# APRIL for June '04 Toddlers! 22 months and counting!



## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

Ok, we need to stay organized here, ladies!

Did anyone play an April Fool prank, by the way?


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

QueenofCups, are those decorations piped yourself, or are they the little things you get in the icing section? Just curious. Funny because we watched THE INCREDIBLES the other day (for the umpteenth time) and I kept saying, "Monsieur Incroyable" all evening, probably to everyone's irritation. Though dd and I often shout "gonflable" loudly because it's such a funny word, and we have to see it all the time in the car on the warning label, and it rhymes with "incroyable," so it makes sense in our nutty nutty household.

Has anyone seen THE EMERALD FOREST? - this is by the guy who did DELIVERANCE and it is a wonderful film. We have had it for years but I watched it again the other day.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

I piped all the decorations on all the cakes - I sketch it out in the icing beforehand and then fill in with icing (no patterns or anything). My sister's was pretty cheesy, but I didn't have more than a few minutes to work on it.

Can I just gush about how adorable Killian is? sweet, intense, introspetive, and bossy seem to be his prevelent moods. While Ellie is almost always just joyful!

Tomorrow we're going to a petting zoo - I'm so excited! Its closed during the winter and just reopened over the weekend, so I'm very excited to go back. Killy loves animals, so I think he'll have a blast!


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

We love The Incredibles over here! I'm fond on yelling "You're not affiliated with me!"









I got my Soft Stars today!! Tain's fit well, though I am glad you said something since they look kind of dorky right now and I am hoping when the leather eases they won't look quite so retarded. Ro's are GIGANTIC, I think they got the size wrong-they told me what size to order, which is already a size bigger than he wears now but was based on measurements I sent them so







. Anyway, the ones that came were a size bigger than the ones I ordered! So he has about an inch between his toes and the top of the shoe and the elastic around the ankle is baggy. I am debating whether I should hang onto them for next summer or exchange them.

My friend offered to watch my kiddos tomorrow evening so dh and I get to go on ANOTHER date!!!! Have I mentioned how awesome she is?


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

Julie, exchange them and hit the February sale next year.

Mostly just subbing. Today's the last day my MIL is here, so we're going out and having fun today. I've been embarrassingly cranky the whole time she's been here, because R and I haven't slept well at all.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

No April Fool's jokes here. I'm too pregnant and tired to think of anything creative.









Are any of your toddlers sleeping a LOT????

In the last month Lil has gone from a one-hour nap to a 2.5 to 3 hour nap! Defnitely no complaing from the tired pregnant mama. I usually lay down with her for an hour or so and then get up and do a few things while she's still sleeping. It's WONDERFUL!

She's also very willingly going to bed at night again (she used to....then went through a stage where she fought it like crazy). Many nights she sleeps all night in her big girl bed (putting a mattress on the floor was the BEST thing for helping her to sleep longer -- she really just didn't like her crib). Other nights she pitter patters into our room around 2-3 a.m. and goes right back to sleep until morning.

I'm wondering if maybe she's having a growth spurt (though I haven't noticed her eating more really







)??

Whatever it is...I'm a grateful mama!!!









Queenie ~ Your cakes are BEAUTIFUL!!! Great pictures of your kiddos too. I always feel badly when I see all your wonderful pictures because I am so damn lazy about taking pictures. I usually forget my camera...or bring it along and never take it out. Lame mama.

Hey Liz ~ Have you read "You are your child's first teacher"? I'm just about finished with it. Definitely didn't agree with everything in it but overall I found it really inspiring. Lil and I are in a parent-tot group at the Waldorf school and one of the other mamas recommended it to me.









Julie ~ What a great friend!!







DH and I had a date on Saturday night. It was WONDERFUL to talk and reconnect!!!!









Anyone talked to Seedling lately?? I feel like we haven't heard from her in ages???


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Just subbing!


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## heatherbell (Jun 8, 2005)

Finally found my way over.

We've been super busy lately. Nadia has started to test her boundries and it sure is hard to stay calm while she's kicking and screaming! But shes actually started to tell us when she needs to potty and when she'd like to go to bed. Makes life just a little easier! But it seems like shes on a food strike. She won't eat hardly anything all day long. Shes never been much of an eater but now its really only a few bites per meal. I have to tell myself she won't starve herself to death but its sure hard to see her not eat.

My little one, Hayden, started trying some solids and he just looked so grown up in his high chair that I cried. He's trying so hard to crawl. Nadia gets on the floor with him and tries to show him while saying,"C'mon, Den! C'mon!"

My husband has been feeling a little extra stress at work and its making him stressed at home. More hours and more responsibility. We've been trying to decide whether or not staying in the military is for our family. We'd love to live overseas in Europe.

I've been busy with the kids and trying to get a little WAHM business set up to earn some extra cash to help fund my cloth diaper addiction


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## prmom (Jun 14, 2004)

Congrats to Rynna!







I can't wait to hear your birth story. Also condolences(sp?) to you too.

Well...it's spring break here!!!!! We are heading to Indy tommorrow to visit friends and go the the Children's Museum. I am so excited!

Not much going on here. Just subbing as well.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

The Indianapolis Children's Museum is supposed to be the BEST in the country. I"m so jealous!

We have lots of boundry testing here. I feel like every single day I have to say 10 times, "You get to make a choice: you can walk with Mama, or I can carry you. I'll count to three, and if you're not walking I'll carry you." At least I'm getting STRONG from carrying 15lb Ellie and 30lb Killian at the same time so often! I think he's going through a growth spurt, too - lots of eating and sleeping. He goes in cycles with sleeping: 3-4 nights of sleeping through the night without waking at all, a night or two of waking once or twice, and then a night or two of constant waking throughout the night. Then it repeats. He's also been kicking me lately! It just infuriates me, but I find the best response is to make a super sad face and pretend to cry a little saying, "You hurt Mama. Please don't kick me." He always gives me a kiss then and quits being so rough. I'm just tired of doing that routine multiple times each day. I was the shyest, quietest, non-physically-agressive little kid ever - and DH was really similar from what I've heard. Where did this rough, agressive behavior come from? We're not a rough family - really!

Okay, so my weight-loss saga continues. My weight loss does not seem to pick up the pace regardless of how strict I am with my diet. I was eating like a pig and loosing anywhere from .5-1.5 lbs a week. I stick to my diet and I loose the same amount. Grrrr. I'm already working out at least 30 minutes a day, 7 days a week - I can't fit much more in! Maybe as the weather continues to improve and I start working in the garden outside and going to the zoo more often things will pick up. I just keep telling myself that at least I am still loosing.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen of Cups*

We have lots of boundry testing here. I feel like every single day I have to say 10 times, "You get to make a choice: you can walk with Mama, or I can carry you. I'll count to three, and if you're not walking I'll carry you."

We have a similar conversation. Lily wants to walk but thinks she doesn't need to hold my hand so we go through the whole "you have a choice, you can hold my hand and walk or I can carry you" Usually I have to pick her up and start to carry her and then she'll say "hand mommy" so I set her down and she'll hold my hand. She seems to be trying to prove her independence a lot lately. I've come up w/ the phrase "We can do it the easy way or the hard way" for things that aren't negociable (sp), like the car seat. She is starting to get it but it's so hard. I hate having to force her to do something but when we have to go pick up her sister she has to get into her car seat. I try and save time for her to climb into the van herself and then climb into her sear herself but then she gets mad when I go to buckle her. Toddlers!

I'm sick! and it totally sucks. I have a cough that won't stop and now sinus/ear pressure/pain. I think I'm going to try and get into the chiros today, hopefully that will help the sinus and ear pain. Dh is going to get out of work early so I can take a nap. He's going to pick the older two up from their schools so I can come home from dropping Maddie off and take a nap, that is if Lily decides to cooperate!


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## Einley (Jul 12, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen of Cups*
The Indianapolis Children's Museum is supposed to be the BEST in the country. I"m so jealous!

Mostly just subbing, but I had to say that we just moved away from Indy and we really did enjoy going to the Children's Museum there. We haven't been to the one here in Milwaukee yet.
Oh and my little one is definitely asserting her independence! I cannot tell you how many times a day she says " I do it!!"


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## heatherbell (Jun 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen of Cups*
The Indianapolis Children's Museum is supposed to be the BEST in the country. I"m so jealous!


Are you or anyone else for that matter near Indy? My husband and I are both from that area (more East Central though) and loved, loved, loved the Children's Museum!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Nope, I'm from Virginia but now live in Kansas. But, I've worked in children's museums since 2000!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

You know, I actually say, "This is not negotiable" or "This is not up for debate" when it comes to things like carseats.







It's absolutely hiliarious to hear it coming out of a 2 year old's mouth later on.
















I feel horrific today... I've got a horrible headache and I'm swollen up and looking horrible. Even my face is swollen now.







Yick. I'm also having some body-image issues, and a very difficult time reconciling what I see in the mirror with the *fact* that I am definately smaller than I was after either of my previous births. It's probably hormones, because everything makes me want to cry...

BooBah is finally starting to understand that Bella is a person. She's been giving nice, gentle kisses to Bella, and she's been talking quietly around her. I think that the extra loveloves are helping-- Mike and I are both making an effort to give BooBah extra loveloves, because she really seems to need them. We don't want her to be "out of the loop" as it were, or to become "the middle child." So today, she walked up to me, put her arms around my neck and gave me a nice hug.







Then she started talking, "Mommy loves you. Daddy loves you. BeanBean loves you." After a moment she stopped, looked at me and said, "BeanBean loves _me_. Daddy loves _me_."







And on and on-- it was so, so sweet!

I'm not sure how big she is, but BooBah seems to be growing in a big way. She's getting to be quite solid! She doesn't look at all "petite" anymore, very average-sized, and if she keeps growing at this clip she might end up positively large!







It's very impressive! I'll find out for sure how big she is on Friday, when she sees the nephrologist (what the hell was I thinking, making an appointment for the 7th of April when I was due on the 20th?!), but I'm guessing that she's at least 25 pounds. She's getting to be a tank!







I was looking at her and admiring the perfect toddler proportions of her babyness; right now she looks *exactly* the way that I think nearly-two-year-olds ought to look, instead of like a miniature 10-year-old, which is how BeanBean looked.







BizzyBug, my niece, was medium-sized at 18 months and nice and big by 2, so BooBah may follow in her footsteps.









It got cold here last night-- this morning there was actually snow on the ground. Freaking snow! It was 70 degrees last week! I had to take Bella with me to WIC this morning, and I couldn't find anything warm to put on her-- I have no super-tiny winter clothing at all, only typical small new baby winter clothing.







Crazy stuff. I ended up wrapping her in blankets and carrying her around in the fleece pouch (I'm so glad I bought that from you, Julie!), wearing clothing that was way, way too big for her super-mininess.







I know that I ought to go into the storage closet and dig through the winter clothing for the winter baby things (like those blanket bags you can put on teensy people) but I don't have the energy... I barely have the energy to do anything.









I keep forcing myself to do things and then passing out; the energy required to, say, use the bathroom, wash my pump & paraphanalia, warm some milk, get some water, feed Bella, pump, change my nursing pads and put the milk in the freezer is enough to wipe me out for the rest of the day... and of course, it's not something you can do once a day, you have to do it over and over and over again.







It's insane.

At any rate, tomorrow I will make my first attempt at leaving the house with all three kids-- Bella has her first WCC, BooBah needs to have her blood drawn before she sees the nephrologist and BeanBean needs a haircut so that I can (hopefully) snap some cute pictures of him and the girls Saturday at the IL's, and maybe come up with some that are cute enough to buy from Shutterfly, rather than foolishly trying to drag the five of us to a portrait studio which is so not going to happen.














My sister promised BeanBean that she'd take him to get his hair shaped up (this is apparently a thing for them to do together now.







) so he's looking forward to it just because he gets to spend time with his aunt. My other sister left for Australia the other day; she'll be gone for at least two months, so it's unlikely that the kids will be spending the night with their cousins terribly often because mom has a hard enough time watching the girls on her own. Then again, when he's there with the girls and mom, BeanBean is a pretty easy guy. He and BizzyBug occasionally butt heads because they're at such similar devlopmental stages and therefore enjoy the same toys and games, but neither is fabulous at taking turns... but other than that, they do very well together.







ChibiChibi asked me if, now that Bella is here, I would be taking her home soon.







Poor kid wants desperately for me to adopt her.







I'd love to bring her, I'm sure she'd be a great help, but with me feeling like crap on a stick right now, I don't think she'd have a very good time... she'd spend all of her energy playing in the backyard with BeanBean and keeping him out of Mike's hair while he does housework.









Bella really needs to grow quickly. I've decided that I loathe the fingerfeeder in the middle of the night more than the pain of her teensy weensy mouth latching on, so I actually put her to the breast last night rather than get out of bed. It hurt like hell, she's still not really big enough, but I put her on the left side so the milk was just flying out and I know she got plenty before she fell asleep from the work. That's the other issue with her nursing-- it's so much work for her that she gets tired long before she's full. I know this, because often when I put her to the breast she'll fall asleep, but when I change her pants (and thus wake her up) I'll give her the fingerfeeder and she'll take up to 60 cc of milk.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Lil has her first stomach flu.

I wasn't home last night when she started throwing up. DH called me to tell me to get home as soon as I could. Poor girl.

She kept begging/screaming/crying for water but every time we'd give her even a sip she'd get sick again.

Finally around midnight her belly seemed to settle down so I brought her upstairs and she and I slept in her bed. I'm exhausted and sore from nursing and contorting my big pregnant body around her all night but she seems to be feeling much better this morning.

Good luck with your outing today Rynna!!!

Oh and we do the carseat is not negotiable thing too. I've been saying....we have to do XYZ (get in carseat, hold hands, mama carry you) "for safety" and she's generally responded pretty well. She still fights it sometimes but I try to only use the phrase "for safety" when it truly is and I need her to cooperate and she generally goes along with it.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Well, I found out why Killy has been Mr. Cranky Butt lately... He's getting his 2-year molars! Two of the four have cut. AHA!

He doesn't fight the carseat very often, luckily. And its not that he doesn't want to hold my hand when we're walking - its that he doesn't want to leave! He does the whole huge tantrum when we're about to leave, and then seem to get it together, and then do the jelly-legs in the parking lot. Don't you hate it when you're walking along and they just lay down randomly?! This sounds terribly mean, but if I just can't pick him up at the moment (usually if Ellie's in her infant seat - I can't carry her in that and Killy because its too heavy), I have been known to say, "You can walk or I can drag you. I can't carry you." And, he usually pops right up and walks. I hope ya'll don't think I'm too awful! Twice in the last week I've had friends tell me that they're amazed at how well I handle both kids, especially when Killy's having a meltdown. It just made my day each time! I guess I don't always look as incompetant as I sometimes feel!


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

I generally don't argue with toddlers. I don't think I do, anyway. This discussion makes me wonder what I say. I think I just say, "we're doing this now," and if he screams or whatever, that's that. I'm not really into giving toddlers choices too often; I think it only overwhelms them further, because many times it's the sheer indecision and enormity of deciding to walk-or-be-carried that is too much for them in the first place. I might say, "if you walk you have to hold hands," and then, "if you won't hold hands you have to be carried," but I don't phrase it in terms of choose-this-one-or-the-other. I really do think it's too much for them. They are still so small. Rowan, being male and of intense temperament, cannot hear reasoning yet anyway.

I typed this amusing anecdote about Rowan and a watermelon in Publix yesterday and now it has suddenly disappeared, and I don't have the strength to tell the story again.

Good luck with your excursion, Rynna! Don't feel bad, weren't you about ripe for the baby blues yesterday?









The roofers are here! One of them came by yesterday to walk the house and said they'd be here today, but I didn't really believe him. Sure enough at 7:45 dd woke me, all excited, to tell me they were on the roof. grrrr....I had stayed up 'til 2:30 cleaning and reorganizing and had finally gotten Rowan off my boob, but when she woke me I noticed the hammering and scraping. I think I'll like the putting-on-noises better. The scraping and banging is so inconsistent...but as I speak it becomes more regular, stapling sounds now- they must already be putting down the new felt. Good thing I don't get headaches easily.


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Hoorah for you Liz! It's about time!

Daylight savings is killing me. Tain just cant seem to sleep when it is light outside and with daylight savings that pushes his bedtime back over an hour, not to mention the sun still rises pretty early. His room actually gets pretty dark with the shades drawn but it doesn't seem to matter, he's up with the sun and not ready to sleep until it sets. My day has suddenly gotten so much longer and man, am I tired!


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## Einley (Jul 12, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mattjule*

Daylight savings is killing me. !


Dh and I have managed to live in states that do not do Daylight Savings (well now one does, but not while we lived there) for the past 10 years so this was our first Daylight Savings in a long time! I swear it is kicking my a$$ - my kids seemed to have adjusted a lot better than I have lol.

My little one has been super cranky lately too- but I haven't been able to get a good look in her mouth to see if she is getting her molars. And I will not stick my fingers in there


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

I quit! Is that even spelled right? It looks wrong but considering what the last few days have been like..... I ended up w/ a 103.2 fever on Wednesday. My dh was freaked out and called hte doctor they told him to give me 600 mg of Ibuprophan it took the fever 6 hours to break. I was not coherent. So I went to the doctors yesterday and it's not pnemonia or the flu(that was a fun test) He gave me some robotussin w/ codeine and a z-pac. I'm feeling much better now. My body isn't throbing but now dh is at the doctor's w/ Maddie because she woke up at 1:45 this morning w/ a fever of 102.2 and stomach pain. Oh what fun!! So I got to try and trouble shoot while in a codeine induced haze. Oh and did I mention that Lily thinks that she need to nurse like a newborn at night? Last night I got to a point where I actually keft the room and went to sleep in Maddie's bed (no one uses that bed). MAinly because I was angry at my dh because he got all pissy because Lily pulled the covers off him so even though she was sleeping and not scream for momma juice he felt the need to act like a child and whip the cover back over him and filp over to move away from her because she was touching him. Not a good idea to piss off the sick wife.

I need a vacation!! Maybe one w/out the kids or dh!

Ok whine over!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Hugs to you, Sandi! It really sucks to be a sick mommy.

I'm loving Daylight Savings Time! Killy's still going to bed at the normal time (9pm), but is sleeping about an hour later (till 8am). I'm in heaven! Sorry, not to brag...

Killian's a nutcase this morning. He has a sliced up pear, but is insisting that he needs another one, and I'm tired of finding uneaten food around here, so he's not going to get a second until he finishes the first. Apparently, this is a very cruel thing to insist upon.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Sandi!

I'm heading to the mall out of desperation.







I can't possibly nurse Lily another second (since she got sick Weds. night she has wanted -- and I have given her -- non-stop monnies). Since the only way she's going to stop asking is if we go somewhere I....Must. Get. Out. Of. The. House.

I don't have any $$ to spend but....they have a carosel (sp?) there, which she loves, and she can run around and enterain the other shoppers.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Sounds like a lot of us are having crazy times.

I managed to get the kids out of the house yesterday, but I didn't get everything done; just as I was coming down the steps to take Bella to her WCC and BooBah to get her blood drawn, BooBah decided to strip naked. There she stood, bare buns and all.














So I gave up and just took Bella.







BooBah saw the nephrologist this morning, and she didn't mind that the most recent bloodwork was in February, so it was all good.









We have plans for Pesach now, that's pretty cool... I won't have to cook.







I feel a teensy bit guilty, because I'd planned to teach BeanBean The Four Questions (something that the youngest child present who is a whole person should do), but being in the third trimester I never got around to it.







Chibi and/or BizzyBug will probably end up reading them, and BeanBean can do it next year, maybe even with BooBah.







I'm just really pleased that I'll get to go to a real Seder and not have to cook.









I've put Bella to the breast several times today. It hurts, but less than before. She's growing.







5 lbs 15 oz yesterday, so she's gaining nicely, too. And I've got an appointment for myself for Monday, because it's not normal to swell up like a balloon and I seem to have developed a UTI.







Lovely, really, to have all this extra fluid and not be able to do anything with it at all...







I'll be getting some antibiotics, without a doubt, and I've got to get some preemptive nystatin. Yeesh. At any rate, I'm working hard to cut back on how much I pump, because I'm one of those people who can pump gallons of milk and if I don't pay attention to what I'm doing, I'll end up pumping much more than I want to.







I've also been avoiding oatmeal, which is difficult because I froze a lot of baked oatmeal while I was pregnant for fast, yummy breakfasts.







What was I thinking?!

Miserable Bella, gtg...


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

We had tickets to go see Ween tonight, but I just wasn't up to leaving Rowan with my friend (my very generous friend who no doubt did not realize Rowan can be a monster) and possibly having to leave the concert by myself (and taking two cars to begin with) and still have to get the children at my friend's and bring them home. So dh went with his friend (who's here for his custody issues, without his wife) and another friend, and probably sold the extra ticket to someone in the ticket line. I was a little sad but I was up last night achy and with an itchy throat, and I don't want to *be* a sick momma, so I decided we will have plenty of opportunity to see them in the NY area where I can let them sleep at my mother-in-law's and know all is well. And take the train or a taxi. This driving everywhere is awful! I still stayed out until 10pm at the friend's who was going to watch them. I just wasn't going to get dressed, pack stuff for Rowan, get him settled, leave, drive forty miles, etc etc etc.

We never do much for Passover though I grew up attending more Seders than dh, who is the Jewish one. They have a secular dinner (though my sister-in-law in NY, I think they do a Seder) and I doubt they are inviting us anywhere (as though we would go!) after the Christmas fiasco. The good thing about that horrible day was that we never have to worry about being invited to their place again!







But when I ask dh if he wants to do a (vegetarian) Seder he says no, he doesn't believe in any of that nonsense, though I do all the Christian holidays from my pagan perspective. So I guess we're not doing anything. Dyeing Easter eggs? Watching LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST? Something like that, probably, since the holidays are so close this year.


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

Ooooohhhhh... I guess it's April now, huh?









Rynna!?! CONGRATS!! You're up & about already, too! I hear ya on nursing even if it hurts a bit... thats what I ended up doing with Roland. We were doing the Avent pump/bottles & it got old reeeaaallly fast.

We've had a craptastic week. I've been trying to keep the house clean incase we get a visit from CPS, but between the yard & preschool & the usual kid stuff, the place is still a wreck.
DH is done school now... he got 95% on his practical & 92% on his test... so yay! He woked nightshift yesterday & today so he could watch Caitlin while I worked at the preschool yesterday. Today he passed his follow up test for the big V, and bought an X-Files DVD on his way home. Before we started dating, we used to watch it together & play Lego







Him buying that DVD was an attempt at being romantic, I think


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

Been missing you, Mummoth.

You must love the Barenaked Ladies song, then, about "watching X-Files with no lights on/ We're dans la maison/ I hope the smoking man's in this one!" I have fond memories of watching the X-Files (usually with ordinary friends though) pre-dd, so very very long ago.....

I am also getting tired of nursing. Not the thought of nursing as I would like it, but nursing about ten times more often than that ideal I have in mind....that's getting old.


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

Wait, Mummoth, your kid got out once and the same day someone called CPS on you? That's really creepy. Or am I missing something? And the busybody said you spanked him? I hope you find out who it is.







: As my neighbor, on whom someone called the county without talking to him or asking about the problem, said, "I know how to call the county, too, you know!"


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LizD*
Wait, Mummoth, your kid got out once and the same day someone called CPS on you? That's really creepy. Or am I missing something? And the busybody said you spanked him? I hope you find out who it is.







: As my neighbor, on whom someone called the county without talking to him or asking about the problem, said, "I know how to call the county, too, you know!"









Yes, this was the first time he's gotten out. At the absolute most he ws out of the yard for 5 - 8 minutes. He says he went out into the lane to pick flowers for me (and he did have some dandylions in his hand) I looked around & the only places I could see that there had been dandylions picked were *right* outside the gate. I think what must've happened is the passenger of the car happened to see him in the lane as they drove down the side street & thats why they pulled onto the boulevard? One thing that was really creepy is when I talked to him about it after his time out he told me "Lots of people saw me" which to me sounded like the person told him to tell me since it's not the sort of thing a 4 year old is generally aware of. I mean, if his finger isn't in his nose, his hand is in is pants... it's not like he's self concious! So that was some kind of threat or something? It was just some random passerby. I'm glad it was just a weird busybody than someone who would take him & really hurt him. I've heard people lie to CPS because they want to be taken seriously & often know their call isn't really warranted.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Oh Mum....that sucks.

Well...I'm sick with a stomach flu. A lovely treat at 36 weeks pregnant.







This is my first time off the couch since yesterday afternoon.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

I finally put some pictures of Bella in my signature. They're not the greatest, but I'll get some decent ones over the next few weeks.


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## prmom (Jun 14, 2004)

Wow...sounds like ppl are really getting the stomach bug. Today we went to my lil bro's baseball game and we were all doing great and then all of a sudden Gavin vomitted several times. I felt so bad for him. He was supposed to go to his friends 2 yr. birthday party, but we didn't want to keep him out at all.

Well...The Children's museum rocked







Gavin and Logan just loved it. I couldn't believe how much hands on exhibits they had. Gavin was just beaming the whole time. I would recommend it for anyone with young children. Plus, their Dinosphere (or as logan says it Dinos fear) exhibit was incredible! We only live a little less than 3 hrs. from Indy...Northern Indiana so it was a perfect length for travel and everything was within our budget!

Well I hope all you mamas and little ones start to feel better.

Rynna have you posted your birth story yet? I am looking forward to reading it!


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

She's perfect, Rynna! But you knew that.







Is the birth story posted yet? I am anxious to hear.

I guess I can expect to develop a long relationship with CPS at some point because Rowan even tried to leave my friend's house- walked out the open patio door and was on his way down the driveway when he was discovered.


