Babies Born~June 1st-15th 2009 #1

[*Infinity*]

Hi girls, how are we all?

Ang - I gotta hand it to you, I have so much respect for you mummas with 2 or 3 kiddies AND partners that work away. I would suck at that! But I guess you do what you have to do hey?

Will is 8 months old and commando crawling EVERYWHERE! He really gets some speed up its hilarious. Thankfully we've babyproofed most areas but he still gets into a lot of mischief. He occasionally gets up on his knees and rocks back & forth but hasn't really twigged that he can get around that way too! He loves to stand and for us to walk him around the house, so I think he might be an early walker....who knows really. I must go get him weighed again too. But he's a happy chappy and a fab sleeper so I'm not concerned. As for solids, we're still happily taking the BLS approach - he's not actually getting much in but he's getting really good at picking up stuff, moving it around his mouth and then poking most of it out again. He loves meat, usually has some veg & fruit plus some yoghurt too which I sorta help him eat off a spoon.

All my blood tests came back fine, so pregnancy absolutely confirmed. We're excited now, but still keeping it under wraps. Just starting to think ahead about where I want to birth and what sort of care will help me get my best chance to achieve a VBAC. The standard symptoms have kicked in - suffice to say I feel like I'm permanently hungover most of the time. I'm starving then I want to chuck. Getting pretty tired & flat too. Hard chasing after a little monster! I'm craving salty foods which is what I was like with Will.

We've had a few stressful weeks that has resulted in the decision for me to return to work from mat leave a few months early - and go back to work 4 days a week DP was meant to be in full time lecturing work at TAFE but they've strung him along for so long, its really not going to happen anytime soon. And we can't risk his health going back on building sites ATM, so I've made the call to go back to work and he is staying home with Will. Absolutely heartbreaking for me, its really not how I wanted things to be but crunch time is here and we need to pay our mortgage. Money sucks! But hopefully it will only be a short term sacrifice and I can stop again before the next bub is born.....and maybe never ever ever go back!

Anyhoo, I really should go to bed. Hope you're all doing well xx

[*Infinity*]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I just had to chuckle that us slow pokes in this thread have finally ticked over to a WHOLE NEW PAGE

I wonder how long it will take for us to get to the NEXT one!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nighty night all

[jenushka]

lol infinity !!! Here's my contribution to increasing that post count .....

Crap when circumstances force you back to work - I'm back for 3 days/week in just under 2 weeks too Not feeling quite as bereft as going back after DS but just always thought I would be a SAHM, and bubbas are just getting to be such little personalities at this age ... DH took a paycut in a completely different industry after 2 redundancies in 2008 so this is just how it is now. We've been living on the smell of an oily rag since my mat pay ran out in Dec - money does suck, but am looking forward to having some actual money to buy actual things with.

Hope the symptoms stay fairly manageable and yay for bt confirming the news!

This week has been mental with Lila - little munchkin has found her fast fwd button! She managed to get herself lying belly-down across a tub of toys today - legs wriggling and face mushed into one edge!!! Must have thought it would be quicker to go over it than around She's wanting to do the walking while holding hands thing too - I am hoping that it doesn't mean early walker but once they're mobile with crawling its pretty full on anyhow!

Ang - just started moving Lila to lumpier foods - adding cous cous to vegies, and today made up a sweet potato/pear and lentil mash with some pureed beef mince mixed through for her dinner. She is coping really well with the lumps and also loved the little bowl of un-pureed mince i offered - I've been giving her finger foods which she loves (steamed broccoli/carrot, toast with creamed cheese, avocado pieces, etc) for a while now in my own kind of casual semi-BLS/Combo feeding approach. So cute seeing her chew away smacking her little gums together She has grainy baby muesli mixed with fruit puree for brekky (might see if she likes weet-bix tomorrow), and she also loves yoghurt for dessert after her lunch and dinner. My ds was a very unadventurous eater and could handle NO lumps so am enjoying having a more adventurous eater this time around. I'll have to see how the variety goes once I'm back at work - may struggle with it a bit then

And glad that Natalya's sleeps have been a bit better lately - fingers xd she keeps that up....

Anyone doing anything to celebrate Valentine's Day? I asked dh what amazing things he had planned and he just answered "pppfffffffffttt" so am not very hopeful

[*Ang*]

My DH is very much a believer that Valentines Day is a Hallmark day and therefore I have Buckleys chance of getting anything! I might make him his fave dish for dinner tho - a creamy tomato and chicken fettucine, it is just delicious...with some garlic bread on the side...hmmm my mouth is watering already.

