March/April '05 Thread #4

[solnme]

I know I'm a little far behind with my response. I had to leave in the middle so I'm just finishing it now.
Hayley - So glad Daniel is eating your food.  Makes yoy feel like it's worth all the effort. 

Naomi - I'm always so impressed you make time to post.  You must be so busy but still keep us updated and say hi.  Go working Moms!

Cathy {{Hugs}} on your crappy night Sol peed on me this morning actually. My Mum advised me to always point Sol down when changing his diaper when he was 3 weeks old.  I found it amazingly funny yet do it everytime.

Richelle - Thanks for the great food ideas.  Have you had any accidents with naked time?  Sol loves it too but I worry about smears and if he's too cold.  Got to get over the B- Fluids thing.

Nancy - now that's a hard night.  My thoughts are that  if holding Olivia is whats working for her keep it up.  She may just need a little extra and time to get back on track.
I agree there has been a change in the force with a lot of these lo's.  Sol's night sleeps have gotten a bit better and the naps are messed up.  He goes down ok but only sleeps for 15 - 20 mins.  Oh cranky, cranky baby.

Now I have to go back a read what I've missed.

[Nikki~Nathan&Danielle]

Boy, I go out of the house for 5hrs and come back to all these posts!  :wink:

Judy, this is the way our day works now on longer activity (of course she's never doing the same thing everyday because nap lengths and morning wake up vary).

6-7am wake and BF
8-8.30am breakfast (more when I can be bothered  :oops: )
9.30 am nap (45mins) - I wake her from this otherwise we're trapped in the house too much with trying to get her 2nd nap kwim?
11-11.30am BF (I actually forgot to offer it yesterday!  :shock: )
12-12.30pm lunch
1-1.30pm nap (this is getting a bit tricky since she's lengthening A time) - will be anywhere between 45m-1.5hr
2.30-3.30pm BF
5pm dinner
6.45pm Bf
7pm bed

We're all over the place though, it's all quite flexi here, I'll feed her earlier if I want to leave the house, or late if we're out - with solids in there she never gets to the point of starving anyway, so I'm happy as long as I get 4 BFs in and 3 solid meals.

Thanks for the encouragement for working on our night waking - I think we'll manage to crack it fairly easily.  I know she uses me to recalm down in the night, so I just need to break that association and then hopefully she'll give up waking up at that time?!

[Colesmom]

Hey Girls,

I have read but not taken notes and you know my memory is :roll:

Hugs to Andrea ( I hear you on the naps!), Nancy and Cathy ( I hear you on the night wakings!), Michelle and Molly-hope it went okay.

Micky-sounds like Jack is okay now?

Nikki-good luck with your nights.

Judy-i just tried writing out my day but it is all over the place.  I THINK I've figured him out...maybe. more on this below.

Our night...hmmmm, not sure i remember it now.  I caved and held his hand to sleep as we had company over and I wanted to have fun.  Down at 6:50.  Woke at 10:00, DH resettled, woke at 12:10, I resettled, woke at 3:00 and held him to sleep (fell asleep in glider until 4), woke at 5:45, wouldn't resettle, even after feed.  I THINK if I fed him at 3 he would have gone straight through.  As much as I don't want to feed him in the night...our wakings seems to be worse without.

Our day was a rollercoaster.  After early waking I put him down 3 hours later for nap 1.  It was 40 min. long. Woke just as I sat down to coffee and UP :evil:  Attempted to put him down 3.25 hours after that which was 12:45 for nap 2.  Kind of early...but figured A time is long enough.  Well, he fought me and fought me and started playing and chewing his crib rail and well, I gave up.  Came outside for 15-20 minutes and went back in at 1:45.  He went down like a charm and I WOKE HIM AFTER TWO HOURS.  WTF???  Andrea, that WTF was for you!  Keep him up over 4 hours and get a good nap!  Anyway, what I failed to mention was my midday meltdown-when we came out of the room after giving up on nap I was bawling.  So hard with DH back at work after having him here (even though it was only a few extra days).  I felt like such a failure, especially after having such good naps yesterday.

Anyhoo, my take is that he needs naps at 9:30 and 1:30 now ( or thereabouts) regardless of waking.  sooooooooo I'm going to try that for a bit.

