Babies born ~July 1st-15th 2010 #2

[OceanPrincess]

I'm glad Sal... Thanks.

On a side note, X had a massive vomit while i was feeding him tonight and managed to take out his clothes, sleeping bag, my clothes, the couch and my iPhone. Poor poppet. Happy as Larry after that though!

Just got him down now... He's already stirred once... Hope he doesn't vomit again!

But my iPhone is a bit sad... The speakers are cutting in and out and I keep getting a message pop up telling me "this accessory is not optimized for iPhone", when I've not got anything plugged in. Hmm.

[EmmaJane]

lol OP! I guess the vomit accessory isn't made for iPhone. Wonder when they'll figure out how to make them compatible.

Thanks for the heads up on keeping your baby rearward facing. We've taken back the capsule to the hire place and have been using a hand-me-down car seat that came with a capsule but it said to only use the capsule until the baby was 700mm in length. So we thought we'd done the right thing. Maybe we need to get another car seat. T really hated the capsule, and I don't blame him, it didn't look very comfortable! Though I think it was more not being able to see stuff.

What car seats do you ladies have, and are they comfy for your bubs?

I've been spending (relatively) lots of money on T lately. We bought a Maclaren stroller at the boxing day sales. It's awesome! So light and easy to manoeuvre. AFter 5 and a half months of using an extremely old, clunky pram it was worth the money! But won't be able to use it for the first few months if we have another baby. Will have to find another pram on freecycle if that happens! Then today we bought a 5x1 expedit from ikea for his room. I have grand plans involving those dronas boxes for his toys. And got a bubba mat on ebay, had never been used, for $150.

Which brings me to my segue to: T is SO close to crawling now! He's been trying to go forward for a few weeks but just hasn't been getting his belly off the ground. But after only a short while on his new mat I realized he was doing it! And I saw him go forward a couple of times, mostly just lurching onto his chest but once he swung his knee through.

Gotta go, T is awake! Baby proofing must begin in earnest...

Hope everyone is well. Anyone doing anything exciting for NYE?

[Dr. Tal]

okay...lets try this again. I'm going to have to copy it before I post so I don't have a repeat of the other night...see if I can remember everything now.

Emma - That's fantastic that T only woke once for you two nights in a row. MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hopefully it's continued on. Glad my little pat trick that I learned might have worked for you as well.

You also said you'd been feeding T veggies? Which ones? B has so many things now he can eat that I've had to make a list so I can remember it all So far he's liked everything that I've given him so that keeps up when he gets older.

Way to go T with the crawling. You can join us now in baby proofing. I didn't realise how un-baby proof our house was until a couple of weeks ago. I've found B pulling on power leads, wedged behind my 5 ft fish tank, licking the rush on the stand on my fish tank not too sure what is up with that, he tries to do it every time he has half the chance and this morning he hooked himself on one of the hooks that holds our french doors open so we went out immediately and changed the hooks to magnetic hold backs. We've also just finished making a baby gate to keep him out of the kitchen, one for the top of the ramp, and one for the back stairs...so much to do.

Car seat - We have a Safe n sound meridian (at least I think that's the model, it's the newest one out at any rate). Or maybe I should say we will have when I finish paying off the $50 dollars and pick it up off layby

Sal - That's fantastic weight gain for E. You must be stoked.

As for seeing B in his car seat. We had a friend give us a mirror that suctions on to the back window, so when I look around I can see him in the mirror. I love it because I always know what B is doing.

OP - Thanks for the heads up about having your baby rear facing until they have full control over their body. I'll have to look into that. We're planning on moving B from his capsule into his car seat soon but the car seat can be positioned to be rear facing.

AFU - We had a fantastic Christmas when we were at home and at FIL's. Won't even get into the saga of Christmas with MIL and SIL. That was well....an experience that DH and I would rather forget....at least nephew had a good time. B LOVED opening the presents. He loves paper so he really got into the tearing it off. We just had to make a bit of a rip so he could get hold then move the present so the rapping paper would tear around. He actually still has one present to open. LOL He had so many he got overwhelmed with things to play with so we left him with only about half opened on Christmas day and have been letting him open one or two every day since. He'll see one under the tree and crawl towards it so we'll get it out for him to open...The Christmas that keeps on giving hehehehe. He also had a blast at Poppy's (FIL) as he bought him a whole heap of bathtub toys which I promptly let him play with by filling the tub up. We don't have a bathtub at our house so B loves it when we go over for dinner at poppy's as I always give him a bath.

