The new "New Moms" thread!

[7beasley]

OMG Bethany -- Owen is SOOOOO cute!!

I just love seeing everyones baby pictures because I feel like I know all these little ones -- Brady and Mo and Owen and Ellery and Vaylie and Christopher and Spencer and William and everyone!!! I feel like I am getting to watch these kids grow up and I just love it.

Keep all the great pictures coming.

SO -- the Moms to be Thread has a Question of the Day -- would it be worth doing that here? Anyone could post the question of the day (one question per day) -- I think its a good way to share info among eachother. I will start -- if it works - great -- if not -- well I tried...maybe next time.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: At what age did your baby start using and be able to actually drink from a sippy cup (and what brand do you use)?

-Nicole

ps: Michelle -- never heard from Carla after Izzy and Will were born -- by now she has had baby #2 and hopefully she is great but she kind of fell of the Moms, Moms to be, TTC threads...course with 2 little ones I am sure her hands are full.

 

[7beasley]

QUESTION OF THE DAY: At what age did your baby start using and be able to actually drink from a sippy cup (and what brand do you use)?

I'll start -- I tried to give Izzy (almost 8 months old) a sippy cup at about 7 months -- the avent brand -- and she will not use it -- its like its too hard for her to suck to get the liquid out. I have tried Nubby too and she won't use that. So at almost 8 months old - I give her the cup but she does not drink - she just throws the cup. I think she is going to be a late bloomer on this whole sippy cup thing!

-Nicole

 

[mrs.explorer1977]

Hey Ladies!

Michelle -- good to hear from you! Glad you found us again!

Haven't posted in EONS! We had a bout of diarrhea that last about 5 days -- took him to the doctor, who confirmed what I thought, that it was just teething and by the next day it was starting to clear up and the day after that, one of Colin's upper teeth popped! We've since had another come through on the top -- but not the other front one! I think someone's mouth is a little confused!

I'm starting to freak out a bit, since I only have just over 2 weeks left of maternity leave and then I have to go back to work, back to the commute (an hour each way) and leave Colin! I don't WANNA!!! But, he's got great caregivers -- his grandma 2 days, his great nonna one day and our neighbour two doors down the other two days. Colin's going there tomorrow for an hour while I go get my hair done for a wedding to see how it goes. Hopefully well, since it's a little late in the game at this point to start looking for someone new!!

I've convinced DH that I'm not Superwoman, and I'm in the process of looking for a cleaning lady! YAY! I figure, we're only paying for 2 days of daycare, so the money that would've gone to that can go to keeping my sanity!

When I'm on the other computer, I'll post some pictures of our little guy! I'm on my laptop and don't have any saved on here.

And now, the QOTD:

QUESTION OF THE DAY: At what age did your baby start using and be able to actually drink from a sippy cup (and what brand do you use)?

I think we started trying about 6/7 months. I can't remember exactly. We don't have one praticular brand, we use them all -- Nuby, Avent, generic, tossaway. Colin's not too picky. He's also recently (beginning of the month) learned to drink from a straw, so now we have those cups as well.

I found with the Avent ones, that I took the little valve off the first time to show him that stuff comes out and then put it back on and he learned to suck out of it.

Of course, we've started with cow's milk, and he's taken to tossing those cups on the ground at meal time, but he loves his water. We don't do juice so much -- neither DH or I drink a lot of juice, and I'd rather he just grow to love drinking water. Of course, that doesn't stop him from seeing me drink my Diet Coke and wanting some of that!!

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

We just started trying Owen on a sippy cup yesterday! We're starting with the Nubby cup with handles. He kind of gets that he could hold it himself, but he's a little unsure of it.

I've been concerned that he's not getting enough fluids, so Dr.M suggested we start giving him watered down juice in a sippy cup and gradually reduce the juice to see if we can get him to drink more water. Yesterday was his first taste of juice - we put about 1oz of apple-carrot juice in 7oz of water, and gave it to him in the sippy cup. Owen's eyes got HUGE when he tasted the juice, and the boy went to town on figuring out how to get the cup to work so he could suck down the juice-water.

