The Official New Mom Thread

[katerkat]

Bridget - I think all babies just want to nurse when they're born! My supply wasn't totally established and working with the demand until about 6 weeks. Drink lots of water, that helps with your supply! And definitely offer it to him whenever he asks.

Russ and I have been fighting a cold and I've been supplementing him with some pumped breastmilk. I don't know how bottle feeders do it! And doubly so for those pumping - it takes about 1.5 hours to pump, feed, and clean! I did switch to the stage 2 nipples today so that helped, though he choked a little. I just hope HE gets better soon so I can get better!

 

[lissawynn]

Welcome back lissawynn! Tell me- was the menu the same at 'Ohana? I read a rumor they were going to change the rice & wontons...sounds like you had fun except for all the sweating!

The menu at Ohana was the same as it was when DH and I went in Oct. 2003. I was kind of hesitant to eat there again, though. Our service and the food was really lacking. I have to say, the food was delicious, and our service was excellent. We also got to see Wishes from Ohana, CG, and on the bus ride home from Beaches and Cream (I forgot that we ate there!). It was nice for my DN who doesn't like loud noises.

I forgot to say how happy I am that I bought the Maclaren stroller and used it at WDW. I don't know how families with the huge travel system stroller did it. I know my Graco stroller would have been way too heavy for me to get on and off the buses. I just wish there were more attractions where you could take your stroller. Jimmy got heavy after standing in line for so long.

We also had a pixie dust moment on our way home from B&C. We were the only ones of the bus from BC to the MK. I commented to our driver how nice it would be to go directly to the WL. Our bus driver took us right to the WL instead of to the MK! He was so nice! We also got to see Wishes on the way home.

The baby swap was great, too. We used it along with our fastpasses for ToT, RnR, and Soarin'(which, btw, was amazing). We got to ride Soarin' two times each and ToT and RnR too many times to count.

 

[Alice28]

Awesome- thanks for filling me in on the Ohana menu...and what a cool pixie dust moment with the bus! I have a Graco stroller and am dreading the whole bus thing. But I LOVE that it has the cup holders and HUGE basket underneath for all my crappiola.

I have to share with you guys something that has been going on, and I blew my top this morning about it.

Background: you all know I have a 4 and 7 year old in addition to Molly. I live on a dead end street and I would say in a 5 house radius, there are a total of 8 kids; sometimes more when other kids are visiting (grandkids, etc). Somehow, my house has been designated the meeting grounds...they always end up in my yard or porch and it's getting VERY old. Messes being left...toys strewn all over. Like I don't have enough to do. Two of the kids are just so annoying- I hate to say this, but they are kind of poor white trash- they and their little brother who is 2 (the older kids are 7 and 4 just like mine) live with their parents, their grandparents and their teenage uncle in this teeny, tacky, trashy house across the street from me. So that's 8 people in a 3 bedroom house and I cannot express in words how pack-ratty and trashy they are...they've gotten better. Anyway, I have had to really watch these kids, as esp the 4 year old girl is a trouble maker- lies, tells my 4 year old to take his pants down so she can see his privates, , cries and whines to get her way and will tattle on the other kids when they do nothing...leaves melting popsicles on my porch. ARGH...I get po'ed just typing it. So I have been to my breaking point the last 3 weeks...we pull up from our trip Tues night and they are running up our driveway before we even get out of the car! It's like BACK OFF!

Well, ok, enough with the background. Today my boys were playing on the porch with another neighbor boy who is 12 and a nice kid. I told them they HAD to stay on the porch cause the across the street neighbors were having a huge yard sale that was advertised so there were constant people driving in and backing up since we live at the end...next thing I know the 7 year old across the street is playing light saber with my boys and the 12 year old (they do this daily- we're star wars fans)...the 12 year old accidentally whacks the other 7 year old too hard and he goes home crying. So this is what I flew off the handle about- his 16 year old uncle and his 19-20 year old punk friend come over and are totally intimidating/threatening the 12 year old! I fly down the stairs and scream at them, "WHAT THE H*LL ARE YOU DOING TO HIM?" They claim they're not doing anything. I scream, "BULL****- I can hear you from upstairs- you are threatening to beat him up cause he accidentally hurt Kylan!" I go on to say/yell, "You know I'm sick of all of this crap....you guys are constantly over here, making messes, getting into things- you think I don't have enough to take care of and worry about besides looking after the entire neighborhood?? GET OUT!" I made sure the 12 year old knew I wasn't mad at him, but he ran home upset- I talked to his mom and he was worried I was angry with him, but more upset at the teens threatening him.

