Oct.19, 02 Cruisers AGAIN

[Denine]

Frustrated mom here again!!!! How long does it take for a baby to learn to eat????????? We have been doing this for almost 3 months and are not really any better off than we were. Usually, if it goes down, it is by accident. Once in a while (very rarely) she surprises me by eating something quickly with very little fuss or mess. Today, she just sat there and cried. I had given her some of her bottle beforehand, like always, but she just cried. I feel like I am doing something wrong or there is something wrong with her. She is over 6 months old now. I don't push her. I only try once a day and sometimes we skip a few days if we are really busy or I know I have no patience. Right now, I'll be surprised if she takes anything willingly, besides her bottle, by the time she is a year old. Even if she likes something, she won't swallow it. If she doesn't like it, she won't even play with it in her mouth. They say to let them suck it down while sucking on their fingers. She doesn't suck her fingers, she chews them.
If you go by the "clues for readiness" she shouldn't even be trying. She doesn't take in 32 oz of formula a day, she takes 28. She doesn't roll over, even though she was supposed to by the end of 5 months. But, then the book says she should be able to feed herself a cracker by the end of the 7th month. How can she do that, when I don't see her swallowing any better in 3 weeks than she is now?
Am I expecting too much???? Am I putting too much pressure on myself? I just can't find any info as to how long it takes.
The first time she ate peaches, she devoured them. All she has done since is spit them out. I have tasted them, they're fine.
I feel like giving up. I don't have the patience for this!!!!!!
If we make it through this 1st year, it will be a miracle!!!!!!

 

[Denine]

Julie: If we can get together on the weekend of the 25th that would be great. But, unless you want to take a road trip to Oakland, it won't be a baseball game.

Laurie: Good to hear from you. It sounds like you have taken care of everything. You are right, your mom needs to relax and grieve.

Sandy: How was the first day of your new diet?

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Denine, don't give up. Every child is different. I have "raised" eight babies with a few in between and I know that they are different. First of all, they LOVE the bottle so I do not offer the bottle first. I only give them the bottle AFTER they eat solids, never before or during. They always seem to find room for the bottle after solids. My present baby just turned one and I still won't give her a whole cracker. They all reach their milestones at different times. My girls didn't roll, sit up or walk for a very long time AFTER the charts. My girls never reached 8 oz bottles. so the 32 oz theory is just not accurate. In fact, this last baby never reached 32oz per day either. I feel that even if you give her only a spoon or two at a sitting that she will get used to it. Slowly increase the amount. Some doctors even feel that babies don't need solids until 10 months to a year, so don't sweat it. Just remember to relax and don't depend on books. Every baby is different. One more thing, where do you feed her? In a high chair? Or an infant seat? I find feeding them in an infant seat when they are that young is much better. I think that they are more comfortable there than in a high chair. I also have turned on the vibrator on the infant seat if they are fuzzy, helps too.

My main points are to remember that all babies are different and don't always rely on books and charts.
Relax you are doing fine.

Please call me if you need to talk or anything.

 

[disneydudette1]

All babies are different. You can't always go by the book. What does the pediatrician or nurse practitioner say? As far as the food goes...I would give her the food first then bottle. If she is still drinking that much formula a day she may not be hungry enough for food. She may like the bottle so much that she gets frustrated when she has to eat. I never had trouble with Ryan eating unfortunately...only the meats...they had to be mixed in with the veggies.
Has she tried sweet potatoes yet? babie seem to love them...of course too much and they get that orange glow.
Give her time...she will learn...don't force it. I know it is hard but have patience...and remember she isn't a textbook...she is an individual. Enough Grandmother advice. LOL!

Thanks all for the advice on clothes...the sundress has a hat and bloomers, I got onesies and the other sale outfit has pants so the diaper is covered in all instances.

Actually brought work home...a little project on Access...have to get the book out again as I am very rusty. WIll probably work on it this weekend.

Where are you Mom and Krista????? Laurie good to hear from you. Sounds like your mom could use some couseling to help her at least start the grieving process.

TTFN

 

[Schrolls]

Hang in there, Denine. Sandy is right. They are all different. Since she is chewing on her fingers, and you can't have enough bibs, I think she may still have some teeth trying to come through. As long as she is healthy, don't worry about it. She'll eat solids when she's ready.

