The Official New Mom Thread

[katerkat]

How old is Mia? I've got some 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes that Russ outgrew. As long as Mia likes blue! T&S, will you let me know when you get an address?

 

[DisKim]

Tasha - thanks for letting us know about lulu. Please let us know of anything we can do. I stayed up late last night bagging childrens' clothes for a hospital in Baton Rouge. My mom's company is based down there and they are taking these things directly to the hospital. I had at least 8-10 bags filled. I wish I could do more.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

Hey, everyone! Well, this was posted earlier by lulu:

Quote:
Thanks guys. We're fine and have a ton of our stuff with us, thank God. We're not sure where will be after next week because DH is flying to Houston to meet with his company to decide where they will set up temporary operations until they can decide what to do with their N.O. property, which was destroyed. Could be here in Fla., (I hope) or somewhere on the east coast. That will all be decided next week. It's kind of weird to sit back and wait to hear where you'll call home for the next year or two.

I am so very touched by all of your concern and offers. Since we are OK with stuff, I would so much rather see someone have it that can use it more than we can. There are people here in Orlando from what we've heard who are stranded with no means whatsover. It's just so sad.

Seems that lulu is going to be okay and she wants others that need it more to receive things. I think it is so compassionate that she lost her home and still thinks others deserve it more than her. Anyway, I just wanted to let all of you see the update. I am relieved that it looks like they will be able to start over easily enough and her dh still has a job despite this tragedy! Mia is about 3 months I believe. I know she is not much younger than Kylie. I am so glad they are okay! I could not imagine something happening to Kylie so I am especially glad that little Mia is all right!

Anyway, I hope you all have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!

 

[joats]

For the past few mornings, we've been finding Jace all the way in the bottom corner of his crib, kicking the wall of the crib. I can't believe he gets himself down there as he is put up at the other end of his crib at night and he is swaddled up tight, unable to move his arms and legs. He must "worm" his way down there...it is too funny!
I'm looking forward to more of these interesting moves as he continues to get older in what feels like by the second.

Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful long weekend!

 

[DisneyPhD]

Good morning mommies and it is a good one too.

I have some news to share with all of you, Lily has been sleeping through the night for the past few days.

One night she woke at 11:30 and I got her back to sleep without nursing her (I had to hold her for 45 min...) The next day she went to sleep at 9:30 and slept until 9:30 am!!!!! 12 hours a new record (the old one was 6) Last night wasn't that good, but she went down at 9:30 again and slept until 6:30, I consider that through the night so I am very pleased. I know it might come and go, especialy now that I am sharing the news with the world, but at least I know she can do it. She hasn't been napping as much during the day (barely at all) but I will take that if she isn't tried or cranky and she sleeps at night (when I want to also.)

Just wanted to share the good news and hope that everyone elses baby sleeps soundly befoe 13 months (it was the the day, can you belive it?)

It also might be because of the dairy and egg free diet for both of us. Good to know all my efforts are helping.

 

[DisKim]

joats - It's amazing how these little ones can wiggle and get themsleves around.

DisneyPhD - Congratulations . 13 months is a long time to wait. Enjoy your rest!

Well, this is my last day of freedom. I oficially go back to work tomorrow. I cried all morning. I can't look at Aidan because I cry every time I do. Ugh! I can't even talk about it.

 

[bellacam]

Diskim - ! Hoping tomorrow goes by as fast as possible for you!

joats - My Aidan is a mover too! He comes in bed with us after I nurses in the morning and makes his little way from my husbands side of our bed(where I hand him off and fall back asleep) back to me! We have a king sized bed and he just wiggles over somehow! It's the cutest thing.

I posted this as a separate thread but will post it here to to see if there are any othere responses.....

I have a ?. My son Aidan was born on August 1 and weighed 10lbs 12oz and was 23 inches long...he is 5 weeks today and weigs 12lbs 12oz 23.5 inches now. He is 5 weeks today. We started out bf but had to supplement with formula duto he wasn't getting enough with just me. He now seemd to be going thru another phase where the bf/formula is just not enough, especially at night. Every evening after his 7:00 6oz bottle he acts like he never ate before and is extremely upset. I usually let him nurse and that keeps him happy for another 1/2 hour or so. Then he either cires till we feed him again or falls asleep and is up by 10:00 when we nurse and have another bottle. Does this seem normal. Were your bigger babies hungrier than "average". I have an appointment next week and will discuss this with our doctor but thought I'd poll the mommies here. Of course, my mother is insisting I start him on cereal already! Please help if you can.

 

[gwcollins71]

I posted this as a separate thread but will post it here to to see if there are any othere responses.....