Also FIL thinks B is crawling. I'm not too sure I agree, but I guess it really depends on what you consider crawling. I guess I think ofcrawling as him up on all fours belly off the ground. But I've spoken to others who say it's when they get opposite arm and leg moving at the same time. He has a few odd scooting moves and he does from time to time move opposite arm and leg. He also has one where he just sort of kicks one back leg and scoots forward (have a video of that on photobucket from Christmas). But he doesn't really move with his belly up off the ground (or not very much) So I don't know. All I do know is that he gets around the house VERY well and we had to oranise gate and things much sooner then we thought we would!

[OceanPrincess]

Hey ladies!! Happy new year!

Just a quick post to say WOW on the crawling bubs!! Way to go B and T! Amazing. X showing no signs of crawling yet! He's very happy with his rolling around at the moment.

Emma - I think you asked about car seats? We've also got the Safe n Sound Meridian, I think it's the best. Just MHO! It's rear-facing convertible to forward-facing, suitable from birth to I think 18kg. To put it into perspective, my almost 2yo DD is only 12kg! So you can use them for ages!

Not much else to report - just wanted to say hi and say that I always read your posts!

How's everyone going with solids? Dr T, I saw your other post about water, I think I'll start offering some to X every now and then. I think they do get most of their fluids from BM so I plan to keep offering bf first, then solids about an hour or so after a feed. Where to fit water in, not so sure. I guess if he's had a feed, had some veggies, might offer it after that maybe.

NYE was really hot down here and X didn't want to feed but was really grizzly, if I'd had a sippy cup I would have offered some then. But we were out and didn't have one so I had to persist offering the boob.

Has anyone started giving their bubs rusks? X was in the high chair yesterday and wanted some food but we were getting packed up so I gave him a rusk to gnaw on - he loved it! He's having one now too.

I can't believe our babies are six months already!!!!

[Dr. Tal]

OP - Happy Ney Year right back at ya

Thanks for your thoughts on water. I might try offering him some today after his lunch solids. I know you may not answer by then, but do you offer in a bottle or a sippy cup?

More questions from me....I feel a bit stupid asking this...but what exactly is a rusk and what do they do? (So no I haven't given B any yet )

Also is X sitting up on his own? (or anyone else's for that matter) and if he's not how do you go in the high chair. I haven't but B in his yet, just the bumbo, because he doesn't sit on his own and I'm not sure if he'd just slump over or not. He's not really showing any signs of wanting to sit on his own either. He's always too busy scooting around everywhere and getting into micheif. DH and I had him in the kitfchen with us yetserday, and DH opened one of the drawers...well be was watching wasn't he and straight after that he scooted over to the same drawers and opened the bottom on so out to bunnings we went....again!

One last question. hehe When you say you were getting packed does that mean as in you found yourself a new house and are moving? or you were just getting packed to go out? Just asking as I remember you saying you were on the search for a bigger house.

AFU - B is still getting into mischeif. He's not even properly crawling yet and he's already trying to stand up I found him trying to pull himself up on the bird cage yesterday (he loves watching the birds) It's amasing how much he can get into/how far he can go while I am in the bathroom peeing! I think I might have to get him a playpen for when I go to the toilet, either that or start taking him with me Also found him wedged behing a fish tank again....thought we'd fixed that problem but apparently not. Still not entirely sure how he got back there...so DH has to try to think up a new way to keep him out as it would be too hard to move it, even just the couple of cm, even with most of the water drained out it would be too heavy and I don't even want to think of the logistics of emptying the whole thing.