Natalya also has grainy muesli and fruit for brekky altho this morning I gave her the crusts off the kids muffins and she loved those...I think she thought she was all grown up like the others. We are also starting to move on to lumpier foods as well. I think I might try some cauli/broccoli pieces on her today and see how she goes feeding herself. She made a right royal mess the other day of some watermelon that I put on her highchair! Barely any got into her mouth.

gotta hand it to you, I have so much respect for you mummas with 2 or 3 kiddies AND partners that work away. I would suck at that! But I guess you do what you have to do hey?

Oh Thanks Infinity. DH is mainly Perth based but usually flys weekly to another country town for an overnite visit. I can handle that. but atm he is for the short term based away. Like you said - you do what you have to do. I am used to cause ever since I have known DH he is always flying to one job or another - its the industry he is in - he is a Civil and construction engineer by trade but is currently a Construction manager for a large building company so he supervises their jobs statewide.

Myself am in awe of you mums who go back to work whether through choice or otherwise. I think you guys do fantastic jobs managing a household and work.

[alioops]

I'm Baaaaaack

Leah is crawling now but not sitting up by herself yet. She said Dada they day that DH left and he was so upset that he didn't get to hear it.

Ang - I'm hearing you, It's not easy on our own :hugs:

[jenushka]

Ang - YUM! Might fly over to WA and have Valentine's dinner at your place How did N go with the vegies today?

Ali - welcome back! And - how long is DH away this time around? Was just thinking about all the girls from our belly buddies thread and wondering how everyone else was going, and here you are!

Am off to get my hair cut and coloured tomorrow for the first time since Oct (omg I CANNOT wait), will be lovely to be nice and fresh for heading back to work. Need to buy a couple more work shirts/tops and get my eyebrows waxed next Wed and then I will be all set (or at least look all set!). Will just be lovely to sit in the chair at the hairdressers for a couple of hours and read magazines and drink coffee uninterrupted - almost worth paying the money just for that

Have a great weekend ladies

xx

[alioops]

He'll be back end of April. Its the same thing I had to pull him off while we were pg. Much easier being able to do stuff without pain this time though.

[*Ang*]

Well after 8 mths AF finally decided to rear her uglyhead today...at least it now makes sense why my skin has been going haywire and why N was also fussing about with the breast this week. I have also had a shocking head/chest cold this week so am feeling really sorry for myself atm, something I dont normally do. Think I need to find some "me"time.

Jenushka - I LOVE the hairdressers for the same reason as you, quiet time to read the mags and have a cuppa and I always come away feeling refreshed and a bit better about myself. Hope that your appt went well.

Alioops - could to hear back from you and that you arent in as much pain as before! N is nearly crawling, she gets on all 4's and rocks back and forth and gets so upset she cant follow the other 2.

Infinity - how you feeling?

[jenushka]

Aw Ang - - hope AF doesn't treat you too roughly and poor you with the head cold to boot. Hope you can somehow manage some rest over the weekend! And the hairdressers was lovely - great to get a freshen up

Ali - hope you're going ok....

Infinity - hope you are also somehow managing to get some rest... when do you head back to work?

AFU - Lila had a great first couple of days at daycare - the difficulties could be yet to some I know but really couldn't have asked for a better start. And she knows pretty much all of the staff there from all of the drop offs etc while DS has been going. They even did painting with the babies on Wed! She was eating and sleeping very well while she was there which was great

She has also found the forward button for crawling and is building up quite a bit of speed, caught her with 2 hands about to go up the stairs yesterday She is really wanting to pull herself up to stand on things to. Also is now fully weaned and had her last bf on Monday morning We were down to only one BF a day for the last week or so (she had decided to drop the bedtime one on her own) which then appeared to quickly reduce my supply - after some BF's actually heard her little tummy rumble! So made the very difficult decision but she seems to be a lot happier and content and now drains the whole 230mL of formula each morning. I have a bit of frozen EBM to get through also which makes me feel better.

Back to work for me on Tues, and we're heading off for a couple of days at Mum's on the gold coast which will be lovely. Hope everyone has a great weekend

xx

[joey123]

WOW, it seems like forever since I have been on here. Just haven't had the time and/or energy!