Does this seem normal. Were your bigger babies hungrier than "average". I have an appointment next week and will discuss this with our doctor but thought I'd poll the mommies here. Of course, my mother is insisting I start him on cereal already! Please help if you can.

Don't do it. My Mom and everyone else suggested we give Lily ceral at night when she hit a month. In my studpidity, we did it. All it did was make her terrible constipated and bloated for 3 days. Her sleep habits are fine, right where they are supposed to be. When she gets terribly hungry though, I will add a little extra formula powder to her bottle though. Maybe a rounded scoop as oppposed to a flat scoop. Our sitter suggested this. When she first got Lily onto a schedule for me, she gave her formula that was more watered down so she wouldn't sleep as long in the late afternoon. This has helped her go to bed at night.

In the meantime, she's 9 1/2 weeks. She sleeps almost through the night usually. The last two days she's been very congested so she wakes herself up trying to breathe. Poor thing. She is so frustrated. We have the vaporizer on in her room but she wants to be held all the time right now. I woke up yesterday and my sweet hubby was lying on the floor in her room on a pile of blankets holding her so she would sleep in there. He's too tall for the rocker. It was the cutest thing.

However, hubby wasn't so cute the other day when he let Lily lick his tootsie pop at my nephews party. I had no idea what was going on until a friend came to show me the digital pic of the evidence. No wonder she hasn't wanted to sleep. Lets just give her some expresso while we're at it.

I can't complain though. He is wonderful with her. He is so patient when she's screaming her lungs out and he takes care of her half the time when we're sleeping. (Alice, I don't know how you manage on your own. There are times when I don't think I can mangage even with hubby's help.) You deserve a mother of the year award and a nice vacation when your hubby comes home.

Gretchen

 

[bellacam]

Gretchen - I will try rounded scoops in the 7:00 bottle to see if that helps. I am not to worried about sleeping as I don't expect him to sleep through the night, not yet anyway! It just feels like we feed botte & bf him at 7:00 and by 8:30 he's starving! His bottle is 6oz and who really knows how much breastmilk he's getting. If rounded scoops don't help, I may try a 7oz bottle for that feeding.

 

[katerkat]

As I recall, Russ went through a growth spurt at about 6 weeks - ate all the time and never seemed full. Did the same thing at 3 weeks and now, at 5.5 months, we've hit another one. Yesterday he ate at 3:30, 6, 7, then 8:30! We haven't started cereal yet.

 

[vald1977]

As I recall, Russ went through a growth spurt at about 6 weeks - ate all the time and never seemed full. Did the same thing at 3 weeks and now, at 5.5 months, we've hit another one. Yesterday he ate at 3:30, 6, 7, then 8:30! We haven't started cereal yet.

Same thing with Katrina at 3 weeks and 6 weeks. She wanted to eat every 1and a half to two hours, especially at night. I tried giving her more at a feeding and she just spit it up. I just fed her when she seemed hungry and now she's back to every three hours.

Yay for Lily sleeping through the night ! I'm sure keeping her dairy free is helping.

Diskim,
I hope tomorrow goes smoothly .

 

[lissawynn]

Hi moms! The weather here has been beautiful all weekend! DH, Jimmy, and I went to two fairs this weekend. There's nothing like lots of fired fair food to make me happy.

joats - Our Jimmy is also a mover, too. So much so that he wakes himself up b/c he's thrashing around his crib at night. I am wondering if it's too early to buy him a twin mattress and a solid bed rail. He sleeps FINE in our bed, but every time I put him in his crib he screams as if his arms and legs are being sawed off. Trust me, I tried the crying it out thing, and it was horrible.

DisKim - Don't be too hard on yourself about returning to work. If you need to vent, feel free. My school year stinks so far. Tomorrow our students have to wear their "uniforms". Some have already planned a protest for the morning. Can't wait to get to work tomorrow!

My BF, who is expecting, is just beginning to feel the first signs of morning sickness. I feel so sorry for her. I was lucky and was sick during my summer vacation. I felt good when school started again. As for her shower, I'm going to try to find sheep stuff. She loves them and has already found a crib set she loves( http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t.../102-5024251-8260909?v=glance&s=baby&n=542332 ).
I've been saving my baby food jars for the little candles on the tables. I also bought a really cute notebook in the $1 aisle at Target so everyone can write their words of "wisdom" for the new mom-to-be. I think I'm going to buy a plain blanket and have everyone sign it with a fabric safe marker as a sign-in "book". Keep those ideas coming!

 

[joats]

Bridget: I agree w/other posters on the whole growth spurt. During Jace's, I swear he would eat 24/7 if I let him. Good luck!