My last news. I start work tomorrow....and now that the time is here I really don't want to go. I miss my work collegues, but I really don't like my job, and I am not looking forward to leaving B in daycare. I guess I was kinda hoping that DH's benchtop repair busness would have taken off by now and I wouldn't have to go back, that I could just stay home and look after accounts and whatnot. It's doing well, but not good enough to replace my wage for even 3 days a week. So I have to go back. I know he'll be fine at daycare. He probably won't even notice me leave, but I'm not going to be fine leaving him. I don't want some stranger looking after my baby

[OceanPrincess]

Hey hey! Checking quickly while I had my coffee and though I'd shock you with a prompt reply hehehe

First off Dr T - big hugs babe I remember my first day back at work - it was really hard. I was in a similar position, hoping that our business would be able to pay me, but it couldn't. Though DD was 11mths old, not six. It must be so tough for you You're right, he will be fine. He probably will notice you leave (sorry to say) but take heart from the fact that he is such a happy little boy, once he realises all the exciting things and new friends for him to play with, he will have a blast and love it. Yes he might also get upset or cry when you get back but I'm sure that'll be put on He'll love it.

More hugs

WRT water: I'd try a sippy cup first - do you have one that they need to suck on still? Otherwise I found DD choked a little bit while getting used to a cup that the water just flowed out of, with no valve. She did adjust fine though, with her we just used Tupperware sippy cups. They have a great one with handles that's a perfect size. She also got her own pink Tupperware mini drink bottle (like Mummy's!) when she was maybe 9 months or so? Which she now knows is hers and carries around with her. I've got a green one for X for when he'll start using a drink bottle.

Hahaha rusks are teething rusks - they are a hard, biscuit like thing. But really hard - babies can't bite them, they have to gnaw on them, mush them up a bit and eat them. They are supposed to help with teething pain, the feeling of the hard biscuit thing rubbing on their sore gums. They're with baby food in the supermarket. They aren't biscuits though, they are pretty healthy I'm sure. X had another one this morning, he seems to love them. DD could take them or leave them and would often have a half-hearted chew and then drop them, but he seems to love them.

And no, X isn't sitting up on his own - he will sit unsupported, with me close by, for a few minutes, before sliding down to one side, or face planting He's fine in the high chair though - I have a really good one, its a Peg Perego Prima Pappa, which is really adjustable and has great straps. I've got the actual seat bit angled back so he's reclined slightly, so its quite supportive of him. I can say that my high chair is a really good one because I didn't buy it hehehe! My friend donated it to me when she was done with it and she only buys the best

So the chair helps him sit up properly. Its a bit more difficult in other, dodgier high chairs, that don't have the same straps - if we are out somewhere, often I'll leave him in the pram as the straps are better than most high chairs!

As for packing - I think I meant we were just packing to go out for the day from memory. With two kids its often a bit of a production!!

But YES - we did buy a new house!!!! We settle on Jan 14th! Very exciting!! So much more room, we won't know ourselves!

Anyway - you get back to your gorgeous little mischief maker before he finds something else to chew/climb on/suck/crawl into!!!

[delphmoon]

all. Long time no 'speak'

DR T- It will all be ok...I feel your pain- its hard going back to work. Just take it hour by hour. Before you know it you will be back in the swing of things.

WRT the rusks- we were giving them to Lily for awhile but got alittle fed up with them because she would keep dropping them on the floor and they would get covered in stuff. We now use a cool rusk which is a tube like thing filled with water. You put it in the fridge and when you need it you give it to them and it helps numb the gums. If you go with the solid rusk option check out the ingredients. I have seen afew that contain salt- I really don't understand why salt should be in a babies diet.

And WOW- we have some crawlers in the house...awesome.!! Lily is not even close- shes a belly baby...LOL..Life must be getting tough for those of you baby proffing the house- we havn't even got there yet!!

Lily has got 3 teeth! She eats pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot (which make her majorly constipated), apple, pear, broccoli, and peas. We are starting her on fish this week. She still sleeps through from 730pm to about 8am. She now says DaDa and talks none stop saying babababa ogogogoo and so on....LOL. DH is doing an absolutely fantastic job being SAHD. I have not washed a dish or hung out washing or done ANY housework since I have been back at work. I don't even cook tea which is a real relief as I really hated cooking. I still maintain that I am the boss when I'm at home despite DH thinking he is incharge!

Oh- Congrats OP on buying a house! Exciting

Well- I'm going to put my feet up...hope you are all well and am thinking of you Dr T...

[EmmaJane]

Hi ladies! Have been reading posts without replying last couple of days, just the usual story, no time!

