January Already???

Bekah- normally you will see the two bottom middle ones come in first and then the top two middle ones....the gums can deffinitly get raised and you often see a white spot just below the gum line...the most painful part for them is when it is breaking through the skin, after that they are usually pretty good...my ODD didn't get a single tooth until she was 9 months old and I could have sworn she was teething since 3mos...LOL

Good morning,

Thanks for the article Bekah...most I've read say the congestion isn't part of it. I was hoping it was teething and not a cold. Aubrey has the eczema on her face too but it really flares up when she's really chewing on her hands. My dr lets me use hydrocortizone cream and then vasaline. The H cream clears it up within hours.
I can't get her to chew on anything but her hands, her bib or our fingers...she just doesn't want the teething ring or any of her toys in her mouth yet.

Kim, I read an article that it can bother them for months before they actually come in. But, too much reading can drive a woman crazy! They all have a different opinion.

I hope everyone survived the weather. We ended up with about 6". I thought it was pretty b/c I didn't have to go out in it. I feel for all of you that had to venture out in the crappy weather.

AFM: Off to get my hair cut..g'ma is coming to sit. Then I'm in search of a pair of closed-toed brown shoes size 0...MAN, I've been searching for weeks. I'm going to try my 3rd Once Upon A Child today in a very upscale neighborhood, maybe they'll have a pair.
Do you ladies have Once Upon A Child stores in your area? I know they are all over. We have a few very nice stores. I have found some of the most adorable summer clothes....CHEAP!

Morning ladies! Hope everyone had a decent day yesterday despite the weather..

I ended up taking Lucas back to the doctor because ODS put the prescription in the freezer instead of the fridge(my fault I should've checked)and so they wanted to check his breathing before issueing a new prescription.Then the insurance wouldn't cover it for him again because we'd just filled it originally on monday so I ended up paying $20 for a $5 script.Ugh...Oh well...I just keep laughing because if I stop I'll be in trouble.But if I keep laughing the way I do then someone will checlk me in to a hospital for a psych evaluation.Ha ha ha....See? We got hit with about a foot of snow yesterday and ODS had no school so things got a bit nutsy here..I got a call though last night from his art teacher who wanted my permission to use one of ODS's projects for a opening premier for a new youth art museum locally.He then said ODS is a very talented artist for his age.So the premier is sometime in February!!So proud of him...

Question: How big is everyone's LO's now and what size clothes and diapers iare they wearing??Lucas is 17lbs 4oz(don't know how long but will find out next week)He's wearing a size 3 diaper and is in 3-6 month clothes.They are still a bit big in the legs and arms...

My nephew(step-brother's DS)was born the same day as Lucas and I bought him an outfit for xmas.It was 6-9 months so I figured he'd have room to grow into it.(Remember this was when they were 3 months old).Well we had ODS birthday party for friends and DH's family on Sunday and step-mom was there and I asked her if they'd gotten the outfit(mailed it)And she says "yes they did, it was too small>" WOW so I asked how big he is and she said 24lbs(MichelleL- see your little man isn't the only BIG guy )I didn't know what to say to that other than I'm glad I sent a gift receipt.Anyway, will try and catch up with personals later...

Diana- my ODD has bad excezma...and I agree the hydrocortizone is the best for flare ups...I use Eucerin lotion for after bathing and daily and it really helps keep the flair ups down. Luckily Landree doesn't seem to have it.

Shannon- if that ever happens again do you have a Walmart near by? Many generics are $4 regardless of insurance, my mom and step-dad no longer have insurance and save a ton going there versus any other pharmacy.

and to answer your question, I have no idea how much she weighs and I am really looking forward to next week's apt. But she is in 3-6 month clothes with lots of room still and a size 1-2 huggies. When I go to BJ's saturday I am going to buy the straight size 2 though.

