Parenting Check-In 1/12/15

ball.and.chain · January 2015

Good Morning!

How was your weekend? Any new milestones, successes or challenges to report?

QOTD: How did your child make you proud in the last week?

Parenting Roster:

(Please let me know if you would like to be added or have your information changed)

@2brides – G & C born 5/18/06, other Mom is L

@Mystjava – Little Bear (LB) born 3/31/10, other Mummum is Shawn

@winstan1 – J (DS) born 9/10 (currently 3.5 years old)

@Trisholio and @trisholiosboi – Proud foster parents to M born 2/6/12 and K born 8/22/13; baby Adalyn born 8/29/14

@jazibel – Kaden born 7/13/12 and Owen born 5/2/14, other parent (Aya) is EV

@newmompeanut – N (DD) born 2/12/13, other Momma is B

@CageyMack – W born 3/16/13

@JGY – Gabe born 3/24/13, other Mama is S.

@Stringy813 – M born May 2013

@Clairmeij – Alarico born 6/28/13, other mama is V

@Wallace323 – J and L born 8/8/13, surviving triplets born at 31 weeks

@Jrtmom – Henry born 8/15/13, other mama is L

@ATXmommas – Sebastian (“Ash”) born 11/21/13, other Momma is Z

@mwagner25 – Oliver born 11/27/13, other parent is L

@herbabymama‌ – C (DD) born 12/10/13, other Mama is K

@Sarahtrpt – C born February 2014

@AmandaG47 – Twin girls born 2/22/14, other Mommy is J

@Mamosey‌ & @Karlamo‌ – R born 2/25/14

@shameless370087‌ - Anthony and Sati, born 3/9/2014, Other mom is S

@Filmfanatic82 – Charley born 3/15/14

@2momsinCA‌ - B & O born 5/27/14

@KH826 – Will born 6/4/14

@redrockmama – M born 6/19/14, other Mama is J

@ball.and.chain – B born 6/28/14

@Flygirl1228 – Twins 7/25/14

@KLeigh1‌ - S born 7/25/14

@shelly2314 - Elise and Olivia, born 8/19/14, wife is M

@2MamazInSeattle‌ - S born 8/21/14

@rkbo‌ - Amelia born 9/22/14

@pauljl - Callie born 11/5/14

@doodah1013 & @firstcomeslove2013 – Hayden born 12/20/2014

@RobertJane33 – Twins born 12/24/14

@Andstilltrying – Mathew and Andrew born 12/26/14

ball.and.chain · January 2015

BTW, I was looking at the list and wondering if anyone has heard from or knows how any of these people are doing, as they haven't checked in in a while: @newmompeanut, @mwagner25, @Filmfanatic82? Also someone mentioned @shameless370087 last week I think. We haven't heard from @Wallace323 recently on the board though I have "seen" her recently on FB and looks like the girls are doing great. Most everyone else has checked in recently enough that I know they are "around" even if they don't always have time. I removed themommymonster from the list as she formally bowed out of the board (and changed her SN). Just curious, I know not everyone has time, especially as a parent! If you're lurking, say hi! We miss you!

ball.and.chain · January 2015

B is 6.5w old.

We have a tummy sleeper. I don't know how I feel about that. OK, I know I don't feel great about it. I'd just started feeling not-that-anxious about SIDS because I'd read that 90% of cases happen before 6m...and now tummy sleeping makes me a little bit anxious again. There's really nothing we can do about it because he can roll from one side to the other, so if he wants to sleep on his tummy, he's going to roll onto his tummy no matter how many times we put him on his back. Nobody is going to get any sleep if we stay up all night to play Tummy Police. We did mention it to our pediatrician and she wasn't concerned and said he has control over his head so he will move it if he has to, and that's the most important thing. And the good thing is, he sleeps even better on his tummy than he did on his back. So I'm just trying to be cool about it!

OH speaking of the pediatrician I posted his stats in TTT last Tuesday but he jumped way up in percentiles for everything. Yay B! He's still on the small side and that is fine with me, I just wanted him out of that bottom 5% for some reason.

He is basically sitting unassisted now. He still sometimes sways and/or topples after a while, but he can do it for long enough to call it! He tried peaches the other day and that was a big hit.

We are visiting my ILs and he has been a trooper, despite a bit of a cold. Lots of smiling and laughing with his aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins. Such a charmer, this guy.

QOTD: I am really proud of him for sleeping like a champ while we've been visiting my ILs. He's in his PNP, which we thought would not go over well, and he's in a strange house with different smells and sounds. We thought about not even bringing the PNP with us because we assumed he'd sleep terribly in it and we'd cave and put him in our bed, and the damn thing takes up so much room in the car it seemed like a waste to bring it and not use it. Well, we put him in the PNP the first night and turned on the monitor, and there was a little crying but he powered through and went to sleep, and he's pretty much only been waking once a night, just like at home. He's also napped in the PNP several times, and is doing so right now, going on 90 minutes. I know a lot of people struggle with sleep issues with their LOs so I do not take it for granted every time we have a good night with him.

