Jan/Feb 05 chat - Thread #3

[julieb]

Ugh, we're still in the throws of the month long teething marathon waiting for that last top tooth to break through.  :?   We now have a 6 am habitual wake up (for the last 5-6 days).  So I'll try wake to sleep tomorrow morning.   :roll:   And we've been having short 45 minute naps nearly every afternoon.  Lord knows why!  Teething, overstimulation, poor sleep??  Take your pick.  I'm wiped out.

Oh, and as of yesterday, I dropped to 3 BF.  Well, 2 full (morning & night), and 2 half (after naps).  For the first time in a couple weeks, he's actually taking a full feed at bedtime again.  I switched on accident (or necessity really).  Asher was refusing his afternoon nap (overstimulation) and I was desperate to get him to sleep at least a little or we'd be in for a hellish night.  So I kept trying since I knew he wasn't hungry.  Once he finally fell asleep and woke up, there was no time for BF, dinner, BF, so I just did dinner and BF and he was fine!

Tammy, sounds like you have the next best thing, a HOME theater!!  I see most things on DVD nowadays since I don't have nearly the time/money to see everything in the theater.  I LOVE movies.  We belong to netflix so sometimes I sit down with the paper, enter all of the current movies, and load up my queue with future rentals!  Whoever invented netflix, BTW, is my hero!

Vidya, I agree a lot with what Deb wrote.  Remember how Tracy explains to extend from 3-4 hour routines?  Sometimes you have to really distract them when they start getting hungry to stretch them out.  Then hopefully she'll be that much more hungry and take in more.  Are you giving her solid foods she likes?  I have a limited selection with Asher, or I end up sweetening things with pears, bananas, or yams.   :roll:   Such a sweet tooth (like me!)

[herbst99]

Hi there - well we had our first SUMMER weekend here in Cape Town - was 30degree C since friday. So we had a great swim etc.
AND I got to go out to a wedding Saturday - only came home (my parents house - they were babysitting) after 2 am :oops: Felt like a teenager sneaking in! Luckily my mom took the night shift to!! Unfortuanatly I still woke up around Lise'e regular 6am rousing!! so no sleeping in for us. Still had a GREAT time.

Vidya: I agree with the other girls - but something else you might try is to pump after a feed to stimulate your breasts to produce more milk for the next feed (our body is sooo great!!) Your body now will produce enough for the feed as she is taking now - so you need to get her to take more at a feed so you can go longer in between - and as your body is used to making enough currently for her to last 3hrs (i think it is now???) you have to "trick" your body to make more and she will then take more ... does this make sense to anyone else (this is what I tried with growth spurts). Also I wouldn't worry to much about the solids as the milk is still the most important part of her dieet (all the fats etc). Good luck!

Schae: When snot turns green it is a sign of a "bacterial" and not viral infection - so not just a cold that gets better with vitamin C, rest etc. and antibiotics is probably indicated even though there is no fever etc. The fear usually is for ear infections to occur - because our ears and nose is "interlinked". Allergies is something that is possibly agrevating the CURRENT infection to make Luka even more congested possibly?? so you should look at allergies etc and get that sorted out!! I hope Luka gets better soon. Maybe you should "shop around" for a dr. you trust. I know that as soon as I don't trust a dr. I feel very reluctant in taking advice and kind of start doing my own thing. I have found a paed. that I really like and have decided to when I ask advice - I go prepared for all his answers with possble questions - and then after our discussion - I follow his advice. I think that this will make "health issues" a non issue ... So good luck!!

[Tammy: Ethan & Kaden's Mom]

Hi all - hope you had a good weekend!

I did it - I finally stopped the df on Saturday!  I was so nervous about it - that he would wake up.  And he did, but not fully.  Just some moaning and reshuffling in his crib on Saturday.  And then last night, he still woke some, but no moaning, just reshuffling.  Hope he'll figure out that I'm not coming in anymore!  But so far so good - knock on wood!

Oh, and Ethan has been waking earlier and earlier.  For the longest time, he would wake at 7 on the dot.  Then he started moving that to 7:30 by himself.  I thought that it was because it was getting lighter later in the morning.  Then, when I started to decrease his df, he started waking earlier and earlier.  The past 2 nights, with no df, and he's slept until 7 again!  He still wakes between 5 and 6, but goes back to sleep.  So, here's hoping the trend continues!

Julieb - that home theater is my husband's baby.  Honestly, it's just sad!   :roll:  :wink:
Oh, and I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with a sweet tooth for a kid (or is that the other way around)?   :wink:   I started him on veggies first, cause some people say if they eat fruit first, then that's all they want.  So, he liked pretty much everything - except anything green!  He doesn't like peas, green beans, zucchini.  Weird.  Anyway, now that he's been introduced to everything, he just LOVES all fruit.  I swear I can't fill him up on it.  But most veggies - forget it.  He does love carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash.  But that is it.  I'm hoping when he starts finger foods, he will like to eat the peas and green beans. 

