Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[MommaBear]

Hi gals!!
i''m so missing out on all this stuff. i''m going back to work on the 4th of Sept. so i''ve been busy prepping. (i''m a teacher)
also, FI is no longer FI... he''s DH we eloped... hehehe
i''ll post pics one day...

well last week was my fertile week so hopefully...
i''m keeping my fingers crossed. wish me luck!!

TACORI:
I had bloody noses all through my 1st pregnancy.

and now my 2 yr old is tugging at me...
i''ll check back later

congrats to everyone and hoping all are feeling well
xoxoxoxo

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 8/27/2007 1:12:37 PM
Author: TravelingGal
Mrs S, I am doing that first screening blood test. Then depending on what that finds, I will do the amnio.

I think this is what I''m going to do too. The actual procedure doesn''t sound to pleasant either

. I did have a false positive AFP with my oldest and decided against further testing with her. But, I think this time around I''d rather just have the amnio and get the peace of mind if necessary.

Glad you checked in NJC. I ended up going into labor at 38 weeks with my first, so you never know, it could really be only a couple of weeks away for you.

mommabear; fingers crossed for you girl....

 

[ellaila]

Congrats on a good first appts, MrsS! It''s crazy how fast their hearts beat at that stage, isn''t it??

As for the CVS/amnio ... for me, I knew I was going to do the amnio, so there wasn''t really any point in doing the CVS. Based on my wonky bloodwork from the first-tri screening plus having twins in there, I knew that I couldn''t get through the pregnancy without knowing they were OK -- so even with the risks (and the risks are actually way lower than what books tell you), I felt I personally had to do the amnio. The CVS does have higher risks of miscarriage PLUS it doesn''t test for nearly as many things as an amnio, so I didn''t really see the point of doing that one. The bonus of it though is that results take only a few days, unlike the torturous 10-14 day wait for amnio results! If I were in your shoes, I think that I would probably do the first-tri screening, see what that says about your risks and then do the amnio. If the first-tri looks good though and your dr. doesn''t seem too concerned, I''d probably skip the amnio. But that''s just me.

Hey njc!! I was starting to get worried about you, lady! Glad to see you back

Wow, five more weeks to go, how exciting!! "Hemis" -- hee hee. I was actually making hemi jokes just last night to hubby, comparing myself to one of those truck engines. I did get some of those medicated pads, so hopefully this little beast will go away soon! I''m lucky I guess that it''s not really painful or itching or burning or any of those bad-sounding things. This is just there. Not really sure why I got it, since I haven''t had any, um, bathroom issues at all. I guess it''s just them rascally babies putting pressure on my insides!

Wow, I''m impressed that you got your registry done in one day! Hubby and I went last night, and we were so tired that we just walked around in a daze and walked out having registered for NADA! I forgot my Baby Bargains book, so I just felt so lost there. Anyhow, hope you get everything you need/want for your shower -- yay, baby showers!

Congrats, MommaBear!! Hope to hear from you soon with some baby news

As for me, as mentioned, we failed miserably at registering yesterday. I think we made the decision to go with the Baby Trend Snap-and-Go double stroller with the Graco SnugRide infant seats, but good lord, there are like a million different SnugRides to choose from! Now for you mommies out there, I have a potentially stupid question -- once they outgrow their infant seats, do they go right into a stroller with no type of car seat at all? They do, right? A friend offered us a Graco DuoGlider, but I think that the S-n-G is the smarter way to go for the first few months, since (a), it''s a heck of a lot lighter and (b) really why do we need all the bells and whistles when we''re not going to be taking them for real walks anyway (since it''ll be winter)? Plus since we''re going to be getting the DuoGlider secondhand, I worry about using car seats in it so I''d rather just use that as our no-car-seat-necessary stroller ... or am I just being silly? (Does this make sense?)

 

[njc]

MrsS - Oh, no! Dont say that!!!

You make me panic... ha!

I really am couting on a full 40+ weeks! I keep telling him he cant come till October... hopefully he will be a good boy and listen to mommy!

