Jan/Feb 05 Babies chat!

[dkjokisch]

Ok, I'll have to try and remember what I said before.

Welcome Nikki!

Michelle - We tried squash over the weekend, and she wasn't v. receptive.  I mixed some with rice cereal and ebm, and she took it ok.  I'll have to try again in a few days.  I think I will try something like peas next.  I think the only thing different about yobaby is that it is supposed to be easier for them to digest, but I'm pretty sure once it is ok to give them dairy, regular yogurt is fine.

Deb - I'm sorry to hear your sister had to go.  Both of my sisters have been here since Maya was born, and they were super-helpful (unlike my mom).  As for the meds, can you make up two bottles - a short one with the meds that she's sure to finish and a second to fill her up?  And I do put Maya down for a 4th nap to make bedtime easier if we've had a bad day.

[HeatherC]

Yes, the yobaby milk proteins are more broken down than whole milk.  My cousin and many friends swear by it.
Kelsey started napping well after a suggestion to put her down for her first nap 1 hour after wake time, and then even better after sitting independently.  Now, her morning A time is 1.5 hours, but naps are still going well.
Well, she's up, so my post is cut short.
Have a great day.

[dkjokisch]

Heather - is it a baby or bridal shower?  If you're planning on having games, I have baby bingo sheets already made up in excel.  You just type in the purchased items from the registry, and it automaticall generates the sheets.

Heather and Christine - As for the flat head thing, Maya's flat spot is really prononounced.  It's on the right side of her head.  We've done everything the ped has recommended (we first starting asking about it when she was about 2mos), but it doesn't seem to be getting any better.  We talked about it at her 6-mos visit, and at that point he said that he wouldn't be concerned until her face was no longer symmetrical from the front.  I don't think it is anymore.  I am concerned so we made an appt for Friday to discuss it.  I'll let you know what he says.

Schae - Luka's picture is so cute.  I feel for you sharing a room with him every night though.  We'd have to share a room with Maya a few times when travelling, and none of us sleeps well.  I hope you're able to get into your own place soon!

Tarri - My mom got that picture of dh (I cropped him out) and Maya.  That was the first time we got that big of a smile on camera.  Our camera is slow too - we usually get 5 or 6 goofy shots for every good one.  The outtakes from when I tried taking her passport photos were great.

As for us, the weekend went well.  We went to see my cousin and his wife and three kids (2.5, 9, and 10).  Maya went down for her naps and bedtime well, especially considering the house was much noisier than home.  And dh and I got to sneak out twice while my cousin's wife kept an  eye on her.  Granted our trips were to Target and for a quick bite to eat, but it was v. nice nonetheless.

[julieb]

Our spit up has been horrid since Friday.  I can't figure it out.  And he's still so whiney and cranky.  His voice sounds scratchy, but no temp.  I'm wondering if he's feeling sick, or if it's just from all the whining and crying.

Deb:  Asher did the SAME thing yesterday!!  Up from 2:15 until bed, 7:15, and refused to take a catnap!  I thought it was gonna be hell getting him to bed, but he went right to sleep.  The night was a different story, very restless, I was up 6+ times.   :?

[herbst99]

Hi there ...
Re Medicine in bottle: Here we have little tiny bottles with teat at the front in which you mix medicine. This is the only way we can get Lise's meds in - refuses the dropper - I now mix everything with some alcohol free gripe water and she will take everything fine.
Seperation anxiety??? I think she must have felt I was stressed or maybe she was not feeling well ... cause all is well with staying with my mom now!! I am so happy. I could go out today and do all the things I never can with my spirited one like return stuff, postoffice - all things that involve standing in line!!
I have to make supper ... so I have to go. bye for now

[HeatherC]

I forgot to say hi to all our new posters.  So, hello!  :lol:
Nikki, Lise is absolutely adorable!
Julieb, sorry for the rough night.  Sometimes, when Kelsey doesn't get her catnap, she ends up being awake for about 4.5 hours from end of second nap till bedtime.  I always think, "she'll take her bottle and go right down."  But she always seems to get a "second wind" and wants to play for a bit.  Also, I have to keep her up a little after bottle or it hurts her tummy to lay down right after eating.  Is it like this for anyone else?  I still sit her in my lap or put her in the bouncy chair for a good 15-20 minutes before I let her play so she won't throw up.
Debra, I haven't said lately, but I'm thinking of you often and pray for things to get better.
Tarri, congrats on Emily rolling!
Sorry I can't remember much else to respond to.  I forgot to use the "separate window trick" before responding, and the topic review at the bottom of this posting window doesn't give me everyone's names and I forget.  :oops:

