Randoms 12/26-12/29

momoftoddlers

We didn’t have a weekly randoms this week because of the holidays so I thought I’d start one for the next few days. This board can’t stay quiet till Jan!

How were your holidays? How are you feeling? What’s new?

momoftoddlers

Happy Holidays ladies. Hope everyone is enjoying some family and friends time. Christmas through the eyes of two toddlers was so magical, and also so germ filled and exhausting. I’m now sick and not planning to get out of my pajamas for a long while! I hope all the new toys will keep the kiddos busy for a few days. 

Any tips besides tea, Tylenol, saline? Stinks not being able to take stronger meds. 

Also, has anyone thought about the flu shot for family members? This has me thinking that I probably need to make sure the adults who will be around my baby have had it since this is a winter baby. My other babies were summer babies and I did ensure my relatives had their whooping cough vaccine. Anyone talk to their doctor about this?

mauvelousone

@momoftoddlers I know those tea, tylenol & saline woes. Just got over a cold in 2.5 weeks that would probably have taken just one week if I'd been able to medicate more intensely. If you have a cough/sore throat my doctor said menthol cough drops are safe.

I've told family members that they need to be vaccinated and flu shot before they can hold the baby, but I don't have any actual medical knowledge on the matter.

Holiday was pretty good. It was gratifying to see my 1.5-year-old nephew enjoy the keyboard I got him. I got a lot of advice, clothing, and gift cards. And a rather terrifying purple teddy bear that syncs with your phone and learns your child's name.

Just one more holiday, DH's birthday, my birthday, and then it's March.

miss.sally

@momoftoddlers and @mauvelousone just an FYI. The flu strand going around right now (B), wasn’t included in this year’s flu vaccine. My doctor friend told me that after DD had it last weekend. So just take precautions with newborns either way. 

I’m also in the extremely sick camp. It isn’t the flu, thank the lord, even though two out of the five people in my house tested positive for it in the last week! But DS and I both have what feels like the plague. And since H is still unable to take care of the kid’s I’ve been the one still having to do everything. Family didn’t want to come help since there was flu in the house, so I’ve been up every night with DS for hours while he coughs and tosses and turns. It’s been pure hell. I’m exhausted and I cannot wait to take a break. H has been a grumpy butt for the last two weeks also and has said a lot of sh*tty things that he may not actually mean, but hurt my feelings nonetheless. 

Luckily Christmas was pretty chill yesterday. We stayed home in our pajamas and ate and rested and watched movies and opened gifts. It was nice. 

I also pulled a muscle in my side while sneezing yesterday and every time I cough it’s like being stabbed. Pregnancy man. 

kagesstarshroom

@momoftoddlers Chicken soup! Like, made from a real chicken--lots of good antibodies in there if you're sick. And I've been buggin DH to get the flu shot for months now & yes, have thought about it, but I'm not sure how crazy I am going to be about people not being around a newborn in March--it'll be warmer in Louisiana, and I'll just talk to the doc about what is protocol! 

@miss.sally Glad you had a chill xmas!

@mauvelousone How far apart are YH & your bdays?

Hey all! Popping in to say hi from fairly cold NJ, where we currently are. It's been a whirlwind of travel and holiday stuff so far, esp. bc we have the doggoes with us, but it's been a good trip! (I kind of want to go back home now, but only because I am tired of all the hustle and bustle--maybe now that xmas is done, it'll calm down a bit?)

treetop19

@momoftoddlers, @miss.sally, sorry you guys are sick!  feel better soon.

@miss.sally, I know it's definitely a bummer not to have help!

my christmas was alright, DS got super excited for 'santa' so it was cute... and I got it on camera, so I know I'll be watching that video when he's grown up with a smile on my face.      DH 'had' to go on social media yesterday and in the process,  saw pictures of what his nephew got from the grandparents (boatloads of gifts, to the point of being ridiculous, and they gave us $20 to get something for DS and DD) so of course that made him downhearted like they don't care about our kids as much as they care about their one grandson.  This is why I avoid social media... lol.. because I didn't want to know that information.  my kids were happy with their gifts and their Christmas, and IMO, that's all that really mattered to me... they don't need to know that their cousin got a lot more than they did.    anyway, I really think the grandparents are trying to compensate for their grandson's crappy home life - his mom and dad are split up, were teens when they got pregnant, and are really not the best parents (to put it mildly... endangerment charges have actually been filed on his mom at one point.)  if it's one thing I know, it's that all the 'presents' in the world don't make up for having crappy parents, so I still feel bad for the kid. 

