The Official New Mom Thread

[zalansky]

Hillbeans - I hear ya! I am still right there with you, Cameryn sleeps only 3 hours between feedings at night, sometimes 4. I keep waiting (and begging) for her to last longer!

As far as Xmas toys, I agree with you ladies and have tried to get DH to go along with me on this in the past, that babies have no clue what is going on and that they will get PLENTY of gifts from the family members...not to mention we don't have room in the house for all these toys! (and DS's birthday is 3 days after Xmas to make matters worse) But DH insists on getting lots of presents..."he will buy what he wants for his son, blah blah blah". Alas, I will try again this year. Maybe I will have more success since we have 4 very large plastic tubs filled with toys that are not played with right now.

Vald1977 - Katrina is just gorgeous! I too will be on the lookout for a Christmas dress for my DD, but I am always afraid to get something now for fear I will see something closer to Xmas I like better!

Speaking of outfits, what are the kids being for Halloween? Cameryn will be an angel and Connor is going to be Dash from the Incredibles. We bought a size 4-6 but it fits though a little big. He is taking this superhero gig very seriously...

Have a great day ladies...

 

[vald1977]

Zalansky,
What cutie your son is in his costume ! The little boy I watch is three and he is going to be Mr. Incredible. Actually he's calling himself "Evan Incredible" . My two are going to be skeletons. DS is wearing his skeleton costume from last year again (his choice) and I found a cute sleeper type skeleton costume at Wal-mart for Katie. I think it's probably a boy's costume but I'm gonna put a bow in her hair so people won't keep calling her a boy.

 

[tkyes]

thanks for the tips on the baby food. i think we are trying bananas tonight. i might just spend a couple hours on sunday and do a bunch of baby food up and put it in the freezer. they suggest to start with some fruits first right? or can i try a vegetable after the bananas? i have a friend who's loaning me a book on making your own baby food, so hopefully that will help answer some questions. i'll check out the website katerkat suggested too.

zalansky - your son is adorable in his costume. tyler is going to be a frog

katrina is beautiful!! tyler was checking her out when i came across her picture. maybe in 18 years we can all get together and have our kids meet. maybe some future love connections. lol

i don't think tyler is getting much from us for christmas either. maybe one toy if i find something that i love. we'll see.

[[[hugs]]] hillary! you'll get more sleep soon, i promise!


time to feed tyler some lunch and then we are off to do some shopping. it's so beautiful out today so i thought we would go for a nice walk downtown and look for a 6 month picture outfit.

have a great day everyone!

tamie

 

[Strawberry Lemonade]

Lucas had his 4 month checkup today. 14.9 lbs, 26 1/4 in. The ped says he'll probably be tall and thin. She also gave the go ahead for solids. She told us rice, wheat, or barley cereal and any stage 1 fruits or vegetables. We'll try that tonight.

I have no idea for an outfit for Christmas. I agree with Hillbeans - boy clothes are just not as cute as girl clothes. I bought a nice one in green (pants, plaid shirt, and matching vest) and I hope he fits into it for Thanksgiving. I want to get his picture done also since we haven't had any done yet and I would like it if he wore that outfit.

Zalanksy - Lucas will be Superman for Halloween. We may even draw a curl on his forehead.

Vald - Love the pics! Katie and her friend are adorable.

ceiligh1 - we still swaddle Lucas and he's 4 months old. We even bought a miracle blanket for him. We asked the doctor when we should stop swaddling him (we only do it at night) and she said when he outgrows it, he'll let us know and there's no harm in doing it until then.

 

[ceiligh1]

Thank you all for the tips. My DH and I have tried to figure out what he does differently with the swaddle but we really don’t know. Conner just seems to like it extremely tight. Lately he has started to fuss and squirm out of the swaddle so I think the end is near so to speak. Again thanks, neither our family’s nor friends had babies who liked to be swaddled so this is new to all of us.

 

[Alice28]

I'm feeling better, I think. I had to have my mom come over and administer a migraine shot- I haven't done one since before DH left last summer and I was nervous nelly about it. I feel much better now. Hate those darn migraines.

I let Molly cry it out this afternoon for her nap. I knew she wasn't hungry, mom changed her diaper and she was just crabby. I was too tired to rock her, blah, blah, blah, so I laid her down with some blankies, toys and her new music crib toy on and she screamed bloody murder for 10+ minutes and konked out. Yay! I'm so happy! I knew I was due to do this; it helps me to have another adult around to reassure me that she's fine, and to just let her cry.