[diyasmom]

I have been MIA as usual. Weekends just make us go crazy. Diya has been whiny again for the past 1 week. She is either teething or ready for her next developmental milestone. I think she needs the winddown somedays for naps. She completely wakes up when I put her down, even if I put her drowsy and then puts herself to sleep. She kissed me last week. I always make her kiss me by showing my face very close to her. This time, I just waited for her to bring her face close to me and she did it. Everytime after she kisses me, I make such a big deal and she thinks that it is the funniest thing.
 What do you guys do when you go to restaurants with DC? I took her twice this weekend and she turns herself completely in the opposite direction while sitting in the restaurant high chair. These chairs are so outdated that their seat belts don't even restrain them. I am planning to take my booster seat next time. How to entertain DD, is my next problem. She throws all the cups and toys which I give her.
Christine, every time you tell us that it is going to be hard to wake these babies when they grow up, makes me feel better! I can't even imagine that will happen one day!
Julie, thanks for that tip about mobility makes the child sleep better. I have been making Diya play on the floor all the time now while i am dreaming about her long naps:)
Heather, you could even put a mirror in front of Kelsey and she will start enjoying her reflection and tummy time. Mine did after doing that and I also started making funny faces when I was at her level on my knees. I started walking without crawling when I was a baby. So don't worry if she skips that step.
Deborah, yobaby yogury is made from from whole mil while all the other yogurts in the market are made from low fat milk. I have read that you can give it to them after 7 months.
Jaime, thanks for taking the time to post us about the questions we ask. Luke looks so adorable in that exersaucer!
Julie, my mom lives very far away too! I miss my parents so much!
Deb, I hope you are doing okay without your sis!
Branwen, she will have her teeth when you almost forget about it! My DD did that!
Nikki, welcome!
All of you who have a sling, what kind do you have? My DD hates the shopping cart and stroller after a little time. I would like to get some recommendations!
She is whining! I better go
Vidya

[HeatherC]

I forgot to answer some questions.
Kelsey starts to cry on her tummy after 10 seconds (or less), so I try my best to entertain her and distract her, but it doesn't last long.  The best distraction is the dog, but I can't get her to cooperate.  Oh, well.
And, the baby shower I was co-hosting is already past, but thanks for the game offer.  Unfortunately, we were tight on time, and wouldn't have had time for games.
The next shower is bridal if anyone has any ideas/tips/suggestions on fun themes, games, or foods.
I would love to see more pictures that may include your surroundings.  I find it extremely interesting to talk to others from around the world, and would love to see your "home town."  I'll try to get a pic up soon.

[diyasmom]

I compressed the picture which I wanted to post as my avatar to 91 KB. It still wouldn't let me post the picture. It says that the height should be less than 165 pixels and width should be less than 120 pixels. How do I do that. Sorry for the ignorance.

[dkjokisch]

Vidya - We have four different types (all hand-me-downs), an Infantino, an Evenflo, a Snugli, and an actual sling baby hammock thing.  All are a couple years old so I'm sure the models and features have changed somewhat.  Our favorite is the Snugli.  It fits her best, and she can ride face in or face out comfortably.  Most of them say you can, but with the Evenflo one we have, she's all contorted when facing out.  Look for one with wide padded straps for your comfort, and you definitely want something that is machine-washable.  Someone mentioned they had a hip hammock - I'm curious as to how comfortable that is.

Heather - Maya hates tummy time too, and that isn't helping the flat head issue at all.  I'm lucky to get 2 or 3 minutes out of her before she rolls over.  She gets really mad if you try and put her back once she's rolled over too.  She also tends to spit up quite a bit if she's eaten in the last hour, so that limits our opportunities.

Also, somebosy asked about hiccup remedies.  I'm not sure about Nature's Bliss, but there's something called Baby's Bliss Gripe Water (http://www.babys-bliss.com).  Our ped recommended it when we were dealing with Maya's colic.  It's made of ginger root and fennel.  It says it takes care of hiccups too, but we were using it for gas relief.

[herbst99]

Vidya I have a hammock sling and also one that is kind of a pouch style (can face in or out!) Lise loves facing out (jip she is a spirited one) and did not like the hammock to much (I think she felt to constricted). I only used it a couple of times - I would recommend trying a few styles as I probably would not have bought the hammock if I tried it with her first.

