Woo Hoo - It's October!

Elise, have you tried holding him for a few minutes before you put him in his snuggle nest? I know my DS is used to falling asleep in my arms. The warmth and the feeling of my breathing patterns and stuff soothes him. Try holding him for about 30 minutes before you put him down (I usually keep DS swaddled during this time), then try putting him down VERY gently. he may end up sleeping for at least an hour or so. Try it a few times and see how he does.

AFM - I just found a way to put my DS to sleep with almost little to no effort! I just fed him and wanted to check the site here, so i put him next to the computer in his bouncy vibrator seat. I gave him his pacifier, made sure he was pretty well swaddled and put on some music. Well, he was being SUPER fussy. Kept squirming a lot and spitting out his binkie. I was trying all different kinds of music on this little seat when I came across one that was just the sound of a heartbeat. And whatdya know, within SECONDS he is out like a light! I understand WHY it happened but I'm just amazed that something so simple could put him out like that! Well, now I know the trick to putting him to sleep! yippee!!!

Bekah - yeah, we've tried that - after he eats i put a blanket under him so he's not going from warm arms to cool sheets, and i hold him for a bit before i put him down, but within 5 minutes, he's pushed the blanket off of him and is screaming and the minute he's picked up, he snuggles back in and goes back to sleep.....tonight, i'm making DH bring the swing up 'cause if i don't get some sleep, i'm not gonna be a happy mama and as i tell my oldest, "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"

and on top of Logan keeping me at night, our DD is up and down all night now too - she was always the best sleeper, but now, if she naps, she plays in her room for like an hour after we put her to bed and if she doesn't nap, she goes right to sleep....problem is while i'm not putting her down for a nap, she ends up crashing on her own from being so tired (the never ending cycle) and she's waking up screaming for no apparent reason and only settles back down if DH lies down with her which means he passes out in her room and then i'm knocking on the wall to wake him up when i need help which sometimes then wakes her up and sometimes doesn't...i think she's having some real transition issues....probably too much change for her at once and i can't lie down with her at all because it still hurts too much, but maybe i'll just bite the bullet and try it tonight...i don't think she's jealous of Logan, i think she's just having problems dealing with all the changes that have happened since he was born...okay, i'm rambling again...Logan's up - time for him to eat (again).....

We got Prevacid for Lexi yesterday after her screaming the other day from 3 till 10. We are also backing up with Mylanta until the Prevacid kicks in. I was praying I wouldn't have a repeat child with reflux but at least she has meds now to help the pain. I just hope they work! I had to go visit my old reflux board to read up on everything again (sigh).

Still trying to keep up with breastfeeding/pumping..but had to supplement with 1/2 formula , 1/2 breastmilk yesterday and today because I can't keep up with her. Today she breastfed for almost an hour then took another 2 ounces from the bottle! I feel like I am feeding her 24/7!

Since she won't let me put her down when she is awake and hardly when she is sleeping, I still am not able to spend much time with my DS. I feel so guilty and miss our time together. =(

DH is still after my boobs and can't keep his paws off me and I have no interest I feel bad about that too!

Ok she is up!

Heather

heather - it is quite common for moms to supplement the way u r having to with formula. Your milk is thinner than formula, so it doesn't fill his tummy quite as much. I would hand pump between feedings if you can, that way you don't exactly have to supplement formula. If you can't, believe me, I'm with you. I tried so hard to pump and breastfeed, but I just was no producing enough milk. And so I'm going to have to call my doctor and ask her to fill a prescription for whatever medication is supposed to dry up your milk. But keep working at it! don't give up like I did!
-also, I know how you feel. DF wants it all the time and I'm like, "uhh the doctor said we can't do any of that til she gives us the okay." so... he's al sad that we can't go at it like rabbits again. I think something triggers their brain after we have the baby and they're like, "okay, I waited long enough and now that baby's out! Let's do it already!" lol

Elise - I'm sorry to hear that! DS was like that with me today! I had to hold him for an hour and a half just so he wouldn't cry. I had to put him down for about ten minutes and go outside so as not listen to him cry. He was so heavy and I had been holding him for so long! lol My mom was outside with me and when I came back in, he was still crying. I picked him up and apologized to him and my mom laughed and said, "Somebody's got his mommy wrapped around his little finger! And what a cute little finger it is." my mom cracks me up sometimes.

