Jan/Feb 05 Babies chat!

[dkjokisch]

Branwen - Maya tucks her chin down onto her chest when she's had enough.  As for the constipation, bananas are constipating, so I would cut back on those.  We introduced them to Maya over the weekend, and I could defnitely tell the difference today.  I've also given Maya pureed prunes, either by themselves or mixed in cereal.  If I recall correctly, you make your own baby food?  I steep two or three in boiling water for about 15 minutes then puree them (along with the prune juice) in the small cup attachment of the blender.  Just make sure they are well-pureed or smush them through a metal strainer when you're done.

[Jaime]

thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone!     it was lots of fun.  dh & i went out to dinner at the melting pot (fondue restaurant).  one of those places that i'd never been to but always wanted to go.  dawdled over dinner for almost 3 hours!  so nice to not talk about the kids and (mostly) work.

branwen - i've basically gone with the idea of "p for poop".  that is, foods that start with p are good to get pooping going (pears, peaches, prunes).  also, bananas are actually a bit binding and can contribute to constipation.  (that's why they're great when your lo has diarrhea).  as far as how much to feed, i will usually pour out a couple ounces of food & just feed luke until he stops opening his mouth or will turn his head away when i offer food. 

deb - you may just want to go with the flow as far as naps are concerned.  i would focus mainly on her taking a long nap when alex does - because that's the habit you want her to keep for as long as possible.

julieb - it can sometimes take a while for babies to eat new foods.  i'd keep offering every so often - it can sometimes take 10 times or more before they will eat it!

deborah - yay to sleeping in!!!  glad you've met more nursing moms too - it's so much easier to keep up bf when you know other people who are doing it too.  re the photo album - i think sassy makes the 'eatable' one & believe i've seen them at babies r us & target.

michelle - yay words!!!  i'd encourage the da-da.  that way, when she wakes up in the night to practice it, you can tell your dh that she's calling for him.  :wink:  :lol:

tarri - you may want to watch on shortening the morning nap.  while i wouldn't let her sleep more than 1.5hrs, i think she's more likely to shorten it on her own when she gets older.  also, i do feed less formula at luke's first feeding, so he will drink more at lunchtime.  think that helps him sleep longer in the afternoon too!

here's our routine:

7am wake
7:15 formula (6oz)
8:15 cereal
9 -10:30 sometimes 11 nap
11:30 formula (8oz)
1:30-3:30/4 nap
4pm formula (8oz)
5:30/6 cereal
7:30/8pm formula (8oz) & straight to bed

on the weekends he usually gets up around 7:30.  then he will nap from 9:30-11 & the rest of the day is the same.

us - luke's made great strides in eating - he will actually open his mouth for food now.  thinki it's finally time to branch out into the world of "real food"  so i bought some carrots yesterday.  plan on cooking them this afternoon.  hopefully it goes well!  we shall see...  in allergy news, we thought our air conditioner died yesterday afternoon, so it didn't run for several hours.  luke was sleeping fantastically until dh fixed it & turned it back on - then he started coughing really badly.  closed the vent to his room & he stopped.  think i'll be posting on the health board to see what i can do for him...

[julieb]

Branwen: Asher is done when he starts going REALLY slow, playing with the food on his tray more, and/or sucking his thumb longer (always sucks inbetween bites).  I kinda go by the amount as well.
On the constipation, remember the BRAT diet to eliminate diarreah?  Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast -- those are all binding and could cause constipation if fed too much.  The "P" fruits aid BM's, pears, peaches, prunes.  You can try juice as well, apple, pear, prunes.

Asher's up  :shock: , will write more later...

[Leah's Mom]

Hello All! I am back from camping. It went so well! DD did wonderful. We had one afternoon where she was up for almost 5 hours with only a little 10 mintue snooze, but with so much going on she didn't seem to mind. Altough that night she was in bed at 6:30. Great for me though! I got to have a few drinks and hang out by the fire why the other mothers chased thier little ones around till 8 or 9! I will post pictures tonight. I got some really good ones! It was the perfect vacation and such a wonderful way to end the summer. If any of you are thinking of going, do so!!! DD seemed to adapt well and we actually had better sleep there than at home!  :?

Now to catch up...... I told you not to post so much! 5 new pages!!!!

I use Pampers cruisers also. Great diaper, a little more on the spendy side, but for now I LOVE them!

Heather - We have the resturant issue too! Leah is not steady enough for the high chairs. What we've done is buy this chair that hooks onto the side of the table. It has a high back. Check it out online at http://www.onestepaheadbaby.com (I think that's the right site). Glad the bridal shower went well. I know, I fret when my MIL takes Leah too. She sounds just like your MIL.