It's hard to believe Lucas is 4 months already SL! A long boy he is!

I think you can start babies on either simple fruits or veggies- doesn't matter which is first, although they're more likely to enjoy the fruits. All three of mine have always loved carrots and esp sweet potatoes. Sammy loved green beans- the other two thought they were gross. Now Sam gags down the green beans (regular green beans of course) and Joshua gobbles them up. Funny how things change. And none of us will touch sweet potatoes with a ten foot pole! (except Molly).

Well, I'm going to clean up a little bit. My mom cleaned up my kitchen for me as I was just in a funk with the headache, but my living room needs some serious sweeping....I want to go get one of those new Swiffer Flik-its. I have a big area rug in the living room over the Pergo and it just gets so dirty/crummy every day and I hate getting the vacuum cleaner out daily.

Have a great afternoon everyone!

 

[Alice28]

I meant to also add that Katrina is a doll! Love all the pictures everyone!

 

[bellacam]

SL - I am sitting here just laughing. Aidan was 11 weeks yesterday and he is 16.5 pounds and 25 inches. I can't believe he's bigger than Lucas. Good Luck with the baby food.

Zalansky - That costume is too cute!

Vald - Katrina is a little cutie!

Tykes - Let us know how the baby food goes. I am a SAHM and I have been thinking about making Aidan's when the tine comes.

I am also in the "not going to but much for Christmas" group. Aidan will be spoiled by our relatives and we are going to California in January so we'll load him up then. I do want to get him an Exersaucer though. That will probably be his gift from DH and I and then I'll do a stocking with little toys, etc.

 

[DisKim]

Hi ladies. It's been so long since I've been on the DIS. There is just never enough time. I can't believe he is 6 months old today. My back is totally shot because he is so heavy. He just got his first tooth and has been very crabby. I have to hold him all the time.

I'm not caught up yet, but on the topic of Christmas toys, I have to get Aidan a piano. His babysitter has a v-tech piano that he adores. Other than that, I really like the peek-a-boo blocks. I have to have toys from Santa so my older kids don't think Aidan has been bad.

Well, that's it on time for me. I hope all of you are well.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

vald~ Katrina is so cute! I can't believe how big she is getting!

zalansky~ Love your ds in his costume! That is adorable! He looks tough!

lissawynn and Alice~ Hope you both feel better soon!

Hillbeans~ Hope Liam lets you get some much needed uninterrupted sleep soon!

tkyes~ I have been given different opinions on whether to do fruits or veggies first. One dr. told me that starting them on fruits is easiest since they will like the sweetness best. Another told me to start her on green vegetables first before she is too accustomed to the sweet stuff and won't eat green things. That's what I did. I did green beans first. And out of all of the vegetables/fruits she has had she has liked green beans the best which kind of surprised me. But basically from what I understand it's really up to you which you prefer to try first. I was worried she wouldn't like green beans if I tried those after fruit. How was I to know that would be her favorite? Of course now she hardly tolerates any baby food...As a matter of fact, I have decided to take a break from it until she is 6 months since she doesn't eat it really anyway. I know it won't hurt her since they say you don't technically have to start them until after 6 months anyway. We'll try again in a few weeks.

SL~ Wow! Lucas is a long little guy. At Kylie's 5 month appt. she was only 25.75" and her growing has majorly slowed down! She went from the 90th percentile to the 75th in both height and weight within a month.

ceiligh~ I'd say swaddle him as long as you can if that's what he likes. Kylie never liked to be swaddled after about 3 weeks. She has always (and I mean from the time she was in utero) been a major kicker and mover. She didn't like to feel confined during swaddling so that didn't last long for us.

bellacam~ I can't believe how big Aidan is at only 11 weeks! Kylie is almost 5.5 months and weighs 16 lbs 13 oz and is 25.75 in long! He is a big guy but he is adorable!

DisKim~ Happy 6 month b-day to Aidan! I can't believe he is 6 mo either! And I have missed you on this thread!

Kylie is going to be a bunny rabbit for Halloween! It can also be used as pajamas or something nice and soft to wear on other days so it was a good investment as far as costumes go. I carved a jack-o-lantern last week and am planning to take some Halloween pictures of Kylie in her bunny costume with her pumpkin. This is the first time I have ever done anything Halloween related and I must admit I am having fun with it!

I can't decide what I want to get Kylie for Christmas yet. I know she won't remember or understand this year anyway but I HAVE to get her something. I am thinking about an exersaucer or a jumparoo at this point! Guess we'll see!

