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PS Mommy Thread-Newborn to 12 months!

Who's still around? I'm late to joining this thread but I have just returned to work after a 20w maternity leave (daughter Riley was born 2/1/15).

Does anyone else have a child who dislikes bottles? Riley started refusing the bottle at 3 months and now will begrudgingly take 1-2ozs every 2 hours while she's at daycare. This concerns me because she only takes 6-9 ozs in the 12 hours she's there. Pediatrician says that all is well if she poops and pees ok, but I still wish she would eat more (she went from being in the 85th percentile at birth to the 30th percentile at 4mos).

Going back to work has been both good and bad. Good because I can now use full sentences and polysyllabic words, but bad because I spend almost no time with my daughter (I pick her up at 6pm and we try to get her to sleep by 7:30). My problems aren't unique to me, but it's just been an adjustment (like with all things).

Anyone else have any updates?
 
Smc - I had the same issues when I went back to work after my first. Pick up at 6 and in bed by 730. Factor in making dinner etc and the time with your kid gets even less. Upside is when your daughter is a cranky toddler, you get a break at 7:30 :-)
 
I no longer have an infant, but definitely remember the days of getting home at 6, then having to do dinner, bath and storytime in 1.5 hours so I could get her in bed by 7:30. I think when Katie (my 3.5-year-old) was around 18 months or 2 years, I started pushing her bedtime back to 7:45. Now it's 8:30, but she still naps. I would always tell myself "other moms do this, I can do this, too". It's hard to imagine things getting better when you're right in the middle of it, but it really does get better. And it is nice to have some quiet time at the end of the day with your husband. Or yourself!
 
Yeah, I understand that my situation is not unique. On the bright side, she is doing very well at daycare. I think being around the older babies has really helped her development. She's almost mobile now, and can drag herself short distances. It's pretty cute (yet worrisome because we haven't babyproofed yet). She seems to only take a few 30 min naps while at daycare which means she's super exhausted when I pick her up. If you've had a baby at daycare, how did they handle the sleep situation so babies could stay asleep?
 
I don't know how but babies just seem to be able to sleep at daycare. It took my son a few weeks to settle in and start sleeping well but I was always shocked that he would sleep with other kids around who would wake and cry etc.

Just wait till your LO goes to the toddler room and they nap on those cots. I don't know how they convince 15 toddlers to stay and sleep on those cots at the same time but they do!!
 
Wow, I haven't posted on here in forever. Let's see, since Tucker was born, we've moved two states away, I started a new job, and we bought a house. We moved in last week (my company put me us in temporary housing for the past month) and I'm surrounded by boxes. DH is still in our old place because he couldn't give his notice until we closed on the house. So I'm basically a single parent of an almost 3 year old and a 5 month old. They started at their new day care today. The company in working for is actually the parent company of the day care, so it's sort of nice to know the ins and outs (and pull a bit of weight, ha).

(Cross posting so I'm talking about both the boys.)

T is doing well. He has been sleeping through the night for a few weeks. We started him in solids right before that. He got the hang of it and now prefers it to the bottle. Apparently that's made the difference in his sleep as well. He's a tummy sleeper and rolls over from his back immediately. He really really wants to crawl and sort of does some form of an army crawl to move. He's a really happy baby as long as he's been held. Still hates the car seat and screams when we are in the car, so that's fun

Barrett is a great big brother. He loves Tucker and is always wanting to hold him or sing to him. He talks non stop and his new teacher was shocked to learn he is still only two. He's so big- solidly in 4T, size 10 shoe. We haven't measured him since his 2.5 year appointment but I'm guessing he's near 42". We still have the problem where people think he's 4 or 5 and expect him to act as such. One thing that's come up recently is he's been stuttering a bit. Dr Google tells me it's fairly common at this age, especially at the beginning of a sentence. He's had so much change lately so that could be part of it as well. He is still super picky with food, although he recently decided he likes salad of all things. The tricky part is it has to have dressing but not dressing he can see. Freaking toddlers.