Ella - My hubby was less than thrilled I shared my hemi info with him. I had to tell someone!

I lucked out with "easy" ones too. I found mine in the shower one morning. The Baby Products Board on BabyCenter was EXTREMLY helpful while I was trying to pick stuff out, esp my stroller. I have seen lots of questions about twin strollers and such, plus the ladies there just seem to know things. I know the thing to think/worry about with the stroller is being able to lay the baby down without the car seat. Ideally you need a fully reclining seat up to 4-6 months depending on the baby, or at least that is what I understand! So I think you would be okay with a SnG until they are big enough to sit up a bit.

Registering: ONLINE was key for me! The things I knew DH didnt care about (bottles, monitors, nursing pillow, layette) I picked online myself. I researched the h*ll out of the big things (car seat, stroller, PnP) and was able to show him a choice or two and say "they both do this, but this does that, etc" and just have him agree with my choice and approve the color. I have learned that shopping and DH do not go well together, so the easier I can make it on him, the easier things go! It also didnt hurt that I took him to one of our fav mexican places before and filled him with margaritas!

Of course I do have a few things not on my registry that I wish were. I didnt get one of those guns while we were there (I dont think DH would have let me!) and noticed a few things I wanted to add that werent online. I am hoping to go back Wednesday ALONE to add those few things.

 

[curlygirl]

Hi everyone!!! I''ve been trying to catch up but with work and the baby, it''s been tough to get any "reading" done!

mrssalvo, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! I''m so happy for you! So exciting!!!! I''m glad things are on track so far. Regarding testing, I did the first trimester ultrascreen--I think that''s what it was called. It was the nuchal translucency thingy--blood test and ultrasound. It turned out fine so I did the AFP, which gave me false bad results so I did have the amnio and it was totally fine. My doctor doesn''t love the CVS so she said preferred to do the amnio. I''m glad I did it. Even though there is no history of anything in my family, it gave me peace of mind for the rest of my pregnancy. I''m looking forward to going through your pregnancy with you! I miss it sooo much. I''m anxious to hear how your girls are going to react.

Sounds like everyone else is doing great! I have to read through everything but from my quick glance, it seems like all our preggos are handling this stuff like champs!!!

Regarding the bottles, we heard about all that research and are still using the Playtex Ventaire. Spoke to the pediatrician about it and she didn''t seem to think that we needed to worry. Playtex actually addresses this issue on their website and while I don''t want to feel like I''m causing my daughter any harm, I''m feeling ok with using their bottles. I hope I''m not proven wrong in the future--all this mom stuff makes you worry about EVERYTHING!

Labor. Um, what can I say?! Mine was pretty freaking good! I mean, the pain is unbearable but the epidural is like heaven on earth!!!!! I had a very quick labor and delivery which is probably why I''m so gung ho about doing it all over again! I think if it had been more difficult, I might not even consider having another one. The only advice I can give is: don''t go in with any expectations. I think you have to just go with the flow and whatever happens, happens. I was terrified of the pain but I think I was even more terrified of pooping on the table!

It didn''t happen but I probably wouldn''t have cared if it did.

Things are going pretty well for me. Lily is in daycare and she''s doing great! I feel like she''s really developing a personality and I''m happy to say that it''s a very pleasant one! She smiles at everyone and is "talking" up a storm. She is quite entertaining and charming. She may look like her dad but she''s all me in terms of personality! I had my first post baby business trip last week so I was away from her for 2 nights. It was totally weird but also I think it was good for me. I called DH the first night and he sounded so pleasant. I asked him, "Is your mother there?" And of course, she was! Little stinker had to call for back up!!!! But the 2nd night, he was all by himself and I think he finally has a greater appreciation for how hard it is to be a mom or a single parent. I''m glad he''s finally realizing that it''s not as easy as we women make it look!!!! Lily also has a really bad cold that she picked up at daycare so it''s made things a bit more difficult. She has tons of snot coming out of her nose and HUGE boogers coming out of her EYES!!!!! Oh my lord, I''ve never seen anything like this. She''s still happy and doesn''t have a fever so the pediatrician said it just needs to run its course. We''ve had to aspirate her nostrils a few times since she can''t quite blow her nose yet--that was NOT fun! And now, it''s no surprise that I''m sick too. I guess it''s all part of the parenting thing. But I wouldn''t trade it for the world!