DisneyPhD: Congrats on Lily's great sleeping! I hope that it continues for you.

DisKim: I hope that you make it thru the day. I'm sure it will be tough. Please let us know how it goes.

Gretchen: I agree with you about Alice, I'm so amazed how she does it!
I hope your Lily's congestion ends soon!

Lissawyn: I love those pics of Jimmy. Everytime I see a post from you, they make me smile.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

Hi everyone!

Bridget-I posted on your other thread!

Does anyone elses baby hate their car seat? Eli does not like it and Avery starts school on Thursday. I am SO dreading the car ride. Him screaming just tears at me! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Here are a couple of pictures of Eli. I posted these in a new thread, but thought I would share here also. We have our last appt. with our MW tomorrow. Can't wait to see how much Eli weighs.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Don't do it. My Mom and everyone else suggested we give Lily ceral at night when she hit a month. In my studpidity, we did it. All it did was make her terrible constipated and bloated for 3 days. Her sleep habits are fine, right where they are supposed to be. When she gets terribly hungry though, I will add a little extra formula powder to her bottle though. Maybe a rounded scoop as oppposed to a flat scoop. Our sitter suggested this. When she first got Lily onto a schedule for me, she gave her formula that was more watered down so she wouldn't sleep as long in the late afternoon. This has helped her go to bed at night.


Gretchen

I have to agree. Please don't indtroduce foods too early that they aren't ready for. We were very careful with Lily, feeling that she had the rest of her life to eat and I wish we would of waited even longer now with the allgeries. There is no way of knowing, but I just keep wondering if there was anything I could of done differently to help her out with this situation more. Most likely not, mostly the sitution would of just been worse (life threating instead of just a skin rash and vomiting.) if we had introduced foods too early.

So please, don't let anyone talk you into doing things too early for your baby. Trust your feelings, you are the mom and know. They have the rest of their life to eat other things.


Jenn Lynn, cute picts, that age seems so long ago.

 

[Alice28]

Diskim - ! Hoping tomorrow goes by as fast as possible for you!

joats - My Aidan is a mover too! He comes in bed with us after I nurses in the morning and makes his little way from my husbands side of our bed(where I hand him off and fall back asleep) back to me! We have a king sized bed and he just wiggles over somehow! It's the cutest thing.

I posted this as a separate thread but will post it here to to see if there are any othere responses.....

I have a ?. My son Aidan was born on August 1 and weighed 10lbs 12oz and was 23 inches long...he is 5 weeks today and weigs 12lbs 12oz 23.5 inches now. He is 5 weeks today. We started out bf but had to supplement with formula duto he wasn't getting enough with just me. He now seemd to be going thru another phase where the bf/formula is just not enough, especially at night. Every evening after his 7:00 6oz bottle he acts like he never ate before and is extremely upset. I usually let him nurse and that keeps him happy for another 1/2 hour or so. Then he either cires till we feed him again or falls asleep and is up by 10:00 when we nurse and have another bottle. Does this seem normal. Were your bigger babies hungrier than "average". I have an appointment next week and will discuss this with our doctor but thought I'd poll the mommies here. Of course, my mother is insisting I start him on cereal already! Please help if you can.

YES!!!!!!!!!!! They eat A LOT. And at 6 weeks they often go thru a MEGA growth spurt. Just give him more formula. Otherwise your breasts may never get a break. And I say that from experience- joshua was 11# 2oz at birth and oh my gosh.....I felt like I was CONSTANTLY nursing him and he hated bottles. Molly was 8# 7oz (at 37 weeks! ) and she was the same way- she needs her bottles! And Sam was a little bit that way, but not as much- he was 9# 2oz.

NOOOOO on the rice cereal so early. Just tell your mom that you appreciate her opinion, but your doctor says no on the rice cereal so soon.

And THANK YOU to Gretchen & joats for your kind words. Sometimes I feel like I am the WORST mother of the year to my boys. I get so freaking frazzled with Molly and her needs, the house being a pit, them bugging me about something that I snap and yell at them. Then I sound like a shrill witch. Ugh...thank GOD school begins tomorrow and I will get a bit of a break. I mean, I'm by no means an abuser or anything, but ey-yi-yi....I know all mothers yell at their kids from time to time, but I'm just not a yeller by nature, so when I hear myself doing it, I get very upset with myself. After I calm down (sometimes literally going in the bathroom to sit on the toilet and put my head in my hands to deep breathe) I come out and we talk things over and I apologize for yelling, but that I wouldn't have to yell if they would listen and obey me the first or even second time I ask!!