We are still planning on a third. We will probably start trying next May/June (we have a cruise in May so it will be during or after that). Some days (most days) I think about how nice it would be to be done. No more newborns/pregnancy!! But I know we would regret it. Tucker being a good sleeper really helps with that as well.

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The boys are so cute, amc!!! I'm glad to see you're doing well!!
I totally understand what you mean about kind of wanting to be done. I'm in the same boat as you. But, I also think I would regret it...maybe not now, but eventually...I think my husband could be done now though, no problem..
 
Should we arm this thread up a bit? Monkey, J, April?

I am posting from my iPad while pretty much homebound right now, so I'll wait to type up the whole birth story on my computer. But G is one week old today! He's thriving, almost back at birth weight, pretty chill little dude, and just cute cute cute!

My DH has taken to parenthood like a duck to water, he's wonderful and thoughtful and intuitive just like I knew he would be. He is such a great support to us both! His shopping list today includes prescription nipple cream, boxer briefs for me ( better than granny panties! ), freezable breast pads, and chocolate :lol:

I am probably struggling the most, but only physically. I don't feel overwhelmed emotionally at all, but holy sore nipples, batman! It's like hot needles every time he latches, which he wants to do all.the.time. It gets better, right? And the c section recovery is no joke either. Put them together and I'm a bit of a sweaty, bloody, sore mess, even a week out. This gets better too, right?

My husband and child appear to love me in spite of my swarthiness :bigsmile: , so I am trying to be gentle on myself as well, but I want to feel GOOD again!

How are all of you doing? I loved being pregnant with you ladies, let's keep in touch with out little ones!
 
Aviastar - Sounds like you are doing great! Yay for your wonderful husband taking such good care of you! And, yes, nursing will get better. I had such a tough time getting started and really thought it wouldn't get easier. Oh my goodness - it does, it does, it does! I really needed to hear that in the early days. I used to let out a little scream every time he latched, for like the first month or so! It hurt so much, but then was ok after he was latched. I have to recommend this cream -- https://www.motherlove.com/product/nipple-cream I really don't understand why people still recommend lanolin, which is really just a protectant, and not really helpful IMO. The motherlove cream is actually healing and so much nicer to use. I did have a prescription antibiotic cream in the beginning too, but after that, found the motherlove to be excellent at keeping things from getting bad again. It's available on Amazon too.

I order some other motherlove products too. JGAtor - I had wanted to mention both More Milk Plus and Malunggay to you. You had mentioned in the other thread that you had supply issues with your daughter. I did too. I think nursing as much as possible in the beginning is key. I also took both of these supplements and had far better results with Malunggay. I think (based on comments I've read on a lot of these supplements) that women respond differently to these, so if you're up for supplements, try a few different ones. We did supplement just a tiny bit with formula when I just wasn't producing enough early on, but since taking Malunggay, we haven't needed to supplement. Oh, one more thing, sometimes I will stop taking it for a few days. I feel like when I take a little break and then re-start, that I tend to get a little more milk.

A few more words for Aviastar - Enjoy the early days! I so love having a newborn. If you are inclined to do so, start a baby journal and write down what those adorable noises sound like, and how wonderful it is to hold your little baby in your arms! So amazing. I could easily start crying just thinking about how wonderful babies are!!

Looking forward to your birth story!!

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A tiny update from me. My baby is 5 months and 10 days already. He is so amazingly cute! He laughs and giggles all the time. He LOVES his big sister. He cannot hold back a smile when she is in his presence. It is so lovely to watch. He is such a snuggly baby. I adore when he falls asleep in my arms. It's just magical!

He has started eating already! For about a month now. He really packs it in too! I couldn't imagine having waited longer. If we don't keep up the pace when feeding him, he lets us know!! So far he's had baby oatmeal, sweet potato and pears. Oh, and bananas too. Aside from the oatmeal, we make his food, which I love doing.

