any april/may 05 moms want to chat?

[Taylor's Mommy]

Kathy-sorry I meant DS! :oops:

[Katet]

Firstly congrats to all the mums who are getting their lo's down with very little intervention, it feels good when that happens.

Theresa, I know what you mean about having a dh who is more like a child, I used to find it hard with my dh & naps with Aiden. So far dh has changed 1 nappy in Liam's life, no naps or anything else, but give him his due he does pretty much everything for Aiden when he is at home, so I feel pretty happy about it, although I have a luncheon for my work next month & will need dh to look after Liam for about 5 hours, so he will need to do nappies, naps & a bottle, which I need to work on as I haven't offered one in weeks... too much work!
I do think the different person & styles does make a difference at first, then after awhile they adjust.
Re bedtime, with Liam, it has always been easy, but for the most part everything about him is easy (he is almost a total angel baby) but with Aiden, night times have either been fantastic or a horror.

Andrea with Taylor waking earlier for the dream feed it may also be her being more alert to the world... when Aiden dropped our late night feed, (5mo) we had a week of him not settling at bed time until I gave a top up feed on the 5th night & he started sleeping 11hours from then (until he got sick & it all went pear shaped. he always woke for a 10ish feed until that point & a friend told me her lo did similar & I thought as I read what you were saying, that maybe Taylor is saying "now is a good time for me" for the feed! As you BF, you could try doing what I do (that's if you bath in the evening before bed) is offer a feed before the bath & after the bath as well... by evening bm is so much thicker & so they can tire of sucking & this gives a chance to top up if that is the case... it works for me as Liam does 8-11 hours from that feed & I think he would consistently do the longer if we didn't have such disrupted days, but unfortunately par of the course for a second child.

[maggieruth]

hello!
i am living in the UK with Ethan who was born May 7th so has just hit four months.  i have been slow at starting a schedule and found that my son sort of sets his own! 
He is easiest to get to sleep in the morning (especially if I offer the boob, something i am trying NOT to do since discovering the sleep interview!) and sort of encouraged us to move his bedtime routine up to starting at around 7pm from 7:30 by falling asleep on us repeatedly!
i am thinking about pick up put down for those difficult nights when he wakes us after only 5 hours sleep but i worry that he could be hungry and he isn't the chunkiest of babes so its hard to be sure.  in the UK weening isn't recommended until 6 months or as close to that as you can swing it.  it sure is nice to hear everyone elses' experiences though. (can you tell he is our firstborn?)
i am just thankful for this fantastic website!

[Katet]

Welcome Maggieruth & Ethan

Well dh is watching the Ashes (Aust v England Cricket) & Semifinals of the Rugby League (at he same time) & by the sounds his team is winning & I am just about to head off to bed, but have been meaning to do this for days...

I have lost track of everyone, so thought we should have an update, here's mine...

Baby - Liam (3.5 months/ 15.5  weeks) + toddler Aiden (25 mo) & 16yo stepdaughter

EASY, - 3.5 hour roughly - depends on the day (feed  between 3 & 4 hours as sometimes hard to feed at the "right time")... tends to be 1-2 catnaps in the morning (fits around day activities) , big midday sleep 2-3hours & a catnap/longer late sleep. Wake up around 7.30/8am bed between 7 & 8... depends on naps etc.

Feeding - Breast feeding - feed cycle roughly 8, 11.30, 3, 6.30/7.15 (top up- offer second side) + One night feed some time between 4 & 6.30am... no DF

Settling routine... read stories (to Aiden, with Liam over shoulder) cuddle in room, loose wrap, couple of pats & go back when needed. Last nap is either put down with Paci (little or no wind down- due to lack of time & toddler needs-  naughty mummy) or takes place in the pram on a walk to shops/park) & bedtime, is bf, bath, bf then bed.

Type of baby on BW test - Liam - 90% Angel !!! Aiden- mostly spirited/ grumpy, with a bit of textbook.

Me - Kate... SAHM for now, I have maternity leave & Long service leave until Sept 2006 (LSL leave is 3months paid leave for 10 years of service with the same employer... mine is pro-rata as I was part time for 13 months after having Aiden) - work in Medical Research, but most recently on the communications/fundraising side not in the lab anymore. Not sure if I will return to that job, but want to go back to work at least part time sometime next year.

My hobbies... sewing, cooking, swimming, walking & BW website!!!

[Jamom]

Here's my info:

Baby:   Jacob "Jake".  Born 5/2/05.  First baby.

EASY:  Basic 4 hour EASY.  We start our day at 6:45 because I need to catch the bus for my commute.   He takes 1.5-2 hour naps in morning and afternoon and an evening catnap.  (Thankfully, this has continued even with him starting daycare this week!)