Karlamo · January 2015

R is feeling sooo much better, thank God! He was miserable this past week and in turn so were we. He was also going through a leap so that may have played into his fussiness too. This past week, he has really taken off in personality developnment. I feel like up until now he was meeting a lot of physical milestones which are fun but now I feel we are entering a stage where we are getting to see his true personality come out. The kid is great! He has learned that actions get a reaction and he is doing things now to make us laugh which is so much fun. He has really learned his name and responds to us calling him and calling him out on things.

He has taken to putting his hand down our shirts when he is sleepy. Which is fine with my wife and I but he is doing it to my 19 year old niece who watches him on Fridays! She has been taking care of him since he was 3 months old so she doesn't mind. Other than that I haev a kid who needs a haircut bad, he has a mullet right now. I refuse to cut it till next month when he's 1. It's driving my wife mad.

QOTW: My boy has been napping in his crib for two weeks. It's glorious to have an hour to ourselves without him attached to us.

@Ball.and.Chain, R started sleeping on his tummy right around 6 months old too. It upset me too and we talked with our pedi who said R is capable of moving his head if he needs to. Even at 10 months I still check on him at night. I will feel better when we hit that one year mark. I think it's totally normal to be uneasy over it. Hopefully as the weeks go by you'll gain confidence in his ability to move his head if he needs to.

ATXmommas · January 2015

Ash is 13 months old.

We went to breakfast on Saturday with my friend whose baby is the same age as Ash. Afterwards, we went to our friend's house to let the kids play a bit. These two kiddos have such distinct personalities and it is really cute to watch them together. Ash was all about giving L hugs, but L (who has dished out kisses to Ash in the past) wasn't too into it. She kept looking at Ash like, "Dude, have you heard of personal space?" I'm going to enjoy watching these two grow up together.

Nothing much new here. I did realize that Ash is teething his molars. The top two have started to poke through - just a tiny bit so far. I can feel the hard lump underneath the bottom gums. Other than some picky eating habits, I haven't noticed that Ash is suffering too much. I hope that continues as I know molars can be really difficult for some babies. I know we have a WW coming up that I hear can be quite a doozy. Fingers crossed we get though it without too many problems.

Other tidbits - Ash is going through a really clingy stage with me and is showing a slight preference for me over Z some times (but not all the time). He did get really excited when Z came home yesterday after being out for a while in the morning. We've officially moved him out of all 12M pajamas. He still wears 12M pants, but PJs and tops are all 18M, even though some are a little big. I took him to the doctor last Monday and he weighed about 22lbs with all his clothes on.

In other news, Ash and I are both sick again! I've been congested with a bit of a cough for a couple weeks, and my throat got increasingly worse throughout the day yesterday. I think it's strep. I have worked from home this morning and have a doctor's appt this afternoon. Just got a call from Z that the day care called her and Ash has a temp of 104. So, he has a doctor's appt this afternoon as well. I don't know why we are getting sick so often. Oh well. I'm not feeling completely terrible - just the throat and a little tired - so, hopefully I can enjoy the extra snuggle time with Ash. Poor baby.

QOTD: I don't know if "proud" is the right word, but I see some normal developmental changes in Ash that tickle me pink - he can point to his/your nose when you ask him. If I ask him to point to his nose, he may point at mine (or vice versa), but he does know what a nose is. We're working on eyes next. And maybe belly button because he was really interested in mine the other day. Also, we have a bed that is fairly low to the ground and he's figured out how to get on/off over the last few weeks. When he gets to the edge of the bed, he positions himself with his belly against the bed and slowly inches his way off until he reaches the ground. I know he'll be climbing everything in no time! He also knows what hugs/kisses are and I can usually get him to offer them on demand. LOVE this one!

ATXmommas · January 2015

@sarahtrpt - I'm glad you updated about the weaning. I've been thinking about you. I'm glad C is adapting well. Ash is still nursing at least 3x day (morning, night, MOTN). Sometimes once a day on the weekends, but not always. I think I'm going to try cutting out the morning session soon.

@ball.and.chain - Ash is a tummy sleeper too. He started sleeping on his tummy as soon as he could roll from front to back [edit: back to front), which was around 4 months! It may have been even earlier than 4 months. I remember picking him up from day care one day and I saw him on his tummy in the crib and freaked out a bit. I knew he was rolling, but I guess he had not slept on his tummy at home yet. I just wanted to make sure that the day care was putting him down on his back - which they were. I have always heard that it is ok for babies to sleep on their tummies as long as they are putting themselves into the position themselves. I was never too concerned because by the time he was rolling, he had great head control and I trusted that he could move his head as needed. I hope your anxiety eases soon. B is just growing up, becoming stronger, and exerting his preferences!