Lily is so big now. She is crawling like a speedster and standing on her own, but no walking yet. She still has only 2 bottom teeth (through around Christmas time) and is waking 2-3 times a night lately

Lily plays happily on her own for about 20 mins, but then comes to check that I am still around, and if I'm not ... the neighbours even know about it. I have stopped playing netball bacause last week I could hear her crying from the second quarter for the most of the game and it was horrible. She will have to get used to it though because she'll be going to day care in about a month, when I go back to work 2 days a week.

She says mama and dada and can clap and wave.

She is pretty much eating any thing and everything now, except sugary stuff and cows milk. I have made her piklets on breast milk and put apple puree in instead of sugar, and made her some quiches but with no milk. She has still about 6-7 BFeeds a day and then wheet bix most mornings, fruit for m/t a 1/4 sandwich or quiche for lunch and fruit for a/t and then what ever we are having for dinner. She eats mostly with her hands, except wheet bix and maybe dinner, depending on what it is. Her favourite food is MEAT, any meat!!

She was only haveing 2 x 30 min naps during the day, but over the last couple of days has gone back to one big nap of 90 or so mins, so that's been nice.

She loves her big sis and follows her everywhere!!

I am finally back to my pre-pregnancy weight, actually under!!! I have started doing triathlons!! Just small ones. I did my first complete one 2 weeks ago at Caloundra and I have my next one next weekend at Raby Bay. I think I am over compensating still for the fact that I didn't give birth naturally so I am trying to become superwoman in any other way that I can. I still feel $hitty when I hear of my friends giving birth naturally, so I am no where near over it! Oh well. I am just burying it for now and I'll deal with it later!

Now ...


Infinity - I hope Will got his teeth through ok. Lily was up every half hour for 2 nights. Geez, that was difficult. How is your pilaties going? I am so jealous about your BFP! Yay for you!!! I have not seen AF yet, so we're just waiting for her to arrive and then I hope to join you!!! When did AF return for you? Were/are you BFeeding? Sorry, I lose track of everyone!! So glad that you're going to stay here and share with us!!! Can I please suggest that you get a doula for your VBAC, preferably one with midwife training. I didn't and I think this is why I failed. I so wish I did. I will definately be getting one next time and I don't care what the cost will be. Good on you for going for a VBAC. One other thing stay upright as much as possible during labour. This is also where I went wrong. Mind you, I had 3 days worth of contractions, so I don't suppose I could stay upright all that time . LOL

Jen - Bet you feel like a new woman with your hair done! I am due, but can't really justify the money at the mo. How is child care going??


Ang - Isn't it gorgeous when they say mama!!

Sorry I cut the perssies short. Lily wants some attention and I like to give it to her when she wants it seeing she plays so well on her own a lot of the time. Balloons are her favourite at the moment.

Take care all
xox

[jenushka]

Wow - a month between posts!! Must be a new record for us (lol!)

Just popping in to see how everyone is? I've just finished my 4th week back at work and am finding the 3 days/week to be a good balance. Ideally I'd be a 100% SAHM but if I have to be back at work this is a good way to do it. Having income is a big relief too!!

Lila is on her 2nd course of ab's for a middle ear infection - other than constantly being sick she has settled well into daycare. She is a super-fast crawler now and a little mountain goat - climbs anything and everything she can. 3rd tooth (top row) has come through and the 4th is about to come through any day now. Sleeps still going really well (Except for the worst of the ear infection) A couple of days ago she started clapping her hands, and now does it intentionally when we start clapping, or even if I just say 'clap, clap" - so CUTE.

Better go and start to get ready for ds' swimming lesson. Would love to hear everyone's updates if you get a moment

[*Ang*]

Must be something in the air Jenushka - Natalya also has an ear infection and bronchitis. We too are on antibiotics in the hope that it cures it.

N now has 5 teeth. We went through a pretty horror run for around 6-8 weeks with sleep and it was during that time that all the teeth came through. Touch wood tho that this week it has all started to settle down and she is now sleeping through again.

SHe has 2-3 naps a day. A big one at 9am straight from school drop-off of between 1-2 hrs. Then again around 1-1.30 for around an hour and if we are lucky we get a 40 min nap again at 5pm. She is crawling everywhere and thinks she is so clever when she discovers where her brother and sister are. So cute to see.

Around 3 weeks ago she suddenly self weaned and we had a horror time then as well. It was so difficult as it was her choice not mine and I didnt have the time to spend with her trying to get her back on. DH works away and it was near on impossible trying to do things like feed her in the bath or with no other distractions. So sadly for us our b/fing journey ended.

