Jan/Feb 05 chat - Thread #3

[Leah's Mom]

Tammy- Have you tried putting saline nose drops into his nose? This works well for Leah. I put them in before bed and don't suck them out. This helps loosen up the stuff and I think she swallows it. I read to do this in a book - Baby 411 - Very good book! Great reference for sicknessess and such. Plus it's safe - just saline water, you can use as much and as often as you like. Just a thought!

[Debonair]

My Ds is 9 months next week born 1st Feb 05 been NG fed (tube fed) silent refluxer till 6 months with an intolerance to cows milk, he's doing very well now crawling walking with reins, teething like mad. Can anyone help with a schedule of what thier up to we wake anytime between 7-8am but have early wakings from 3/4/5 with teething I just add bonjela to his dummy and he goes back to sleep again for a while.

Thanks

[thitz]

Christine and Hazel, I think you both mentioned that your lo's like to play by themselves a lot.  What toys do they like best?  Emily seems bored with most of her toys.

Debonair, I have Emily's schedule posted in the 'routine 6-12month' post in the EASY forum.

Tarri

[E&J's mommy]

Well, it's been a few pages since I have posted so I thought it was about time. There is not much going on with us. Jordan's schedule has been thrown off a little since I have been sleeping a little later in the morning  :oops: because Jordan is sleeping later  but it still works well, I just shift our day a bit and we catch up by bedtime. He is down to 2 naps a day now for the last week or so. He seems to go 2.5 hours between naps during the day and after his last nap until bedtime he will go a little longer. Maybe because dh is around later in the day and is a different face to look at  . We are getting ready for Halloween - LOVE all the pumpkin pics. We have no patch around here to get some pictures and we haven't bought one for ourselves yet. Just finished Jordan's costume last night - he will be a puppy dog. I will post pics when we have our dress rehearsal.

Hazel: Jordan will not crawl either although he will cruise if we stand him up. He will not pull up either. I know that he will eventually learn but it is a little frustrating. 

JulieB: I am with you on feeling sad about the passing milestones. With my first I was able to enjoy every stage but I know we are only having two so this is my last of every stage. Kind of makes me teary at times.

Everyone else: I hope all of the illnesses and teething pass soon so you all get a little more sleep. Love all of the pictures of the lo's.

Here's a recent picture of Jordan trying to walk. Will check back soon with Halloween pics.

Joanne

[branwen]

Quick response to Jaime-

I just wanted to tell you that my SIL is has been going through a salary thing for a long time.  She finally got a 10K raise from her employer but it is still WAY less than her peers. She is in private industry in NM.  However, she is still thinking of pursuing a case against them through the state department of equal opportunity employment.  I guess there are some employment laws and she can sue for back pay and benefits.  She is a woman too and I guess she has been also invesitaging what the company pays women v. men in her same position and it is VERY imbalanced.  You might want to look at this angle.  I guess the state is the one who would take on the company on her behalf?  I can find out more for you if you want.

I know you love teaching and your job but with the penny pinching have you done the math if you were to stay home?  I know you may not want to be a SAHM full time but it might be worth it.  This was the main reason I didn't go back to my PT job...I would have been paying to work :?

[Daniel's mummy]

Tarri - I don't think I'll really be much help as Daniel will play happily with just about anything!  Anything from a sock  :oops:  to a bottle filled with dry pasta.  Having siad that his favourites seem to be feely books, plastic things that he can bite and chew on, an old remote and a soft toy that makes music.  Anything new does keep him occupied for some time.  Sometimes I just find something plastic from the kitchen and he plays with that on and off all day.  He also loves magazines (pulling them apart) but he does tend to try to eat them as well!

He does have days when he seems a little bored with his toys and then the next day he's fine again.  As I'm sure you'll agree, the answer is not to buy more baby toys!  He gets more enjoyment from household things now really and they are a LOT cheaper

[Leah's Mom]

Tarri - Leah loves most of her toys, especially the basic blocks from fisher price. The one where you can take the shapes out and put them back in the top - star, square, circle, triangle. The best part is the blocks are only like $7. BUT, her favorite toy is her "Treasure Box".

Everyone: I made Leah up a "Treasure Box". It's just a small bin filled with treasures: old phone, old calculator, spatula, measuring spoons and cups, chip bag clips, small plastic bowls, cellophane tissue paper (the kind that just crunches), vitamin jar filled with beans that she can shake, refrigerator magnets, hmmm that’s all I can remember. Anyway, she just LOVES this box. She will pull everything out and put it all back in again. She will play for ever with it. It is the first thing she goes for now. Just and idea!!!!

Debonair - There are some great schedules posted on top of the EASY board. Some of ours are there.

[thitz]

Christine, thanks for the idea.  I'm going to go make up a treasure box right now Tarri

[Leah's Mom]

Good Tarri! Let me know if you can think of any other "treasures" to put in!

[Tammy: Ethan & Kaden's Mom]

Hi all.  Update on us:  Ethan has a full blown nasty nasty cold.  I think those nights he woke up screaming was because his throat was hurting.  I say this now, because mine is killing me!  Yes - he gave me his cold - I mean, how could he not?  I'm only with him all day long!   :evil:  :evil:  :evil:   Oh well.