KH826 · January 2015

Will is 7 months old!

We are teething BIG TIME over here. Over the weekend FOUR new teeth popped through up top. That makes a total of 6 teeth that are through the gum, since he has had the bottom two for a while. We can feel some more up top, but we can't quite see them yet. He has been a trooper though with teething this round. We did give him teething tablets once on Saturday, but honestly I think he was fussy then more due to the fact that he skipped his afternoon nap entirely!

We had a play date on Saturday with a friend and her 10 month old. It was so awesome to see Will playing and truly interacting with another baby. I have some super cute pics I will share on PIP Thursday. At one point they actually gave each other a hug. I don't think either of them intended it to be a hug, but that is what happened, and my wife caught a really cute picture of it.

Yesterday Will had mangoes, and loved them. We will add that to the favorites list. We are still doing a combo of purees and BLW, and it seems to be working well for us. We offer food once a day on most days. Every now and then we will skip a day, but I am not too worried about it. He does really well, and I don't think getting him to eat will be a problem at all. Not until he decides to be a picky toddler at some point! It was funny, during his play date on Saturday we gave him a raw carrot to chomp on (he really like carrots -- both puree and whole, and it seemed to help with his teething). Our friend (mom of the 10 month old) was kind of horrified and said she wasn't ready to offer her 10 month old any whole foods like that. Will did great with the carrot though and chomped on it for a pretty long while. His 10 month old friend clearly wanted one of her own, but her mom was not into it. Which is fine, but then I felt bad and for a second thought about taking Will's away so that it didn't cause and issue. Which I know is silly. It all worked out, but it made me more acutely aware that everyone has their own level of parenting comfort, and I am sure we will see this issue more as he gets older and has more friends of his own.

Oh, also, Will was noticeably larger than his 10 month old friend. HAHA! My son is a giant...

He is scooting like crazy, but no actual crawling yet. He got himself into a weird downward dog kind of position on Saturday before he face planted. It was like he was trying to just stand up on his own (ummm, no sir, you are NOT ready for that!)... I wouldn't be shocked if we end up with a kid that skips crawling and goes right to walking. Oy!

In the last week he has started really waving consistently and now he clamps his hands together in a "pleassse" sort of fashion and just laughs. He thinks it is hysterical. This kid is a ham. Seriously, he has more personality in his little finger than any other young child I know. It is kind of crazy. Also, we are going to be in serious trouble once he can talk. I fear he has it in him to be a young con artist HAHA

Ooooh, I bought a new stroller! It isn't one of the super crazy fancy ones I had been stalking, but we wanted something now b/c we are about to transition Will to the convertible car seat and we really wanted something where he could be facing us in the stroller without the infant car seat (I know, we are nuts, whatever). So I ordered this last night: https://www.pishposhbaby.com/baby-jogger-city-versa-2013.html?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PPB_National_Branded-Product_Golden_BBJ&utm_content=City-Versa&utm_term=baby%20jogger%20city%20versa%202013

I think we will transition to the convertible car seat in the next 1-2 weeks. This child is TOO heavy to be toting around in the bucket seat.

We also transitioned to the big boy bath tub. He loves it! I also put in an amazon order last night for some toddler sized hooded bath towels, a mat to kneel on by the tub, and something to rinse his hair with that will protect him from getting water in his eyes. I feel like I have a grown up baby all of a sudden. It is awesome in some ways, but also scary!

We also set a date for his 1st bday party this weekend (I know, it's a ways off - but my family will have to travel to make it to the party, so we wanted to lock down a date so they could plan travel in advance). We also decided on a theme (You are my Sunshine!) -- shhhh..... the theme is a secret for now!

Oh, also, my poor boy is struggling with eczema a lot right now. Mainly on his back and belly, but sometimes on his face (cheeks) also. We have been just using coconut oil, but I don't think that is cutting it enough. I wanted to get some eucerin cream, but J really wanted something natural. Any recommendations?

He has the 2nd installment of his flu shot on Wednesday. J is going to take him solo, which makes me a little sad. I am slightly worried b/c he definitely reacted to the first flu shot (fussy and slight fever). I hope that this one isn't bad...

JGY · January 2015

jrtmom said:

...