Branwen - Leah will pull her self up with my assistance. She can't pull herself up without my help. Thanks for pronouncing Eirwen - I was saying ir-wen. Ayr-WEN is beautiful (not the ir-wen wasn't, but I LOVE ayr-WEN!) Sorry to hear about your mother, that's so upseting for you and Eirwen.

Deborah - I second the exersaucer to help keep Maya upright. Don't worry, we still have the flat head issue also.

Deb - Leah is the same way after a growth spurt. She seems to eat less and less. I have to constatnly remind myself not to "push" food at her! I have just learned to live with whatever Leah has for naps. As long as she wakes happy, I don't care anymore.... :? I do try to get one long nap in the afternoon.

Tarri- I have the thin Halo sack also. Works wonderful and not too expensive.

Jamie - Happy belated birthday! Off to school tomorrow..... 

I gained 20 pounds with Leah and when I came home from the hospital I hadn't lost a thing!  :shock: I couldn't belive it, I looked different. Well, I guess that becuase I had all of those transfussions, I was swelled up like a balloon. Once the swelling went down, I lost 18 pounds in one week!  Quickest weight lost program ever! So I look the same as I did before I had Leah, although my tummy could use a little firming up! I credit my success to working out my entire pregnancy. I even went to the workout center the day I had Leah!  :shock: I hardly started to work out and was sweating like a pig! I had to leave early, didn't know I'd be going into labor and hour later! I started back wroking out when Leah was a week old! Just with short easy walks. Now I can do the same workout routine I did before she was born.

We have dropped the dream feed!!!!!!! Has lead to a feed around 5 am, but I can handle that. Here is our typical day. We feed before naps because it helps settle DD down. But she always goes to sleep by herself.

Wake 6:45
7 am - Solids
8:45 - Bottle
9-10 or 10:30 - Nap
11:30 - Solids (Maybe, just started trying this meal)
12:30 - Bottle
12:45-2 or 2:30 - Nap
4:15 - Bottle
4:30 - 5 Nap
5:30 - Solids
7:00- Bottle and bed
Last night slept straight from 7-5am!!!!!

Well, that's all for now. I have other things to do during this nap. I will post camping pics later!

[julieb]

Ok, back...

Asher's been having 4-5 stools a day.  I give him pears with every meal, so despite the rice and bananas, everything's still moving right along.

Deborah, I don't want to buy commercial, but I read it was okay by 6 months.  Asher's almost 7, so I thought it'd be fine.  I think it's the taste.  I'm mixing with water because I hate pumping and I can't afford formula.  I mixed it 50/50 with pears this morning and he did fine.  I may experiement a bit with EBM or ginding the rice BEFORE I cook it.  I still offer plain for the first few bites each morning.

Jaime, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the melting pot!  Now I have the urge!!  I bought three fondue pots after going there.  :lol:  I can't wait until Asher's old enough to participate.  I think it'd be a FUN family dinner to have once a week at home.

[Jaime]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the melting pot!  Now I have the urge!!  I bought three fondue pots after going there.  :lol:  I can't wait until Asher's old enough to participate.  I think it'd be a FUN family dinner to have once a week at home.

i bet it would!!!  jaina LOVES to dip things (red sauce, cheese sauce, ranch dressing) before she eats them! 

oooo... now you've got me thinking about fondue pots too!!  it was an awful lot of fun.  where did you find them?  were they really expensive?

[HeatherC]

Wow, I can't keep up. 
Julieb:  Are you mixing the rice with water and then adding it to the food?  I just put it straight in there.  After rice cereal, I gave 2 fruits before and veggies, and Kelsey still took the veggies.  Of course, she makes a face at them, but I serve a fruit with them and get her going again with a few bites of it.
Branwen:  I have a pretty set amount that I give in terms of solids with each meal, and she usually gobbles it all up.  Of course, I feed solids right before the bottle, so she's always hungry for anything.  I have just found a good amount that doesn't interfere with her milk intake.  But she does sometimes start to show a disinterest in eating by not looking at me and not opening her mouth anymore, or playing with the highchair.
Jaime:  Happy Belated Birthday!  I went to the Melting Pot for my birthday in July.  It was the first time for both dh and I.  We really splurged!  It did make me want to buy a fondue set; maybe Christmas!

We seem to be different from everyone else on naps.  If Kelsey doesn't get a long morning nap, her afternoon nap won't be good either.  Yet if the morning is long, then so is the afternoon.  Here's our ideal schedule:

8:00-8:15 wake, play while preparing breakfast
8:30 solids then bottle
10:00 nap (1.5 - 2 hours)
12:00 solids then bottle
2:00 nap (1.5 - 2 hours)
4:00 bottle
5:30 solids
6:30 bath (or whenever she is crankiest)
7:00-7:30 bottle depending on how tired she is
7:30-8:00 bed

My prayers go out to all of those in the path of Hurrican Katrina.