Went down tonight at 7:05 after 12 min. of PUPD.  i must be consistent, i must be consistent, do not give up, do not give up okay, just trying to psyche myself up for the night.

okay girls, you thought you missed me already.  DH starts his coursework for his CMA tonight.  soooo, I'm getting the boot in 15 minutes.  My &^%$^& connection was down all day. Boy-did I need you girls at around 1:30 this afternoon.  I was just so upset and not feeling very good about myself as a mommy :oops:  :cry:

alright-long enough.  I'm feeling better obviously after the two hour nap

[Little Bear's Mum]

Hello, another busy day here I see.

Nikki - when we were trying to get Daniel to sleep thru once I had decided to stop feeding at night, DH was the magic ingredient. It took 5 nights of him getting up to him and then a couple of me and then mostly Daniel slept thru. Before that, if I had gone to him he wouldn't settle without a feed. DH going to him he was fine, settle within 5-10 mins.

Andrea - hang in there. I agreee with the others, you can probably be a little flexi in your routine now and it won't matter. Personally I've noticed with Daniel that since he's been going down for naps at approx the same time each day his naps have become more consistent. Also the longer awake time has helped huge amounts.

For anyone interested his routine is now like this:

6.20am wake
6.45am get him out of cot
7.o0am breakfast (solids)
8.30am bottle (220mls)
9.30am nap #1
11.00am wake
11.45 lunch (trying to stretch to 12noon)
1pm bottle (220mls)
2.30pm nap #2
4.00pm wake
4.30pm dinner (trying to stretch to 5pm)
6.45pm bottle (280mls)
7.pm sleep for night

Although Daniel's not waking as such at night he is calling out a few times. Sometimes I can leave him a couple of minutes and he stops and carries on sleeping, other times I go in to find him at the bottom of the cot facing sideways, so I just pull him up to the right position and he's fine. This is often the case at 5am, but in the past he would wake and stay awake, now it's reposition and he's back to sleep. yay!

So as you can see, quite different from most of you as his solid is before food and he's only on 3 bottles a day.

I jinxed myself a little saying last night that he ate all my food, today at lunch time although he ate it, there were tears and rubbing his face for most of it. In sahying that he ate about 4 tblspn of veges and chicken, 6 big tspns yoghurt and 2 tblspn approx of yesterdays kumara custard! Not at all interested in veges for finger food though. Oh well, he'll get there I guess. You don't see many 2 year olds eating purees and being totally spoon fed (do you???)

Karen, your hairdryer idea cracked me up. I just can't imagine it.  :lol:

[Erin M]

The long wake time at your mom's - Taylor may not handle such long wake time at home day after day because it is draining... but some children can handle it once in a while, especially somewhere different that is interesting enough to keep their attention and keep them from noticing how tired they are... and then with all the irregular stimulation she passed out and had a great nap. I don't think that seems odd at all.

I totally agree - we get exactly the same thing here with Katie when we are out for the day and life is WAY too interesting to nap.

[JKHH]

Judy,

I think this is great advice that I will print off and read to myself when I need a boost!

"I think the EASY routine is really important when babies are young and learning to go to sleep and learning what their day/life is all about. Some kids thrive on routine for years and years to come and some don't. I think it's ok to relax and roll with things a bit - especially if you have a happy easy going child. Routine can mean many things - Up for 2.25hrs then sleep for 1.5hrs then bottle, wait 27min then give cereal and veg etc. etc. etc.. OR it could be that we eat when we get up and when we're tired of playing we go to sleep."

Many thanks,

[kate585]

Hey!  You all get good points for noticing the Mod thing.  I volunteered to help with the Getting Back on Track forum.  Really, I think one of the  least traffic-ed (no clue how to spell that!) so it'll be a good way to see if moderating is a good fit for me.  Dh wanted to know how much it paid.   :roll:  :lol:

Big (((hugs))) to you, Andrea.  I know what you mean about the routine.  It can be constricting and SO frustrating when others have success and you're sitting there like, "WTF is all this hard work for anyhow?"   :cry:   Maybe we all have a bit of post-holiday depression.  I think I built it up in my head as this fabulous event...Ryan's first Christmas, snowflakes gently falling on our heads, carrollers strolling by, etc. etc. and then it was actually mostly like a regular day, except with more rushing around, stress, and FOOD!   :roll:   Glad to be done with it and a bit disappointed is where I'm at right now. 
How'd it go, Michelle and Hannah?  Fingers crossed for good reports!
Karen, thought of you when I was cleaning up Ryan's bum today.  I bet Sam loves the hairdryer.   
Big (((hugs))) to you, too, Traci.  I think we had the same boy today.  More on that below.  And, then, to have a crappy connection on top of it.   :roll:   Good luck tonight...you are doing GREAT!!!
Good luck to you too, Nikki...although you've probably already finished with your night, eh?  Did I tell you that on my new cell phone I can see the time all over the world?  When I got it, I was telling dh, "It's 2 in the morning where Jo and Bec are." etc.   Then, I proceeded to go across the world telling him the time where all my BW babes are located.  :lol:
Judy, you did get me laughing.   :lol:   Glad to see you're feeling better!

Ryan had a big (too big!) 2 hour nap this am and then decided he didn't want to go to sleep in the pm.   :?  I tried for an hour and a half and then about gave up.  I had even bf'ed him  :oops:  and nuttin'!  So, I got him in his coat and put him in the car and drove around for 25 minuted until he finally fell asleep.  I had brought my book (thanks for the tip, Micky and Nancy!) and when I got home, I started reading and he woke up after about 25 minutes of total sleep.   :?   (I didn't have enough gas to keep driving.)  But, he did okay, if a bit groggy and was actually WAY excited after bath and dinner and Daddy coming home.  He fussed a bit going to bed, but was asleep by 7:30.  Hopefully he'll be too tired to wake up tonight, but we all know how that goes.   :roll:   I think I'll wake him up after an hour in the am for the next week or so and see how it goes.  Seems to work for a lot of you.

[M&M'sMom]

Now I notice everyone commenting on Diaper rash still , and it made me want to ask this silly question- can you just be "putting off" a diaper rash?
As you know the girls had the flu over the holidays and the one thing the ped. said was to bring them in if they develope a diaper rash- could be the flu turned BAD!! well about 6 days after the flu had left the Thomas house, both my babes got the rash... but it is there sometimes and gone others??? I lather up vasoline and penaten before bed time, and the rash seems non existant in the morning, but throughout the day, it seems to be there... not too too bad, so we havent went in to the doc. Can we just be putting a band-aid on it and not getting rid of it??

Solids are going good with the girls, they want EVERYTHING I have and it is getting annoying. Sean and I cannot even sit at the table without them litterally climbing all over your legs...I can't give them enough of what we have! Please tell me that this stops??

our day goes like this, and is usually pretty the same even with our daily outings:

645-720 wake
730:bottle (6oz)
8: cereal, cream of wheat porridge, banana bread, pancakes, hashbrowns, toast, whatever we have as a family (one per day might I note)
915 nap (usually an hour and 15 mins)
1130-12ish: sippy cup with HOMO milk and lunch = pasta, bananas, 8 month jarred food, tuna sandwiches (again whatever we are eating)
2pm nap (usually 1.5 hours)
330-4pm ish: bottle (or sippy cup depends on their actions)
5-530 : whatever we're havng for supper or jarred food
7 bath and bed

.....

Today however was a day from Hell and I would like to just cut my head off with all the crying here...
Sean worked a night shift, so he came home, helped me feed and then went to sleep for a few hours...
I am not kidding, the girls were unhappy ALL DAY! I have ne clue whats up. Maisie has 3 1 hour naps, Makaylee had 1 half hour nap ( unlike her) and they were clingy and upset and b!tchy. When Sean got up I went right upstairs to lay down but my heart kept racing like it was going to explode- all I could hear was the babies. I started to cry and never even napped. I came downstairs, got a glass of water and went upstairs to shower... crying still in the shower. Then Sean left for work again, and the girls- well cried all night, through bath too. I put them to bed an hour early because I couldn't stand the crying anymore. I feel awful at how mad I was at them and how I just didn't even want to look at them. My Sean was sooo sweet and clean the whole kitchen and living room while I was upstairs... He never once made me fell like a bad mom, but I cant help but feel like my girls will remember how much I didnt want to be near them today... I am sorry for venting, but I just have never really had a day like this- I dont know why they were upset, and I am not used to having really fussy babies, I just didnt know how to feel, or deal with them.

sorry , jody

[Colesmom]