I have a question for anyone with toddler shoe experience. Last September we got Henry his first real pair of walking shoes. He has big/wide feet and we went with striderite wides. He LOVED those shoes. Unfortunately he was in the largest size that style came in. They are pretty snug, and I have tried to buy other shoes. He HATES them all. I thought I had found a winner. I found an almost identical style but in a large size. The only difference is the sole is a tiny bit thicker and there is a stripe of red down the side. When I try to put his new shoes on he screams, cries, like I am killing him! I know it can't hurt because all I am able to get in is a small part of his toe before he starts this. He only wants the old pair of shoes. He does the same with his 5 other pairs we have tried. Have any of you gone through this? He can't wear these old shoes forever. I wish he could. The only other shoes he happily wears are his soft/fuzzy snow boots and his rain boots.

This is an honest suggestion ... have someone else try to put the new shoes on. I find that G fights me on lots of ridiculous things where he gives others no problems. Can his teachers at daycare try to put them on? Once he's had them on and off a few times he might realize that it's no big deal.

Also, just an FYI from the parent of another wide-footed child (you may already know this) ... StrideRite has their own brand of shoes that come in W and EW. But they also carry the Saucony brand and the EW Saucony seems to be wider than the EW StrideRite.

Good luck!

JGY · January 2015

@jrtmom - Good luck! G was fighting me tooth and nail about putting gloves/mittens on. You know we're in MN and it's like -843 degrees here so I just wasn't comfortable with taking him outside to play without mittens. I asked the teachers at school if he gave them any problems and they said "Never!" Grrrrrrr.

YBnormal85 · January 2015

Lennon is 8 months :-) feel free to add us to the list! She was born 4/21/14

We had a great weekend although they always seem to fly by!! We picked up some things for Lennon's play area in our craft room. Hopefully that means I can get some things done in there as she plays!

Lennon has been enjoying eating solid foods bit more which is great, not that I'm concerned with her weight but I want to be sure she is getting all the nutrients she needs. She is almost crawling but in the mean time is rolling like a little ninja whenever she wants to go somewhere,so adorable.

YBnormal85 · January 2015

Sorry not sure why that photo is sideways!

doodah1013 · January 2015

Hello all!

We are still doing great and adjusting nicely. Hayden was three weeks old on Saturday. H is a cool kid.... loves normal baby stuff- breast milk, swaddling, cuddles and naps.

We are practicing with co-bathing and it has been amazing. She is just a regular little fish. She gets really wide eyed and just kicks and kicks. This Baba is just amazed!

A is nursing her 3-4 times a day and H is really content. I give her a bottle often too so we have a good feeding relationship. A and I are both still pumping and actually making enough milk to put a pretty good amount in storage each day.

QOTD: I am proud of everything H does at this point... (what a new parent answer, I know!) I send more pictures to her grandparents than is probably necessary. I am also proud that the lady who made the bear hat that she wore in her hospital newborn shoot, put her picture up on Etsy. I keep telling people that my kid is a model. Its all really embarrassing!

JGY · January 2015

G is 21 months.

I'm still doing a lot of solo parenting these days, as S's busy work season is in full swing. It's exhausting (with kid and dog in small house during a MN winter), but we're getting a lot better at it.

This Saturday we saw the return of tumbling class, which was fun but still rather unfocused (I mean c'mon, he's only 21 months). But my heart still pounds with joy when I see him running down the tumbling track without a care in the world, laughing hysterically. Later Saturday we had a bit of a disaster experience trying to dine out for dinner with some friends. I think it was a combination of a bad day for Gabe energy-wise (he was bouncing off the walls), and a reallly poor choice of restaurant. None of us had been there before, and it is brand new. We won't do that again.

So I was a bit gun-shy on Sunday morning when we had plans to eat Brunch out with some other friends. Well it was awesome. Completely opposite experience. Whew. Too bad we only have the bad experiences when S is with us, and the good ones when she's not. Ugh.

After brunch I had a rehearsal. G goes with me and plays in the nursery at the church where we rehearse. So on Sundays these days, naps are a bit up in the air (for a kid who naps religiously). Needless to say by early evening he was a total mess. S had an afternoon game, and then grabbed a much-needed drink with a coworker. By the time she got home I was a zombie and on the verge of tears since my morning (evening) sickness had kicked in. She whisked the boy away for a bath, brushed his teeth, and put him to bed. It was amazing.

This evening G has his pre-op check-up (for repeat PE Tubes) and will get the flu shot. I'm dreading it.

QOTD: I was really, REALLY proud of little Mr. G for jumping in the bath so quickly last night. Lately bathtime has been a major struggle with lots of screaming and more force used than I am comfortable with. Sometimes it just takes a different approach. Having S do bath time by herself really turned things around (well ... also a different tub, different toys, keeping the water running, blah blah blah). Anyway, by the time I got in there last night to check if they needed help, he was already in and all soaped up and having a blast.

CageyMack · January 2015

W is 21 months.

M is 12 years.

DW is 39.5 weeks pg.

This weekend was a little bit awesome and a little bit terrible. We had a great Saturday, got the kids everywhere they needed to be (mostly DD's things). I felt very successful!