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Mum! That must've been frightening. I can't believe that someone just happened to call CPS the very first time he escaped!

Rynna, Bella is just beautiful!

Liz, I can't believe you had to miss Ween! I love the Chocolate and Cheese album, as well as the country-themed one.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Oh, the birth story!







It's in my blog. I linked it in the big sticky post in my DDC (April 06), but right now it's the "top" entry in my blog, so it's easy to find.

I think she's definately a keeper... if I didn't have such a ripper of a headache, I'd probably be enjoying her a lot more.







I'm pretty happy with her today, though; I managed to get her to nurse with the nipple shield, and it was only vaguely uncomfortable (I'm probably developing thrush, because that's something that happens to me in the first week or two pp).







Nipple shields are a PITA, but nothing on fingerfeeders! I'm feeling pretty good about it, all in all.







I mean, one thing to wash and deal with, rather than pump-warm-feeder-bottle before you actually get to the baby... no contest, right? Now if she'd only hurry up and grow, so that I can put the nipple shield into her baby box and it can become a distant memory, like BeanBean's...

And now it's time for dinner. I've got to try to eat...


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Mummoth, that SUCKS. I'm so, so sorry. People are hideous sometimes.

We went to Picture People today: link
I'm not thrilled with them, but I had a coupon for a free 10' by 13' so I got the one of James standing.

I have been battlling a UTI, but other than that things are great. I'm 34 weeks now.

James took his first trip to the zoo as a walking person today. He LOVED it. I am totally getting a membership.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Wah! I couldn't see the pictures!

The zoo here in KC is under major renovations, so the Africa section isn't open right now (it will be open before summer). I can't wait for Killian to see the lions, gorillas, chimps, and elephants! He sees it all from the stroller, though, because its about 6 miles to walk the whole zoo and I know he wouldn't be able to walk that far in one day.


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Yeah, those jerks at Picture People seemed to have broken the link once they realized I was passing it out all over the Internet







I need to upload the jpegs to my own web space, haven't done that in waaaaaay too long.


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## prmom (Jun 14, 2004)

Rynna-just read your birth story and WOW it is amazing! I can't imagine a baby in NICU, but you sure have a lot of strength and seem to cope with it well. I hope nursing continues on the up and up!

Well after a day of puking and diarrhea I am exhausted, but not tired. Logan ended up joining the sick party...makes me wonder if my mom gave them something their tummies couldn't handle. Sometimes she does not use good discretion with candy and juices...like that I would rather it be a treat than a regular snack at her home....grandmas...ugh.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Oh, I forgot to mention - I bought Killian a swingset for his birthday next month! It was $100 off this week (ending today), so I went on and got it. WOW! I think he'll go nuts when its in our backyard. I feel a little guilty for spending so uch on his birthday, but its really for all our kids (we plan to have a few more!), and it'll last for years and years, so I think its a good investment. Its going to be tough to wait till next month to put it together! I think that it will be perfect for after-dinner fun EVERY evening this summer, and a fun thing for him to do while I weed in the back yard. I'm planning to replace one of the swings with a baby swing for Ellie. (Killy uses the baby swing at the park sometimes, but at least half the time he uses a regular swing.)


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## heatherbell (Jun 8, 2005)

It must've been a day for pictures! We went and had Nadia and Hayden's taken at Sears. Oh man, what an adventure that was. Both of them were so happy until we walked into the studio, of course! Complete and total meltdown hit Nadia and while Hayden was being so good and playing with his toys, Nadia threw one of her little Dora toys and hit Hayden in the forehead







So Hayden starts to cry and once he starts, he doesn't stop. It took lots of cuddles with Mommy to get him calmed down. And then we realized that damn Dora left a small goose egg smack in the middle of his forehead. What luck!

We had a very patient photographer and she really tried her hardest to get some good pictures for us but it just wasn't happening. Luckily, we did get one of the two together and then at least one good one of each. Here they are if anyone wants to look.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

QoC- We have a similar playset and it was the best investment we have ever made! This is the 4th summer our kids have used it and they still love it. They'll spend the entire day in the backyard playing on it. Lily has just this spring learned how to climb the ladder. My only complaint is that we need to regularly sand it down to avoid slivers and even then the girls still manage to get a few. I sometimes wish we had sprung for the Rainbow play system, esp w/. the amount of time they spend on it.

HAve fun "building" it!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

I uploaded all of our Picture People thumbnails: link


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Smithie-I was so confused for a minute until I reread your post and it was ALL your pics. lol

I never take my kids to a portrait studio, for one, we always have an experience that involves meltdowns and pressure and for two, I think the pics I take are pretty satisfactory, and for three, we never have the money to do it.

Mum-I can't believe someone called CPS on you! Of all the people who deserve to be called and don't, someone singles you out and blatantly LIES?! The nerve!

Rynna-She does look a lot like you! That is so cool!

My playgroup was just suggesting a zoo trip today, I bring the stroller and then let Ro get in and out, ours is on a mountain so it is pretty steep but we walk at Tain-pace so it isn't that bad.







I see a lot of parents with kids Tain's age pushing the zoo strollers and walking fast and not letting their kids out and I always wonder why they bothered to bring their kids at all. But I digress. It's supposed to be 75 degrees here! Spring finally!!

So anyone non-religious here? I want to celebrate Easter but last year it was so, ugh. Just a basket with some candy and crayons and paper. We dyed eggs the day before. But I don't know, something was missing, it didn't feel special, you know? So I am looking to add some traditions to make it more meaningful. I am tempted not to celebrate it at all, but I do want my kids to feel like other kids, just without the God stuff.

Ro had a rough night last night. Dh suspects he has another ear infection so we will probably be taking him to urgent care today. Thing is, I don't really believe in abx but I also don't think it is right for a child the age of 1 to be in constant pain and we need to document it anyway so he can be eligible for tubes and then *hopefully* stop getting them so often. If he has one, it will be his third this year and 3 in a year qualifies for tubes. I think 3 in 3.5 months should definitely! We all just got over strep too, finished the meds about 4 days ago. This is ridiculous.

Here are some pics of the kids from yesterday. They aren't great but my mom really wanted some new ones so there was a bit of a time constraint. Gtg, Ro just woke...


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Oh, I was also going to say that Tain gets a lot of gifts like that. Last year he got a train table, but the kids do use it equally at this point so it works out. We just be careful to let the ownership gradually fade to "ours" instead of "mine".









Maybe we'll do the Children's Museum for Ro's birthday. It is up in Denver, about an hour drive, but it is the gas combined with the entrance fee that kills me. If they are going to charge for kids Ro's age, they should at least let the parents in free, I mean come on, it is a CHILDREN's museum. It just doesn't seem very fair to pay $15 a person and I think $8 for Ro. (It might be $12, I get it confused with the aquarium).


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Julie-- You could do a spring celebration... there are lots of fun projects for spring out there. Tain would probably love starting plants in pots, I know that BeanBean and BizzyBug went absolutely crazy for that project.







BeanBean's also been very interested in life cycles (having a baby will do that for a child!) and that fits in very nicely with spring themes. Lots of outdoor time, nature walks, things like that... as soon as I'm feeling like a person again, I'm planning to take the kids to one of the state parks to look at the new flowers opening up, and leaves coming out on bushes and trees.









They really charge for nearly-2-year-olds at the children's museum? Man, that sucks.









Prmom-- I loathe the NICU.







I didn't feel like I did a good job of handling it at all, I just so didn't want to be there... when BeanBean was discharged, I looked at the nurses and said, "You've been very nice, but I hope I never see you ladies again!" and I totally meant it.







: Every time I went in I asked if I could take Bella out yet... it was so difficult for me to leave her there.







Don't get me wrong, the NICU was very nice... softly lit, quiet music playing, the kindest nurses you could imagine and all the technology you need to care for all but the very teensiest, most ill babies (it's a level III NICU). It's just not a place that I ever cared to see the inside of in the first place, and doing it twice really messed with my head. I felt somewhat defective for having BeanBean go, and for Bella to go as well just threw me for a loop... hm. I probably need therapy for this.









Hm. I hear the bathtub running. I really hope that Mike is awake; BeanBean can totally turn the tub on by himself, but he has a hard time getting the temperature of the water just right and tends to make it a bit too hot for his sister (who is warm blooded like Daddy and likes to take baths in water that is tepid at best). I ought to check on that.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Okay, having worked in children's museums and having had lots of parents yell/berate/curse me because they had to pay admission, I feel I have to comment. A childrne's museum charges adults because they are there for the experience, too - it really should be fun for the whole family. Adults have to pay admission to kids' movies, the zoo, science museums, amusement parks, and to ride carosels and such. Why shouldn't they pay at a children's museum? And, usually kids over one year old are charged (less than an older child, but still charged) because the museum is designed for them, too! There will be plenty of activities that Ro will LOVE and participate in. Children's Museums are non-profit organizations. The staff are paid very VERY modestly even though they are almost always college graduates, and all the money earned by the museum goes directly to support that museum - updating exhibits, maintanence (you would not believe how much damage gets done on a daily basis in kids' museums), and training and keeping staff.

That said, check with the Denver Chamber of Commerce, tourism center, the museum's website, and other places like that for coupons. Often, there are ways to find discount or buy one get one freed coupons.

Sorry for my rant - I seriously have had parents cuss me out about this, and it always hurt my feelings so badly. Its a struggle to keep children's museums open, and it drove me batty that families would try to make me feel like they shouldn't have to pay anything to play all day...


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## boatbaby (Aug 30, 2004)

I have been out of the loop for a while --
I also haven't read any of the April thread...

But I just skimmed and saw that Rynna had Bella and I wanted to say YAY for you and your family and she is just GORGEOUS!

Cheers


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Your point is valid and it is not, while parents pay at amusement parks and zoos, they are not paying for a child under 2 nor are they paying full price for a child of 4. I am not sure about movies since we have never taken a child under 2 to one but kids are also discounted there. What I object to is paying for everyone. And I have never paid to ride a carousel with a child unable to ride by themselves. I think of the children's museum the same way, it is designed for children and I don't mind paying for them but it seems ridiculous that a parent would be paying full admission as well as the children when you HAVE to be there with your child. It isn't like a ride where you can watch from beyond the gate. Really what it boils down to is the charging of almost $60 for a modest family of 4 to go means the museum is getting less business because most ppl can't afford that just for an afternoon. Our zoo MEMBERSHIP, in which we can bring a free adult guest, was $89 for the year. Not hard to do the math. And the Denver zoo's membership is actually cheaper than my local zoo. I'd think about going to the museum if I could buy a membership for an affordable price but that is about the only way it would work. That said, if I chose to go I would never berate a museum employee about the price. I do think it is steep but it is completely my choice to go and if I don't like it, I can simply walk away and do something else. Which is what I currently do!







I never think it is right to yell at an employee about a company policy. The people you see face to face are not the people who control that sort of thing and are definitely not paid enough money to listen to you rant.

Well, we just spent 3 hours in urgent care to find out that Ro is completely healthy. Talk about paranoid parents and a waste of time. I still feel like a total idiot.

Okay, I have 4, yes a total of 4, houseplants that I feel guilty about all the time as I watch them slowly die. I could water them, but it takes so much time and I can never seem to get it right. So it is pretty easy to say I have a black thumb, well more like brown and crackly. Plus I don't have access to the outdoors except via windows (no yard or balcony). Potting stuff isn't really something I want to do unless it is supposed to die in a week or two. Maybe I'll get them a fish or something and we can do a treasure hunt. My mom always made elaborate treasure hunts for Easter. I have a problem with holidays in general, making them last longer than a few hours. I'd like them to feel the whole day is special, yk?


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

We always get free/discount passes for the zoo, children's museum, aquarium etc. at our library!









Quote:

Smithie-I was so confused for a minute until I reread your post and it was ALL your pics. lol
Me too! I kept looking and thinking...that can't be a June babe can it???? Then I re-read and understood. Great picture of you BTW!!!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mattjule*
I have a problem with holidays in general, making them last longer than a few hours. I'd like them to feel the whole day is special, yk?









Hm. I don't really have any advice on that one; Jewish holidays tend to last forever, what with preparations and everything... Pesach, for example: the holiday itself is 8 days, the Fast of the Firstborn is the day before, you're not allowed to eat chometz (regular bread) the day before. Kashering/covering your kitchen can take a solid week, and that's if you've got help and things are going quickly and well... it's insane.







In my childhood memories, Pesach seems to last for an entire month, and I'm sure that if I was to "make Pesach" properly, it would take me at least a month to prepare and do it right.









I've taken BeanBean to a few art galleries; they're free, and it's kind of cool to show these things to BeanBean as I am not artistically inclined myself. He loved the art class, and I'll probably do it next year with BooBah.







I took the kids to the aquarium in the Mall of America when we were there; it was "Toddler Tuesday," so my admission was cheaper than usual because I had the kids with me, and BeanBean was a few weeks short of three, so he was free and BooBah was, too.







The other things that the kids have done have been free-- a petting zoo at an orchard, visiting calves and cows at a dairy farm, picking apples, etc. Living in farm country, it's easy to find outdoor activities in the spring and summertime.


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

I'm just so glad spring is here so we can go outside. It was nasty cold this weekend again and although I ordinarily prefer it cold I was so bummed because we had so much fun outside last week.

I'm contemplating a sand-and-water table for our back porch, which is communal with three other apartments and three stories up. Just the idea of being able to spend some time outside without having to go anywhere makes me feel like I can breathe a bit, even if it is a wood porch facing an alley. At least it gets some sunlight. I may plant a small bowl of grass for R to water. Any other small outdoorsy ideas for toddlers?


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Balancin1*
Any other small outdoorsy ideas for toddlers?

SIDEWALK CHALK! Killian will happily spend hours outside drawing on the deck, and it all just washes away when it rains. (and washes off clothes and bodies easy, too)


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Balancin1*
Any other small outdoorsy ideas for toddlers?

I got a small turtle sandbox for Lil (picked it up free on the side of the road)! Our deck has a gate (and two full sliding doors so I can see her) so I can let her play out there while I'm doing stuff in the house. It's wonderful. (But I do have to say....after just a couple of weeks, she's showing some signs of boredome with it. I have to hide little treasures in there to keep it interesting....the uniform white playsand just doesn't interest her.)

A neighbor also gave us a little ride on toy (a plastic tricycle without pedals) which she rides around the deck....she loves that too!

I've also been giving her a little basin of soapy water (just a dishtub) and having her wash her toys. Keeps her busy for a loooooong time. Every once in a while I check the temp of the water (I like to keep it nice and warm) and add to the water if I need to.

Oh and I remember one of my friends used to have his toddler "paint" the deck with water. He would give him a little dish of water and a paintbrush and let him go to town. Just seeing the wet mark on the deck was a thrill to his two year old!


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

Caitlins favourite thing to play with outside is WORMS!! She talks to them, gives them rides in toy trucks, collects them in a bucket. Maybe a butterfly feeder, a net & a bug house (at our house the latter is a peanut butter jar with little holes punched in the lid)? Oh, and BUBBLES!!!! They're always a hit.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dharmama*
I(But I do have to say....after just a couple of weeks, she's showing some signs of boredome with it. I have to hide little treasures in there to keep it interesting....the uniform white playsand just doesn't interest her.)

dye it! Take parts and add a little bit of food coloring and mix it together. THen put it back in you can do a couple of different colors.

Side walk chalk and bubbles are a HUGE hit here. My girls also love their sand/water table too. The 3 of them will play on the front porch for hours just playing in the sand and coloring the cement. They also love to draw great big pictures on the drivewa too.

We've rearranged our house. The older two sleep together all the time and they want bunkbeds. So Dh is going to build them bunk beds. But in the mean time we took Lily's crib apart and put the double that was in Maddie's room in Lily's room and we made MAddie's room into the playroom. So my living room is now empty!!! It's so nice to walk in the front door and not see the chaos that was the living room!! Now I just need to get the rugs clean.

We have a chiro appt to get to! Hope everyone has a great day!


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

There's an insane place here called "wannado city" and it's absurdly expensive, for one, and kind of gross therefore that adults are charged a higher admission fee when they are required to be in there, but everything is child-sized, and there are places for adults to sit and get wifi since that's pretty much all they can do there.

Great photos!

Julie, look into books like The Children's Year, All Year Round, and books like The Easter Craft Book by Thomas and Petra Berger (the Bergers have a whole series of craft books, harvest, Christmas, nature table, etc). These are full of wonderful ideas for things to do to bring real meaning to the holidays, and discussion of the pre-religious archetypes (the true origins of these holidays that have been absorbed by religions like Christianity and Judaism, etc). They are mostly from a Waldorf-y perspective but I have found them very useful and I think Steiner was as nutty as a fruitcake.









I am not religious at all but I celebrate the cycle of the year and I make a BIG DEAL of Christmas (solstice) and Easter (equinox, like Passover) and midsummer and so on. For Christmas there's an excellent book by John Matthews called The Winter Solstice. He's a real pagan author but this book is more about traditions and archetypes. I can honestly say that the presents are not the most important part to my dd. Doing the things we do traditionally are far more important. Most of these were not things I did as a child- though we did the usual New York things like Macy's Santa and looking at the wonderful store window animations.

If you have a sliding glass door, water guns, foam paint brushes, a dishpan of water, and a squeegee.







Water guns, water guns, water guns. They can squirt any plants out there, too. ToysRUS has a three-pack of little plain water pistols that have so far served us *very* well, in the two weeks I've had them.







Washing doll clothes is always a good thing to do. A plastic dishpan or one of those metal washtubs, get a dublhandi washboard from somewhere, little clothespins and a string and bob's your uncle. Peace for a while! Rowan has developed a soap phobia but he likes making felt and just playing with running water, like on a chair at the kitchen sink. We made a wool snake yesterday, he ended up with a very fetching blue stripe down his back, and all Rowan wants to do is put him back under the tap.


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Sandi-if you know of simple plans, Tain desperately needs a bed frame and I am pretty handy with the tools but don't know how to make one. I would love to have some guidance. It's awesome that your dh is going to make bunkbeds! that is our ultimate goal

thanks for the tips everyone, I'll look into the books...

oh, and I felt so guilty after I posted about my houseplants that I put them all in the tub and simulated a rainshower for them. Maybe they'll live. One of them was a plant we had at the front of the church the day of our wedding so I would feel better if it survived.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

julie- If you google building bunk beds you can find a ton of plans. We're trying to find a set that allows for a full on the bottom and a twin on top. I think dh is going to have to modify a set to incorporate this.

Also w/ Lauren's current bed we bought a metal bed frame (around $20) nad hten made a picket fence for the head board out of boards we had left over from a different project. Sometime homedepot.com or lowes.com has some good plans too.


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Just wanted to pop in and say that all of the pics you all have posted are so cute! I'm going to try to get some posted this weekend.


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

When we moved into this house 5 years ago dh made a loft bed for dd. He didn't use a pattern, just threw it together from planks and 4x4s and made a ladder (with great use of the router). He wasn't thrilled with the exposed (hah) hardware (perfectionist) but it needed to get done and it has held up wonderfully. We painted it lavender and stamped dark green space themes on it (stars, starbursts, saturns, you get the idea). So if it's something simple sometimes your own ideas are the best way to go. Ours was just a box, really, and moveable slats across to hold up the mattress. There's a real mattress in, not a futon. Good luck, it was fun to make a bed!

Also my SIL found very inexpensive wood bunk beds on ebay and when I saw them I was super-impressed. They have low ceilings in that room so they had to find something to accomodate that, and she didn't pay a ton of money.


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

I got my kids' bunkbed from a consignment shop. It converts to two twin beds, which is how we have it now (Caitlin would be capable of getting herself up onto the top bunk, but not capable of remembering to be careful)


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Yeah, right now I really just want the type that is like a box with a solid bottom since we don't have a boxspring for his mattress. But I don't want it to fall apart and I am not sure how to do the corners.


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## bandana (Jun 4, 2003)

I miss you guys!!!!


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Hi, Laura! It's good to "see" you!


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

Hi Laura!!!

Well, it's 10 to 8 here... I'm just biding my time until it's daytimey enough to go outside. The sky looks ready to open up, but until it's actually raining, we're going out to play. These kids just DO NOT do inside play.
On Monday night I went to a meeting for Rolands preschool. The topic was about making friends. They said that it's not a good idea to teach your kids to ask "Can I play with you?" because the answer is usually "No."







As they were talking I tried to think of ANY time Roland has asked to play & the closest I could come up with was one time in a McDonalds PlayPlace some kid told him "You aren't allowed to play in here!" and so he came out & told me & I said "He's not the boss of you! You can play in there if you want to!" and he went back in & then I kept hearing "You not da bossa me!" every couple of minutes. Oh, and I won the raffle prize at the meeting... a giant ladybug with a weeble wobbly head & antenae... the kids love it. Yesterday we went to the park with the preschool for the morning. It was pretty fun







We hadn't been to that park for about a month. Ahhhhh... I think we can go out now.


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

yeah, I had read that in a parenting book somewhere. Tain never really asked either, actually he does what the parenting books recommend. He watches for a few minutes, to see how the game works (usually running around like banshees-preschoolers are great







) then he starts running at the back and eventually gets absorbed into the group. It works really well for him and, oddly enough, he seems perfectly content to stay at the back of the group if they never really absorb him, like when the kids are a lot older than him. He seems to enjoy just being with them and it doesn't matter if they pay attention to him or not, just that he isn't excluded. Frankly, I am jealous, I never had the intuitiveness or the temperment to do what he does.


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## prmom (Jun 14, 2004)

Just checking in! I actually forgot it was Easter until someone reminded me on Monday. I have felt spiritual lately, but not very religious so I have been out of touch with things such as Easter, etc. Oh well. The kids are doing an egg hunt, just b/c it's fun.

We have been enjoying our spring weather here and have been spending so much time outside. I love it. I love hearing the ideas of different things to do. Logan has been patiently waiting to have a messy party outside. I am just waiting for the temp to be warm enough to wash everyone off afterwards.

Well soon off to play outside again!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

BeanBean is an initiator-- he goes up to other kids and says, "Hi! My name's Eli. What's your name? Come with me, Kid'sname, I want to show you something..." and they actually follow him, more often than not.







ChibiChibi used to do the same thing, only the other kids would come to her and follow her, quietly, until she acknowledged them. As her cousins' mother put it, "They love her, she always has such great ideas..."









I too am jealous of the kids.







: I was always so lonely as a little kid, I didn't understand other children and I never felt like they understood me. BeanBean definately has more fun with other kids than Mike or I ever did.









ChibiChibi came back from the Seder with us last night, so I'll probably take the kids to the park this afternoon. Between Chibi and BeanBean, I know that BooBah will be safe. In a lot of ways, it's easier having four kids in the house than three.







Especially since the middle of my three is a runner.







I remember taking BeanBean to the park when BooBah was relatively new and other parents being very impressed, and I couldn't figure out why... after all, BooBah was still quite mini and slingable, and all that she needed in the world was under my shirt.







All I had to do was keep Bean inside the playground, and that wasn't too difficult. A few months later, when BooBah started walking, it was a lot more difficult to watch both kids at the park, but even then BeanBean was fairly cooperative (he grasped fairly early on that if he was not cooperative, I'd pack his buns back into the van and we'd all go home). With three, though... that's a different story. Mike can take both kids to the park and run them, but I'm still having a lot of pain and I don't trust myself to chase effectively.









Oh! I got Bella to nurse on my boob without excruciating pain!







She's now officially a nursling.







She's also nearly filling out the preemie sized clothing, in another two weeks I'll be able to put regular newborn sizes on her... not that I bought any of those either, you understand, but it's a major improvement to go from "under 5" to "under 7/8."







I'm so happy with the way that she's growing! At any rate, by starting out so much smaller, she has totally thrown things off for me. I'm not exactly sure what size she'll be when, but if she continues to grow at this rate, she'll probably be just getting out of a 0-3 around August/September.







: I have not yet had a winter baby in 3-6 month sized clothing; BeanBean was that size in the spring and BooBah was that size in the fall.







Somehow, I have managed to have a third off-season child.







How do I do it?!


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

I wrote a long post last night and my connection timed out. But at least I am bumping us this morning!


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mattjule*
I wrote a long post last night and my connection timed out. But at least I am bumping us this morning!

Ooooo....I get SO annoyed when that happens because I NEVER have the energy to retype everything so then I feel like I've told you all stuff but I really haven't.


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

I've got the flu. I spent all day in bed & in the bathroom. My mom took the kids to an easter egg hunt & the beach. At the easter egg hunt, Caitlin was dressed up in a bunny suit. Roland wanted to wear a costume too, so he wore his dinosaur one from Halloween







They flipped over rocks for crabs at the beach. Kevin has been outside working on the new power supply most of the day.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Mum! I had it last week. Hopefully your's will be a fast mover like mine was. I was really sick for a day and a half but then felt fine. Meanwhile my MIL and BIL got some other flu (not pukey) and they have been sore and dizzy and just generally feeling yucky for 3 weeks.

I took Lil to an egg hunt today and she didn't know what the heck to make of it. She just stood there and watched all the kids running around. Oh well....next year.

Rynna ~ Glad to hear Bella is nursing and your not in agony!









So I'm officially "full term" today (37 weeks)!!







I've been having BH contrax for a while now but last night they got intense. I had to spend some time on all fours breathing through them.

So now I'm wondering if this means I might go a little earlier this time (Lil was born at 40 weeks, +4) or if I'm just going to have a month of "practice" contrax every night!!


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

dharmamaI took Lil to an egg hunt today and she didn't know what the heck to make of it. She just stood there and watched all the kids running around. Oh well....next year.
[/QUOTE said:


> This year was the first that Roland really got into it. Even last year, he'd get one go & ask us to open it, he'd eat it and then go find another one. So by the time it was all over, he'd had 5 chocolate eggs. Caitlin got the hang of it right away. She *loves* candy though... and I think having an older sibling teaches them the concept of MINE earlier
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Erin, here's hoping that you only have a few "rehersals" before the big event!