Today was the same reaction, and so I think he's getting it figured out. I hope so...our friends didn't think about the whole bottle to sippy cup transition until their DD was 15 mo. old, and then she really resisted drinking from anything but a bottle until she was around 21m. She didn't fully transition to cups until she started preschool at 2yrs and saw all the other kids using cups. I'd rather Owen caught on sooner than later...

 

[TiggerStac]

DS loves those Gerber puff things. And they will disolve in their mouths if they can't chew them yet, which makes it harder for the babies to choke. Although DS still found a way when he was about 5-6 months old. It was very scary, but luckily didn't last long, and my mom was there to help so DS is fine.

These are Brady's favorite snack!! Luckily they have them at BJs and I can get a pack of 6 containers for 7.99. Around here, the cheapest I've found them individually is 1.88 at walmart.

 

[Villain-lover]

Sam & Zoe have been practicing with a sippy since they started solids at
5 1/2 months. They are pretty good at it now and I let them have it randomly throughout the day and when we eat solids. They drink water out of it. I am hoping in another month or two we can get rid of the bottles. Sam will hold his own bottle some now, but Zoe won't. They both hold the sippy just fine (small nuby with 2 handles). I just don't trust them to do a whole feeding out of a sippy yet. Zoe still only drinks like 5-5 1/2 oz each feeding and Sam drinks about 6 1/2. They are just never going to be 8 oz drinkers even when we can get rid of another bottle.

 

[DMickey28]

I can't believe how fast everyone is growing up. I love seeing all the pictures.

I don't post here very regularly but I read anytime I see the thread on the first page!!! Hopefully you guys remember me ...

Alexander started on a sippy around 6 months but he didn't really take to it until he was closer to 10 months on a regular basis. I would offer it but he didn't care for it. He is 14 months almost and we still do two bottles a day (one bedtime toddler formula and one first thing in the AM of 1/2 formula 1/2 whole milk.) I am going to transition the AM one to a sippy with his breakfast. Everything else is water or whole milk in the sippy during the day.

As far as solids go. He started about 3-4 months with cereal and then went from there. He got all his teeth really fast so that helped. We started with the puffs and then small pieces of well ripped bananas. Just progressed from there. Well cooked veggies and small, small pieces of chicken. By the time he was a year he had tried most foods that we eat. Now he is on 100% table food except for those bottles mentioned above. I buy a lot of the Earth's Best Organic crackers, cookies and snacks at BRU or the Grocery store for him. He loves them for snacks. He eats a lot of cheese and fruits and veggies. Pretty much everything goes. We did introduce PB and berries. He doesn't care for PB but loves strawberries.

What are you guys doing with vax? We did on schedule until 9 months and now we are backing off and doing selective vaxing. We finished up the prevnar at 12 months but that's it. I don't know when I will do MMR and I won't be doing chx pox until school age. I"ll get the test to see what he has immunities to before that.

I hope everyone is doing well. I love reading this thread and I will try to post more.

 

[kellyf2626]

Nice to see you again Michelle!

Wow - this thread has been really active lately! That's awesome!! Love all the great pics of your little one's....hard to believe how grown-up they all are!!

LOVE the question of the day idea!!! So......

Sippy cups.... we started Brady at about 5 months old. We started with the Gerber ones with the handles, and have recently switched to the Nuby oens with the handles (I wasn't sure if the Gerber ones had BPA or not, and knew the Nuby doesn't). He usually drinks it during the day with meals or if we are out and about shopping. He still takes a bottle before every nap/bedtime.

Today's big accomplishment for Brady is pulling up to standing!! I went up to get him after his morning nap, and he was just standing there, holding-on to the side with an "oh sh*t" look on his face. Too funny!!! I don't think he knew how to get down!!

 

[HollyJoy]

Quick update here.. we've been so busy with my older girls' lacrosse, that I don't get much time to get on here.. that and the summer officially starting!