Sleep has improved immensely. I finally stopped sleeping in the room with his crib (not his actual room), which has allowed two things to happen: (1) me to be able to sleep without waking at every little noise he makes; and (2) him to be be able to sleep without me waking him. We still go in if he wakes in the middle of the night (though we will wait to see if he falls back asleep on his own), but he has gotten some very long stretches of sleep going!! Sometimes I will still sleep in there (when there's a little sleep regression -- on either of our parts, I guess, lol!)

I was severely exhausted around 3-4 months. I remember asking his pediatrician if I should go to my doctor because I felt like I was so tired I couldn't carry things (like carrying him in his carseat was a struggle) and like it was a struggle just to lift my own arms. She looked at me and said, I don't think you need your dr, I think you need to get some sleep! She was right. That was an eye-opening conversation.

One more thing -- oh my gosh to baby gap and old navy!! I looked around on my phone last night and they have some very cute baby boy stuff. I'm going to order with reckless abandon later today - 40% off, which I know they have all the time, but still!! Just fyi! :))
 
Hi Aviastar and LV!

I envy those of you who love the newborn phase. That hasn't been my experience. We had a lot thrown at its this time, so I know that is part of it, but I have found both times that I really started to bond with my babies and enjoy them more around 8-9 weeks when they start "coming to life." Before that, I'm sleep deprived, anxious and blue, and it feels like they take, take, take without giving much back, which is their job. But it's funny how biology works because I'm already thinking fondly of the idea of just one more. DH is too, which is even more surprising to me. I have no clue if that is in the cards, probably not, and if it's not, I have the most amazing family the way it is.

I just love the phase my babies are in. They are 3.5 months. Baby Boy is so smiley and just the sweetest. Ev is enamored with him, and the feeling is beginning to become mutual, although Baby Boy still saves his biggest smiles for his mommy :) Baby Girl is so tiny and a bit behind because of her health conditions and hospitalizations, but she is so sweet and has the cutest grin/smirk I've ever seen. Definitely has daddy's heart.
 
Monkey-You are such an amazing mama and what an adventurer with the thought of "just one more":-)

LV-So glad that B is doing so well, and I bet that he and S are super cute together!

Avi-A resounding second from me on the motherlove nipple cream! Also, coconut oil. My friends IRL laugh at me b/c I use it for everything, but I am convinced that the reason E never got diaper rash and that I never got thrush or mastitis was b/c of my constant use of coconut oil on both of us.
 
Bella, yeah, we're probably crazy to even think about it. We've got two embryos left (although probably not the best quality), and that weighs on my mind a lot. I just don't think I can handle having them destroyed, so we'll see. I honestly am not sure I emotionally want to put myself out there again, knowing it might not work out we could end up with another baby with special needs. So many decisions to make, but I'll save those for another day. Baby Girl still in hospital, and it's hard not having any time with DH. I feel like I'm a single mom to the boys at night because DH stays at hospital late and works from the hospital really early in the mornings before going to the office. I spend all day at the hospital, and then the evenings with the boys. This too shall pass, although, all the doctors think we'll have a rough winter of illness.
 
That totally makes sense re the two remaining embryos. I think I would feel the same way.

Yes, I am trying to balance the "this too shall pass" with enjoying these moments/ages (E is now 21 months and since he was 10 months old he has been doing his best to make "the terrible ones" a thing, but he's also the sweetest, sassiest, most empathetic little boy...and we do very much want a third, but DH started working nights this week and it is a lot to adjust to! We are like ships passing in the night and both of us are exhausted. I can't imagine how it would be if we had a third and we were juggling a baby in the NICU. We'll see how the timing works out:-)

You are super mama!
 
Aviastar, I think nursing does get easier. I got lucky in that Eliza had a "text book" latch from day one and I never had a single issue, but one of my good friends said it was really tough for the first two months thanks to sore nipples. Her baby is 14 months now and they're still going strong! I'm glad to hear things are going well for you in the big picture and I hope your c-section recovery is still going well. It seems like things get a little better every day and then all of the sudden, you feel good again. Or at least it was that way for me (4th degree tear, ouch!)