BTW - to all you moms - Ethan doesn't seem particularly ready for finger foods.  If I give him veggie puffs, sometimes he just plays with them, he doesn't even put them in his mouth.  I also tried him on some very ripe banana, and he was totally not interested.  So, I was just curious when or if you started?  And what you started with?

Have a great day!

[Leah's Mom]

Tammy - Leah has been eating finger foods for over a month. I started with the puffs also. At first she just played with them, but now she will eat them. I would let him play, eventually he'll figure it out. Show him - I would put something on her tray and then eat it myself. She now eats - puffs, wagon wheels, cheerios, bannana, pear that's about it.

[diyasmom]

Code: [Select]

Hi all
We have been having a really tough time! I don't know if teething an eye tooth, separation anxiety or the jet lag from the trip is the culprit. Saturday night, she woke up eveery 2 hrs. That was the worst night for us and I ended up cutting my finger accidentally with a knife yesterday when I was sleep deprived. Anyhow, last night she was good. She slept through! Thanks to Deb's idea of moving the dinner to a later time instead of a BF!
Deb: I can't thank you enough for taking the time to answer my questions in 3 different forums! You had asked about the A time. If I increase it, she is fine and she even sleeps for the 2 hrs sometimes, making it a 4 hr EASY. The only problem is she wakes up that night. I have been reading all the 4 hr transition posts and slowly moving her second feeding to 3.30 hrs and the first one to 3.75 hrs. This way, it won't be too different for her all of the sudden. We reduced one BF session according to your suggestion and she slept through last night. I have one question for you. Diya really wanted to feed from one breast for the first 2 feedings for sometime. I was the one who was forcing her to take all the milk so that she will sleep through and I used to offer the second breast 30 mins to 1 hr later. And then I was complaining that she wasn't taking solids :lol:  Do you think that I should just leave it with feeding from one breast?
Juileb: I am giving her table food only and mostly from my plate. She loves this and I am reducing the salt and spices now so that she won't get Acid reflux like me! Thanks for the suggestion about reducing the salt.
Nikki: That was a great idea and Branwen had suggested that in the BF forum too. I am going to try that tommorrow
Others: I have another question! After coming from San francisco, Diya's bedtime changed to 9p.m. She acts very sleepy at her usual bedtime. But if I feed and put her to bed, she screams with a mantra cry looking at all the lights in the other rooms. So, if I turn off all the other lights, she gets very mad and cries. She ends up doing that till 9p.m and then falls asleep. Should I move her bedtime to 9 and try to move it up by 15 mins at a time .  Should I put her down when she shows sleepy signs at 8.30 p.m
Really sorry about the long post! I have to bring it off my chest and also get valuable suggestions from you guys!

[thitz]

Tammy, I started Emily out on peas but she couldn't pick them up.  Then I tried wheat puffs and after about a week she's become a pro.  She watched me pick up the puff and put it in my mouth and then I started chewing with my mouth open and stuck my tongue out so she could see it.  She LOVES them now.  Also, it's a great delay tactict when I'm trying to get her meal ready.

Heather, are you out there somewhere?

Tarri

[Jaime]

Tammy - i haven't started Luke on finger foods yet either... up to this point he hasn't seemed very interested in what we've been doing.  however, lately he's been very interesting in picking things up period, so i think we may be trying soon... it's so weird - jaina always wanted to be doing these kinds of things, and he just doesn't.  i sometimes wonder if it's a boy thing...

Vidya - just to play devil's advocate - it will be daylight savings in 2 weeks.  then her 9pm bedtime will be 8pm again.  something to think about.  otherwise, i'd work at slowly cranking it back 15 minutes at a time until you've got it where you want it.

[Leah's Mom]

Daylight savings!  :shock:  :shock: Great! Now our 6-6:30 wake up will be 5 -5:30!!! I know for a fact it will take Leah a few weeks to straighten things out. Why or why do they have to change the time on us!?!?!?!  :twisted:

[Schae]

Shew! Daylight saving can really mess up the routine hey?
Vidya, I'm glad the solids and sleeping is going well, but once again, I'm clueless as to how to help solve your problem. Jaime's mention of daylight savings should have some bearing though.

Tammy: Luka isn't on real finger foods yet. He'll have a chip (a baked one) and suck on it to his hearts content. But he hasn't even tasted peas yet. Well done on the df!

Nikki: Isn't summer LOVELY?!  Thanks for the info. I'm aware of the whole green snot = bacterial infection, but I'd prefer it if real tests were done rather than the paed looking at the snot and saying, yup antibiotics. He also told me that there are no alternatives and no side effects.. things that I know for a fact aren't true. This paed was recc'd by a few ladies whom I trust, but I am on the lookout for a new one.

Us: Not much really. We're going to interview a paed tomorrow. Wish us luck. We still have the nightwakings, but they're not as bad as they used to be. I'm just learning to deal with it.

