PS Mommies Thread!

[pavelover]

Thanks Burk. Another question, or two. Would you just throw away the breast milk? I have heard of banking milk. I already have a bunch from his hospitalization- not sure I want to use it if he has trouble with my food. I''ll have to look into that. I hate to waste it,too.
Oh and Tyler has the hiccups all the time, not sure if I said that not I can''t remember...my brain is sooo fried.

When you put the blanket under the wedge, was it above the sheet? I am so nervous about blankets in the bassinet. Did tavya fall off the wedge during the night?

thanks again Burk. It''s reassuring to find someone who''s been through similar stuff. My dh just said he would go get some alimentum. I think that is a good idea.

 

[lover in athens]

hi snlee!! (and everyone else)
thanks for asking about us...i''m still here, just being a lurker lately. i love reading everyone''s updates, but once i get "behind," i find it too intimidating to catch up!!

coby is doing GREAT. still sleeping a solid 9-11 hours every night (too bad i can''t...usually get up around 3 or 4 to pump!!). i can''t believe he''s already over 3 months old...where is the time going? he''s smiling more and more, and i *think* kind of starting to laugh. just melts my heart. i am unfortunately going back to work next week. it''s only part time, so not that bad, but i''m just so sad about it! and stressed out about breastfeeding! i''ve scheduled a 15 minute pumping time in the morning between patients, and then i''ll pump in the afternoon right before my 1pm patient, and i''ll hopefully be home by 4, but i''m worried it''s not enough. the cobester eats practically every 2 hours these days and i just can''t pump that much to keep up!! i guess i''ll have to dip into my stash (which is building up with all those overnight pumping sessions), but i''m scared that my supply is going to dip... any advice???

another quick question...what nipple for bottles does everyone use? since i want to keep breastfeeding as long as possible, should i stay with the slow-flows? or move up (i think to the 3 month ones?)? this is all so confusing!

now for a less egocentric moment...everyone''s pictures are SO CUTE!! they make my heart melt!
love the new avis (puffy and burk) and the 3 month picture of derek! and james'' pro pics are gorgeous. and QT''s cny pics. and tessa''s snow pics! and iluvs outfit pic!! i could go on and on and on!!

would love to hear how skaterjen is doing!!

xo,LIA

(oh, and here''s a pic of coby from about a month ago...i NEED to get better and take some more SOOOOOON!)

 

[Burk]

QT~Thanks! That pic of M is fantastic! Love it!

LIA~What a handsome man!! Good luck going back to work! I was so upset going back (I''m part time too) and it was hard at first, but it all works out!

Pave~I did freeze the milk. I made sure I labeled the date I pumped along with what things I ate that could potentially be "triggers" like dairy, soy, wheat. If you find he''s not intollerant you''ll be able to use it or if he grows out of the intollerances you could use it later on (some babies grow out by 6 months). Breastmilk is like gold, don''t throw it out!

The gripe water was seriously a CURE for the hiccups. She''d get violent hiccups and we''d give her the gripe water and away they went! I was nervous about blankets too but at Tyler''s age he''s not going to move around enough to get under the sleep positioner. I just folded the blanket and rested the sleep positioner on it on the end her head went(made sure none of the blanket came out on the sides of the positioner). She started getting wiggly in her sleep around 3 months or so and at that time I took the positioner with blanket out. If a sleep positioner scares you, they have wedges that you can put under the sheets. Let me know how he does with the alimentum!

 

[qtiekiki]

LIA
Coby is adorable. I need more pics of your little man. hehe
As far as nipples go, M is 6 months, and still is using level 1 nipples. So you don''t have to move up if Coby isn''t having a hard time getting milk or if the nipples are not collapsing when he sucks.

 

[puffy]

burk what a GORGEOUS little lady you have!! i love the pics. poor girl. i hope she is better real soon and stays better.

qt yup, that''s a lakers jersey. M is such a little doll!! haha, i''m betting that he won''t give the red envelopes to me next year.

lili i think it''s time for pictures of J!! it''s been awhile right?!?!