Diana - I know, I was really hoping Joey wouldn't get a cold, but alas, it reared its ugly head a week ago and now he's got a nice ugly cough to go with it. it's a dry cough, so i don't really know what to say about that, I'll have to ask the doc when we go on Monday. Joey doesn't chew on his toys either yet. of course he's still working on his hand-eye coordination lol, so if he has hold of something, he usually hits himself square in the head instead of putting it in his mouth. it's kinda funny actually. well good luck with the teething! If she chews on cloth, you could try dampening a washcloth and sticking it in the freezer for about 10 minutes or so, then give it to her to chew on. Make sure it isn't completely frozen tho, frozen will make her upset, cool will relieve the pain and inflammation in her gums. HTH

Shannon - sorry about all the stuff lately. It really sucks that you guys are sick all the time, and I'm pretty sure it didn't help that ODS stuck the prescription in the freezer. But now you have extra! you just gotta thaw it first lol. To answer your question: I am not really that sure how big joey is currently, my scale is acting retarded. But if it helps, his swing has a 25lb weight limit and it barely swings for him anymore.... to maybe he's pushing it... the fatty. But he's also pretty long. He's wearing 3-6 mo outfits and starting to fit into them really good. he's wearing size 2 diapers, but may not be for much longer. he can't fit into size 3 anything anymore, just 6 mo. He's so big already! we'll have the exact measurements Monday, then I will let you know on the appt thread.

AFM - we had a rough night last night. Joey was really fussy and wouldn't take very long naps. I kept wondering what the heck was wrong with him! Then, when i got out of the shower, i checked his lower gums, and there it was, a big ol bump. so I put the night time orajel on his gums(which he hates cuz it tastes bad), then gave him some infant Tylenol and put him to bed not much longer afterward. He went down at maybe 1130? then got up at 530 for a bottle, and went back down til 10(yippee!). had a bottle and went back down for a little nap til 1130. now he's crying because mama(i swear to god i heard it just now!) isn't playing with him. so, I'm gunna go spend time with the little man. cu all laters!

Kim-We do have a Walmart sort of near-by but believe it or not majority of my prescriptions have been cheaper at rite-aid($30 for inhaler at Walmart vs. $10 at rite aid)...most of the scripts are $5.00 anyway and the pharmacy is right down the street. Besides when I go to Walmart I have to hit the baby section and DH gets mad when I go spending crazy .

Bekah-Girl I wish I did have extra! Because he froze it, I had to toss it. Freezing it changes the chemical make-up rendering it useless.Love my son!!!Hope Joey's tooth comes in quickly for him.Thats what hurts the most for them.ODS always got 2 at a time!!!

Gotta run and get ODS from school...Later ladies!

Shannon - Logan is 15lbs, wears a size 3 diaper (Pampers) and can wear some 3-6 mo outfits, as long as they have no feet, for the footed ones he's in 6-9 mo and they're getting tight in the feet, and he can wear some 6-9 mo onesies and outfits

Hi Everyone,

I dont have a lot of time because I am swamped here at work. I was just taking a mental break for a second.

Shannon- Nate was 14.5 lbs 2 weeks ago. He maybe up to 15 lbs not but not much more than that. He is in either a size 0-3 months or 3-6 months depending on the brand. OH and he is in a size 2 diaper. He seems to run on the small side comparatively. It could be because my grandparents were small and DHs parents arent really big either. My mom's side and some of my dads are HUGE like 7 ft tall. I dont think Nate got that gene.

Diana - Nate wont chew his teething stuff or toys either. He does like to chew his thumb, burp cloths, bibs, blankets and stuffed animals. He has a small teddy bear you can always find him "making out" with. LOL - I guess he will start those things later.

Bekah - I know what you mean about hand eye coordination - Nate has been trying to hold his bottle and he almost has it down. When you put the bottle in his hands he slams it against his face. He has the right idea just doesnt get how to do it just yet. It is funny to watch tho!

AFM - Ugh work is so stressful right now. The lady out on maternity leave can come back anytime... She is not due back until April. So what if you had your baby on January 16th there are warranty calls waiting for you!
Well Nate is feeling much better now. The antibiotics seem to be helping even though they give him dirreah and the dirreah has given him diaper rash. We finish up the antibiotics on Monday morning and I cant wait! We now have cereal and several different baby foods waiting for him. We just want him to have an ok tummy before we start. I cant wait! I am more excited than anyone I think. I went crazy and bought rice cereal, oatmeal, carrots, peas, bananas, pears, apples and sweet potatoes. I am set on baby food forever! LOL!
Anywho I guess that is it for now. I should get back to work.

Take Care!

Kim- size 2? I am buying size 4 tomorrow.... You and your little chicklets! They are so cute!

