@arhodes6 He looks like a little boy in his nine month pictures instead of a baby!
One of my mom friends from our group told us she was pregnant around 6 weeks. At first, I was shocked because it was so early and so muxh could happen. At about 11 weeks, they couldn't find a heartbeat and proceeded with a d&c. She told us all what was happening and opened up to us. I mean, I admired her strength in being able to talk about it. We managed to put together a little meal schedule for her so she could just take it easy for a few days. Not to mention, many moms in our group came out and discussed our losses. So I don't mind people telling us when they feel comfortable. But luckily none of my friends constantly post about their pregnancies.
DS is in 12M clothes and I just moved him into size 4 diapers. Where is my little baby?! He's such a big boy now.He's barely over 8 months old. Time flies.
And rant: I hate it when family complains that they don't have a relationship with DS. Yet they've visited once and never call or text. My husband doesn't exactly have a job where we can travel far and have offered to help pay for gas for family (they're about 5 hrs away) if that's the issue. Nothing. Nadda. With that said, I'm going to pick my mom up today for her 3rd visit since DS was born. So much has changed since she was last here. I'm so excited to have the extra help too.
@DachshundMomma I can relate that it sucks! My in-laws live an hour away and have been to visit 4 times in her lifetime. They'll facetime her and constantly say "I bet you don't me since your parents never bring you." My mom lives in a different state and has been here 3 times and flown me out there once. She has plans to come in May, too. Never complains either about not being able to see her as often or having to pay a lot more. I've just come to accept that it's always going to be this way.
Side rant - I am so tired of daycare germs...75% of what DS gets, I end up having to fight off too. I've never been this sick. Lack of sleep is a huge immune killer....
Camille says mama and dada all the time but she definitely says dada more. I can't really tell if it's intentional or not. DH seems to think so but I'm not convinced. Sometimes she seems to be referring to us and sometimes it seems totally random. Who knows. I just like to hear "muh ma" as she crawls to me....or DH LOL
We just purchased convertible car seats for the twins today (ouch... double everything REALLY hurts the checking account). We got Chicco NextFit Zips, because I loved the ease of cleaning and it felt super comfy! They're sitting on our living room floor right now so we can fit them when they wake up from their nap, but holy crap... when did our babies get big enough for big kid car seats!?
@DachshundMomma I can relate that it sucks! My in-laws live an hour away and have been to visit 4 times in her lifetime. They'll facetime her and constantly say "I bet you don't me since your parents never bring you." My mom lives in a different state and has been here 3 times and flown me out there once. She has plans to come in May, too. Never complains either about not being able to see her as often or having to pay a lot more. I've just come to accept that it's always going to be this way.
It drives me nuts. I'm slowly coming to terms with it as well. But MIL likes to make DH feel guilty. Fortunately he isn't as much as a sucker for it as he used to be. It gets old. The excuses get old.
@DachshundMomma I can relate that it sucks! My in-laws live an hour away and have been to visit 4 times in her lifetime. They'll facetime her and constantly say "I bet you don't me since your parents never bring you." My mom lives in a different state and has been here 3 times and flown me out there once. She has plans to come in May, too. Never complains either about not being able to see her as often or having to pay a lot more. I've just come to accept that it's always going to be this way.
It drives me nuts. I'm slowly coming to terms with it as well. But MIL likes to make DH feel guilty. Fortunately he isn't as much as a sucker for it as he used to be. It gets old. The excuses get old.
I feel you so hard on this. The passive aggressive crap and hit smh So over it. Oh and the fun part? The 2 sets that are the worst about it live 15 minutes away and about 22 minutes away. Dh's grandparents live 15 minutes away, are both retired (still drive and do lots) and spend most their time at home, but can't come see their great grandson. (Don't let the "great" in grandparents fool you, my grandparents are a lot older than them and see him more) Just make P/A remarks about not seeing/knowing him etc I can count on 1 hand the times they have seen him and we always went there. Honestly I think they are pissy because they aren't getting the "great grandparents experience" they had with my nephew and I guess they (stupidly) assumed they would have with my son. (Things like weekend sleep overs, all weekend 2-4 times a month (sometimes a week), from a couple months old on, taking over "firsts" from his mom and SO much more boundary stomping. SIL is oblivious and thought it was all dandy. Glad it worked for her, but not me!) .SIL is just pissy she doesn't have the relationship with my LO that I have with her's (Long story, but we aren't keeping her from it, love her dearly).
@DachshundMomma I am sorry you are dealing with this, it sucks when family thinks the one with the baby should make it convenient and bring the baby to them so they can have a relationship with LO instead of putting in the effort themselves.