AFM - We had an interesting day. DS was up for most of the latter part of the day, but was still up around 2 til 6, with only little naps in between. Of course now he's out like a light! lol

We had a sample of the Similac Isomil(the soy formula), so we are trying that to see if it will do better with his gas, or tummy ache, or whatever gets him crying. I would not be surprised if he had a very sensitive stomach. DF couldn't have breast milk because he had such a sensitive tummy when he was a baby. In fact, he still has a REALLY sensitive digestive system. Stuff just runs right through him! I wish I could go potty that easily Anyways, like I said, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Joseph had the same problem. We also bought some little tummy drops that we will add to his formula and see how they work. But, like I told Shannon, I'm so scientific that I am going to try a few bottles with just the Soy formula, then some soy formula bottles with the drops in it, then some regular formula bottles with he drops in it, and see which one works best. If it turns out that the soy formula is better, we are going to go to WIC and ask them to switch it over(they are sponsored by Similac, yay!). Joseph's bottom is looking really good. I am going to take a bath with him tomorrow. It seemed like that would be easier than putting him in that damn tub! It's such a pain in the butt lol. Anyways, afterward I am going to put him in his little bath robe and lay naked for a while so his bottom gets good and dry. But so far he is doing really well!

I feel bad for DF. I made him stay up with the baby tonight so I could get some freakin sleep. He still has to work tomorrow. But luckily he is not back on the schedule til next week because of his leave of absence when Joey was born. So he gets to go in and get off whenever he feels like it. Well, until next week that is lol. Anyways, so I told him to take a half day and come home and sleep his little butt off. I am starting to be able to function on only about 4 or 5 hours of sleep. FINALLY! Anyways, I'm wide awake now so, I'm gunna go drink some coffee and surf the net while DF and DS are knocked out lol. Maybe I'll give myself a facial ? Talk to you girls later! ^_~

Yeah I hear you guys on the DH's and DF's wanting it ALL the time now!!! My DH caught me at a weak moment and now he thinks he's gonna get it all the time..Um no!I told him thats why they call it "getting lucky"...

Bekah-Good luck with your formula experiment.I remember when my oldest was little we fed him Enfamil with Iron and they also had it with Lipil too.Well he could tolerate the regular Enfamil but not the one with Lipil in it...With second DS he spit up soooo much we used the Enfamil AR and it helped alot!

I'm suddenly feeling very domestic lately..Today I'm going to throw a turkey chili together in the crockpot and bake some bread from scratch...If the recipe comes out well I'll post it later...Then maybe I'll do some laundry and give Luc a bath...Lets see if it happens..Oh yeah, Brady's rash hasn't appeared since I got rid of the old stuffed animals...Woohoo!!!Well time to get this party started!!!!

Shannon

Shannon - unfortunately unless i have a doctor's note, we can only use similac. so he'd have to be doing pretty crappy for us to have the doctor write a note for a different brand...

AFM - I took a bath with joseph today and he just LOVED it! e was so much happier than when i put him in his little tub. I think he felt safe, and he liked the warmth of my skin AND the water. then i let him lay around naked for a bit and gave him some tummy time. He enjoyed all of that. But he started getting cold, so i had to dress him. He started acting a little cranky and i warmed up a bottle to feed him and he took one ounce and then passed out! I guess it's been a busy morning for him. I went to put socks on him after i put him in his little vibrating seat and he didnt even move an inch lol. crazy what they sleep through when they are REALLY ready to sleep. anyways, gunna take this chance to eat some lunch. I'm hungry! lol tootles

Bekah-Babies almost always fall asleep well after a bath!!!It's nice isn't it?The must feel so nice and cozy and clean...

Shannon

Hi Everyone,

Well I have just had my first experience with really bad baby gas. Oh my poor little guy just so uncomfortable and screaming. He really wanted to sleep but couldnt. All I have to say is thank goodness for mylicon drops. They are miracle workers. Not 2 minutes after giving it to him the burping and tooting started and he started to feel better. He is finally asleep but he had been up and cranky since 10:30 this morning. That is up 4 hours straight - a new record. He is due for a feeding here in 1/2 hour and I am not sure I want to wake him up if he doesnt wake up on his own. I may let him sleep an extra hour.

