sierra! It has been a while, and he's grown so much! I can't believe how big and gorgeous all of our Valentines babies are becoming.

 

[DragonflyWing]

Oh how cute, he looks so happy!

 

[helena]

He looks so grown up! A real little boy. X

 

[DragonflyWing]

AF got me at only 8dpo

 

[SierraJourney]

Oh no Dragon! I'm sorry! That's strange that it came so early!

 

[DragonflyWing]

I know! O was quite late (CD21), and then my LP was super short. Everything I'm reading says this is common when breastfeeding due to high prolactin levels. I'll have to see what I can do to increase my LP.

 

[wamommy]

That's really weird! I'm so sorry, Dragon Are there ways to get your cycle back to being regular while still breastfeeding?

 

[DragonflyWing]

I'm going to try taking vitamin b6 to help lengthen my LP. Otherwise, it may just be a matter of waiting for my cycle to go back to normal on it's own.

 

[SierraJourney]

Dragon, that just means you need to dtd every day so you know you're covered!

 

[DragonflyWing]

Haha! DH would love that method. I'm sitting here with the heating pad due to cramps, and he's still trying to get me to agree to a nooner.

 

[wamommy]

LOL, men. DH knows better than to even suggest dtd to me right now!

I've actually read that dtd every other day is the most effective way for irregular cycles. Maybe that's a good compromise?

 

[DragonflyWing]

That is a good compromise, and probably what we'll do. Last month, we dtd 14 times...and if you take out AF days, that's even more than every other day! Also, more than we've done it any other month since we started dating!

 

[SierraJourney]

Dragon, how do you find the energy?! I'm so pooped by the end of the day that we're lucky if we dtd twice a month!

 

[DragonflyWing]

We have a lot of quickies, so it doesn't take very long...and I usually sleep better afterward!


I have 30 OPKs and 20 hpts coming in the mail

 

[SierraJourney]

Even quickies seem to be a lot of work sometimes for me. . .lol. . .but I think it's good for your marriage! Good for you guys!

Glad to see you ordered some more! This is so exciting that you're trying now!

So, I had a rough evening last night. . . DH had this dinner meeting thing for business where spouses were invited to attend. So, I told him I would go (and I really wanted to go), so we decided to leave Camden with my older sister for about 2.5 hours while we were away. Well, you know how Camden is----cries with anyone except Mommy and Daddy. . . Well, my sister is super opinionated and thinks her way of parenting is the best (she has a 4 year old, kept her on a schedule since she was a newborn and initiated CIO before she was even a month old). She's not much of a cuddler for babies and every time (which isn't a lot, admittedly), I've had her watch Camden, when I've come home, he's just sitting in a bouncer or something crying. She's watching him, of course, but just doesn't seem as compassionate to his crying. She took him on a walk for almost the entire time she watched him last night. .. Apparently he didn't cry as much in his stroller, which is fine, and he fell asleep in the stroller for a bit. However, what bothers me is what she SAYS---when I came home and picked Camden up and he stopped crying, she looks at him and goes "You know exactly what you are doing--you're doing it on purpose" and she tells me, "You know this is a problem, right? You hold him way too much." And I tell her that I work all day long, so I can't hold him every second and she doesn't believe me. She tells me, "It's okay if he cries the entire time you are gone---it's good for him" and she's constantly trying to get me to use the CIO method for bedtime, but we've always done GREAT with bedtime and I feel like our method is working so far (I nurse him to sleep, but lately he has learned to put himself to sleep for naps!) She judges me for working at home with him. . .she always is very career-oriented and thinks that I can't be serious at my work when I'm watching him too. . .so she thinks I'm just sitting on my arse at home and doing nothing---when I work SO hard and am keeping up with the same workload PLUS MORE than I was before I had Camden! She says he's not going to have a good immune system because he's not exposed to other kids enough to get more colds/flus, etc. I just feel very judged from her and I feel that she's very unsympathetic when Camden cries because she thinks he's doing it because he's spoiled. I know he cries and there isn't much babysitters can do, but when other people watch him they at least cuddle and bounce him. . . but she just puts him down and lets him cry because "he's going to cry anyways". . . I told DH last night that I can't have her watch him anymore. . .it just tears me apart and I feel like she's criticizing all of the hard parenting work I've done. She just thinks her parenting was the best way to do it and constantly criticizes me and my younger sister for how we raise our children. I really wish it wasn't like that because she lives 10 minutes down the road. . . where other family members are 40 minutes away. . .but I just don't think I can have her watching Camden anymore. . at least while he's a baby. . . Just had to vent that out. . . . Thanks for listening ladies!