LIA awww, what a handsome little guy! glad to hear that you have such a great sleeper on your hands! sorry, i am no help on nipples, i rarely gave B a bottle. i am sure you know, but once you get home, nurse him and keep up with all your pumping. still eating every 2 hours? maybe you can try to go 3 hours, unless he is really hungry. good luck with your first day at work!

 

[snlee]

Thanks ladies! D''s hair is crazy. I''m amazed at how much hair he has and how it has a mind of it''s own.

puffy, that''s funny B gave you the red envelopes!

QT and Burk, thanks, I''ll keep an eye out for larger bibs at Carter''s and Target. I bought a few off Etsy.

QT, cute pic of M! What''s in her mouth? Teether or paci? Does she ever play with Sophie the Giraffe?

pave, have you tried giving Tyler Mylicon for the gas? D had some bad gas issues for a little while and the Mylicon seemed to help. I believe baby hiccups are normal. Sorry to hear you''re having difficulties with BFing. I know it can be tough. Hang in there! You''re a trooper!

 

[snlee]

Hi LIA! Good to see you! Coby is adorable! I see he''s wearing the cute sweater you knitted! Wow, he''s sleeping 9-11 hours straight? That''s awesome he''s a great sleeper! Sorry you have to go back to work next week. Glad it''s PT. Sounds like you have a good pumping/BFing schedule planned. Try not to worry until there''s something to worry about. We moved up to level 2 nipples a little after 3 months. He''s taking it well. I notice he''s more effective at BFing too and is done faster. Try level 2 and if he doesn''t like it go back to level 1, then try 2 again a week or so later. First time D didn''t like it. Coby will let you know if he''s ready. We use born free nipples. You may want to ask your pedi about how often he needs to feed. I think he should be able to go 3 hours in between feedings. At 4 months, my pedi said 3-4 hours.

 

[Jas12]

PAVE--MrsM was having trouble with milk supply and i sent her the email of a pedi who specializes in BF. He has a great website with lots of resources. I did a quick scan and found this article on colic (which, i am sure you know, colic and relux are now terms that seem to be used interchangeably by some docs). I quickly read some stuff that might be interesting to you. You can also email him and he will respond promptly (please be aware that he is not warm and friendly--he''s right to the point and ensure that you explain that you have tried the recommendations but are not having success and be very concise with your wording)
Here is the article i found LINKY
Here is the WEBSITE with lots of resources
and his email is: [email protected], or [email protected]

 

[Jas12]

Pictures Pictures!!

Puffy--forgot to mention, great new avi from the game!!

Snlee--yay for doing the bear pictures. I will certainly do that for my 2nd kid, soooo precious. Can you believe the difference in D in one month!??

Burk--T''s eyes just keep getting more vivid! Does she look more like you or DH now?

LIA--C''s sweater is the cutest thing! Did you make that. i LUV it!!

 

[janinegirly]

snlee: D is so cute--those feet, that hair! He has the hair of a teenager already! And it's hard to believe he was a preemie--he is a solid looking little boy! I have details on Chloe's appointment below, but curious what D's exact numbers were (I know you shared stats, but curious of the measurements).

burk: wow, she's growing up fast, love the photos!

qtiekki: thanks, I'm realizing it's better to hold off on foods then. Chloe is not seeming interested anyway, so no rush...

lover in athens: hi there!! love the photo-it always amazes me how little ones' personalities shine through photos even at such young ages!

curly: has Lucy had her 4 month appointment? How'd it go?

Thanks all meanwhile for suggestions on rice cereal and jumparoos. I'm assuming jumparoos and exersaucers are the same thing?

Chloe's 4 month appointment went well---well at least uptil the shots. She was so patient (the doctor was running 1/2 hour late) waiting with no clothes on looking around. And even took the first shot well (barely a reaction), but after the second she cried so hard (sooo sad, it had to hurt) and did not want to cooperate anymore. She was pretty miserable the rest of the evening and did not want to be put down or even be moved in any direction that felt like being put down. I gave her a touch of Tylenol PM, but maybe it wasn't enough...I hate to have to give her medicine if there's no fever.