Well I am excited because I went to the Dr today and I am now allowed to drive again and I can carry the baby in his car seat. Both very exciting. Now I am not stuck in the house I can go places with the baby if I want. I wanted to go to target today but with the gas incident I think I might wait until tomorrow. My DH is excited too because he doesnt have to take off work to take me places. Today is his first day back and he had to take off to take me to the doctor. Luckily his work is really understanding with lots of guys with families. That makes all the difference in the world.

I guess that is all for now. I should go - baby laundry is calling my name. I will try and catch up on the personals later... I have been reading I promise!

Take Care,

Amy - We JUST now had a bout with gas. He was doing that really pathetic painful cry. DF was all frustrated cuz he couldn't do anything so i had to say, "sweetie, put him in his swing, let's go outside for 10 minutes and we'll come back and try to console him again." Sure enough, we came back in(after freezing our butts off outside!) and all he wanted was to be held and he passed right out. I don't think the soy formula is working. I am going to put some of those mylicon drops in his formula for his next couple of feedings and see how it does for his tummy. But yeah, we had that same problem and it was rough for DF cuz he wanted to fix it. What is it with men and them wanting to FIX everything? UGH! Hey, also, you don't necessarily have to wake them up to feed them. Especially if you have things you need to do or if you need some rest. The only reason I should really start waking him up to feed him is because he's awake all night instead of all day. So maybe waking him up for feedings during the day will fix his days and nights. Also, since he slept so well with the bath today, I may start doing that at night so that he can sleep like a rock for a little while.

In other news - Joseph finally slept in his crib for about 2 hours today! We were using it as a place to put stuff, like the stuff we use when we change him (it was piling up because we were using so much crap to get rid of the rash). Not to mention all his socks and receiving blankets and all that. Well, I cleaned it out and turned on his little music thing in his crib(its not a mobile but it lights up and moves inside and plays music) and he watched it for a little bit then passed out. So we are going to try and get him used to the crib from now on. He seems to like it okay. Plus its in the warmest room in the house, so we don't have to worry so much about him getting too cold. Is diaper rash is almost gone! Thank god! It's still pretty red but its not like open sores anymore. Our little regime of nystatin cream and corn starch is really paying off. We still use desitin in the creases of his legs so he doesn't chafe or anything like that, but he's lookin real good. He had some smeary looking poop from the soy formula and I don't know if that means he's constipated. He had a good diaper earlier today, but I don't think there was quite enough poop in this diaper to be okay with me. DF let me sleep for 4 hours then came in and woke me up because he thought something was "wrong". I was like Yeah, I haven't had a full night's sleep in forever and you just woke me up. That's what's wrong... Also, I started my period like two days ago and I'm a little crampy, but even MORE tired! So I got up cuz i couldn't go back to sleep. Joseph started crying and DF was actually getting ready to feed him. But something in my mind says, "If that baby's cryin, you can't sleep. no matter who's taking care of him." So.. I got up and ate a little bit and sat with DF for a few hours. Now we are going to try to go back to bed. So.. wish us luck! Tootles!

Bekah

Good Morning Ladies,

Well I feel much better today. After our day of gas yesterday Nate finally fell asleep for longer than 20 minutes at 6:30 PM last night. So needless to say he didnt sleep an hour past his feeding he was awake in plenty of time. He was so tired that he only woke up for a diaper change and a bottle and then back to sleep he went all night long. Very nice. I hope we are getting the days and nights straightened out. Even this morning we woke up around 8:30 then diaper, bottle and back to sleep he went.
Now his umbilical cord stump is trying to fall off. In fact it is hanging by a thread. Kinda gross, but I hope it falls off soon. I would love to give him a real bath instead of a sponge bath. It also looks a bit strange but maybe its just strange to me. Its not supposed to instantly look like a belly button is it? His looks like a hole with cord bits still in it. Is that normal or do I need to call the pediatrician? I have being a FTM sometimes. I dont want to be silly I just dont know.

Heather - Keep your head up girl. You have had it rough this year. I am glad you are finding a solution for Lexi's reflux. I am sorry to hear about your DH's job. The economy is so in the toilet. I hope he is able to find a new job soon.

Bekah - That is great that you found a way to get your LO to sleep. We have been pretty lucky except for a few incidents when he is ready to party all night long. I know I would have given my right arm those nights for him to go to sleep.