Feeding: We have just introduced rice cereal in the morning and at dinner.  Jake is now solely formula fed.  He was bf + supplemented with formula because of my supply issues prior to my return to work.

Settling routine:  Different for nap than bedtime.  Nap -- play lullaby, swaddle, cuddle, and lay in bed.  Night -- bath every other night (the other night I do a massage), lullaby and read story, lay in bed and he sleeps until 6:30-7 the next morning!

Type of baby:  Mostly textbook with a little bit of everything else but grumpy in him. He's quite a happy baby.

Me -- Just returned to work full time after a 4 mo. leave.  I am an attorney.  So far the return has been good but I am only on week 2 and haven't been back a full week yet.

Hobbies -- playing with our labrador retriever; walking/running/Spinning (if I have time); just spending time with Jake and my dh.

[krice]

Welcome MaggieRuth.  I hope that some of the other newer moms out there will also post some info about their LO's.

Baby Info Matthew - 4 months old/18 weeks (born May 6th), arrived 3 1/2 weeks early, currently 15lbs 10oz, 25 1/2 inches in length, my first child.

EASY normally a 4hr EASY, but since introducing PU/PD we have some 3.5 hr stretches in there.  Usually has 3 naps of 1.75-2 hrs.  The odd catnap if he needs it.

settling routine immediately after first yawn or eye rub change DS, read him a story in a quiet 'whisper voice' (Guess how much I love you I don't show him the pictures so he doesn't get too stimulated).  Sing to him as I swaddle him (only leave one arm out).  Sometimes hum for a little longer.  If he fusses straight away, I keep singing and give him light kisses on his cheeks - he is usually distracted by this and will calm right down.  We have a bath every night.

type of baby He's textbook through and through.  So happy unless I let him get overtired.  He also has reflux and is on medication for it.

Me Still on Maternity leave - I plan to go back to work sometime after Christmas (probably closer to March).  I teach Grades 6/7 at a traditional school.  Live in the center of British Columbia (Canada) and expect to have snow on the ground by November!  33 yrs old

Hobbies I am into triathlons (swimming, biking, running).  Unbeknownst to me, Matthew I have completed an ironman together (2.4mi/3.86km swim, 112mi/180km bike, 26.2mi/42.2km run)!!! - I was only just 2 weeks pregnant.  I have started back running/swimming again.  In the winter I will be x-country skiing.

[jjstar]

Well we had a pretty good ped. visit today. LO was laughing right before the shots and I thought the nurse was going to cry because she knew he was going to go from laughter to tears. It was sad but he got over it pretty quickly. This little guy grew an inch since monday. I thought some of his clothes were getting snug but didn't think he could have grown that quickly?!

I talked to the ped. about starting solids. He said that we can wait till at least 6 months. As long as LO is happy with BFeeding then he wants us to continue for as long as we can. He even talked about continuing until he is 2 years old and anything beyond that is a plus. We'll see how that all works out. One thing he mentioned that I was surprised about was that we didn't have to do traditional baby food when we do start solids. We can go to some table foods. I didn't go too far into it with him since we'll have another well baby visit before we get to solids. I'm excited not to have to mess with anything other than BF. (We have two trips over the next month and the less I have to pack and worry about the better!)

Kathy, Jameson & Matthew are so similar in stats.

Here are my 'answers'...

Baby...Jameson - 4 months/18 weeks born 3 weeks early (6 lbs 15 oz, 21 inches at birth...15 lbs 9 oz, 26 inches today) 

EASY...3.5 hr depending on his naps/needs. He usually takes 3 - 1.5-2 hr naps it usually works out that the first and last are the longest but it depends on the day and what we're doing.  I've tried to let him sleep longer at the first if he has had a rough night but he pop awake almost exactly at 2 hours.

Feeding...BF; 5 feeds during the day plus a DF and lately another sometime during the night

Settling routine...soft music, sound machine and dim the lights. I talk to him softly while we sit in the glider. He doesn't get swaddled but I do drape him with a blanket.

Type of baby on BW test...mix between touchy & textbook. Used to be more touchy but is moving towards the textbook more (thank heavens!).

Me...Jill, SAHM for the most part. I do have a small business that I do on the side (organize scrapbook retreats). Married to DH (James) for 6 wonderful years! We moved from Ohio for DH job 2 years which was the last time I worked full-time (DH joked that it was my early retirement). I have an MBA and hope to use it a bit more eventually. 

My hobbies...scrapbooking, card-making, walking & spending time on the lake with my boys!!