Bekah - teething really sucks!You really oughta try the teething tablets. They work so well and last much longer than orajel. Atleast he slept good for ya'!!!

Shannon - you should check out our walmart. You won't be spending any money in the baby section here....it really sucks. There is absolutely no selection of boys clothes and even the baby food stinks....it's all messed up and they are always out of everything. Anyway, how are your little ones today?

Amy - Sorry about the diahrea...but atleast your little guy is feeling better! You're gonna have so much fun feeding that little guy! Something I have learned with Brenden during his feeding frenzy is I still have to burp him after he eats. I just lay him on the floor and pull him to a sitting position and he burps almost immediately! I don't remember doing that with Dawson.

AFM - last night was the best ever! Thank God because I was about to die! I've only been getting 3 or 4 total hours of sleep and getting up nearly every hour for several days. Well, last night dude slept soundly until 3am. He woke up, not crying, but slurping his hands so I assumed he was famished....drank 7 ounces in about 10 minutes and right back to sleep. He slept soundly until 6am and then I put him in bed with me and we watched the news until 6:30!!!! I feel so rested and wonderful today! Well...until he projectile vomitted on my neck...that was freakin' NASTY! I've had problems getting him down for naps today but he is in his pack-n-play sleeping now and hopefully will for atleast another hour. I posted some pics in the fun pics thread.....I guess his man boobs are positional because I don't notice them in the second pic! LOL Have a great day ladies!

michelle - i have the teething tablets, but i get so scared sometimes that he's going to choke on them from crying as hard as he does when his teeth are hurting. i could always put it in some water for a minute, then give it to him. i will try the watering it down a little.

Shannon, Aubrey was 11-9 almost 2 weeks ago at the dr and I use the bumgenius cloth diapers so she's still in small. I was concerned that she hasn't put on much weight but noone else seems to be. She's wearing mostly 0-3 some 3-6. She has all this cute winter 3-6 so I hope she gets there soon.

Michelle, glad u got some sleep.

Bekah, you can definitely dissolve the tablets in water. i have orajel & tabs but so far i've only used the orajel and she HATED it....i'm starting to get convinced that maybe she just didn't feel good and that's why i thought she was teething but she is chewing alot.

Amy, we have the 4 month dr appt on the 11th. i'm so excited to start her on food. i'm going to TRY to make my own though...not cereal but veggies & fruits. i'm looking fwd to smashing an avocado or sweet potato for her.

Kim, thankfully she only has it on her face and then I've seen a couple spots on her scalp but a little cream and they're gone. the dr did suggest the eucerin if spreads to her body or limbs.

Hey Bekah when I stick them under Brenden's tongue they never dissolve so I usually use the water but yesterday I noticed if I stick them under his tongue and wait a sec then I can touch them with my finger and they dissolve so I rub what's on my finger on his gums. Those things are so weird! Aw well....atleast they work! ;-)

About the teething tabs-You can put them in the bottle of formula to dissolve them as well...But do be careful about giving infants just water.It can throw the sodium off in their body and cause serious harm even death. Ive been told that by several doctors and read that myself. Just adding my 2 cents.That being said, I used water to dissolve them with older 2 kids.

MichelleL-They're doing good today(knock on wood) thanks for asking...Lucas is really hyper and jittery from the nebulizer treatments and still not eating great but he's doing better than he was on Monday.Glad to hear Brenden slept well for you.Amazing how just a few hours sleep can make life so much better.

Amy- I'm going to try making my own foods as well.You can actually do the rices yourself with a food processor. Lucs doc told me some horror stories about how many years ago they found broken glass in the baby food. And beechnut actually got caught selling brown sugar water as apple juice..Crazy right?

lol Michelle - glad your little man is sleeping for you. I'm really angry b/c as soon as Joey started sleeping thru the night, I started developing sleep problems. But I remembered when I was in high school and was having problems GETTING to sleep, but I was staying asleep pretty well. Anyways, I used to use this stuff called Unisom. One tablet 30 minutes before bed and you will be able to get to sleep pretty easily, instead of tossing and turning for like 3 hours... i hated that! I know you were probably only up b/c Lucas was up, but I was just throwing in the sleeping problem lol. Glad your little guy slept thru the night. it's nice to get enough sleep once in a while lol

Diana - yeah joey is chewing a lot too. sucking on his hands like mad every now and again, and believe me, its NOT cuz he's hungry lol! That little oinker.... anyways, I'm trying solids with joey and he is slowly learning to like it. He gets more of the gerber food on his face than in his mouth, but hey, whatcha gunna do, right? I can't wait to get him eating baby food. then we can have dinner together and stop having to make friggin bottles every 5 minutes lol!

