Jan/Feb 05 chat - Thread #3

[HeatherC]

Tarri, yes, the picture was taken at a studio.  And, yes, I kept both dresses!  :oops:   I really shouldn't have as it's silly to have too many things she'll only wear once, but my mom is a bad influence and talked me into it.

As for wind down, I still rock Kelsey for 10 minutes.  I finally realized she doesn't need me to any more, but I do it for me, too.  It's the only time she lets me hold her and I just love it.  I realized once she started the crawling around business that she can put herself to sleep.  As I go to lay her down, she could be sawing logs dead asleep, but she immediately twists to get on her belly, crawls to her baby doll, grabs it and sits there.  I don't know what she does from there cause I walk away without making eye contact.  But I do know that she goes to sleep and that's all that matters.  There are times I wish I could just plop her down in the crib, but I think she still needs that transition time.  At night, though, I'm usually ready for my time, and I only rock her for about 5 minutes unless she's just so sleepy that it's too cute and I can't seem to let go.

[klt]

Heather I love that avatar - she is truly beautiful and looks so grown up!  Ciara still has only baby hair with bald patches, just like my dad!  She is still a little flat on the diagonal back/side of her head from where she got in the habit on laying. 

She is also a squirmer, won't sit on your lap to read a story unless it has things in the book she can grab and touch.  Julie, she sounds like Asher as she is a real tough nut, tumbling around all day and taking knocks and bruises quite merrily - bit of a tomboy perhaps!?  After whisking through her bedtime story I always try and do lullaby and cuddles but she pushes out of my arms so I just lay her down and do it while I am tucking her in.  Christine, I also know she can get down from standing as she does it all day but it didn't stop her from calling me for help in the night!  maybe they do it sometimes when we're not there and we only know about the times they get us for help?   :wink:

I am feeling sooo good as we have had 6 nights in a row of sleeping through - hurrah!  And this morning we all slept in till 8  :shock: I guess we needed it.  Don't really know what happened, maybe she just got it out of her system.  BUT the afternoon nap has been wrong all week - connection?  Dare I wish for perfection?!     She hasn't slept more than an hour at the most in the pm.  I tried waking her from the morning one earlier but still no good.  I've tried pd for an hour but no good.  She just wants up.   Then she seems ok but a couple of times has needed a catnap when we go out to walk the dog.  Maybe I could use some tweaking?   
7: wake and bf
7.45ish: solids
9.30: sleep
10.30ish: wake, juice, snack
11.45: solids
1: sleep - this week waking up after 45 mins
2.45: bf
3.30: go for a walk, rest in stroller
5: solids
6: bath
6.30: bf/bottle (she only wants bottle here lately)
before 7: bed

thanks everyone!

Kate

[Deb_in_oz]

kate do you think she could go down later for the second nap - at least another half hour A time?  she might not be tired enough to sleep more than 45min (meaning she is tired but thinks she just needs a little recharge, rather than being tired enough to do more like 1.5hrs+)

just a thought.

she defnitely sounds like one of the club though.  amazing how many of these lo are alike! Congrats on the sleeping through! i have not once had either girl sleep until 8am I think Dh would die from happiness if that ever happened- i am guessing that soon enough i will have to wake them for school and they will groan and complain abbout having to get up early- and i will laugh and tell them - you don't know what early is 

[StrawberryAnnie2]

Hanna is waking anywhere from 2-4 times a night. I'm not sure if it's from teething or the fact that she's almost walking, or maybe a bit of both. I'm trying to be a good Babywhisperer and figure out how to help her sleep through the night, but I'm getting kind of frustrated.

What kind of pain killers are you all giving your LO's to help with teething pain? I prefer to stay away from drugs, but I am so tired now and would love a good nights sleep. I have only tried Infant Advil and homeopathic Chamomilla balls, neither of them seem to help.

Here's Hannah's routine

6:30-7am wake up - breastfeed

8am - breakfast

9:30 or 10am - nap

11-11:30 - wake up breastfeed (I should drop this feed since she really doesn't need it)

12-lunch

2-nap

2:45-wake up- breastfeed

4-snack

5:30-dinner

6:30-bath and breastfeed

7pm-bed

Our winddown routine is rather long. We sit and read a TON of books, then I turn out the light and sing her a few songs, she gets squirmy and doesn't really want to snuggle then I lay her in bed and she drops off pretty quickly.


Hope you all have a good weekend.