I forgot the mention that now that i've nearly sorted out A times before naps 1 and 2 I'm still struggling on A time for bed.  I think tonight was too long.  I aimed for 7pm bed, giving me 3:15 A and it ended up at 3:20A.  We had a waking at 45min and just now at 2 hours so I think he was overtired.  It's just so hard to read his cues that I have to watch the clock more than I'd like.  If I go into his room at any time of day and it's dark in there he starts to rub his eyes :roll:  It's like he's conditioned to feel that way upon entering it!  so tomorrow night I'll aim for 3:00 or even a touch earlier so that he settles by 3:00.

thanks for the hugs Kate.  even though I feel better, i still like the cyber hugs.

[Olivia's Mommy]

I have to brag on myself: I did so well today considering the lack  of sleep and a sick LO and DH. Liv seems to be feeling much better and so we played and I even took her grocery shopping with me. (DH was too sick to watch her.) She seemed to enjoy it and had a short nap in the car on the way home. Everything was groovy...until bedtime. I was all geared up to do the whole thing myself as DH is a little better, but still weak and weary. Well, bath went well, and I wrestled her into her PJs and got ready to give her bottle and she flat-out refused! Then she proceeded to go into this cuddle-fighting cycle. She'd try to cuddle up against me and suck her thumb, then she'd flail around and scream. I knew she just couldn't settle, but I had NO IDEA how to help her...so that was it. I had had it. I put her in her crib and had to go get DH off the couch. I was in tears, so he went in and held her. He said she fought him for about a minute or two then fell asleep in his arms. We'll see how long she stays asleep. TRACI--when I read your post about your afternoon, I could totally relate! I think we're all suffering a bit of post-holiday stress syndrome or something! I'm just so glad to have all of you!!! When I get frustrated or overwhelmed, this is the first place I come (and I have 2 best friends who have children, but neither have done BW!). It makes me feel normal again to realize there are other women out there going through the same things and feeling the same feelings. I don't feel like a horrible mother. I'm sorry you guys have to go through it all, to, but I'm glad we're in it together!!! (OK, enough sappiness!)

Erin, Nikki & Karen--thanks for the support and advice. We'll see how tonight goes, but I'm planning to just hold to sleep as long as it keeps working for us.

Andrea--I also started questioning the whole routine bit over the holidays. I felt like we had worked so hard for months and it was all shot to he!! in less than a week! I guess it's a little early to feel that way, since the holidays have only technically been over for a couple of days! So, I completely understand how you feel. Just so you know, I was reading BWSAYP again the other day and Tracy said the biggest thing for babies 7-9 months is that the routine is basically a guessing game. Each day is different and it's important to just go with the flow at that point. If you have that book, you might read that part again (I think it was in the emotions section for 7-9 month olds.) I know it helped me realize that what Liv is going through is normal...and she's not just some freak that has been royally screwed up by my routine!

Judy--thanks for your advice to Andrea...it's a good reminder to me as well.

Kate--glad the book idea helped.

Well, I hear her fussing...that didn't last long. It's going to be a long night....

[Colesmom]

big hugs Jody.  i was a mess today too...and that was just with a happy baby that wouldn't nap.  That's the one good thing I have going for me.  No matter how little Cole seems to sleep he's always in a good mood.

I have no idea what I would do if I was tired or sick and had a fussy (OR TWO) baby to deal with.

just saw you give HOMO milk...was thinking of trying it with Cole as he won't take formula.  Did your ped okay it?  Mine said 12 months...thanks

[M&M'sMom]

Hey Traci, the girls are usually really happy, even when they don't nap well... so I am really wondering now about that diaper rash, and if I should take them in to the Ped tommorow??? Makaylee is now letting out some fuss too in bed? Chalk another night up to no sleep!
Yah our Ped also said he felt the girls would thrive on HOMO milk because they eat so much table food, and meat.  They drink it cold out of a sippy cup, I wont put it in a bottle... might have to in a few weeks if I can't wean them from the bottle in the moring. (gonna save the thomas daddy big $$$ goin to milk!)He recommended giving them POLY-VI-SOL a vitamin for children under 3 yrs. I just put it in their sippy cup with some a little sip of sweet juice, and down she goes!

