March/April Thread #3

[Taylor's Mommy]

Hannah I think it looks good.  So she will be napping at someone else's house right?  Maybe want to include something about making her nap area close to hers at home?  Just a thought

[sophieandhannah]

Thanks Andrea.  Do you mean in terms of blankets,light etc? That kind of thing?
Hannah

[Taylor's Mommy]

yeah, or do you keep sophie's room dim for naps?  use white noise or music, etc?  she may not need those things, so if not great.  I jsut know that taylor does better when she has her white noise machine and her own blankie at other people's houses.

[sophieandhannah]

Gotcha Andrea.  Yes.  I think I will send her taggie and her blanket that she normally uses.  I will add in that we keep the room dark/dim.
Thanks Again.  I really appreciate you taking the time to read that!
Hannah

[becca24]

Andrea - my friend had a party to celebrate her divorce  :roll: Silly really when she is in no way over her husband  :roll: He is off living with a younger version of her anyway  :lol:  :lol: No kidding their personalities are so alike it is freaky.

 :?: For those of you who's lo's are sleeping through the night, do they do so  every night?? Or do you have a few nights of each. What I mean is Halle will sleep through for a few nights, then a few nights of waking (usually once) sometimes twice. I am not complaining BTW. I'm just checking if this is normal (whatever that is :?  :? )

OK a little vent or whatever, just wondering what you guys think of this - Lately, I have been feeling very guilty about the way I used to be before I had Halle. It's hard to explain but I used to think people with babies and/or pregnant people were sooooo boring. :oops:  I would even get cranky/upset with my friends who didn't want to go out with me. When asked were someone was, I would say 'off doing family stuff' and then laugh  :oops: Now, all I really want to do is family stuff!!!. It's not that I didn't care about my friends lo's, but I would never ask about them. As far as breastfeeding I was not interested in that either. I thought once a baby got teeth and was walking they should no longer be breastfeed, I was still saying this when I was pregnant. Now I have done a complete turn around and am not even thinking about weaning Halle just yet. I know my friends knew that I would change once I had my own, but I still feel terrible for being that way before. Sorry everyone but I had to tell someone. Thanks for reading if you got this far

[Arwyn's mom]

Good plan Hannah... you are very well prepared!

Andrea... your Thanksgiving weekend sounds like it was BUSY!

Micky... cute picture of Jackson! He looks like he enjoys it, even though it is sans water!

Well... I went to the drop-in this morning and apparently, I am supposed to start brushing Arwyn's teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day. I have been brushing twice a day but no toothpaste. I really don't want to use the funky flavoured stuff... anybody else using toothpaste with their los?

Well... our nights are not getting any better. Arwyn is waking 3-4 times a night and I have been nursing her.  :oops: This has cut down on the crazy multiple wakings but has made me feel extremely guilty. This has been going on for 2 weeks now. I am bracing for pu/pd this week as DH's crazy schedule has returned to normal and I will have a little help.

Jenean... how is it going?

Naomi... how was your first day?

TTFN

[james030405]

Well,  firstly I have had my worst night with James since he has been born - but when I read the troubles that everyone else is having, I realise it probably wasnt that bad.   He went to bed at 6:45pm as per usual, no crying.  Then between then and 11:30pm, he woke every hour. DH got him everytime except for the 11:30pm when I got him and I had to change his nappy and his pj's :? Then he woke at 1:30am and he cried, but as he wasn't doing much of it, I left him and he slept till 6:30am.  Put him down at 9am so hoping for a better night tonight.  Don't know what happened, all his teeth are thru (poor little man got 3 at once last week).  He wasn't hungry, thirsty, just one of those night and each time he woke, he only needed a couple of reassuring pats to get back to sleep.   :shock:

We have been doing a new routine for the last week and so far so good.  We have been having a morning bottle with breakfast and midmorning bottle at lunch.  so our routine looks like this:

7am - bottle/breakfast
9am - nap
10:30am - water and maybe a piece of fruit
11:30am - bottle/lunch
1:30pm - nap
3pm - bottle
5pm - dinner
5:30pm - bath
6:30pm - bottle
6:45-7- bed

I have actually been using a sippy cup instead of a bottle for his breakfast and lunch feeds.  So we only have 2 bottles per day.  Is anyone else doing solids and milk at same time and also how many bottles is everyone still on?  I am not sure when to drop that 3pm bottle.   :?

ANyway, I will introduce myself again as it is a new thread.  I am Lisa, 32 (33 on the 12th December) and have been with my DH, 33 (34 on Christmas Eve) for nearly 6yrs (known each other for nearly 14).  We have 1 dog who is 10yrs old and James is our first child.  DH is a cabinetmaker and I am a medical secretary.  Not sure if I am going back to work yet or not, will have to see.  I am enjoying being a SAHM  :wink: . 

