Winter 2010-2011

[Alexismith]

FIRST BIRTHDAYS are drawing closer. What are you doing? what will you give them? what will you reward yourself with for surviving the first year?

What size are those babies wearing??? L is to big for his own good and although his body fits his head is too huge for so many things.... just bought 18mo stuff so i wont be putting it in the used pile too fast

First Thanksgiving:- im excited... who's hosting, wheres everyone going... what will we feed the babies!

Who is sleeping who is drinking espresso? im about 50/50

what else is going on in your lives? Its mine and DHs wedding anniversary on 12/10 so we treated ourselves early to band hero. its as close as we'll come to a date at this point...ugh

[bebehope]

First b-day: I want to have a party but DH doesn't want to- or he wants family only and small. I feel like we do not see our friends enough and this is a special occasion, even if the babies won't remember it. I think his other reservation is that it's right after the holidays and we host a nice lunch on Jan 1. Hmmm... must talk about it more!
What to give them? No clue, we will see what Santa brings and I am thinking of polling some friends with older kids to see what their kids really like to play with. Right now I'm thinking of an activity/ music table.
What will I reward myself with? Oh I didn't even think about that, but I will plant that seed in DH's ear!

Size- they are wearing 6-9 and 9 months in some clothes still, especially tops in that size still fit. Pants are getting short. 12 month PJs and pants fit better now. We also have 12 month tops out, and they fit well. I just bought them tops and pants in 12 months for Christmas, since it's only 6 weeks away and I don't think they will be in a bigger size by then. We are planning to take Christmas pics in the outfits, so I needed them to fit now and also at x-mas.

Thanksgiving- we are going to my brother's. We are bringing a sweet potato dish. I'm going to look for something that is baby-friendly (not a lot of added sugar and no nuts). Otherwise, I think the meal will be pretty baby-friendly. They love chicken, so I think they will like turkey, too.

We are sleeping a lot better since we started sleep training the girls. Celeste woke up only one time last night, at 4:45, and then after I fed her I dream fed Emilie so I wouldn't have to get up again, and they slept until 6:30. Last night they cried more than 20 mins, and tonight it was less than 5. E fell asleep sitting up again, though, which I don't like! I wish I could make it easier for her. I have tried giving her a "lovey" but she doesn't seem attached to that thing at all...

Current issues: C keeps ripping her bib off at mealtime, which means food gets all over her clothes. Advice? Sometimes I'm able to distract her, but not all the time. She has also been straight up refusing to eat.
Also, we have wall heaters that we are trying to figure out how to child-proof. I think these are a warm-climate appliance, so I don't imagine any of you have the same issue with your heaters. We haven't started using them yet.
OH- anyone else's babies trying to eliminate a nap? We were on a 2-nap schedule, and they are refusing to sleep in the morning lately!

DH is out of town again, had a bad day...blech...

[Alexismith]

bebe:- we have wall heaters...put a fire guard around it and anchor the guard to the wall.... that should fix it. we gave up on bibs as L was ripping them off so i either feed him in just a diaper or a white bleachable onesie OR strip him after and toss it in oxiclean to soak immeadiately
he WANTS one nap but can't quite manage it....

[melican]

T is giving up a nap...we've had to move afternoon nap a little earlier these days. I thought this may get her to sleep longer at night but it has been the same with two or three times up. I have 2 weeks left until work
T is in 9 months stuff and some 12 months stuff. She too rips off her bib so I gave up and use the oxiclean. Gotta pick your battles.
I'm so excited for Christmas, I started decorating this past weekend. Her b-day invitations are out. If everyone comes then we will have 20 adults and 6 kids. I'm doing princess theme and will serve finger foods and cupcakes. T's cupcake will be carrot cake with cream cheese icing. I'm hosting it for 2 - 5 so she can get a nap in but not so late that I will have to feed supper to everyone.
Poor thing has a awful cold right now.
DH and I are going to reward ourselves with...a plan for another baby! I just called to get a protocol! I was so nervous on the phone. It seems soon but I also want the kids a couple of years apart...Can't wait to get the protocol though. So funny, I am getting very close to my pre-pregnancy body just in time to get preggers again. I would love it if the frozen cycle worked...can't imagine doing fresh with a little one, last time it knocked me on my butt...was even on bed rest, can you do bed rest with a toddler?!?!
Happy Anniversary Alexis - sounds like a fun date!

[nmm01]

Ok I am finally on, I haven't been getting updates on my blackberry so I have so much to read, really behind but from what I have read here goes....