Amanda Joy is doing great! She's now 5 months, and the cutest little thing. Has quite an attitude though.. lol She's totally in the fussy stage, and her attention span isn't too long when she's not w/Mommy! Hates the car, too! We're actually getting her a convertible carseat tomorrow, to see if that helps! Wish us luck!

Here's a pic I took this morning.. in a happy mood!

 

[beckmrk04]

Sippy cups... We started introducing it at around 6 months or so, and she completely gave up her bottle by 13 months. But, at night, she had to have warm milk: I figured this out pretty quickly- she wouldn't drink from her cup at night until I started warming the milk (we always warmed her bottles).

Now, she just carries a cup of milk around and drinks a bit, then we brush teeth, and lights out. We use the Gerbers with two handles- I like those because the are angled on one side so the milk flows to the spout easier. But V only likes the ones with the soft spout, not the hard spouts... I dunno.

But, I figured out why my poor girl is so cranky. We have FOUR molars coming in! Tonight she was totally cranky again, and I knew that she was teething, and it has been worse than usual, but I looked into her mouth tonight (while she was screaming), and yep- two on top and two on bottom. I guess I'd be cranky too, poor girl.

What "order" do teeth usually come in, anyway? Because she has four bottom front teeth, and four front tops, I though we had a while for molars... Guess not, since they are clearly coming in.

Kelly- Yea Brady!!! I remember the first time V did that- it was too cute, she looked totally proud.

 

[beckmrk04]

Holly- I LOVE that highchair!!! I wish it had been available when we bought ours. We have the same chair, just with a green cover.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Today's big accomplishment for Brady is pulling up to standing!! I went up to get him after his morning nap, and he was just standing there, holding-on to the side with an "oh sh*t" look on his face. Too funny!!! I don't think he knew how to get down!!

 

[7beasley]

Yeah Brady!! Kelly that is so funny -- time to lower the crib!

Hi DMickey and Hollyjoy -- nice to see you and the kids -- they are both adorable. Love the pickle eating - and a smiling picture of Amanda - those can be hard to get.

I guess I will have to just keep working with Izzy on the sippy cup thing till I can find one she will drink from. I have actually tried drinking from them myself to see how they work and you have to suck really hard on it to get it to work (and while that sounds incredibly dirty you all know what I mean!! Minds out of the gutter!!) I will continue the sippy cup quest. I really want her to be off the bottle around 1 year!

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What are you doing about the reports about BPA (bisphisphenol A or something like that) in the bottles -- have you switched brands (from what to what) or do you think its much to do about nothing?

 

[7beasley]

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What are you doing about the reports about BPA (bisphisphenol A or something like that) in the bottles -- have you switched brands (from what to what) or do you think its much to do about nothing?

I am on the fence about the BPA in bottles issue -- part of me thinks its a much to do about nothing but then again part of me is terrified of the reports. I certainly don't want to do anything to hurt Izzy even if it is a low risk.

We use Avent bottles -- I must have over 15+ of them when you factor in whats at grandma and nanas houses. I have heard that BRU will trade you bottle for bottle --- so if I bring in my 15 Avent bottles I can leave there with 15 other bottles that don't have BPA (but I will still have to buy the medium and fast flow nipples...) So I guess I am going to do that just to be safe.

I bought a 3 pack of the non-BPA evenflow bottles yesterday to try today but if its a bottle for bottle exchange I am leaning toward the BORN FREE brand (those are way more expensive -- 3 for $13 vs Evenflow that are 3 for $3 -- since the Avent were on par $ wise with the Born Free I might as well maximize my bottle for bottle trade. But - I want her to try that kind first in case she hates them! So - off to BRU tonight to buy 1 trial Born Free bottle.

Have a great day ladies. Thank god its Friday!!

We are thinking of taking Izzy on her first "summer" outing tomorrow -- we are tossing around Hampton Beach or the Southwick's Zoo!

-Nicole

 

[golfgirl3613]

Yeah Brady!! Kelly that is so funny -- time to lower the crib!

Hi DMickey and Hollyjoy -- nice to see you and the kids -- they are both adorable. Love the pickle eating - and a smiling picture of Amanda - those can be hard to get.