I''m loving hearing about all of you guys. I know I keep saying it but I really, really miss being pregnant and can''t wait to do it again! I have 2 friends who are pregnant right now and I''m just soooo jealous! Hopefully we''ll start working on #2 by the time Lily turns 1-1.5.

I''ll check in again soon! Just wanted to send my congratulations and best wishes to all of you. Enjoy it, it really does go by so fast!

 

[divergrrl]

Mrs. S. Congrats on the good DA...re: the amnio, I had one done this time. Since I am 36, my OB said to skip the bloodwork altogether (rates of false positives are like 65%---my friend just got a false pos. on downs, and her amnio was fine) and just get the amnio.

Remember, the bloodwork is NOT DIAGNOSTIC. It takes your scores & a computer spits out your PROBABILITY of having a child with a defect. So even if you get a "good" result (low odds) you could still be carrying a downs or other genetic defect & you would have no idea. Now if you''d never terminate because of a bad prenatal diagnosis, these things might not make any difference. That''s something that is very personal & between a mom & her dh. I wanted concrete results and an amnio looks at the DNA so your results are diagnostic instead of a "guess".

The genetic counselor at the perinatal clinic where I had my amnio performed told me some interesting things. The very latest ''breaking'' research that is stlll being looking into is putting the miscarriage rate due to amnio even lower than previously thought. More like 1 in 1600 instead of 1 in 300 which is the old figure. They also are thinking the losses are connected to high risk pregnancies that would have most likely self terminated anyway.

And...that at my age (37 at delivery) i had a 97% chance of having perfectly healthy child. Also, downs not running in your family means nothing. (I have a down''s cousin) The majority of babies with genetic defects are born to women in their 20s with no family history. (probably because MORE babies are born to women in their 20s, versus women in their 30s and later, us 30somethings represent about 25% of births in our age group...20s is still more common. I just read that, and that data is recent)

Funny thing: My dad & stepmom are planning a family va-cay in Vail next August. Well......between our family & my stepmoms brother''s family, we have 11 names that start with J. Jack, Jeannine, Justin, Jake, Jon, Jeremy, (my dad, me, my bro, my son, my step bros), and then there is Jamie, Julie, Jackie, Jordie, and Justin (my stepmom''s bro, his wife, and their 3 kids). Its gonna be crazy--all those J''s in one house. I always teased my family that''s I''d name this girl another J name. I got yelled at (playfully of course) by a few aunts for naming my son Jake. LOL. Of course, Delaney''s godfather to be, Jim...(her middle name is James after him) is calling her "little Jimmy" now, and why do I have the feeling that will stick? Oy.

Tacori: No turkey timer on my belly yet, but its dang flat. And it feels so weird to touch.

Ellaila: I have not had one of those due to pregnancy yet. Tell your doc, so he can tell you what to use to make it feel better.....its pretty common.

STROLLER OBSESSION!!

Ok, so REI is having their labor day sale & the BOB Revolution Duallie is on sale $100 off! So I go test drive it because I need a jogger...OMG it pushes 100x better than my single jogger...seriously you can steer this thing with your pinkie...turns on a dime, light as a feather. I was running, easily, 9mo pregnant, in flipflops & felt GREAT! (my single schwinn jogger is so hard to push i choose to walk instead of run with it).

Plus it takes a graco carseat (adaptor) so you can use it from day 1.

I got the Graco Quattro tour duoglider from our local baby department store (and they carry the BOBS too) and I called to see if I can return it (its unused, i still have my receipt) and exchange for the BOB & will they price match? they said YES! I was so happy, because I like Segal''s...they are a privatelyl owned store, so I was worried they might not price match. But they might not have too, because the double BOB comes in a 12inch wheel configuration in black & that''s not on sale, but damn, its hot looking. (the regular has a 12 in. front wheel & 16in back wheels....better for jogging, but not as good for city, whereas the black 12in AW is good for everything, but not *as* good for jogging, but you still can, so I''m going to put Jake in it tonight and take it for a spin and see...)