 

[Alice28]

joats - It's amazing how these little ones can wiggle and get themsleves around.

DisneyPhD - Congratulations . 13 months is a long time to wait. Enjoy your rest!

Well, this is my last day of freedom. I oficially go back to work tomorrow. I cried all morning. I can't look at Aidan because I cry every time I do. Ugh! I can't even talk about it.

Hang in there DisKim- Aidan will be ok and we'll be thinking good thoughts for you.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

Bridget~ Kylie was 9 lbs 7 oz at birth and took 4 oz of formula for her first feeding. She has gone through quite a few growth spurts over the past 4 months but one of the ones that was the biggest was around 6-7 weeks. I could not seem to fill her up no matter what I did and I was formula feeding exclusively. And it wasn't that she took tons in one feeding, she didn't. It was that she wanted to eat almost every single hour! Well, my mom also told me to start giving her cereal in her bottle. Well, my instincts were telling me not to but I wanted other opinions so I started a thread on here about it. Basically most people said no, don't do it. My pediatrician said, no wait till she is atleast 4 months. So, I didn't give her cereal. Once the growth spurt passed things resumed to normal. She doesn't eat a whole lot now...except during occasional growth spurts. She is in the 90th percentile for both height and weight so she actually eats less than you might guess. Anyway, at 3.5 months I thought she was acting ready to start cereal and we tried it for a few days. Not a good idea. She wasn't ready and wasn't interested. On top of that it made her sluggish and sleepy and made her poop stink! So we stopped the cereal after a few days. She turned 4 months on Labor Day and I have the okay to start her on cereal now but I think I am going to wait another month or 2. She doesn't show much interest and she isn't a very big eater anymore so I see no reason to rush. Now Dh's grandmother and aunt want me to not only start her on solids they thought she should already be eating things like mashed potatoes! Even my mother has since stated that she didn't think Kylie was ready for cereal and that feeding her things like mashed potatoes so young was just crazy! Why is everyone so concerned in making my child grow up faster than she needs to anyway?! Maybe it's because at 4 months most people think she is between 6-8 months, who knows!? Anyway, please don't let your family pressure you into starting cereal so young. Most likely Aiden is going through a growth spurt which will pass before you know it.

joats~ Kylie is a major mover too so I know how you feel! She now knows how to roll both ways and does it constantly. You cannot lay her on her back for more than a few seconds before she rolls onto her stomach and vice versa. She'll give us a look like 'yeah, I'm a big girl and I did that by myself!' It's priceless! Anyway, the only problem with it is that we lay her on her back in her crib and eventually she rolls onto her stomach in her sleep which wakes her up. And then of course I end up getting up with her. But that's okay. I am glad she is starting to become mobile. Of course I may regret saying that later!

DisneyPhD~ Congrats on Lily sleeping through the night! You most certainly deserve it after 13 months of waiting!

DisKim~ First welcome back from your trip! Glad you are home safely! Second, I hope tomorrow (or I guess I should say later today!) goes smoothly! I am sorry that you are having a rough time with it but I know Aiden will be fine. And he has a great mama so don't worry. He'll be okay.

lissawynn~ Ugh! Morning sickness! I actually didn't experience that but I know I would have been miserable. Dh and I are planning to start trying for #2 probably around Sept. or Oct. 2006 so I may get terrible MS with the next one. You know, kind of like payback for not getting it at all this time!

Jenn Lynn~ Eli is so darned cute! I wanted to name a boy Elijah and call him Eli if we ever have one but dh says no. Oh, well. Love his name (I know it's Elias and not Elijah though) anyway!

Alice~ Don't be too hard on yourself! You are doing the best you can in your situation and just think, come Jan. your dh will be home and things will most likely get easier by leaps and bounds! Stay strong! And you rock!

Well, it has been crazy around here this week. First since we live in NE MS we have lots of shelters full of evacuees from NO and southern MS. I have been donating all I can and buying what I can. I am trying to help in every way possible. It is amazing what the people around here have done for those that lost everything. I was moved to tears when I noticed that all of the supplies that the salvation army was requesting had been bought out! That includes, diapers, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc. Walmart fed the people in the shelters one day and has even hired a few people from NO that worked at the walmart there. It is so nice to see these people receive some help. I cannot imagine what they must be going through. My MIL just got back from Biloxi, MS. She is a nurse and she went there to help the wounded, etc. She had to sleep on the ground in the parking lot of Walmart. She said it was really bad there but she was glad to help. And yes, this is the same MIL that I usually don't get along with. But I am really proud that she helped the way she did!