Shannon - good for you and the domesticity! I am just trying to find the time to get dressed much less throw all that stuff together with a new LO. When do you find the time? I can only imagine. If I am not tending to Nate I am napping or going somewhere or online.... Hmmm maybe not so much time going places.

Elise - I hope you get your sleep schedules worked out. I know siblings sometimes go though this stuff when a new brother/sister is born. Luckily its just a phase and it too will pass. Here is hoping it passes sooner than later.

All you other ladies who havent been around for a few days I hope you are doing well and everything is ok.

Take Care!

Hey Ladies! Sorry I haven't really posted for a while! I read daily just never post! We are doing pretty good, Alyssa eats every 2 hours and is up every three hours at night so tired but we're managing! My Older kids have been really good with her which is what I was nervous about before we had her so that is a relief! Alyssa has her Fuss butt days is what I call them when all she wants is to be held! Yesterday was one of those days so I didn't get anything done in my house which drove me insane all day long! This morning I've cleaned a little bit but still have cleaning and laundry to do today! I'm glad to hear everyone is doing good and all the FTM are adjusting to motherhood!

Have a good Day!!! I'll check in later

Tera

Bekah- I've never used the similac but I have a bunch of samples I may be able to send you if they work for you.Just curious tho why you need a doctor's note if you change formula.Is it because of WIC?(Can't remember if you're on it or not)Glad to hear Joey's butt is doing better!

Amy-I hate when they have gas...I feel so bad for them...Luc had it the other day and DH held him for like a minute and he was crying and pulling his legs up and DH said "oh he's grumpy, here you take him,"and passed him to me...I gave him the evil death glare.Poor baby...

Jessi-LOL i think my DH is a walking hardon!He's changed from saying "how you doin?" to "hi honey guess whats up?"...Do they really think those lines work?

AFM- nothing new here...Lucas cooed for the first time and scared himself...He's such a cute sweet baby...He totally hates his swing but loves his bouncy chair.I'm so not used to having a baby in the 0-3 month clothes at a month old.ODS outgrew them in about 2 weeks...Second DS outgrew them basically from birth.He fit the 0-3 month clothes the day he was born and they were too snug by the time we came home from the hospital.Lucas has filled out in them but they fit now.So he may have another week in them...Sigh...I cant believe he's a month old already...They grow so quickly...

Shannon

Amy - Yea, that umbiblical cord looks pretty gross. It took a few days after the stump fell off for Brenden's belly button to even resemble something normal. He had 3 little bits (looked like black buggers...sorry TMI) left tucked in there but once I gave him a real bath I just cleaned it softly and all 3 fell out.

Shannon - COOL on the rash! So strange...but that's the way it happens! LOL I'll send you my address and you can fedX me some of that chili.... LOL Brenden isn't liking his swing so well either...kinda sucks! He will sit in his bouncy chair for hours though. Okay, so my kid isn't growing into a giant going by your clothing description. The NB stuff is just too tight so he is now in 0-3 and size 1 diapers...normal?

Bekah - Sounds like you are making your way very well! It's amazing how our "mother" instincts kick in and we just figure most of it out!

Tera - Good to see you! I read daily also, but sometimes don't have time to post by the time I've read everything!

AFM - Hubby is ruining my schedule for Brenden. I am about to castrate him. He is not following what we BOTH decided. I also found out he is not giving Brenden his zantac at 11pm. The deal is he is suppose to put the baby down and get up for the first feeding and I will tend to him the rest of the night since DH has to go to work. He is having a hard time getting Brenden to actually lay in his bed and stay asleep...now I freakin' now why. The only times he's been given his 11pm Zantac are the nights hubby has had to work late and the first night he was on it. DUH! I am so irritated! Last night did prove to be a decent night once Brenden actually went into his bed. I went to bed about 9:30 and hubby finally got the baby to sleep about 10:30 then he went to bed. Brenden was up at 1am (hubby took that one) and then again at 4am, 6:30am, and while I was getting DS #1 ready for school he was up at 7:30am wanting to be fed AGAIN! Dude drank every drop of a 3 1/2 oz bottle! He also ate at 10am and has been asleep (IN HIS BED) since. Brenden and I are going solo to Walmart today...I'm tired of the roll of paper towels in the bathroom. I never realized what I would do to keep from going out! LOL Needless to say I am going to buy the biggest package of TP they sale...