I am not too fond of my Graco...I put it together & its soooo long...heavy, and you can''t use it for jogging...whereas, I''ve stopped 5 parents in the last week with the double BOB & even though its a side by side, you CAN use it as an everyday in addition to a jogger. It fits through all standard doorways.

Man...it was light, well made, and simply fabulous. Worth the investment.

Ok...I''m done obsessing...must go put my other stroller back in box while Jake naps & tape receipt to it.

Later!

hi to Curly & NJC!! So good to hear from you two!!

 

[mrssalvo]

thanks diver... i know the screen is just that but it did bring comfort with Lily knowing I passed. I also know that when I was preggo with Chloe and didn't do the amnio, they said they could get a really good idea if she had downs by her measurements during my 20 week ultrasound. Those numbers all fell right in line with normal so I just went on faith that she would be fine. I assumed, maybe wrongly with Lily that since no triggers were set off with the blood screen and the ultrasound with her went great that she was just fine as well, which was the case. I honestly don't know what i will do during this pregnancy and I guess I'll just cross that bridge when I get there after discussing things further with my doctor. Curious that if genetics and family history don't really factor in why do they up your risk factor when you do have family history's of special needs or downs or whatever..this pregancy has definitely got me more freaked out. When i was preggo with Lily, Chloe was 1 and I was just to busy and tired to worry about things with her. This time, it just seems scarier for some reason. hubby thinks i need to stay off the internet so i don't freak myself out too much.

very cool about the stroller and being able to switch yours. After Lily, I didn't think I wanted any more kids and got rid of pretty much everything. it will be fun shopping again for all the new gadgets..

curly, my girls are so excited about the new baby. they are both hoping it's a girl though. not sure what they'll do if it's a boy. good thing it will just be a cute baby for a while before he would turn into the discusting baby brother

 

[TravelingGal]

Wow, AFP has a false positive rate of 65%? Eek.

I''ll write more in a bit, but thought you ladies might enjoy this article about diaper free babies. I can''t imagine doing it, but thought it was interesting that some people are....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20464264/

 

[njc]

Curly - I am so glad Lilly is doing great in daycare, with the exception of catching that cold! I think I have told you before, but I am really interested in your experiences with it since we will be needing to do daycare.

Diver - So are you ready to rock and roll? You've got like 3 weeks right?!

MrsS - He will be a baby doll for them no matter what! Our older girl cousins wanted a girl so bad, they would dress my brother up like a girl. And he will want to be just like them too... my nephew is always wanting to play with my neices Polly Pockets and Barbies.

Tgal - There are 2 women on my cloth diapering board that use EC. One lives in New Zeland and the other here in the states. I couldnt do it (still wondering if I can handle cloth diapering!), but it is interesting. I think from birth is a bit much though. More power to them though!

Well, we are one step closer to having a complete nursery in terms of furniture, we picked up a night stand tonight. Add that to the nice/antiquish hand-me-down dresser DH recently gave up and all we need is a crib! I think we are going to bring our leather rocking recliner up from the basement to use as a chair. No one ever sits in it and I like the idea of not buying anything! When we are done, it can go back downstairs. Seriously, I am going to throw a party when this room gets done!

 

[TravelingGal]

njc, how is that hypnobabies thing coming along? I''ll be very interested in hearing your birth story.

I''ll write more tomorrow...gotta love evening morning sickness.............

 

[divergrrl]

Njc: that leather rocker will probably be more comfy than a glider...cool! And yes, I am ready to rock n roll. Everything is washed, prepped, and ready to go. Carseat bases installed...bassinet in my room. DH is not done with the nursery, but Jake still has the crib, so she won''t be in her room until he moves into a big boy bed. And DH still has to remodel Jake''s room before that happens. Its CRAZY. But Jake slept in our room till he was 5.5 months old, so we have time. I have all her clothes in the armoire in my bedroom & the bassinet in there too.