LV, I can't believe your son is already 5+ months. I'm jealous you have him in his own bed. That's a work in progress at my house. I'm losing currently. I just bought the Merlin Magic sleep suit. I'm trying it out tonight. We'll see how that works. I've returned everything else thus far that babies are supposed to love for sleep.

MP: I know you've had some rough days, but I'm glad you're getting smiles now. It makes things so much better!

We are doing well. My little monster is 3 months old today! She coos and makes silly faces regularly. She's been social smiling for a few weeks now and that really makes dealing with the screaming easier. Ha ha. Sometimes she has Chernobyl level melt downs for no discernible reason. She loves to "stand" and heaven forbid you hold her like a baby! Nooooo, she wants to be up on your shoulder looking out or held facing out so she can see what's going on. She will only tolerate being held like a baby, all cuddled in, if she's sleepy. She's trying to grow up too fast!

Here's her three month pics from today. Two hours after I took these she had an epic meltdown. I'm attaching a pic of her then too.

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I'm so glad I checked in! Good to see some updates, Mummas! I've been thinking of you all :wavey:

aviastar, isn't it just amazing watching your husband transform in to a daddy? I think it is just the most heartwarming thing and I think it has made me love him even more now. About the breastfeeding, I'm sure the pain will ease up soon since it is still early days. If it doesn't, I just wanted to suggest you consider getting your little one assessed for a tongue tie. Both of my two had tongue ties and it was only once they had them snipped that breastfeeding became easier and painless.

LV, my MIL has just returned from the States and I'm pretty sure she brought the whole of Baby Gap back with her! It is all very cute, and she bought some larger sizes so I am looking forward to them growing in to them. I'm glad you brought up the sleep thing, I have been thinking about transitioning Z & Q to their own room because I still wake up at every little noise they make. The recommendation here though is to keep prem babies in your room until 12 months. They are 6 months now but I am ready to have my own space back. They are still in their bassinets but will be too big for them soon, and there is no way I can fit two cots in my room without going insane and tripping over everything.

MP, it is so good to hear from you. Sounds like your two are doing well, all things considered. My two were in the hospital for 2 months, I think I've kind of blocked it out f my mind for now. And I didn't have any older children at home- that must be so hard! Big hugs to you! We have just come out of winter, my two came home right in the middle of winter (a few weeks before their due date) and the doctors recommended we stay in lockdown mode for at least 6 weeks as they had predicted the worst winter (and flu season) yet. I am so glad we followed their advice. It was so hard after being in hospital for so many months I just wanted to have all of my friends and family over to show them off, but we had strict rules about people coming only when healthy. We even asked them to stay away if they had been around someone who was sick until after the incubation period. Yes, I'm sure some people thought I was being way too overprotective but I was determined to not set foot in a hospital for a very long time. I've done my time. How long until your girl can come home? My girl is definitely a Daddy's girl as well. Which is funny, because before they were born he was so worried he wouldn't know what to do with a girl. And you are already thinking of going for round three! Hats off to you Mama!

April, what a cutie, even in meltdown mode :love: Three months really is a great age.

AFM, Z&Q are six months old already (16 weeks corrected age). They are doing so, so well and we had our first developmental check up last week and they are on track for their corrected age. There is lots of smiling and squealing, drooling and putting everything in their mouths. The other morning I left them on my bed while I went to set up the couch in the lounge room for feeding and came back to them staring at each with the biggest smiles on their faces and chatting away.We are also still breastfeeding. Six months was my goal so I am happy we reached that, because it is now getting harder as they are becoming more mobile. I have to pile the pillows around me since we have had a few times when I have been burping one and the other has decided to roll right off the cushion! I am hesitant to stop though because while they are nursing they hold hands, and it feels like my heart is going to burst every freaking time!! :love: I remember being so freaked out when finding out I was having twins, but now I can't imagine it any other way. I can't wait to watch their little personalities develop further.
 