I haven't read all the 7 pages yet, so I hope everyone is doing okay.  NOt many sleeps till Christmas. I personally LOVE Christmas.   

Chat soon

Lisa mum to James my textbook/spirited koala bear

[mickymuscles]

hey ankie...we use toothpaste here (fruit flavored) but it doesn't have flouride just because he swallows it all so i wasn't sure that was ok.  I think the minty ones might be a bit too strong just yet for the lo's but that's just me.  Good luck with the pu/pd....it is so hard but definitely pays off in the long run.

As for being able to extend naps.....doesn't work really here anymore.  I had to get him to take alonger nap yesterday.  He slept for 30 min....cried with pu/pd for an 1 1/2 hours then finally fell asleep again for another 45 min.  :roll:   I doubt I'll do that very often....too hard on him and me!!

[Colesmom]

**warning-LONG post**

Hannah-that plan is GREAT.  Nice job putting it together without sounding like a BW fanatic but just a caring and concerned mommy

Micky-so love the pic of Jackson, can't wait to show DH when he gets home.  What a little trooper.

Roz-totally hear you on the procrastination and lists issue with DH.  Mine is getting better though.  He's realizing how valuable our time is now with Cole.

Judy-ah Judy, thank you so much for taking the time to keep me sane on Friday and again today.  I was just thinking this afternoon when I read about Andrea going cold turkey on the DF that maybe I should try it too.  I mean, could I really have a worse night than last night-doubtful!  No sense in having to do this all over again in a month.  I did read Weissbluth today and he said if the baby goes right back to sleep after a night feed then it's not an issue, but if they want to play it is...so I was going to keep it.  You've given me the courage to charge forward

Holly-thank you so much for your kind words over the thread and the phone.  So much appreciated.

Cathy-can't believe I didn't even send you (((hugs))).  I was so wallowing in my own misery this morning that I couldn't think straight.

Okay girls-here is how the rest of my day went.

After holding him to sleep for nap 1 and extending it by holding him and sleeping with him I was resolved that something had to change.  I pulled out my Weissbluth book and it motivated me to stop holding Cole.  I have to remember that I'm not MAKING him cry, I'm LETTING him cry to get out frustration that I'm doing something different.

On to nap #2.  Did a longer windown, went for a brief walk outside, read a book.  Think this might help.  I'd been slacking in the windown dept. lately.  I then did the usual singing, putting on of Grobag.  He had been up about 2:40 at this point.  I layed him in the crib on his side and rather than let go and have him stand up I held his leg firmly and said over and over, time for sleep, it's okay, time for sleep.  He would cry, but not scream and I kept saying it.  He'd reach for my hand to suck and I wouldn't let him pull it away.  When he'd cry harder I'd do a couple of pupds and continue on.  It took 30 min. but he went to sleep by himself.  YAY!  Of course, it ended up being a 30 min. nap.  rats.  I tried to extend for 20 min. and by that time it was feed time.  I totally expected to fall asleep on the boob but he didn't.

Judy, Bec and Andrea-thanks for giving me the courage to extend A time, drop catnap.  It helped that his nap ended at 2pm.  We went over to a friends place at 3:30 to pick up some stuff. Her mom was there who watches her 2 year old. So we played with him for an hour. Then home for dinner, bath, feed, book and bed. 

Same process as nap 2 except he was out cold in...........drum roll please................TWO MINUTES FLAT!!

He went down at 5:45, earlier than I'd wanted but given no catnap I figured that's good.  I'll gradually stretch him to 6pm over a couple of weeks.  And once I extend naps and get better night sleep I think we'll be all set.  He's past the 30 min. mark...was expected some kind of noise being he's very tired but nothing so far.  woopee!

PHEW.  Sorry for my pity post this morning.  I was just so exhausted. 

gosh, hope I didn't miss anyone.  gotta go straighten this place out.  what a disaster it becomes when you have to sleep when they sleep.

[kate585]

Hey, there!  Sorry about the rough nights, girls.  Ryan, too, has been out of whack since we left last week.  Yesterday I had to wake him from 2 hour and 1.5 hour naps and today I didn't even get 2 hours total!   :x   Hope he goes down well in a bit.

Hayley...what a cutie your Little Bear is!!!  That first one would be a great xmas card shot, if you do that. 

Okay, I just looked back down to check something and I have apparently missed a few pages?  Sorry if something big has happened and I look like a jerk for not responding!!!  I'll have to go back and read to catch up.  I didn't refresh my browser, I guess.

On that note, I'll sign off with a few pics of my darling boy.  One is him with his Santa hat.  We got an adorable one, but I'll save that for the cards.   :wink:   The other one is one of the pics I took of him in the tub the night before Hannah posted the SAME shots of Sophie.  How weird is that?  Anyway, I've gotta go get reading.  Later, my ladies!

