PS Mommies Thread!

[divergrrl]

Things to improve milestones...well...I think its a business to sell us more stuff. Which I have fallen for. LOL.

Truly, if you want to help your kid get a leg up, the best thing you can do is read read read read to them everyday from a young age & keep it up. I''ve had so many teachers in our family tell me that & my bff''s dad was the dean of a prestigious private college here & he said the same thing. Read.

As for Jumperoos/exersaucers, if used for more than a half hour a day, my ped (and some other lit I read) said it can actually delay development & cause the legs to not develop right. They are best left to wriggle around on the floor & develop their muscles that way.

That said, Jake spent HOURS in his every day & walks just fine. Delaney has zero interest in them. I can put her in it for about 3 minutes & she wants out. I think she wants to chase brother. Jake was so damn happy in the j''roo, I couldn''t keep him from it...and it gave me a chance to clean house. I just think do what you want, but to the Original Poster''s question...no, you don''t *need* any of the crap that''s being marketed to us. Will you *want* it? Sure! But wanting and needing are two very different things.

NeatFreak: I''m kind of glad the mommies moved over here. I feel like I''m cluttering the prego thread with kiddo stuff, and since my baby is a big baby instead of a newborn, its easier. Plus, I''m done having kids (tubal! yay!) and I''m kind of burnt out on all things pregnancy-related. I don''t have time to keep up on that thread with 2 kids. This is a bit easier.

I have pics to upload today, I have to figure out how to make them smaller for this forum from my mac. Its like being in a foreign country that is really cool. LOL.

 

[TravelingGal]

*sniff*

You ladies are the BEST. I came to this thread this morning hoping for pics and you didn''t disappoint. I got all teary-eyed, then just smiled big time. How I LOVE our PS darlings.

So I have to write a eulogy today, and was telling my friend I had to write it in the "next day or two". My father''s funeral is tomorrow and my husband gently chides me, "Uh, TGal...you have a DAY...not a day or TWO." Hehehe. Oh yeah. Doy!

Tacori, you''re always so on the ball and on the money, girl. No more comments needed here, I think.

Thanks for the tips again on the swaddling, ladies. I am trying to be consistent. Nighttime seems to be OK, although it''s all over the map. Last night Amelia woke up at 12:30am (which is WAY early for her). Thinking...another growth spurt, I fed her at that time, and then she slept through until 7 am, so I guess the midnight feed took the place of her 3 am feed. Golly gee willikers...these babies just love throwin'' ya for a loop, don''t they?

Jas, I tell ya...you looked great right at post preggo. I know you are probably more critical of yourself, especially since you were in shape beforehand, but really, you look great!

Wow, Co and J are almost laughing eh? Maybe Amelia is, but it sounds more like a...I don''t know...a loud "AH!"?

Re: developmental milestones and IQ. Bah. I''m with Tacori...anything I buy her is for her to have FUN. Because I''m convinced she is already a GENIUS and needs no assistance in this area. However, she is a genius who will probably be only crawling by age 2. Hahahaha. I''m just kidding...I love my little motor-skilled impaired darling. However, she is excellent at whacking herself in the tummy these days.

I think awhile back I mentioned about father and baby bonding, and how it''s much later than mommy and baby. Well, I think TGuy is really starting to bond with Amelia...saw him kissing her head a couple of times yesterday when he thought I wasn''t looking. Awww....

More in a bit...love this thread. You gals are keeping me afloat!

 

[sk8rjen]

I''m late, as usual, but TGal I''m SOOO sorry for your loss! It''s a blessing that he got to meet Amelia -- (((hugs))) to you and your family!

jen

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/26/2008 8:59:18 AM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Indy, I DO think that certain things help with her physical development. I agree that her IQ is set but things like making her legs stronger (you should see how she jumps around in her exerscauser) or giving her motivation to roll is important. Plus she has FUN! Yes some babies skip certain milestones (like go right to walking) and are fine. I guess I just don''t understand why people should comment about NOT getting baby stuff in a baby stuff thread

I do not like the look of typical baby stuff either and think I have done a good job picking the less offensive items (did you see my awesome high chair?) Lots of us mamas HAVE style.