Here is some recent photos of them. I was tidying up their room and going through old clothes to sell/donate. It is so hard to remember them being so small!! The lineup of clothes shows from when they were first born and in the humidicribs, to part of their coming home outfits (size 5x0's and still to big) at 37 weeks corrected gestational age, and now at 6 months old. They really are little superheroes :appl:

And the other photo showing how happy they are under the playgym. I have two seperate playgyms thinking it would be good for them to have dpace to roll around and explore a bit. But every time they end up twisting themselves to look at each other and don't play with any of their toys. Put them under the one and they are both happy and kciking and laughing. Funny kids :P

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Too late to edit but just wanted to say they are 6 months, but 13 weeks corrected age at the time of these photos. ^
 
Tbaus - Truly gorgeous photos of your babies! I am so happy to read your update! Yay for MIL hauling back all of the baby gap cuteness for your supercute little ones!! I always love hearing about how twin babies love to be with one another. Such loves they are!!

April - What a little cutie E is?!?! Love the photos, especially the one with the little doggie. Sooooo cute!
 
Hi Tbaus, your twins are adorable and seem to be thriving. They look so much more alike than my two. Mine barely look like siblings.

You're lucky you were able to keep them insulated over the winter. With a toddler in school we weren't so lucky. O got sick, and he recovered fine, but N, due to her heart surgery and laryngotracheomalacia, is very vulnerable and can't shake the respiratory illness or clear the congestion. She's spent over 9 weeks in the hospital total now, on three different stays, so half her life. She has random episodes of her heart rate dropping or stopping breathing, and it's scary. Nobody knows for sure exactly what triggers it. DH and I hate that she's in the hospital, but we're more scared to have her home. She may end up with a trach, which just really sucks.

I hope everybody else is doing well and better off than we are at the moment. I go back to work in three weeks, and it's just hard to imagine how this is all going to work. DH will likely have to try working from home for awhile.
 
I just wanted to pop in and tell you, MP, how much I've been thinking about you and your little ones. I read the baby threads, and I love reading everyone's updates.
 
Just popping in. E had her 4 month check yesterday, complete with round 2 of shots. She did really well with the shots. She screamed bloody murder for less than a minute and then seemed to be over it. I think it startled her more than anything. Oh, and stats. She's 24.5" long, 14 lb 5 oz. 50th %tile across the board.

We are still struggling to get her to sleep on her own at night. She sleeps great... touching me. I love the cuddles, but she's started to thrash at night and I need to transition her. The ped recommended the "sleep shuffle" but said we can't do it halfway. All or nothing. She said we can start now or wait another month or two if that makes us (me) more comfortable. I don't know... We've tried every other gimmick and product with no success (mainly me not wanting to fight). I guess I need to bite the bullet.

Anyone else struggling with getting a LO to sleep alone at night?
 
Ap;ril, I can't put my son down during the day. He sleeps on the My Breast Friend pillow on me. If i put him in a bouncy seat or swing, he wakes up and cries. At night, I put him in the pack n play in our room and swaddle him up. He usually sleeps 2-3 hours then I nurse him and put him back. The 2nd time he wakes up, i just keep him in bed because I'm too tired/lazy to re-swaddle him again. Our son loves me and I really can't do anything without him. I do get a shower almost ever day which is my time alone!

MP, how are the twins? I hope N is out of the hospital. How did the return to work go?

LV, how is your son? Thanks for your advice - I bought the nipple cream and supplement. Any other advice you have for me???

AFM, N is 6 weeks old today and about 11 lbs. He has had a cold for almost 2 weeks which he got from me, and I got it from my DD. So, we have been pretty miserable as far as runny noses and coughs at our house. Neel is exclusively breast fed now. Things are going so much better with that than they did with K - I am taking the Moringa that you recommended LV in addition to Fenugreek. Not sure if that is the trick, but I will keep it up! I directly feed him unless we go somewhere in the car, then I pump and give him the botle in the car or wherever we are going. He hates the car seat and screams his head off most of the drive if we do go anywhere. Here is a Christmas photo of K and N.