on my home front...  I'm having a feeling I'm going to have to take insulin for gestational diabetes.. I have been checking my sugars 4 times a day like I was told to by the diabetes educator, and they are consistently high - even if I eat nothing.  I'm supposed to be at 95 in the mornings before eating and I'm always at 130 or higher.  so frustrating when I fast, and am being super careful about what I'm eating, that I still can't get them to come down.  

mauvelousone

@kagesstarshroom DH's birthday is early January, and mine is late February. It's not too far of a stretch for Baby and I to share a birthday if she decides to be born early, but I do hope she doesn't; it'd be pretty awkward to bring an infant to the Infant Care class I've scheduled us for the following week.

silverhope

@miss.sally so sorry about your DS’s sicknesses and that you have to still hold down the fort when you feel like garbage since YH is out of commission. And I’m sorry he is being saucy even though you are doing so much and taking on extra burdens while he recovers. He should be appreciating you and thanking you. I hope he is a lot nicer once he has healed and realizes he was a big jerkface.

@treetop19 sorry you may need to take insulin. My friend from around here is in that  boat too. It’s really unfair when you do everything right, but still don’t get results. Also YH’s parents should still try to be a little fairer, but I get why they are spoiling the other kid. My aunt was left out of a will bc she is well-to-do and her sister struggled her whole life and my aunt can’t move past it. It’s awful stuff like that can ruin family relationships. 

kailanae

Our household has been sick since mid-November.  We all passed around the worst cold over the course of several weeks (even took out my mom and MIL with that one). I thought, since I was last to catch the cold, we'd all be good for Christmas but then both my boys got sick AGAIN this past weekend with renewed cold symptoms. Maybe by the new year we'll finally be over all this?  Just in time for DS1 to go back to preschool and catch something new I guess lol.

kantobean

Sorry so many seem to be sick!! @momoftoddlers this fall when I was sick, I used a sinus rinse and that brought me a lot of relief! Especially for the congestion and sinus pain. 

Our holidays have been great, but I’m a little tired of big family gatherings. Today my sister came over and helped me move the baby furniture out of the basement and up into the nursery! Yay! 

H and I are going out of town this weekend to celebrate our birthdays! Not going far, just to a spa about 2.5 hours away. I’m so excited to get away!

silverhope

@kantobean very intrigued by a sinus rinse. I quickly tried to google. So it’s different from a neti pot bc you can keep ur head upright? Did you find it easy to use? 

I never have sinus pressure, but this pregnancy I have and it’s so painful, I’ve thought about using a neti pot but I’m scared of doing it wrong and messing myself up more. This rinse sounds like a good alternative 

mauvelousone

Had heartburn bad enough yesterday that I may have to admit that this pregnancy is giving me acid reflux and I need to stop eating spicy and/or acidic food. Sadly I can't cook my own food due to a kitchen remodel, so I guess I have to find a restaurant that's really bland.

This trimester is hitting me like a bus too with lack of sleep.

varimama

Add me to the sick club (Sorry to everyone else in it). DS and I both got another cold right before Christmas and symptoms haven’t gotten better from the first two we had. We both went to the dr yesterday. DS they said is on the mend and just needs rest and fluids. They gave me an inhaler and antibiotics. If those don’t work they’ll do steroids but she wanted to avoid those. I’m so over being sick. Everything hurts from how deep my cough is and my nose is so stuffed up I haven’t been able to breathe out of it for so long. 

We had a quiet and low key Christmas bc of having to cancel all plans due to being sick. It was nice though. 

Malidocious

Add me and my partner to the sick club too...   Sorry everyone is feeling so crappy right now, ugh.

puppylove8910

I'm sorry so many of you are under the weather. I hope everyone gets healthy soon! 

AFM, I've hit the constipation portion of growing a human. I've started taking colace and upped my water intake, but I know it's only going downhill from here😂 

kantobean

@silverhope yes, that’s the difference. I’ve never used a nettipot but I got the NeilMed sinus rinse and I really liked it! I used it twice a day for like 4 days and felt much better. I intended to keep going with it all winter but once I felt better I stopped. 

silverhope

@varimama that sounds awful! I hope you are better soon and don’t need steroids.