DH, C, and me live 6 hours from home and our families live 1.5 hours from each other (which is a blessing and a curse). My Aunt thinks she is entitled to alone time with C. She called me on Christmas Eve accusing me of cutting her out of my and C's life because I didn't take time to only come to her house alone and that she had to see LO with the rest of my family. In my experience at least, I feel like the people in my family that worked and had children are the least accommodating/understanding when it comes to traveling with young children.
Anyways, my take away is (especially as a person who hates conflict) you have to do what is right for your family and tell family, that if they don't want to make the effort, it is their fault, I do not have enough vacation time nor am I wasting it so everyone could individually feel this "special" bond with our child.
I also have obnoxious in-law family. We live about 10 minutes away from my in-laws and are over there every weekend for dinner. When we go to my parents (they live 5 hours away) my ILs complain about how much they will miss E. We see my parents maybe once a month if we're lucky, so this really makes me upset that they complain so much about it when they get to see her all the time and my parents don't. DH's aunts/uncles and grandparents are also super irritating-they all live 1-2 hours away and always want to see "that baby", constantly inviting us over for things that they schedule right around her bedtime, so we don't go. I have family that hasn't even met her yet, and I'm just getting really fed up with the politics of it all.
Why are there so many different kinds of baby sunscreen? And is it bad if I don't spring for an expensive all natural one? I feel like getting sunburned poses a much bigger risk than the chemicals in convention sunscreen.
To clarify- I don't think that more natural ones don't have the protection. Just that getting burned seems to pose a bigger risk than the chemicals in conventional sunscreen. At least in my head.
Ugh! I have an obnoxious MIL also. She complains all the time about having little to no relationship with L, and that she doesn't even know who she is. Yet she has no issues getting on a bus to Reno to gamble a couple times a month!
In fact, here's a question for any of you out there.....Her husband has been fighting shingles for a while now. He had it a couple months ago...supposedly cleared up, but she texted last week or so saying it's in a different area now. My husband and I already said he absolutely cannot come over for Easter. I am not risking poor little L getting chicken pox. But is there an issue with his mother coming over, because she has been around him/lives with him?? The whole thing makes me so nervous. My husband has no qualms telling them both they can't come, and that's what he's planning to do at this point.
I've used the Honest Company sunscreen the past 2 years and I've been happy with it. This year I'm making my own sunscreen.
There is melanoma on both sides of my family so we are extra careful. That said we don't use sunscreen that much. We play outside in the morning and evening, have a sun tent, play in the afternoon in shady areas. If we are playing in the sun for more than 15 minutes between 9 and 3, we wear sunscreen. After lots of research, I personally decided to go with more natural ingredients. So many close family members have had cancer, so I know our risk is higher than the average person. Most my kids' clothes are hand-me-downs or from Goodwill, but they have quality ingredients going into their bodies!
My friend made it last year. We tried her's when we were at the beach and it worked really well! She and I are going to make it together soon and split the price of the ingredients.
Have any of you mommas thought about Father's Day gifts? I love creative and personalized but im drawing a blank! Probably need to hit up Pinterest and Etsy, lol!
My husband has already made mention that Father's Day isn't important to him (who says that?!) so I plan on keeping it simple with a homemade gift from M, a couple small things from me, some favorite food, and if he wants to do anything specific that day.
For his gift from M, I want to make 3 small posters: I, a drawn heart, and U. I'll have M hold them (or put them beside her) and get a picture of each, and put them in a 3 hole frame.
DH's birthday is Sunday and it totally snuck up on me so I said I'd make it up to him for Father's Day. At the moment, my plan is to do some kind of photo collage of E for his desk at work, but that could change. I've been browsing Pinterest though!
Yes!!! I saw (and love!!) the 3 photo idea on Pinterest. I think I can knock that out. And I was thinking the same...just a few of his favorite things, in addition to the photo collage. Super cute!
Do any of you have any sit to stand toys that you recommend? We have a fisher price one that rolls but DS tips it over but he loves just standing there and playing the music. I found one that's more like a table but I thought I'd ask to see what, if anything, you all have.
We have a baby einstein activity table thing. Baby J and her bff Jack love playing with it. It's not letting me attach the picture of it. It's called Baby Einstein discovering music Activity Table. Baby J toppled with it the first couple weeks where she was learning to stand, but now gets up on it like a pro.
We have a baby einstein activity table thing. Baby J and her bff Jack love playing with it. It's not letting me attach the picture of it. It's called Baby Einstein discovering music Activity Table. Baby J toppled with it the first couple weeks where she was learning to stand, but now gets up on it like a pro.