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Aww, what a great update JGator. Love the photo! Your daughter looks proud! Glad to hear that all is going well. For the supplements, you might try taking a break and seeing how things go without? They are pricey, and what if they aren't truly necessary? I did notice that I was able to pump more when I took the maluungay, but after a while, I've found that I make just enough, so I've stopped taking it recently. If I could give you advice, it would be to pump some extra now. Do you have anything in the freezer? My LC suggested that I pump just an oz extra a day, and then freeze when I got 4 oz. Way back when, I think I was pumping an extra 2-3 oz a day, here and there, I wasn't pumping every day, and then I was able to save a small freezer stash before returning to work. I go into the office only 2X week, and I do not pump enough to cover his needs on the days I'm at work, so my stash is almost gone. I will likely try taking the supplement again to see if I can pump more to save for work days. Also, I notice my supply goes down a little when I have my cycle, so it's nice to have the extra for then too. I recall that you work at home, so maybe you won't have this issue, but it is nice, if say you are going to be out without the baby for longer than expected. Then, if there's milk in freezer, you don't have to rush home.

Other random advice - I really like this nursing bra http://www.amazon.com/Lamaze-Cotton...=UTF8&qid=1449597545&sr=1-5&nodeID=1285234011 It's so comfortable and so inexpensive. And, these storage bags have worked out great: http://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-Brea...=1449597682&sr=8-1&keywords=milk+freezer+bags
 
Eliza is sleeping in her own space!!! It's been about a week and we have adult time at night again! Granted, she ends up with me at some point, usually because I'm too tired to not side nurse her in bed at 3am. I woke up this morning at 5 and was like "when did you get in here?!?" I don't even remember picking her up!

She's sleeping in the Rock 'n Play. I know most people transition out of one about now and not in, but she won't sleep flat on her back. I think once she can roll, she will be happier in the crib/pack 'n play. We did a modified "sleep shuffle". It sucked the first couple nights (as in 1.5-2 hours of her unhappy and crying while we comforted but didn't pick up) but now she will go to sleep within about 5-10 mins of being put down drowsy. She will also go right back to sleep in the middle of the night when I move her back after nursing. This is a huge accomplishment. She used to go from dead asleep to wide awake when I tried to move her out of my bed in the middle of the night.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my excitement. I hope everyone is doing well!
 
LV, I got the storage bags. I took your advice and I'm saving a small amount of breast milk. Whenver we go anywhere in the car, I pump. He usually doesn't drink it all so that ends up being frozen. I probably have 4-6 ounces in the freezer. My worry is he will never take a bottle when I do go back to work. With K, she wasn't really into BFing - she stopped at 7 months and I just pumped and gave her formula after that. She was into the pacifier and had no issues with the bottle. N doesn't like the pacifier or bottle - just me! We will see how this goes. I may look into some more boob-like bottles - there is one called Joovy Boob! With K, I blocked my calendar at work to pump at regular intervals - I may have to just feed N but not sure how that will go over with my conference call heavy schedule. I'm not going back to work till mid-Feb though. I feel like I have time, but I know it will go by too quickly!

April, congrats on getting Eliza in her room. Right now, we have N in the pack n play in our room, and I usually put him down 2 times and then after that keep him in bed with me because I'm tired/lazy. I hope I'm not creating a monster. I feel like this kid doesn't have many sleep crutches like his sister did. She used the pacifier and I rocked her in the rocking chair to sleep. N doesn't like pacis and doesn't care about the rocking chair. He won't go in a bouncy seat or swing which are issues because I can't get anything done as I'm always holding him!