How is everyone else going?

[jenushka]

Oh no Ang! Hope the ab's kick in and Natalya feels a lot better soon.... and I think Lila pretty much self-weaned too, she became incredibly difficult to bf, even somewhere quiet she would twist and turn and try and wriggle off! I reckon my supply was waaaay down anyhow so likely a bit of both. I gave her my last bit of frozen ebm last week and cried - such a sook. Although being honest I do enjoy the freedom and time aspects of ff (probably not cool to admit that here!), I was devastated that bf was over. Looking at Lila thrive on formula and solids does help though Guess in a rambling way Ang am trying to say I completely understand -

And does N take her ab's well - if so what is your trick??!! Lila is a wily little creature who detests medicine despite allegedly yummy flavours like tutti frutti and vanilla cherry... DS loves/loved all things medicine, so medicine-hating is a new experience for us...

Infinity - how ARE you preggy one?

Joey - hello!!

Updates please!!

[alioops]

Tooth number one is about to break through, and Leah is not happy about it. Good thing is though the Brauer teething relief is helping her poo

Leah is still BFing well, and growing nicely. Her legs over-hang the end of the capsule to mid calf now but she is still way to light to turn her, and I want her rear facing as long as possible. She still cant sit unsupported so we are looking into early intervention.

Sounds like everyone is going well. I must go and cook dinner.

[*Infinity*]

Hi all, long time between posts in here for me. Just been so flat out.

I'm into my second week back at work (4 days a week) and while its been really really hard leaving Will, I'm ever so gradually slipping back into it naturally. Won't be spilling the beans at work about #2 for a few more weeks yet, but its nice knowing its a short term solution for us. And it will be soooo nice to get a decent pay in the bank. Seriously depleted is all I will say LOL!

DP has been doing a fabulous job at home with Will, he is just going so well. Packs me lunch, has dinner ready, baked me muffins one day it really has taken the sting out of returning to work, knowing that Will is in his home environment with his Daddy.

Will still only has his bottom two teeth. He is crawling, (or should I say running on all fours!) everywhere. He is a little speedy gonzalez! Loves exploring the house. And a real chatterbox too. He makes the cutest gestures with his hands, picks up random objects and puts them to his ear like he's talking on the phone LOL obviously copying us. A real happy little chappy. Still not eating a lot of solids, but enjoying them all the same.

Ang & Jen, sorry to hear that the girls have needed ABs. Not fun to get into them is it? We have enough trouble with getting panadol down. Most of it ends up getting spat out. I hope they're on the mend soon. And you should both be proud of how long you b/f your girls for. It is sad when the end finally comes though.

As for me, I'm feeling surprisingly good. Tired, but thats probably more related to going back to work I guess. The morning sickness only stuck around for 3 or 4 weeks really intensly, then dropped of really quickly. We've had one scan so far, all was good which is reassuring. I have an appt at the hossy in the morning and I'm just trying to do a lot of reading and investigating to give me the best chance of achieving a VBAC.

We started letting family know this week, so its not long before we're completely out in the open! eeeep! In a lot of ways I wish I could keep it a secret. Pity that your belly has to poke out so much LOL! I just hate the really intrusive questions you get from people who hardly know you.

take care all xxx

[joey123]

I can't beleive I haven't been on here for 2 months!

Jenushka - glad to hear that the work balance is going well for you. that'll be me in a week and a half Lily is clapping too. It's sooo cute, isn't it. Hope her ear infection clears up soon.

Ang - Wow 5 teeth!! N is having great naps. Lily's total sleep during the day ranges for 1 - 2 hours. Sorry to hear that she weaned herself. I just guess she was ready

Jenushka - I totally understand that you cried when you gave her the last bit of EBM. I bawled like a baby when Lily started solids cause I thought she was going to want that more than BMilk!

Alioops - That's cool that you are leaving her rearward facing - it's probably a very good idea and if Lily didn't hate it so much, i prob wouldn't have turned her around at 6 months. Hope that toothy-peg comes through quick.

Infinity - I am so jealous that you are UTD!! You lucky duck! It's so fantastic that Daddy is at home with Will. Lily is a bit of a speedy on all 4's too, but only when she's going somewhere she knows she shouldn't, like her sister's room when she forgets to close the door! Good luck with your VBAC. I'll be living through you. I really hope you can achieve it!!! How many weeks are you now?