As for labor...well, been there, done that, had a good labor almost go bad, so I''m very aware of how much it hurts, how lovely an epidural was for me, and how hard pushing was....(oddly enough, it hurt my shoulders the most...lol....I was numb waist down), how quickly things change, and quite frankly I''m more than a little freaked out. Plus my OB can''t deliver my baby, he''s sick & "benched" right now....so I get some stranger doing it. Ugh. And i have that damn fibroid. Lemme tell ya, this crud keeps me up at night. But, it''ll all be fine, I''m just hoping I don''t have to have an emergency C-section. But that fibroid is one of those things..If I don''t dilate, there is NO other choice, its not like you can change positions and it''ll be ok...and I have a good chance it will block 30% or more of my birth canal & they know its right beneath her head right now, so if it doesn''t move up during labor (and only one way to find that out) I''m royally screwed.

Traveling Gal: There is a huge EC community here in Portland (we are a tres hippie town you know), but upon looking into it (was insanely curious) it just seemed to me to be more about training the parents rather than training the babies. So you have to be "on" your baby''s cues 24/7 and completely connected to them in every way. I need my "me" time too much to maintain my sanity, plus Jake has slept through the night (12 hours straight) since he was 8 weeks old---I''m NOT disrupting that to heed a need to pee....HELL NO!! I love, need, love, need my sleep! EC was more than I''ve got time or patience for...I''ll just potty train Jake the old way. LOL.

I worry about diapers impact on the environment & while disposables are insanely convenient, I''m probably going to use G diapers this time around. Flushable! A couple here in Oregon created the American version of them (again...gotta love our granolas!) after living in Sweden for awhile. I''ll attach a link.

http://www.gdiapers.com/

Got my new BOB!! So excited!!!
http://www.peppyparents.com/servlet/the-34/BOB-Duallie-Revolution-2007,/Detail

I bought the blue, and I also purchased the carseat adaptor & the cupholder console. I''ll get the weather cover later...I spent enough in one day. LOL. Actually it wasn''t too bad, because I returned the double stroller MIL bought me (that was $229 towards the final cost), plus a competitor was having $100 off the same stroller, so they price matched that...it wound up running me less than half for everything. wooowooo.

Of course, you need an engineering degree to install the carseat adaptor, I get the instructions, I just can''t find the right socket wrench..dh is messy with his tools. I''ll look tomorrow.

night everyone!

 

[divergrrl]

Here is our nursery progress thus far....I''m due in 3.5 weeks!

 

[divergrrl]

built-ins...

 

[divergrrl]

window without trim

 

[divergrrl]

ceiling

 

[divergrrl]

This is the room before...

 

[ellaila]

Diver, that''s going to be gorgeous once it''s finished! The color scheme looks a lot like our living room ("sandstone cove" is our color also with white vaulted ceilings), so I''m a big fan of it

Did you ever post photos of the chandelier you got for the nursery? How much more work needs to be done?

And congrats on getting your dream stroller! A friend of mine has five strollers, so I''m going to pick her brain on what''s good, what''s bad and what features are important, what aren''t, etc.

Tacori, did you ever get your glider? Do you love it? I was looking at BRU the other day, and I so want a cushy big-a$$ glider ... I was thinking of you when I was looking at them and wondering how yours is!

I gotta admit that EC thing is strange to me. I don''t remember if it was the link TGal posted or another article I read about it, but it was talking about one woman who was holding her 14-week-old daughter over a sink in a public restroom to pee. Ummmm. That''s just wrong to me on so many levels. A sink is not for peeing in!! I mean, yes, it''d be nice to eliminate diapers, but this doesn''t sit well with me. I would love to be able to go with GDiapers or cloth, but I don''t think I''ll have the time to do that much laundry to be able to go with cloth or that much money to use GDiapers on two babies!