I have been feeling in a funk the past couple of days. I haven't even been on the DIS or anything which is rare for me. I don't feel depressed or anything, just in a funk. I love being a SAHM but now that we finally have good health insurance it also means paying more each payday which means we have to watch our budget even more. We still have a little extra money but not much. So now I feel like I should be contributing in some way. Of course I know most of the money would go on daycare and I would be miserable leaving Kylie every day but I still feel that way. Also, I can't seem to get my house clean no matter how hard I try. I am not talking about just today. I am talking about since she was born. My house is disgusting. It is depressing. But I just can't find the time even though I am home all day. She doesn't like to be left alone for too long so I don't get much done when I do clean. And naps...well, she wants to nap with me and I enjoy the cuddling time so it's as much my fault as hers. I know how lucky we really are and I shouldn't complain but I can't help the way I feel. It's just a funk. Hopefully I will get out of it soon. If I could get the house cleaned then it would help. I know I need to get it spotless soon or I won't be able to decorate for Christmas. Anyway thanks for letting me whine!

 

[Hillbeans]

Vald - Katrina is adorable - I love the pictures you posted.

Zalansky - LOL - What a great "Dash" costume! That's so cute! I hope we both get some well deserved rest soon from our eating machines....i'd always thought that formula babies can go longer, but what do I know anyways?

Tykes - Good luck with the baby food - I think it's a great idea to make your own and it probably doesn't take a lot of extra equipment.

Tasha - It's completely normal what you're going through as far as your "funk". I think it's very natural to have good days and bad days when you're home with your little one. Some days they're good, you're in a good mood and things go well - and other days - well we know what those are like. The change in the weather (and less sunlight) may also be a factor. It's always hard to deal with money issues when babies are in the picture (and house cleaning issues) but just remember how fast these weeks and months go by. So you don't have a clean home, big deal. I'm sure you've got a very happy baby though!

Hi to all the other mom's!

Add me to the "not getting much" for christmas group also. The baby will be 3 months old, so i'll probably get one toy for him which i'm sure my son will just end up playing with. I've got a houseful of toys for my son and I hate to be wasteful. I'm just looking forward to a relaxing, and stress free holiday season (one can at least hope).

Well, back to making bottles for the evening. Talk to you all soon.

 

[becka]

I just wanted to do a quick check in. I know I hardly ever post to this thread and I know I don't have time to keep up with your little ones very much but I still like to pop in on occassion and say Hi and update you on us a little in case anyone is interested.

Allie will be 9 months old next Monday. She is getting to be such a big girl. She is starting to eat real table food now and really is starting to turn her nose up at the strained stuff. Now that she has tasted real food the jar stuff just does not hold much appeal. I can't say I blame her...some of that stuff does not look very good.

She is trying to move around a lot and she is getting very frustrated that she cannot get toys that she wants that are not right by her. I give her a month before she is crawling. She is really getting herself motivated. It is actually a little funny to see her get so worked up. She has been so calm and happy-go-lucky for the past few months.

Allie is going to be an MU cheerleader for Halloween and Nathan will be a red power ranger. DS is very excited about Halloween and he wants to take Allie trick or treating with him but I told him that she has to stay home this year since she is not big enough to eat the candy.

Well I hope things are going well for everyone and their precious little ones!

 

[Alice28]

Zalansky- I meant to comment too that your son is so funny and cute as Dash! Love it!

My boys are going to be a soldier (Daddy got Sam real BDUs with his name embroidered and everything), and Joshua will be Buzz Lightyear. I just bought Molly a "trick or treat" shirt at Old Navy. I didn't feel like buying a costume. I'm such a stinker. I may buy a Minnie Mouse costume at Disney Store when it goes on clearance for next year. I love that one! I also may just throw her mouse ears on her I bought at WDW while we're out Trick or Treating.