Bahahaha...just for that, my goal will be to pick the most offensive items out there (Tacori, I''m still totally laughing at that word...I think some baby stuff is awful, but I never thought to use the word "offensive". Hahahahahaaaa). I''m going to be the "anti-Tacori" and be the TACKIEST mama on PS. We''re already making Amelia grow a MULLET.

Po''Yella Trash...dats me.

 

[Miranda]

Oh TGal, I don''t post on the mommy thread because I''m a mommy of bigger kids, but, I happened to look today. I''m so so sorry for your loss. You and your family will be in my thoughts.

 

[Allison D.]

Date: 6/24/2008 9:22:04 PM
Author: TravelingGal

I have the canon 850 too, but for some reason, it doesn''t take as good pics. Maybe it''s because we have such low light in here and I hate to use the flash. If you have any tips on how you use it, let me know...

If you''re flash-averse, you can try 2 things.

1. Increase the ISO to High. On the navigation wheel, there is a way to bump the ISO from auto to high.
2. Go in the "Scene" mode and try the "indoor" setting.

Oh, and for those trying to catch baby''s expression quickly, try the "Kids and Pet" setting in the Scenes menu. You need sufficient light, so it''s more suited to daytime use, but it reacts faster.

 

[Allison D.]

TGal, my most sincere condolences on the loss of your dad.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

TGal, if I had only found my camera cord....it would have been a Tessa photo explosion! You can buy WHATEVER you want! I won''t judge

I seriously stare at my high chair all day. I love it!!!! My thoughts are with you and your family today. (((hugs)))

Curly, oh you are so sweet! I love Lily. She is seriously a beautiful child. Cute story! I cannot wait to see what your new little girl looks like (model material I am *sure*!)

Ella, your babies are so cute and agree with Tgal about you getting the best pictures! T would be so bored without her toys. Of course I am a bad mom, she also watched TV

But I would love to talk to any mom who does not buy these things and find out what there day is like! I feel like T poops less (and stinky/harder) since on baby food.

Diver, oh no! Don''t tell me that! She spends way more than 1/2 an hour in her''s. Though she also does love crawling around getting into trouble. The painting is done in our kitchen and living room and looks AWESOME!!! I am so excited.

DD, we still bought a lot (and I had 3 showers). One shower was ALL clothes. Kid you not

Of course I am grateful for anything but I have a tub of stuff she never wore (wrong season for size).

 

[Jas12]

Tgal--best of luck with the writing process today--ick. Most of us will sadly have to write a eulogy at some point and it must be a big challenge
--as for tguy, don''t daddy kisses make your heart melt! For Charlie and I it was the opposite, i took a little longer to fully bond with Cohen and i feel like our bond grows so much more each day. I had trouble sleeping again last night and was crabby when he woke twice in morning but as soon as he smiled at me i just could not remain in a bad mood. I am sure Amelia is going to help you thru these next few days, weeks etc. as you grieve for your dad. When you are not so busy post some new pics for us--her 3 month update!

Tacori--I am totally with you in your quest to find the least ''offensive'' baby stuff (and tgal--be careful, Amelia might end up being so tacky she is cool--baby-mullets are in! lol)--do you know i am so superficial that i won''t even put some clothing on Cohen--if it has a teddy bear or toy truck decal on it somewhere it goes into my charity pile. I am terrible i know, but he has so much stuff he can''t wear it all as it is so i have donated some of it.

 

[sasa]

Sorry ladies, I've been super busy at work, deadline one after another. Don't have the time to post but try to read the thread as much as I can.

Here is a old pix of little B to cheer TGal up and for ellaila! I really need to find a time to download the new pix from my camera into my computer..

Sending big Hugs to TGal!

Love all the baby photos!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Found my cord! This is for you TGal. Hope it makes you smile!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Who needs any fancy toys???

 

[mrssalvo]

Hey mommies, I''ve been out of town with no internet and just trying to catch up..

only have a second but wanted to sent my sincerest condolences to Tgal. you''re in my thoughts and prayers. I promise to post a new Jake pic in the a.m.....

love all the other baby pics posted too...