[Kinlagh's Folks]

Grrr...just deleted a whole reply.  I hate that!!!!!!  Darn preview button - I thought I had submitted.  Let's see if I can remember....

Branwen - Kinlagh has a few signs including turning her head, or holding her lips tight when she's done.  If I don't get these signs, i do have pre-set maximums for each meal.  Example:  Cereal - 4tbsp, veggie - 1/2 jar...

Deborah - great idea on the bike seat for Maya.  Did you ride before she arrived?  Would be great exercise and don't know about Maya, but Kinlagh loves being outside.  Good luck with the 4-hour schedule and congrats on the successful wake to sleep.  Both will be great for the whole family.

Jaime - I LOVE FONDUES!!!  Insert drooling emoticon here.  Please indulge me and tell me everything you had!!!  Is the Melting Pot a chain in the states?  Anyone know if there are any up here in Canada?  I'm on a mission...  Way to go on the progression for Luke's eating.  Good luck with the carrots.

Christine - Welcome back!  Can't wait to see pics.  So happy you had fun and Leah was such a good girl.  So nice when they surprise you like that and adjust to changes so well.  What a sweet little girl!  Way to go on dropping the dreamfeed.  Now you have a whole free evening to yourself.  Good for you!

JulieB - 4-5 stools?  I thought 3 were alot.  Wow!  Thanks for the picture website. I've since posted some of Kinlagh so her grandparents and aunts/uncles out of town can see her too.   http://www.jusspress.com/choochieb

Everyone - Saw a few posts re: fondue pots.  Here's a $ saving tip.  We use an electric wok for meat/oil fondues.  Works great - especially for large groups.  And to prevent the splashes, just drop in 1/2 a potato and you should be good for the night.  So now you only need a set for chocolate and/or cheese fondues.  mmmmmm

Us - nothing much new since last post.  DH is home, so it's supper time.  Pfew, hope I got it all in!  Talk to you all later!

[HeatherC]

Michelle, way cute pics and videos.  What cookies are those she's eating?  And what an adorable "duck tub".  What that the duck quacking?  Oh, and I checked http://www.themeltingpot.com , and it looks like they are only in the US, but some northern states depending on how close you are to the border.

[Kinlagh's Folks]

Heather - Those are Arrowroot cookies - ususally one of babies' first finger foods bc they dissolve very easily.  The first time Kinlagh had one, she just sucked on it which made it easy.  And now that she has a couple of teeth, she can take a full bite (which makes me very nervous but I just keep on), but she has to learn to chew sometime right?  Next are Cheerios - yikes!  And yes, the duck tub does quack.  It's so cute.  It was easier on our backs than putting her in the big tub.  At least until she's fully stable sitting up on her own. 

Thanks for checking the "melting pot".  DH and I will have to visit one when we're in Florida in November.

[branwen]

Thanks for the info on the solids and fruits.  I keep forgetting that about bananas :?  just because makes it go doesn't mean it makes it soft. :wink:

Michelle- I love your videos!!!  She is so sweet.

JulieB- I love yours too!  I love the crawling- and all the amazing things he does! :shock:  I also love his nightmare shirt- Eirwen has the same one :wink: I think little Asher might be walking by 9 months. :shock:

I am soooo joining that site

For the 3rd day in a row we have no afternoon nap- she is awake from 1:30 until her bedtime at 5:30, but I'm okay with it because I am offering the nap at around 3:30 and she plays for a bit and then wants out, she seems to be handling it ok, which is so surprising. 

Eirwen and I had a wonderful day today

I'm emoticon crazy tonight :lol:

[thitz]

Deborah, toys'r'us.com sells it.  Look under 'gyms and playmats' it's called a playnest.  They don't sell it in the Canada stores anymore, so I made one with a blow-up tire (the kind for playing in the water) and cut an old tablecloth cut into a circle and hemmed around the edge to run a string thru and wrapped it around the tube so when she sit's it in it doesn't slide. My lilypie ticker picture is with her sitting in the tube.

Everyone, thanks for posting your routines.  I'm finding success with keeping the morning nap 1.5 hrs or less, feeding a little less at breakfast and now feeding solids a bit later than her bottle at 11:30.  Also she's dropped her catnap for two days.  Still having night wakings but like JulieB? said I'm going to stick with this for a few days and see if the nights improve.

Branwen,  I'm sooo glad your days are improving too!  I also heard that bananas were constipating.  My dd poops almost every day just after breakfast, sometimes skipping a day.

Christine, that's awesome that you had so much fun camping and that Leah did so well. 

Us, Emily has a second bottom tooth.  With no teething problems like lots of crying during naptime or bedtime or fussy eating.  It's a miracle!

Does anyone know about fluid intake once you're on solids?  I read one place where it said fluids should stay the same or increase once on solids.  But I kind of thought solids were so they could get more calories in with less liquid.  Any thoughts?