[julieb]

Wake to sleep worked this morning!!  He woke at 7 am!  Praise God!!   :lol:

Just got back from our first trip to the zoo.  I'm wiped.  Asher wouldn't go down for his afternoon nap, so I had to rock him.  Even if he doesn't nap in the car seat, I noticed he has a hard time if we do anything BIG during A time.   :roll:

And now he's up after just 45 minutes!   :shock:  Bye for now!

[E&J's mommy]

Hi there,

I am excited about the new thread. Anytime I tried to jump in on the old I ran out of time to post my own reply.

Us: I am 30, at home right now until I have to go back to work in January :cry:  I have a boy, Jordan, who was 8 months on Saturday and a girl, Erin, who will be 3 years old in a few weeks. DH and I have been married for 4 years and were friends for 7 years before we married, but that is another story for another time. Jordan is pulling up in his crib and trying pull up on other furniture, will roll everywhere and is starting to cruise. No interest in crawling or sleeping through the night.

Looking forward to chatting!

Joanne

[Leah's Mom]

Joanne- I LOVE the curls that Erin has! Leah also has no interest in sleeping thru the night!  :lol: - well maybe it's not funny......  :wink:

[Kinlagh's Folks]

Julieb - As usual, sounds like Kinlagh and Asher are in similar boats, but this time for different reasons I think.  Hope you get those naps straightened out.

Tammy - Way to go on dropping df. 

He still wakes between 5 and 6, but goes back to sleep.

  Kinlagh's mornings are exactly the same.  Usually some stirring around 5:30 and she too is a 7am waker.  Strange!  As for finger foods, we started with dry food.  Like crackers, cheerios and bread.  With us, Kinlagh found those much easier to pick up so didn't get so frustrated.  We are now onto pears and bananas too, but she's still having some issues picking those up so we coat them in dry infant cereal to help.  Worked like a charm today.  I found that one day, it just clicked for her.  If she could only get those slippery foods in those tiny fingers.

Schae - Good luck on the dr. interview.

Joanne - Welcome fellow Canadian!!!  Where in Nfld are you?  I often travel to St. John's/Mount Pearl for work...well not now, but will again shortly.  I too return to work in January.

Vidya - 

I don't know if teething an eye tooth, separation anxiety or the jet lag from the trip is the culprit.

   Probably a combo of all of the above.  Poor little Diya.  Hope your finger's ok.  And as for the later bedtime, what was her old bedtime prior to your trip?  I think we'll all be doing some rearranging of bedtimes with the upcoming time change.  Yikes!

On that note, does anyone have any advice on what the time change will do to our lo's?  Anything we should be doing to prepare them?  Our routine is just starting to get back on track after our standing/first cold/teething craziness, so might as well work on a routine that'll work post time change I guess.



~~~~~~~~~SLEEP VIBES TO ALL~~~~~~~~~~~

[diyasmom]

Tammy: I started Diya with finger foods when she was 7.5 months old. I started with veggie puffs. She would scoop it and put it in her mouth. Then I started giving small pieces of steamed rice cakes which I make at home. I also give her well cooked pieces of diced carrots, broccoli, cantaloupe, homemade whole wheat flour tortilla. She does ok with peas and pieces of pears. You could even try rinsed canned beans later.
Heather: I was wondering the same too. I hope you and Kelsey are doing ok.
Jaime: I was thinking in those terms too but didn't remember when Daylight savings started this year. Thanks! I am going to just stick to the 9 p.m bedtime for now then to make it easy on me!
Julieb: How do you do wake to sleep? Could you please explain it to me if you have time?
Schae: Thanks for thinking about us. I think we are getting better. Diya will let me know the verdict tonight if last night was a fluke.
Michelle: My finger is much better today. Thanks for asking.
 

And as for the later bedtime, what was her old bedtime prior to your trip?

8.30 p.m was her old bedtime
I have been meaning to ask you this for quite some time. How long was Kinlagh's A time before you changed her routine to set Nap times? If you get a chance, could you please post your EASY for the day. I am sorry if you have posted it just recently.
Anyone else with A times longer than 2.5 hrs, could you please post your EASY if you find time?
Vidya[/quote]

[deakinc]

Hi

Anyone else with A times longer than 2.5 hrs, could you please post your EASY if you find time?
Vidya

[/quote]

our EASY program looks something like this..usually about 15 minutes either side-

6.30 wake
7 Bottle - 200ml and daddy time
8 finger food - usually a piece of wholemeal toast cut into little squares with vegemite followed by cereal/porridge with fruit (ie banana or stewed apricot)  and water in sippy cup
9 sleep
11 wake and play
12 lunch usually veges with a little meat and water followed by play time/errands etc
1.30 bottle - 200ml
2 sleep
4 wake and play
5.30 finger food, then veges followed by yoghurt and fruit
6.30 bath time and massage  with daddy
7.00 bottle - 200ml and sleep fingers crossed for the night but seems to enjoy waking at around 4am for some babbling practice.

have to go, 4pm and he's awake just like clockwork!

Cheers
Colleen