Finally got a bit of time online and am finally writing from our apt!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (for those of you who don't know me yet, DH and I have been living at the in laws for a while while contruction was being done on our apt - which, of course, went wildly over schedule!!!)

Carmey, sounds like your little one is an athlete like you - Eva turns her head and kicks about her legs and rolls from tummy to the side but not a whole flip over yet! Way to go Jack! I'm going to try to find out if I can get the drops...because seriously the gas thing is awful...I am going to post what I found might be my problem though...I'll get to it after persies...Eva is smiling now too - this started about a week ago (serious smiling, not just little random smiles while feeding)...she reacts to voice and tickling but not a lot just when she is in her very alert periods...it's coming - get ready to fall more in love! The weight loss thing is freaking me out...I am getting back to training next week. I work with a trainer and am going to get my running shoes out to start my runs in the snow I have a pouch and can't get my old clothes on. I feel fatter now than when i was pregnant! I have not lost anything except for the weight from the birth. holidays didn't help either! - I thought you did the big signature on prupose - I love it! He is so cute - leave it big!

Willow - yay for the weight gain! I am glad he is gaining well! I bled until about Three and a half weeks but a week and a half out of the hospital I only needed panty liners and they did not usually get very stained...But I think every one is different...They told me at the hospital that is can go from three to six weeks, so it should be normal...Eva startles in her sleep too but I put her on her side now and she sleeps well. I also use a cocconababy which prevents that to a certaibn degree...

Andie, looking forward to getting to know you and your little one. Great to hear that he is growing and doing better than DS1...It is ok to compare, especially when the second is easier - I am slo a dummy user - I could not live without it - Eva is def a sucker...I tried to avoid it but once I saw how she settled down with it, I could not bring myself to deprive her - this is also what got her off of my boobs every waking minute at the beginning...the bretahing is normal and regulates later - Eva started being more settled with her breathing recently...but it can be stressful...she still sometimes inhales a mouth of milk and coughs during a feed...but she is getting better at mulittasking!

Alison, sucks losing the nipple shield...here they sell them in pharmacies (I am so american ),so I hope you find one - I got a pair when I was having pain at the beginning but never got around to using them...I would have brought them over if I was close by - I also find Eva to be less settled when we go visit people...I think it just nreaks the rythm of her day, so she suffers a bit at night trying to settle down for sleep...her being fussy might be a growth spurt - I read that it happens at 2, 3 and 6 weeks...so maybe that is it since she is nearing her 6th week? Be careful with your milk supply - maybe you should try pumping sometime during the day? the more you top up the less she'll eat so the less you'll produce, so you should try to pump to encourage milk if that is what you want - and drink your water naughty

Rose, my god, so that is why you have been sort of MIA for a bit. I am so sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time! I would guess the nausea is hormone related. I felt a droop in appetite right after giving birth but it came back full blast with breastfeeding (I am stressed for the weight loss now)....But I am glad to hear you both have the medication you need and hope you and your little man are going to be doing great soon! And luckily you found out so soon before it really got bad...I saw your new pics, Liam is such a cutie...

Tilda, isn't it great when people just let you sleep-My eva is the same and still spends some night in bed with us (when she is fussy and I am tired it is just easier...I think some babies need more holding, but I get you on the never being put down - with all the people visiting, I don't think she has fallen asleep on her own much (she is doing that now though since no one is home!)...I don't believe a newborn can be spoiled, maybe just have habits but those can be easily broken at this point, so I am trying things until I figure out what works best - hopefully, I'll get it right before she is a toddler! Hope the sleep consultant can help...I think it is normal though...I heard plently of friends' stroies where baby would be up to play all night long and sleep like a log all day. It passes...I agree with Carmey though...I find Eva sleeps really badly when I take her out of her comfort zone or do too much with her in the day. I am tyring to get her into a rythm...Try baths in the eve, I found that helped settle Eva for sleep better too. Bath then feeding and cuddle/singing/book then I leave her in bed. She has been able to do more and more nights like this lately..Hope it lasts. I was also changing Eva before after each feeding but now, like Carmey, just leave her until her 7am wakeup for a change (unless it's a big poo)...maybe try getting her to bed by feeding her laying down - the pediatrician told me that the laying down position is ideal because it encourages sleep for both mom and baby since you are releasing sleep hormones and are already in a sleeping position - just make sure DH checks on you in case you both nod off

And I have to admit, that I have put Eva to sleep on her belly a few times - only when I have her within my scope of vision and she sleeps so well, not a stir - I would never do it at night because I know she would sleep well but her reflexes would be slwer and I would be scared with the tiredness and slow reflexes that she would end up facedown in her cot...but I do put her on her belly sometimes in the afternoons in her playpen, no sheets no blankets and where I can see her.