AFM, N is 8 weeks old today. I feel like N is not sleeping as long as K did, but for some reason, I'm not as exhausted. Maybe because I am not pumping regularly on top of breast feeding. I don't know. He only sleeps for about 2.5-3 hours for his first stretch at night, and then it goes down to 1.5-2 hours after that. I assume he will wake more as he's not taking any formula and breast milk goes through them faster, but I feel like he should be sleeping longer. I think he's 12 lbs. His 2 month appt is tomorrow. Any advice on getting them to sleep longer - maybe he's not eating enough? Oh, did I tell you all? He screams his head off in the car seat? It's painful. I really hate going anywhere for this reason. He won't take a pacifier which K did, and I didn't realize what a lifesaver that was until now with all the screaming!
 
JGator, happy to hear things are going pretty well with N. I've never had luck with my boys and sleeping long stretches. My little girl gets fed through a gtube overnight, so she sleeps through the night just fine most nights (unless she's throwing up which is another story), but my little O still wakes up at least once a night and usually twice a night for a bottle. He only takes max of 4 ounces at a time during the day, so it feels like he's eating all the time! He also screamed all the time in the carseat until recently. We finally let Ev face forward when he started using the potty (still not a fan of using the the potty for Number 2, but he's pretty much potty trained), so I think that helps that he can talk to O in the carseat and sort of hand him his pacifier when he cries. I saw your update on K on the other thread. Sounds like she is doing well and cute as ever! How are K and N getting along? Ev is still so obsessed with "his babies." It's adorable, but we really have to watch that he doesn't love them too hard. He's very demonstrative :)

April, glad you're making progress in the sleeing department. I think it just takes some kids awhile before they're comfortable sleeping on a flat, open surface. We are pretty big sticklers for making them sleep in their cribs, but it is a pretty painful process sometimes when all you want to do is sleep! Her pictures are cute. Does she always stick out her tongue like that? Too funny.

LV, hope everything is going well with your little man. I'm so happy that after all of the struggles, we are all over here talking about our babies and not TTCing. Although, if DH gets his way, we may be back in that game again later next year. I can't decide if I'm done done or not....

Tbaus, hope your twins are doing well!

Hi to everyone else!

AFM, I haven't been on here forever. Seems like everybody is in the same position as me and just not finding as much time to post anymore. My twins are 5.5 months and getting so big so fast. O is the happiest kid I've ever seen, just like his brother. I think they get it from their dad. Definitely not me :) He has the biggest, happiest smile unless he's hungry. He's so very impatient when he's hungry. He's really strong and always wants to stand and jump in his jumperoo or play in his exersaucer. He loves to roll from back to tummy, but for some reason, he CANNOT figure out how to roll from his tummy to his back, and it is a source of great irritation for him (and me at night!). He's kind of like our middle child, even though he's a twin. Ev is the adored, precocious first child and N is the baby that needs a lot of extra attention, and it seems like O sometimes gets ignored by our families. So, being a middle child myself, I have a soft spot for him and make sure to love him up :)

Baby N has had a rough go. She spent two months in the hospital again and come home just last week (that's in addition to the six weeks she'd previously spent there). I started back to work at the beginning of the month, and DH and I are doing our best to take turns working from home because we need to keep her healthy and out of daycare at least until the spring, and with her apnea monitor and feeding tube, we would need specialized nursing care, and that's just not in the budget currently. She had surgery on her airway a few weeks ago and had a g button placed for feedings. She still takes very little from the bottle and has very bad acid reflux despite getting two different medications. She has violent throw ups at least once a day, and it's just so sad and discouraging to see her struggle with feeding and gaining weight. But she's such a sweet and sociable baby despite all she's been through. Unlike her brothers, she makes you work hard to get a smile, but when she does, it's so worth it. She is pretty far behind as far as motor skills and muscle tone and head control, but I have a feeling she's going to catch up to her brother once she has a chance to be healthy and out of bed for awhile.

That was more than I meant to write, but oh well. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas (or happy holidays or whatever!).
 
JG-So happy that things are going well! I started working from home when E was 6 weeks and did not have childcare. I nursed on conference calls and wore him constantly while working. The mute button was my best friend, but overall it worked quite well.