AFM - we are trying to do hubby's income tax return, but having some issues. he had a little bit of school last year and he hasn't got the form to file for a refund for the interest from the loan companies and stuff... so i guess he'll have to call them and find out when he gets that. Anyway, my mom claimed me as a dependent, so he can't claim me for extra mulah, but its whatever. and i dont know if you ladies know this, but if your child hasn't been with you for six months of the year, you don't get the child credit.... how retarded. anyway, whatever, we are trying to file jointly with my mom claiming me as a dependent and its proving to be harder than we thought. anyways, gotta go entertain the little man. Hubbie is out with a friend(he needed some daddy time lol), so i didn't get to eat dinner... i'm trying to keep joey entertained and eat at the same time. lol it's not easy! well talk to you girls later! Ciao!

Shannon-Last I did the weigh myself then weigh myself holding Jeremiah there was exactly 17 lbs difference. Not sure about length maybe 25 inches? Will know for sure on the 9th of FEB for his 4 month check up. And he has been in size 2 diapers since about 2 months. The size 1 kept soaking through so I figured he was too big to be wearing them. As far as clothes go he is in 3-6 months and even a few 6-9 months( I think some clothes sizings are weird though)

AFM- I have been quite busy lately. As all three kids been running fevers the past 2-3 days.Not sure what it is but been giving fever reducers to all 3. I think my ods and odd fevers broke early last night but Jeremiah still has one. His even got to 102 underarm which after adding the .9 would make it almost 103. Called the hosp told them and they asked if he was still eating, poopin and wetting his diapers and I told them yes and they said not to worry about it. Which is kinda messed up I think since I thought they were worried when a young baby like that spikes a fever. So as I type he is on my lap laying here upset and tired and cranky not wanting to sleep. Am hoping the fever break soon because although he is still somewhat his usual self he is definitely more cranky than usual which I guess is to be expected. His fever is also accompanied by a cough which is not fun either cause when he gets crying he almost pukes because of it.

Bekah- are you talking about claiming these LO's? cause if so the 6month thing is not true...as long as they are born by Dec 31st all children born in 2008 can be claimed on your 2008 taxes...and to save you money, the active ingredient in Unisom is the same as the active ingredient in benedryl...so buy generic benedryl and take two, it will do the same thing.

Shannon- I make my own food...but not until I get to the stage 2's and 3's...I am too lazy and buy the cereal's and stage 1's.

AFM- my girls both have been bit by the no sleep bug...the last two nights they have both been up several times...and we have gotten very very little sleep...it so sucks. On the other hand McKenna has been doing fabulously with potty training, I can actually say that she is just about day trained, for the last several days we have had no accidents and I have even left panties on for nap and she has been pooping in the potty too.

Bekah - Kim is right. The six month thing applies when a child lives between two or more households...they can be claimed by the person they lived with for 6 or more months. As for newborns...they are claimable the year they were born even if their b-day is Jan 31 at 11:59am. Taxes are confusing I don't know why it's not just straight pay this much and be done.

Kim- sorry your girls have forgotten that night time is for sleeping! They'll get back on track, hopefully soon! Yea for McKenna and potty training! I hear boys are harder to pt than girls but Dawson was a breeze. We'll see about Brenden and his stubborn self when the time comes....

AFM - Last night wasn't great but it wasn't as horrible as it's been. We put Brenden down at 8pm thinking he would sleep a little longer but he woke at 11pm and 4am for bottles which is fine but waking at 1am and 3am to be rocked back to sleep is not! DH is off today so we split the night wakings with one feed and one rock each so that worked out okay. He is still not crying when he wakes. I tried to just let him get himself back to sleep at 1am and he was in there for about 30mins chewing his blanket and hands before he started getting fussy. We are putting up the full size bed that was in his room (when it was a guest room) back in there today and he will be sleeping in his bed at night time from now on. He loves his bed so hopefully this will work. We are also headed out to buy a new car seat today....I can not believe he doesn't fit in the $300 travel system I bought. I really thought it would last atleast until summer! Aw well....off shower, go to BRU, the grocery, and eat lunch with my kiddo at school! Have a great Friday ladies!