Man, it felt great to finally just let out all my irritation. They are such punks and so inconsiderate of our property and my bounderies- I'm glad I drew the line in the sand and the mother heard me screaming everything. Good. I am normally a VERY nice and easy going person, but they just take advantage of me too darn often- I am not the street's nanny, you know?

 

[vald1977]

Robin,
Hopefully they will get the message and leave you alone for awhile! It stinks that people like that don't take a hint until you blow up.

Tasha,
I think it's totally normal to feel a little sad about seeing an end to your baby days. We have decided that we are done after DD and it makes me sad to think that I won't ever be PG again. In my head I really do only want two children for all the practical reasons (financially, house size, car size, etc.) but I just love holding sweet little babies and the feeling of them moving inside you . I know it's completely the right decision for us but it does make me feel sad in a way.

 

[copper68]

lissawynn- which stroller do you have? we were thinking of getting one.. and now you have me wanting to get it before next thursday when we leave for disney.. does it have a decent size basket underneath? also a tray area in front and cup holders? thanks!!

 

[Strawberry Lemonade]

Lissawynn - glad you had a good trip!

Tasha - DS and I decided to have 2 children also. We probably won't try for the second for a few years (maybe when Lucas is about 2 or 3 years old). I'm turning 30 in September and I'd really like to be pregnant again before I'm 35. Knowing the trouble we had getting pregnant with Lucas, I feel I need a "cushion" in case we have the same trouble again.

Alice28 - Your neighbors sound like a piece of work. Good luck with that situation.

So how important is tummy time? Lucas hates it. Every time I put him on his tummy he starts out whining and it builds into a full blown cry. He can hold his head up fairly well already but I know he needs that time to work on upper body strength. Should I just do it anyway or does anyone have any suggestions on ways to make it more fun for him? As it is, he just lies there with his head down whimpering and crying. He gets so upset he doesn't even want to try to lift his head or anything.

 

[katerkat]

SL - Russ didn't like Tummy Time until he could roll to get out of it. Now he enjoys it because he knows how to end it when he's ready. In the beginning we just did it 15 minutes a day or so, and gave him his binkie a lot so he wouldn't wail through the whole thing. Once he started grasping (around 3 months, I think?) we gave him his links to play with, and we just got him a Pooh "tree" to play with. It has stuff on the bottom for Tummy Time, around the "branches" for when he's sitting, and stuff on top for when he can stand and play. I'm all about multi-age toys!

 

[justhat]

Madison hated tummy time in the beginning, but we did it everyday from the time she was 2 weeks old she she got used to it pretty quickly. I would lay on my tummy on the floor in front of her and talked to her, showed her toys, etc. and she seemed happy enough with that. Eventually she'd cry so we'd end it and try again later during the day.

Copper68, we have a Maclaren Techno Classic stroller that we've taken to Disney. There is no snack tray for the kid, nor any cupholders for the adult, but what we did was buy the Maclaren Organizer, which is a foam/mesh bag that velcros to the handles. It has 2 cupholders (foam, but they work very well), a small pocket on top (they call it a cell phone pocket, but we kept our tickets/fastpasses/etc. in there), and then a large bag/pouch. It's solid in the back and mesh front so people can see what you have in there so keep that in mind. We usually kept a box of tissues, a few diapers and wipes, a sunhat, sunblock, and other misc. items in there. We got the stroller online at www.bestbuybaby.com (free shipping but it's in NJ so you could pick it up, but either way you'd have to pay tax). They were much cheaper than any store we went to. We got the Organizer at Buy Buy Baby for $19.99. We've taken both the big Graco stroller and the Maclaren and the Maclaren is much easier to carry on/off buses, but the bigger basket in the Graco is very nice, as is the snack tray for the kids and tray for adults and I honestly never found it to be a huge problem to carry on/off the buses (but I always had help-could not have done it myself and held Madison, but I was able to do that with the Mac).