I'm looking for skinny-leg diapering solutions; Bella's legs are unbelievably (to me) skinnier than BeanBean's or BooBah's were, so we're having leakage problems. I really need to start knitting again, but I don't have the time for it... I've got so much other stuff to do.









I've got to try to get rid of stuff, too, and buy things that we really need. Today I went looking for t-shirts for BeanBean because it's been very warm out and I learned something-- his shoulders have grown a great deal, so some of the 4s from last year fit him but some don't, and he didn't have that many to begin with.







: I was looking in the storage closet and trying to figure out why we had so much stuff but I still had nothing to put on my son.







Insane. So I'm going to have a bloody yard sale, and to hell with it, if I really need something after it's gone I'll buy another one. It probably won't be next weekend, but the weekend after that... and I may ask Mike to take a day off work to help me with such a project. If I can get him to take a Friday off (very difficult, as it makes his life more miserable than usual on Monday).

Mike really wants the kids to go to his aunt's house for the family Easter dinner, but I don't want to take them by myself and I'd have to because Mike's working. I'm really not comfortable with it, though, so I'll take the kids to Meeting on Sunday by myself. Apparently there's an egg hunt after that, so the kids won't miss it entirely. Is it really horrible that I'm not at all excited about this?


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Sorry that you have the flu, Mum. That sucks! As does prodromal labor, Erin - sorry to hear about that, too.

Don't you just love it when your kid surprises you? Tonight, Killy and I were reading a book about shapes and I started asking him if he could point out shapes ("where's the triangle?") - and he could! He knows circle, oval, rectangle, triangle, and square and makes decent attempts at saying each shape name! He did get octagons and hexagons confused quite a bit, and sometimes would also get the pentagons confused with those two, also, but I think that's pretty understandable. He also is good at matching colors and can sign "orange" and say "green." He's becoming such a little boy instead of a toddler! And, his verbal development is doing great - speech therapy has helped him immensely. He's added a bunch of new words this week: more, no, bubbles, bone... He's finally getting to the point where he's talking a lot without being prompted. Yay! (he was doing great verbally before Ellie was born, but had a huge setback then)

For Easter we're doing Easter Bunny Baskets here in the AM on Sunday, and then going to church and staying for the potluck meal afterward (DH won't be going to church, he usually comes only on special occasions but he has too much work this week).


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

BeanBean still has to count sides before he can differentiate between (regular) hexagons and octagons. When he doesn't feel like counting, he calls them "oxagons."


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Guess what James did today? I was printing out a list to take to my midwife appt., and he heard the printer running and went into the office, fetched the piece of paper, and brought it out to me! How awesome is that? Like having a well-trained dog with opposable thumbs









Good news from the midwife - Sarah is engaged and _anterior_! Yeehah!

I've been off abx for several days now, so I gave a sample for urinalysis to see if the UTI has been defeated. The midwife was very supportive of my opposition to being on abx for the next six weeks AND my opposition to a hospital induction, she said we could induce at home at 37 weeks if I cannot kick this bladder infection. So I feel like I can relax about that and just focus on trying to stay well.

Easter Egg Hunt at church tomorrow, huge brunch for lots of Scott's colleagues on Sunday. (yawn) After this, I am going to lounge around and be the Lazy Pregnant Lady for awhile...


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Happy Easter to all who celebrate it! This morning at church a little girl who's about 8 years old and big buddies with Killian was giving out Hershey Kisses to everyone. She told me she'd been giving them to Killy, and I asked her if she was helping him take the foil off. She laughed and said, "No! He eats the foil, too!" Great! I asked her to stop giving them to him, but she said he'd already given him 4 - and then I saw her give him another! At the potluck after service he didn't eat any real food, just ran around grabbing jelly beans off the tables. He's totally crashed out on the couch now, and I plan to have every scap of candy in this house hidden by the time he wakes up - he's had enough sugar for one day!

My ILs went totally nuts - they sent a huge box of Easter gifts for the kids, they literally had more presents for Easter than most kids get for Christmas. I'm trying to focus on being grateful for their generosity and love, but now I have a ton of new toys to find places for! DH was a love, though, and came to church with me so he could watch Killian in the nursery while I sat in the service with Ellie. I'm actually having a great day so far!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

I took the kids to Meeting yesterday, and everyone was impressed with me for showing up without Mike. I didn't feel like it was that big a deal, because Bella just nursed and slept most of the time, and with the sling...







Pretty easy stuff. One of the teenagers took BooBah around for the egg hunt, and BeanBean just went around with the medium-sized (7-11 year old) kids.







They were very nice, and both of mine had a great time. BooBah kept opening the eggs and eating the candy, then looking up to me and hollering, "chocowate!" with a big, gooey brown grin.







Yick.







She had a really good time, though. Oh, and ate a few eggshells, too (there were a few hard boiled eggs in the hunt), but she does that all the time. BeanBean and BooBah ate a bunch of candy at the Meetinghouse, and we put the rest in bags to go home... but I didn't remind the kids to get them out of the car once we got home, and I think that both of them are quite happy with what they've already had.







I certainly hope so, because they're not getting any more!

BeanBean is telling me that I don't love him anymore because I was upset with him.







He's a bit melodramatic, but I guess that's a typical three-year-old thing?


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Lily LOVED "hunting" for eggs! We had a little hunt here at home(the Easter bunny hid some eggs) and then at my Grandparent's house we had an egg hunt. Whenever Lily saw an egg she would yell "OOOOOO" and giggle! I keep finding her trying to get into the baskets. The girls only got some mini eggs and jelly beans but Lily is bound and determined to find and eat them all!









I can't believe there are so many of you who now have newborns or are due soon. It seems weird to me. I guess in part because I know Lily is our last one and I still have no desire to have another one.

Rynna- I found that when Lily was born people were always amazed that I was out and about w/ all three girls. I never found it to be overly difficult esp. when Lily was a wee one and just wanted to snuggle and nurse in the sling. It's a bit harder now because Lily feels the need to walk everywhere and it gets hard to keep an eye on all three of them at the same time but I can usually get them to all hold hands.

Lily is sleeping nad the other two are at school. I'm going to go read the paper and drink my tea, (I might even have an Easter goodie too!)


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Killian is such a rowdy kid that people always say to me, "You've got your hands full!" when I'm by myself with both kids. And, I always smile really big and say, "Better full than empty!" It just absolutely changes the whole mood, people smile and say how right I am, and you can tell it gives them a whole different persepective.









Of course, I have tons of Easter pictures... Easter Highlights. Or, you can look in my siggy for the best ones!


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

We decided not to do Easter. Unfortunately MIL had already sent the package. When it arrived there were FIVE, yes five, bags of candy in it. Plus a package of Peeps. She got them the tea set from Ikea and they had a tea party with two candy corns, a Dove chocolate egg and a Peep. At this rate we will have this candy for the next millenium.







I have been having a serious acne problem (really my first ever) and I finally decided to cut back sugar and voila! no more acne. Luckily for me MIL insists on getting us Easter candy I don't like (but she does) like spiced jelly beans, jelly beans, Peeps and peanut butter m&ms. I wouldn't touch any of that stuff with a ten foot pole. So there is no temptation, which is good since the 2 days after I went off sugar the white sugar in the canister was looking pretty good.

My boys are so cute! They have been playing a lot together recently. They hold hands in the car. And the cutest thing I have EVER seen is them holding hands in a parking lot. Currently they like to hold hands with Ro in between Tain and I and then try to swing Ro. Good thing that kid is uber light! I was walking Tain home from school today and thinking about when we walked to school when it began in August. Superimposing the child he was then onto the boy he is now and being simply amazed at him. I've been looking at them a lot lately and marvelling at them, how could these beautiful, fascinating boys have possibly come from me? I mean, when they are babies, it is easy to take credit but the older they get, the more the credit falls on them and you stand back in awe at the people they become on their own, yk?


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mattjule*
I've been looking at them a lot lately and marvelling at them, how could these beautiful, fascinating boys have possibly come from me? I mean, when they are babies, it is easy to take credit but the older they get, the more the credit falls on them and you stand back in awe at the people they become on their own, yk?

Julie- I have similar thoughts, esp now that myoldest is almost 7. We were watching the video from her dance recital from last year not too long ago and she looked like such a baby. She looked so small and now I look at her and she's really grown into this big kid who can do all sorts of cool things. I'm amazed by her every single day! What really blows my mind is when I stop and think about how not too long ago she was the same size as Lily. Maddie has just started riding her new two wheeler w/ training wheels and can fly around the neighborhood like it's no big deal. Just ayear ago she couldn't do the small circle on her tricycle and now she got a big kid bike. Lily is talking up a storm and is really communicating and man does she have opinions about everything. It's weird to thing that just a year ago she had only a few words and wasn't walking yet. It still blows my mind to think that these amazing little people came out of MY body! Wild!

Hey changing topics but has anyone done much selling in the Trading post? Maybe I'm missing something. I've responded now to 2 or 3 threads in the past week of someone that was ISO something. I have it and am willing to part w/ it for next to nothing plus shipping and I get NO response. I realize that I have a trader rating of 1 but it's not like my post count is 50 and I'm new here. I just haven't done much on the Trading post and most of the things I've bought haven't been rated. Anyway I was wondering if anyone here can give me some insight.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

I have the same thoughts when I look at BeanBean. He's been such a sweet little man, and he tries so hard to be helpful with the girls... such a love.







I've been trying extra hard to enjoy Bella's baby days because my kids don't seem to be babies for very long, but rather than feeling like I have to cram extra babyness into my life right now, I find myself wondering what sort of toddler she'll be.







As BeanBean gets older, I feel like I want to be around older kids more. I absolutely love having a new baby again, and I'm very excited about all of the super sweet baby things she does, but at the same time I'm looking forward to toddlerhood and I don't think I'll feel as shortchanged as I did when BeanBean and BooBah sort of became toddlers overnight.

BooBah is talking a blue streak, but still has "babyness" to her voice; "l" and "r" are nearly always "w." "Bella" is "Bewwa," for example.







While her first year babyness vanished before I could blink, her toddlerhood seems, to me, to be sticking around more than BeanBean's did. The last time that BeanBean ran out into the street, for example, he was no more than 20 months old; in fact, I remember him doing it when I was 8 or 9 months pregnant with BooBah (so he'd have been 18-19 months old) but not at all after that. BooBah still runs wild, she cannot be trusted to stay on the sidewalk. She does lots of baby things which I am making an effort to enjoy, but BeanBean has become so much easier since he grew into a little boy that I find myself occasionally just wishing she'd grow up a little faster.







: I'm fairly certain that this is a manifestation of my (very mild!) case of the baby blues, but it's still no fun to realize that about myself.









In a little while, I'm going to drop BeanBean and BooBah and Mike off at the park and take Bella to do the rest of this month's WIC shopping. When I return, I will toss the three of them into the backyard and do some cleaning, because I can't stand the mess.







Mike's going to have to deal with it. Right now, he's taking a nap. I don't mind, I acknowledge that he's worked all day and is tired, but dammit, I worked all day too and I'm not taking a nap, I'm taking a short break only so that *he* can take a nap, and I don't think it's too much to ask that he entertain the older kids while I get some necessary things done. Okay, so maybe I do mind a teensy bit... but I know that I'll go to bed around 10 tonight, whether the kids are asleep or not.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *3girlsmommy*
Hey changing topics but has anyone done much selling in the Trading post? Maybe I'm missing something. I've responded now to 2 or 3 threads in the past week of someone that was ISO something. I have it and am willing to part w/ it for next to nothing plus shipping and I get NO response. I realize that I have a trader rating of 1 but it's not like my post count is 50 and I'm new here. I just haven't done much on the Trading post and most of the things I've bought haven't been rated. Anyway I was wondering if anyone here can give me some insight.

I've tried to, but it's difficult-- if you don't have stuff that's right at the top of peoples' lists, your post doesn't stay on the first page or even in the first five pages, so it doesn't get seen. When you bump, you can only do it for so long before people start assuming that your post is outdated (never mind that the bumps might be recent







).

At any rate-- did you respond on the thread, or by PM'ing the OP? I've found that PMs are much more likely to get responses from people.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:

Hey changing topics but has anyone done much selling in the Trading post? Maybe I'm missing something. I've responded now to 2 or 3 threads in the past week of someone that was ISO something. I have it and am willing to part w/ it for next to nothing plus shipping and I get NO response. I realize that I have a trader rating of 1 but it's not like my post count is 50 and I'm new here. I just haven't done much on the Trading post and most of the things I've bought haven't been rated. Anyway I was wondering if anyone here can give me some insight.
Haven't done much on the TP lately but I did a bit a while ago. Did you PM the person or respond in the thread? FWIW...I've gotten better results from PMs.

Quote:

Guess what James did today? I was printing out a list to take to my midwife appt., and he heard the printer running and went into the office, fetched the piece of paper, and brought it out to me! How awesome is that? Like having a well-trained dog with opposable thumbs
DH said basically the same thing yesterday. We got Lil a little park bench for Easter and she "helped" him put it together yesterday. He kept asking her to fetch tools on the other side of the deck and was amazed that she actually did!

Oh and then she did the cutest thing...he was down on the ground working and she came up behind him and started rubbing his back and shoulders!!









My mom and aunt picked Lil up just before lunch and DH is picking her up on his way home from work so I've had a whole afternoon to myself to nest and clean!! OMG!! My house looks great!







Now if I can just keep it this way until the baby comes.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

OMG, did you guys know that Starfall has *sound*?!?







Wow, does that ever change things!


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Holy tantrums!!! I'm really losing it here!!









She's down for a nap now so I've got a few minutes to relax and breathe and regroup for the afternoon. OMG! I don't know if it's my pregnancy hormones affecting her, the age, teeth or what but she is a dream....as long as she's getting constant undivided attention and doing exactly what she wants to do when she wants to do it.







 Other than that....look out!









I actually locked her into her playroom (open space in our kitchen with a gate) for a few minutes today because she was just raging about 20 different things at once. She wanted yogurt, to play in the sink, to be nursed, to stir the food on the stove, to have an apple...but not the apple that she started earlier in the day, a new apple...but only if she could sit on the counter and eat it, to feed the dog (who only eats AM and PM)...

Bottom line was she was overtired and hungry (and so was I) and I couldn't get lunch ready with her under my feet screaming and pulling on me. And I could feel my blood pressure going up and up.

She managed to calm herself down after several minutes of screaming at the gate and then I nursed her while the food was cooking.

(I have NO idea if I'm doing the "right" thing or not but generally I've been trying to get her to calm herself down and stop screaming and then I give her whatever it is she has been screaming about. The problem I forsee is that there are times where I *can't* give her what she wants...like if we don't have the food she wants in the house or if she's insisting that I read her a book while I'm driving the car.







)

Oy!

How are you all doing???


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Erin, I think you're doing the right thing. Pulling oneself together emotionally is a survival skill, not just a convenience for Mommy. And I regularly gate James out of the kitchen when he won't respect my request to stay out from underfoot while I'm cooking - that's a safety issue IMO. Now that he's getting more verbal, that gate gets shut less and less often, but there was a time when I had to use it to prepare almost every meal.

I have a UTI, AGAIN.







If this keeps going on I'm going to have to be induced - six straight weeks of abx is just too much. We're getting a 37-week ultrasound to determine how big Sarah is and how ready she appears to be to breathe, etc. If she's big enough and I can't get better without birthing her, I'm just going to go for it.


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

Hope you feel better, Smithie. (There are some good resources on maintaining control of your birth experience even while being induced, etc. Email me if you are interested in anything like that.) Have you tried sandalwood oil for the UTI? A little diluted on a cotton ball, dabbed on after peeing, helps with the pain and the infection. IME abx actually make UTIs worse, not better.

Rowan burned his finger, right beside me, at the stove. I think I tried to post this and I can't remember if it got lost, so I'm sorry if I am repeating myself. He was so still I thought he wasn't actually touching the red part (we have the ceramic flat stove top), but in fact he had pushed his fingertip DOWN HARD onto the red part. When he took it away he still didn't make a sound, he was so confused, and just started trying to get off his chair. Then the wail came up, and I saw his fingertip was charred white. This was all in about a second. So we put lavender oil on and Mr-will-not-wear-a-bandaid is suddenly quite agreeable about having a large piece of gauze taped onto his finger, now permanently held aloft. He has an enormous blister which everyone is desperate for me to drain, but I know and have read otherwise. Even dh, who believes in usually draining blisters to form callouses, says otherwise this time. But it is a big fat blister. At least the lavender oil helped the burn damage. That stuff is amazing for burns.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Smithie--







That sucks. I've got a UTI right now, for which I just finished a course of ABX which haven't helped. I'm sure it's viral.







I've been gulping down cranberry juice as much as I can and forcing myself to pee more often...









Liz-- your poor little guy! I hope his finger feels better soon.

I decided that today I was going to be a good parent, so I was not going to raise my voice or threaten the kids, and i was going to enjoy them. I did manage this feat, but nothing else really got done. Still, I was in a decent mood because I made it through the whole day without a ton of screaming from any of us.







Mike, on the other hand, had a miserable day and is miserable now.







So instead of reaping the benefit of our nice, calm day (two fairly happy, relaxed, unscathed children) by spending time on the computer playing games and being a bum, I'm going to end up spending the evening with the kids, in front of the TV. This sucks more than usual, because BooBah broke the VCR (big shocker







). I didn't want to get a new one before we could afford an entertainment center so that we could put the thing *up*, but my brother had one lying around that he wasn't using and he gave it to me. Now it's full of "jellyum" and the tape that it ate.









Ah, well. Maybe I'll watch LOTR again...


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Liz, I eagerly await your PM! And I might as well try some sandalwood oil along with the seven other things my naturopath has me doing







Abx usually work very well for me when I'm not pg (I've had UTIs my entire adult life, exhaustive tests by a urologist seems to prove that all my plumbing works and this is just a curse I must live with). Probiotics and nettle tea staved off infection between January and the end of March, but now I seem to be in the same place I was with James (pressure of baby's head = can't empty bladder = retained urine grows bacteria = pregnant lady in the ER at 4 a.m.)


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

Do you wear a girdle? Some ladies find they help to lift the baby off the bladder. I have to dig out this paper I have written on the subject, and will PM you tomorrow - right now I am so tired and blown I must take my Mike's Hard Lemonade (slumming I do when DH is not around to scoff) and my Daphne Du Maurier book off to the couch. I think I cannot pack or install dursashield cement backer or even do the dishes. I have literally had enough for one day. I don't know what else to do besides pack. I don't even know how we can paint the house until we have more junk packed and thrown away. But I have three weeks until we leave for this interview, and my goal is to have it more or less done so it can go on the market as soon as we return. It's mostly cosmetic at this point and dh has some time off next week. We should be able to do it. The roof is almost done! There are shingles halfway up on all sides!

I am looking forward to having everything packed so I can see what it's like to live without piles and piles of *things* and art supplies and silk dye and cotton dye and goat wool and sheep wool and audio cables and esoteric turntables and five external hard drives. And three xboxes and all ensuing wired and wireless controllers. I am so desperate I am even packing most of the toys!


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

Thank you to whomever suggested the sidewalk chalk. R loves it and drawing on the back porch is alleviating some of her desire to make pen marks on EVERYthing.

I think I have a "mild" thrush infection--red, excruciatingly itchy nipples. "Mild" meaning I don't think I've had it long and it isn't deep. I've been having a lot of problem with dry nips this winter and I think the skin was just broken enough for something to set in. I am bathing in vinegar solution and will navigate the medical establishment tomorrow to see if they can help me. It just never ends around here.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

I'm glad the sidewalk chalk is working for you! At our house, we've all been enjoying it for the past few weeks. And, we learned yesterday that Killy can color in the lines! Before anyone chastises me for teaching my child to conform and crushing his creative endevors







I just want to add that he did it without any encouragement from us! We were drawing shapes for him, and then he went and got chalk and colored them all in. It was neat to watch him, and he actually did a pretty decent job of staying in the lines!

Man, I can't go into any details, but my life seems to be drama-central lately. I need to not let it get to me when Killy fights his diaper changes and punches me in the mouth. Or when I tearfully tell DH I need an hour to myself and he sighs and rolls his eyes. I threw an honest-to-goodness adult temper tantrum after that, which I'm obviously not proud of... Killian is just such an intense kid! Its so wearing to be around him all the time. He's just SO physical! He's constantly throwing himself down, throwing things around, and hitting. I do all the "right" stuff when he hits: I try to stay calm, I say "That hurts mommy" and make a sad face and then he'll give me a kiss - and then kick me again in less than a minute! I'll say, I don't play with people who hurt me, and leave the room. I'll say, "You can't stay on the couch when you kick sister." and then he thinks it a game for me to move him off the couch, so he jumps right back up, usually kicking Ellie again in the process. I'm not really looking for any avice here, and I'll be honest - I CANNOT handle any criticism right now. I'm just venting. I don't know where this all comes from, DH and I are not "rough" people, we don't smack each other around, we don't smack our pets around, we've never used corporal punishment... I just don't get it. And, the whole tantrum thing just baffles me. Its multiple times a day, every day. My ILs are fond of reminding me that DH only threw two tantrums his whole life, and my parents always talk about how shy and quiet and obedient I was as a child. And I parent almost exactly the same way they did - where does my wild child come from?

I told DH, I just NEED an hour or two to myself every once in awhile (like once a week or so). AWAY from home. Dh works from home, but he words 12-14 hours a day minimum, 7 days a week so its me and the psycho toddler and the defenseless baby all the time. I can hold it together for a few days or a week, but then I totally loose it and have a mini-breakdown, and then DH resents me for needing his help and causing him not to meet a tight deadline, which is the only type of deadline he ever has, and he has at least a few deadlines every freaking day. (and, my sister does live with us, but she works full time and is in grad school and has to get ~8 hours of sleep/night or else she has a seizure... so she helps out a little, but she's really busy all the time, too. and she tends to roll her eyes and sigh when I ask for help unless I'm nearly suicidal.)

Okay, I'm going to bed.


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Oh, Queenie.









You need a mother's helper, like yesterday. Maybe a high schooler in the afternoon?


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Queenie- I second the mother's helper. I have one that I use occasionally. It was nice to be able to call her and send the big kids off w/ her outside for a while so Lily and I could have some newborn baby time. Now my mother's helper is old enough that I can call her and then have her come and babysit while dh & I go out or I go get something done that I need to do.

Also have you thought about allergies? I vaguely remember a friend of mine whose son had some behavior issues and they found it was wheat, I think. I'll call her and ask her today if I get a chance, it gives me an excuse to call her since I haven't heard from her in a while.

Oh and


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

He's sensitive to red dye (makes him hyper) and sugar makes him hyper, too. Yesterday I cracked and gave him a Cadbury Egg from his Easter basket (both grandparents sent candy), and looking back, I'm sure that was part of the reason for the insanity. Oh, well... I guess I'll have to eat his easter candy!









I am so sick. Congested, both ears ache, sore throat, and terribly painful glands in my neck. I would be worried that I haver Mumps (there's an outbreak in the midwest), but I don't have a fever.

Thanks for the support, ladies.







How have ya'll found mother's helpers? The kids in my youth group all live across town, and there's no one on my street.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

I found my mother's helper at church. She lives about 7 minutes away from us. She has run the nursery at our church sicne she was 10.

Queenie- Also start looking at the ingredients and make sure there is no high fructose corn syrup in anything(it hides in so many things) My oldest has major mood swings and behavior issues when she has high fructose corn syrup. My mom always gave me a hard time about the restrictions I put on her diet. She was watching Lauren one afternoon and gave her yoplait yogurt and when I got there she was a out of control. I asked my mom what she gave her to eat. She replied I didn't give her any junk honest, all I gave her was some yogurt. I asked for the container and then pointed out the the FIRST ingredient was high fructose corn syrup. The light finally clicked! Now that she is almost 7 she can handle some in her diet but knows that beverages esp. make her feel like crap. She will ask me or if I'm not there she'll ask the adult in charge if something containes HFCS. We've had to change breads, peanut butter spag. sauce. It's amazing the number of places it can be found.

Anyway good luck and enjoy the Easter candy!


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

A sensitivity to red dye is very common in hyperactive children. And if he is hyperactive, it is nothing you did to make him that way. You may want to try giving him a little caffeine, with hyperactive children caffeine has a reverse effect and makes them calm (of course, it is makes him hyper, at least you know he isn't! Provided you can handle the bouncing off the walls for the sake of an experiment). If he is hyperactive, it means he has A LOT of trouble controlling his impulses so discipline is going to have little effect at this age. (At least 4 of my siblings are hyperactive so I am not just spouting nonsense). Also, I am reading Raising Cain and while Rynna really didn't like it, I find it very informative and much of what they talk about regarding the physicality of boys and their late development of impulse control really rings true for me. I found that it really helps my attitude if I at least understand what the hell is going on with my boys. I don't necessarily have to change anything, just freaking understand. Oh and Setting Limits with Your Strong Willed Child was a really good one too for walking the line between respecting your child and teaching your child to respect you. Raising Your Spirited Child I found to be really aweful, all about bending over backward for your child all the time. It is exhausting and I feel, doesn't really teach your child to work with themselves or to respect you (not authoritarian "respect" but the "you cannot punch my breast" kind of respect).