TGIF!!

Shannon, I read the instructions on making your own cereals...I think I'll pass on that one just b/c what I read said it doesn't keep well that it can get gummy so you should make it daily, but I do want to try to make her fruits, veggies & proteins.

We had our first all night sleep!!!!! 8 hrs 10:30-6:30 Well I'll say Aubrey and DH did...I was so freaked out that she wasn't waking up that I woke up just about every hour. Sometimes I would just listen and sometimes I would have to actually go in and touch her. BUT....I won't pass up the chance again WHEN it happens, hopefully tonight but I'm not counting on it.

Kim- Woohoo to McKenna for getting the hang of using the potty!! It seems like when the finally start pooping then the light just goesn on and they get it. Hopefully soon they will start sleeping again for you!

MichelleL-Have fun at BRU! I love going there even just to walk around and look at stuff!

Diana- It's exciting/scary when they start sleeping through the night...Only problem is I think for the first week or so we start getting less sleep because we keep waking up to check on them lol! I've never made the baby foods before but will try I think.

Joy-Have you taken your little man to the doc? A fever of 103 is never good for LO's under a year.Babies become septic very easily so I'd definetly check with your doc.Usually(not always) colds have low grade fevers not one that high. Have you tried taking his temp rectally?That's the most accurate way to get a good temp for infants and what hospitals go by. That may be why they didn't tell you to bring him in.When Luc had meningitis, they'd been taking rectal temps and it was 103 and higher and you could see the fever in his eyes and cheeks(very flushed) and one of the nurses took one under his armpit because he was sleeping on me(while we were still in the ER) and it was normal...When another nurse came in I mentioned that he still seemed REALLY hot even though his under-the-armpit temp was normal, they re-took it rectally and it was 103...

Bekah- Sorry that you're having sleep issues!!Hope you're able to get some sleep soon chica!

AFM- TGIF!!!(Agree with ya Diana!) ODS has a half day today which is kind of a pain...Not bad since I'm not working but it will be in the fall when I go back to school(hopefully)...Nothing new to report here...Lucas is still a bit wheezy and congested but doing a bit better each day.I'm a bit stuffy myself...My darn Dane is on my sh*t list for the day...We had pizza last night and we got a stuffed crust with cheese and a supreme pan(yummy!) and we always put the box on the stove and don't ya know she ate the half that we didn't eat!!! That was going to be my lunch today.GRRRRR...That's my only excitement.Ok headed to shower and off to the pet store to get guinea pig food(LOVE my MIL for getting my kids pets-they are cute at least).

Shannon

Bekah- you can claim them as long as they are born in 2008, the 6 month thing is for kids who parents share custody

Kim- yeah mckenna for potty trainning!!! boo for not sleeping!...lol hopefully it is just a quirky thing and they will be done with it.

Michelle- sorry to hear your travel system doesn't work!

Joy- so sorry your kiddos are all running fevers. I would watch jeremiah and if he starts gettign lethargic or not acting normal I would call the doctor again. You must of been frustrated when they said just watch him with a fever like that!

dy- yeah for aubrey sleeping all night!!! here's praying she does ti again tonight!

Shannon-I have a realtive that gets my kids things like beading sets with a million little pieces and makes ungodly amounts of noise. And she has a kid! she must hate me...lol

AFM I had a great night at work, didn't get to work out because of the people in my carpool stopping for tacos and I was good and did not get any, sleeping pill is kicking in so I am gonna go get some rest, then get up around 4:30 and fold the mountain of laundry that is never ending in my house. Daniel is doing good he is starting to play in his saucer adn jumperoo. he doesn't seem very enthralled but he is curiouse. he was bored with the vibrating seat and the swing so we got out the saucer and jumperoo. hope everyone has a good day I am off to bed.

Eileen- Lucas has taken a very recent interest in his walker(has locks for the wheels and we live in a ranch style home so no stairs) as well...He has a stationary jumper that hes not that crazy about yet.My food eating is out of control lately...Won't go into details but am working on a plan as I type this to correct that or I will quickly weigh as much as I did when I got preggo...

I've forgotten half of what I was going to say.. but here goes.