[Leah's Mom]

Here are some pics from our camping trip! Note - DH and I had not showered in like three days!!!  :roll:

I'll have to go back and find the links to Julieb and Michelle's websites. I would love to see pics and videos.

[julieb]

Jaime, I acquired the fondue pots randomly.  I asked for one for Christmas, that's my nicest one ($40?).  I got a cheap one at Target for cheap at the after christmas sale ($10).  And the last one I got at a white elephant exchange party!  I really wish I had an electric one though, these all use sterno.  But it's nice to have three because then I can do three courses like at the restaurant.  Or I can have a party, which I haven't done yet.

Heather, the rice was mixed with water when I pureed it.  I add a little more when I reheat it.  I feed him a few bites plain at first, then add fruit and feed the rest with the other foods (bananas and pears), alternating among them.  I'm beginning to wonder if the rice is having ill effects on him though.  I may forego it for a few days and see if anything changes.

Michelle, LOVED your videos!  Kinlagh is just darling!!  I added you to my friends list.  What a great site, huh? 
Asher's been a frequent pooper MOST of his life, except the month or so before we started solids.  He was down to 1 BM a day.  Boy, that was nice, but there was A LOT and he often leaked if I didn't get to it fast enough.  Now he's back up to 4-5 a day.  Is that weird?  I had really hoped it'd go down.  Do you think this will last?  Then again, my DH often goes a couple times a day.  Maybe he just takes after his father!   :lol:

All -- the Duck Tub in Kinlagh's Video -- a ton of ladies on my yahoo group all have the duck tub for their LOs and they all LOVE it!  It's only $10 at Target (in the bath section, in a box by Munchkin).  They say their babies have a blast splashing away in there.  It has a non-skid bottom, so even babies who don't sit up can lean against the tail and enjoy kicking.  I must admit, I never got one for Asher though.  He takes showers with DH and I find the whole bath concept WAY too much work!   :lol:

Branwen:  Thanks!  We love NBC!  I certainly HOPE Asher's isn't walking by 9 months!  :shock:   Although, it WOULD be very convienent if he was walking by time we go to Disneyland in December (10 months).  :lol:   They have a NBC theme for the Haunted Mansion, it's SO cool!  Asher has been pulling himself up to a standing position the last couple days.  He doesn't know how to get down though, so he has several bumps on his head.     What happened to my little cuddly baby??   :cry:   Glad you guys have been having a good day!!

Emily, liquid intake needs to remain generally the same or the majority of their nutrition until they're a year old, I believe it's 24-35 oz at this age?

Christine, LOVE your photos!  Leah's so cute!  We have a bumbo seat as well, though Asher doesn't seem to love it as much as I hoped he would when I forked over the $35 for it!!  I should have bought it when he was much younger.

[Deb_in_oz]

Michelle - how did you go about getting rid of the catnap while the 2 naps were so short - wasn't Kinlagh exhausted!!?  I know she is a month older than Liv but wow for the milestones! that is so awesome.

Branwen - when LIv is done with solids she starts looking around for something to do and will not open her mouth (it is like she pretends i am not there for a minute until i get the picture  :lol: )

Christine - I am so excited that your camping trip went well. I am afraid to tell Dh as i know he will start planning our first trip - but the thought of the 4 of us in a tent together - how do i get 2 girls to bed when they are both cot sleepers??? do we bring a gigantic tent and 2 portable cots??  the photos are great too!

Julieb - alex pooped after (or during) every single BF her whole life - in 2 years we have had 2 days she has not pooped (literally 1 in the first year and 1 in the second).  she poops after each meal still and if she does not do it after dinner, she does it first thing in the morning  and then again after breakfast  :roll: - maybe it is because she eats such a healthy diet - lots of fresh veggies and fruit and whoile grains, no junk for her. did not taste chocolate until her 2nd birthday last month and then just a small dose!

Tarri - glad to hear things are going well!! we had olivia's 6 mo check at the baby clinic and she told me not to worry about the lower feeds and said once 3 meals a day are established she only needs a minimum of 600ml a day (21 oz)   :?  so i guess we just have to follow their lead.

Us - things are the same- 45 min morning nap and 1hr 30 midday one followed by 45 min catnap. solids are going better though and today she ate well for lunch (sweet potatoes) and dinner (pear and cereal) at least and it actually helped with the pooping (TMI alert - we received sweet potato out the other end - gross but a nice change from all her green poops  :lol: )

still no rolling or crawling but the nurse said not to worry about the rolling at all (i am not worried about crawling as i know it is still early, just thought she woudl finally figure out how to roll from her back to front).  she was amazed at how great she is sitting up though - perfectly straight back and balanced, reaches for toys in all directions... so i guess that is where all her efforts are going these days.