 

[copper68]

thanks justhat.. i've been thinking more about it.. and they are kinda expensive, so since we are gonna start trying for baby #2 next month, i figured i could just suck it up and use my graco.. and then eventually get a new double one.. i would hate to buy a new stroller and then voila i'm prego and need a double.. so, we will wait for now, but definitely think i will get a maclaren next time..

 

[DisneyPhD]

thanks justhat.. i've been thinking more about it.. and they are kinda expensive, so since we are gonna start trying for baby #2 next month, i figured i could just suck it up and use my graco.. and then eventually get a new double one.. i would hate to buy a new stroller and then voila i'm prego and need a double.. so, we will wait for now, but definitely think i will get a maclaren next time..

Even if you get pregnant in the next month, you will still have 10 more with a single. Now my kids are more spaced out but I still use the single often. (hubby and I spilt up, I take one he takes the other.)

I really liked having a larger stroller and a smaller travel one too. We have a combi, but what I want now is the peg pero plinko 3. However I can't justify the expense right now. We have a peg pergo aira twin and really like it. Not only for WDW, but other places. Last trip when we rented a car, we never would of been able to fit a full size double in the car with us and the luggage. It has paid for itself in rentals at WDW already.

Hubby used to think I was nuts with my stroller obbession, but he has found a good stroller is really worth it.

 

[DisKim]

I'm going to try this again. I typed up a long post yesterday and my internet went down .

Lissawynn - Welcome back! I'm glad Jimmy was able to stay cool. I've bought everything I can think of to keep Aidan cool - misty mate, pinwheel fan, uv shade. He should be feeling pretty good in his stroller.

On the topic of being sad about ending your child-bearing years - that is the reason why Aidan is here . I had the "perfect family" - a boy and a girl. I told everyone that I was done. It would have made financial sense to be done (I would have been virtually done with daycare costs this year). However, I did not feel complete. I felt like someone was waiting for me. After years of discussion, I finally gave in to DH and agreed to try for a third. My stipulation was we would try for 3 months and if it didn't happen, that was it. Well, it happened in the first month . It is bittersweet to know that I'm done now. I'm ready to move on, but I'm treasuring Aidan. I think I'm spoiling him in the meantime. I would love to have a fourth, but I could not do it financially. I don't know how I'll pay for college for three, forget four!

Robin - I got angry reading your story. I'm glad you defended the 12-year-old. What is wrong with people ? I have neighbors from hell myself. There are 2 houses on our cross street who have kids out of control. It goes right along with the fact that the parents don't parent them. Before I really knew what they were like, I let my then 5-year-old DD go over their house to play. They have a pool out back. DD was a strong swimmer since she was 2 1/2, but I always still kept a close eye on her. Apparently, the mother let the kids swim and stayed inside the house. Emily told me that there was a bell by the ladder that they were supposed to pull if they were in trouble . Needless to say, she never was allowed over there again. Instead, they would come banging on my door and look in my windows if we didn't answer fast enough. Their son apparently pulled down his pants one day in front of DD and peed under my deck (he was 8). After that, I strictly forbade them from playing with these kids. This is the same kid I posted about a while back who punched my 5-year-old in the face when we ended up at a bbq with them. The parents know I can't stand them. We just don't speak to each other anymore.

Bellacam - congratulations on the birth of Aidan. I have an Aidan too!

 

[copper68]

thanks disneyphd, for confusing me more.. hahahaha just when i thought i'd made my decision to wait you come in and confuse me..

i'll have to think about this one..

 

[copper68]

diskim- what's a misty mate.. i must have it.. haha we leave next thursday.. is this something i can get in stores?