Tasha- I hear ya about the funk. While my house is "relatively" clean, there are things I have been meaning to do for MONTHS and never get around to doing them! We have these baseboards that are like 6 inches tall all around the house; they are painted white and there are chips in the paint everywhere. Every time Molly naps I think, "I should get the stupid can of paint out and just do it." And I don't. I sit and rest and DIS or watch TV or pick up clutter. Sometimes, gasp, I actually work in my scrapbook. It's hard taking care of a baby! And wait a month or two to decide if it's worth it to work outside the home- see how the budget goes. Maybe you will find areas where you can scrimp a bit more? Or maybe could you just work a parttime job at Christmas time at a store you really like? Sometimes I think I wouldn't mind doing that, just to get out of the house! But daycare issues would be a nightmare right now. I think it would be fun just to work on stock days at baby Gap or Gymboree....maybe not....knowing me my paycheck would all go right back into the store! Once upon a time I worked at babyGap when I was going to college; and I remember one morning a week I was there at 6AM to do stock.

anyway, I digress. I feel for you though. Sometimes I think, if I had just some parttime job that paid maybe 1,000 a month, I could get our credit cards paid down SO fast or be able to save for nice trips SO fast! And then I think, "Oh lord....to have to coordinate daycare again....not worth it!" And it's not that I would die being apart from my kids- it is just hard finding the right provider who is open the right hours and who charges a fair price!

 

[Strawberry Lemonade]

Feeding a baby with a spoon for the first time is hilarious. Lucas had his first solids last night - rice cereal with applesauce. He didn't know what to do with the food once it was in his mouth and his face was priceless. He seemed to like the taste of it though. Towards the end, he wanted to hold the spoon himself, but I suspect it was to chew on it to soothe his gums rather than feed himself. We should have had the video camera out.

I think we're going to get Lucas an exersaucer for Christmas. Like everyone else, I'm sure our families will buy him a ton of toys and clothes. We'll probably get that one big gift and a few stocking stuffers.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm having a heck of a time trying to find a personalized "Baby's First Christmas" ornament. I was going to get one in WDW when we were there in February, but at that time we didn't yet know if he was a boy or girl and couldn't have it personalized. Does anyone know where to get one? I'd prefer Disney (Mickey Mouse) but will settle for just his name and the first Christmas. Maybe I'll just get a paint marker and make one myself.

 

[DisKim]

SL - Try Lillian Vernon. They have a silver cradle ornament that can be personalized. Lenox has a "baby's first Christmas" ornament that can be personalized also.

Aidan is going to be a skunk for Halloween. For some reason, my SIL gave him the costume for Christmas while I was still pregnant . Anyway, I didn't see a point in buying another costume. He looks so much like Jack Jack from the Incredibles that it really is a shame that I didn't pursue that costume. I couldn't find one to buy though and I'm not making costumes. Emily got a funky witch costume. It's very "tween" just like her. It is sparkly with fur trim. Alex is going to be Darth Vader along with every one of his friends. Darth is very big this year apparently.

Tasha - I remember feeling the same way as you when I stayed home with my DD. We didn't have alot of money. I didn't have enough to enroll her in Gymboree and things like that so we were bored. I felt bad that I was not contributing to our financial situation. It stunk. Now, when I look back on it, I realize that I should have thought of the positive side and appreciated my time with her more. I hope things get better soon. Look at it this way, if you have any money left over after bills, you are good to go. If you can afford to stay home, don't think twice about it. Take it from a working mom, it's no picnic. I'd certainly stay home if I could.

Aidan has been in a funk. He just got his first tooth and his second seems to be coming in. All of a sudden he has started projectile vomiting. Do you think it could be related to his tooth coming in? I know they drool alot so I thought maybe it was because of that.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

Tasha - I remember feeling the same way as you when I stayed home with my DD. We didn't have alot of money. I didn't have enough to enroll her in Gymboree and things like that so we were bored. I felt bad that I was not contributing to our financial situation. It stunk. Now, when I look back on it, I realize that I should have thought of the positive side and appreciated my time with her more. I hope things get better soon. Look at it this way, if you have any money left over after bills, you are good to go. If you can afford to stay home, don't think twice about it. Take it from a working mom, it's no picnic. I'd certainly stay home if I could.

Oh, trust me, I know you are absolutely right! And I am feeling a little better today. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that dh's company being bought out delayed his paycheck and is causing us to be in a pinch this month. Next month things will be back on track but this month really hurt us financially. Then I have had trouble sleeping for about a month now. I have always been a night owl but it just doesn't work too well with a baby. I stay up till all hours at night and then when I finally fall asleep Kylie gets up a couple hours later. Not her fault since she sleeps through the night. But I am sleep deprived as a result. Plus, I just got TOM today which probably accounts for a lot of it. Stress, TOM, and lack of sleep...that has to be why I feel the way I do. BUT I wasn't planning to actually go back to work. I would be more miserable if I did. I know I am lucky that I can stay home and I do cherish these moments with Kylie so I have no intentions of going back to work right now. I just feel like a lot of the weight is on dh right now. But don't worry. I know things will be okay and that we are actually luckier than a lot of people so I do thank my lucky stars for that. And like I said I do feel better today.