Sunday, DW got sick with pre-labor ick, and so that was just rough. W came with me to work (we have some daycare available), and he was a champ, nursing from noon to 2pm, even though it was crazy in there!

QOTW: I remain incredibly proud of W's potty training. He is just doing so well, self-initiating dryness napping and overnight. So fun to watch him grow and develop new skills!

ball.and.chain · January 2015

ATXmommas said:
@ball.and.chain - Ash is a tummy sleeper too. He started sleeping on his tummy as soon as he could roll from front to back [edit: back to front), which was around 4 months! It may have been even earlier than 4 months. I remember picking him up from day care one day and I saw him on his tummy in the crib and freaked out a bit. I knew he was rolling, but I guess he had not slept on his tummy at home yet. I just wanted to make sure that the day care was putting him down on his back - which they were. I have always heard that it is ok for babies to sleep on their tummies as long as they are putting themselves into the position themselves. I was never too concerned because by the time he was rolling, he had great head control and I trusted that he could move his head as needed. I hope your anxiety eases soon. B is just growing up, becoming stronger, and exerting his preferences!

Thanks @karlamo and @ATXMommas! I was originally putting him down on his back even though I knew he would flip and I actually started just putting him down on his tummy. I figure what's the point when I know he's going to flip, and he ends up going to sleep faster if he starts out on his tummy. Also the other day he ended up getting a cut on his head in the process of flipping over.
8-|

ball.and.chain · January 2015

@Flygirl1228, that set-up looks so cozy!

firstcomeslove2013 · January 2015

Hey all! C usually chimes in and does our check in (I say usually...our child is 3 weeks old...not like its been forever!) but I would also like to start posting as well. I feel like I've really slipped away from the board when I need you all the most (wow...cheese alert, but its true).

Being a parent is lovely and wonderful and all I dreamed for it to be...but its friggin' hard! Not the parenting part, that part is wonderful and I feel like we are so far pretty good at it, but the balancing everything else thing...whoa...its tough...

QOTW: I feel so proud of how chill of a baby that Hayden is. She is so laid back and she sleeps amazingly well and she is just the best!

ball.and.chain · January 2015

@kh826, have you talked to the pedi about the eczema? I have no experience with infant eczema but I had a persistent case of it on my hands in college and the ONLY thing that would help was hydrocortisone or prescription steroid creams. No clue if they are safe for babies though. Obviously not a natural remedy either but it's what worked for me. Moisturizing, regardless of what I used, was not enough.

Jazibel · January 2015

Kaden is 2.5 years old and Owen is 8 months old.

We had a good weekend. EV worked most of the weekend so I entertained the kids and worked in between. Sunday I took Kaden to our favorite playground, to Trader Joes and then our friends and his buddy L came over. He didn't get to bed until 9ish. He was so exhausted by that time. Alas today he bounced awake today with renewed energy. How do kids do it?

I've been drinking coffee and its helping me keep up. I feel slightly guilty about it - but hey.

Most of the time Kaden is just the sweetest, cutest kid. BUT sometimes he just turns into a little terror. It's crazy! They should call it "Your-toddler-has-poltergeistesque-tendencies-and-it-will-be-both-terrifying-and-exhausting." I guess terrible two's just sounds more catchy...

Owen is not a two year old - YAY! Lol.... No seriously he is at such a great age. He's crawling, babbling, picking up and playing with toys with increasing dexterity and creativity. He's pulling up and even doing a tiny bit of cruising (like turning around to another tall thing and grabbing on there - not quite stepping much). He just looks at everyone with such mirth in his eyes, and such love. Ahhhh. He's been teething on and off, but all and all it's been a good week.

Kaden and Owen together - my heart just bursts all the time. EV has been seeing it more and more too and she's just as enthralled. It's just sooo sweet. You just see the love, their little minds working things out. They're both still babies (really) and they just get each other. I have days when I have to strain to keep it together. When it literally takes me an hour to get out of the house. When I look at my freshly vacuumed floor and there are leaves, crumbs and toys all over it an hour later. But I wouldn't trade this life. I feel so blessed to have these boys in my life. They are forcing me to stretch on the inside to become a better mom, and a better human.... and its a gift.

QOTD: I guess I kind of already answered this.... Owen sometimes gags when eating his non-pureed food. He was gagging, coughing during dinner the other night and Kaden turns to us with a look of concern and says "Mama, Owen's choking" and then he leans toward Owen's highchair and gives him a pat. EV said "Owen's ok, but you tell Mama anytime you think he's choking". Just blew my mind...

Owen pulled a basket off the shelf while standing and rummaged through it playing with toys. I just know he was so proud of himself.

AandStilltrying · January 2015

Andrew and Matthew are almost
3 weeks old. Still at the hospital. We were supposed to be bringing Andrew home today, but that's not happening now. Different Dr. Pushed it out another day. Not sure why. No answer being given about it.