MrsS, yeah, whether or not to amnio is definitely a hard decision to make. Part of it comes down to peace of mind and knowing that your baby is OK ... but then the LACK of peace of mind you get from knowing that you''re putting yourself at increased risk makes for a hard time mentally (especially when you''re cramping for a day or two after it and questioning your choice). I asked my doctor what would he tell his wife or daughter if she were 36 years old and pregnant with twins, and he said he would tell her to do an amnio -- so that''s what I went with. If it''s safe enough for my OB to recommend it for his own family, I felt it was safe enough for me. I agree with your hubby that you shouldn''t read too much about it and freak yourself out! I think asking your own doctor is your best bet.

Hi Curly!!

And how are all our first-trimester Mommies feeling?

 

[TravelingGal]

Diver, the nursery is coming along great. But can I admit that I LOVE the original room, especially the rustic ceilings? You have great taste either way!

Re: the no diaper thing...it did sound a bit weird to me since I had never heard of such a thing. I''m with Diver...if I can get my kid to sleep through the night, there is no way I am waking him/her up to relieve her! Diver, did you sleeptrain your son at such a young age, or were you just really lucky?

Mommabear, we hope to hear good news soon!

So my preggo friend and I were talking, and her friends are preggo too (I don''t know them though). She said one of them got upset when another gal got pregnant because it "stole her thunder." Can you imagine? I would be THRILLED if my close friends were pregnant right now with me, especially if we were at similar points. Who better to moan and groan about the annoyances of pregancy (and of course the joys) with?

Curlygirl, glad to hear all is going well. I can''t believe you miss being pregnant! I don''t really have the maternal gene yet and can''t imagine wanting to go through all this again when it''s not as "magical" the next time around.

Ladies, I can''t even handle all this registry/stroller talk. It''s overwhelming. Can I just steal a grocery cart from the local supermarket and use that?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

TGal, I would love to have a close friend who was preggo right now!!! Misery loves company Haha!

Ella, I did get the glider. I love it *except* I think I might hate the fabric

totally my fault (since you choose it). I used to be really good at making decisions but ever since I have been preggo I am second guessing EVERYTHING. Oh well. No going back now. It is super comfy which I guess is the most important quality. The ones at BRU got really bad reviews (basically fall apart from what I read) but that is where I feel in love with the comfy, huge, chair like glider.

The nursery isn''t 100% done but I can post pics anyways. Diver looking good so far!

Good luck to all those TTC! Lots of baby dust!

 

[ellaila]

Oh bummer about the fabric, Tacori! Is it the color or the actual material you don''t like? Are you crafty enough to reupholster it yourself (I''m thinking staple gun, nothing fancy!)? Thanks for the heads-up about the BRU gliders, too -- I didn''t know that they had such a bad rep. Can you tell me again who makes yours?

And yes, photos photos photos!!

It''s funny but one of my best and oldest friends -- been friends since we were three years old and lived together for four years in our 20s -- is one week more pregnant than I am! And I gotta say, it''s pretty damn cool to be going through it at exactly the same time with such a good friend. I remember reading things in BWW about brides feeling the same way -- that their friend or sister was "stealing their thunder" by getting engaged at the same time -- and I couldn''t believe it. This same friend of mine actually got engaged a month after I did and married five weeks after I did, and again, we both thought it was fantastic to go through such a big life event together!! I hate people who think the world revolves around them.

 

[ellaila]

Speaking of photos, now that our kitchen is like 98% complete, I can post some photos of it!

OK, here''s the before photo -- this was during the home inspection I think:

 

[ellaila]

and here it is now!!

 

[ellaila]

There''s still a bit of detail work that needs to be done -- cover panels to hide that gap in the island, adding the "toe kicks" under the cabinets, etc. -- but it''s definitely a workable and looooovely kitchen now! Yayyy! Have I mentioned how much I love my husband?

The living room is still a WIP -- we haven''t put down the baseboards yet, so we can''t really put away books or anything and put the furniture where it truly belongs, but ... here goes. This photo was during the demolition phase. That back wall was red and had built-in shelves that we (well, my FIL) tore down. Pretty ugly, eh?