The hip hammock is the same as the regular sling, you just "wear" it differently. Dr.Sears "The baby book" shows some variations - I myself have not tried any though.

hwcampbell Jip- I think so is gorgeous to but that is a mums right!! Kelsey Rae is adorable to. I just ove little girls (and boys to!!) Hopefully the next one (which will be MUCH LATER ON!!) will be a boy.

dkjokisch - I asked about the hiccups ... I have tried gripe water which works 1/3 times. Will look at that website though.

Julieb - Lise was like that today with NOT co-operating with nap times ... needless to say it was a rough afternoon. I hope she last the night. Keep fingers crossed. Does your DS have reflux??? A friend of mine's baby only was diagnosed at 1yr with reflux when his coughing and wheezing did not get better - his voice was also scratchy.

Us things are going OK ... I am training a new domestic worker/child minder. Feeling a little bit nervous as I am not very good at letting someone else take over (except my mom!! - Yes I am very fortunate - she's a lifesaver!!!). Otherwise Lise is doing great ... rolling, sitting, and aaaaalmost crawling. She goes backwards at this time - and she gets soooo frustrated when she cannot get to her toys. I hope that she does crawl as I would like her to continue to carry weight on her arms ... so good for developing shoulder girdle control which is so important for fine motor development. Well - they will do what they will do I suppose! Goodnight ... time for DF. I will post some more pics of Cape Town later on.

[julieb]

Vidya:  You are so funny! "dreaming about her long naps"  :lol:
In the restaurant, I use my Floppy Seat cover (you know, for the grocery carts?).  It's bulky enough that he can't get out really and it has loops to hold link-a-dos for the the toys.  But I must admit, Asher will only sit for 20 minutes TOPS!  So we don't go to restarants much at all (or just play "Pass the Baby").  :roll:   
And for the sling, you may want to borrow one or purchase at a store you can return in case Diya doesn't like it.  Sometimes starting a baby at this age doesn't go over so well.  Asher has been in the sling since he was a newborn though.  I like Maya Wraps, but I have a New Native Baby Carrier sling.  I've also used traditional carriers like Baby Bjorn and Snugli.  Asher did fine in them all, but I like the compactness of the slings because I can throw them in the diaper bag easily.  I'm often seen pushing an empty stroller around the mall as Asher sits my sling!   :lol:
Your DD is gorgeous!!  I emailed a correctly sized photo to you.

Deborah: We have problems with the spit up whether he's on his back or tummy!   :roll:   I have a bunch of blankets on the floor to spare the carpet, he wears a soft bib most of the time to keep his clothes drier, and we have lots of burb cloths handy!  It's just the nature of the game now!

Nikki:  DS probably has reflux, though not officially diagnosed.  The scratchiness just started though, so I don't know!  We'll see how it goes this week!

[HeatherC]

I also heard that Gripe Water works wonderfully, but I have not tried it myself.  Kelsey had terrible hiccups the first 3-4 months, but they have been almost nonexsistent since then.
Vidya, I see that julieb may have correctly sized your picture.  It's absolutely precious.  Hope you are able to get it on as an avatar.

[HeatherC]

I posted this in the lounge or somewhere, but thought I'd post here, too.

I had an email from this company to visit their website.  You might want to take a look, but I haven't gone through it very much yet, so don't blame me if it stinks. 
http://www.1800diapers.com

I think it stands for 1-800-diapers, and not 1800 diapers.

[Leah's Mom]

Julie B - Leah was acting the same way today. Fussy and just plain crabby, almost like she was sick. Plus I heard she threw up alot today too. Of course I had to go to school for a workshop today, so she was with my sister. I felt bad.  Not sure what is wrong. We gave her Motrin this afternoon for the first time and she seemed much happier. Somthing must be bothering her. More teeth? Hope not....

Deborah - Let me know how the flat head appointment goes.

Heather - I think it is a wonderful idea to post pictures with more surroundings. I feel like I know everyone just a bit better when I see pictures. Whereabouts in Tennessee are you? My cousin lives down there and we hope to go visit her sometime either this winter or next summer. Maybe we can meet someday in the near future!!!  Next summer would be fun becuase the LO's will be 1 1/2! My cousin lives on the army base on the line of Tennessee and Kentucky.

I have ordered diapers from 1800diapers.com Very cheap plus free shipping! Ends up to be even cheaper than Walmart.

Will post more later. Sorry to who I forgot!