 

[Burk]

Oh my, look what I've missed!

Tgal~I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you. A quick pic of Miss T for you....

HOLY CUTE BABIES!!!!

Tayva has had a rough couple days. She reacted to carrots and is getting a tooth.

That's why I haven't been around-she's rarely napped and cried A LOT. She seems to be doing better so hopefully I'll have some PS time tomorrow to catch up with everyone else!

 

[Burk]

That pic shows how TIRED I am.....not the pic I meant to post (since it is in my avatar

)

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Burk, poor T! What was her reaction? Hope she is feeling better!

 

[ellaila]

Tacori, I love Tessa''s shirt! I kept looking at it (Baby Gap, right?) but they never had it in K''s size.

Burk, Tayva is such a pretty girl - she looks just like her mama! And is there anything cuter than a baby in a bathing suit?! I don''t think so! Sorry she didn''t take to the carrots. What happened? Tummy issues? As for teething, frozen washcloths are the only thing that worked for us! (People swear by the teething tablets too, but they kinda scare me so I didn''t use them much.) Good luck ... sounds like it''s been a rough few days for everyone in your house

TGal, hope you''re holding up OK, honey. You''re in my thoughts today ...

 

[ahappygirl]

TGal- just wanted to know I''m thinking about you and am so sorry for your loss. I''m really glad he got to meet Amelia.

I know today will be a long day and there are lots of outgoing prayers for you from PSers. Big hugs.

 

[Burk]

Jas12~Cute new pics!

snlee~Thanks! See you here permanently soon!

Jen~WOW! $500 out of pocket a month. That seems crazy. So sorry. That has to be rough.

Jas~Good to *see* you over here.

Curly~Thank you! She''s a crazy woman...she won''t just lay there any more...gotta be rolling or "scooting." I''m in for some trouble!

Cute pic of Lily! That story about her kissing your belly makes my heart melt! You must be so excited to have TWO fabulous little girls!

Dreamer-dachsie~We got a lot of our stuff at my shower. My MIL purchased all of our furniture for us as our shower gift but did it before the shower so we had it. But, for the most part, we bought hardly anything. So, I would wait.

Ella~OMG~Katelyn is so darn cute-all that laughing! And Gabe, so handsome. What a fabulous pair you have there. You must be so proud! Thanks for the compliment on Miss Tayva. I think babies in bathing suits is so cute, too.

Bobo~Little B is so cute! Sorry work has been so busy!

Tacori~Cute Tessa pics, as usual. She is getting so big.

As for toys~T is in her jumperoo right now "talking" to all the toys on it. I obviously don''t let her live in the thing, but it is great entertainment for 10 minutes here and there.

Thanks Tacori and Ella for thinking of T. The carrots thing~we had it all-tummy issues, lots of vomit, fussiness, and then she had runny nose/red eyes/sneezing. Crazy. And, the stupid tooth. It''s just a red bump and I wish it would pop through already. Poor girl. She seems to be doing better this morning so we''ll have to see. It''s been a rough few days. Okay, better go play with my baby since she seems to be back to *herself* again! BBL.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Ella, yes it is from baby gap and her little jean skirt (can''t see much of it in that photo) is from ON.

Burk, poor T! Tessa''s bottom two teeth poked through at the same time. She was not a happy girl. I cannot imagine food allergy though. Did you call your doc? Are you worried? Will you try carrots again? Do you or your DH have food allergies? My doc said it is rare to be allergic to the first foods. Poor little girl! And poor mama!

TGal, thinking of you!

 

[msb700]

TGal: My thoughts are with u today...


Curly: thats such a sweet story!! too cute that she kept kissing ur stomach..love that pic of her!!

dreamer_dachsie: I literally almost got every single thing as a gift for my baby shower.i got the crib, changing table, dresser, high chair, Pack-n-play, bed sheets, quilts, pjs, breast pump, stroller, car seats (2 of them!)!! the list goes on and on and on..i am truly blessed to be surrounded with such caring family and friends that literally made me swear not to buy a single item or else they would have just taken it back to the store...(i admit, it kinda took the fun away from being able to buy stuff on my own, but i had a great time picking out everything still )

ella: as always, i absolutely ADORE the pics of the twins...such cuties..