 

[lissawynn]

copper68 I bought the Mac Triumph at BRU with a coupon Val was nice enough to send to me. It worked out to around $138 with PA tax. The big selling point for me was that it will hold Jimmy until he's 55lbs. Most people may say that they're not pushing a 55 lb. kid in a stroller, but after seeing all the tired, fussy "big" kids at WDW, I think a stroller is a great idea. My DS actually rented one at Epcot and MK for my DN the last two days we were there. In retrospect, she wished she would have gotten one every day we were in the parks. His poor little legs were just tired from trying to keep us with us.

Alice28 I'm sorry you're suffering from the neighbors from heck. We, too, have some not so nice people living at the end of our block. They keep having kids, even though they seem to not really care about them. The one boy is always running up and down the sidewalk in nothing but a diaper. He tries to sneak into our yard (through a small gap in our fence). He parents scream at him to come back (when they realize he's gone), but they don't do anything to prevent him from getting off their porch in the first place.
Good for you for letting those guys have it! Enough is enough.

Jimmy had his 6 mo. check up on Wednesday. He's 20 lbs. 5.5 oz. and is 28" long. The dr. said he's on par with a 9 mo. old. Poor guy got 4 shots again. He cried and cried; I felt terrible.

I am missing WDW already! I will never go again w/out DH. I wished he was there the whole time we were gone. He would have loved to see Jimmy's reactions to the characters, lights, etc. I am planning a trip for DH, Jimmy, and me for March 2003 (this is the only time that doesn't coincide with hunting season ). I'm thinking of the Poly or Beach Club for our stay.

 

[Alice28]

I too am sad about not having any more kids, even though I know it's the right decision for us. (my doctor said I don't think you should have any more, so that seals the deal). But I will say this: after Joshua (my 2nd) I really thought we were DONE. I sold all the baby clothes on ebay, was really getting into the groove of two kids, moving onto the next chapter in our lives. But DH kept mentioning a 3rd...again and again and again. We finally tried and first try Molly was conceived. And now I can't picture our family any other way. Yeah, we're squeezed into our 3 bedroom house. But it's worth it. You just never know, and it's really hard to say when you're DONE.

Welcome BellaCam and Aidan (I meant to say that earlier!)

Lissawynn- your post made me a little sad about not going to WDW without DH again....I'm already bittersweet about our upcoming trip cause DH isn't going.....I know it will be fun, and a treat, and special memories will be made, but it won't be the same.

Sidenote- the neighbor kids are already out in full force...it's barely 9AM. And of course my two get SO MAD when I won't let them go out...they sit at the window and pout or yell at their friends to talk with anyway. Sigh.....

 

[DisneyPhD]

thanks disneyphd, for confusing me more.. hahahaha just when i thought i'd made my decision to wait you come in and confuse me..

i'll have to think about this one..

Sorry, my husband calls me the queen of justification. My point is just because you have 2 kids doesn't mean you never have reason to use a single stroller again. (don't for get bjioning the baby and putting the older child in the stroller.) Or the resale vaule of good stroller in good shape. Oh I should stop now.

I have a friend (who is a working mom) whos husband just got her a bugabo for Mothers day (a few months back.) She was really unsure about it, but he said they could sell it for a great price when they were done. I don't think I would go that far. (even I have limits!)

Ok, as far as when to stop and your last baby. I don't know. We now have 2 kids, hubby says he is done. However I am not so sure. To think this would be my last baby would just be too sad. I am not one who want's a baby when I already have one, but once they are no longer a baby...........

It seems like everything is made for familys of 4 now a days, and part of me wants to bump that. However more then 2 kids, and they have you out numbered. I do know it is harder to have a spoiled rotten brat in large families. I have 3 older brothers and siblings are very important. I just don't know. Things like house size, or even if we had 3 kids we could no longer fit in a one bedroom or stuido with DVC any more.


Time will tell. My if we have another one I will be over 35, we will see. Then there is the pregnancy thing. I hate being pregnant, but the results are worth it.

lissawynn, jimmy weighs more then Lily (by around 4 pounds.) and she is a year old. My how they grow. Lily still isn't crawling. She scoots like mad, it sure is cute. She is also pulling her self up on anything and loves small steps or ledges.