Have a great Friday everyone! -Michelle

Just a quick update:

Still waiting for the Prevacid to kick in - the screaming has stopped except for a little but last night, but I think it was gas and not reflux pain. She was SO restless though last night and I barely slept even with a hairdryer and box fan making white noise!

My toddler had an awful night - constipated. He was screaming bloody murder trying to push his poop out. It took both of us an hour to get him to go back to sleep.

DH still has no job and has had no calls. Unempolyment in TN only pays 275 a week max - isn't that a joke?

I actually got the laundry put away and toys picked up though!

If you give your toddler applesauce or grapes and apple juce or prune juice you will be able to solve that constipation atleast it always works with mine. Sorry about the job situation. One [place you can usually find a job with nbenefits is the county adn city local governments. I work for my local county and ahve excellent benefits and I the pay is alright. good luck!
" alt="" />
" alt="" />
" alt="" />

Shannon and Michelle, Alyssa is still in Newborn cloths and some are actually too big for her still and she is 3 1/2 weeks old!! It's so strange to me, My first one was never really in newborn cloths and my second was in them for a week or two! I can't wait til she gets bigger and can fit into 0-3 month cloths so she actually has more stuff to wear! Right now she wears mostly Jammies!!

Tera

Tera- Landree is the same way...has been in them for three weeks now, some are just starting to get snug, but most 0-3 month outfits are to big. McKenna was in them for almost two months!

I have been really busy the last few days....just odds and ends. I am planning a birthday party for my husband and all sorts of things. Luckily today McKenna is spending the day and night at my mom's it is nice to be able to take a nap and then sleep in the morning.

Tera - Logan is still wearing the 0-3 month but can also wear the 3-6 mo stuff - it's big in the body, but because he's long, it's not as snug in the legs for him. My DD was the same way because she was long.

AFM: Last night wasn't too bad sleepwise...still not the greatest night, but I think that's more because I'm overtired and therefore overdone and DH is tired too which doesn't help because when he gets home I'm looking to him for relief and he just ends up falling asleep with the older kids for an hour or so. Thank goodness it's Friday and we have nothing big planned for this weekend, so maybe we'll all get some down time...i can hope and dream and beg, but no guarantees!!

if i don't get back on later, hope everyone has a quiet weekend!!!

Elise- Lucas can only wear 3-6 mo stuff if it was worn by both my other boys and runs small...My DH is the same way..I look to him to take Luc when he gets home so I can relax or get something done that I started and had to stop because baby woke up or something but he's exausted too from working 2 jobs so we both are short on patience...

Kim- Hope your DH has a good birthday..Is this a surprise party or does he know about it?How old is he going to be?

Tera- Last night Lucas wore the newborn size pj's.I couldn't believe that he fit them!He does still like to keep his legs tucked to him like the do when first born.How big was Alyssa again when she was born?

Michelle-Sorry we're a UPS family(DH works there at night) so I can UPS you some chili but we may be talking divorce if I use fed ex..LOL..I was amazed how well the chili did come out...It didn't look that good until the end...Maybe I'll re-heat for dinner..Come on over and have some

Anyone I missed then I'm sorry...OMG the weather report is talking about SNOW here next week...Can you believe it???It's freezing here today!!!It's got that cold windy stormy feel to it!I can't wait!!(For a storm not snow).Luc's crying gotta run.

Shannon

Anyone heard from bekah lately? was just thinking about her for some reason.

" alt="" />

My LO is in NB clothes and has been since birth. I keep hoping he puts on some weight because I didnt buy a whole lot of NB clothes. Most of the stuff I got was 0-3 or 3-6 mth sizes. So he has much more to wear when he grows a bit. I even had to go out and buy some more onesies and outfits because he goes through them so fast that I had run out of clothes. By the way - is there a diaper that doesnt leak? Every different brand I have tried leaks. I will go to pick Nate up and his whole back and sides are wet. like it just leaked out of the top of the diaper while he slept. Are there any that dont do this? Going through 3-5 outfits a day is for the birds.

Eileen - Bekah posted something around 6:15 this morning (I think). She has been around just hasnt posted since this morning.

Kim - I hope you are enjoying your down time. As down as it can be at the moment anyway. Planning a party sounds fun.