 

[wamommy]

Oh Sierra, that is so tough. Having a baby is tough enough without feeling like you're being accused of doing it "wrong." I think you're doing a wonderful job, and Camden is lucky that you are so affectionate and loving with him. I can't imagine how tough it is to work from home AND care for him. My older sister made a comment like this a couple of months ago that really hurt me. She said, "the whole family is disappointed that you gave up your career and school. We just don't understand. All of us are so success driven. Did that gene miss you? How can you sit at home all day doing nothing and feel satisfied?" Oh, how I cried.

Honestly, the way you choose to raise YOUR babies is a very personal choice, and no one else can tell you the best way to do it. Follow your heart and listen to your instincts, and (as hard as it is to do) brush off the negative comments. Most judgmental comments come from the other person's fear that THEY are doing something wrong, not you.

Also, I found this article posted somewhere on here a while ago and I loved it and saved it. It's geared mostly to SAHMs, but I think it applies to you too. I especially love the last 2 paragraphs. Hang in there, Sierra!
https://mamaseeds.com/blog/baby-sleep-training/new-mamas-get-nothing-done-and-other-untruths/

 

[Kellen]

Wamommy - That is a wonderful post. It is helpful to remember that these baby days of them needing us are fast and fleeting. Before we know it they will all be independent toddlers who will give us passing hugs, and maybe an obligatory snuggle now and again. I think it is rotten of anyone to criticize how much time a mother spends with her child. We all have different ideas and the babies all have different needs.

Sierra - Camden is absolutely gorgeous. You should be proud of your little man. I would be upset too if someone said that I spent too much time holding Teagen. She isn't super fussy, but she is high needs. If she isn't sleeping she is exploring and wants to know how everything works (hoping for an engineer here!)

Helena - Happy Belated 8 Months to Kiara. She is adorable. We desperately need a high chair and I am now thinking about looking at Ikea and seeing if I can't find one similar to yours. It looks so nice and functional.

 

[SierraJourney]

Oh my gosh wamommy--that article is wonderful! What a weight it seems to lift off of your shoulders when you read it! THANK YOU! Thanks to you and Kellen for the sweet kind words. I'm trying not to think of what my sister said. . .because it makes me sad when I do. . . .

wamommy, I can't believe your older sister said that to you---maybe it's an older sibling trait (my sister is older too!)?! I tell you what, though, I envy your position of staying home with your babies. If we could do it financially, I would completely do it---because I think it is the most valuable career ever. I'm thankful I can work from home and take care of Camden, but I really would love to only watch him so I can devote my entire attention to him and him alone. I give a huge APPLAUSE for you for being home with your kiddos. I went for a walk with a friend this morning (took a couple hours off work), and she said to me: "You know, the easiest thing you can do is to put your kids in childcare and head off to work. The harder "job" is when you choose to stay home and raise them every minute of the day." Now, she wasn't knocking people that put their kids in daycare, but saying how hard and rewarding of a job it is to raise kids. I totally agree.

Thanks for the chin up today ladies.

 

[helena]

Oh you should Kellen, think its only about $20. Here you go, Antilop style. chair and tray sold separately..

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/childrens_ikea/18715/


We have a crawler!! She is wobbly but definately crawling all over. This morning I fully realized she was mobile when I gave her breakfast, then put her on the floor to play while I got my boys ready for school. I turned around and Kiara had wiggled over to be under her high chair to retrieve some toast she and dropped! She was happily sitting and chewing on the toast. Monkey.

She is very happy and had grubby knees for most of the afternoon in the garden - she refuses to stay on the blanket on the grass anymore!
Her crawling is wobbly but she has suddenly really got going from tummy to sitting up without effort. I think that by the end of the weekend she will be zooming about and I may lose her!