 

[Alice28]

Things like house size, or even if we had 3 kids we could no longer fit in a one bedroom or stuido with DVC any more.

LOL- although we can get into Shades of Green, which sleeps 5, I told my husband, "Now you know this means we have to stay at the Deluxe Hotels now when we go to Disney! They're the only ones that sleep 5!" (well, besides the Riverside trundles).

He just gave me a look....like he would want to stay in a value- he's a hotel snob and gets irritated with me when I try and do things on the cheap.

 

[DisKim]

copper68 - A misty mate is this thing that you fill with water. It has a little hose type thing attached to it and releases mist once pumped. It has a clip on the end of the hose so it can be clipped onto the stroller shade. It is supposed to make the air feel 20-30 degrees cooler (I don't know how true that is, but the mist really does cool you off). I heard about it here on the DIS and found it at Walmart (after looking for about an hour). It was next to the fans.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

I also meant to say welcome Bridget and baby Aiden!

Leah~ I really hope you will have exciting preg. news in the next couple months! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Alice and DisKim~ Ugh! What horrible neighbors! I live near the ILs and thought that was bad but I know their kids atleast know enough to respect us and our boundaries! I can't belive the one mom has a bell to ring in the pool if they get in trouble! That freaked me out just reading about it! Wonder what happens if they get in trouble and aren't near the bell! Some people really should not have kids!

katerkat~ That's how Kylie is with tummy time too, lol! She still hates it despite toys and distractions but she knows she can roll over and end it and that's what she always does!

On the subject of knowing when you are through having kids...I feel better about our decision today. 2 really does seem like the perfect number for us. I don't have to worry about dh trying to talk me into having a 3rd since he is adamant about stopping at 2. I will have a c-section w/our next child and was planning to have a tubal litigation at that time. I am worried I will feel so uncertain and sad that I will back out of it and want to try for a 3rd anyway. It is just that despite knowing we only want 2 there seems to be something so final about making that decision! Oh, well, we don't plan to start trying for #2 until Kylie is around 2 (we want about 3 years between them) so I'll worry more about it then!

I measured Kylie this morning and she is already 25.5 in long! She has grown 2 inches in a month!

Okay, I am seriously thinking about starting Kylie on cereal next week instead of next month. I hadn't planned to but she has gotten to where she is constantly staring at our food and has even tried to grab it a few times! And then this morning she fussed when she saw my food. As an experiment I hid the food. She quit fussing. But when I brought it back in view she fussed again! I was surprised since all we give her now is formula. She must like the smell or something. She has all the signs of being ready. I think I will try it for a couple days and see how she reacts to it. If she responds well, we'll go from there. If not, then we'll wait another month or so before we try again.

My good sleeper is still a good sleeper who sleeps most of the night but has gotten into the habit of not wanting to go to bed at a decent hour. I try putting her to bed around 9 and she falls asleep easily but she doesn't stay asleep when I put her in her crib and we go through this cycle of putting her back to sleep several times before she stays asleep in her crib for good at night. I need to get her on a set schedule. How do I go about this? Should I let her cry some or what? Any suggestions are welcome!

 

[DisneyPhD]

I have always been of the opinon that later is better for solids then sooner. They say 4 to 6 months, but then people want to start at 3 months, when 4 is really early. We started Anna at 5 months and after the fact I wish we had waited, it actually messed things up. She was sleeping good and stopped! (and we took things slow.) It is rather like shaving your legs, it is hard to go back to not doing it.

We waited until 6 months for Lily and took things very slow. I am very glad we did because it turns out she has food alergies and less exposure is better. After all they have the rest of their life to eat soilds. Bottles and breast is so much easier. She doesn't know what she is missing not getting dairy, but I do and belive me I miss it. I keep telling myself it is just a tempary situation.

Whatever you decied I am sure Kylie will be fine. After all in England and Australlua they have totally different "rules" for feeding infants that we think is nuts!