Hannah, for gas I made an amazing discovery!!!! A Hot water bag! Tilda this might work for you too - DH fills it up and puts it in her bed while I do her nightime ritual and feed and then she just slides into her warm bed with no fuss...she used to wake as soon as she was in her bed and out of our arms...Maybe you can try that? She might like the body heat...I also lay her on it with her tummy down and knees on the bed and head on a little pillow when she has really bad cramps and gas and rub her back - it has saved our lives...My best friend had one and one night Eva was crying so bad with cramps that I asked her to bring it...she was still whimpering with pain but not screaming and it passed and she fell asleep on the bag (of course put a blanket or something so it is not too hot for her)...I even bought little hot water bags the size of the palm of a hand to put on her belly in bed if she is crampy...it is winter here so I try to keep her warm...You can try that even though it is summer there...maybe just warm not hot?

Lani, sounds like Jett knows his nights and days you lucky girl! Don't stress about your milk - I did the same and the pediatrician told me that not having enough milk is very very rare - just stay well hydrated and fed Have you tried going out for an afternoon drive or walk? Maybe he just needs some stimulation to tire him? Eva is up in the late afternoon and that's when I give her mat time which generally tires her out and then she dozes off on her belly and I put her to bed...Today she played in her playpen near my desk while I organize and she dozed off after playing and looking out the window for about an hour...you might need to change his location, position or give him some stimulation during the afternoon...It might settle him down. I had the same prob at the beginning with the constant fussiness unless she was on the boob, and I'll write after this to let you girls know what I figured out...I had a nurse tell me to keep her feeding longer by switching sides etc...but that was not the right this to do...I am with you on the avoiding formula...The ped told me that if the baby is growing there is no problem. So don't stress for that! Like Alison said, there is nothibng wrong with topping up if you need a break. It is tiring having a baby attached to you 24/7 - I did it twice too.

Now for me - so I ahve been sort of busy with lots of friends over for the new year. Man it is nice having a bunch of arms around - they help with dishes, carrying her around while I shower, playing with her, helping us move back in etc...

I told you guys Eva was being really fussy for a while...she was crying for hours on end froml midnight to 3 most nights and I could not take it anymore - she had constipation, pain and green smelly poo! I did not know what happened. DH and I were besides ourselves and no one could give us a good response...The pediatrician said it was colic but later in the night...I was no tbuying it. One night while she was crying, DH googled green smelly poo...and we found the problem! We read online that if the baby does not get enough hindmilk then they only get the foremilk which is higher in sugar and not fatty enough to satuisfy them and eventually give baby gas and green smelly frothy poo...I realized that the stupid lactatioon consultant gave me very bad advice by telling me to switch sides every time Eva started slwoing down too much - She was only getting foremilk from both boobs and started suffering for it. I started keeping her on one side and if she dozed off burping her or putting her down but then putting her back to the same boob and after 2 weeks of absolute HELL, her poo is getting yellow again and does not smell and she is sleeping again! The past few night she has slept from 11/12 and not woken up until arounf 6 or 7! I am so happy. Especially to see her more settled and happy. I can kill thatstupid lady and her bad advice! She was screaming and whimpering in pain during feeds and not pooing often...It was just awful. I hope it is going to pass and stay that way, but for now I have had three or four days of regular baby behavior and poo!

Eva is a darling, filling out her clothes now and starting to react and smile and play etc...She still sleeps most of the morning then needs some fun time in the afternoon and her evening routine and is pretty good settling down to bed now...she needs about an hour of feeding and cuddling to get to sleep.

I am going to start training to lose my weight starting next week since before that I did not feel ready to leave her at home, so I hope it stays this way. I still have a pooch - I feel so ugly. Some days I don't get a shower in and it is freezing and snowy here, so going out is a lot more complicated than it is for you summer girls - But when she does come out with me she sleeps the whole time, loves the car and is easy. I can't wait until it gets warmer to do that more often!

Otherwise, I took a long time with persies and she is stirring to wake now (fell asleep all by herself in her playpen!) so I'll go get some emails responded to before she gets up for food and try to be back on soon to update everyone!!!!

Parents are coming on the 13 and my brother on the 15th but by the end of january I shoul dhave a lot more downtime and more time to be online!!!

xoxoxoxox

miss you all you foxy mummies!