[james030405]

Bec, we have the same problem with James re: sleeping through thenight (see earlier post).  I usually find he does the same thing, will sleep through for a few nights in a row and then will wake up anywhere from 1 - 5........... (see earlier post :cry: )  I wouldn't worry about how you are feeling at the moment, there are things, I use to say I would do/not do before I was pregnant (like use cloth nappies and not disposable ones).  This hasn't happened.  Until you actually have a baby, you only have ideas about what you want to do and how you feel and after they come it all changes.  Your obviously doing a great job

Traci, I am sorry you are having a bad time with Cole.  It makes it hard when they all of a sudden change.  I find in the afternoon James is awake from about 2:30pm - 3pm until 6:45pm.  It makes dinner a bit hard as he is getting tired and sometimes I usually go for a walk around 4:30pm just so he can wind down a bit.  If he falls asleep that is okay.  Bedtime will get later for you, but your doing a great job and you will get there.

Thanks (I am not sure who it was) who wrote about toothpast.  Our kids toothpast here says not to do it before 1 so I have been just using water and a toothbrush (James has 6 teeth).

Sorry, if I haven't answered everyone.   :oops: This thread moves so fast.......... :roll:

Chat soon and hugs to everyone

Lisa mum to James my textbook/spirited koala bear

[Nikki~Nathan&Danielle]

Bec, since I was the first in my group to have children (and even now the other 2 who do don't live near me) I know my childless friends don't understand or even really care about where my life is at (they do, but not really if that makes sense?).  That's ok, I just know that they won't realise what it's all about until they have children and definitely don't hold it against them.  I do wonder though if they'll remember some of the comments they've made.  :wink:  Maybe you could bring it up with them if you feel guilty for that, but I wouldn't dwell on it, as we all know, nothing in the world can prepare you for being a mum or the feelings of "family" until it happens.  BTW, several of my friends have made a breastfeeding comment in relation to having teeth being the time for them to not be feeding any longer.  I just let it roll off my back and know that they're only speaking from not knowing otherwise.  I used to think it was funny when my mum told of a story where she used to let me CIO in the bathroom at night (it was the furtherest room in the house) when I was 2wks old because "I didn't need feeding in the night anymore"  :shock: .  In fact she recounted the story on the day Nathan was born to my midwife who was  :shock: . Boy, has it taken me a long time to get over that (and even now it majorly pi$$es me off, even though she was doing what she thought best at the time), when I had Nathan I thought how could anyone do that!  Becoming a mum has made me see otherwise.

Night wakings - yep Danielle will sleep through for a week or so and then go back to one waking a night anywhere from 1-4am.  I have just started to try and resettle her the first time for a few minutes, but often end up just feeding.  I know she doesn't need it since she's on 3 good meals a day and 4 breastfeeds.

[Jayri]

hey girls, I just came onto say hi!
My first day was fine, a little overwhelming tho. I was doing good this morning with the whole leaving the kids until Jay walked up and told me he loved me.
It was quite neat, we are training for the first three weeks, we spent most of the day on a conference call with montreal and toronto.
There is soooo much stuff to take in, a little too much at the moment, but I will do my best to trudge thro it and make it in the end.
I will try and write more tomorrow for you fine ladies, but I am positively knackered and I had work to finish at home, plus I have to go and find my note I did on us and canadian airport codes as well as us and canadian geography.
Phew....they say it will get easier, it probably will, I am just a little freaked out as I haven't done any of this stuff in 5yrs.
Janean is going to try to put a pic up of me tomorrow for you all, we both remembered this am when I had already left...duh!!!!
TTFNMFL
Thank you once again for all of you being so awesome, it really helped.
Oh traci, how is that list going!!!

[Judy]

Kate that picture is too adorable - BOTH of them!!

I'm really surprised by some of the breastfeeding comments people are getting - especially Ankie!  I've never had anyone ask why I haven't weaned yet and in fact if anything many people have given a 'good for you' for still doing it. Hmmm

Traci - good luck girl... On the plus side - just as you said, not like you could get a whole lot LESS sleep so why not give it a whirl eh?

As for toothpaste I was under the impression no flouride until they were 5 or so and could spit the toothpaste out.  We give the older girls that toddler/first steps toothpaste (deja vu - have I already typed this?  Or was I talking to someone about it in person??  Not sure :oops: ).  All they do is suck it off straight away.  Actually for a few nights Zoe's been using it to actually brush with which is a bit of a start.  I accidentally put it on my toothbrush recently - BLECK!!!

[Olivia's Mommy]

Wow...I'm gone for one holiday, and a new thread and 8 pages later....

You guys have been busy! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I'm sorry, I can't take the time to catch up on everyone's life. Just wanted to jump back on and say "hi!" and brag on my little girl. She did GREAT traveling, considering she was completely off-schedule most of the time. She took fairly good naps, considering, and slept great at night. She was so much fun and the whole family loved having her around. It makes me look forward to traveling at Xmas.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Later!