That's the one I've been looking at on Amazon. The little walker thing we have is a head injury waiting to happen until he is walking. He can stand up on it but I have to hold it still or finagle a way to keep it from moving. I appreciate the feedback! Now to Prime.
We have an activity block that she loves to stand at and cruise around! It was the first thing she pulled up to stand at. We got it for free from a family that was done having kids. It is kind of expensive, but it is the perfect height and she loves to play with everything on it.
I'm not able to attach pictures either by we have the FP table she can stand at and do different things that make noise and play music. We also have one of those wooden contraptions with things to do on the sides and beads to move on top. They're about the only things she wants to play with anymore!! Now that she's able to stand at them, that's her preference!
Re: April Randoms
One of my mom friends from our group told us she was pregnant around 6 weeks. At first, I was shocked because it was so early and so muxh could happen. At about 11 weeks, they couldn't find a heartbeat and proceeded with a d&c. She told us all what was happening and opened up to us. I mean, I admired her strength in being able to talk about it. We managed to put together a little meal schedule for her so she could just take it easy for a few days. Not to mention, many moms in our group came out and discussed our losses. So I don't mind people telling us when they feel comfortable. But luckily none of my friends constantly post about their pregnancies.
And rant: I hate it when family complains that they don't have a relationship with DS. Yet they've visited once and never call or text. My husband doesn't exactly have a job where we can travel far and have offered to help pay for gas for family (they're about 5 hrs away) if that's the issue. Nothing. Nadda.
With that said, I'm going to pick my mom up today for her 3rd visit since DS was born. So much has changed since she was last here. I'm so excited to have the extra help too.
DD2 started signing milk last week and just signed more today! I'm so excited!
I'm slowly coming to terms with it as well. But MIL likes to make DH feel guilty. Fortunately he isn't as much as a sucker for it as he used to be. It gets old. The excuses get old.
Sorry that was long guys....
I am sorry you are dealing with this, it sucks when family thinks the one with the baby should make it convenient and bring the baby to them so they can have a relationship with LO instead of putting in the effort themselves.
DH, C, and me live 6 hours from home and our families live 1.5 hours from each other (which is a blessing and a curse). My Aunt thinks she is entitled to alone time with C. She called me on Christmas Eve accusing me of cutting her out of my and C's life because I didn't take time to only come to her house alone and that she had to see LO with the rest of my family. In my experience at least, I feel like the people in my family that worked and had children are the least accommodating/understanding when it comes to traveling with young children.
Anyways, my take away is (especially as a person who hates conflict) you have to do what is right for your family and tell family, that if they don't want to make the effort, it is their fault, I do not have enough vacation time nor am I wasting it so everyone could individually feel this "special" bond with our child.
To clarify- I don't think that more natural ones don't have the protection. Just that getting burned seems to pose a bigger risk than the chemicals in conventional sunscreen. At least in my head.
In fact, here's a question for any of you out there.....Her husband has been fighting shingles for a while now. He had it a couple months ago...supposedly cleared up, but she texted last week or so saying it's in a different area now. My husband and I already said he absolutely cannot come over for Easter. I am not risking poor little L getting chicken pox. But is there an issue with his mother coming over, because she has been around him/lives with him?? The whole thing makes me so nervous. My husband has no qualms telling them both they can't come, and that's what he's planning to do at this point.
@TiffRox81 I would place a call to your pedi and just ask over the phone. The nurse like should easily be able to give you a for sure response.
There is melanoma on both sides of my family so we are extra careful. That said we don't use sunscreen that much. We play outside in the morning and evening, have a sun tent, play in the afternoon in shady areas. If we are playing in the sun for more than 15 minutes between 9 and 3, we wear sunscreen. After lots of research, I personally decided to go with more natural ingredients. So many close family members have had cancer, so I know our risk is higher than the average person. Most my kids' clothes are hand-me-downs or from Goodwill, but they have quality ingredients going into their bodies!
https://pinsandprocrastination.com/how-to-make-homemade-sunscreen-spf-30-40-and-good-for-your-skin/
My friend made it last year. We tried her's when we were at the beach and it worked really well! She and I are going to make it together soon and split the price of the ingredients.
For his gift from M, I want to make 3 small posters: I, a drawn heart, and U. I'll have M hold them (or put them beside her) and get a picture of each, and put them in a 3 hole frame.
@TiffRox81
https://www.amazon.com/Hape-Country-Critters-Activity-Toddlers/dp/B00DUDSU7O
My sister in law has this one and all of the kids like it as well!
https://www.target.com/p/b-zany-zoo-wooden-activity-cube/-/A-12025312
I tried to add pictures but the app won't let me today! Sorry about that.