Matthew still has feeding tube because of a lazy nurse. He's supposed to be adlib feeding, and nurse didn't try to bottle feed twice and tube fed him so she could chart (I told the dr.). He did great yesterday with a great nurse!

They are on a fortify powder to add calories and an iron supplement. One of the 2 seems to be giving Matthew horrible gas and they won't do anything for him. He's pretty uncomfortable most of the day. None of it seems to bother his brother.

Question time: Any of you with premature twins....feeding/sleeping schedule??? Nurse told us to feed 1, and hold him for about 45 min. Then feed other and do same thing before laying them down because of gas and reflux. They also will have to eat every 3 hrs, so that gives me 1 hr. Naps all day long between feedings?!?!?

Freaking out and wondering how in the world I'm going to be able to do this. She also says too small for swing or bouncy seat!!!

I know it's doable while Sarah's on maternity leave but that ends Feb. 16th.

Qotw: proud... Drew pulled his tube out himself and decided to eat like a champ! Passed his car seat test. Matt has been so much more alert and is getting a better latch!

redrockmama · January 2015

A day late again. I have such a hard time posting from home on Mondays. Bumping while pumping on Tuesdays is so much easier.

Let's see M is almost 7 months old.

We finally had his 6 month checkup and he was 17 lbs 10 oz. and 26.75 in long/tall. We were both way off and guessed he weighed closer to 19. He is in the 50th percentiles though, which like B&C said is relieving. There was so much stress about feeding him enough those first few months so I'm glad he's chubbed up. His pedi pushed me pretty hard on sleep training, I'm just not ready yet and I don't think he is either. J said she is going to sleep in the other room a few nights a week so that she can get more sleep. It kind of upset me, but I get where she is coming from. I have struggled with resentment here and there since M was born and I need to figure it out. I don't want to resent her "freedom" and I love taking care of M and love the relationship we have. Anyone else have this issue?

M is sitting up better and longer everyday. He will also stay on his hands and knees if I put him that way. Yesterday he even did a little rocking. He really wants to crawl and does a lot of swimming on the ground. Eating is going well. He still gags a lot. We have given him a couple purees, but mostly little bits of whatever we are eating. He is a big fan of pork and pineapple. @kh826 I know what you mean. Our friends likely think we are nuts for giving him food. They started their 4 month old on jars of baby food and are just so worried about everything with her. They seemed pretty shocked when he gnawed on a piece of pineapple at a baby shower this weekend. Luckily their little girl doesn't seem to care that he gets things she doesn't yet.

The kid seriously cracks me up. He is figuring out that he can make us laugh and he loves it. All day Sunday and yesterday he just kept growling. It was so funny. He does this cute little shy smile too. Yesterday, after he nursed, I was gently tickling him all over and he was just laughing and smiling, it was just perfect. I wish I could spend all my days with him.

QOTW: I don't know if proud is the right word, but I love seeing him develop new skills and figure out how his body and other things work. It's so fun to watch him grow and see how proud he is of figuring things out.

2momsinCA · January 2015

@AandStilltrying‌ our preemies came home from the NICU super scheduled. We fed simultaneously. I was mostly an exclusive pumper at that time with a bit of nursing thrown in. So every 3 hours or so they would both take a bottle and I would pump when they slept. And both boys had reflux so yes, both were held up right for about 30 mins after they ate. And eating back then took like 30 mins- it was draining! At night we would each hold one on our chests (sitting up/reclined) after they ate since they would usually fall right asleep. (Will your boys sleep in rock and plays? They are great for refluxy babies since it keeps them at a nice angle and our neonatologists and pedi okayed it). During the day if we needed to be doing things we would each put a baby in a moby wrap or an ergo (keeps them vertical) after they ate and go about our business- they also slept great when we wore them back then. They stayed synced up for a little while, maybe a week or so. Pretty much it stayed where one of us had responsibility for one twin's eating, dressing, changing etc. through the day and night since we were both home. If I was alone with them it worked well that they were not synced up as it was a constant routine of change a diaper, feed a baby, hold up right, put down to sleep, begin again with the next boy.

Within a month of being home from the NICU their routine completely changed. They started cluster feeding in the evenings. Sleeping for long stretches at night. Staying awake for longer stretches during the day.

We stopped fortifying their milk after being home about 6 weeks when they showed good weight gain and did not have signs of anemia. I hated the fortifier (expensive, yucky elecare) and the supplements since I think it made them spit up more. Also by 6 weeks home they could both nurse for a full feeding, and I switched to tandem nursing as often as possible. So since they were breast feeding often I was pumping less and there were no bottles to fortify anyways.