 

[ellaila]

here''s how it is today -- again, not completely finished but definitely an improvement!! Well, actually it looks better now than when that photo was taken - we''ve got white wood blinds up now, which really helps to complete the room.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Looks awesome ella! Okay I am going to go find my nursery thread and post them there. I am excited to see what you guys think! It is the fabric that bothers me not the color. Honestly I am just going to live with it. It was made by Best Chairs. We got it through USA Baby (if they have one where you live).

ETA: okay the photos are in the nursery thread for all to enjoy

 

[divergrrl]

TGal: I wish I could say I had some "great sleep training tip" that worked like magic. I honestly think Jake is lazy like his mother & needs lots of sleep.

In my baby book, my mom has it written down that at the same age I was 12 to 15 hours a night! She used to call my ped, worried something was wrong with me. The ped told her to call back when she had a real problem & that he had dozens of mom''s who''d kill to trade places with her.

I think a few things I did helped...I always said to myself "start as you intend to finish". So when I brought Jake home from the hospital, I put him in his bassinet next to my side of the bed every night. If he cried, I''d try stroking his belly to get him to sleep but he''d always wind up sleeping on my chest instead because he just wanted ME (awwww, and I was happy to oblige, tired, but happy) probably because he was used to my heartbeat etc after 9mo inside me. But after 2 weeks of starting off by putting him in the bassie first, he started staying longer & longer until he finally just konked out. I usually put him down awake, but drowsy unless he fell asleep accidentally on his own before we got to the bassinet. I always responded to his cries immediately as a newborn until he was 9 months old. So I didn''t let him cry in the early days.

I didn''t have a schedule per se, but I did things the same all the time, based on HIS hours, so he always knew what to expect. (I got this from Secrets of the Baby Whisperer) Her "thing" is E.A.S.Y. So when he''d wake up we''d Eat, then have an Activity, (which when they are a newborn might be a diaper change, and cooing at them, walking them around the house talking about stuff, singing to them, whatever floats yer boat), and then he''d go to sleep. The Y stands for You time. While he was sleeping I''d either sleep, relax, catch up on tv..whatever.

I always do the same thing at bedtime & I keep bedtime about the same time each night. I always put him down awake (they say this helps them learn to fall back asleep on their own if they wake up in the night) and he would always fall asleep on his own. But at 9mo, he started pitching a fit and screaming, so I started letting him cry it out at that point. I''d go check on him to be sure he was ok and not wet, stuck in a crib slat, dirty dipe, hot,whatever....and if he was ok, I''d tell him it was time to go to bed & give him a kiss. I had to listen to him HOLLER for about 2 nights but he never did it again. So for us, it worked well...but I wouldn''t do that with a young baby. Oh and if they get sick...sometimes you have to re-do the whole cry it out thing because they get used to you coming in to check on them & see if they can still get away with it. But I''ve found, it only takes one night to remind him of how we do things.

Your kids personality + yours will determine what works best for you. However, one thing I think is universal is consistency. If you always do the same thing, no matter what that might be, your baby will feel safe and secure. That is a good habit to get into, especially when you start venturing into the arena of discipline after their 1st birthday. I can say I''m consistent. I might be doing it wrong, but I''m doing it wrong consistently!!! LOL!!!

And thanks for saying you like the rustic wood look. It wasn''t bad for the first 8 years we were here, but we''ve grown tired of it. With our Pac NW rainy climate, it gets depressing & dark in our long grey winters. We''ve been systematically painting all the wood paneled ceilings and walls white. Its much lighter. However, we''ve kept most of the darker wood trim. It pops against the white.

Ellaila: My kitchen, and half my bedroom & bathroom are in Sandstone Cove! But the color in the nursery is actually a green called Glass by Devine Paints. (I have it with the Sandstone in my bed & bath). I posted my workout room in the home gym thread in Hangout & that is Glass as well. Its a really pale green that is reminiscent of the green in old glass coke bottles.