Tacori: love the new pics

Bobo: love B''s pic

Burk: sorry to hear about the rough days

very strange that she reacted to carrots ....my son had a horrendous reaction to eggs!! blah..no fun at all =( Hope she''s feeling better today..love both fotos

 

[ellaila]

Need to do a little "me" post right now because I feel sad ...

So we''re planning this FL trip for July, and Q just told me, "The FL vacation is fine, but I don''t think we''re going to be able to get through the year financially without you working." Ummmm. The thing is, daycare in MA is literally the most expensive in the whole country. I was given a quote of $600/week for the twins (yes, a week). That''s more than $30,000 for the year. So I''d have to get a job earning over $50K to start to even have my job pay for daycare costs (once taxes are taken out) nevermind to have any extra income. And most jobs that I''m qualified for/interested in unfortunately aren''t high-paying jobs. So financially I''m not even sure how me working would really help at all. My entire salary would go to daycare. Direct deposit in, direct withdrawal out.

And to be honest, I am so in love with my babies right now and the thought of sendng them to daycare just kills me. I have nothing against daycare and in no way judge anyone who uses it, but I know these are going to be our only kids and I enjoy spending our days together. Is it fun 100% of the time? Of course not. I get bored, I get frustrated. But just knowing how heartbroken I feel at the thought of not seeing Gabe and Katelyn all day long makes me realize how much being a SAHM is for me.

So I just feel sad. And scared about money

I just emailed a friend of mine who works for a big corp. to see if she could hook me up with any editing jobs (I''d done one a few years ago for her). Hopefully I can find some work to do at home here and there so I can bring in some income without having to pay for daycare. The only problem is that my days are so unpredictable -- based on the babies'' naps, which as we all know, aren''t always reliable! -- so I can''t really commit to a certain number of hours in a day. Which means that the couple of hours I have at night as well as weekends will be the only time I can devote to work. Which means I will be running on empty, between being a full-time SAHM and part-time worker. Which sucks.

Anyhow, enough of my pity party. Maybe we''ll win MegaMillions tonight, right?

Thanks for letting me vent!

 

[neatfreak]

Awww Ellaila, I''m sorry to hear that. Are there any companies out your way that offer on site daycare? Some of those daycares are great and are very heavily subsidized for employees. My DH''s now summer job (and potential "real" job after we''re done with our PhD''s) has a wonderful daycare and the cost is very very affordable, and they even give a huge sibling discount. Worth a thought...

We''ll be thinking about you...I hope you and your DH can work it out somehow!

 

[mrssalvo]

aw ella. i''m sorry too. I''m a SAHM too and I know how tough it can get. It wouldn''t be worth it for me to go back to work either I couldn''t earn enough to cover the cost of child care. plus, like you, I love being home with my kids . I have several friends who do have very nice jobs working from home so hopefully you can find something that would be flexible enough to let you basically set your own hours. also, as the twins get bigger, their naps will get more predictable so you might be able to commit to something for a couple of hours a day.

 

[Kaleigh]

Ella,
I am sorry. Hopefully you can find some kind of work that you can do from home. I know that day care costs are through the roof. Best of luck to you. I know the time you are spending with them is precious, so hoping you can find something that fits into your schedule and their''s.

Had to do two for the twins.

 

[Burk]

Ella~

Hugs to you my dear! I can totally relate to the sheer panic you think of when thinking of sending your kids to daycare....and everything you'll miss, ect! My husband basically "forbid"

me from quitting my job and the thought of going back in August kills me. I am a teacher and very fortunate to make good money and have summers off. I don't start actually teaching until 10:50 (I do have plan periods and will typically be at school around 9:15 or so) and only go until 3:00 so my day is pretty sort. I am very lucky for that. I hope you are able to find something you can do from home!