Anyways, it will be a hard first couple weeks home with the two since it's all about feeding and holding them up right. It does get better though! However once you get comfortable with a routine, it will change! We are always figuring it out.

2momsinCA · January 2015

@AandStilltrying‌ one more thing... too small for swing and bouncy seat? I suppose. I guess we didn't really use either for the first couple weeks but since then they have gotten lots of mileage. And we definitely put them in both right around when they weighed 6lbs. Both boys also loved these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003HIXOTQ/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/187-0846240-1991741
it was a nice lounger for them to nap and hang out in. Also (again) the Rock and Play- perfect for keeping them at a nice angle for reflux. However now both boys have grown out of the RNP and we are struggling to transition them to flat/open space sleeping in the crib. That's the big down side of the RNP.

Jazibel · January 2015

KH826 said:

Will is 7 months old!
We are teething BIG TIME over here. Over the weekend FOUR new teeth popped through up top. That makes a total of 6 teeth that are through the gum, since he has had the bottom two for a while. We can feel some more up top, but we can't quite see them yet. He has been a trooper though with teething this round. We did give him teething tablets once on Saturday, but honestly I think he was fussy then more due to the fact that he skipped his afternoon nap entirely!
We had a play date on Saturday with a friend and her 10 month old. It was so awesome to see Will playing and truly interacting with another baby. I have some super cute pics I will share on PIP Thursday. At one point they actually gave each other a hug. I don't think either of them intended it to be a hug, but that is what happened, and my wife caught a really cute picture of it.
Yesterday Will had mangoes, and loved them. We will add that to the favorites list. We are still doing a combo of purees and BLW, and it seems to be working well for us. We offer food once a day on most days. Every now and then we will skip a day, but I am not too worried about it. He does really well, and I don't think getting him to eat will be a problem at all. Not until he decides to be a picky toddler at some point! It was funny, during his play date on Saturday we gave him a raw carrot to chomp on (he really like carrots -- both puree and whole, and it seemed to help with his teething). Our friend (mom of the 10 month old) was kind of horrified and said she wasn't ready to offer her 10 month old any whole foods like that. Will did great with the carrot though and chomped on it for a pretty long while. His 10 month old friend clearly wanted one of her own, but her mom was not into it. Which is fine, but then I felt bad and for a second thought about taking Will's away so that it didn't cause and issue. Which I know is silly. It all worked out, but it made me more acutely aware that everyone has their own level of parenting comfort, and I am sure we will see this issue more as he gets older and has more friends of his own.
Oh, also, Will was noticeably larger than his 10 month old friend. HAHA! My son is a giant...
He is scooting like crazy, but no actual crawling yet. He got himself into a weird downward dog kind of position on Saturday before he face planted. It was like he was trying to just stand up on his own (ummm, no sir, you are NOT ready for that!)... I wouldn't be shocked if we end up with a kid that skips crawling and goes right to walking. Oy!
In the last week he has started really waving consistently and now he clamps his hands together in a "pleassse" sort of fashion and just laughs. He thinks it is hysterical. This kid is a ham. Seriously, he has more personality in his little finger than any other young child I know. It is kind of crazy. Also, we are going to be in serious trouble once he can talk. I fear he has it in him to be a young con artist HAHA
Ooooh, I bought a new stroller! It isn't one of the super crazy fancy ones I had been stalking, but we wanted something now b/c we are about to transition Will to the convertible car seat and we really wanted something where he could be facing us in the stroller without the infant car seat (I know, we are nuts, whatever). So I ordered this last night: https://www.pishposhbaby.com/baby-jogger-city-versa-2013.html?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PPB_National_Branded-Product_Golden_BBJ&utm_content=City-Versa&utm_term=baby%20jogger%20city%20versa%202013
I think we will transition to the convertible car seat in the next 1-2 weeks. This child is TOO heavy to be toting around in the bucket seat.
We also transitioned to the big boy bath tub. He loves it! I also put in an amazon order last night for some toddler sized hooded bath towels, a mat to kneel on by the tub, and something to rinse his hair with that will protect him from getting water in his eyes. I feel like I have a grown up baby all of a sudden. It is awesome in some ways, but also scary!
We also set a date for his 1st bday party this weekend (I know, it's a ways off - but my family will have to travel to make it to the party, so we wanted to lock down a date so they could plan travel in advance). We also decided on a theme (You are my Sunshine!) -- shhhh..... the theme is a secret for now!
Oh, also, my poor boy is struggling with eczema a lot right now. Mainly on his back and belly, but sometimes on his face (cheeks) also. We have been just using coconut oil, but I don't think that is cutting it enough. I wanted to get some eucerin cream, but J really wanted something natural. Any recommendations?
He has the 2nd installment of his flu shot on Wednesday. J is going to take him solo, which makes me a little sad. I am slightly worried b/c he definitely reacted to the first flu shot (fussy and slight fever). I hope that this one isn't bad...