Came home 1/2 day today. I have a sore throat and sinus headache again. The tree pollen is very high and I am very allergic. I'm not really complaining. I'd rather deal with this than have winter forever. The tree pollen will subside and I do have antihistamines and decongestants to help. The weather change is not helping it either. Can you believe snow flurries yesterday and now they say it will reach 80 on Wednesday!!!

Glad I made the soup yesterday. Today was a real soup day with my sore throat.

Enough for now. I have to take Turner to the library. He has to do a book report on a mystery chapter book and he is on a mission to find a good one!

Later!

 

[DreamsDoComeTrue]

Originally posted by jiminyC_fan
Now don't laugh, but my countertops were bright orange with dark cabinets.

Hey! Just wait till you see MY kitchen, Sandy.

Denine, ditto to everyone else's comments. One extra bit... I found and absolutely loved the baby food feeder that is like a bottle. They have a bigger hole in the nipple and the base slides up as the food is sucked out, so no air needs to get back in, etc. Greatest invention in the world.

Back to school today after a 13 day break. (Snow days + spring break.) Homework's back. I've decided it's much easier to just have the kids home.

Good to hear from you Laurie. You are carrying the world right now and pulling it off, from the sound of it. Give yourself a break here and there. We love you.

 

[disneydudette1]

Nothing new here since last night...just thought I would say good morning to all as I have my coffeee.

Have a good day all!

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Good morning all. A bright sunny day here. Highs in the mid 70's. I wish it could stay this nice forever. Not too cold and not too hot. I hate the extremes like St. Maarten. I don't think that I have ever been so hot in my entire life. Laurie knows. She saw me.

Nothing new here. Denine got to thinking that I said an infant seat. I really meant a bouncer. Those things are a godsend especially those with the vibrator. I use it for fuzzy, cranky, and for feeding kids. By the way, those eight kids that I mentioned were 2 of my own and the others were daily from 6 or 8 weeks until they hit on the average 11. I always had 2 kids from one family at a time until they hit 11 or so and then another family would ask. I have not been without kids for 23 years. Wow, can you believe that? Never set out to babysit but never turned anyone down. I told myself that I would be in it for the long haul for each family(until the kids hit the appropriate age). I hate it when kids have to go to several different daycares in their life. It started with my hospital roommate, then my brother and now my dental hygenist. I now know how to say NO! Graci is one and when it is over for her and Noah I am FINISHED. I even told my girls that I won't do daycare for them. I want to be the grandma not the childs babysitter.

Speaking of Graci, it is time. Can't wait too hear from you, Denine.

 

[Denine]

Thanks everyone. If I don't let Kaleigh drink for 5-7 minutes from her bottle before I try to feed her, I get absolutely nowhere. Yesterday, I got nowhere anyways. Kaleigh hates sweet potatoes! I might as well have just dumped them on her bib, that's where they all went. I am always fighting her tongue. Everytime I try to stick the spoon in, she sticks out her tongue, on purpose. I try to wait until she has her mouth open, but I am not always successful. My book on baby development is all I have. I don't know anything about babies! I'm too old for this! I wish I could have had her when we started trying, 8 years ago. I had more patience then.

Sandy: I do have her in a highchair. I tried feeding her in her bouncy seat, but it was not working. She kept flopping to one side. Her high chair has a 5 point restraint, so she stays upright. Maybe I need to recline it a little. Is she too little to eat sitting straight up? These are things that I just don't know!

 

[Mickey02]

Good Morning,

It is a beautiful day here in Colorado. Spring in the air at least for this week.

Missy's boyfriend Mike is now leaving for Iraq sometime this week instead of today. They both have today off so they will get to spend a little more time together.

Denine-Hang in there. You are both going through the adjustment time. You will have great memories to share when she is grown up. Be sure to get pictures!! Everyone is giving such great advice makes me wish I had a support group like that when I was raising my kids.

Welcome back Laurie. Glad you are back.

I made hair, nails, makeup, manicure and pedicure appointments for the girls at Veda for prom day. I will be there with my camera!!


Barb

 

[Denine]

Thanks Barb!