Alexis Thank you for starting a new thread, and Happy Anivarsary!!!! You sound well organized over there and seem to be getting a life back (haha) L sounds like he is eating up a storm, my guys hated shepards pie

Mel I go back Dec 1st as well, since my nanny is great I feel much more relaxed. I still need to drop my am feed but probably not until mid December we have too much going on, it would send Jack into major regression. How is your weaning???Another baby!!!! wowee, how exciting for you, good luck I hope its quick Do you have any details yet? Oh Jack also hates his bib and has started to fight his am nap but he is tired so I still make him go down.

Bebe congrats on the sleep progress, its so hard. When I did naps I brought a chair in and sat reading a book, even though Jack cried I soothed him by patting his back and talking gently. When he was calm he would just play cause I was there, after 2 long weeks of literally sitting for every nap, getting absolutely nothing done it worked. Although he is hit and miss sometimes her goes right down others (80%) he cries for 5-10 minutes??? What to do.... he is big so he fights the rocking, and if he is really mad he stands so I can't even pat his back no choice but to leave him. I think it took us all summer to be better, so hang in mommy. My DH is going away for a week, my nanny will stay until they go down to bed, and lets hope our nights continue to progress. We are finally getting up close to 6 am again...who hated the time change???
We have been sick sick sick. Tuesday morning when we woke Grace had blood coming from her ear and all over her sheets, of course I rushed to emerg and she has a perforated ear drum we are seeing the ent specialist today. Poor little girl she really has been whiny with 2 fevers on the weekend and was vomitting Friday, but I was sick in bed throwing up the day before so just figure she has what I had, and she was not pulling on her ears. Jack had a fever and was sick sleeping it off for 2 days. The nanny is amazing I lover her so does Grace. Jack does when I am not around when I am he whines and hangs off me. However I have dropped my afternoon feed day 6 now and he is not so happy. He will drink during the day from his sippy (homo milk), again he will drink better when I am not here. It sucks because I was hoping to spend half the day with them and half without, but with me here he puts up a stink. Since we have been sick for about 10 days, all my to dos are on the backburner, I am just focusing on getting everyone healthy. Our nights are pretty good usually one wake I feed anything after that I let them CIO that last maybe 10 minutes. Grace looks books, we have the Guess how much I love you series, Dr. Suess and pop ups. We have the Fisher Price table and Bebe and my guys love it!!! As for Christmas we are thinking about one big toy and an outfit each, they will get so much and have a birthday a week later. We are playing to have someone come in from the music classes we go to to play her guitar and sing, I will do fancy cupcakes and food for the adults. Should be fun no theme yet but it has to be unisex...ideas. I was thinking lady bugs and ants??? Need to shower and prep the diaper bag for the appt wish us luck I will let you know how it goes
Hi to Sweet, Whit and Misty, I hope everyone is doing well. Holidays are coming and birthday its been quite a year ladies!!!

[bebehope]

Nicole, that is so scary with G and her ear! Wow, sounds like you guys have been soooo sick, poor family! Thanks for the encouraging words about the sleep training. Tonight they cried for like 20 mins again. It just breaks my heart and I don't know what to do. C when she stands can't get back down so sometimes when I go back in and lay her down she goes right to sleep. E can get back down, but she sometimes really fights sleep...poor babies.

Mel that is so exciting about your plans to TTC #2! Wow, let us know what they said about your protocol. I hope it works with your frozen embies, too. DH and I visited friends recently who had a 1 week old baby...definitely got us thinking about having another one someday. But then we had really cranky days like today and I was really overwhelmed last week, and then I think "don't be drawn in by the sweetness of a newborn!" haha We'll see...no plans for us! T's party sounds great. I think carrot cake is a great idea, and even better is the time- not lunch and not dinner. Friends of ours had their son's 1st b-day yesterday and they served soup- well chili- and I told DH I thought that was a great idea that we should do for our party (he does not want to have a party so that was my way of hinting!).

Whit- how are you doing? How is KJ, and how is your pregnancy going?

Okie dokie, DH has put on a House, so off to spend some QT with him and Dr. House. Haha

[Alexismith]

mmmmm...hugh laurie....droollllll!
Wow everyone is sick....stephs boy is sick too (FB) mine is just a cranky pants and perpetually teethy still.... he tried for his first black eye falling down on a saucepan he was playing with but luckily he didnt actually bruise although the lump on his brow was awful just after poor thing. nearly shopped out but just dh and myself to do as far as gift shopping goes! off to bake pecan pies!