MP-So happy to hear an update for you, but sorry to hear that N is still having a difficult time. She is a strong little lady just like her mama! Hope that 2016 brings good health for N especially, her outgrowing some challenges, and an immense amount of joy for your family!
 
JGator, N's sleep schedule sounds totally normal to me. I think it will improve with time (and after you get past the 4 month regression!). Also, I don't think you're creating a monster letting him sleep with you after a bit at night. The fact that he will go down in his own bed and sleep that way for the majority of the night is great. IMO, you only have a problem if he starts to refuse to sleep without touching you.

MP: It sounds like your girl has had such a tough road. I'm glad she's home from the hospital, but I know that has its own set of challenges. I'm glad to hear she's sweet and sociable despite the obstacles. O sounds like he is doing well. Eliza loves her exersaucer too. It's amazing to me how strong they are getting already. She wants to stand all the time too and has started arching her back when she doesn't want to sit! Oh, and yes, Eliza loves her tongue. It seems like she's always sticking it out. And licking something. Actually, she's in her bouncy seat and I just looked down and she's sticking her tongue out at me. It's out all the time. :cheeky:

AFM: Eliza is doing well. She turned five months yesterday. She hasn't quite figured out rolling yet. She rolls from back to side, but that's about it. She sat unassisted for about ten seconds the other day. She wants to sit up but isn't quite there yet. Her hair is starting to get SLIGHTLY thicker. Or fuzzier. I took her monthly pics yesterday and she really wasn't about it at all. She REFUSED to smile and stuck her tongue out the ENTIRE time. I'm going to attach one for fun.

We've been toying with selling our house and finding a project house for a few weeks. I swear, we get the bug to move every couple years. Mainly because we keep buying what we consider investment houses rather than a forever home. Anyway, I've been struggling with if I want to move because I love our current location and the schools are decent. We found a house about 2 miles away this week that I think may light the fire under us. It's in a different zip code and a different intown neighborhood. I actually didn't realize that section was considered this other neighborhood and it's much more desirable. The elementary school is definitely better. The kicker is, it's SMALLER than our current home by about 150 sf. And about 200 sf of the house is in a 1/2 story, so it really is smaller. But the lot is 100 feet deeper, which is a huge deal given that we live in the city and not the suburbs. And it's flat. And fenced. Eventually, we could take the half story off and build a proper second floor and add on off the back. I dunno. It's probably a great move in the big picture. The area will only continue to go up. I think we may go look at it and if we think we can live there for a bit before a major remodel, we'll go contingent and list our house. Houses don't sit long in our neighborhood, so theoretically this game of chess should work out.

ETA: Why do my pictures always load sideways?? I took this one with my camera and not my phone, so it really shouldn't be rotated!

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April, sounds like your E and my O are a lot alike. I feel like O thinks he's ready to walk and he can't even sit up yet :) My little N just discovered her tongue recently. She doesn't have it out all the time like your little one, but she'll poke it out and try to grab it with her hands. She has a had a tough road, but in the two weeks she's been home, I feel like she is making big strides as far as her motor skills. She seems so happy to be home and socializing with the family. It will be so great if we can keep her there, and we are doing our best to keep her healthy by wearing masks when we or the boys are sick and using hand sanitizer every time we touch her. My family all visited for Christmas, and we were sticklers for making sure none of the kids got too close.

Good luck deciding on whether to move. I hate moving and would do anything to avoid it, but I admire people who are able to flip houses or take a house and turn it into what you want it to be. We moved into our current house two years ago, and we have yet to take any of the projects on our list. Someday....

Here's a quick photo of my two on Christmas Eve. Not the best of N, but it's the best I have of the two of them together. I swear they conspire against me to keep me from getting the perfect picture. I'm on a constant quest!

ETA: Here's one more. I love how O is touching is his sister. He always tries to lean in whenever I let him get close to her. It's so sweet.

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