Anyway, poor guy is so sad looking, but honestly, he's not a total nightmare or anything.  His nose is running, running, running, but I'd rather that than him be congested.  I have a humidifier running in his room as well.  He is started to cough a bit more, so I think it's heading that direction.  Why is it that colds go sore throat, nose, then cough?  I'm sure there's some sort of scientific explanation, I just think it's interesting. 

Anyway, poor guy has been waking through the night, but always goes right back to sleep himself.  I haven't had to get up with him since Tuesday at 3 am.  Knock on wood. 

I'm hoping he'll feel somewhat better in time for Halloween on Monday!  Not that we have big plans, but all us with the little kiddos (which is everyone with kids on my cul-de-sac) kind of get together very early to see all the costumes, and then that's about it. 

Well, have a great weekend everyone!

[HeatherC]

Hey, gals!  Thought I'd pop in and say hello.  I can't wait to see everyone's Halloween pics.  Kelsey is going to be a butterfly.
Kelsey has started saying da-da, and clapping.  She's still attemping to crawl, I think, and really prefers to grab someone's fingers and "walk".  She call pull herself up from sitting, given the right circumstances (meaning that she's sitted in the correct way to reach).  On a pillow on the floor she'll push up onto her feet, but of course can't raise up, so she just has her bum in the air. 
I really think her teeth are coming through this time.  I'm one of those that has said that forever, but I feel sharpness, and I think I saw it when she was crying today.  She's obviously in a lot of pain, too.
Christine-I'm going to copy you and find some "toys" around the house.  Kelsey is definitely bored with her usualls.
I love everyone's recent posts on jusspress, but my computer wasn't allowing me to post comments.
Trick or Treat!

[thitz]

Christine, I made a treasure basket.  One thing she kind of likes is a pez dispenser.  How did you teach Leah to stick the toys back in the basket?

Us, Emily had brocolli for the first time.  I mixed it with yams and she didn't seem to mind it at all:)  As for the time change, we're about 45minutes shifted.  I took her to Walmart to keep her occupied and then snuck in a 20mins catnap on the ride back home around 5:30.  For the first time I just stuck her in the seat at the front of the shopping cart and put the strap around.  She loved being able to sit upright and wiggle her legs around.  I've got to go finish Emily's halloween costume....

Tarri

[sedona314]

Hi everyone:

Just got back online and have been reading through all the posts.  It really touched me that you all thought about me during the storm, thank you.

Well we did get it BAD, it was a level 3 which is very weird as usually when it goes across the state it diminishes.  We had no power or water for the first three days and then the water returned in dribbles and we STILL have no power and are not expected to get it anytime soon.  The area looks like a disaster zone and the lines were miles long at the few gas stations open. grocery stores were either not open or the ones that were had no food. It was very disconcerting getting out of the area when we drove over.  Fortunately, our house did very well.  we lost a lot of trees and foliage, so did everyone, and that isnt too great.

  I am in sanibel, Fl now (about 2.5 hourse west) where they have power and we are renting a condo.  I hear from friends in fort lauderdale that half the city still doesnt have power (including us) and that most traffic lights are still not up.  Gas stations are coming back online and some of the grocery stores.  It has not been fun.

I only had to deal with three days of no power and my dh hooked up the generator so we could at least heat food for Matty and even hooked up the dvd player (what a help!!!) here and there to play the dvd's I had gotten in preparation for the trip,  that was a huge help.

anyway, my sitter is missing in action (she is fine, her and her family are actually in fort myers too and safe and she was supposed to call me!!!! and has dissapeared) and between that, not being able to go home and work expecting me in (even though they dont have power, we dont have power and i dont have a sitter!!!) Is just stressing me out.  I mean, dont get me wrong, we are fine and its beautiful here - we are staying in the condo we had rented for our vacation (ha ha) last week, but wihtout a sitter, ross working, and all thats going on, im just stressed.

sorry to vent. i missed you guys and am glad to be back online.

i'll let you know what work says and the sitter if she ever reappears.

Now matty is crying, i guess he is up from his nap. 

Julie

ps - daylight savings is kicking my ass too, he is now up at  6am, how is it affecting everyone else?

[E&J's mommy]

Julie: Glad to hear that you are doing ok even though you are having a rough time of it.

I don't know about anyone else but  daylight savings is just wreaking havoc on our schedule. Jordan is up at 6:30, down for a nap by 8 (because we just can't stand the fussing anymore) and then the rest of the day is messed up. He is asleep right now so I am hoping to get another hour out of it and then maybe we will be back on schedule for tomorrow. The last two days all of his naps were one sleep cycle so that didn't help either. On top of that he had his third tooth break through and there are 3 more I can see waiting in the wings on the top. I hope he gets them one after the other so we can get back to normal. If that wasn't enough, today is Halloween and I just have to take him to a few houses for his first and get some pictures. It will be a busy day but I'm sure I will forget the crankiness in a couple of days.

Hope the rest of you are doing better with the time change.

Joanne

[branwen]

Julie- I am SO glad that you are okay!  That sounds so stressful and overwhelming.  I'm just thankful that you three are well and that your house survived!

Daylight savings I thought would be a breeze since she had been sleeping until 8am on her own!!! the past week.  I thought in my infinite wisdom that she was auto-adjusting...so she'd be getting up at 7am.  But, OF COURSE, that is not what happened.  She woke at 5:45 today and first nap at 7 and our naps are all over today...I can hear her humming upstairs so this one isn't lasting long :roll: