Parenting Check-In

Jazibel · April 2014

Morning Everyone,

How are your LO(s)? Any updates, successes and/or challenges to report? How was your weekend?

QOTD: One (or two...or three) of your favorite activities, experiences or memories with your LO so far?

ATXmommas · April 2014

The 4-month sleep regression has hit hard. I haven't slept well in 2 weeks and I'm feeling especially miserable today. LO is still battling congestion and a cough and I'm sure that is contributing to his poor sleep. He completed a round of antibiotics when he was dx with mild ear infection with both ears, but these other symptoms are persisting. I'm thinking about taking him to a chiropractor. Anyone have any experience - good or bad - with pediatric chiros?

Other than his rotten sleep, he is awesome. So inquisitive and happy - smiling, laughing, and talking up a storm. My mom and stepdad were here this weekend and it was a joy to see Ash with his grandparents.

QOTW: I don't have "one" favorite. My heart lights up every time he smiles at me or I see him cuddling with Z. It's all the little moments of daily life that give me the greatest joy. Hope this answer isn't a cop-out to answering the question.

I'm just having the most fun with him.

trisholio · April 2014

Both girls are doing great! K still isn't sleeping thru the night. Since getting her shots last week and a tooth breaking thru she has been pretty fussy and is waking up multiple times at night again. M is doing great and seems to be having less tantrums these days.

I had a playdate with the girls on Saturday while my wife had a day off with a friend. They went to a double header professional baseball games and had a great time. She deserved the time away and I am glad she enjoyed herself. Sunday was my sister's baby shower. It was a great time! We took the girls (per my mom and sisters request) and they were spoiled rotten all day. My sister got some great stuff along with adorable clothes. It makes me excited for our shower in a few months.

QOTD: I enjoy seeing the girls interact with my wife and each other. K is 7 months old and does new stuff each day, its adorable to watch her. Yesterday at my sisters shower we dressed them up in outfits my mom bought, pink tutu's. They looked super cute and very girly and frilly. Little K was crawling (army crawling) across the floor in her tutu, it really was the cutest thing! M is growing up so fast too. She is talking so much and has a great imagination. I can't wait for warmer weather we can spend more time outside with them.

AmandaG47 · April 2014

We just said goodbye to my MIL on Thursday and we are just the four of us for the first time. It is awesome. The help was so very much appreciated while we had it but I love being just us and not worrying about anyone else's opinions. Our time together is now much different. We are starting to implement a slightly more structured schedule. We even put the girls down for a nap at the same time and exercised together on Sunday! One thing I'm not very proud of however is that I am still(maybe even more now) jealous of J being able to stay home with them. I had a total meltdown on Saturday because I felt like I couldn't handle them as well as I would like by myself and get things done around the house. My current goal is to work hard to not compare my situation to J's because I don't want to feel negatively at all towards her (and I truly believe she is doing such a great job!) and also look forward to the summer when I will get much more time with them!

QOTD: they are smiling a little more which I absolutely adore to pieces!! I also really really love nursing them. Also, I love seeing J as a mom and seeing our family develop and become "us" if that makes sense.

Jazibel · April 2014

The weather is turning really nice this week, I think we'll see the high 80's. EV and I are planning to meet at our gym's pool after work this week with hang out with Kaden, and then drop him in playcare while we finish our workout.

We've had a huge success with two #2's in the potty on Saturday!! So exciting. We're slowly, slowly continuing with potty training, but Kaden's getting better at "asking" when he was to go, and he's resisted #2's thus far so Saturday mornings success was great.

EV had a hard day with Kaden on Saturday (while I was at work). I've had them - luckily those days are pretty few and far between. But sometimes he's more of a cranky toddler then the sweet, happy kid he is 98% of the time. Oh well. By the time I got home I saw how frazzled she was and was able to offer her a break.

In our relationship its been very equalizing to have EV do some of the alone full-time care of Kaden. She complained Saturday evening about how it was impossible to get anything done (except work on a cake we made for our GOT dinner yesterday). She said Kaden just kept her so busy. I had to laugh because TRUST me I know. ;-) Since it's my job I've learned all the tricks, etc. and become a "super" SAHM over the last couple of years. Now I'll have to adjust to 2 kiddos and I think I'll be back at square one.

QOTD: Man this was a silly question because it's hard to come up with one or two things!! @atxmommas your answer is totally valid.

I guess I loved taking Kaden to the beach on Roatan, the water is so calm and clear he could crawl right in.

I also loved our trip to Hawaii, at one point we were on a snorkeling boat and we had pack 'n plays (provided by the boat). We lay the babies down to sleep under a towel drape for the sun, just watched the ocean, and took turns snorkeling. (We travelled with another lesbian couple and their daughter who was Kaden's age). I love boats and snorkeling/diving. I actually went snuba-ing for the first time on that boat. Anyway we took them out into the open ocean in their floaties later and it was just so fun to have him along. I can't wait until he can "snorkel". He already has a mask - lol!!

ATXmommas · April 2014

@wallace323 - good to know! This feels like the very early days! He's never STTN, but he normally only woke 2x at most and went back to sleep very easily. He's waking up at least 3x, but taking a long time to get back to sleep and waking around 4-4:30am, which makes it very difficult to get any more sleep before my 5:30am alarm. I keep telling me that this is a short "season" in life.

@AmandaG47 - I'm pretty certain I had more than one meltdown when I felt like I couldn't handle my ONE as well as I would like! I'm sure you are doing wonderful!

JGY · April 2014

Always late to the party these days.

Gabe turned 1 two weeks ago, and is doing new stuff almost every day. It's really pretty incredible.

QOTD: I think one of my favorite memories/experiences with Gabe was introducing him to my Dad. My Dad is in his 80's, and Gabe is his first and only biological grandchild. My Dad doesn't talk a lot, and I really had no idea how important it was to him to have a grandchild. Now I know. It's been pretty incredible watching them interact, though we don't have all that many opportunities as my family lives on the east coast, and we are in the midwest.

BONUS STORY FOR YOU ALL: So I know I've shared in the past that having kids was never S's dream, it was mine. And we still struggle at times with the parenting balance and how much responsibility I feel for things. But I will say that the mood has shifted noticeably, and it has seemed to me that S has been enjoying many parts of parenting Gabe lately. Anyway, yesterday we received two emails within a few minutes of each other. The first was from our tax accountant telling us (and it was a HUGE surprise) that rather than owing money, we are actually getting a sizeable refund this year. Yay! The second was from the sperm bank - totally out of the blue - clarifying our donor's availability for sibling pairs (he's discontinued for the general public) and letting us know that there are vials available. I JOKINGLY forwarded the sperm bank email to S and her response blew my mind. She said "Maybe it's a sign." The conversation went on from there. Okay, we're not even remotely headed in the direction of TTC again, yet. But the simple fact that she was actually open to the idea, and actually brought it up as a possibility, is HUGE news. Finances are seriously holding us back though. Bummer. Because I'm 40. Anyway, I had to get that out and tell someone. And by now it's likely that none of you will be checking back on this thread anyway so I feel reasonable safe.

Have a great week, everyone!

ATXmommas · April 2014

@JGY - that's awesome about S! Regardless of what decision you make moving forward, I'm glad she's feeling enough joy and contentment with being a parent that she would consider another. I'm glad for you!

JGY · April 2014

@ATXmommas - Thanks! That is truly the best part about the conversation that we had. It reinforced to me that I haven't, in fact, ruined her life. And that the joy that I witness in her eyes when Gabe reaches for her and brings her books and does silly things that just the two of them do together, well, it's real. This is a huge shift for us in our home dynamic. I really want to build on this, no matter what happens in terms of growing our family.

Jazibel · April 2014

@mamosey - welcome to the check-in. I hope Rudy starts sleeping longer stretches for you soon.

I heard cluster feeding in the hours before bedtime may help facilitate longer sleep. I know Rudy is still young, and sometimes our newborns just need to eat more frequently. But FX you get more sleep soon.

There are a lot of folks on this board that have become sleep and breastfeeding wizards. I'm sure I will be posting questions myself in a few weeks ;-)

JGY · April 2014

@mamosey - I remember so vividly my panic that Gabe would never settle into any kind of a routine with eating/sleeping. I can't tell you how different things were between 6 weeks of age, and 12. Don't worry too much right now, you're both still in the "Figuring it out" phase.

How do you feel nursing is going? Do you have any concerns?

ATXmommas · April 2014

@Mamosey‌ - those firsts weeks are so hard! "Haze" is the perfect word. I agree that so much changes between 6 and 12 weeks. I agree that cluster feeding before bedtime may help, but it may just be that you have a frequent eater during the night (@mwagner25 did/does too) and that's ok too - just makes for tired moms! Please let us know if I/we can offer any other type of support.

ATXmommas · April 2014

@JGY & @newmompeanut‌ - Z took Ash to the dr this afternoon and apparently the ear infection has gotten worse in one ear, so they have prescribed a stronger antibiotic. When did your LO's start getting ear infections? Have you tried any alternative treatments? We will be giving the antibiotics, just want to know if there are other things we can be doing as preventative measures.

Jazibel · April 2014

@ATXmommas - I'm jumping in because Kaden had a couple of ear infection that just didn't get better with strong (and stronger antibiotics). The Pediatrician even told us that antibiotics were "hit and miss" with ear infections because it was so challenging for the medicine to reach the remote location.

I ended up taking him to a naturopath and he got better and hasn't really had any ear infections since. This was... one at 5 months and again at 7-8 months old. He's been free of them since then.

Garlic drops (as directed on the label)
Garlic in food (as its a natural antibiotic)
Homeopathics (this one research or ask a Dr./Naturopath) but I've been keeping Pulsatilla on hand (EV used it for an ear infection this summer).
Lots of probiotics.

I'm trying to remember everything... I'll look around and see if I have other instructions. But if you're open to "alternative" remedies perhaps see a Naturopath.

Also consider giving probiotics to Ash on the same days as he's getting the antibiotics (but ask the Pedi. for instructions on how many hours to wait in between, I can't remember what our doctor said).

God luck, I hope your little guy feels better soon

ATXmommas · April 2014

@Jazibel‌ - thank you!

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