Delph - I was momentarily confused when I saw you write Lily instead of Gumnut, lol. It's such a beautiful name I guess you want to use it more often! Your DH sounds AMAZING. It makes me almost want to suggest my DH and I reverse the roles. He's pretty good, but not sure he'd be that good! Three teeth, wow! I thought T might have one about to come up ages ago but nothing has appeared yet. Have to blame the bad sleeping etc on something else, doh. So does Lily actually say DaDa in reference to your DH? Travis has been saying mumumum the last few days but it's purely babble. It also sounds like he says "Emmy" sometimes which is freaky!

OP - yeah, congrats on the house! Is it perfect as is or will renovations be on the cards?

Dr T - sorry to hear you don't like your work, I hadn't realized that. Must make it so much harder to go back and leave B. But he's such an advanced little thing, I bet he'll really enjoy it! Has he been around other babies before? I'm not sure if I mentioned but I went to a xmas party with a bunch of mums and their bubs all about Travis' age and plonked him on the mat with the other babies and he was fascinated! I walked away and kept an eye on him from a distance and he was having a great time, gave big smiles to anyone who pointed a camera in his direction. So cute! It made me feel much more comfortable with the idea of putting him in day care for that one day a week next month.

Hi to everyone else, doesn't seem to be anyone else with a post on this page and I'm too tired to go back. Hope you're all doing well though!

[OceanPrincess]

Afternoon ladies! Am writing this from the laptop at my IL's beach house, overlooking the beach, sound of the waves, breeze blowing, two kids outside playing with DH and my FIL, ahhh nice and relaxing!

Emma - thanks for asking about the house, its not perfect, doesn't need much work inside (new bathrooms are on the cards as the originals are still in place... ) but we need more storage space for DH, so he will be doing some work outside to put up a shed. Oh, he also reckons he's got two weeks of electrical work (he's an electrician) in putting new lights and stuff so that'll keep us busy once we settle!

That is so cute about T bonding with the other kidlets. Isn't it great how they are starting to realise there is a big world and they want to be part of it? So next month he's off to day care? He'll love it

Delph - I have to admit I had a moment of confusion with "Lily" too! It is a beautiful name, I've got a niece, a second cousin and a friend's bub who are all named Lily!

That's fantastic about your DH being a wonderful SAHD. Must make being at work so much easier.

And am I a bad mum if I pick the rusks up when X drops them, dust them off and give them back??

Anyway - I'm going to go join in the fun outside. Hope everyone is going well!!!

[Salad]

And am I a bad mum if I pick the rusks up when X drops them, dust them off and give them back??

Phew and I thought I was the only one, if your a bad mum that makes me a bad mum too

[delphmoon]

HI all,

Sorry for the confusion- I didn't even realise I was writing Lily. LOL...

OP- very jealous your at the beach. Sounds awesome! YOu lucky duck!

Nah- I don't think either of you are bad mums at all, I just cant give the rusk back to her, especially if it was covered in saliva and muck and collects dirt and crapola on it which is what it looks like when gumnut has it

We are really battling through the third tooth at the moment- funny because we didn't have many problems with the first two. I am beginning to be abit hesitant about TTC number 2 now- not sure how I would cope with two teething kids lol

[Dr. Tal]

OP - I only have the tupperware sippy cups. I did try B on one after reading your post and he played with it more then anything, but I think he did manage to get a bit of water down and he only choked on it once

I also picked up some rusks from the store and found some without salt and B loves them….so do the dogs. After having B loose one to each of the dogs and dealing with the waterworks that followed I now I have to make sure that when I give one to B I tell the dogs 'not yours' (they're really good about not touching anything that I've told them isn't theirs). They they patiently sit there and wait for him to get gooey bits on his hands and chest that they can lick off And I'm with you an Sal on the pick it off the ground and dust it off, can't be any worse then him licking rust off the fish tank stand or chewing on the dogs' ears!

WOOOHOOOOOOOOO on the new house and am also VERY jealous about the beach holiday.

Delph - Sorry to hear that Gumnut's third tooth is giving her and you grief. Hopefully it will come through soon. I also didn't realise that you were TTC #2. Or maybe I read that wrong. Are you TTC now, or looking at trying to start soon?

Emma - Yeah, really don't like my work at all, although that probably didn't come out at all because I worked right up to my due date, but that was more because I am a workaholic in general and because I wanted as much of my maternity leave WITH not waiting for my baby. I am only working where I am because the pay is REALLY good and it has really good benefits particularly concerning maternity leave and we are probably looking at trying for number two soonish….maybe…I swap and change with that one on a daily basis.