Also, I have a friend whose son was exactly like that, intense, no impluse control, violent (everyone hates using that word about small children but if a kid often kicks, punches and bites, how is that NOT violent? It doesn't mean they are bad kids) and at 3 he is much more in control of himself. It could just be developmental. Oh, her son is also large for his age and very dense so a lot of stuff that wouldn't hurt if a smaller, less strong child did it REALLY hurts. Tain is like that. He can do the exact same thing Ro does, but when he does it, it really hurts. I feel bad for him, but I also think it serves him well to learn that he is big and strong (as in, pulling his strength back a little so he doesn't hurt his friends while playing, not "big and strong and manly" lol). Most likely in another year (and your thinking "how can I possibly make it another year?!) and a half or so you are going to see a big difference and it is going to be wonderful. Right now just getting through a day is a feat of strength, willpower and patience. Hang in there, mama.

I know this isn't what ap people suggest, but Tain at that age didn't really have any empathy (I remember posting about that when we were pregnant and really worrying about it) so acting sad really had no effect. It feels aweful to admit it, but I had to adopt a VERY stern voice with him when telling him something was not okay. It was like he didn't have the ability to read a person's face/emotions/body language and I had to make it clear in no uncertain terms that what he did was not okay. Using a calm voice that was more solemn than my normal voice didn't give him any sort of signal and he would do the same thing Killy does-make it into a game.

I know you said you couldn't handle criticism right now and please, don't take my post as such. I've been there, I have friends who have been there, I just wanted to add to your toolbag. I didn't have anyone who understood or could suggest something based on a similar experience. I DID get a lot of crap about my parenting from people with "well-behaved" children. My sons certainly aren't that!







It's exhausting though, I know, and I wish there was a magically way to make it better.









Is it possible for your dh to change jobs? Mine is working a lot now too but it is imperative that our children have TWO functioning parents and come on, I didn't sign up to be a single parent. Even if we had to drive one car and we had to buy less organic food, if that means their dad is a bigger part of their lives, it is worth it. (He is currently looking for a new job, long story) Obviously we all have to do things we don't want to and if it is not possible, then you work from there and don't feel guilty about it. From your pictures, it is obvious he is a wonderful dad to your children.

That's about all I've got. I don't have a mother's helper. I don't go to church and have no clue where I could find one and even so, I couldn't afford it. So I am not much help on that front.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

The changing jobs isn't going to happen: we own our own business! Plus, DH is doing something he truly loves and it makes really good money, allowing me to stay home comfortably. This has been a very busy time for him the last 2-3 months, I hope things slow down just a bit (or that he learns to give reasonable estimates of when work can be completed to clients).


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Sheesh! Could you afford a mother's helper? I think the bottom line is that you can't keep going like this with no break. No one can. I have bottomed out more than once and it is a scary thing to be able to see yourself shutting the front door with your two small children alone inside, getting in your car and driving away. And it was not ppd, it was just being emotionally and physically exhausted. That isn't what being a mother is about.


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## seedling (Sep 10, 2003)

My first post all month. QoC, look on Craigslist. I posted an add there and that's where I found my helper. I love her. I'm still crazy and have no time to even pee most days but I've not been committed or abandoned my family so it must be working.


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

Definitely hire someone or trade with a friend. Or just tell Dh you are having breakfast with so-and-so on Monday and that's that (I did this the other day). My dh is quite helpful but it won't occur to him to offer; but if I tell him I'm getting together with this friend on this date he has no problem, and never calls to ask when I'm coming back.

Or at least hire a cleaning lady once a week, so you don't have to do the house as well as everything else.

I have nothing interesting to say, otherwise. I finished the wallboard in the master bath, so we can begin tiling on Monday. I am obsessed with moving, and getting the house ready, and it's really hard to be realistic. I just feel I am not getting enough done, no matter what. And my poor children are losing.







Not really, but I find Rowan's baby-hood is disappearing before my eyes, and going so much faster than dd's.


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Queenie, you do need regular breaks, and don't you dare feel bad about it! My dh works at least 12 hour days too. Only 5 days a week, though. He only has to put in a few hours/day on weekends. The good thing about his job is that he can go in at 4 or 5am and be home before we start the bedtime routine. That makes it much easier. He is very good about sending me out of the house one evening a week or so. Also, we have a babysitter one evening a week so we can go out. She goes to the university in our town, and she's a child development major. That department keeps a running list of students who'd like to babysit. I don't know if you live in a college town, but if you do, check out the students.


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

I have 20 "especially for baby" diaper doublers, those narrow inserts, for cloth dipes, from Babies R Us. They are a rayon pad between layers of birdseye, rectangular. They bunch up a little in the wash but they work well. I just don't want them anymore.

(I'm probably going to use sposies until we move anyway, though I suffer tremendous pangs of guilt and can't bring myself to pack the cloth dipes away.)

Anyway if anyone wants them you can have them. PM me or email me.

On the subject of empathy, small children really don't have it in the same way, and I have never understood why AP people or GD people have an aversion to being firm. A simple, "we don't do that" or "that will NOT do" goes a long way, IME, with my own children and my pupils. And if your toddler hits or kicks you, grab his arm or leg and say "NO!" in a mad way. There is nothing non-AP about being mad. It's like the electric socket. You just don't permit them to do that, not because they will feel bad for hurting you, but because they just are not allowed to.

If getting away is difficult what about getting Killy away for a while?







Two mornings a week at preschool, or an at-home daycare with some other children, might work wonders for all of you.


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Are my kids the only ones who favor nursing to food? Ro was happy to eat as a young toddler but now he would much rather nurse than eat. He eats well for dh but not for me. Tain was the same way. I am seriously considering weaning him since this was a big part of the reason we finally weaned Tain. What am I doing that encourages this?

The kids and I spent a lot of time at the zoo yesterday. It was really good for us to get out in the sunshine and DO something. I need to remember to do things everyday with them. The three of us in the house all day is a formula for disaster.

I need to go eat breakfast. How are all our pregnant mamas feeling?


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

I am also not doing enough fun things with my poor children, taking up time instead with vacuum packing clothes and putting silicone caulk between wallboards and mortar beds.







I would like to go to the Zoo but it's already getting too hot here. I might try this week - the Miami Zoo does have misters all along the route now, and many of the trees have grown up in the 14 years since Hurricane Andrew. I suppose there's the monorail, too, you can ride about in that and see the animals from overhead. I should go to the beach, too, I know I'll feel stupid once we leave Florida that we never went to the beach even though it's 4 miles away.

But tomorrow we begin tiling this bathroom! I just have this driving desperation to get everything "done" and then go do things while waiting for the house to sell.

My Rowan would rather nurse all day than eat, too, and I have been considering weaning, even. I can't sit down and I can't cuddle him without him wanting to nurse. I almost look forward to the time when he's weaned so that I can hold my baby boy!







We have at least one crying spell at night when I won't nurse him, though they are getting shorter and he's going back to sleep faster. He sleeps sidecarred still so I don't feel guilty. It is easy to be firm when someone is scrabbling at your shirt, trying to push your defending hands away with his feet.

At this point I am really trying to nurse only a few times a day- when we wake up, that's when I don't mind nursing in bed; at naptime if he doesn't fall asleep in the car somewhere; bedtime. Usually he really needs to nurse at around 6pm as well so I will do that. But he would nurse all night if I let him and all morning too. At least this gets me out of bed in the morning, anything to be free of the leech.


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Yeah, my Ro still nurses on demand and that is A LOT when we are at home. Then at mealtimes I can't get him to eat. I'm gonna have to do something soon, if anything just be aware of when he is nursing.

Anyone else get irritated by forwarded, alarmist emails? The first thing I always do is check on hoaxbusters.com for it. A gf is notorious for sending me these things and never sending a hello. Yesterday I was in a foul mood and so I sent links to the hoax site and then to a reputable site with the correct information and said "Please stop sending me these things. This is the first one that actually has some truth in it." I accidently sent it to everyone on her list (I was in gmail and must have hit "reply to all" instead of "reply"). Anyway, she is really pissed at me. She said she doesn't assume everyone is lying to her when I asked her why she assumed this stuff was true. And she got even more pissed when she discovered I sent it to everyone, assuming I had done so on purpose. I just think you have a duty to make sure you are relaying factual information if you are going to dump this crap on people. Not to mention this one had been going around since 2004 and that is the newest one I have ever seen. I don't know, evidently I am a total b*tch. Sigh. I thought the point of being friends was that it was easy to be together. This whole interpret everything I say to be hurtful thing is really getting old.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

I just had a blechy time. Bella spent three days in the hospital because she developed a fever and there are some nasty things going around. On the very first day, we got bloodwork back which "suggests that she has a viral infection" (she had an elevated white cell count), but they still ran every test known to man.







I couldn't sleep with her, so niether of us slept well... it was a mess.

QoC-- Reading over your post, I had to wonder if Killy might not be trying to get more physical stimulation. It's true that boys are on average more physically oriented than girls, but I was wondering if he might not respond well to something like a weighted vest; something that would provide extra physical pressure for him. I'm not entirely sure why, but something about what you said reminded me of my niece's SID stuff. One of her therapists gave her a vest with little pockets to hold sandbags, and the difference when she was wearing it was amazing; it was instantly calming to her. She also used to strap herself into her carseat when she was upset, she just loved that pressure. If Killy's got a mild case of SID, it would explain his behavior and it would also put an entirely new spin on his love of swimming (which is very popular with SID kids, as it provides even pressure along the entire body).

If that made no sense, just disregard it... I'm still not entirely coherent, and everything looks blurry.









Julie-- at 22 months, BeanBean was nursing like a possessed creature.







I remember Mike being very offended at one point when I told someone that he had a latch like a remora.














He ate very well when he was with Mike, but with me it was nurse, nurse, nurse...







Now it's a distant memory.

I don't get those emails anymore. I suppose that's an advantage of having so few friends...









Liz-- I also feel like I'm not doing enough with my kids. Well, that's not entirely true; I feel like I'm not doing enough *good* things with my kids.







: I feel like I have to fight to get some breathing room, though, and that's the biggest problem.

Tonight, Mike and I have to talk about his running away thing. He'll do things like come home from work, engage in solitary activities around the house (mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, laundry, etc) and then say, "I haven't sat down since I got home, I'm getting on the computer." I haven't managed to make it clear to him that what he's doing is the equivalent of _leaving me at work_.







He's making it more impossible for me to get any cleaning done, and he won't do the things that I want done (like, hanging up laundry, or putting it in drawers-- apparently, it's enough when he washes it, but if I wash it and leave it sitting around, I get lectures about how I haven't finished doing what I set out to do...







: ).

Last night, he did just that and started to go upstairs to get online. "Mike, how long are you going to be? Do you realize that I haven't been online for most of the week?" "Yeah, I won't be that long." Three hours later, I asked BeanBean to ask daddy if he'd be off of the computer soon. "Yes, I will." Forty five minutes after that, I asked BeanBean to tell daddy to come downstairs, and ten minutes later he did. I briefly reminded him of all the shit he pours on me when I say I'm going to be down shortly and I take more than five minutes, and then I told him that I had to try to sleep because Bella would likely be up half the night (and indeed she was!). I'm very unhappy right now.









BeanBean has at least three cavities. I made an appointment for him to see a dentist on Wednesday (that should be fun). I see the endodontist tomorrow; he's going to finish one of my root canals. Gas prices are up to, on average, $2.99 a gallon here; between that and the necessity for dental work for me and now BeanBean, I have a lovely excuse for not wanting to visit Mike's parents every week. I'll miss the breaks, but not the indoctrination of my kids.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Sorry to hear about Bella - that stinks!

Rynna, that's an interesting theory about Killy. He definitely needs more physical stimulation that most kids I know - we generally go somewhere every morning and every afternoon, with time playing in the backyard thrown in most days, too. We haven't been getting that as much the last few days because I've been sick: I had a TERRIBLE head cold that then dropped into my chest. I haven't been sleeping well because of the coughing and I've just generally felt awful, so we've only been getting out once a day or less. Today I'm feeling a little better, but it stormed last night and its supposed to storm again today, so outside activities are pretty out. (I don't mind rain too much, but here in Kansas storms are usually acompanied by hail - and I don't think that's the stimulation Killy needs!) Its also helped that I've been watching Killy's sugar intake very closely again - I swear, when I let him have a cadbury egg the other day he was unbearable for 8 hours! It helps that I've had to go totally dairy-free. Not many baked goods or ice cream in the house now. (Ellie has excema on her arms, but cutting out all dairy has almost totally cleared it up in only 3 days.) Killy's never gotten much sugar, but even just a few bites make a huge difference in him.

Maybe we'll make play-doh today. That's a fun indoor activity.


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

I bought my boys squirt bottles yesterday and they spent 2 hours playing by themselves. They were soaking wet when I saw them again.







On mist it doesn't make as much of a mess and I luckily got ones with the square nozzle, not the round one you turn (so they can't change it to stream).







Whenever they are acting crazy or irritating each other, I tell them to go jump on my bed. That really seems to help.

Queenie, let us know how it goes, I'd like to think my kids are high energy, and they are, but not as much as Killy so the most I can offer is some sympathy and hugs. I know he is wonderful but he is also a lot of work and you are doing a great job. You are responsive and aware of his needs and you love him more than anything. You are a great mother.

The finger paint made with cornstarch, food coloring and liquid soap is great too, it cleans itself up! My boys are fond of the small bowl of flour on the kitchen floor deal. But I have a tiny galley kitchen so clean up isn't a nightmare. Oh and you should see them with a bottle of baby powder! I left them alone for about 7 minutes once and it was insane! I am sure breathing that stuff wasn't good for them, and it made a hell of a mess, but it was so funny and they had such a great time. They also take a gazillion baths on stormy days. Oh, I was just remembering, we had a hitting problem with Tain at this age and nothing seemed to work to get him to stop. Finally, we gave him a squishy bowling pin and he could only hit with that. No matter how hard he did it (and he was strong!) it didn't hurt and it was a compromise of sorts. And he couldn't hit our faces or electronic equipment (we didn't have any pets but making that boundary would obviously be necessary). But looking for a yes with behavior like that really helped us keep our sanity. He was over that stuff by the time Ro was born and he was never aggressive toward the baby but maybe refocusing on you instead of Ellie might help? (you can't hit Ellie but you can hit mommy's legs. I know, it sounds counterintuitive, like you are teaching him it is okay to hit, but Tain lost interest once it didn't garner the huge reaction anymore, once it wasn't forbidden it wasn't exciting anymore) Get him some gigantic squishy slippers and if he wants to kick, he has to wear his kickin' slippers. He'd probably think it was great fun and it is likely to hurt a lot less and it inadvertantly creates specific circumstances for aggression-he's less likely to kick you with his shoes on, for instance, or when you are in public. I say, matter of factly, "do you have your special slippers on? Then you cannot kick me. When we get home you can go find them and then you can kick things" They are pretty obedient when they can see the option to do what they want in the future. Maybe it is case specific to my boys, I don't think of them as very obedient, but they are most of the time. They listen, as much as children that age are capable. I've never had the experience of a child running away from me and laughing in a parking lot or store. So maybe I am the smug person who thinks she gets it and has no clue. Damn, I hate those people.


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## prmom (Jun 14, 2004)

ugh! I just wrote a reply that got lost. So to cut it short

Nursing Gavin is driving me bananas! He is nursing constantly and it is often painful and I just want to wean him b/c of this, but have not even begun trying...not sure if I should.

Had a good weekend with the kids we went to a Earth day celebration and had lots of fun. We have been outdoors quite a bit. Except today. I am being a recluse today.


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mattjule*
Whenever they are acting crazy or irritating each other, I tell them to go jump on my bed. That really seems to help.


Julie, my kids are bed-jumpers too! They'll jump for an hour straight sometimes. Our bed is not on a frame, so it's low and a little safer for jumping. Dds friends who visit think it's great to be allowed to jump on the bed. I remember my sister and I jnumping on my parents' bed while listening to Pink Floyd!







the other ideas you have sound great too.

Rynna, I'm so sorry to hear about little Bella.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Mine aren't against jumping on the bed, but they prefer jumping off of the chair and onto the bed, landing in a sommersault.









Julie, I love the slippers idea! I think I'll make BooBah some pinching mittens.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Just saying a quick hello (all I have the energy for)....

38.5 weeks. Still having lots of BH contrax but nothing else yet.







Fanatically cleaning my house...then crashing on the couch...spending lots of time snuggling and nursing my cutie-girl...can't believe these are our last few weeks (days??) that will be just the two of us.







:

Taught my last prenatal yoga class on Saturday.







That's it for a while. I have no plans to return after this babe is born. SO happy to not have to think about taking care of other people (outside of my family) for a while....I just don't have the energy to give these days.

That's about it on my end.

Must go pay bills before I get too tired. And then it's time for 24!!! Anyone else addicted to that show? DH got me hooked. Monday nights are the only nights I can manage to stay awake past 8 o'clock. I LOVE it!!!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

My mom loves 24, and my best friend does, too; in fact, Mike has watched several episodes and he's all about it.







I've seen a few, but I can't reliably do *anything* every week and I'm not up for violent, scary things these days.







I've heard really good things about it, though, and in a few years I'll probably get my hands on the DVDs and watch them all in a row.







I'm anal that way.


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

I was supposed to pick up boxes from a freecycler, and buy tile today, and we stopped at home after seeing ICE AGE II, which went well with Rowan because we were literally the only people in the theatre. And then he tripped and fell somehow and had a HUGE bump come right up on his forehead, horrible purple with a slit all white and dreadful, so we all went to the hospital instead, where they kept telling me not to let him fall asleep and he couldn't stay awake and then when he did wake up spent the waiting time trying to kill himself again, climbing and jumping and throwing himself all over.







And he still had a black eye from the other day.









The people were very nice; our doctor is well-known and soon to be on the board at this hospital or already on the board or something...so there's never any issue about not vaccinating or anything. My friend whose six kids are on Medicaid says they give her a terrible time when she's in there, for all kinds of things (she does vaccinate), but I'm not sure if I believe it's really discrimination. Then again my dd was on medicaid (florida kidcare) when she had a concussion at 3y and they asked me repeatedly how she fell and outright told me they couldn't understand how she got a concussion the way I described. Better to have no insurance and a well-respected doctor, I guess.

Rowan was fine, but he has a nasty egg on his forehead. Then we finally went to the lady with the boxes and Home Despot, where it took forever for the men with the forklift to bring the right vanity, and everything is still in the car because we were all too exhausted to do much other than make burritos and watch "Futurama." Rowan fell asleep on the way home and is in his crib looking awful. I was so wiped out I dropped all the boxes down the lady's stairs and was probably lucky not just to plunge down them myself. What a day!

Smithie I PMd you and emailed you.

How's by everyone else?

The only broadcast TV show I watch is "The Simpsons." Now we are going to watch a movie, maybe, or a "Blackadder" we haven't seen.

My hairdresser is assured of an income for life, I think, with this child of mine turning my hairs grey.


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Liz, I often think we would have made better sisters than my actual sisters! I love your taste. I finally had to stop letting Tain watch Futurama, it's pretty sad since we all love it. But the shooting stuff and Leela karate kicks were getting a bit much. At least he hasn't said "Bite my shiny metal ass!".

I watch the Office, Scrubs, Simpsons tend to fall at bedtime so I don't see it much as much as I'd like to. I really like Numb3rs and the one or two episodes of Lost were pretty cool. Never been interested in 24, don't know why.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mattjule*
At least he hasn't said "Bite my shiny metal ass!".









: I've heard this and more than a few other choice phrases from BeanBean. Yet, unbelievably, I'm desperate to get the cable turned back on...


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

Yes, I was thinking the other day it will soon be time to stop watching these things around him, as we did with dd. Just as well since the Waldorf school probably would like her not to watch tv on school nights anyway.


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

Hi guys!
We've been busy in the yard lately. The garden is really coming along. I discovered some bees in the last of the woodpile... it was a lot less dramatic than you would think... this particular species was about as docile as bees come. I put a few large flat rocks over their nest thinking it would protect them from getting stepped on & us from stepping on them, and that we could co-exist. Apparently I was too much of a pest for them to tolerate & drove them away








Yesterday, we went ot the beach with my mom & had a great time. Both the kids got into the water.... Roland on purpose & Caitlin tripped







Caitlin has slept through the night the past 2 or 3 nights.... it's *wonderful*... or it would be if I wasn't still waking up to pee & not being able to get back to sleep without my prolactin fix








Tonight is my WW meeting. I look forward to it because it's a nice break to go & sit amongst people who won't try to climb in my lap or tell me knock knock jokes they made up themselves. My moms friend & her granddaughter started going to the same meeting as me last week so theres even some grown up conversation in the deal. I think I'll reach 40 pounds lost this week which makes me about halfway there








Oh yeah! Caught on Camera: The 30 Seconds the Kids Were Nice To Each Other For Yesterday!! Yes, they're sharing a Coke. I know pop isn't good for them, but I've got a good reason why they had it. They needed something to wash down the Pez with


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Wow, what a little girl she is! When did that happen?!

Quote:

tell me knock knock jokes they made up themselves










Good for you with the weight loss! 40 lbs is a lot, you should be really proud. I could definitely lose about 15 but I would much rather stay this size and weight and just be fit instead of flabby. Sigh. I'll stop being so lazy some day, right?


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mummoth*
Yes, they're sharing a Coke. I know pop isn't good for them, but I've got a good reason why they had it. They needed something to wash down the Pez with

















Well, my kids have had Pez but nobody's ever deliberately given them Coke (though BooBah has gotten into Mike's diet Coke more than once







). Nanny-nanny boo-boo, I'm more AP than you-ooh.














Sorry, couldn't resist. I've got a thing about the laundry list sigs this week. Most of the time, I don't even notice them but sometimes they get to me.







I'm a punk, I guess.

I caught a poop today!







I've caught several Bella-pees, but today was the first poop.







I'm still not quite brave enough to leave her without a diaper for more than 15 minutes at a time, but I think that as she learns to defend herself against the overly enthusiastic lovelovese of her siblings I'll be able to relax more about everything else, too.









ETA--







I was just looking at that picture and BeanBean popped up and said, "Oh my gosh, those people are beautiful! Who are they?"














Ain't he sweet?


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

eilonwyNanny-nanny boo-boo said:


> http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngtongue.gif[/IMG]
> 
> 
> 
> ...










: Well, my family is more APE than yours!

Whenever Roland sees a picture on the computer he asks "Can we go play with those kids today?"









Thanks Julie! I'm trying not to fixate on the numbers too much... I'm much more happy about the muscle tone from the gym (not being sore after a day of manual labour in the yard) & the energy & being able to cut back on my medication. The numbers are just hitting home right now because I'm a few pounds away from having lost a Roland, and holy crap is that kid heavy!! I can't imagine carrying him around all day!

Today were playing hookey from preschool to go to La Leche League. It's an enrichment meeting & one of the women is going to talk about EC. Maybe it'll motivate me to get moving on toilet learning with Caitlin


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mummoth*

Thanks Julie! I'm trying not to fixate on the numbers too much... I'm much more happy about the muscle tone from the gym (not being sore after a day of manual labour in the yard) & the energy & being able to cut back on my medication. The numbers are just hitting home right now because I'm a few pounds away from having lost a Roland, and holy crap is that kid heavy!! I can't imagine carrying him around all day!









Congrats on the weight loss, Mum! I'm halfway toward my goal as well. The energy increase is HUGE, isn't it? That's better than the weight loss for me.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

A few years ago, DH lost 40 lbs and found he was MUCH more comfortable in hot weather. I pointed out to him that he'd been basically wearing a 40-lb full body coat before loosing the weight. It made a huge difference in his ability to tolerate summer weather.

I'm still only loosing .5-1 lb a week. No matter what. Its crazy! I'm a few lbs below my pre-Ellie weight right now, but still about 10 lbs over my pre-Killy weight. I've already worked out 1154 minutes this month and even going dairy-free hasn't speeded things up. But, I think I am seeing more toning going on right now. I'm trying to be patient, but... DAMNIT! I want to be thin again! I'm wearing a size 10 now (I do buy cheap clothes, though, and I realize that a size 10 from Old Navy or Walmart is more like an 8 elsewhere). I'll be able to live with myself again when I'm a size 8, and I'll be happy when I get back to a 6. People across the country will hear me shreiking with joy when I'm back in a size 4!

Killy had speech therapy today and the therapist was very impressed with his improvement. Also with his suddenly bigger attention span. Go, Killy!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Wow, Queenie, you were a size 4?!? I think of us as looking alike (because we wore similar glasses during our first pgs, how much sense does that make?) but clearly my hind end is nothing like your hind end









James had his second day of "special" preschool today. I think it's going to be a great thing for him - his expressive language is right on track in a one-on-one setting, but he will definitely benefit from learning to go along with group activities and being encouraged to communicate verbally with other toddlers. Plus, I get 3 hrs/week to do crazy stuff like grocery shop all myself! Yeehah!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Smithie*
Wow, Queenie, you were a size 4?!?

Yep, its hard to believe, now... This is skinny Queenie, at my rehersal dinner with my bridesmaids five years ago (I'm in the middle in the maroon dress).

Why do I let Killy drive me so nuts? We went to the grocery store and he wouldn't quit kicking the stroller until he woke Ellie up and on the way home he kept trying to throw the groceries (including eggs) out of the stroller. They seem like such minor things, but as my dad would say, "it just crawled all over me." When we got home, I told DH to take him in the back yard and let him run around while I fixed dinner, and he spent the whole time crying hysterically at the door until I let him inside because he wanted to be near me. Until DH put Lilo and Stitch on, now he doesn't care about me anymore.


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

You were smashing, QueenofCups, though you'd look good any old way, I think.









Huh, I find Old Navy sizes are weird but in the opposite direction- I know I am *not* a size 4, but I wear an Old Navy 4 bottom and XS shirts. And I'm 140 lbs- too heavy for me, but I'm tall so I can hide a lot. Only dh knows.







Yet he's the one who matters most, after me.