As for us:

I go back to work when school returns, but only 2 days a week, so i should cope fine with that. Lily is going to be in child care about 300m down the road from school, so once i get my stuff sorted, I'll be dropping her off at about 8.30and picking her up about 3.30. She starts next week for 2 short days just so i am not a nervous and miserable wreck on my first day back at school!

Sleeps - Lily has 2 sleeps a day (although only one so far and it's nearly 3 pm) and is sleeping through most nights. She goes down without a BF (four days running) around 6.45pm and then I give her a dream feed at 8.30pm when i go to bed, then she usually wakes around 5.30am when i feed her and tell her it's still night and put her back into her cot, where, after a short protest, she goes back to sleep for 1-2 hours. She then goes down for a 30min nap around 10am-ish and then sometimes a 90 min sometimes a 30 min nap around 2pm-ish.

Eating - she now eats anything in site (but i won't give her anything with sugar in it) and she has EBM with her meals, out of a sippy cup. This was so she would be able to make it through the day without a BF when she went to day care. So she usually gets a BF when she wakes at 5.30am, maybe another one around 7am when she wakes again and then not again until the afternoon. Then she had wheetbix or toast for B/F, fruit or yoghurt for M/T, a sandwich (cheese, or cheese spread or some of my toasted) for lunch, some fruit or really anything i can find for A/T and then what ever we have for dinner. She is really good at her eating and feeds herself (unless it required a spoon, I do that as she hasn't figured it out yet, she just 'paints' with it!!)

Moving - she is crawing really well and can stand for what seems like forever. She is taking steps and her record is 11 steps, yeterday. They are very slow and stop-start, but she is well on her way.

We're waiting to get UTD so we can get that new government maternity leave. You have to work for 10 months to be eligible for it. I just figured out today that that means I can be UTD from anytime after next month! Woo Hoo. I have been expressing more EBM than I needed so I wouldn't get AF back, cause for some reason I had thought it was 13 months and worked that out to be august, which seemed like a life time away. But now I am wanting AF to come back asap, so I can start charting again. So I'll only be expressing what Lily needs now, which is about 4 feeds a day plus maybe 100mls. I hope AF will come back with that, cause I'm not prepared to wean Lily before she is ready just to get UTD.

What else ... I think that is it.

I hope you and your bubbas are all well. Take care!!
xx

[jenushka]

Eeeeeeekk!! Haven't been in here for ages and it's all different!!

What's happening with everyone? Think I'm in a bit of a state of denial that it is less than 4 weeks until my baby girl turns 1. Can someone tell me where the last year has gone???

All well here, aside form the seemingly constant barrage of daycare germs. I ended up with a ferral tummy bug from the kids last week - they bounced back almost the same day from it, but I was bedridden with aches, pains and high temps and needed 2 days off work!! All better now thankfully.

Lila loves walking holding onto her v-tech walker and chasing her brother up and down the hallway, and the other day DH got her to walk holding onto only one of his hands, but she hasn't been brave enough to do that again! Still having 2 big sleeps a day and has become very independent with her eating and loves trying new tastes and flavours. She is always babbling away but says definite dadada for DH and mamama for me (naaawwww!!) The other day while reading her a book about farm animals she copied me and started saying "duckduckquackquack" and she now says it whenever she sees the book!! It is so lovely seeing her little personality emerging more every day, she's such a little character

Hope you're all going well!
xx

[*Infinity*]

Sorry to hear you've been sick Jen. I spent my first mothers day cooped up with a nasty rotten cold which I can't take ANYTHING for being preggo. Soldier on though I suppose. I'm going to try & get to work tomorrow.

Will is growing so fast, he's a real little mover & groover. He'll stand up on his own and balance really well but needs to hold onto things to scoot around. We don't have a walker or anything like that, but lots of furniture he loves pulling himself up on. Still get lots of dadadadas, some mum mums (but mainly yumyums when he eats - too cute!). He talks to his little teddy bears all the time too. Sleep is still really good and his food is a bit hit & miss still but he's growing so i'm trying not to fuss too much. Got ongoing poo issues still which are hard to cope with but I'm hopeful once he drinks more cows milk it will improve.

As for me the pregnancy is going really well I'm popping out heaps. Think I might be a bit bigger this time than with Will. My boobs are huge LOL. Still haven't decided what to do about hospitals yet, we're actually considering birthing at home but we have some more time to decide as yet.

Gotta get an early night so I can fucntion tomorrow xx byebye