I haven't finished catching up on this thread so someone else may have recommended it already, but if not :-)

My boys both have eczema. I use the Weleda brand products. We call it "hippie gold" because its so darn expensive but it works like a charm. It has to be the thick cream and I sometimes just spot treat.

My Pedi also recommended vitamin D, keeping them in natural materials (like breathable cotton). And explained that often eczema is related to food in tolerances. We discovered Kaden is "allergic" to strawberries& peanut butter by watching when he had flare ups. Owen is still getting introduced to foods so it's harder to catch, but I've stopped giving him apples and we'll see if that helps (it may have). The Pedi says we should wait until Owen's at least a year old to test for allergies.

I've also used homeopathics but I don't know which ones off the top of my head.

Good luck! I hope your little guy feels better soon.

Jazibel · January 2015

Flygirl1228 said:

Twins are 5.5 months old. They'll be 6 months next week! So it has been a busy week! Ally was sick on Friday and then I got sick on Saturday. No fun! Last time I posted I said Weaton was sick and had blood and mucas in his poop and running a fever. Well, he is much better now. I'm chalking it up to be an infection. That's what the doctor thinks too. This week is and is going to be a big week! We officially started solids! We started with bananas. It was so funny watching their reactions. They looked at us like what the heck are you putting into our mouths. We also are transitioning them into their room. Yesterday was the first time and it was a huge melt down and ended up in our room by 9:30. Lol Well, today is a new day and going to start again. We decided to put a mattress on the ground and sleep in their room with them until we feel comfortable to leave them a lone. Here is a photo of the set up.

Good luck! I hope sleep is going well. I love the nursery by the way!! :-)

Jazibel · January 2015

firstcomeslove2013 said:

Hey all! C usually chimes in and does our check in (I say usually...our child is 3 weeks old...not like its been forever!) but I would also like to start posting as well. I feel like I've really slipped away from the board when I need you all the most (wow...cheese alert, but its true).

Being a parent is lovely and wonderful and all I dreamed for it to be...but its friggin' hard! Not the parenting part, that part is wonderful and I feel like we are so far pretty good at it, but the balancing everything else thing...whoa...its tough...

QOTW: I feel so proud of how chill of a baby that Hayden is. She is so laid back and she sleeps amazingly well and she is just the best!

I'm glad all is well, balancing act and all :-)

Jazibel · January 2015

AandStilltrying said:

Andrew and Matthew are almost 3 weeks old. Still at the hospital. We were supposed to be bringing Andrew home today, but that's not happening now. Different Dr. Pushed it out another day. Not sure why. No answer being given about it. Matthew still has feeding tube because of a lazy nurse. He's supposed to be adlib feeding, and nurse didn't try to bottle feed twice and tube fed him so she could chart (I told the dr.). He did great yesterday with a great nurse! They are on a fortify powder to add calories and an iron supplement. One of the 2 seems to be giving Matthew horrible gas and they won't do anything for him. He's pretty uncomfortable most of the day. None of it seems to bother his brother. Question time: Any of you with premature twins....feeding/sleeping schedule??? Nurse told us to feed 1, and hold him for about 45 min. Then feed other and do same thing before laying them down because of gas and reflux. They also will have to eat every 3 hrs, so that gives me 1 hr. Naps all day long between feedings?!?!? Freaking out and wondering how in the world I'm going to be able to do this. She also says too small for swing or bouncy seat!!! I know it's doable while Sarah's on maternity leave but that ends Feb. 16th. Qotw: proud... Drew pulled his tube out himself and decided to eat like a champ! Passed his car seat test. Matt has been so much more alert and is getting a better latch!

I don't have any advice - just a virtual hug. I hope that it sometimes works out. I know there are other parents of twins that might have more to share.

Though its completely different with one - full term baby - and much much easier. The one thing that I can share is that it will pass.. and a few weeks or months from now you'll have way more time (in some respects). I would just take it easy and hopefully there are family and friends that can cook dinner, do dishes, laundry, etc for your and your family until the "dust settles". We're here for you too.

I hope your boys are home with you soon.

AandStilltrying · January 2015

So amazing news at the hospital today! BOTH boys will be home by the weekend!!!! Drew is coming home tomorrow and as of right now, Matt will follow and come home Friday! We showed up today and Matt's feeding tube was OUT and Drew got the "big C". Can I just share how incredibly funny it is that the doc. Who does that surgery here's name is Dr. Wiener?!?!? I mean I guess with a name like that you either do circums or run a hot dog stand!

ATXmommas · January 2015

Great news, @AandStilltrying‌! Glad the boys will be home soon. And, I'm glad there is a community of twin mamas on this board that can offer their insight Looking forward to hearing about more adventures with D and M!

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