Joanne

[Leah's Mom]

Glad to hear everyone is doing well. We are in the Christmas frantic stage as I realize this is my last weekend to do the shopping!  :shock: For those of you who's LO's don't pull themselves up, watch out!!!! Leah is now pulling herslef up and she didn't show any signs before. Yesterday she just started doing it and now today she is pulling up on EVERYTHING!!!!!!! I was looking out the patio door and she crawled over and pulled herself up, there isn't even anything to hold onto!!!!!!!  :shock: Well, must run. I'm going to wrap presents while Leah naps and then we are going to finish our shopping.

[Daniel's mummy]

Hi all.  This thread moves sooo fast :lol:   

We're having a good day here.  Daniel slept in til 7.10 this morning    Was VERY nice.  The last few nights he's been waking up at about 5am and chatting for a bit.  We decided he was possibly getting too much daytime sleep (at least 3.5 hours!) so yesterday and the day before I started waking him up after an hour in am and hour and half in pm.  Could this have done the trick?  Maybe. 

Christine - have fun now with the pulling up.  I am not looking forward to that bit, or at least not the falling downs!  Daniel is no where near pulling up (I don't think :? ) as he still can't go from tummy to sitting.  He reaches up for stuff when on his tummy, squirms all over the place but can't pull up.  Do I need to 'teach' him how to go from tummy to sitting?  He can do sitting to tummy but just not the other way. 

Tantrums - boy can this kid throw a tantrum!!!  Already we have mini melt downs when he doesn't get his own way.  He throws himself around and squeals.  I actually find it quite cute when he does it.  He sudden;y seems to find all this strength from somewhere :shock:   Anyone else having this?

We don't really have a wind down anymore.  Sometimes I sit with him in the nursery for a few seconds and we talk (mainly for my benefit   :wink: ) but other than that he just gets put in his cot and that's it.  He LOVES bed though so that helps.  I've been expecting sleeping to get difficult with him getting mobile but as yet he's not been affected at all.  Once he's laid down he doesn't really move.  Other than flap his arms with excitement when he gets his lovie - soooo sweet.

Speaking of lovies - he has a sheep which he sleeps with.  I put him down for his nap a couple of mins ago and he just managed to chew the tail off the sheep :shock:   It's like a ball stitched on to the sheeps bum!  Did freak me out a bit because it was IN his mouth (and EXACTLY the right size to choke on)  I'm just glad he did it when I was there and not when he was on his own.  If anyone else's lo has a teddy/doll etc  just check that nothing could come off.  This tail looked so well attached but obviously not.  Be ware.

Flat head issues - Daniel has a slightly flat head on one side.  He has loads of hair now though so it's not very noticeable.  I didn't realise it was so common but so many of you have said that your lo has it too.  He used to always sleep facing the right but now always sleeps to the left.  We keep joking that he'll get a pointy triangular shaped head :lol: if the other side goes flat.  Are their heads a lot stronger and harder now though or will it still flatten?

Someone else was talking about how they can't have their lo in bed with them (Debra and Christine?)  Us too.  Daniel goes wild - clapping waving, hitting, slapping, rolling...)  Not helpful when DH is trying to sleep. 

Julieb- Daniel and I were watching some of Asher's video clips this morning.  Daniel was laughing his head off at the ones of Asher laughing.  Then when we watched the one where Asher is saying mamamama Daniel looked at me and started saying it too.

And finally - we had a funny moment last night when Daniel pooed (!) in the bath.  Unfortunately we hadn't finished washing him so we had to finish him off with the shower. Was very funny watching DH fish it out :shock:  :lol:   The photo was taken just after the offending incident.  Daniel seemed quite pleased with himself really.

[HeatherC]

Hazel-we are right in the middle of tantrums gone wild here, too.  I can find a tad of humor in it, but usually I get ticked.  I try not to as I realize she doesn't understand why I'm pulling her away from what is so interesting to her.  But in the store the other day she wanted to hold the baby food jars I was getting off the shelf.  Obviously not something for a baby to hold and potentially drop, so I wouldn't give in.  She just cried and cried big 'ol tears.  Luckily it wasn't too big of a scene, and she wasn't the only kiddo in there throwing a fit.  At home is worse because she wants to go everywhere I don't want her to.  However, I was reminded of what a sweet girl she is when someone asked, "Does she always smile that much?"  She really has been an angel lately.