I am just floored though why my girls were so "off" today. Maybe they sensed me being upset too. You know how kids feed off of that.

jody

[albertasweetpea]

Hi all. Thanks for all the hugs and well wishes. I was feeling very down and alone yesterday. Feeling like I was being selfish for wanting to go back to work early and for "forcing" my child to go to daycare. She did amazingly well today though. The caregivers kept saying what a happy baby she is and she never made a fuss at all, even though she did only sleep for a half hour nap all day!! We picked her up at 3 pm and she did sleep all the way home in the car (about 20 minute drive) then we put her in her crib and she fell back asleep until we woke her at 4:45 pm for dinner!! Poor little thing was just exhausted. I'm sure she will get into better napping once she gets used to the environment and the kids etc. I am curious to see how her night goes tonight though...will keep everyone posted.

I haven't started back to work yet, I go back January 11th. I started Molly in daycare a bit early to get both of us prepared and Mason is off on Christmas Break until the 9th so I wanted to just have some time alone with him.

Hannah - how did your first day back at work go??

Andrea - Huge {{{{{{{{{{ HUGS }}}}}}}}}} for you!! Sounds like you are having such challenging times with Taylor. Sometimes I too wonder why I bother with all the fuss of worrying about naps and such. I find when I just let things go and don't worry so much, don't watch the clock and don't write every little thing down, things go so much better.  I find that I am way more relaxed and Molly eats and sleeps better when I am not trying to be so strict. Our days are different from day to day as well. Sometimes we get good long naps morning and afternoon, other days we get 4 - 45 minute naps!! Oh well. At least she is happy and healthy!!

Nancy - poor you and poor Olivia! If holding her to sleep helps to calm her down and keeps you calm as well, go for it. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. She may just need that extra snuggle time with Mom after the holidays and they are only young once. Take those hugs and cuddles when you can get them!!

Karen - LMAO at you holding the hairdryer to little Sam's bum. Too funny!  Am picturing him at elementary school standing with his bum pointed at the little wall dryer...heeheehee!!   :lol:

Judy - love your sleep routine, same as mine!! I just put Molly in her grobag and say "nighty-night sweetheart, I love you" and put her down and give her the soother and away I go!! We tried the whole "wind down routine" at about 4 months old and she would just put up such a stink I gave it up.   :roll:

Traci - {{{{{{{{{{{{ HUGS }}}}}}}}}}}} to you on your bad day today. It is so frustrating isn't it?? Never doubt your skills as a mommy though, you definitely have more patience than a ton of people I know! It is not bad to want the best for your little man and you are trying to help him so that he can be a happy healthy little boy. Sending you consistency vibes ... keep at it!!

Jody - you get double {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ HUGS }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ HUGS }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}  cause of the twins!! You poor thing. I definitely think all of us (babes included) are suffering "lunch box letdown". The post holiday blues. We build up the holidays so much, it is such a frantic time of running around, trying to see everyone, trying to do everything and then all of a sudden WHAMMO!!! Things are supposed to return to normal. I think it is such a hard time on kids (even Mason has been complaining how tired he is and he NEVER admits he is tired!) and it takes them a long time to get back into the normal swing of things. Hang in there, things will turn around and you will have your angels back in no time. Also, do you remember your parents from when you were that age?? I sure don't. Rest assured the girls will not remember 1 day out of a million that you did not feel like being a Mommy. They will remember all the love and support and hugs and cuddles you give them all the other days!!  :lol:  :lol:

[kate585]

(((Hugs))), Jody!  We are all having a rough go of it this week.  (I swear, this is like Junior High all over again when all the girls get their periods at the same time!   :lol:     )  Ditto what Michelle said (we can call you Sage Jr. after our dear Ankie!)...the girls won't remember, but I KWYM about worrying about that.  Here's hoping for a restorative night of sleep and a fabulous day tomorrow!

[Nikki~Nathan&Danielle]

Kate, maybe your phone clock is out by 12hrs?  It's 4pm here now, I'll go back in a sec and see the difference in our two posts.

Hayley, thanks for the comment about DH's - I've def got Simon on board, so hopefully we can get through this quickly.

Big hugs to those that need them, just when we think things smooth out there are always spanners that get thrown in there.  :cry:

Michelle, glad to hear that Molly did well!

Sorry, I haven't commented on more, I'm down on internet hours until tomorrow and I'm only on dial up so had to make this quick!  I'll be back tomorrow.