As for the stats...she's a skinny minny. Only 12lbs 7 oz (25%...drop from 50th, but dr. claims it's ok since I'm feeding her plenty--she just doesn't seem to love eating after getting over initial hunger). Length is 50th percentile at 23 1/2" (bump up from 25%--yay, catching up ever so slowly) and head size is in 75% (always been that high) at 16 1/4 inches. He says it's ok that she hasn't rolled yet. Flat head is much improved, but still will continue to position her.

And lastly I have a question on eye color--Chloe's eyes are hard to describe. They are dark for sure, but in the light are a dark gray blue with orange center. Sometimes this results in an overal green tint (yup she's got all colors at once right now). The doctor says he has no idea which way they'll go, but most likely brown. My eyes are brown (all my family) and DH's are blue (rest of his immediate family is hazel). Just curious waht others ladies babies eyes are like who are 4 months--or if anyone who has older babes remembers. I'm doubtful they'll be blue at all since most blue eyed babes already have clear blue eyes, but wondering if there's a chance of green/hazel. Not really important, but I'm just so curious!

 

[lover in athens]

oooh, thank you guys so much for the compliments and the advice! ps is the best!!

burk: thank you! question for you re: freezing your milk (since i noticed you talked about doing it in your responses to pave)...how long does it last? i've heard 3 months and i've heard 6 months.

qt: thanks. m is sooo adorable! i think i will stick with level 1s for now, as he seems to be doing well with them.

puffy: that's so cute that b has a lakers jersey. can you imagine if i dressed my little guy in a lakers jersey and then told people his name was coby? disaster!!

pave: sorry you're having so much trouble. coby has never had reflux, but will intermittently have some gas. our pedi mentioned mylicon OR trying chamomile tea in a bottle with sugar (i never did it though). one of our lactation consultants also said that mom can try drinking chamomile tea...

snlee: you are SO right re: not worrying until there is something to worry about... i'm so type A and such a little stresscase sometimes!! that's the best advice i've gotten in awhile!!! i may try the level 2s next month. i've been using born free nipples too. do you use them with the born free bottles or with other ones too?

jas12: thanks! yup, i knit the sweater during my 10 weeks on bedrest (snlee...can't believe you recognized it!!). it's my favorite thing i knit for him...i'm so sad he's already growing out of it. btw, i LOVED the pic of c by the tv with obama. i didn't do it, but i tivo'd the inauguration so maybe i will cheat a little a do it late.

regarding the eating every 2 hours...i totally agree with you guys that he SHOULD be spreading it out a bit now...i haven't talked to me pedi, but the lactation consultants actually weren't surprised that he eats so much during the day. they said he should be getting 7-8 feeding sessions in at his age, and he probably eats more to make up for going so long at night. he's also been consistently in the 3rd percentile for weight, so i don't mind stuffing him a little bit!!

hope everyone has a good day, and thanks again for all your help. btw, where's bobo?? haven't heard from her in ages!!


ETA: hi janine! we must have been posting at the same time. thanks!! i would LOVE to see more pics of chloe (since the reindeer one was sooo adorable)!

 

[Jas12]

Janine--a jumperoo is on springs so when the baby is in it they can bounce up and down. An exersaucer does not bounce, but it swivels in a circle and has toys all around it and usually a place for snacks. The jumperoo makes babies more tired, IMO. Whereas the exersaucer is a good place to put the baby while you need to do something. I have both and use the exersaucer more.
Also, if you are curious about eye color this is a really cool site LINKY My kids have 100% chance of being blue (only a genetic ''abnormality'' would change this). As expected my son has true-blue eyes. I tried this calculator from my mom''s position (to see if the results correctly predicted the eye color of my sister and I) It said she has a 50/50 chance of having a blue or green eyed kid. I have blue eyes, my sister has green--very cool!!