Rowan tells me when he poops, and on the occasions when he realizes before he poops he cries about it. I think it overwhelms him. I am still not at all interested in potty training, though he has asked to sit on them a few times. I really do not want to devote that much attention to his digestive processes. I think I need the wood kind with the sturdy seat, so he can hang out there for a while at a time. The bjorn-style, or cheap target knockoff I have, aren't really conducive to settling in for a while.

Those signatures are the pits, eilonwy. I mean, really. The list of I-use-this-diaper-and-I-don't-circumcise-and-I-breastfeed-longer-than-THE-LAST-EMPEROR-and-we-only-eat-raw-food-and-birth-in-98.6-degree-aquadoula-spas-with-organic-plastic-liners.....ask me if I care! Then again my signature privileges were revoked for having an innocent "Simpsons" quote but some busybody who didn't like my tolerant views on elective cesarean section complained I was really talking about MDC. Some mothers SO need to go back to work!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Wow, that maroon dress is beautiful! Nothing beats the combination of great fashion sense and a great figure. My bone structure doesn't go below size 8 jeans, period, although I wore a few size 6 dresses back in the day. But if you were a a 4 once I'm sure you'll be there again someday if that's what you want. These years we spend pregnant and nursing are really such a tiny blip in our lives.

Oh, and Killy drives you insane because he is a really intense little person. He is lucky to have a well-educated AP mama, otherwise he'd probably be spanked and yelled at pretty much constantly.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

I think my main issue with Old Navy pants is how ridiculously low cut the pants are. I'm completely paranoid about having "muffin-top" (where you have a bulge over the waistband of low pants), so I feel like I always have to go 1-2 sizes bigger than in other brands to avoid the slightest bulge. I have a very hourglass figure with a small waist and big hips, so low cut jeans look awful on me, and the wrinkly extra skin on my lower abs does not look cute hanging out... But I can't bring myself to wear "mom" jeans that come up over my belly-button. What am I to do? Does anyone know of any good jeans that I don't need to have a brazilian wax to wear?!

That maroon dress was one of my favorites. The back is open with lacing across it, kind of like a corset in reverse. Beautiful! Its still in my closet. Someday when I'm not nursing or pregnant I'll wear it again...

Roll call: who else is ready for teething to be OVER?! Three of the four 2-year molars have cut. I am just praying that Killy's finished teething before Ellie begins. Speaking of Ellie, her temperment seems to be the exact opposite of Killy's: she's always smiling, nothing seems to bother her much, she only wakes once a night, she wakes up in the morning smiling and giggling, she's not in a big rush to sit up, she'll sit in the exersaucer for 45 mintues playing very intently while I weed the yard... Its crazy! I wonder if she's really just that easy, or if its a second-child thing: she just instinctively realizes that she's not the center of the universe and deals with it. Those of you with 2 kids - have you found that the second one is way more laid back?


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Mine are exactly like that-high need first, laid back second. Though Ro has always been in a rush to do things, he flows with the changes a lot better. (Though I think it is temperment as well. I have a friend with two and her first was laid back and her second was high need. I would rather have high need first, when you can devote a lot of attention to them, then high need second when you no longer have that luxury.) I joke with dh that we have been teething for 4 years straight since Tain started late and Ro didn't.







I think I am going to have a huge party when the last molar is in and he is weaned! I'll be so happy to be DONE with that stuff.

from what you have said about your eating disorder in the past, I thought you'd look emaciated in the photo but you look really good. Trust a person to know themselves!







And that dress is stunning, so timeless. Muscle does weigh more than fat so maybe you are at a plateau of sorts and are building a lot of muscle while losing slightly more fat.

Anyone know of a program you can do at home? We have no money for a gym (even the scholarship at the Y is $65 a month!) but I am really tired of being flabby.

I so hear you about muffin top! OMG, I was dying, I have never heard that phrase before! Old Navy is all about catering to fads, I have a terrible time finding clothes there. I shop at GAP, which is more expensive, but they always have clearance of some sort. Their jeans come in a variety of rises. I personally do well with low rise, but ultra low rise is just plain gross.







I'm long legged, short waisted so I rejoice that the days of Bongo jeans are over! I also don't have much waist to hip ratio, I think it is only about 4-5 inches right now so to wear a dress like that gorgeous one you have, I'd have to go up 2 sizes to fit the waist and the hips would be floppy and huge. Very sad. My two best friends could always swap clothes-well, dresses and shirts because one was very tall and lithe and the other had big hips but a small waist and rib cage. I'm pretty much straight so I have to be really thin to squeeze into their clothes and the shirts better be stretchy! I wear between a 10 and an 8 now, GAP runs big so I have a couple pairs of 8 jeans but I don't think those really count. I'm 5'5".


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

I'll have to try Gap, thanks for the reccomendation. There's a Gap outlet store about 40 minutes away, maybe I'll go by there sometime when I'm out that direction. I have a difference of 12 inches between my waist and my hips (!!), so I have the opposite problem you do. Thanks for the compliments on the dress and picture! That was not at my low weight, by the way - I was skinnier than that through part of college. I don't think I ever looked bony-scary, though. I just had a lot of people tell me that they didn't recognize me at first after not seeing me for a few months because the weight loss was so dramatic.

Today has been a great day - Killy has been so much fun! He woke up nicely and other than sobbing because I wouldn't nurse him while I peed, he's been great to be around. We went yardsaling and he did great, and then we went to the children's museum and he actually waited for me at the door of each room instead of running away without me. We met up with a friend and she and I had a great time chatting. Its a stormy, rainy day and I LOVE to curl up on the couch with the kids when its pouring outside. And, since Killy ran around so much this morning he'll probably be okay to stay home this afternoon.


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

Caitlin pats her cheek and says "Ow!" when her teeth are bothering her. I usually think she's talking about her eczema & ask her "Are you getting itchy? I'll get the lotion" and she says "NNNNNOOOOO!!!! Teesh... Ow!!"







If having eczema has taught her anything, it's how to complain about her maladies *very* effectively







Roland *still* doesn't know that... if I ask him "Where are you hurt?" he says "On the fireplace" or "In the hallway"









I'm having a rough day... nothing really horrible is going on... I'm just in a mood. I don't want to talk or be touched & of course thats out of the question. We went out for an hour & we're in for lunch now... we'll probably go for a walk to the garden centre this afternoon. That'll kill time until Kevin gets home, and then it's the weekend!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Once upon a time, I was a size 4... in fact, I was an 8 when I met Mike, 7 years ago.







: That's about as small as I can get without looking too thin. I'm pretty excited to be in a 12-14 right now.







It's funny, though, I love the ultra low rise jeans; the problem is that the low rises have a really big waist because they're meant to sit on your hips, but they actually come up to my real waist because I'm so short.







The ultra low risers fit me very well, they're comfy as anything.







I will admit, though, that I often size up to avoid "muffin top."







I have a waist again! I'm very pleased with that, but depressed when I think of the whys and wherefors...









BooBah is nowhere near getting her molars; in fact, her canines are only coming in now.







It's okay, though; we have some very late teeth in my family (I was the only one of my siblings to get my teeth on time) so it's not a big deal to me. My younger brother had no teeth at all until he was 15 months old.







I remember teasing the dentist about it at my very first appointment...

Bella is growing! She now fits beautifully into the newborn sized proraps.







She also tries to pee/poop every time that I cue her, even if nothing comes out. Elimination communication is very exciting!







The whole family is amused and impressed by it.







I was hoping to put the preemie sized outfits away this week, but I think she needs a bit more time. Tomorrow is her WCC, and I'll probably ask the doctor for something for her belly as well as an opthamology referral; she's been spitting up constantly, which makes her want to nurse constantly and shriek and arch her body into funny positions. It's a lot of work. If she was my first child, I'd probably take more of a "wait and see" approach, but she's my third and I don't feel like I have the energy to devote to that. I don't want to leave Bella in pain because I'm too busy dealing with her siblings to hold her and keep her calm, you know? I feel kind of bad for just wanting to give her an acid blocker, though; giving kids medicine all the time is work, too, but I guess it's easier than listening to a kid in pain.

I wouldn't say that BeanBean is high needs, but he's certainly spirited these days.







As a baby, though, BeanBean was incredibly mellow and easy to deal with; all you had to do to keep him happy was keep talking. He loved listening to people talk from the very beginning, and started jabbering back pretty early on. BooBah had a very easygoing personality and needed much less stimulation than BeanBean to be happy, but her baby days were more difficult because we spent all that time visiting doctors and getting blood and urine drawn.







In fact, Bella seems to be my most "difficult" baby thus far; she cries more than BeanBean and BooBah put together, and gets upset if she wakes up and noone is touching her.







She does the pain cry *a lot*, which is one more reason that I suspect reflux, and I don't think she can see very well because you can be practically on top of her, but if you're not touching her she has a canary.







She *needs* to cosleep, because when she's not touching someone constanly she cries all night (I learned this when she was in the hospital the other week).

That said, when she's being held Bella still spends a lot of time asleep or calmly examining things with her body/hands. Last night after I got back from the ER (have I mentioned that I've been in lots of pain lately?







) my sister was playing with Bella and said, "While I was with [SkinnyPunk's baby], I knew why I didn't want any more kids and was reminded that I don't really like babies, but _she's_ cute! I'd have one like this!"







Freak. My sister doesn't really want to have more kids at all... she just doesn't have any sense. She met dark-skinned black guy with blue eyes, and now she's got this thing about having a blue eyed child.


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Tain has hives. Again. For those of you with kids with allergies, how far did you go to test? His blood test came back negative for everthing but I am tired of giving him benadryl instead of knowing what is causing it. I'm thinking of getting the scratch test done for all of us and I wonder if that is overkill.

Crap, time to get ready for school!


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Julie- By any chance do his hives coincide w/ the spraying of nearby(or not so nearby if the wind is blowing just right) farmers fields? My friend moved to Arizona 11 years ago and her apartment was a few miles from a farmers field. She started breaking out in hives, they got so bad that her throat was effected. The doctors did all sorts of testing and found nothing that would be a problem. Then she started to realize that they came when the fields were being sprayed(she saw the trucks). When she moved to a different location they got better because she's not exposed to the spray. She still occasionally has "attacks" but not as frequent and can usually be traced to a neighbor putting pesticides on something like that. hth


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

I finally turned Killy forward-facing. I was hoping to keep him rear-facing until he outgrew the height limit for his seat (he's 1 inch away), but he's so strong that when he kicks the seat he can actually loosen the carseat, and I don't feel like that's safe. Its just not possible to pull over every time he starts kicking, take him out of the seat, and re-tighten it. Bummer. I turned it and he did great when we went out this morning, and Ellie was giggling the whole drive because she could actually see Killy's face! It was really cute!


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

I turned Caitlins seat around about a month ago, at the same time that I moved it from the middle to the side. Being rear facing in the middle is NOT the safest place to be when it's right next to a brother







:


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

I just turned Lil FF about a month ago. It was getting to the point where I feared that I was going to have an accident because she was SO disgruntled about being in her seat. I was constantly reaching back there to give her books, snacks, drinks etc. FF has been a huge improvement. She looks out the window...sings songs...talks to me about what she sees. Much more sane driving.


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

James has been forward-facing for like, a year







: I will always be pushing the envelope on carseat stuff, we HATE everything about carseats except, maybe, the convenience of the bucket when the babe is very small. James is starting to show that he is uncomfortable in his Britax Wizard, but he's going to have to hang in there until he's a bit taller and can transition to a booster. It's the dangling-leg thing that bothers him, and I can see why - his legga are barely on the seat anymore. I got a Britax booster that dh keeps in his trunk for emergencies, but we haven't used it yet.

In other news, I washed the baby bucket cover yesterday - and the bassinet bedding, and the Moses basket bedding, and the bouncy seat cover, and the Boppy cover. I'm ready whenever she is!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

We turned BeanBean (remember, he's 3.5) a month ago, when Bella was born.







I'll admit it-- I'm paranoid and tense.














BeanBean was turned only because it seemed ridiculous to me to have the girls rear facing in the middle seat and BeanBean rear facing in the back. So he's forward facing, and he can see BooBah and Bella.







He talks to them, and is generally helpful. When it comes to passing things back, I either pull over (or do it before we hit the road), or I toss things back to BeanBean, who then tosses things forward to BooBah.







He actually has an easier time reaching her this way than he did when they were both rear facing and next to one another.

I've had a lot of dreams lately of driving a full-sized, 12 passenger van.







: I have no idea where we'd even find such a thing, or why we'd need one, but there you have it.

The house next door is up for sale-- to purchase, or rent to own. I called the number on the sign, and it sounds like it would probably be out of our budget, but it would be so, so cool if we could swing it! It's huge, we'd be set for space without having to move again, but there would be a lot of work involved. I like the idea, it's very exciting all by itself to think about buying a house, but it doesn't seem like a real possibility to me.







Still, we're going to do a walkthrough and talk to the owner, because what can it hurt?







It's fun to dream, right?

Bella weighs 7 pounds, 9.5 ounces and is 19.5 inches long; this makes her about the size that BeanBean was at birth. She's still not latching on comfortably for me, so I'll probably take her to LLL tomorrow and get some input. I'm way too lazy to use the nipple shield every time, but I've had to use it when my nipples were just too sore from all the bad latches.







I'm very happy with my growing girl, though, she's gaining quickly. She's been wearing some 0-3's, which look big but not "why is that baby wearing her sister's clothing?" big.







I'm putting the preemie stuff away ASAP, except for one outfit for pictures this weekend.









I had to explain to the nurse who weighed her that 7.95 was not the same as 7, 9.5; unlike the woman at WIC, the nurse assumed immediately that she was in the wrong. It took her a while to get it, but she didn't argue with me and get that condescending, "poor woman, she's stupid, too!" look on her face-- she just asked me to explain it to her again. Bella's doctor found it amusing, and had the same look on his face that he gets when he tells me about cosleeping (namely, that we're not supposed to do it).














He looked at her eyes, and said that if she's still not looking at faces by her next appointment (in other words, by the time she's an adjusted month old-- I still can't believe that there are circumstances in which that applies) he'll find us a pediatric opthamologist. My sister was telling me that she knows who the only doctor in town is who deals with babies as young as Bella; my mother goes to that office, and this doctor's FIL (or is it grandFIL?) is a resident at the assisted living facility where she works. Apparently, they're good people.







There's really nothing for me to do while I wait another month, though, except to pay attention, and of course I'm already doing that.









So BooBah was acting really strange Sunday night-- she started shrieking over and over again, the pain cry, for no apparent reason. Finally I was able to get words out of her-- she said her butt hurt. I found a little sore on her behind; I had no idea what it was, but BeanBean got some ice for her (no idea why, he's a bit odd sometimes) and it really seemed to help. Still, she spent a fair amount of the evening complaining that her butt hurt. Yesterday she pooped on our way into town; mom said it was copious and gross, but she didn't pay much attention to it at all-- she was only greatful that I'd put her in a PullUp for the trip instead of cloth.







Anyway, she was still complaining last night that she was in pain. Mike put her and BeanBean into the bathtub when we got home (they were filthy-- a long, all-too-familiar story) and told me that he suspected a UTI. I went in to look at her, and I think he's absolutely right; she looked all red and inflamed.







She also had some open fissures around her anus; that poop must have been horrendous for her.







Anyway, I put some lansinoh on her before bed last night (couldn't find the desitin) and that seemed to calm her down a lot. Mike bought her some cranberry juice, and if she's not looking a lot better this evening, I'll take her to have her blood drawn tomorrow, as well as a urinalysis.







Poor BooBah, though! I was so tired and irritated that when she started shrieking, I just refused to listen to her until she talked like a person.







: She screamed like that for an hour and a half, with me saying, "Talk, just talk! Words!" over and over again.







: I feel horrible about it, looking at her I know that she had to be in pain.









I've really got to do something about my state of mind and my health. I've just been such a mess lately, and in so much pain. I don't want to take vicodin all the time, or drink alcohol every day, but if I can't do something about the pain and my inability to sleep, these things are only going to get worse. I'm trying so hard, but I've just been such a crappy parent. Even my best days, I'm so thin skinned that I just want to crawl into a hole at the end of the day and sleep, and of course I can't do that...







I'm not sure what to do with myself, but I must take care of my mental, physical and spiritual health. I just feel so guilty when I think about spending money on anything that might be "just" for me.


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Smithie-we are so there with you about the carseats. I'm not in a hurry to get them out of them, but we did turn them both as soon as we could. It has made life so much easier for us all and I don't feel even a tiny bit paranoid or guilty about it. There are a lot of things other moms seem to really worry about, especially safety stuff, that I don't. I trust that dh and I will be safe, defensive drivers. I understand that you can't defend against everything so in that case, I just let it go. I don't see the point in stressing about something you can't do anything about. And I am not folding my 42" son into a pretzel and making him carsick in the offchance we do get in a head on collision at a speed where it would make sense for him to be that way.

Rynna-taking care of yourself, spending money on it, isn't only for you. If you are being a less than stellar parent, you would be doing it for your kids too. Says the woman who really should get some therapy but doesn't want to spend the money.









Houses. Dh and I were talking about this for the umpteenth time last night. How we could probably swing a mortgage but we would never be able to repair anything big like burst pipes, roofing or furnaces. Until we have a fat savings, I am never going to feel comfortable owning, as much as I love doing home improvement projects.

Ugh. So Tain brought some violas home from his field trip to the nursery. And we were going to plant them but I started having some pretty severe allergies so I gave them away. Went up a little north yesterday to a playdate and was actually feeling better by the time I headed home 4 hours later. Got home and immediately felt like total crap. Took benadryl and felt like a zombie instead. I think I am going to have to get some Claritin or something, it is really hard to function when I feel like my head is going to explode. It's sad that I gave Tain's flowers away when they weren't the problem. And I love the trees and grass we have here, it kind of makes up for a yard, but I am getting tired of feeling like I have the worst headcold ever because of them. I never had allergies until I moved here. Blech. But it does make me more sympathetic toward people with seasonal allergies.

I'm having a mom slump. I just don't want to be one anymore. It isn't that I don't want my kids, I love my kids, I just don't want to be the end all and the sole house cleaner. I am so done with that. And it shows. I have forced myself to stay away from WoW except on dh's days off but I find I am just reading books instead (which is not much different, frankly) because I am bored. I don't want to play with them. I'm not a kid anymore, I don't like playing hide and seek when I know where they are hiding and they can never find me because I've got 20 years of the game on them. I don't want to move the couch and clean out the filth under it. But I also want these things done. I decided they need 2 moms, but one more like my servant so I don't have to be jealous.







Oh, and free. Dh has been dealing with a lot of crap at work and my best friend is in a nasty divorce and I really don't have anyone else. I guess I am feeling like nothing I do is that important compared to everyone else's stuff. And it all doesn't matter that much. I think I am just feeling lonely and that makes me not want to try. I don't really need assurances or anything, just needed to get that stuff off my chest.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Is anyone sick of hearing "I do it myself!" She's making me crazy!! She wants to do everything herself and when she can't there's you know what to pay! Oy! I wish she would just let me do it or figure thing out QUICK. It seems she esp. wants to try and do everything herself when I'm trying to get somewhere w/in a specific timeframe. Deep breath

Al righ tthe girls want to go for a walk. MAybe they will both fall asleep since Maddie is insisting that we take the double stroller instead of her riding her bike.


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

We turned Rowan last summer even though the chief reason I got a Britax roundabout was so he could stay rear-facing for as long as possible. The roundabout goes up to 33 lbs rear-facing and 40 lbs forward-facing. I am thinking of getting a Britax regent because it goes up to 80 lbs with the harness, which is a feature I really like. Even though my children are ginormous it was a long time until dd seemed really to fit in a seatbelt. In fact it's really only now she has reached adult proportions that it seems to fit well. And our lives were indeed made so much easier by facing him forward I simply consoled myself he was *well* beyond twenty pounds.

My SIL had her 6month old forward facing!







I don't understand how someone can simply not even do the minimum of research into this topic. I am a pretty flexible person but, I mean, really. Surely just reading the installation label on the seat itself could give that info?!?!?!?!?! And she doesn't even know if her seat (a Britax) can be used rear-facing or if it's only forward-facing. And now before I borrow it next week I want to know, like, how old it is (she got it from someone in a park slope parenting group), etc etc. Fortunately after I mentioned this (gently), she was at a Denny's and the placemat was a handout about carseat safety, so it wasn't only me telling her this. -sigh-

IMO you are always, always, always better off buying than renting. The market is still going to go up, albeit more slowly, and you get your money back when you sell, and your credit is improved, etc etc. A mortgage is good debt! We haven't had any savings in the past and have had some pretty slim months in the last five years but our house, which we bought for only $5k down, has more than doubled in value- I haven't done any of the major renovations I would have done had I been able to afford it, or were I staying here, but we can't complain. And when money got *really* tight the summer Rowan was born, we were able to get a home equity line of credit to pay off other debts and so on. At the very worst you break even and essentially haven't paid rent during the time you've been there, which is how it was when we sold our condo in Miami years ago. And if you're really going to stay put (as we plan when we move into this new theoretical home), one day you will not have a housing payment at all.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

I'm having a crappy day and I need to figure out how to get out of this funk! My birthday is tomorrow and well I would prefer to just ignore it. Dh got it in his head that he wsa going to plan this whole day and then he decided that it was too much work and he just isn't good at planning these types of things and now he keeps asking me what I want to do and wants me to plan stuff.







: He knows I hate my birthday but yet every year he does the same thing! It's been this big huge production about when we will celebrate w/ my family. I told him last night that I should have the right to boycott my #$% birthday.

Then last night at my LLL mtg I got slammed. It was after the mtg and I was chatting w/ a couple of my friends. As I was about to leave I said to one of them that we needed to sit down and discuss her watching my two youngest ones next year while I sub. She had offered to do it a couple of months ago and I just wanted to get everything in order. It became a big discussion and our other two friends pretty much talked her out of it. They kept going and going and going. I left there and cried most of the way home. It was going to be my one "out". I really wanted it and I don't have anyone else I'm comfortable w/. I jsut want to curl up into bed and hide for the day but I have 2 kids to care for all day.

I got to get off this computer!


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Sandi-I read your post this morning and couldn't find a thing to say. I know how you feel and I wish I was near, then we'd see what's what! I've had plenty of "If I have to plan it myself it doesn't feel special" conversations with people.







mama, I wish there was something I could do.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Thanks Julie!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Well, I've put myself on time out. BooBah managed to wake Bella no less than three times in 40 minutes, and of course the last time she wanted to nurse again rather than just sucking on my finger and going back to sleep. I came upstairs and told Mike I needed some time off. He had a long day today, but so did I.

Yesterday, my mom looked at the spots on BooBah's behind and said that she thought they looked like chicken pox. This pleased me, and I was even more pleased this morning when she had more spots and her brother had two of his own, but the doctor said he thinks that they're impetigo. Yick! Dirty baby disease!







He called it "a social disease" (creepy, because that's the euphemism Mike uses for STDs) and said that it's extremely likely that Bella will catch it. I still need to look out for chicken pox, though; apparently one of my sister's residents has shingles, so the kids have been potentially exposed. Not that it would be a bad thing. They've also potentially been exposed to the mumps; there's a huge mumps epidemic all over the country, and the local area has certainly not been immune. Maybe I'll get the mumps, and then Mike will take off from work to take care of me and the kids.







He had the mumps when he was a teenager, but I had the vaccine, and apparently, most of the people getting sick have been vaccinated.









Bella had a huge growth spurt and looks like a lovely, whole baby.







I was feeling very proud of how much she's grown, when I met a baby a week older than Bella at LLL who weighed over 13 pounds.







He was amazing, the size of one of my four month olds, but a face like a brand new baby. Beautiful red hair, too.







Bella looked so tiny next to him.







I'm happy, though, she's really growing nicely. She nurses a ton, and she's having those overnight growth spurts that are so cool to watch.









We walked through the house today. It's so freaking cool! I really, really, really hope that we can find a way to do it. We're going to do some research into financing options.







: I honestly cannot wrap my head around the idea of owning a house... it's just beyond me!

Anyway, the house is huge (which we already knew) and the major work will be done before we would move in. The kitchen is being refinished-- there's a new (gas!) stove in it, new tiles already sitting there waiting to be installed, and new countertops are coming. Everything's had a fresh coat of paint put on it already-- antique white walls with white trim. Five bedrooms, and a very large basement for storage space. There's also a little mudroom on the back of the house, which is very cool, and a washer and dryer in the basement (which, if we bought the house, we would probably sell and use the money to replace the fridge). The living room and dining room both have hardwood floors with a really neat inlay that looks like cherry, and they're being refinished. It's got lots of cool features.







There are some less-than-desireable features, too; for some reason, the whole place smelled like pee, which is just yucky, and there are two spots on the cieling where it looks like the roof needs work. That's not the big concern for me, I'm worried about the mold that may be on the other side of the cieling; that's less likely to be dealt with than the leaks.

I was totally excited just to be walking through, though.







I felt like a real grownup.


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Awesome, Rynna! I'm keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for you...

At my 37-week prenatal today, I measured a full month behind







My u/s yesterday "proves" that dd is healthy and weighs about 6.5 lbs., so WHY THE HELL IS MY BELLY NOT GROWING? This is very uncool.

James had several temper tantrums today, mostly related to transitioning activities. I ignored them and proceeded with the transition. Man, that kid is heavy.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Smithie - I SOOOO hear you on the "that kid is heavy." I spent more time the last two months of pregnancy carrying Killy than I cared to or should have. I don't have to carry Killy as much now, but it is even harder to carry him with Ellie in the sling than it was to carry him when Ellie was in my belly. As much as I hate strollers (too much hassle usually), a double stroller is VERY handy the first few months when you've got two little ones less than two years apart. If you don't have a double stroller, I would highly reccomend getting one. You can always sell it after a couple months. But it is so hard to carry a 10 lb baby and a 30 lb toddler when you're a few weeks postpartum. Ellie now weighs ~16 lbs and Killy weight ~30 lbs so it is quite a load to carry them both out of a store when Killy's kicking and screaming.