Tacori~I hope that my T's teeth come in at the same time like Tessa's did. Poor girl deserves a break, ya know? Pedi really is guessing it's the carrots, as there's really no way to tell for sure, but I've decided to go all the way back to just sweet potatoes and cereal for a week or so and slowly re-introduce the other foods (minus carrots-will not introduce them again for a few months as it really seems they are the culprit since that is what we were trialing the two days before the madness!) We have that appointment with the pedi GI specialist next Tuesday so I plan to ask what he thinks. Her tummy is just a mess!

So weird as neither DH or I have food allergies. He has seasonal allergies and I have dust, but no food or drugs at all.

msb~Thanks! It really is odd. As Tacori said, those first foods are soooo rare to have allergies to. Eggs on the other hand, not so rare.

Tgal~Been thinking of you today.

I hung out with my mom all day. We took Tayva to the pool and she LOVED it. The past few times she hasn't really been a fan of the cold water so I didn't push it. Today I kind of moved her around with her ankles in, then slowly worked it until she was all the way in and she did great! So cute. Tomorrow we're heading to some friends of ours for a couple days. I'm really looking forward to getting out of town. Hopefully T cooperates.

Have a good weekend everyone!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Elaila I''m so sorry that finances aren''t stretching the way you want right now! It sounds like going back to work may not be the best solution to the problem, given the costs of childcare, but is there a way that you can cut your costs by making life/living situation changes? If you are loving being home with your kids, and of course they benefit so much from being with you, too, then it may be worth any compromises in other areas to allow you to keep doing that. Of course, you cannot discontinue your internet service, because you must have access to PS

But maybe there are other compromises? If not part time work may be the answer... you have always seemed like an intelligent and creative person, I''m sure you will find a solution!

 

[flutterby]

TGal- my sympathies go out to you and your family.

Ladies, all these baby pictures are adorable. Tessa is so stylish and so is little tayva in her little puffy sleeve velour!

Ellaila,

I totally understand your situation. I am going back to work July 7th, DH knows I need to eventually but hasn''t been pushing it. I found a great opportunity and hope I am making the right decision, it is so bittersweet. I will be working for a luxury department store in Beverly Hills as an executive manager, but the hours are way better than anything I have done in the past...or so they say. I still don''t know what we are going to do with Ian. My husband thinks that he can watch him because he works from home, and as great as he is with him I really want him in childcare 2 or 3 days a week, but not every place will do part time. I''m worried that when he gets absorbed in his work, Ian will just be on the floor playing with himself. My MIL also volunteered to watch 2 days a week, but I''m totally territorial and as much as I will use her, I dont want to depend on her.

Child care is expensive. Out here most my friends have nannies and the going rate is $550 a week for one!!! The best full time childcare I have found is $1250 a month but I dont need and dont want full time. It is really so overwhelming. I hope I am making the right decision. Hopefully you can do some editing and bring in some extra cash without having to face this decision. I can imagine the money goes out even quicker with twins!

Speaking of twins. Here is Ian and a friend in a swing...but do you see those cute twins on the swing behind him, there names are joey and olive! TOO CUTE

Ian update he is 9 months, 80th% in height, 70th in weight 90th in head circum (must be all the brains!). He is crawling everywhere and pulling himself up. It is so difficult to put him to bed now, he immediately stands up and starts trying to crawl out of the crib!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Ella, I am so sorry! I hate stressing about money! I agree that you will figure out a solution! Is there someone (a friends) maybe you could trade babysitting with? Like she would babysit for a few hours a day (few days a week) and then you or your DH could watch their kids a few hours a night (few days a week). That way you will have quiet time to work.

MsF, Ian is so cute (as are those cool swings!)

Burk, can they test her blood or allergies so you don''t have to go through all the process of elimination stuff??? Poor little T!!!

 

[Skippy123]

Tacori, Ella, Bobo, Burk, Jas12, MSB700, Curlygirl, and Mrs. Flutter, your baby's are sooooo adorable!!!!!

Mrs. Flutter, the picture of their little legs dangling on the swing is too cute; they look like they are having a ball.

hehe