AFU - This is going to be a bit of a poor me.
I am completely miserable being at work and all I can think about is the next time I will be able to see B and how much I really didn't miss all the political bull$hit and politicing and back biting and underhandedness here at work. It's sickening. My unit is good, but that's about as far as it goes. It seems like everyone else is only out for themselves and they don't care who they step on or run over the top of in the process. And the deciet and complete disregard for well….EVERYTHING

Then add to that the fact that leaving B just breaks my heart. I don't want to be here. I don't want to leave my baby. The first day was hard for me, but he didn't really know what was happening so he was okay. But Tuesday night….He woke up several times during the night just wailing. He NEVER does that. As soon as he saw me he calmed down though, so of course now I'm wondering if he woke up and didn't see me and thought I'd left him. Which made me feel horrible. Wed when I went to drop him off he started to cry when I went to leave. I called when I got to work and they said he calmed down almost straight away, and I couldn't hear him, crying anymore, but just the fact that he knew I was leaving him and he didn’t want me to. Then I went to feed him at lunch and as soon as he saw me in the door he started crying and trying to wiggle out of the carers arms and when I got to him he just latched on to me and grabbed a huge handful of my shirt and wouldn’t let go. When I went to leave he was trying to crawl after me and they had to pick him up and hold him but he was crying and reaching out to me and trying to get to me, I bawled my entire way back to work. Yesterday night he wouldn't let me get out of sight. He crawled after me everywhere and if he lost site of me for even a second he'd start to cry. And it's SO unlike him to cry and be like that. He was always such a happy baby. This morning he started to cry as soon as I got him in the car and I literally had to pry him off me to give him to one of the carers and the same at lunch. And again they tell me he's fine and happy and smiling within minutes of me leaving but what I'm left with to think about all day is him desperately trying to get to me so I don't leave him. Every time I think about him, which is all the time it feels like my heart is going to break and I start to cry.

[Salad]

Dr Tal - I cant read that without coming in to give you an E-hug, man I dont know how you do that, it must hurt you so much. Its not fair I wish you could stay home all the time with B

[EmmaJane]

Dr T, you poor thing, that sounds so devastating. It's just cruel how the return to work often coincides with the development of separation anxiety.

[OceanPrincess]

Oh Dr T! You poor thing

I don't know what can make it better hun... Is there any way you can not be at work??? Have you looked into CL entitlements, any sort of work you can do from home, whether DH can do something else?

If the answer to that is no, please take heart from the reassurances of the carers that he is fine once you're gone. I know that's really easy for me to say but I hope it is true!!

It does get easier. What helped me with my return to work was knowing it was temporary - I was already pg with X and I actually counted the number of days until I was due to finish and wrote it in my diary. Helped a bit, looking at those numbers each day.

Hang in there. Think of the benefit of this to your family. It'll get easier.

[Dr. Tal]

Thanks for your replys and hugs everyone. Obviously I had a really rough week last week. I'm really praying that this coming week is easier.

EJ - I had actually completely forgotten about the seperattion anxiety thing and that it starts aboutnow. And that actually made me feel a lot better strangely enough. But we'll see how I am feeling when I have to leave him again on Tuesday.

OP - Unfortunately DH and I have gone over finances again and again and if we want to keep our house we can't afford for me to not work at all as my job pays the mortgage. We're hoping soon that DH's new business will be able to cover my wage as well, but that looks to be a bit off unfortunately.

AFU - There is a chance I might get out of having to go into work next week, but I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not simply because of the reason. B got croup and is really quite miseragle. He is really horse and sounds like a strangled cat and he also is having a bit of a hard time breathing when he's sleeping. He seems to be getting a bitbetter now. Also I seem to hace caught something as well and have had quite a high fever and a really upset stomach the whole weekend as well. I also seem to be feeling a bit better, but with any luck (not sure it that's really the way to look at it) one (hopefully just me) or both of us might still be sick come Tuesday so I'll be able to call in sick That's probably the first time in years I've actually wante3d to be sick

[EmmaJane]

Hi ladies, how is everyone?