Killy has, though, suddenly gotten a lot easier. I guess it probably has something to do with him finally having a major leap forward in speech ability. But, in the last couple weeks he has stopped screaming/crying apon waking - it used to be 20-30 minutes minimum of hysteria apon waking in the morning and at nap. It was awful and went on for months and months. Now he's waking up happy almost every time! Yay! He's also been just wildly cute the last couple of days, too. He has this rubber snake and he loves to run up to me or DH and say "SSSSSsssssssss!" and then we scream like we're scared and he thinks its hilarious. His favorite activity now is to play at the sink. We pull a chair up and he has a ball!

Rynna - good luck! We bought our house with no money down - we walked away from the closing with an $800 check, actually. We did an 80/20 set of mortgages. It kind of sucks having two mortgages, but they're still less than the rent we were paying before buying. If you don't have a parent or grandparent to lend you money for a downpayment an 80/20 deal is a great way to go.

And, I've got pictures! Ellie is becoming quite the little beauty. I just cannot believe how big and grownup she is looking all of a sudden! Here's another picture of her sweet smile. And here's the the little man doing dishes.

Well, the stupid server is acting up. So, if you can't see the pics try again in a couple hours - it should be functional by the morning if not before.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen of Cups*

He's also been just wildly cute the last couple of days, too. He has this rubber snake and he loves to run up to me or DH and say "SSSSSsssssssss!" and then we scream like we're scared and he thinks its hilarious. His favorite activity now is to play at the sink. We pull a chair up and he has a ball!

Lily does this too except that insttead of a snake she'll just run up and yell BOO! or growl like a monster. It's so funny!


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

hey Liz. evidently they didn't like my "arrested by the sig police" sig line because now I don't have one at all!







And they call us petty. No pm either, just suddenly no sig line.

I need to live where y'all live. The housing market here is so ridiculous. Way more expensive to buy than to rent and all those balloon mortgages going on so any old schmuck can buy, especially what they can't afford, so house prices are way inflated. I'm just waiting for the time when all those quicken loans balloon and suddenly there is a crash because everyone is being foreclosed. What a terrible idea those things are.

Ro is feeling under the weather. Has diarrhea. Poor guy.

Tain has had hives since Sunday. I am so glad we found an allergist that could see us on Mon. I really need some answers. I thought I had seasonal allergies but now I am wondering if I don't have a cold instead. Maybe a little of both. Dh caught a cold bug at work so he'll be out of commission around here. And it is raining today. Ah well, it isn't the end of the world.


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

Oh and I can't change my profile or options. Evidently, they take this thing very seriously. So much for free speech, eh?


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## mattjule (Nov 6, 2003)

As much as I really love you all, I think this may be the final straw. Maybe I'll start posting on our yahoo group. If I can remember what it is


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Julie- That's CRAZY!







and don't leave us!!!


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

I'm having a hard time resisting the urge to poke the MDC Siggie Bear now. I wonder how long I could get away with it... ? And what would I say?

We've been having a busy week. On Sunday we went 4 wheeling. On Monday morning, Roland woke up & said "Mommy, it's your choice: Today, we can go to the beach with the purple startfish oooorrrr we can go to the muddy place." and I said "Today we're going to play in the yard," and he said "That _wasn't_ one of your choices."







On Tuesday Roland had preschool in the morning & we transplanted pumpkins & zuchinni to the garden in the afternoon. Wednesday some of the women from LLL came over & the power company came & connected us to the upgraded service DH put in. Then I had Weaight Watchers in the evening. Yesterday Caitlin & I did some shopping while Roland was in preschool & then we went to the beach with my mom. After the beach, we went back to moms house for a barbecue. Today a woman from parent & tot is coming over. Roland & her son really get along, but I'm a bit concerned about my poor garden, because hers is a real wild child. She smokes & I'm sure she'll think it's alright to do in the yard. Roland is going to tell her "Stinkerettes can get you dead" I just know it...


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## heatherbell (Jun 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *3girlsmommy*
Lily does this too except that insttead of a snake she'll just run up and yell BOO! or growl like a monster. It's so funny!

Nadia likes to hide in the closet and wait for someone to ask where she is and then jump out and yell,"Boo!" She'll do this for hours.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mattjule*
hey Liz. evidently they didn't like my "arrested by the sig police" sig line because now I don't have one at all!







And they call us petty. No pm either, just suddenly no sig line.

Amazing! And here I've had my nasty, "untrained monkeys" signature for at least two months.














That's what really gets me about it-- Liz, how long did you have that signature? It was at least four or five months, wasn't it? Strange. But we don't have free speech here, not really. That's why I have a blog-- so I can swear when I'm typing.









My brother's been trying to convince me to get MySpace for ages now-- maybe we should do a group MySpace.







That'd be pretty cool! I also promised ChibiChibi she could have a blog of her own when school ends and she's free of that evil institution forever (the evil applying to this particular school and the middle school that she'd be going to if she stayed in The SYSTEM).







She doesn't even know what it is, only that it will involve her being here and using the computer, so she's thrilled.









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mummoth*
On Monday morning, Roland woke up & said "Mommy, it's your choice: Today, we can go to the beach with the purple startfish oooorrrr we can go to the muddy place." and I said "Today we're going to play in the yard," and he said "That wasn't one of your choices."









: OMG, BeanBean did the same exact thing in the car this monring! After we picked up my composter, he said, "Mamma, we can go to the park or we can go to Pine Grove." When I told him we were playing in the yard after we went to the grocery store, he said, "That's not allowed, we have to do one or the other today."







What sort of monster am I raising?!









I'm desperately scouring the web for a picture of Sally Ride wearing the suit and holding her helmet under her arm. I know that I've seen pictures of many astronauts like that, but I can't find one of Sally Ride for the life of me, and ChibiChibi's project is overdue.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Rynna - I don't see a picture exactly like that, but if you go to www.images.google.com and search for Sally Ride, you'll get hundreds of possible images.

Okay, I'm off to go jogging. I NEVER thought I'd ever start jogging, but the will to loose weight can make you do anything! Seriously, though, jogging always felt terrible to me, but now it actually feels pretty good. And, Killy LOVES it when I jog with he and Ellie in the jogging stroller - "Wooooooowwwwwww!" is the exact quote, I think.


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

I'm determined to jog after I recover from this birth. My father was a fabulous track athelete, and my build is very, very similar to his, and it's just ungrateful to God not to use His gift of running in order to keep myself in shape.









I used the "leash" today, in Home Depot. We had to spend about a hour standing around and I knew it would get ugly. It was definitely a better option than forcing him to stay in the stroller, I will be using it more often from now on. I bought one of those cheapo stretchy tethers that attaches toddler to mommy via two very similar wrist straps, people seemed to be less judgemental of that design than of the dog harness I'd prefer to use


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

I love the car carts at Home Depot. Sometimes I take the kids just to wander around the gigantic ailes with the nifty car cart.







I usually pull out a few paint color sample cards for them, if they're antsy, and then wander around looking at all the nifty stuff.







Occasionally I'll even buy something.







Gosh that's a cool store...


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Oooh, the car cart! A 3 y.o. waiting in the same godawful line as we were had snagged that cart. James thought it was supercool.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

They only had one?!







: Goodness, that'd make everyone crazy. Our HD has at least half a dozen, we never have a problem getting one.









I only wish that the grocery store had big car carts, like the ones at HD. I'm trying to figure out what the tiny car carts are for, aside from agravating parents. I mean, I've got three children, I obviously need *more* space in a grocery cart, not less!


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

I barely survived a two-hour stint at home depot today. my mother-in-law wanted to buy everything i need to renovate and put it on her card with the no-interest deal, better than having to lend us real money, obviously, but her back had gone out, rowan was trying to get into the bowels of the aisles and we had to buy like two thousand dollars worth of stuff: paint, outside paint, vanity, countertop, french door, bifold closet doors (5 pairs!), tile and more tile, etc. some is being delivered monday, some i brought home.

and the cat dh has had for 18 years, since he was 21, seems to be on his last lap.







he is so personable and peculiar every vet's receptionist has always said, "oh, of course i know garcia!" we don't even use our real name, just say we're calling about garcia. and now he is not himself.







very weak and not eating, and kind of cries instead of his usual duck quack. and we are supposed to leave town on tuesday to visit the waldorf school and look at houses. if he's even still here tuesday, it will be very difficult to leave him. the meds the vet gave him today don't seem to be helping.

and my custody-battle friend, his wife, and his little boy are all here again, on less than 24 hours' notice. this after the week trying to be supportive of my mother-in-law, whose sister was in the hospital all week, and my friend, who also was in the hospital all week with a kidney stone.

i am exhausted! when do i get to do fingerplays?!?!?!?!

rowan is delightful, though, loves to dance and stomp and has great comic timing already. and loves to plug things in. in fact, tonight when no one was watching, he went into the room where the other boy was sleeping, unplugged the night light i'd given him and brought it out to the living room and plugged it back in there.







i figure there is little point stopping him. he does these "dangerous" things just fine, but has to go to the hospital from walking across a room.

speaking of which, my MIL tells me there have been 3 tragedies lately with children being killed by televisions falling on them. one more thing for us all to worry about.

what did your signature say, julie? i was ready to leave over it too, and i gather my posts are being monitored or how else would they know, since i rarely post anywhere but here...and smithis was my lady in shining armour....







so what did it say?


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

New pictures under "Mike" and "Bella" in my sig.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Bella's so cute! I love the picture of her lying on her tummy smiling so big - is she laughing? I couldn't see the pics of Mike, though.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Thanks! I fixed it.









But yes, Bella is grinning! She smiles and makes gurgly, squeaky, not-quite-giggles when she's tickled or spoken to.







She's also trying to talk-- she makes those adorable pre-speech sounds if you leave breaks in a conversation.







It's so cool! Nothing that sounds like a real word yet, but she's definately starting to interact a lot more. I think she's so cool, I'm just smitten with her.









You can really see how weird her eyes are in some of the pictures, though. Definately something going on there...


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Well, I spent another hour at the Home Depot this morning, and then dh was so colossally pissed off at their repeated incomptence (order not pulled on time for pickup, promised discount not given, etc.) that he drove their rental truck right back and returned the $700 worth of fencing material.

We're only out $20 for the hour of the rental truck, but I'm not sure how to put a dollar value on my sanity







I am NOT buying the next order, and I'm not sure I can ever show my face in that Home Depot again.

It's raining today, so the fence couldn't have gotten built anyhow. We're rescheduled our teenagers from the church for next week, so that gives us a week to buy fencing elsewhere.

In happier news - tonight we see Cirque de Soleil! Apparently we committed to a group trip months ago and then completely forgot about. Last weekend was our First Paid Sitter Ever, this weekend will be sitter #2. I'm trying a college girl this time, for $10/hr I'm hoping she'll take the initiative to clean up the kitchen and the toys before we get home. I'm sure this makes me sound like a stingy old fart, but I don't recall getting $10/hr when I babysat...


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

I used to get $8-10/hour for babysitting SkinnyPunk, of all people, because I'd inevitably be out past curfew.







I got more on school nights.







Her mom liked to go out late; in fact, I can even remember spending the night there a few times, and walking to school in the morning from there, as well as dropping SkinnyPunk off at daycare.







Wow, that feels like yesterday... and now SkinnyPunk has a baby of her own. Unbelievable!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

I made $8/hour babysitting in college plus a $5-10 tip on top of that usually. I was in great demand...







(There was a certain politician that stiffed me and only paid $6/hour, so I certainly won't be voting for him if he runs for president in 2008!) I think the biggest factor in how much babysitters get paid is where they are located in the country. I doubt babysitters make that much here in Kansas.

So, DH gave Killy a coffee bean this morning and he ate it! He wasn't really any wilder than usual, though. We went to an Asian Culture festival at the library my sister works at and everyone fell in love with my kids. It was cute! We also met a woman who had a 3.5 year old and she though Killy was the same age as her daughter. She was SHOCKED to find out he wasn't quite 2 years old yet, and commented on how big and how talkative he was. (I guess the speech therapy is paying off!) Then, she was shocked to see Ellie sitting up and playing with toys at only 5 months old.

OMG, I just found out today that the Organic Truffles from Whole Foods are dairy free. I'm in heaven!


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

We pay our babysitter $10/hr. She's a child development major at the university in our town. She's awesome, and well worth $10/hr. She usually comes once a week for 3 hours or so. I would've killed for an extra $30/week when I was in college. The kids just love her. I don't expect her to get much cleaning done, but the house is never trashed when we get home. So, if they get out a bunch of toys, she must help them clean it up.

In other news, ds began asking to sit on the potty last week. The first few days, he didn't do anything. Now he pees on there numerous times each day. I'm pretty amazed since I never mentioned it to him at all. He decided on his own.

Queenie, we've caught ds slurpping espresso from a near empty cup of dh's. We've also caught him sucking the last drops of Guiness from a can sitting on the counter!







He also will ask for sips of coffee when we have some. I've never noticed that it makes him any wilder than usual!

Erin hasn't posted in a while. Wonder how she's doing?


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:

Erin hasn't posted in a while. Wonder how she's doing?
She's huge and grouchy...and two days past her due date!!









Oh and Lil randomly asked for her potty this morning too. I had put it away in the closet because she was getting so upset every time I asked her if she wanted to use it.

Today she asked for it and sat on it but didn't do anything. She was quite happy about sitting on it though.


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

I think $10 an hour is fairly standard, depending on whom you're hiring. We paid our friend's son six, at his request, when he was 16 and couldn't drive. And dd was so old by then (7) all he had to do was get picked up, she'd already be in bed, usually, and listen to all our old LPs until he fell asleep on the couch.







Pretty good gig when a non-driver has few options besides working in his mom's preschool.

Bella is a real doll baby, I mean she looks like a doll.

Sad news.







Our dear cat who's been with dh for seventeen years finally passed away last night at around 4 am. He was weak and barely moving for many hours, and then at the very end he seemed to have a stroke and some kind of seizure. I think dh probably feels he suffered, but I really don't think he knew what was happening by then. I think it was all automatic responses, and he probably wasn't in pain. But dh continued to lie on the floor where he'd been sleeping by him, until late this morning when he moved himself and the cat to the bed, where he remains now. I suppose I shouldn't be worried yet, and we knew he would take it very hard (he has a death phobia into the bargain), but not getting up ten hours after the cat has passed is starting to concern me. I've cried my eyes out a dozen times but as the mother







: I still have to make sure people are fed, dishes are done, trips are prepared for.

On top of this our custody-battle houseguest is here with his wife and son. His son is driving us crazy. He has a sweet side but he's definitely got some issues. Doesn't listen at all, is rough with our pets (this is a BIG hot button for me- I think there's something wrong with kids who continue to be rough after they've been told not to. And he's six years old), monopolizes Rowan's toys, doesn't seem to have a clear idea who any of us are and no curiosity about where he is. Then our friend, the dad, is on the one hand saying his wife should be involved with his kid, but as soon as she says something he disagrees with he pulls the "it's-my-son-and-you're-not-a-parent-so-back-off" and I really see her side of things now. Plus which she is from a very large Italian family in Queens, who all live on the same block, so she's honestly got more experience with kids than he has. What a mess. And he's so enthusiastic about getting to play daddy that he's overdoing it, buying model rockets and wondering why his kid just wants to play, and wondering why his wife is angry and not participating in the bedtime routine, and get this: at this moment *she* is threading beads because what her husband decided they would do today is make a birthday present for his little boy's mother! He won't tell his son she's his stepmother, or another mother, or clarify anything, and yet is having her make something for his ex-girlfriend's birthday.

This is very hard to deal with when my mother-in-law is ill, I am supposed to leave town Tuesday, I have been up two nights with a dying cat, and now my husband is in bed with the dead cat and my daughter is hysterical and playing video games to keep from snapping at people. And the vet's voicemail is full so we have to wait until tomorrow to make cremation arrangements. "It's all too much," as the George Harrison song goes. I think this is really too much!


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

Holy crap Liz! I hope things lighten up over there really soon! If you asked your houseguests to scram for a while, so you guys can have some quiet mourning time, would they be respectful of that? It sounds like you really need to be able to just STOP.

We're having a bit of a crazy time, too. DH quit his job. He gave his notice a week and a half ago. His last day was Friday & he told me yesterday morning. At first I just thought he'd booked his vacation time, but no. He's persuing his dream of becoming an unemployed bum







He's starting his business. I'm at a total loss as to how to react... as far as I'm concerned he's totally unprepared... he doesn't even have his contractors licence yet! So far all i've come up with is to joke about it & to tell him that since we don't have to come to an agreement before one of us makes a life altering decision anymore, he can expect that we're going to be getting a dog . Yeah... right. He knows I wouldn't go though with that.


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Oh, wow. Major drama in here today.

To add to the drama, after hearing last night that my urinanalysis still showed a trace infection after the last course of antibiotics, and having three "real" contractions at Cirque de Soleil last night - I just put a big dropperful of blue cohosh tincture under my tounge







I will NOT get sick again. I will not NOT destroy all the flora I've worked so hard to build up in the 10 days since I went off the abx. Bring it on, baby!

I'm so sorry about the cat, Liz. I think your dh will probably be better off for the hard-core grieving he's doing now, but the timing SUCKS and leaves you totally stranded. He's gonna owe you one.


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

Thanks, friends.







I think I owe him for all my emotional scenes over the years, so I am ok with letting him wallow in it. I like to do that when things are bad too. Wallow, get over, move on.

Good luck Smithie! That stuff is nasty so I hope you don't need to take more of it!







Keep us posted!


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Liz-







to you and your family. Losing a pet can be as hard as losing a person.

smithie-







to you. I hope you have a quick and relitivly soon birth experience!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Good grief. Fir all the effect that stuff had, I may as well have been putting droppersfull of water under my tounge. I guess it's not time.

Man, I hope I don't get another full-blown UTI...







:


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

smithie- go take a nice warm bath and have a little glass of wine and relax. It might help everything kick in and if not well you got to relax a little.

Or you could have a little conversation w/ the little bugger and tell him/her that you don't want to get sick again and that if it is all possible it is time for him/her to make his/her appearance. I have a friend who swears that her oldest was born when he was because of a similar conversation.


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

I tried that (not the wine part as I was busy pounding the cohosh, but the bath and conversation part). She's just not on board with my agenda


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

And, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to bring a waterproof vibrator into the tub (if you have one) - I have a friend who started her labor that way! Really great sex worked for me, either way you can have a fun evening!









I'm going nuts. Killy just had a huge screaming hysterical fit because I wouldn't let him stir the sausage on the stove. The burner was on high and he is just way too grabby. You'd think I was the meanest mommy in the world. And what really pisses me off is that DH is standing there with Ellie crying 2 feet from him and it doesn't occur to him to pick her up until I say, "Pick her up!" WTF? His hearing is fine and he's a genius - why can't he figure this little thing out?


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

"WTF? His hearing is fine and he's a genius - why can't he figure this little thing out?"








Do you live at my house?


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Smithie*
"WTF? His hearing is fine and he's a genius - why can't he figure this little thing out?"








Do you live at my house?

Or mine? We'll be in the car and one of the kids will repeatly ask for something and he doesn't "hear" them. I either get frustrated w/ him or get whatever they need while I'm driving.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *3girlsmommy*
Or mine? We'll be in the car and one of the kids will repeatly ask for something and he doesn't "hear" them. I either get frustrated w/ him or get whatever they need while I'm driving.









Ugh. Totally. DH was driving today and I was on the phone with my sister. Even while listening to what my sis was saying I could hear Lil asking questions in the backseat over and over. DH was like







NO CLUE!!! I had to keep saying excuse me to my sis and answering her questions or to say...Papa, Lil would like to know where her book is (or whatever it was she was asking about). SO annoying!!!!







:


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

Oh Liz. I'm so sorry about your cat. Mine died three years ago on Valentine's Day after a long fight with kidney failure, I miss her so much. She seizured out too (at the ER vets) and I don't think she felt anything. It is scary to watch it though.

Mum, OMG about your DH quitting his job and not telling you. Holy Moly. In your shoes I'd just be starting to get pissed as the stun wears off--but maybe you are more easygoing than me?

Smithie, hope you can reason with your little girl and get her to come out now. What happens if she doesn't? Are you still planning a homebirth?

My narrowly-averted crisis of the week is that I was called for standby jury service a couple weeks ago for tomorrow and never wrote my letter asking to be excused because I can't leave my DD. I hate it when I forget to do crap like that. Luckily I called and I don't even have to go. Though since DH has been gone for the last two weeks and the tantrums around here are just reaching new heights, I have to say that jury duty sounds like a little slice of adult-only heaven.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Well....my water just broke!!!!


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dharmama*
Well....my water just broke!!!!
























Yahoo!!!! Did you steal Smithie's labor vibes?????







Happy birthing!!! And baby smithie feel free to share a birthday w/ baby dharmama!!


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Erin- How are you this morning?? Hopefully you are snuggling a new little baby!

Mummoth- I think I would go balistic if my dh quit his job w/out consulting me.

Hey did I tell you all the great news??? I don't know if any of you will remember me telling you about my cousin who lost her baby at 28 weeks about 18 months ago? Anyway she needed to have an U/S because they thought she had a cyst on her ovaries. They looked at her uterus and discovered that she has a strip of skin that runs down the entire length of her uterus and that is what caused her to miscarry and to give birth to Elizbeth at 28 weeks. They think she has had multiple miscarries and that everytime she has had a "hard" period it wasn't a problem w/ her ovaries, like they thought, but a miscarriage. The GREAT news is... they can fix it and she will be able to have a baby!!!! I'm so excited for them!! They are both such nice people and have wanted a baby for SO long. All that they have been through makes me realize how lucky I am! Just thought I'd share!


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

Can't wait to read the birth announcements!

Smithie, my friend had to alternate tinctures of cohosh for a whole day before anything kicked in, and even then we weren't sure if it was the castor oil that did it. Good luck!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Yay Erin! You can have my labor vibes for today, you need them more than I do!

I took some EPO yesterday and this morning, I think I'll just do that, and have red hawt all nite sexxx, and guzzle water and cranberry capsules, for the next couple of days. Having experienced the castor oil thing, I'd honestly rather give birth birth with a UTI







:

Re: homebirth and UTI, I think it depends on how much discmofort I'm in. My mw is willing to do it, but the pain of a full-on infection plus the regular ol' pain of dilation might be a bit much to handle. If I go to the hospital, I'll get an epi, but I'll also get a big whopping dose of IV antibiotics when they catch on to the fact that my pee is full of bacteria. And then I'll probably get thrush. Aaaaaauuuuugh. No good choices there.

Maybe I'll go jogging today


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Wow, lots of stuff going on.







, Liz, that sounds like a horrible mess.







I don't even know what to say, except that I hope things get better soon.









Mum- I'd be beyond pissed if Mike quit his job without telling me, without any discussion at all.







: he's not the only person who'd be affected by that decision!

Smithie-







It's bad enough having a UTI after you give birth, I can't imagine having it during (with no epidural; I had one when BeanBean was born, but I also had pain relief).

BooBah's impetigo is almost gone.







The bad news is, she's passed it to Bella.







At least I've managed to keep BooBah's fingers out of Bella's face.







Yick.

Bella's growing, and it's fan-freaking-tastic.







She really seems bigger every day.







I told Mike that I thought we should get some small diaper covers, because we have mediums and newborns but the elastic is totally shot in all the smalls. He said he thinks that we should wait, because she might go from a newborn into a medium. Looking at her, it's entirely possible-- if she puts some weight onto her thighs. She's got the skinniest legs I've ever seen on a baby. Chicken legs!





















It's possible that there will only be a week or two of "overlap" time, though, so I'm going to use Julie's clever fleece suggestion for the interim.

The kids have been so quiet today... it's strange.







It makes me nervous. I wanted to take them to the park today but it was wet and rainy this morning and will probably continue to be wet and rainy until the sun goes down. They didn't mind at all.


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dharmama*
Well....my water just broke!!!!
























Yay! I hope you're resting with your little one right now!

Smithie, you're next! I've got my fingers crossed that labor will start soon!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Total non-sequitor, but didn't someone on this thread have a baby with a tongue tie?







I think Bella has one and I'd like some ideas on dealing with it, because nursing still hurts like a







and that sucks.


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Rynna, I can't remember if anyone on this thread had a babe with tongue-tie. I do remember HeatherSanders had a babe with tongue-tie and she clipped it herself with no problem at all. Maybe you could PM her. She used to be the Mod of the diapering forum, but she isn't anymore. I'm sure she's still a relatively active member here, though.


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

OOOH! Erin! So excited for you!

smithie, yeowch. I never thought about a UTI + labor pain together. gosh I wish I had some good suggestion but instead I will just send labor vibes your way.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Hi - Erin's DH here at Erin's side... thought you'd all want to know she's happilly, peacefully snuggling Quinn Joseph!

She pretty much wowed all of us - her midwife, doula & myself - as well as the whole staff here - with a beautiful natural birth.

Life is Good! Thanks for all your positive energy!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Yay! Congrats!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

I already said this in our May 2006 DDC but...

CONGRATULATIONS ERIN!!!!








: to Quinn!


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

: Congrats Erin (and DH! and Lil!) and welcome Quinn!


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Congrats!!!! Welcome to the world baby Quinn!


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Congrats, Erin and family!


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## heatherbell (Jun 8, 2005)

Congrats Erin! New babies are so lovely.