Oh, and DisKim, my mom (who doesn't believe in celebrating Halloween) did let me dress up for our kindergarten parade at our school when I was little, which was the only time I got to dress up as a kid. Guess what she dressed me up as? A SKUNK! I hated being a skunk b/c I was old enough to understand when someone said, "Phew! You stink!" and I was a sensitive kid and it hurt my feelings! Be glad Aidan is too young to understand, lol!

ETA:
SL~ I am ordering Kylie a personalized ornament from www.colorfulimages.com I have ordered several things from them in the past and I really like the company. If you want to see what I am ordering put in item #: 47-1244 in the search box. I am ordering the pink candy cane but of course they have blue too. I am also ordering a wedding one. We never got a wedding ornament after we were married and since they let you personalize the year and names on it I am ordering it for us. The item # for that is: 47-1272.

 

[DisKim]

I hated being a skunk b/c I was old enough to understand when someone said, "Phew! You stink!" and I was a sensitive kid and it hurt my feelings! Be glad Aidan is too young to understand, lol!

LOL - Aidan's costume says "Little Stinker" on the behind. I tried it on him and brought him over to my DD and told her I found something stinky in her room. Well, after some of Aidan's diapers lately, he deserves the nickname.

I am having quite a day today. My back is thrown out thanks to Aidan. I've been suffering all week. Additionally, I was DISing this afternoon when I noticed the time was after 4 pm and I hadn't heard DD come in from school. She usually comes in at 4 on the dot. I waited a while and then started getting really worried around 4:10. I called DH who works in her school district. He called the school and they said she had been dropped off at her stop. I started to freak. She was NOT dropped off at her stop. I questioned a girl from her bus and she said Emmy was not on it. At that point, I started freaking out and crying hysterically. DH finally had the school do an all call for her. It turned out she stayed after school with her music teacher for an extra flute lesson. She never told me she was staying after. I was angry at Emmy for not telling me. I am a little miffed at the teacher. Emmy is only 9 and has ADD. She's going to forget these things from time to time. The teacher should have sent a written notice IMHO. On top of that fiasco, DH is up for a promotion. It turns out the promotion sucks. They are offering him 5K less than he thought they would and offering him very little vacation time. It's still 9K more a year than he's making now so I think he should take it for the time being. OK, it's time to deal with my house now. We got a couple of new pieces of furniture and the house is now a disaster. We got a computer desk and an entertainment unit and we have to hook everything back up and put it all away.

 

[Alice28]

DisKim- I'm so sorry you threw your back out! OUCH! I did that once in college and it was horrible pain. Had to get a shot of demerol or something like that. I hope you are able to take a hot bath or shower tonight.

And oh-my-gosh I would have been FREAKING if one of my kids didn't get off of the bus in time! I'm glad DD is ok!

Not much new here- just checking in!

 

[joats]

Good morning mommies!
Jace was up at 4:30 this am for some reason. He's back to sleep and I'm already up and ready for work way too early! I thought I'd pop in and see how you are doing while I have the chance. I miss being able to get online and check in.

Alice28 & Katerkat: I don't know how you do it! Sending positive thoughts to you and your DHs.
SL: Yes, it is pretty interesting trying feeding with a spoon. I find Jace loses interest about 1/2 way thru, but is pretty eager in the beginning. His Dr. says to only do one food at a time. I'm looking forward to adding some fruits/veggies and watching his funny faces.
DisKim: I hope your back starts to feel better soon. What a scary experience w/DD! Glad it all worked out ok.
I love all the new pictures of the little ones. Hope all the mommies are having a good week.

I'm so glad it's getting closer to the weekend! I wish it would hurry up and get here already. I hate being away from Jace so much.

Oh Alice28 - I'm hoping it's you that won the powerball in Oregon!! LOL!!

 

[Alice28]

Darn! I didn't even play Powerball!!! And those were not numbers I would have picked unless I did the random machine pick. I wish I could win just $100,000- pay off credit cards, our car, our equity line and have more than enough left over to remodel the basement and go on vacation for two weeks!

Everytime I see Jace's pictures I want to squeeze his cheeks! He's so cute!

Back to housework.... trying to be motivated today and vacuum the entire house and get my new floor scrubber out and do the pergo and the linoleum in the bathrooms. We shall see!