 

[curlygirl]

Quick driveby--swamped at work but will try to catch up later or tomorrow.

janine, Lucy''s 4 month appointment is tomorrow morning so I''ll come back with her stats but I can already tell you that she''s HUGE! She''s waaaaay bigger than Chloe--she weighed over 13 lbs. and was 24" at 2 months so she''s humongous at this point and I''m shocked to have such a big baby because Lily was always pretty average, although she''s tall too. I''m sure we''ll get the go ahead to start solids so I''ll try rice cereal this weekend but I''m in no rush and if she''s not interested, it''s fine with me. We started Lily at around 4.5-5 months. We use the Gerber rice cereal (and later the oatmeal cereal) w/DHA in the small canister. We also used one from Gerber that comes in a box and is banana flavored. With Lily, I didn''t go crazy with organic cereals but I did buy mostly organic baby food from Gerber or Earth''s Best because I didn''t have the time (or inclination!) to make my own food and will probably do the same this time. No advice on jumperoo or exersaucer since we don''t have either one. I have the Fisher Price Space Saver high chair thingy because we don''t have room but now that you''re in a house, you can probably get a nice fancy high chair!! Most of my friends have the Peg Perego Prima Pappa. I know a lot of our hipster moms here (Tacori and others) have the Boon but that may not go with your decor, although I don''t know if you care! Regarding eye color, they can continue to change for quite a while. Lily''s eyes were super blue for a loooong time but I think by the time she was about 9-10 months old, they had settled into the light brown color that they are now. Lucy''s eyes have been a cobalt color but I see them changing a bit with more green/hazel coming through. I think you have to just wait it out...

snlee, Burk, qtiekiki, LIA, Diva, LOVE all the photos!!!! Such cute babies here!

Tacori, I''m also waiting for pics of Tessa in the ballpit!

OK, off to a meeting. I''ll be back tomorrow with more. Hope everyone is doing well!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I know I need to upload my pictures! It takes FOREVER with my new camera. I am waiting for my new laptop! Can''t wait!!!

All the pictures are adorable! I can''t believe Tayva is 1! She looks like a toddler. Colby is so cute in his sweater!!! M is just hanging out in her cool stroller. Derek has the CUTEST hair!!! I want to give them all kisses.

RE exersaucer: my girl JUMPED in her''s. She would go NUTS. We loved it and I never regretted that purchase. In fact my friend who is preggo with #2 is getting one (she has the rainforest jumper) b/c she thinks they are better. Tessa STILL sometime plays with it (not inside but stands and plays with the toys from the outside). Huge hit in our house.

RE eye color: I think I have decided T''s are hazel. They are basically EVERY color. Some days blue, some gray, most days green. Plus they have brown freckles. I think they are truly stunning. They have so much personality. DH (and his entire family) have blue. Mine is all mixed up so our kids could end up with anything. Her eyes were a gray-blue (darker) for a long time. Maybe 9 months?

Curly, I do love my Boon and it is totally my style. I just moved the straps up which made me kinda sad. Girl''s growing up!

 

[puffy]

tacori quick question.... i know you have the kitchen for T. we got one for B awhile ago, and i think i might actually put it together soon. just wondering, what types of accessories did you get, pots and pans, food, plates, etc.? i don''t know what else to get for it. does T still play with hers?

 

[Burk]

puffy~Thanks! I hope she stays better too! Fingers crossed!

snlee~have you bought much off Etsy? Seems like such a cool site! I have looked at clips for T''s hair on there but never purchased. Have you had good experiences?

Jas12~I read through the article you posted and it was like looking into my past!! We tried everything that was recommended on there when T was little and "colicky" and I was breastfeeding! The pedi that specialized in breastfeeding I saw was awesome and I was very fortunate that we have someone like that in my town! Thanks for the compliment on Miss T. Her eyes are much darker blue than DH and I''s and I love them! I think she looks more like him, but most people are saying she''s starting to look more like me now so who knows.

Is Co feeling any better?

Janine~Thanks! I always give tylenol before T even gets her shots. Her pedi recommends it not only for fever but those shots hurt and the area is sore for a while. T''s eyes have pretty much been the same since she was little which is dark blue. I think it all depends on the kid and they can still change for a while.

lia~My lactation consultant told me that you can safely freeze breastmilk for at least 6 months in a deep freeze, but in a refridgerator/freezer you''re better off using it within 3 or 4 months. Hope that helps.