On a totally unrelated note, is it normal for children at this age to sleep more than they're awake? Nadia will get up at 8am. Nap from 2pm-5pm. Awake from 5pm-9pm. And then sleep from 9pm-8am. It just seems like an awful lot of sleep.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Wow - that's a lot of sleeping! Killy goes to sleep around 9:30pm and usually sleeps till about 7:30am, and then will take a nap that lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours.

Another tough day today... But, since we've all had colds this week I'll chalk it up to him not feeling well. Now that he's in bed for the night, I'm going through all toys in the house and putting AT LEAST half of them in storage in the basement. I figure I better get ready before MIL arrives with another 10,000 toys for him. She flies in Saturday and is staying for 2 weeks. Last time she was here for 3 weeks and by the end we were really rubbing each other the wrong way. This time I've decided that she will not babysit at all - I think that was the problem. I was a million months pregnant and just wanted to nap and rest, and so she would "watch" Killy, which basically translating into encouraging any type of bad behavior he could come up with. It tooks months to help him learn afterward that spitting on the floor, drawing on himself, and eating off the kitchen floor were not actually appropriate daily activities. So, this time I'm going to be in charge the whole time and not leave her in charge at all, even though its tempting to make use of a free babysitter. I think it will just work out better this way. I hope so, anyway. FIL told me she wanted to stay longer than 2 weeks, but it didn't work with their schedule and I told him that I thought 2 weeks was the maximum that would work for me to not get on her nerves too much - that was the nicest way I could say, "HELL NO can she stay a month!" She's a really sweet lady, but anyone would get tired of constantly having to explain why you parent the way you do, right?


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

QoC, I totally agree with what you've decided and have had to make similar adjustments myself. The kind of "help" I get is not really worth it sometimes, so now when my mother or MIL come to visit I have radically revised my expectations. Generally, the help I receive is much offset by having to trip over another person in my small apartment. I should not complain though because both my mother and my MIL are pretty respectful of our parenting and parenting choices, but there have been moments of static when we butt up against something (like the cheering about what DD eats when I really want her listening to her own body since she has had so many food issues already.)


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Balancin1*
I should not complain though because both my mother and my MIL are pretty respectful of our parenting and parenting choices, but there have been moments of static when we butt up against something (like the cheering about what DD eats when I really want her listening to her own body since she has had so many food issues already.)

Yep, the same type of stuff here. Like the fact that I make sure there are lots of healty fats in Killy's diet. MIL thinks kids should only get skim milk because they shouldn't have too much fat. But, she thinks its weird that I don't give him juice. And, she doesn't give a rip about cleaning house and brags about how she never wasted her time doing that when her kids were little, but I look at how her two kids live now (like total ditch-pigs and rely on others to pick up after them) and I don't see how she can still think that was a wise way to bring them up. Plus the fact that we run a business out of our home, so it needs to be somewhat client-ready at all times. Not life-or-death stuff, but its very frustrating to have to justify WHY Killy should pick up his toys occasionally - you know? Or why he doesn't have apple juice or skim milk in his sippy 24-7 (he only gets water or Enhanced Silk).


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Ugh, Queenie! My mother and MIL are so incredible with James, I need to send them cards or something for not encouraging him to spit on the floor







My own mother is pretty sloppy, I'm making a bunch of checklists for her to use when she comes out to help with Sarah in the hope that I won't end up weeping with frustration as the mess piles up. But I don't suggest that tactic with an in-law.

Heather, I think that much sleep is well within the normal range for toddlers - enjoy it! James has just dropped his nap, so he gets about 12 hours at night and then is grumpy all afternoon because he NEEDS the freaking nap







: I am hoping that when dd is born, we can all take a nap together and that will help his attitude in the afternoons.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen of Cups*
Yep, the same type of stuff here. Like the fact that I make sure there are lots of healty fats in Killy's diet. MIL thinks kids should only get skim milk because they shouldn't have too much fat. But, she thinks its weird that I don't give him juice.









: Sometimes I forget how lucky I am; neither my mother nor MIL would ever suggest that I give the kids skim milk (they're skinny enough!) or that I add juice to their diets.







A few months ago, FIL said something to me about juice-- he'd seen something on TV about juice having a lot of sugar and not being good for kids to have all the time. I just smiled and nodded, he was so proud to be "educating" me on the dangers of juice.














Then SIL walked in and said, "Um, I think Rynna knew that already, she's always been very strict about the amount of juice that the kids drink... why do you think they only get one 4-oz juice box a day when they're here?"







: It was pretty funny.

Sleep-- BooBah likes to go to sleep around 8:30-9:00 and wake around 8:00. She takes one nap every other day, either around 11:45 am or around 3:00pm, but not both and rarely two days in a row. I'm probably going to take the kids out today, so she's very likely to nap around 3.







I know that there's a wide range of normal when it comes to sleep at this age; some two year olds still nap twice a day, others don't nap much at all.







I'm pretty sure that BooBah's getting enough sleep most of the time, so I don't worry about her. BeanBean, however, has gotten to the point where he fights sleep.







This morning, though, he woke up and said, "That was a good night's sleep!" before trotting off to the bathroom. It was pretty sweet.









BooBah's climbing experiments have been more dangerous lately-- like right now, she's climbing on the back of the chair that I'm sitting in while singing "ABC" at the top of her lungs. The thing is, she's singing and not paying attention to where her feet are at all. I'm terrified that she's going to crack her head open this summer, and I won't be able to catch her because I don't run quickly with Bella in the sling.









We've also been having some major biting issues lately, primarily with BooBah biting BeanBean.







She actually broke skin on his back twice yesterday, and last night as they were going to bed she bit his finger.







I'm not sure if it's the teeth coming in (she's still working on her canines) or something else, but I can't deal with her biting BeanBean, it's just not right. I'm so tempted to get her a wooden chew-toy, like the kind that you give to small animals? Or maybe one of those bones that you give to dogs... but they can't be good for babies.









At least she's only bitten Bella twice altogether..


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

I had my 38-week appt. yesterday. 3 cm dilated, mostly effaced, I think I'm going to make it!









I gave another urine sample, we'll see how to bacterial load is, but I think I've been keeping the UTI at bay. I'm still asymptomatic. Come on, baby, come on...


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Good luck, Smithie!

Killy cut his final tooth last night! I am soooo relieved that teething is over!!! I really hope that Ellie has an easier time of teething than Killy did. I'm also crazy-happy that he's done teething before she's begun. When he was 5.5 months, Killy had 2 teeth but Ellie doesn't have any yet. Fine with me!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

we clipped bella's tongue tie last night. it was more traumatic for me than for her; i wish i'd done it when she was born, it would have saved me loads of pain.

happy mother's day, ladies! anyone doing anything special?


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

I'm glad the clipping worked!! I take it nursing is much better!

As for Mother's day dh has something planned but I don't know what. His mom is upset w/ him because he didnt do anything for her this year. I put my foot down 2 years ago and said that I'm a mom TOO and I deserve to NOT cook and clean and wait on others too. LAst year we did something w/ her on Saturday but this year Lauren had a dance competition so I told him he needed to get something for his mom. I got my mom a "Dance Grandma" pin that she had seen and liked. So I feel bad for his mom but not that bad! If she had just picked up her own freaking plate or offered to freaking help all those times when I made and served dinner I might feel differently and we might be doing something differently because I would have planned it. Oh well!


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

Oh Sandi, us too here only it's my mom. I'm trying really hard not to be pissed right now that not only did I agree to have her and my family come up for the day (rather than just spending it with my little family) but that, true to form, they are running really late so there's no way I'm going to be able to get DD the nap she needs today. I wish it didn't have to be a me or her thing with my mom but she does not have the same need for solitude I do so any holiday is going to cause conflict because she wants togetherness whereas I want to be alone. Sigh.

ANYWAY.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone. Hope you all have a nice one!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Happy Mother's Day!

After 24 hours of prodromal labor, I took Tylenol PM. It stopped, I slept, I am 1000% better today. But my confidence in my body was a little shaken.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Smithie









I had SO much prodromal labor this time around. Several times I called DH home from work and made arrangements for DD only to have everything peter out.









The good news...at least based on my experience....is that labor after all that practice was EASY, EASY, EASY!









We stopped at a restaurant on the way to the hosptial. I was almost fully dialated (didn't know it) while eating dinner. And about 20 minutes before DS was born I was hanging out with my family in the waiting room, nursing Lily.

My labor contractions were SO much nicer than all the BH ones I had for weeks.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dharmama*
Smithie









The good news...at least based on my experience....is that labor after all that practice was EASY, EASY, EASY!









That was my experience too. I went from for to crowning in 45 minutes w/ my second and w/ my third I slept through much of my labor and although it wasn't as quick it was easy. Had actually been awake and moving a bit more she would have come much sooner. HAng in there!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!!


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dharmama*

We stopped at a restaurant on the way to the hosptial. I was almost fully dialated (didn't know it) while eating dinner. And about 20 minutes before DS was born I was hanging out with my family in the waiting room, nursing Lily.

My labor contractions were SO much nicer than all the BH ones I had for weeks.

Erin, that sounds like my labors!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you awesome mamas!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

My labors, too. First labor: 7 hours with 2.5 hours of pushing. Second labor: 2 hours 15 minutes, with onl15-20 minutes pushing - I wasn't sure I was in labor until about 1 hour before Ellie was born! I went from "Maybe this is it?" to "OMG - everyone get in the car RIGHT NOW!"

Mother's Day has been lovely. MIL and I are getting along really well - whew! Killy adores the extra attention, of course. We went to Whole Foods for lunch and ate in their little cafe and Killy was such a trouble-monkey! He kept inciting the other kids to do things they shouldn't be. DH now understands why I don't like to bring him to LLL - he's such an instigator! He was convincing kids to jump on the sofa, run down the hall where they were out of their parents sight, and pull things off the tables. It was really funny, actually.

We had Ellie's baby dedication ceremony at church today and it was lovely! (our faith doesn't do infant baptism, the ceremony is just for the church to promise to support and love her as she grows up) She was all smiles as usual, and Killy behaved very well, too. He was a little awestruck by being in front of the whole congregation - but he wanted to hold the microphone and play the drums!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Pictures from the Baby Dedication and the rest of our fun day:

Ellie and I

Killy playing later

Killy the robot-monster

Happy Bath Boy


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen of Cups*
We went to Whole Foods for lunch and ate in their little cafe and Killy was such a trouble-monkey! He kept inciting the other kids to do things they shouldn't be. DH now understands why I don't like to bring him to LLL - he's such an instigator! He was convincing kids to jump on the sofa, run down the hall where they were out of their parents sight, and pull things off the tables. It was really funny, actually.









I know that child... two of them, really, Chibi is the same way. They just get more creative as they get older...
















So I've started pumping milk again because sometimes Bella wants to nurse and I just can't do it anymore (she still breaks suction a lot). Every time BooBah sees me pumping, she asks, "You need to nurse?" and then she runs off to wake her sister up!







: I have no idea how to explain to her that yes, I need to get the milk out but no, I don't need to wake Bella and nurse her when she's already got a full belly and she's sleeping as comfortably as she ever does.







Any thoughts?


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

Terrific pictures, QoC! You are looking great. Check out those cheekbones!

So, after all my whining we had an absolutely wonderful day yesterday. Poor R was really tired from no nap but she had a blast with my family, and, I keep forgetting how nice it is to have more adults around to help entertain her and chase her. My mom cried when I gave her her present--a coffee cup with this picture on it that says "Grandma's Coffee." DH fixed me a nice dinner and I had a glass of wine (paying for it too today, what a lightweight I am!) Hope everyone else had a nice day.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

ugh. I have horrible food poisoning. I'm pretty sure I won't die now, but I wasn't sure earlier. Killy threw up once during the night and then was fine all day. I spent all afternoon vomitting and having diarhea. I literally feel like I was put through the ringer. The culprit? Tuna Salad from WHOLE FOODS - I feel so betrayed.

Anyone have any tips for bouncing back from this? I'm finally able to hold down water and I kept down one graham cracker, but that's it so far.


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Oh, Queenie









My only suggestion is to make sure your body salts get replenished. I always crave V-8 juice when I finish a puking spree...


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Queenie-







Food poisoning sucks!! The last time I had it I ended up in the ER for fluids and a shot to stop the vomiting, I had thrown up for an hour non-stop and I was in a lot of pain. Hope you're feeling better soon!!


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## heatherbell (Jun 8, 2005)

Oh I'm so jealous that you're done with the teething, Queenie. Nadia was a very late teether. She cut her first tooth at 14 months so we're paying for the extra months of gummy grins with constant teething now. She cut her first incisor this past weekend and kept saying,"mommy, toof hurts!" I felt so bad for her.

I had food poisoning once and I thought I was pregnant







I hope you get to feeling better soon.

How does one clip an infant tongue? I've never heard of it being done at home. (I'm sheltered.)


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

OK, get this. I sat down to pee this evening and POP! and a twinge of pain.

No big gush, no big contrax since then, but I was not hallucinating. A person does not hallucinate a POP! sound.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuugh. So. frustrating.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Smithie*
OK, get this. I sat down to pee this evening and POP! and a twinge of pain.

No big gush, no big contrax since then, but I was not hallucinating. A person does not hallucinate a POP! sound.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuugh. So. frustrating.

that's how it began for me and less than 24 hours later....after only 4 1/2 hours of labor....my guy was here!!!!


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

Smithie, well, with that kind of report I'll bet we see a post from you tomorrow announcing a baby! You are handling the waiting very gracefully, I'd be cursing the universe if I were in your shoes...

Erin, good to see you posting.

Queenie, hope you are on the mend. That stuff always wipes me out for weeks afterwards...


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Smithie*
OK, get this. I sat down to pee this evening and POP! and a twinge of pain.

No big gush, no big contrax since then, but I was not hallucinating. A person does not hallucinate a POP! sound.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuugh. So. frustrating.

Happy Birthing!!!!!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Well, here I am, pregnant still. I have a regularly scheduled prenatal (39 weeks, yay!) today so she can check for traces of amniotic fluid. I tend to think that the infection risk remains quite low for a long time in most cases, so I'm not too concerned.

I'm supposed to go on a 4-mile walk today with my MOMS club. I feel pretty good this morning, so I think we'll do it.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Smithie-- I'm so excited for you!









Heather-- After we washed and sterilized a pair of (unused, sharp) nail scissors, Mike held Bella's head and body still on the bed. She opened her mouth to have a mild wahwah, and when she did I zipped in with the scissors and snipped her frenulum (the thin bit of flesh/membrane that holds your tongue to the bottom of your mouth). Bella's came all the way to the tip of her tongue before, which prevented her from latching on to my breast properly. Now she "clicks" because she's formed a bad habit; I have to find a way to teach her to keep her tongue over her lower gums while she nurses, because a) it's too painful and b) it means we have to nurse often and for a very long time, because she doesn't get enough milk that way.

My nipples are killing me, and the other tooth that needs a root canal is starting to get really bad.







I've also got a new tooth that's hurting a lot more than it did, and if I don't get to the dentist within the next week or so (and I won't







) it'll probably need a root canal, too. Fantastic. Thus far, I've managed to avoid taking any painkillers at all. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out, though.


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Smithie - good luck! You're in my thoughts!

Ugh. I'm still recovering. I lost 2-3 lbs when I was sick on Monday and am just feeling super weak, tired, and still a bit queasy at the idea of food. And now MIL is sick!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Thanks for all the good vibes! Still pregnant, very uncomfortable today, mw appt at 5:30. I hope she strips my membranes with a jackhammer. Chiro said I look pretty good, though, just a slight skewed tailbone which he popped back into place.

Rynna, this teeth thing is verging on the ridiculous. I am so distressed on your behalf.







I went five years without dental care in college/grad school, it is just absolutely obscene how health insurance doesn't cover it. AND WHERE'S OUR FLIPPING NATIONAL HEALTH PLAN ALREADY?







:







:







:


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Smithie*
Rynna, this teeth thing is verging on the ridiculous. I am so distressed on your behalf.







I went five years without dental care in college/grad school, it is just absolutely obscene how health insurance doesn't cover it. AND WHERE'S OUR FLIPPING NATIONAL HEALTH PLAN ALREADY?








:







:







:

Amen!








Healthy, easy labor vibes!


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Well, I'm assuming next time we hear from Smithie, she'll have some big news for us!

I was thinking about starting a May thread for us, but at this point I think it's a little too late!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Well, I do have big news, but not a birth announcement.

We're going to induce tomorrow! I must have looked like total crap at my 39-week appt., because my midwife said "it's time" and is coming over in the morning to do an amniotomy. She says that I will probably walk up the stairs and have a baby. Apparently everything is really ripe down there.

I am so relieved. I REALLY wanted to give birth with this mw, and she goes off call on Monday. Huge weight off my mind.

So today, I'm getting a manicure, a pedicure and the van shampooed while James spends 3 hours in the superfun daycare at the overpriced gym we used to belong to (nonmembers can use their daycare while getting services at their salon). Then we're picking up dh and going to James' 2-year WCC with his new doctor, an awesome naturopath. Then I should be all set!


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Good luck, Smithie! I'll be thinking about you and wishing you a quick, pleasant and healthy birth!


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

Good luck Smithie!

Susan, maybe just a June thread? Perhaps when those 2 yr birthdays roll around we'll be chatty again?


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Good luck, Smithie!

New babies are so exciting!







I enjoyed some quiet time with Bella today; the kids went to the IL's last night, so it was just me and she this morning.







She doesn't seem to know what to make of the quiet.


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

I am reading, and anxious for everyone's news, but mired in spackling, priming popcorn ceilings







: , allowing my toddler to watch way too much tv, and answering calls from the roofer, the realtor in NY, dh, MIL, etc etc. We found a house! I don't know if I said that already! It has 30 acres and is a steal for the neighborhood, so we're wondering what's wrong with it. I think it's just that it needs a lot of cosmetic work. My MIL is lending us the down payment!







I am so grateful. So I really am feeling tremendous stress related to getting this house on the market, and watching the local houses for sale, and not sleeping well, and feeling bad that my toddler, who will be my last toddler, is not getting the attention his sister got at this age.







It's hard always to think "it will be perfect as soon as..."

Anxiously awaiting birth announcements, Smithie! Good luck with the induction! I've never gotten to 39 weeks so I think I would be more-than-ready too.









The thread is quite chatty, we're just disorganized mothers-of-two-year-olds. But we should have a June thread for sure. Maybe we should start it on Killy's birthday?! He was the first of us, I believe, and that was May twenty-something? Fifth? Forgive me for not remembering off-hand.

Back to spackling and installing drywall. Dd is making a lot of meals for us these days.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Good Luck Smithie!

Liz- Congrats on the house!

My girls have been watching way too much TV. I've been working on the dance studio yearbook all week. I've had to scan in over 50 pages as well as creating a bunch of dedication pages because even though the parents who bought a dedication page were suppose to turn them in ready to be scanned many didn't. UGH!!!

I'm also organizing a benefit for my neighbor's son. He is very sick and needs to go to Boston for surgery. His medical costs are already though the roof and now w/ this it will cost them about $130 a day for hotel fees because Ronald McDonald house only helps cancer families in Boston.







She's a single mom of 3 and things are already tight. She is so close to going over the edge.









Gotta run and finish burning this stuff for the yearbook! Have agreat weekend everyone!!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Excellent memory, Liz! Killy's b-day is May 25th. Its soooo hard to believe that he'll be two years old next week! Its also hard to believe that DH and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary today. He did very well: I got flowers and a diamond necklace. He got a Nintendo DS game and a clock for his office mantle (its a really unusual design that I knew he'd LOVE).

Anyone thinking about b-day parties yet? I'm doing a cake decorated as a train and we'll be grilling. Just four kids are coming over and two are Ellie's age so they hardly count! It should be a nice relaxing afternoon... I think I might send an invite to my midwife, though - I think it would be cool if she stopped by since she caught Killian two years ago!

So, we're all finally recovered. Though I'm still not eating as much as usual, food is just scary when food poisoning makes you that sick and then you have to watch it run through every ohter member of your family over the course of the week. My sister ended up having to get an IV of fluids yesterday - it was really scary for awhile, she got really incoherant and could hardly walk. She'd been having diarhea for 4 days and hadn't been drinking much water at all, so she was super-dehydrated.

The other big news is that Ellie is six months old today! I gave her a taste of banana in the baby safe feeder - her first foray into solid foods. It was very bittersweet, of course...


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

blog with pictures - of all the goings-on today!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

That clock is so cool! I love clocks.







I'm weird, I know. I also love all the physics books on the shelves...







I miss being a geek so much...

Sandi-- I had no idea that R McD houses were so different in different places! I know people who've stayed at the one in Hershey while their kids were in the hospital, and none of thier children had cancer.







In fact, they all lived within easy driving distance of the hospital, they just stayed so that they could be closer to their kids. In both cases the kids were very ill, one was touch and go for a while (a head injury from falling, in a baby walker, down a flight of stairs onto a concrete floor), but I think that the only thing that they had in common was that the kids were sick and the parents couldn't easily drive to see them every day. I'm really surprised that there isn't an organization designed to help people in your friend's situation near every major children's hospital.









Liz-- I too feel mired, but unlike you I see no end in sight.







When are you planning to make the big move?

Birthday parties-- one of Mike's myriad cousins is getting married on BooBah's birthday.







I have no idea whether or not we'll be expected to go to the wedding (I suspect not, but I have no way of knowing), but Mike's parents and sister will definately be expected there. I don't know what we'll do for BooBah.







She really loved the watermelon cake last year, we may do that again.







I'll ask her what she wants, and keep an eye out for her. It may end up being a small, non-extended family event. Hopefully her guardians will be able to come to whatever we do this year, I'd really like to see them.







:

ChibiChibi is going to be nine years old next week. I'm totally in shock, I can hardly believe that it's been that long since she was born. Her mother's nearly a grownup now!







Chibi's kind of depressed, but when I remind her that a) school will be over in just a few more weeks and b) after that, she'll never have to go to school again she cheers up somewhat. She's also very happy that I actually listen to her, and that I'll take her side if her argument makes sense, and that I'll explain my reasons if I don't agree with her. In short, she likes being treated like a person. I love her to bits, and I hate seeing her suffer through things that can be changed... she's got enough crap to deal with in her life that I can't fix.









I've got a personal interest in keeping her sane, though. I'm so not ready to be a great-aunt, and I don't think I'll be any more ready 5 years from now than I am today!







If ChibiChibi gets pregnant, there's no way in







that she'll get to keep the baby; sorry, but I'm not willing to watch her screw up the way that her mother has/is. I've already made it very clear to her that if she gets pregnant before she's ready to parent, Mike and I will raise the baby. I'm hoping that these words make an impression on her long before she's interested in becoming sexually active, and I'm also hoping that open discussion will delay sexual activity for her until she's really ready. I worry so much about her and her sister, because with my sister as a role model... well, I think it's safe to say that she's not the most sexually responsible person in the world.









BooBah's such a person, and she's having a huge growth spurt. It's very exciting to me, and very cool.







In paper diapers, her 2's fall off of her hips but the length is *just* right; she actually does better in a 3 with a cloth diaper.







Fantastic! BeanBean has also gotten taller, now his size 4 jeans come just to his ankles and even look a little short on him, he's solidly in a 5 slim. Bella's doing best of all-- she *fits* in her 0-3's! She's our first child who may outgrow the 0-3 size around three months, rather than just starting to fill them out.







: She's growing much more quickly than I expected her to, thanks to her reflux (which is much worse than BooBah's ever was). She may slow down a bit after she gets some zantac, but in the meantime she's looking so big!







I can hardly believe that Bella is nearly two months old, it's just amazing to me. There's that whole strange time effect happening-- she seems brand new, but so much crap has happened that it feels like it should have been two weeks or two years, but nothing in between.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eilonwy*
Sandi-- I had no idea that R McD houses were so different in different places! I know people who've stayed at the one in Hershey while their kids were in the hospital, and none of thier children had cancer.







In fact, they all lived within easy driving distance of the hospital, they just stayed so that they could be closer to their kids. In both cases the kids were very ill, one was touch and go for a while (a head injury from falling, in a baby walker, down a flight of stairs onto a concrete floor), but I think that the only thing that they had in common was that the kids were sick and the parents couldn't easily drive to see them every day. I'm really surprised that there isn't an organization designed to help people in your friend's situation near every major children's hospital.









I had no idea either. In fact my cousin who does a ton volunteer work at RMDH here was shocked too. It's very frustrating!

Lily is talking up a storm and singing like crazy! She even likes to make up her own songs. It's so funny. She's so darn cute and cracks me up about a thousand times a day. The other day dh got a diaper to change her and she said to him "ahh daddy you got a diaper for me! Thank you that was so nice!" It just cracked us up! She's trying to dress herself too. Today she put her pants on after a diaper change and got frustrated because both legs were in the same hole and she couldn't walk very well.
Oh and in the car this evening she threw a huge fit because dh put her in the car and buckled her in, instead of letting her get in the car and then in her seat, because it was raining and about 5 minutes after she started crying she stopped and asked for a tissue. Dh gave it to her and she stuck out her bottom lip and wiped her tears and then pitifully blew her nose. It was quite the show!







She is such a drama queen!!

Smithie- I hope you're snuggling your new little bundle!!

QoC- I can't believe Killy is going to be 2 in a few days!! MAn weren't we all just sitting around talking about our pregnancies and wondering who was going to be first??


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Sarah Kemp was born at home on Saturday, May 20th, 2006 at 4:41 in the afternoon. She weighed 7 lbs 2 oz at birth, measured 20 inches long, and is absolutely beautiful in that red, squished newborn way.