It is also tough when you have to tell the social worker every month how everything is going and she writes it all down! After a few phone calls today, she is sending out our stuff (to wherever it goes) to get the court date. Hopefully we will have it soon. My boss never sent in my employee reference form. I needed a new one since I switched jobs in the middle of this whole adoption process. I had one from my old job. Thank goodness for fax machines!

At least Kaleigh is taking a good nap today!

Sue: I hope your allergy medicine kicks in.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Denine, I found that the bouncer was much better than a high chair because the baby's head sits right against the back of a high chair and gives them more fighting power if they don't like something AND I think it sits too straight for them in the beginning for comfort. Yes, her head goes to the side so you may end up with a stained bouncer but I just don't think that she has the leverage there. Plus the vibrator can soothe a sticky situation. I still think that you should just do a spoon or two every so often BEFORE the bottle. That little tongue is nothing new. Babies sure find out how to do that right away. I usually have to keep their minds off food when I have a stubborn one. Make silly faces, sounds, play airplane with the spoon and she will relax long enough to shove in a spoon but then you start the faces, noises all over again for the next spoon. Don't push half a jar or anything. Just a spoon. Baby steps, remember, baby steps. Not giant steps. I just talked to Heidi because she worked for a daycare center for 5 years. She, too, confirmed that they have had many babies who just refused food. I asked what they did and they would just try periodically throughout the day. Hang in there. There are days that I feel that I am too old, also, but the rewards certainly outweigh the bad days. Aren't those good nap days heavenly?

 

[Denine]

Sandy: Thank you so much for your advice and encouragement. I don't know where I would be without all of you; probably in the funny farm!

 

[DreamsDoComeTrue]

Hi all, just checking in. Lovely day. Talking to the other moms at carpool, I had to laugh. We're all ready for summer, and we only had about 2 weeks (accumulatively) of winter. Of course, 2/3rds of winter came over two days...
Seeing quite a few pairs of shorts being worn. Whoo, we be needin' some suntans around here!
Later girls.
Lori

 

[disneydudette1]

Again...not much to say here again. Just thought I would stop in and say Hi.....

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Denine's diet has been pretty easy today. I just started it today because yesterday was a different day for me. Seems like all I have done was eat today. Not hungry whatsoever. Thanks Denine.

 

[Denine]

When Kaleigh woke up from her nap in her bouncy seat, I decided to try a spoonful of carrots. They went in pretty decent. So, before her next bottle, I put her in her highchair and leaned it back a couple of notches. She ate a 1/2 jar of carrots and 2 spoonfuls of turkey with rice. It didn't all come back out and I didn't have to fight the tongue as much. It went pretty smoothly. I hope this continues to work and then I can start putting her chair in a more upright position.
It was actually warmer than expected today, so we went for our 3 mile walk when Jerry got home. It is supposed to be warmer tomorrow. Yeah!!!!

Don't forget to weigh in tomorrow!

We're going to Disney next month!

 

[Schrolls]

Denine - glad the solid food got a little better. She'll get the hang of it and then you won't be able to get it in her mouth fast enough!! Don't forget to stop in on your Disney trip. This time we will have to see each other. There's a lot more construction on I-77 comng into Charlotte. Be careful, there have been some really bad fatal accidents in that area over the winter months.

Sandy - glad the diet went well today. I am hoping for a loss of at least a pound or two tomorrow. I haven't been as good with the water yesterday and today. That usually helps me a lot.

Bonnie - sorry I missed coffee with you this morning. I'll try to catch you in the morning!

Lori - we're suppose to hit 80 tomorrow. I can relate to the lack of suntans!!

Barb - tell Missy to hang in there. Hopefully thie war will be over soon! (I just saw where they rescued one of the POWs!!!) Enjoy those prom plans! By the way, where is your mother????? Do we need to have another wine tasting to bring her back into the grrove??

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Did someone say wine tasting???

 

[disneydudette1]

Hi all. Warming up just a bit here today.

Denine...glad Kaleigh ate better. Good for her!

Wine tasting? Saturday evening anyone? Haven't all chatted for awhile.

Mom-WHERE ARE YOU????

Krista? Diana? Although Diana probably isn't even lurking...shame on her.

JULIE!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU?????

Happy Hump day!!! Counting down the days!!!!!!