Thanks curly! Can''t wait to hear Lucy''s stats from her appt!

Tacori~can''t wait to see the pics of Tessa in the ball pit!! I can''t believe Miss Tayva is 1 either! She is starting to look so old....and it''s feeding into my desire to have another one!

How''s Tessa been eating lately? I am starting to feel like T is going to be eating baby food and drinking from a bottle FOREVER!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Puffy, her kitchen is wooden (painted red) but I personally want to avoid plastic. I just think it is not as cute *and* the wooden will last longer. So I got her some wooden plates/bowls from Land of Nod. They are on sale. Also I got her stainless pot and pans set from Target (during their sale). My mom got her some Melissa & Doug wooden food (the fridge set I believe) as well and I think all the future food will be M&D. I really like the cutting food (with velcro) but think she is too young. She still plays with it but it is not pretend play yet. More like opening the doors, banging on the pots, playing with the phone...Ball pit for sure is her favorite she is also slightly obsessed with her Little People farm. She LOVES the animals it comes with.

Burk, T is still loving her baby food. She is going to be 16 STILL eating out of those jars. Haha. Her bottle I think are losing their appeal. I notice she has been drinking more like it is a sippy (taking breaks) than a bottle lately. I think it may be time to make the switch. She is so wishy washy it makes it hard. Morning star makes these veggie cakes she was really into one meal and then ignored the next. *sigh* Lately she has been loving steamed peas, grapes, bananas and of course the pasta pick-ups. Thank goodness for pasta pick-ups! Haha.

 

[puffy]

tacori thanks!! his play kitchen is also wooden, but not the same one. he got some pots and pans, boxes of food, toaster, mixer, a bunch of food, plates and bowls for gifts and they are all wooden. i''m thinking that should be plenty. i just didn''t know if i should go out and get more toys to fill it up, but then again, i''m sure they would end up no where near the kitchen. the kitchen seems so big that i was afraid the stuff he has wasn''t going to be enough. oh and B loves his little people farm too! and of course his ball pit. he now takes the balls and puts them in his little frying pan from another toy and shakes the frying pan, funny kid. heehee, it''s so funny. i''m sure a majority of us all have the same toys for the kiddies.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Puffy, he has way more than Tessa! Haha. I figured since kitchens aren''t even suppose to be used until 3 that we had time to get stuff. Sounds like he has a ton.

 

[ChinaCat]

Hi to the mommas!!!!

Question for you experienced mommies:

Do most of you have drop-side cribs or not? A friend is having her baby in May and is trying to decide on a crib. She''s heard and read about some recalls b/c of baby suffocating and is concerned. But then she heard it''s hard without it when the baby gets bigger.

Since I know the PS ladies to be super-knowledgeable on just about everything, thought I would ask here.

Any input is appreciated!

And your babies are just the cutest, all of them. I pop in to check out the little ones often. Thanks in advance.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

China, mine is NOT a drop side. I was concerned at the start b/c I am really short and was worried I wouldn''t be able to reach my baby but it is not a problem! The mattress has 3 levels so when she was a newborn she was on the highest level. I have never ONCE had problems picking her up. I did pick it b/c it was the crib I fell in love with. Now I am kinda glad there are no moving parts to break or pinch little fingers.

 

[Jas12]

Burk--i didn''t read all of the article, but i saw something about taking a supplement that could help break down proteins in mom''s body--i hadn''t heard of that before. You just never know when you may stumble across a tiny bit of info that could help. I am sure she has tried it all like you. It''s unfortunate that there aren''t more specialists in BF around considering how many ppl have problems with it!
T looks to be changing/maturing and i think the more hair she gets the more she''ll look like you. Blonde hair, blue eyes, tall girl, look out!


So i was feeling extra grumpy yesterday, snappy and short and was feeling an oh-so familiar achiness, bloated belly, extra sore back, crampy and yeppers....the period has returned

. Guess i should be thankful for the 19 months it was absent, but man it was nice to not have to worry about that every month.
Just another reason to get pregnant again sooner rather than later

 

[ChinaCat]

Thanks Tacori, that is good to know! I will pass it on.