I have so many things I 100% *HAVE* to do before 12/31 and I have just been busy and tired and have done zero of it. I am so stressed. I really should do the most important bits tomorrow and I just don’t know if I’ll be able to. I may need to have DH take DS for part of the day, but I feel bad bc he really has been doing a lot of parenting lately and dumping another day on him after all he’s done is pretty cr4ppy of me. I hope I can muster energy tomorrow to be productive and DS takes a long nap. I wasted his nap today bc I was too tired. 

lemonlove86

Boo to everyone (and their families) being sick!! @kantobean I've used both NeilMed and NetiPot- they basically work the exact same but one you squeeze up your nose instead of having gravity to the work for you. DO NOT BLOW YOUR NOSE right after using either! Your ears will pop something fierce! But both of those products save me during allergy season and they're a great med-free option. Make sure to wash both very well after use!

@momoftoddlers one of the OBs in my practice recommends everyone who holds the baby get a flu shot, and my practice only recommends TDAP/whooping cough for caretakers. We are asking that anyone who wants to hold the baby has to have a flu shot and also no kissing the baby. My family is not thrilled with this notion and it's honestly giving me anxiety. We're the first in our family to have a baby, so setting boundaries is all on our shoulders and is completely new territory, especially since I feel like our generation is much more forward with setting boundaries and voicing opinions than our parents'. Any advice is so appreciated on this topic!

In more exciting areas, we got an elfa closet system installed today for the nursery! It's the 30% off sale right now and we've been waiting for this sale since we moved in July. Feeling like everything is coming together that we need before baby gets here, besides car seat and bassinet (which are big things, but it'll happen). 

momoftoddlers

I’m so sorry for everyone who is sick, it’s rough, especially if your kids or partner are also sick. Thank you for all the advice. I’ve been drinking a lot of decaf tea with honey as that provides the best relief. 

@lemonlove86 I’ve found with “baby rules” like the flu shot, if I say “My doctor said no one can visit the baby unless they’ve had a flu shot” my family takes me more seriously. You could also look for an article on flu rates in your area. I found a local one that particularly mentions the danger to newborns, and showed that to any hold outs. At the end of the day it’s their decision if they get a vaccination, just like it’s your decision if they see your newborn. 

creativesoul63

So sorry to hear so many of you are sick! I haven’t been sick so far this pregnancy and am crossing my fingers and toes that I make it the next 3 months.

We had a nice pretty relaxing Christmas with my in-laws, it always goes by so fast. Our nieces (5 and 10) are at a really annoying stage where they fight and complain all the time though. I was happy to be home in the peace and quiet when we got back on Thursday. I will enjoy that while it lasts lol. 

Still have Hannukah celebrations tomorrow with my family and NYE, not sure if I’ll have any energy to go out and do anything for that, and then our baby shower is next weekend. Followed by my birthday in mid-January, DH’s birthday in early Feb and then March will be here! 🙀

EmilyLove25

@lemonlove86 I've been pretty laid back with babies, but I also surround myself with people who follow common sense rules--wash hands, don't touch the baby if you are sick, and generally, everyone in my close circle gets vaccinations. I think boundaries and the severity of them depend largely on audience. But it's good you are thinking about what works for you now, and OMG yay for the elfa closet. I've coveted many versions.

AFM we have also been through all the illnesses. I feel like DS (turned 2 on the 26th!) and I (pregnancy immune system haha) have gotten EVERYTHING (stomach bug/cold) worse than others, but we all seem to have survived. But is it just me, or is anyone else with little ones terrified of January and February... I mean if people are this sick in December, ughhhhhhh. We had DS's birthday party today, and it went so well. I am relieved it is over and thankful it was a success. He had a great time! 

silverhope

@EmilyLove25 glad your son’s bday went great! 

I don’t wanna think about the flu this year. I hope illnesses peaked early and end early. Seems like everyone is sick. 

kagesstarshroom

Hey yall, I made an executive decision to not do Product Spotlight "baby containers" bc... 1) I was late bc where we stayed the past few days had no internet (I don't even want to complain at this point) and 2) the board I modeled our spreadsheet for products after, the link to this one doesn't work and frankly I have no idea what is meant by "baby containers." Products to contain baby? Containers for baby things/meals/etc? Soooo, we're skipping that one. Next week it's Misc. Nursery Decor. More via the spreadsheet linked at the bottom of every PSS.