[marlowho]

Kate-good idea to keep us on our toes on this thread.
Baby Info :  Madeline- 2.5 yrs.   Noel 3.5 months

EASY: 3 hr. EASY still suits us well.  She doesn't need a dreamfeed this way, so I pump in the evenings (I'm glad I've been able to make this routine, otherwise I probably wouldn't have any ebm.)  Of course, if we need to do a dreamfeed later, this will make it easier since I've kept up my supply at that time.   She still takes at least 2 great 1.5-2 hr naps. Then about 2 30-45 min. catnaps.
* I don't remember when Madeline gave up the catnaps- sometime around 8-9 mos we had a great 2 nap thing going  until about 15 mos- when she dropped the morning nap.

settling routine:  Walk into her room (darkest in the house)- fan running right outside her door.  Put her in the crook of my arm w/ paci for about 1-2 min.  Then lay her on her tummy.  She looks around all smiles, but I walk out.  About 3-5 min. later, she lets out a cry.  I go in and pop the paci in and she settles herself. (Whew!-Madeline was NEVER this easy!) 

type of baby : Angel/textbook. But Madeline is soooo touchy to this day, and I don't know what I would do with 2 of them!

Me: Practically a SAHM, but I do work during the afternoon nap and during the evenings.  Just worked a trade with someone to watch the girls 1-2 hrs. 3 days a week  so I can do a little more work.  We own a side business (a Curves franchise)-but I'm very glad to be home most of the time with my girls!

Hobbies: Singing-   When it works out I try to play the piano and sing while the girls are awake.  Have small aspirations to someday make a CD (Other than the one I made for DH as a wedding gift!) Also, love  shopping, exercising and keeping in touch/spending time with family & friends- and this BW site!   Also very active in my church.

It's fun learning about each other! 
Hang in there, ladies.  They do get easier-even the touchy ones!  And Welcome new friends!

[mommytsa]

Here are our current stats:

Baby:  Aaron, 4 months old this coming Tuesday

EASY:  Was a solid 3.5 hour with good naps, then we did the whole paci weaning thing and still haven't fully recovered, so sometimes 3 hour, sometimes 3.5 sometimes 4, depending on whole long he sleeps and how cranky he is when he wakes up.

Feeding:  Breastfeeding.  He takes EBM while I'm at work.  He doesn't seem to eat as well from the bottle as he should (still only takes 3-4 oz EBM every 3-3.5 hours).  He seems hungry when I get home though, and makes it up for it then.

Settling routine:  Go to bedroom, swaddle.  Rock for a minute or so, turn on the "ni-night" music, put in crib, giving him his stuffed pup.  Pat/shh if needed, (pu/pd if that doesn't work) then walk away.  Nights are way easier than naps.

Type of Baby:  Was more Textbook than Spirited, but I swear, he gets more spirited everyday.

Me:  Theresa, an 8th grade English teacher.  Married to DH for 5 years 10/1.  DH stays home during the day, but is looking for evening shift work until he can start his own business (ceramic jewlery).  I'll be 25 yrs on Monday.

Hobbies:  Renaissance Faires, sewing, scrapbooking, and reading books (when I have time....HA!) and I suppose I really ought to put watching TV on there since it's on all the time  :oops:  :oops: .

Have a great weekend ladies!!

[Taylor's Mommy]

Hi Ladies,
Taylor has been acting so strange lately (since last Monday to be exact).  She has been having a lot of night wakings where we do have to go in and help her get back to sleep with some patting (never have to feed).  AT nap time she has also been a little harder to settle and the 45 minute naps are back!  But at least when she wakes up she is not as cranky as she was when she was just a few weeks old.

Kate-I have tried the feeding before bath and tehn a top off after the last two nights and it has worked well.  But last night was REALLY STRANGE!  She fell asleep at my sisters house and slept in my nephews crib till around 9 pm and then we had to drive her home.  She went right back to sleep.  DH and I started to watch a movie and then both fell asleep and woke up at 2 am realizing we didn't give her her DF.  Thinking I would just get up with her around 4 or 5 am, we went back to sleep.  She ended up sleeping until 7:45 am!!!  She went 12 hours without a feed and w/o a peep!  They never cease to amaze me! 

At the first nap this am she was really hard to settle and I suspect teething?!?! 
Tomorrow I start back at work :cry:   Wish me luck!

Here are my answers:
Baby: will be 5 months next Monday
EASY: 4 hour for the last 5 weeks or so, but this last week has been strange and we have had to do a combo 3-4 hour EASY.
Feeding: Breastfed and will get EBM when I go back to work
Settling Routine: take to room about 15 min. before nap and change her diaper talk to her quietly on changing table.  Put on white noise machine and let her stare at her chandelier for a few min.  put in crib with a soft blankie.
Baby: Combo Textbook/Spirited, but mostly textbook
Me: Account Manger for a clothing company (I sell the clothes to the Saks and Nordstrom Buyers).  29 years old and have been married for 6 years.
Hobbies:watching movies, running, shopping, hanging out with DD, DH, friends and family and my 2 dogs Lucy and Madeline.