Christine-I just had to laugh at you and Leah.  There is no stopping them once they pull up.  Everything is fair game.  What's hard for Kelsey is things in the kitchen b/c it's a hardwood floor and as she's pulling up her feet are sliding out from under her.  This is one room I really have to watch her.

We haven't installed cabinet locks yet b/c we plan to move early in the next year (fingers crossed), so I'm just on guard all the time.  There's really only one cabinet she's interested in, and it's only when she's in her walker and strolls over to it (more like races over to it).  So, I rigged it shut with a shoestring for now.  Have you all installed these locks yet?

Is anyone bathing their lo in the big bath tub and no other baby tub yet?  I've considered doing this with a mat under her, but still a bit timid.

[klt]

Thanks Deb for taking a look at our routine, I will try the later pm nap and see if that works.... 

Heather, can you get the socks with the nonskid soles, like Totes?  We also have hardwood floors and those socks are invaluable.  Ciara's been pulling up for 6-7 wks and before we found them it was really dangerous with her slipping around down here.  We haven't used the baby tub since she was 4mo - the other one just got too small for her to splash around in (she is fearless I tell you!  :shock: ).  I always put a nonslip mat in there, also a godsend as she will not sit still for an instant in there.  I actually never realised just how spirited she was until I recently spent time with my niece and nephew, both v close in age, and saw how laidback and placid they are!   :roll:   

Tantrums aren't too bad though (yet?!) - she does fight me to get to the dog and cat bowls several times a day but I always go over, hold her hands still and tell her she can't go there and then try and distract her.  She does this little frustrated jig up and down and kicks out and complains a lot, and usually crawls straight back as fast as she can.  I have to try and keep a straight face or try and keep cool, depending on how much patience I have at that particular moment!  Good practice for those twos, I guess....

[HeatherC]

Kate, thanks for the info about the socks.  I didn't know they made non-slip socks which is odd considering how much time I spend in the baby department.  I know the 12 mo and up sleepers have the skid-proof feet, but she doesn't fit in those sized sleepers yet.  I'll definitely get those socks.

Kelsey's really doing well taking steps, but she has to be real concentrated or she just wobbles.  It's making me weepy to watch her grow up!

[Jaime]

whew - i know it's been forever since i've posted here but now it's CHRISTMAS VACATION!!!!!!         2 whole weeks of staying home with the kiddos, and preparing for the insanity that is the christmas holiday.   

so, just to hit on some of the hot topics that i've read about in this thread ately....

diapers - luke's been in size 4 since he was about 5 months old.  thankfully, he & jaina have been the same size forever now   :oops:  but i've been buying his (generic) diapers at bj's since i can get more for the money.

naps - luke goes down about 2-2.5 hrs after he wakes up in the morning, and i've been trying to limit him to no more than 1:15.  usually he goes down about 9-9:30.  then he goes down for his afternoon nap anywhere between 2-3pm, depending on when he got up from his morning nap.  this nap runs closer to 2 hours. 

tantrums - luke yells when people walk away from him.  he hates that he can't follow yet.  crazy boy is getting closer everyday, but still can't exactly crawl, so he takes it personally when he can't keep up. 

dh - his name is John.  i realize we're giving luke a complex (john, jaime, jaina...) but there were no boy "J" names that we could agree on.  hadn't really planned on giving the kids J names, but when we found out jaina was a girl, it was the only name we had (since i was sure she was a boy!).

winddown - don't really have much of one anymore.  diaper change if needed, and then dim the lights, turn on the white noise, a quick hug, and into bed.

flat head - well, i can still see it  :oops: but i think his head is rounding out more and more, and john says he can't tell.  and his hair mostly covers it.

bottles - all of a sudden luke seems to have gone to 3/day  :shock: .  started friday night when the sitter never gave him his before bed bottle & he slept all night anyway.  then yesterday he skipped his before lunch bottle and seemed okay with it.  i'm going to see if he'll keep rolling with it.

finger foods - luke is fantastic with them, and now it's just a matter of convincing him that he likes to eat veggies, and not just cereal all the time   :lol:

happy jaime news - posted on the news board but i have almost completely dropped to my pre-jaina size!  i actually bought a pair of size 12 jeans and they look great.  a few of my old pairs of pants fit, but i still have too much saggy skin around my tummy for most of them to be comfy.   :oops:  but i'm so happy - it's been 3 years since i've seen that corner of my closet!      

have a great week everyone!