Dr T - poor B and you for being sick! Not sure whether I should wish you a speedy recovery or not though, very confusing! Sorry if you've already explained this, but is the option of DH getting paid work completely off the table? Or is he working already anyway? And how many days did you say you're working?

Delph - hope the 3rd tooth has broken through and things have settled down?

Hi Salad and OP, and anyone else still lurking!

AFU - T is still waking up 2 or 3 times a night, and we're co-sleeping after the first or second time and he is SO squirmy in the early hours that it wakes me up constantly. He'll go down between 7 and 8pm usually and be ready to get up some time between about 4.30am (gah!) and 6.30am. Will he ever get into a nice routine? And today he had 3 short naps while feeding during the day, so it's not like he's getting too much sleep during the day as some deaf people keep suggesting. It's so frustrating.

So basically not much has changed with respect to sleep!

As for other developmental milestones, I can actually see a bulge where the tooth is coming through on the top of his gum at the moment. How long do they take to break through? He's still not crawling, just doing the rocking on hands and knees, but he's finally able to go forward by pushing himself along the ground with his feet now. I think he's been slightly less frustrated since he picked up that trick!

[Dr. Tal]

EJ - DH does do paid work. He works himself nearly to death. On average he probably works close to 60 hours per week. His paying job (so to speak) is as a cabinet maker and he works between 40 and 50 hours a week doing that, his new business is doing laminate, timber and tile repair and on average he gets about 10 hours in on that every week at the moment. He's hoping to slowly phase out the amount of time with cabinet making as he gets more repairs as it pays better. But like any new business (as in we think he might be the only one in Australia doing it) it's taking a while to get going.

The biggest problem is his debt. VERY VERY long story there, and another reason for me to dislike his MIL and SIL. The semi shortened version is: I found out what was going on with his finances about 2 years after we started dating and as soon as I found out I explained it all to him properly (DH really isn't very good money and accounting wise) and when the penny dropped he realised how much his mother had been screwing him. But he has a MASSIVE, and I mean MASSIVE tax debt (basically she told him he didn't need to file income or BAS for about 7ish years as it was a 'hobby' and therefore didn't need to be declared. As she was an accountant for a major builder at the time he stupidly believed her. So at the moment we're paying his current taxes as well as 7+ years of old taxes AND interest on the old taxes. So that takes a HUGE chunck out of his earnings each week. and the reason I need to work if we want to keep our house.

That kind of makes DH sound like an idiot. He really isn't he just has no mind for money. He was also brainwashed (I'll call it that because I can't thihnk of what else to call it and that's what it seems like to me) by his mother for years to beleive whatever she told him. Add to that the fact that his mother actively encouraged him to do poorly in school (I think it gave her better control over him, he never even finished grade 10 and since she never made him study or do homework he didn't do very wekk the 9 and a bit years he did go) and it really was just a recipe for disaster. I've been teaching him how to read (yes you read that correctly he didn't even know how to read before he met me, made it easy for her to lie to him about LOTS of things), he's quite good at it now, and a lot about history and science and that sort of stuff and he's wanting to do a couple tafe courses fairly soon. Just a really bad situation he was in all round really Saddest bit is that he's actually really smart. He picks things up so quickly and he really seems to enjoy it as well.

As for my working I'm doing 3 days a week till B is a year old and then I'll most likely have to go back to full time work. But that's partly to do with works maternity leave benefits as well. DH and I are most likely going to try for another baby, and I have to work for 1 year full time after one maternity laeave before they'll pay out another full maternity leave. So it I was only working for 3 days a week I'd only be entitled to 3/5ths of 14 weeks (whatever that is) But if I work 5 days a week for 1 year I'm entitled to 14 weeks plus I'll have accumulated close to 12 weeks annaul leave by then again so able to take 6 months full paid leave.

Confused yet

Sorry to hear that T is still waking so much during the night. B has started to as well, so not sure now if it's daycare or maybe just a growth spurt? We also do the cosleeping after a wake up or two and he gets really wiggly at about the same time! That would be frustrating with people saying he's getting too much sleep during the day especially since as you say he doens't seem to sleep during the day either

Does T have bottom teeth? Can't say I recall you saying he'd gotten his bottom ones. Or will the top one be his first? Only asking as am prety sure that usually the bottom ones come in first (although I'm sure there are exceptions to that just like anything else )