I think Dominic is about 16lbs or so. I'll find out on the 9th for sure. His growth has slowed down since last month which I'm ok with. I'm sure Michelle knows better than I, but I can't afford to keep buying new things every month. He's still wearing size 2 diapers, but could easily be in a 3. He can fit some 3-6 months clothes, but usually needs 6-9 months and even has one footie jammas in a 12 months.

Ok.. quick question to those of you who are still nursing.. are any of you also working? I'm sure I've mentioned before that my supply isn't fabulous. Well I went from EPumping to trying to nurse at night and when I'm home. It's ok during the waking hours, but I don't seem to make enought to satisfy him. I'll just give him about 2oz of formula and we're cool. Well now I think that he's not getting enought durring the night either because he keeps waking up all the time to eat. But I know he can sleep 4 or 5 hours. I'm really struggling with the decision to switch to formula at night because although I would like the sleep and less frustration, I'm affraid my supply will take an even bigger hit, or I'll have to pump in the night time.. which is LAME. Maybe I should just give up all together? I don't know. I'm just feeling a little defeated by the whole thing. Tagging along my pump to work and trying to figure out if I should pump or wait for him.. blah blah. I'm glad I got to have the experience this time and I don't really want to give it up. But when is it more trouble than it's worth? I know that's a lot of rambling.. but any thoughts would be appreciated.

I'm off to re-read and post.. now that I got that off my mind..LOL

Michelle(mnelson80)- It's ok to stop nursing if your struggling with it.Every day that you did nursed helped him. If you want to continue to try and nurse, maybe supplements will help.But you know as well as I do that nursing is definetly easier if your not working.It's tough but its not the end of the world if you cant continue.Do what you need to do to keep your sanity.

Michelle - I don't know what to say about your situation. I am a quitter. when I didn't make enough and joey wouldn't latch, I gave up. and I'm not even working! So i am bad about the advice. But I think you are a trooper for going as long as you have, with such a low supply. I don't know, my mom kept telling me to drink more water b.c that was what helped make the milk. If you think you should keep trying, go for it girl and you know we are here to root you on! But, if you feel like you are trying too hard and it's taking too much out of you, then you can quit. I mean, they say to nurse them for at least 4 months to keep them healthy. you've almost passed that mark, right? I think you should do what you feel is right, and don't let ANYONE tell you different. Good luck hun!

AFM - I figured out that Joey is really content with just playing by himself in the mornings, so i can get some stuff done. He's just fussy in the afternoons and evenings. Well I gotta go, that fusy time is kicking in. See ya later girls.

BTW: anyone SAH feel bored out of their mind lately? I feel so bored lately. I am cooped up in this house all day and Joey needs so much attention... I just feel like getting away some days. Is that bad? Sometimes when Joey cries for no reason and I'm really bored and want him to take a nap(its usually at this time that he's so fussy), I am like, "stooooopppp!" But I keep putting on his crib lights and sticking his pacifier in his mouth and finally he falls asleep. I dunno, I just get so frustrated with it sometimes... I'm terrible at this mothering thing.

Bekah - you're not terrible - you're human! everyone feels that way - especially when you're the one home all day with the baby! there are days when i just want Logan to sleep so I can return a phone call, and every time I put him down, he screams. And I consider running away from home on a regular basis, but as my DH tells me - he'll always find me and bring me home. The key is knowing that when those days come, you have the support to get away....like having your DH or your mom watch Joey even if it's only for an hour so you can take a walk!

MichelleN - with all 3 of my kids, I have not produced enough and had to supplement with formula from the beginning. nurse Dom as long as you want to and can, and know that you have done the best you could for your baby. i never had to worry about pumping because 1) i was a SAHM and 2) i couldn't get anything out with a pump worth anything so it wasn't worth the pain. just know that you need to make the decision that is right for you and if it means weaning him, then you wean him and tell yourself that you did the best you could and be happy about that!

AFM: today was V-day for DH. He's doing ok. Just taking it easy today and tomorrow and he'll ease back into life on Sunday and return to work on Monday. He said so far the worst parts are having to shave and not being able to scratch where the stitches are.

not much else going on here - have given Logan oatmeal for the last couple of days and he likes that much better than the rice. i think on sunday i might start a veggie with him. we'll see! hope everyone has a nice weekend!