[mommycarrie]

I am copying this here from a post I created last night.....didn't mean to though because I thought I was making a reply to this one :oops:

I am nowhere near catching up on all of this thread, but I must ask you all a question. I don't have the time at the moment to search through the thread for the answer to this so I hope someone can help.....either to advise or at least show me where to look.

Rylan is a textbook baby and, really, all of a sudden has been acting up/wierd at bedtimes. This is night number 4 and I don't know what to do. At some time between 8 and 10, he will wake up crying (more than once) as if he is in extreme pain. I check him over and as long as I hold him and hum or shh he calms down. When I lay him down, it's a battle to keep him there and get past stage 2 sleep. When he does drift off finally, it doesn't last. Sometimes he wakes after the cycle (45min) and other times sooner.

I tried pu/pd a few weeks ago (to extend naps) and failed....it only made him very miserable (and me too). He has been doing much better except for these past 4 nights (it's been a week since I stopped pu/pd). I don't know if pu/pd had anything to do with this or if it's something else. He has never done this before. The thought of a growth spurt and even teething has crossed my mind but don't know for sure. I've checked his mouth...nothing red or swollen and no tempurature. I tried a couple of times to feed at 3.5 but it turns into snacking by the end of the day (we're on 4hr easy).

I am sooooooooooooo lost. Is anyone else's lo's experiencing abnormalities in thier routine? I spoke with a friend back home and her 2 year old has been waking up and whining during the same time frame....is this just coincidence?

PLEASE.....ANYONE??? It makes me so sad   and I don't know how to help him if I don't know what the problem is :cry:

Oh, naps during day are good. A few 45's and one long one. Generally wakes without crying, but he has his moments.

Carrie  :?

[jjstar]

We've been having okay times lately but I'm starting to worry about the fact that Jameson is taking a full feed every night. Since we're doing the DF I wish there was a way to get him to go longer. I know he can but he hasn't in almost 2 weeks.

Andrea...I was wondering which noise machine you are using. I've been using the humidifier and the ped. told me I needed to switch to a true noise machine (dust).

[cambeladamom]

well i have been trying to keep up with all the new posts, but there have been so many lately:) and it  seems that i never have the time to write one myself. right now i am so tired that i will have to keep this short. so all my comments and the answers to the "questions" will have to wait.
we found out on friday that we will be moving. my dh has a new job. we are excited but sad to leave our friends here. i guess moving doesn't make a difference on this site:) but it is all that is on my mind now.
cambel has also been more "Unsettled" in his night sleeping lately, and he seems to be more active and harder to get down for his naps. i wonder if this is a developmental thing?
well, i just can't stay awake, so i'll have to finish this later.
just wanted to check in....

[micah'smom]

hi everyone, have seen your posts elsewhere on this thread, am grateful for the support! also relieved to see that ds' recent sleeping habits are not totally out there. maybe at this age they're all going through developmental things. he used to sleep 8-7am with one nightfeed (no df) but now he's waking almost every 3-4hrs. since he's EBF and we're doing
4hr easy, maybe he needs more calories during the day??

Baby - Micah Ryan, 5mo.
EASY - 4hr, so 5 feedings in a 24hr period (is this too little for an ebf baby?) also 2 solid meals a day. morning nap usually 1.5-2hr, afternoon nap 1.5hr, 45min catnap. sometimes not interested in the last nap so bump bedtime up way early
Feeding: BF and solids (cereal and veggies)
Settling Routine - a carry walk around the house, then into his darkened room, light massage on his legs, white noise machine ("Soothing Shower" at purewhitenoise.com. love it.) then pat, into the crib onto his tummy, paci for naps.
Baby: Spirited/Textbook, but definitely more spirited
Me: SAHM for now, was a grad student for writing
Hobbies: entertaining high school kids (dh is a youth pastor) reading (current fave book - Bel Canto ) rolling ds back onto his tummy so he can sleep ( i do this so often lately it should be a hobby lol )

[Katet]

Very quick post here... from what I've read about people's "issues" & ages of babies & where we were at with Aiden & now Liam...
DEVELOPMENTAL kind of sums it up... Isn't it wonderful they are becoming more alert to the world (& want to change the rules on us) OK it's a pain, you feel like it's all under control & it changes... goes like that for ever I think!!!
I will try to post some ideas when I get a chance, based on what I've read & what we experienced with Aiden, but just quickly, keep consistent & don't get stressed, your lo's will be well tuned into your emotions & that alone can make things worse!!
Also have a look at the thread on Jan/feb babies, it might give some ideas