Speaking of kitchens, yours looks amazing! Doesn''t it feel good?? I''m very happy for you, its gorgeous!


Tgal again: Yes you can use a shopping cart, and if you never buy a crib or bassinet, a laundry basket will do just fine! LOL.

Tacori: I am so sorry you don''t like your fabric color, I think its gorgeous! Its just the hormones messing with your head...its a very rich, classic color that will work long after the baby is grown. You did great.

Ok..gotta go put my carseat adapter on my fancy schmancy new stroller

its like christmas...lol ...

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Diver you are my hero. I can only hope my baby is a sleeper like Jake (hope Delaney is too!) I like the color of the chair not the fabric. It reminds me of crushed velvet

But it does FEEL good so I am sure I will get used to it. I dare not say anything to the moms since they bought it for my shower. Besides it there to be useful not just decorative. I am sure it will get covered with spit up, throw up, poop, pee...everything right? It was the easiest to clean fabric they had (just need water) so that in itself will be worth it.

 

[divergrrl]

Tacori: Ah don''t immortalize me yet, I still have one more baby to see if any of that stuff worked, or if I was just insanely lucky. I do think 90% of it was Jake''s easy going personality & his love of sleep. Truly, once he started sleeping through the night, I had no problems until he was 9 mo old. I just included the stuff I did in case its helpful to anyone. You never know what''s gonna work with each kid.

 

[ellaila]

Diver, that''s so funny that we have the same paint color! What good taste you''ve got

I really love the color because it changes so much depending on the light -- sometimes it''s tan, sometimes it''s gray, sometimes it''s almost beigey. Very cool.

I''m having an ugly day today. I tried on about 10 different outfits and hated each one more than the last. The clothes my friend gave me are all the basics -- khakis, jeans, t-shirts -- and while I''m glad to have them, I don''t feel very attractive in them. I''m wearing my Charlotte beach pants today, and I feel like I''m barely squeezing into them in the derriere region

Thankfully fall will be here soon, so I''ll have an excuse to buy some new clothes because I am so tired of these summer clothes! Also, my legs were really hurting last night (this time, my hips - what the ... ?!), so once again, I didn''t sleep very well. So today I feel fat, tired, and ugly. Yay pregnancy. I have an appt. with an orthopedist next week to see if he can find out why my legs are hurting so badly. It seems like it would just be the babies pressing on nerves when I lie down, but if that''s the case, then why is it happening on both sides and in all different places in my legs? I just don''t get it.

I had to laugh out loud at my week-by-week guide (this is for single pregnancies, not multiples) this morning because it was saying that at 22 weeks, I should feel "comfortably pregnant" and that bending over should still be easy and that getting lots of sleep is important. HAHAHAHAHA!! Lots of sleep?! Easy?! Comfortable?! I envy all you singleton moms if that''s what 22-weeks is like for you!! But it sure ain''t easy or comfortable or sleep-conducive when you''ve got two 8-inch babies in your belly!

On a happier note, we''re going out for a belated birthday dinner for my hubby tonight to our favorite Venezuelan restaurant (hubby is Venezuelan), and I''m excited for that! We haven''t really been into Boston since moving out to the ''burbs, so I''m excited to go into the city and to eat some deeeelish food!

Question for you: when do you have to choose a pediatrician? And HOW do you choose one?! My OB is in Boston and I don''t want our pediatrician to be that far away (it''s an hour-long drive), and I''m afraid he won''t be able to recommend anyone out our way, and I don''t really know too many people nearby to ask.

Oh, and Tacori, I know I posted this in the nurseries thread too but ... YOWZA, that nursery is gorgeous!! Little Will or Natalie or Emmerson or ___ is one lucky baby to have such a beautiful room!

Anyhow, sorry to be cranky. Hope you all have a good day!

 

[mercoledi]

/mini thread jack/

Hi ellaila, do you mind sharing what the Venezuelan restrauant you like is? We love trying new cuisines and definitely haven''t hit that one yet!

Thanks, and best of health to all the mommies!


/end mini thread jack/