I took my first solo trip with the baby to Target today. I was just given clearance to drive yesterday so this was big fun. It just felt good to get out of the house. I like having the freedom to go where and when I want. I hate being confined to the house. Nate is making up for being up all day yesterday by sleeping all day today. I am scared about what its going to be like tonight. I hope he still sleeps. Well I guess that is it for now. I am off to do more laundry.

Amy-If Nate's soaking through his diapers, try going up a size.They may seem a bit too big but that's the only easy solution.I used huggies with boys and now am using pampers with Lucas.

Shannon

Shannon, Alyssa was only 6lb 4oz when she was born and at her two week check she was 6lb 5oz. On sunday when I'm at my mom's I'm going to get on her scale without Alyssa and then get on with Alyssa to get an estimate of what she weights now! I'm curious and we don't go back to the Dr until Dec 1

Amy, I've been using the White Cloud diapers from Walmart and have been pretty impressed with them! With my other two kids I used Pampers and Huggies!

Well I'm off to go relax before bed so I'll check in later!!

Tera

Shannon - yes, I am on WIC. But we are going to stick to the regular formula. The Soy makes his poop smell AWFUL! Although, in the long run I suppose it might be better than way so we can tell he's dirty sooner lol. But no need to send samples, although I appreciate the offer VERY much. His but is doing EXTREMELY better. I don't think the thrush is gone just yet, but it doesn't seem to bother him too terribly much. Thanks for your concern Shannon. I'm sure Joey really appreciates it that someone he's never even met really cares about him like you do! ^_~

Tera - Joey is actually really big and fits in his 0-3 months stuff REALLY well. Still not sure if he will be able to fit into his costume for Halloween. It may be kinda big. but he'll still be adorable. ^_^

Eileen - Awwww, how sweet you were thinking of me ^_^ I feel luffed. Naw, I'm still here, just dealin with this little one

Amy - I use pampers swaddlers. The N size should be just right for him. Joey pees a lot and the swaddlers keep it in pretty well... Another thing would be to change his diaper more often. As soon as you feel a soggy diaper, go change him. I know that costs a lot, but I think it will save you time with laundry and some hassle with changing him constantly, plus it might do him some good as far as his sleeping schedule is concerned. It may keep him up enough in the day so he sleeps better at night! I don't know if you are having this problem, but we just can't seem to get our days and nights straight. So what kind of diapers have you been using that he still gets all wet? You know, I heard Parent's Choice is really bad. they apparently don't absorb very well. Anyway... I have a lot of good luck with the swaddlers. Also, you might try the Swaddlers sensitive because it has a line that turns green when they pee... maybe if you caught it early enough it wouldn't be so bad? I dunno, just some thoughts. But let us know how that turns out! ALSO, what is Nate laying on? Those are bats! Is he a batty baby? hehehe he's so sweet Amy. We really HAVE to get together and admire each others LOs

AFM - Joey was good and awake for most of the day til DF came home. Then I got a 4 hour nap and woke up cranky. Me and DF got into it a little and I finally calmed down and explained to him that, although I know he'd like to fix me and make me happy, it won't happen that way and that my body had a huge hormone dump when I gave birth. Not to mention AF is visiting... so you know, I'm emotional. Throw in a dash of exhaustion and hunger and you have a nut case! lol Anyways, then I took a bath with Joseph. He really likes that! We let him have some naked tummy time afterward, then got him dressed after about 15 minutes of his nakedness. We put on the heater for the first time tonight. DF put Joey in a footy outfit and put his mittens on him and we aren't even going to swaddle him because we have the heat on and he is sleeping in the warmest room in the house. We just started putting him to bed in the crib yesterday and he seems to like it pretty well. Plus, I sometimes put on my iTunes and he likes listening to the music while he's asleep. That little music thing in his crib only plays for like 18 minutes and then stops. Well, JJ does not like it when his music turns off! So I keep some mellow stuff going on my iTunes and he just chills out and sleeps in his crib. Thank God. Anyways, that's it for me. I am going to try and go get some rest. I'm sorry if i forgot anyone . But you girls here in Texas, enjoy this beautiful weather. And those of you up north and on the east coast, get ready for that cold front and bundle up them babies! ^_~ Have a good weekend girls!

Bekah