Pictures and birth story to follow. Long story short - some back labor which totally sucked, but with less than 4 hours between the first painful contraction and when she came out, I can't complain too much.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Smithie*
Sarah Kemp was born at home on Saturday, May 20th, 2006 at 4:41 in the afternoon. She weighed 7 lbs 2 oz at birth, measured 20 inches long, and is absolutely beautiful in that red, squished newborn way.

Pictures and birth story to follow. Long story short - some back labor which totally sucked, but with less than 4 hours between the first painful contraction and when she came out, I can't complain too much.

Yay Smithie!







BIG congrats!









nak...

quinn and i slept upstairs for the first time last night (we've been on the couch) and this morning i decided that we're buying a king bed today. it was too sqishy with 4 of us in the queen. i told dh this morning and he was all for it. we might only be able to afford a mattress but that's fine....the lower to the ground the better!


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## Mummoth (Oct 30, 2003)

WOO HOO!!! Welcome to the world baby Sarah! Congrats Smithie!

Kevin is out of town for a few days (actually, he comes home late tonight...that went fast!) He went to Saltspring to visit a friend & it turns out ALL the guys are there for the long weekend (Victoria Day on Monday) So he's probably going to be in rough shape when he gets home







Next summer, Caitlin will probably be old enough that *I* can take off for a night








Caitlin is obsessed with boats. when we're at the beach, she freaks out when they go by. I told her that daddy went on a boat (ferry) and it was all she'd talk about after that.
I decided to take them on the bus/Skytrain & for a ride on the Seabus acroos to Lonsdale Quay. Holy crap! The whole time we were on it, she was sqealing "Boat! Boat!" and giggling maniaclly! Roland wanted to know if a pirate was driving







When we got to the Quay, we went to their favourite fine dining resaurant (McDonalds) & wandered around some shops. On the way home, we took a walk through Gastown & saw the steam clock. They both loved it & Caitlin said "Again! Again!" when the music stopped. The Skytrain is remotely operated, so theres a regular passenger seat right at the front. Roland got to sit in it & he's been bragging about what a good driver he is







They were both *very* well behaved the whole time, so it was fun for all of us. We were all totally beat by the time we got home. We made a video for Daddy, because hes got access to a computer where he is. Then we had watermelon & english muffins for supper, they had a bath & it was story time. Oh yeah! we got new stories while we were out, too! 3 Arthurs, Jack & the Beanstalk & one about Canada ---Roland likes non-fiction--- I think it may be his new favourite (thank goodness! I'm tired of reading about the digestive system!)
Today, I think we're going to stay closer to home, but go on another adventure.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Welcome to the world baby Sarah!!! Congrats smithie, way to go!!!! I can't wait to see pics!

mummoth- That sounds like so much FUN!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Congrats, Smithie!!!!! Welcome, Sarah!


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

Congrats Smithie!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

OK, here's the looong story and the photo link.

At exactly midnight on Friday, May 12, I had a "real" contraction that felt exactly like it had with James. Wanting to rest a bit, I timed about three of those about 10 minutes apart and then drifted off until Scott came upstairs at 2. I had just woken up from the discomfort of another contraction, so I decided we should stay up. He wanted me to call the midwife but I wanted to wait.

So we started tackling my extensive "When Smithie Goes Into Labor" list. I folded laundry, stripped the bed, etc. He disinfected the tub, set up the card table for the mw, dragged out the birth kit, set up the video camera, etc. I had taken some black and blue cohosh when I went downstairs for the laundry and called the midwife in the midst of folding. I told her I'd call her back in half an hour or so if I was sure.

I went and sat in my favorite chair (enormous recliner rocker) and after a couple more very well-defined contractions, I called the mw back and also called my birth doula, Nicole. I told Scott that I refused to give birth until the house was clean, and went upstairs to take a shower and put in my contacts. I was very excited at this point.

Nicole arrived while I was showering, she helped me unload all my maternity clothes from the closet and started hanging up my postpartum stuff. The midwife arrived and checked me - AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE FROM MY EXAM ON WEDNESDAY. Still 3 cm and mostly effaced.

We decided to sit downstairs for an hour so Scott, who hadn't slept at all, could get some rest and I could try out my most effective position so far, sitting cross-legged in my big chair. We spent the hour chatting, timing contractions, dealing with the wild excitement of the dogs, and trying to help the Very Lost Assistant Midwife over the phone. She eventually got here and I had the midwife check me again. Still no change. They all left, after cheerfully assuring me that this could go on for days.

So I waddled up to bed and slept from about 5 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., waking up periodically with uncomfortable contractions. Now I'm up for the day, and so is James. I thought I'd wake up feeling normal and just have to wait another week or whatever, but I'm still putzing along with contractions. Some of them are no big deal, but some of them are quite ouchy. Sarah has been kicking and clawing and her head has moved down. She wants out.

My baby shower is today at 2 p.m. Something tells me I'll be dragging a preggo outfit out of the bag and attending it. This sucks. This sucks. This sucks.

-------------------------
I labored ineffectively all day Saturday. I tried a couple more doses of blue cohosh plus some in an enema, took a walk, sat in my contraction-inducing position in the big chair - nothing seemed to have much effect. We had takeout Chinese for lunch and James obliged us by taking a nap.

I managed to get a couple hours sleep, then woke up when my mom called to check in. James woke up crying shortly afterwards - he had removed his diaper and peed on his bedroom floor. He certainly knows when to try a new trick for maximum effect ☺ I decided to plop him in front of the TV and let Scott keep sleeping in case I needed him fresh later.

I called my midwife around 6 p.m. to give her an update. She advised me to have a half glass of wine and a hot bath if the labor hadn't "turned the corner" by bedtime tonight. At this point, I am seriously considering going to the hospital for the Pit/epi/sleeping pill overnight induction routine, if the OB on duty is even willing to treat my non-compliant crunchy-granola homebirth-planning self.

I called Evergreen Hospital a little before 7 p.m. and made it as far as the OB charge nurse. Man, was she not excited about inheriting me and my putzy labor, but she promised to consult with the doc and have somebody call me back. I fear she is secretly calling the midwife. Meanwhile James was climbing on the back of the couch, flirting with the possibility of falling through the living room window and killing himself. I'm sweating with effort sitting still in this chair. This is Not Good.

------------------------------
After I called the hospital, I had a good cry and felt a little better. My contractions became more regular and more painful. I woke up Scott and we watched some of our DVRed programming and talked. We both agreed that we didn't like Ali (the on-call midwife) nearly as much as Val (the midwife who delivered James), but thought she was competent. Scott went out to get Subway for dinner. James is fussing at me, I have no idea why.

-----------------------------------
I never heard back from Evergreen and was seriously starting to lose it. I didn't feel comfortable calling Ali again, so we took James over to the Tomkos for the night and went to Overlake to get me checked. I hadn't dilated further, the EFM showed good vitals on both me and Sarah, and the OB/GYN on call was not interested in dragging herself out of bed to see me. At this point, I had not slept for 24 hours and was at the end of my rope. This was a serious low point, I knew that I was becoming too exhausted to cope with active labor. Fortunately, Scott thought to ask if Tylenol PM would be OK to take, and the nurses thought it would be fine (I never did speak to the doctor, she discharged me sight unseen, if my labor ultimately has a bad outcome I hope somebody reads this, looks up my records at Overlake, and sues her ass).

We stopped at Walgreen's on the way home and Scott went in for the medicine and a bottle of water. I took it in the car and was already feeling better by the time we got home. We went to bed, slept in on Sunday morning (Happy Mother's Day!), and went to pick up James. I had a few painful contractions in the course of the day, but nothing compared to the day before.

Scott and I discussed the whole prodromal saga some more and agreed that we did not want Ali at the birth. In fact, the entire birth team (Ali, the student midwife, and the doula) pretty much sucked. Since Val, the midwife who delivered James, is on call for a week starting Monday at noon, we are hoping that Sarah will decide to get things going for real sometime before the 22nd.

-----------------------------
When I saw Val on Wednesday the 17th, she absolutely made my day by saying that it would be OK to "pick a birth date" and do an amniotomy at home. We decided on Saturday the 20th, and I spent the next couple of days doing important errands, going to James' 2-year WCC, etc. I also had my nails done on Friday afternoon. Scott bought a new video camera. I washed and folded and organized like a maniac. It was great.

The morning of the induction, I woke up at 7, did some laundry, and cleaned the house. James got up a few minutes before 9 and had breakfast. At 9:30, I woke Scott up so I could strip the bed and he could shower before Val's arrival. We clashed a bit over the issue of whether James would be going to a friend's house or staying home during the birth. Eventually, he dropped the whole "he'll be traumatized" approach and told me that he didn't want to miss out on any key moments of the birth due to being distracted by James' needs. This, I could relate to. I relented.

Val arrived a little after 10, dragged in her kit, and took my vitals. My cervix had moved forward and dilated another centimeter since Wednesday and the bag was still bulging, so we decided to go ahead! Scott filmed the amniotomy around 11 and then left to take James to Marion's house (there had been some drama when Marion initially didn't answer her cell phone, but it was resolved). I showered, walked up and down the stairs, tidied a bit, squatted etc. to get things moving. I lost a lot of fluid, working my way through six Depends undergarments.

Sarah kicked and wriggled and moved even lower down. Scott realized after dropping James off that he had forgotten his wallet and couldn't buy tapes for the camera or lunch for all of us. He came home for it, and I told him to hurry up as I was starting to have contractions.

Scott came back with Subway, and after we ate Val took off to hang out at a local greenhouse until things got interesting. We prepped the bed and the tub, and I had my first really ouchy contraction during this process. I wanted to lie down for awhile, so Scott went downstairs to have a snack and watch TV. It was actually really nice to be alone.

At 1:11, I had a truly unpleasant contraction, and they kept coming at about 7-minute intervals. Val got back at 1:40 just as I was getting ready to get in the tub, she said I was very effaced and had dilated another centimeter and asked me to wait on the tub for a bit as it would slow things down. I decided to get up and move around.

OK, I'm a little blurry from this point on ☺ I know that I Iabored downstairs kneeling in front of my recliner, upstairs lying on my side in bed and in the tub, backwards on the toilet for a few contractions near the end&#8230; we have it all on video, but I haven't watched that part yet. Basically, it hurt a lot, I yelled a lot, and we had to close the bedroom window and smother lest my neighbors call the cops.

In the end, Val pushed away a slight lip of cervix and Sarah decided to do us all a favor and rotate out of her posterior position. I pushed her out in just a few minutes on my hands and knees. Val tried really hard with compresses and almond oil to keep things together, but I tore a tiny bit on both labia as her head was born and got a funny crescent-shaped tear down below as her body came out. The latter tear followed the shape of my scar tissue from the tear with James.

Sarah was born around 4:30 p.m., although the birth record apparently says 4:42. She was nice and pink and cried right away. Her cord was short, so she had to wait for the afterbirth before she could nurse. I showered while the bedding was changed, then lay back down to be sutured. Sarah managed to latch on in the side-lying position, not too shabby for a baby less than one hour old!

Scott went to fetch James, who was minimally interested in his new sister but thrilled to finish the container of Ben and Jerry's I'd been eating when he walked in.

We've had a great first 24 hours, including some actual sleep on the first night! I've been popping ibuprofen and using Soothies breast pads, and I'm much more comfortable than I was at this point after James' birth. I'm really looking forward to my first postpartum chiropractic adjustment tomorrow. Scott is taking a week off, and then my mom will be here. We are so thrilled with how smoothly the birth went and how healthy and content Sarah seems to be.

A few photos (warning, there is boob): http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...h&x=0&y=-n8s8b


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Smithie, congrats! She's beautiful!









They can't be comfortable, but BeanBean and BooBah are standing behind me on the chair. I'm not going to be able to do this for too much longer, because BeanBean is very close to reading independantly, so I suppose I should be enjoying this semi-independant time.







Anyway, they're standing behind me, drinking yogurt. Bella is in my lap in a blanket; I was just getting ready to put her into her basket when the kids climbed up here. So much for my personal time.







I really wanted to be alone for a little while, just a few minutes...


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

Smithie, what a terrific birth story! You look radiant and Sarah is beautiful!


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Ugh. So tired of the epic battles about everything... Getting in the stroller, getting in the booster seat, going outside, coming inside, taking a bath, getting out of the bath, being told not to drop things down the stairs (over the baby gate), being told to stop drinking bathwater... Its so hard to stay calm all day long when faced with a HUGE battle over every single little decision.

The ILs are visiting, and the visit is going fairly well. I just get really annoyed with them at times. Typical stuff, I'm sure: they watch me give the kids a bath (its so darn cute!), then wander off when its time to get the kids in pajamas so I'm left with two cold, wet, naked, crying children while they sit in their room next to the nursery and read. WTH? Or like today, when MIL bumped her head at the zoo and FIL immediately burst into tears because he was so scared. Okay, she does have lupus so he worried about her health a lot, but it was a really minor bump and all she said was "Ow!" in a perfectly conversational tone. But, he's pretty rational about all things not dealing with her health...

They keep commenting on how active Killy is all the time and marveling about it - neither of their kids were like that at all. Its nice to have that validation that he is more challenging than the average two year old. FIL was telling me about how when they took the kids to the park yesterday he had to go to the bathroom and MIL was left to watch BOTH KIDS! Like it was medal-worthy and nearly impossible, and I just said that yeah I'm sure it was a handful... What do they think I do every day? DH works at home, but the key word there is WORK, he doesn't help with the kids much at all. Its me and the wild toddler and the baby EVERY day. The upside is that they have not made one comment (directly or indirectly) about me being too strict, I think they get it now... Killy is very headstrong and quite bright, and the key to keeping some sanity in the house is to have very clearly defined limits and expectations and sticking to them 100% of the time.

Ugh. I'm sorry - I feel like I always get online here to whine about my spirited child and my family. I love Killy and my family to pieces, its just tough because I don't feel like there's any socially acceptable outlet for SAHM's to vent their day-to-day frustrations. Know what I mean? I feel like most people's attitude is just "Well, you choose to stay home - what do you expect? Don't whine about it if its what you want to do." It should be possible to share frustrations without being made to feel like a crappy mom or a big whiny-pants.


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen of Cups*

Ugh. I'm sorry - I feel like I always get online here to whine about my spirited child and my family. I love Killy and my family to pieces, its just tough because I don't feel like there's any socially acceptable outlet for SAHM's to vent their day-to-day frustrations. Know what I mean? I feel like most people's attitude is just "Well, you choose to stay home - what do you expect? Don't whine about it if its what you want to do." It should be possible to share frustrations without being made to feel like a crappy mom or a big whiny-pants.

Vent away, Queenie! I totally hear you! I feel bad for venting to dh sometimes, because he works very, very hard. Lots and lots of hours. BUT, he gets to go to the bathroom by himself while he's there. He goes out for business lunches several times/week to very nice restaurants. He gets to travel to awesome places. For Christ's sake, he gets to spend 20 minutes alone in the car everyday driving to and from work! Fortunately, he's awesome about helping out around the house and with the kids when he's here.

Julie hasn't been around. Is she on vacation or something?


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## LizD (Feb 22, 2002)

Perfect, Smithie, in every, every way!























Great New Thing to Keep Rowan Occupied: Old fax machine plugged in but not hooked to the phone. Lots of beeping and paper coming out.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Doodlebugsmom*
Vent away, Queenie! I totally hear you! I feel bad for venting to dh sometimes, because he works very, very hard. Lots and lots of hours. BUT, he gets to go to the bathroom by himself while he's there. He goes out for business lunches several times/week to very nice restaurants. He gets to travel to awesome places. For Christ's sake, he gets to spend 20 minutes alone in the car everyday driving to and from work! Fortunately, he's awesome about helping out around the house and with the kids when he's here.









: I tell my dh those things all the time.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Doodlebugsmom*
Vent away, Queenie! I totally hear you! I feel bad for venting to dh sometimes, because he works very, very hard. Lots and lots of hours. BUT, he gets to go to the bathroom by himself while he's there. He goes out for business lunches several times/week to very nice restaurants. He gets to travel to awesome places. For Christ's sake, he gets to spend 20 minutes alone in the car everyday driving to and from work! Fortunately, he's awesome about helping out around the house and with the kids when he's here.









: With the exceptions of the business lunches and the travel; last time Mike travelled for work, he took us all with him.







Mike hates business lunches, too; for him, those are work (he's very, very introverted and prefers to "shut down" entirely for lunch, or spend it playing at the park with the kids). Still, the idea of going to the bathroom by myself, or driving for a whole 30 minutes by myself-- bliss! Playing the music as loud as I want without worrying about damaging little ears or hearing strange things come out of little mouths (try explaining to your superconservative IL's what "I found you, Ms. New Booty!" is all about







:







). Wow, it's like, a dream come true!









Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen of Cups*
FIL was telling me about how when they took the kids to the park yesterday he had to go to the bathroom and MIL was left to watch BOTH KIDS! Like it was medal-worthy and nearly impossible, and I just said that yeah I'm sure it was a handful... What do they think I do every day?

Well, obviously you sit around eating bon bons...














I tend to laugh at people when they say/imply things like that, or ask for my medal. I'm a smartass, though.









We had a big day yesterday-- BooBah pooped in the toilet all by herself!!! :applause














When she finished, I wiped her and washed her hands, and then she vanished while I washed mine. I came out of the bathroom to find her wearing a pair of BeanBean's underpants. "I'm wearing underpants on my buns. I don't want a diaper!" She wore them the rest of the day-- through a loooong nap (2.5 hours!) and a three hour trip to the park!







I'm so impressed with her, hooray for BooBah! She wanted a diaper to go to bed last night, but she's wearing underpants again this morning. I'm so happy for her! Hooray for BooBah!







We called Daddy and Nanny to tell them all about it.









I have to say, though, that if I didn't have a little one in my arms, I'd probably be the teensiest bit depressed about BooBah's imminent toilet training.







She just seems like such a big girl!







: She's super cool, though, there's always something new and interesting to watch her do. Go, BooBah, Go!


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## Balancin1 (Sep 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LizD*
Great New Thing to Keep Rowan Occupied: Old fax machine plugged in but not hooked to the phone. Lots of beeping and paper coming out.









I started breathing heavy when I read this. I am so giving this a try the next time R and I are driving each other crazy.









ITA with all of you about 1) a place to vent and 2) how darn hard this full-time mothering gig is. It's nice to have a place to talk about it without getting advice in return. I don't need advice, I just need sympathy.

I better get off the computer and get to bed while I can...


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## Queen of Cups (Aug 29, 2003)

Please pray for my sister, everyone... She was in a car wreck today and has lots of cuts and bruises and 26 stitches in her left leg. She's really lucky to be alive, honestly... Her car is completely totalled. She's at home now (with us) recovering. It was a really scary stressful day.

Oh, and FIL has the vomitting/diarhea bug we all had last week, so it was definitely a virus and NOT food poisoning. Ugh.

In happy news, the kid's well child visits were today. They're totally healthy and doing great, here's the stats:

Killy - 2 years
36.5 inches tall (90th percentile)
30 lbs (70th percentile)

Ellie - 6 months
hearing test was excellent
26.5 inches tall (75th percentile)
17 lbs 2 oz (75th percentile)

I'm off to crash into bed...


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Queenie- sending healing vibes to your sister!


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Oh Queenie....healing vibes to your sister!!!

Ugh mamas. I'm really struggling.

nak...

quinn is 2 weeks old and i've had so little time to just sit and savor him. i am feeling so resentful towards lily because she is being so demanding of my time....but then i feel guilty because she is just being a normal healthy 2 year old.

ok. i'm putting both kids in the car and driving around...i just don't have the energy to deal with lily's nap-fighting antics so long car rides have been my saving grace.


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## Doodlebugsmom (Aug 1, 2002)

Queenie,







. I'll be thinking of your sister.

Erin, honestly, nobody ever told me how much harder it is with two. After ds was born, thinking back to just having one seemed almost like having none! Hold on tight, because it's a crazy ride! Hang in there, you're a great mama. You may not feel like it on some days, but you are!


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Doodlebugsmom*
Queenie,







. I'll be thinking of your sister.

Erin, honestly, nobody ever told me how much harder it is with two. After ds was born, thinking back to just having one seemed almost like having none! Hold on tight, because it's a crazy ride! Hang in there, you're a great mama. You may not feel like it on some days, but you are!









thanks susan!







:


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

QoC--







Car accidents suck.









Erin-- Two was, for me, the most difficult transition thus far.







Things get easier when your oldest can chase the wild one, but when the older one is at the running age and the baby needs constant attention... well, life can get very difficult. Be strong! It does get better! Before you know it, you'll be taking both kids out and trying to remember why you thought having two was so difficult before.









Mike and I have decided that we're never taking BeanBean to the ER again. The next time he needs stitches, I'm going to see if I can do it myself.







His deductible is ridiculous, and of course it's doing damage to our credit every day that it stays unpaid. Here's the kicker: the hospital and the doctors bill separately! We have to pay the deductible for both the facility and the doctor!







Crazy people. I was watching the news a while back, and someone was talking about the sorry state of most Americans' credit. They gave you all the cute little "tips" that they do ("make more than minimum payments" and "transfer your balances to cards with lower interest"







) and then in passing mentioned that most credit debt in this country is for things like car repair and medical bills. In other words, _emergencies_!! It's not like people are running around, frivolously spending; no, most Americans are like us-- carrying debt because their car broke down and they need it to get to work, or because their kid slammed his head and needed stitches.
















In better news: BooBah is actually diaper trained! This means that unlike her brother, she does not pee when she's got anything on her buns; she can wear a pair of underpants all day long and use the toilet!







She still asks for a diaper to go to bed, and I am not brave enough to take her anywhere other than the park (a whopping 6 blocks) without a diaper, but at home she can wear underpants. I'm so happy!!







: This morning BooBah dressed herself in a pair of blue training pants and her Very Lonely Firefly t-shirt (I actually bought it when BeanBean was about 4 months old, because I couldn't resist and it was only $3.97







) and her sandals. She's super cute!

Bella is sitting in her new (to her) kicky bounce; BeanBean and BooBah destroyed the one that BooBah used. I didn't feel too badly about it, because BooBah was the fourth or fifth child to use that kicky bounce, but I missed it when it wasn't around. Lucky for me, my SIL got one for my niece from her brother (he thought it was a swing







). My niece hated it, so it was hardly used at all, and my brother mailed it to me this week. It looks brand new, and Bella hasn't decided what to make of it yet.









BeanBean is moving toys around. I'd stop him, but if I do that he'll expect me to sit and read with him and I don't think I want to do that just now.







The sky looks horribly gray, but if the sun comes out I'll take them to Pine Grove and let them run for a while. They definately need some fresh air.









I'm madly in love with my kids today.







I've decided that I'm not going to raise my voice (for a change) at all today. Let's see how long I hold out.







:


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## heatherbell (Jun 8, 2005)

Wow, I've been out of the loop for a week









Congrats, Smithie on Sarah. The birth sounds like it was an absolute dream--well as much as labor can be. Reading homebirths really makes me want to have one myself but alas, I was an uneducated birther the first few times and allowed myself to have two c-sections.

We're (more like myself) have been busting my buns all week trying to get the house cleaned and things ready to go for vacation that we leave for tomorrow. Its just to my mother's house (5 hours away) but with two little kids and two dogs, it is a lot more work that it sounds.

Its finally warmed up so I can make Nadia go run around outside in the fenced in yard with the dogs in the kennel. You'd think that would make it easier but somehow I get dragged into chalking or bubble-blowing duty. Matt has been working his tail off all week. (Background info: He's in the Navy and is in charge of a barracks of IT students here.) It really amazes me that some of these students have to have someone hold them by the hand each and everyday and explain what to do. "Tie your boots. Make your bed. Put your stuff away. Take a shower!" Yes, even the take a shower. I don't know how many times he has come home to tell me about a student who hasn't showered in umpteen days. How did they make it through the first 18 years of life?!

We've come up for orders and decided if we can't get overseas duty (Italy in particular), then we're ready to leave the military life.

I"m trying to get everything sent out I've sold from my Hyenacart the past few weeks but I'm not having any luck getting alone time so I can concentrate on finishing things. *sigh*

Erin, the first thing that people told me when I got pregnant immediately after having Nadia was that it was going to be hard. I NEVER realized just how hard. I thought I was going to go batty somedays dealing with an independent Nadia and a clingy newborn who had colic. But ever since Hayden has grown out of the "baby" stage and is starting to become a big boy--moving on his own and playing with toys--its become 100% easier.

Okay, now that I wrote a book, I'll end this and stop procrastinating







Clothes need washed and even though they smell funky enough to walk themselves, I don't think they'll wash themselves.


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## 3girlsmommy (Jun 19, 2003)

Erin- Hang in there, it really does get better! For me going from one to two was almost more then I could handle. It was really insane. Lauren wanted so much attention and I just couldn't give it to her. Dh would get up early get himself ready and then get LAuren up and ready and play w/ her for about an hour before going into work. I think Maddie was 6 months old before I didn't feel like I was being ripped into pieces. It was WAY easier going from 2 to 3 because Lauren & Maddie had each other and Lauren was 5 so she could help me out to some extent. Anyway it does get better!!


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

thanks everyone.









we're having a much better day today. last night i told dh that i needed to put lily to bed...i just felt like i really needed to connect with her one-on-one and remember why i love her so much (after having such yucky thoughts about wanting to ship her off to live somewhere else all day







).

so we took a bath together and i gave her unlimited nursing. quinn was screaming like a wild man and dh (who has been incredible this time around) was totally overwhelmed. he came in and we just kind of seamlessly switched kids and it was fine.

lily went to bed very easily for dh and i was sound asleep with quinn before he came out of her room.

anyway...one day at a time.

i'm really grateful to have all of you to share this adventure with.









queenie...how's your sister???


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Happy Birthday, Killy! I just started a new thread for us.


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