[Jaime]

Heather - luke has been in the big tub since he could sit up on his own - about 6-7 months.  i might have procrastinated longer, but once they're in there, dh does baths  :wink:

[thitz]

Joanne, your routine looks great to me.  I think maybe you just need to ride it thru without resorting to accidental parenting.  What do you do when you go into her room at night?  Oh, and we use baby advil and it works really well with Emily (takes about 20mins to kick in), we had no luck with tylenol.

Heather, we went straight from infant tub to the big bath, but I sit in the tub with her cause she's very tippy.

Jamie, congrats on the new jeans!  I've lost 3 lbs somehow since summer and it's giving me such a big confidence boost.  I can't fit into my pre-preg pants but the ones I wore in early pregnancy are getting lose

Us, I posted two videos on jusspress of Emily walking a few steps.  She's pretty good but cries hard if I don't catch her for a fall.

We had loud dinner guests last night for fondue and I was soooo impressed with Emily, she didn't cry out at all and I had a really nice time:)

I finished my christmas shopping today, I hope everyone likes their gifts, we tried not to go overboard cause we're still recovering from no income for 8 months.  I feel a bit guilty about not spending as much as usual but it can't be helped :oops: .

Have a good day/night everyone, Tarri

[julieb]

I'm sad.  California time seems to be wearing off, despite my tremendous efforts.      He's woken earlier the last 4 days.  I wondered if it was the short afternoon naps he took the first two days, but then I got good ones the last two and I still have early wake ups.  I even put a favorite stuffed animal in his bed on a whim per Heather's suggestion.

Tarri, I really don't think they need the arm strength to pull up.  Watching Asher, it seems like it's all in his legs.  The hands are just there to steady and hang on.  Here's a link to a video where he learned to stand. 
http://jusspress.com/day.php?userid=7422&currentDate=20050901

Kate, like Deb, I also think your afternoon A time seems on the short side (2.5 hrs?).

Joanne, you can also try coffea cruda homeopathic pellets for the teething.  But really, if the pain relievers aren't even working, I don't think it's teething.  That's a long haul from her afternoon nap till bedtime.  Maybe she's overtired?  Have you tried extending afternoon A time to get a longer nap?  Or put her to bed earlier and cut down some of your wind down time.

Hazel, we've had tantrums for a while when he doesn't get his way as well.  Glad you found the bath time pooping so funny!  I wouldn't have felt quite the same!   :wink:

Heather, I just installed the locks on most of the kitchen cabinets today.  :oops:   They were so hard and I had to pre-drill.  :?   Why can't they make it easy on us and provide self-tapping screws?!  Oh, if I made baby products, what I would do.... :roll:   Asher's been in the big tub since he could sit well on his own (about 7-7.5 months).  He didn't bat an eyelash when we switched over.  I just put an inch or two of water in there and he crawls all over and stands up.  A few times he got a shock when he tried to lay down and put his face in the water, but no big deal.  Oh, and Old Navy sells non-skid socks.  Though I still have Asher barefoot when he's not sleeping.  His toes don't seem to get cold.

[Jaime]

Oh, if I made baby products, what I would do.... 

a budding entrepreneur, perhaps???

btw, LOVED the photo of Asher's bed tent - too funny!   

[Leah's Mom]

Jaime – Christmas vacation already!?!?!?!?!? Grr…… We’re not off until Thursday. Then we go back on the 3rd of January. So our break is about a week and a half. I can’t wait!!! Congrats of the weight loss!

Finally got around to posting some pictures of our Water Park Trip on our jusspress site: http://www.dropshots.com/crebner I also posted a video of Leah pulling up now.

Heather – We also have wood floors in our kitchen/dining room. I bought Leah these awesome shoes. They are called Robeez – they are a bit on the expensive side, but totally comfortable and they have a great grip for our kitchen/dining room. http://www.robeez.com/EN-US/default.htm?lang=EN-US&PriceCat=2&refid=5008 Check then out. I found them at a local shoe store. I bought the booties, very fashionable! We haven’t gone to the big tub yet because I don’t want to wait to run all that water. We did buy a blow up one instead that fits inside the big tub. She can move around in it AND pull herself up. We haven’t installed locks yet. I also have been using rubber bands!  :wink:

Tarri – I am off to check your videos of Emily. I bet she looks so big! 

Hazel – Leah also pooped in the tub the other night, but for my mother who was babysitting. She said the water looked a funny color and then she said Leah picked up some of the poop and handed it to her!  :lol: I found the story quite funny.