I guess I will have to just keep working with Izzy on the sippy cup thing till I can find one she will drink from. I have actually tried drinking from them myself to see how they work and you have to suck really hard on it to get it to work (and while that sounds incredibly dirty you all know what I mean!! Minds out of the gutter!!) I will continue the sippy cup quest. I really want her to be off the bottle around 1 year!

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What are you doing about the reports about BPA (bisphisphenol A or something like that) in the bottles -- have you switched brands (from what to what) or do you think its much to do about nothing?

I am behind the times regarding the bottle issue. We use the drop in system, is that bad too?

I take my little one for her 9 month check up and shots today, I'll ask then.

 

[Villain-lover]

To be honest, I haven't swithced bottles or anything.. I an really on the fence about this issue too. I usethe Dr. Brown's bottles with Sam & Zoe, and the BPA bottles are just too expensive to replace mine when hopefully we only have a little ways to go before we are off of bottles.

 

[beckmrk04]

I guess I will have to just keep working with Izzy on the sippy cup thing till I can find one she will drink from.

The first ones Vaylie was able to use were I think Nuby brand, and they have a straw- it was easier for her because she didn't have to figure out how to tip the cup up to drink and suck at the same time... My nephew started with those too, and they are awesome.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What are you doing about the reports about BPA (bisphisphenol A or something like that) in the bottles -- have you switched brands (from what to what) or do you think its much to do about nothing?

I don't know... Part of me worries, and then part of me thinks maybe it's all blown out of proportion. We used Avent bottles with Vaylie, and about 3/4 of the way through is when the BPA stuff really started in the news, and by then- it's like, Ok, now what do I do since we've been using them the whole time? Plus, she liked the Avents... And so did I. So, I don't know. For us, the bottles are over. I'm sure by the time I get around to having the next kid this won't even be an issue (either they'll remove all BPA or they'll conclude it's much ado about nothing).

For now, I'm taking an interested but not panicked approach, I guess.

 

[HollyJoy]

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What are you doing about the reports about BPA (bisphisphenol A or something like that) in the bottles -- have you switched brands (from what to what) or do you think its much to do about nothing?

Not worried here, since Amanda isn't a fan of bottles, of any type! Gets rather frustrating at times, but haven't figured out any solution as of yet!

 

[DMickey28]

QUESTION OF THE DAY: What are you doing about the reports about BPA (bisphisphenol A or something like that) in the bottles -- have you switched brands (from what to what) or do you think its much to do about nothing?

We used Avent bottles as well. I didn't really pay much attention to the BPA issue. Now that we only use a bottle a day I am not going to do anything about it. If all bottles aren't BPA free by the time we have our next child I will probably get BPA free ones.

Some BRU's are taking bake bottles period, for a store credit. I haven't tried mine and many girls in S. Cali are having problems but many of the midwest stores are doing it. Worth a shot in calling.

I am sorry to hear that Vaylie is getting 4 molars in at one time. It is not fun. We didn't have those four at one time but they all came pretty fast. The molars are usually the last teeth they get by the time they are two. I am not entirely sure the order of the rest except front top and bottom then the sides and then the molars. DS will be 14 months on the 24th and he has all 16 2 year teeth and has for about a month and half or so. At least once those molars come in you are nearing the end and done dealing with the most painful for a year or so!!! DS has completely stopped teething for now.

 

[beckmrk04]

Oh, I can't wait til the teething is over.... And if the molars are usually last (that's what I was thinking), I'm wondering if her other ones are coming in too, but just haven't appeared yet. Maybe we'll get them all out of the way at once!

And I am such a giant goof.

I was on here,typing, then I looked at the clock, like, "Oh crap- better hurry and get ready for work." (I'm already showered and just need to do my hair and makeup). Then I walk into the bathroom, look at the clock again, and realize that I work the later shift today, I don't have to leave the house until 8. I got up an hour early for no good reason, and now I'm all restless because I'm ready way ahead of time. I think I'm going to go fill the tank and maybe grab a bite to eat.