 

[TravelingGal]

Diva, awesome pro pics! It''s great that you did them because I don''t think anyone ever regrets taking pics! He is so handsome, as are his parents! That is cool about that outfit - I have a dress that I need to put Amelia in and take a pic - it was my mom''s fav dress on me when I was a baby and the only one I have.

Jas12, I think I forgot to wish you a happy birthday, so here''s a belated one! Bummer about the period, but at least yours came much later than the rest of us (I think mine came at about 2 months?)

QT, such a cute picture of M. Love the outfit...she looks great in red.

OK Mrs S, I need to go back and catch up on some posts I think...what''s all this about a job and moving back? I''ll peruse what I must have missed at some point this weekend.

Tacori, I also would love a ball pit shot!!!

Puffy, love the look of B''s face in your new av.

snlee, sounds like D is doing well - man he has grown up a ton!!! He''s adorable - LOVE his hair (he would have been a perfect match with lili''s J! I see a big change in his face from 3 to 4 months...getting cuter and cuter by the day. I started giving solids at 5 months, but she hated food until...oh, I dunno...about 2 weeks ago?

pavelover, hang in there...I hope he outgrows the reflux soon. It''s so hard to watch them in even a tiny degree of pain.

Burk, that soda pic of T actually made me laugh out loud. Every time I look at it, I giggle. Her eyes are so expressive! She''s a year old, wow!

LIA, yes you need new pics...love the one you posted though. You man is doing really well with the sleeping! I moved up pretty quickly in nipple levels...I think by 6 months or so, I had Amelia on fast flow. But man, I can''t remember...I should write more of this stuff down..

Janine, glad the flathead is much improved...sounds like she is doing great. Any new pics?

Hi Curly, glad to see you! Sounds like Lucy is doing amazingly well!



OK, in Amelia news...

SHE IS CRAWLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 1/29/2009 4:16:03 PM
Author: TravelingGal
OK, in Amelia news...

SHE IS CRAWLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yah! Now you are really in for it!

She is mobile!

 

[lili]

Date: 1/29/2009 4:16:03 PM
Author: TravelingGal
SHE IS CRAWLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now grab that camera and capture that tushie before she starts to walk!

 

[puffy]

tgalYAY

for amelia crawling!!! we all knew she would do it, it was just a matter of time! so how does it feel to have a mobile baby? not so easy anymore huh?

 

[janinegirly]

yay TGAL, that''s awesome! Did she just crawl out of the blue!

Meanwhile my little one has a fever of 100.8-- my mom just called and told me (she had shots yesterday). I guess just tylenol, right? I wish I was home for moments like these...

 

[TravelingGal]

Well, she''s not crawling anymore. I screamed at her, "WHAT TOOK YOU SO FREAKING LONG?!?!" and I think I stunned her into immobility.

Kidding...she is crawling more army style but all extremities are moving to help get her forward.

I think the key for her was a couple of weeks ago when she FINALLY decided she liked rolling over both ways. Once she knew she wasn''t stuck, she enjoyed being on her stomach more.

She finally moved because she wanted a digital picture frame keychain. All the "good stuff" (remotes, cameras, old cell phones) were off limits and only given to her during tummy time (placed a bit away of course). If she didn''t reach for them, too bad, so sad, she''d have to wait until the next time to see if she could get them.

Actually, I wasn''t that bad, as I did let her check out a few digital goodies, but since Amelia wasn''t a "greedy" kid, I need to find something with an air of mystery about it that would be tempting for her.

Digital key chains, YAY!!!

 

[curlygirl]

TGal, yay for crawling Amelia!!

You''re in trouble now, the fun is just beginning...

janine, yes, just Tylenol. It should bring the fever down quickly and it may help her sleep a little longer!

Did your doctor tell you what the correct dosage is for her weight? Hang in there. She''s going to be fine and you''ll be home soon to give her that mommy loving!