[nmm01]

Happy First Thanksgiving as Mommies, American Friends!!
Alex and Bebe sounds like you are cooking up storms, Alex taking on a family at your house good for you.
Grace has slept through 2 nights in a row 645-630 and when she wakes not interested in nursing but will drink 5 oz out of her sippy prior to her nap!!! Jack is waking once around 330 nursing and hit or miss in the am. I need to drop the am feed in the next few weeks. I have both babes on homo milk and they seem happy. things are going well, J has finally adjusted to the nanny, and since last Friday he has not cried going down for naps or bedtime!!! Now we have changed the bedtime routine and he is very happy with it. I am playing the bday party turns out 50 invite...I am trying to get a singer guitar player from our music group to come in. Should be fun, well one week exactly before I head back to work so I am off to work on my to do list. DH is off to Berlin next week and its his bday plus we have his xmas party on the 4th, our first night out!!!! Did I tell you I love our nanny, my house is clean, kids ae happy and tired at the end of the day

[whitley]

Whit- how are you doing? How is KJ, and how is your pregnancy going?

Doing fine thanks...pregnancy is getting tougher and tougher having just moved (YAY for more bedrooms, bathrooms, and space in general) and with an 11 month old who has a birthday party that has kinda ballooned out of control in 10 days! Had a visit to L&D the other day because of severe back pain and abdominal pressure...they ran a million tests and were trying to rule out a bladder infection. Fun times over here. DS's birthday party theme is Tigger which I mentioned in the last thread (YAY for a new thread too! I was hoping I wasn't coming back to September again! :p) Invites have been out for a week and we have something crazy like 25 kids coming! LOL!! The great thing about it is we are NOT having it at home. We rented out The Inflatable Fun Zone. So they will set up, clean up and we just have to show up! We are bringing the cake, however, a Tigger cake...of course. I'm looking forward to it even though with my pregnant belly I won't be bouncing on ANYthing!

DS has been STTN like a perfect angel ever since we moved! I'm like...so THAT's all it took? Moving to a house where he finally has his own room and is out of our room? Guess we made too much noise for him because now he sleeps like a champ 8-10 hour stretches! Food is more challenging than sleep right now but I won't even get into that lament.

MEL! Have fun trying for #2! Hope it goes quickly and painlessly...but be prepared to be pooped while chasing T around! LOL I am exhausted and fall in bed at the end of every day!

[Sweet Pea]

Hi guys - I miss you all. I love logging-in and reading about what you've all been up to!

Nicole - hi back and thanks! I hope you're all feeling better and I'm sending you happy vibes for your first day back at work. I can't believe it has been a year! I'm so glad you love your nanny. It will make the transition so much easier.

Bebe - I hope the sleep training kicks-in. Stick with it, I think it works and gets easier for everyone in time.

Mel - #2!!! how exciting! How many frosties do you have left again? I'm getting more adventurous like you with food (thanks to Alexi!). Sounds like you have a fun first birthday planned too. That's a lot of people!

Alexi - I'm with you on the 18 mo clothes. We just started wearing some 18 month stuff now since the 6-12 stuff was getting tight. The 9-12 is still ok though. Where are you with the move? Sorry if I missed something - I tried to read everything I missed

Misty - Happy holidays!

We had a photog here yesterday, so fingers crossed for some good photos. We are standing on our own and starting to cruise. Working on teeth 3-5. Ate turkey, mashed potato, sweet potato (minus marshmallow) and rutabagas at Thanksgiving. Rutabagas (from my Canadian side) were the least fav (sorry Nicole and Mel) and sweet potato was the fav (my annual dish). I'm doing Christmas this year with 9 adults (ahhhhh!).

I wish I had a secret sauce for you all on STTN. We did sleep training early on, probably because I went back to work so long ago. I know I have it better than 99% and am super duper lucky... K sleeps for 12-13 hours straight every night, with the rare nightmare. She naps 2 hrs in am and 1 in pm (on average) for naps. I don't have twins, which would change everything, and major kudos to you gals. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm still tired!

Whit - I hope you're feeling great! When are you due again? I'm still in shock that one of us is preg again I'm glad KJ likes his own room. I slept with K until she was 8 months and finally had to move back to my bed since it did more harm than good. Even if I have to sleep with the snore machine (DH) now!

For Christmas, she's getting a wooden trike from Santa and a play cube from grandparents. I asked DH to pick something each year and suggested he pick something with her name. This year he got her a personalized book. For her b-day, I'm thinking a doll and pram, and a rocking giraffe from the grandparents. Carrot cake is a front runner over here too!

Happy holidays to all of you and I hope your happy little kiddies are doing great! I can't believe how far we've come!