My SIL has also been a lot nicer to me and easier to get along with since she became preg. with # 2. That's good since her child and Kylie will only be about 11 months apart in age and then if I have another one in 2007 we will have 3 under the age of 3. We'll see how it goes though!

On a great note (well, to me anyway! ) Dh's raise proved to be better than we expected so we are able to stay at the Wilderness Lodge on our trip in May. We are only staying 4 days though. 6 days altogether if you count the 2 days we will have to stop on the way there and back since we are driving. I have never stayed at the WL but I have been there just to see what it was like and I am so excited I could bust! My mom has decided not to go with us though. But anyway, it is really going to happen since I have already booked the reservation and already paid some on it. I am so excited!

 

[DisneyPhD]

Thanks everyone for the congrats on Lily sleepig. Last night wasn't as good, but I think I know why. Sunday night we were making mac and cheese for my hubby and older DD when I though, instead of plan noodles for Lily and I, I will melt some soy cheese on them. I did, it tasted and looked pretty good. I had some of it and then read the soy cheese lable again, it contains casein, a milk proten. Thank goodness I read it before I feed any to Lily and I had left some noodles plan for her. I was so mad. What is the point of soy cheese if it has MILK in it!!!!!! Ugh! So 24 hours later she did her thing of waking up after sleeping for 2 hours. She looked so uncomfortalbe, restless and crying that I gave her some benadryl. I think it helped some because she sleep untl 4:30, but not all night.


On the topic of foods early. I keep trying to figure out what happend to case this. It doesn't run in our family. DD is NOT hight risk. Infact breastfeeding is supposed to be the best thing for babys. She was excusivly. When she was born they gave her 2 oz in the hospital while she was warming (with out my premison) She never had ANY flormula again until is was 8 months old mixed in some ceral. She got very sick and vommited it all up. We decieded no more after that.

Well I have been reading and allgeries can often delevop in babies that were very healthy and then got antiboics. That was Lily she was NEVER sick. Then after we started solids and she got lest breast milk she got sick, resluting in a ear infection after flying home from WDWat 7 months Her 1st encounter with medicne. Shortly after she had the forluma. I have no idea if this is a real thearoy (based in infomation read on internet, not my Dr. but a reliable source.) I keep wondering what I did wrong. My hubbys comment isn't what we did wrong, but what we did right and how it would of been wrose if we had given her more foods like mashed potatos (a no no right now unless I make them dairy free.) Her allery might be life threaning instead of just a rash. This also explains why she had no problem with milk in my diet, she didn't develop the allergy until she encourtered it in her diet 1st.


Now she is due for her MMR shot (egg based) and we are suposed to get it at the allgerist office. However I am unsure and am considering calling the Dr. to put she if we can put it off until she is older and had more tim to outgrow it.

So not to scare any mom's about feeding babies early. So many do and nothing bad ever really happens (some discomfort and consitpation, but no long term harm.) However waiting can't hurt as long as they have breast milk and forlmula they are doing good. I was actually sad when we started solids. Just breast feeding is so much eaiser.

Tasha+Scott, for all you have been doing for the hurricane relief. It must be hard to be so close it. We have some evacutes (spell?) here in Michigan now, but not near my home. about wilderness lodge. It is a great resort. You will love it. May is a great time to go to WDW. We are considering going to DL this May since out AP will run out in march and we have family near there too. (and have never been to CAL before.)

 

[lissawynn]

Hi everyone. I am totally hating my classes this year. Out of the five classes I've seen so far, about 25 students did not do their homework assigned on Friday. I gave them time on Friday to get started, and they had an extra day yesterday. I just don't think this year is going to gel as it has in the past. With all the issues surrounding our district this year, I'm just not having a good feeling. I'm usually not so doom and gloom, but everything so far has been just ick!

Tasha+Scott - I love the WL! It is a great resort. Taking the boat to the MK and CR is great. Take the boat to MK, hop on the monorail to the TTC, then switch to the Epcot monorail. Trust me, it is much better than the bus ride (which stops at FW).

Jenny Lynn - Eli is such a cutie!

joats - Yeah, I think my kid is cute, hence all the photos. Your baby is adorable. I love the pic of him on your sofa. It looks as if he's watching tv.

Alice28 - I can't imagine being in your position and not screaming once in a while. I am a screamer by nature, but Jimmy is so wonderful right now that I can't imagine ever REALLY yelling at him. DH, yes, but the baby, no.

My son has a temper! I'm beginning to notice the temper coming out when Jimmy isn't getting exactly what he wants. I just tell him that's not the way things work in mama's house. I don't think he understands me, but it makes me feel better.